Ellie closed the book. “Thank you,” she said politely, handing it back to the librarian. “I just wanted to see if there was an author picture, but there isn’t.”
The librarian turned the book over in her hands. “You’re right,” she said. “Publishers like pictures of the author as a rule. I expect it helps a bit at bookshop signings. I wonder why they didn’t do it for this author?”
“I don’t know,” said Ellie.
She decided to walk the rest of the way to work. Well, at least I’ve found out that he lives in London! she thought to herself. That’s something.
It wasn’t that far to walk, and it was a lovely morning. But nearby there was a bookshop, and on a whim, Ellie went in.
She very quickly found a pile of the paperbacks and took one to the counter. “Do you know if Charlie Daniels does book signings?” she asked. “Or if he’s going to some time?”
The assistant held out her hand for the book, but Ellie held onto it. “I don’t want to buy it,” she said. “I was just wondering about book signings.”
The assistant shrugged. “I’ve got no idea,” he said. “You could try the publisher. They might know. I haven’t heard of an author tour though.”
“Thanks,” said Ellie, putting the book back on the stack. As soon as she had finished the piece she had to write about Pop’s new fashion range she’d phone the publisher. Surely, with so much publicity about the film, Charlie Daniels would want to do a book tour? If it were Ellie, she knew that she would!
“Any progress in your quest to interview our illusive author?” said Francesca when Ellie arrived at work.
“Not really,” said Ellie. “Though I now know he lives in London.” She hesitated. “And I’m going to ring the publisher once I’ve written the piece about Pop Lowther.”
“Good for you,” said Francesca. “It’s great he’s in London. That will make an interview much easier to set up if you can make contact. Well done!”
Ellie got straight on with her piece about Pop’s new venture, and soon had an article to show Francesca.
“She says she wants to design clothes she loves wearing herself,” Ellie told Francesca. “And she mentions Carlotta Bellini, who she’ll be working with, as a huge influence, so I did a bit of digging on the internet and found out a bit more about her. I’ve attached that to the article in case you’re interested.”
“Excellent work, Ellie,” said Francesca, looking very pleased. “Give me a few minutes to edit it and then we’ll go and show Angel.”
Soon they were both heading for Angel’s office, and Piano was trying to look as if she wasn’t interested, but Ellie could see that she was watching their every move. Ellie had to fight the urge to giggle. She could imagine the shocked expression on Piano’s face when she found out what Ellie had written. Piano so often liked to make Ellie feel as if she was a hopeless case, but Ellie was certain she wasn’t going to be made to feel like an underdog today!
Angel was a formidable Editor in Chief, but Francesca never seemed to be in awe of her. She knocked, went straight in and up to Angel’s desk. Angel looked happy to see her, but not so pleased that Ellie had come with her.
“What’s up?” said Angel.
“Ellie has been given a scoop by Pop Lowther,” said Francesca without any preamble. “Her agent has sent Ellie an advance copy of the press release so that we can publish the item first.”
“Really?” Angel looked at Ellie with her steely blue eyes, but they held interest and respect, not ire. “And why has she opted to give you this exclusivity?”
“Umm…well…” Ellie tried to explain. “We seemed to get on really well when I interviewed them during my work experience here, and she told me then that she was looking into a new venture and would let me know when she was ready to announce it. I think she was trying to help me with being a journalist,” she added, trying to be totally honest.
Angel nodded. “I remember that article, and the hint in it of information to come.” She smiled at Ellie. “You obviously have empathy, and that goes a long way with people. If they feel you’re on their side they tend to open up more. Well done. It looks as if you have the makings of a fine journalist. What is the scoop, by the way?”
“It’s about Pop going into clothes design for a big fashion store,” said Ellie, thrilled by Angel’s praise. “I’ve done an article.” She offered Angel the printed-out article but Angel waved it away. “That’s all right, Francesca can cast an eye over it.” She looked at her deputy. “But we’ll need to discuss where it will go in the magazine,” she said. “Maybe that piece on the film actor…let’s talk it over in about twenty minutes, Francesca. I need to make a phone call just now. Well done,” she added vaguely in Ellie’s direction. “I look forward to reading it in due course.”
Angel was already starting to make the call as Ellie and Francesca left, but Ellie didn’t mind about the interview being so brief. She knew how busy the Editor in Chief was.
“Well,” said Francesca as she closed the door behind them and they made their way back to their desks. “What a good start to your summer. What else are you thinking of impressing us with?”
Ellie couldn’t help laughing. She could practically hear Piano’s ears flapping. “Well I’m going to get on with tracking down Charlie Daniels in a minute, if that’s okay, but I need to give you this first.” She handed Francesca the list of celebrity names that she and Hannah had thought of the night before. “I don’t know if you’ll want to use any of them, but I thought it was worth noting them down.”
Francesca laughed too. “Thanks, Ellie. It’s great to see such enthusiasm.”
“So is it okay if I get on with Charlie Daniels now?”
“So far as I’m concerned, as long as you remember the coffee run and the dog walking, you can spend the rest of today on it if you want. You won’t be able to spend this much time on most of the names on the list, but then you shouldn’t need to. And I do think it’s worth pursuing this one for a bit longer. Just make sure you clear it with me before you actually do anything. Okay? I’d hate you to get into trouble, or us for that matter.”
“Okay. Thanks, Francesca.”
“And, Ellie, don’t worry if you draw a blank. I won’t be annoyed or surprised if you do, but it could make a really interesting, and different interview for the magazine if you could pull it off. Just keep your eyes and ears open, and if you can piece anything together about him let me know.”
“I’ll do my best,” said Ellie, feeling pleased at what Francesca had said. The pressure was off, but in a way that made her even more determined to track the author down.
She sat down and opened her laptop. First she went back to the publisher’s website and took down their number. Then she pulled her notebook out of her bag. When she phoned she’d need to write down anything that might be useful. She took a couple of deep breaths and dialled the number.
“Bishop and Stoker Publishers. Which department would you like?”
“Um…” She wasn’t ready for that. “I need to talk to someone who would know about author signings…” she said, scrambling to try and sound as if she knew exactly what she was talking about. “And about Ch—” But the receptionist interrupted.
“Putting you through.”
The phone rang for ages, and Ellie was beginning to think that no one was going to answer it, but just as she was about to put it down and try again, someone picked up.
“Hello?”
The girl’s voice sounded very young, and Ellie could hear someone else speaking in the background. Just as Ellie was about to explain what she wanted to know, the sound became muffled, as if someone had half put their hand over the receiver. Then the girl’s voice became clear again. “Sorry about that. This is the Publicity Department. Can I help you?”
“I hope so,” said Ellie. “I work for Heart magazine, and I wondered if Charlie Daniels is going to do any book signings, or appearances…that sort of thing.”
“Oh.” There
was a pause. “Well I doubt it, but it’s not my place to say anything about Charlie Daniels.”
Ellie felt puzzled. “Why not?”
“Well I’m just helping out with posters and stuff. I don’t usually answer the phone.”
Ellie sighed. “Well can I speak to someone who is able to talk about Charlie Daniels then?”
“She’s in a meeting.”
“Well…” Ellie really didn’t want to give up. “Can you at least get someone to send me a publicity photo?”
“Oh dear…” The girl on the other end of the phone sounded quite agitated. “There was a picture, but then they changed their minds… There aren’t any here. And I don’t think there will be a tour…though a tour would be so cool. I think it’s a shame,” she added. “With the film and everything. They should do it…but you’ll need to call back later, to speak to Jackie Turner. She’s in charge of that campaign, but I’m sure you won’t be able to interview the author. Maybe one day, but not yet. Okay?”
“Okay,” said Ellie slowly.
She put the phone down and frowned. What on earth had all that been about? Surely a Publicity Department should be offering to send out all sorts of stuff. But this girl had been hopeless. And what was up with Charlie Daniels that he wouldn’t give interviews, refused to have any photographs taken, and didn’t intend, so far as she could tell, to go on an author tour? Why on earth not? The second film would soon be released, and loads of people would want to buy signed copies of his books, and meet him, but he wouldn’t do it. How bizarre.
While Ellie was pondering, Sophie appeared with the post, and dropped it on the reception desk for Debbie Wu to distribute around the office. Ellie didn’t expect any post, but she gave Sophie a cheerful wave. To Ellie’s surprise, the post girl didn’t seem her usual cheerful self. She hardly raised any sort of a smile for Ellie, and immediately Ellie began to worry. She hoped her friends weren’t still at odds over Sophie’s pots. She decided to call in to see Sophie on the way back from walking Ferdinand.
“Come on, Ferdinand,” she told Angel’s dog as he hesitated at the open lift. “It’s quite safe, you know, and I’m not going to pick you up today. If I do, you’ll make this jumper all hairy.”
In the dog section of the park, they were just in time to see the two little terriers disappearing out of the gate with their mistress.
“Never mind,” said Ellie, giving Ferdinand a pat. “And look! Here’s Thompson the poodle!”
Thompson’s owner was a middle-aged man. He never seemed very keen to let his large black poodle associate with Ferdinand. Maybe he thought Angel’s little dog too scruffy to play with his elegant, high-stepping poodle. Ellie wondered if his attitude would change if he realized that Ferdi was actually owned by a woman who was a high flyer and at least as elegant as his poodle! But today she didn’t wonder, or let the two dogs play for long. As soon as Ferdinand had run around for a while she called him back and slipped his lead onto his collar.
When they got back to the office building Ellie went down to the basement to see Sophie. She was taping up a small parcel, and Ellie was dismayed to see that her eyes were red, as if she’d been crying.
“What’s the matter?” she said.
Sophie finished the parcel and pushed it to one side. “Oh, Flynn and I had a stupid argument last night, and now we’re not talking and…” She looked at Ellie and sighed. “Ever since I was contacted by Mark Kettle things have gone wrong. I just wish I’d never heard of him.” She gave Ellie a wobbly smile. “Don’t worry. It’ll be all right in the end I expect. And there’s nothing you can do,” she added as Ellie started to speak. “We’ll probably make up this evening, and everything will be back to normal by tomorrow. Every relationship has its ups and downs you know.”
Ellie supposed Sophie must be right, but it made her feel sad to think that two such lovely people had fallen out. It was obvious that Sophie didn’t want to talk about it any more, so Ellie gave her a hug and took Ferdinand back upstairs.
Back at her desk, Ellie googled “Charlie Daniels” again. Seeing Sophie so upset had unsettled her, and she was finding it hard to concentrate. She scrolled absently down the first page of websites that the search engine had found. At the bottom it told her that it had found 250,000 pages. She sighed. She needed to refine her search. She’d never plough through all those pages in a million years. Ellie thought for a moment and then added author to the search. That was a bit better…105,000 results came up this time. Even so, there were far too many. She could ignore the first fifty. She’d looked at those already. And maybe all the others would prove to be useless. But somewhere there might be a phone number, or an address. Her father’s phrase, not to overlook anything sprang into her mind. The internet did hold an awful lot of random information. How could she best access it? Then a thought struck her.
Everyone searches pages on the internet from the first one and works backwards. What if I started at the back? There might be some useful things hidden on an old page that no one looks at any more.
It only took a couple of minutes to speed through to the last page of results, by skipping as many as the search engine would allow.
Damn!
The last page didn’t yield any results about Charlie Daniels at all. They were all web pages where the words “Author”, “Daniels”, or “Charlie” had been picked out, but they didn’t refer to the Charlie Daniels she wanted to read about. Slowly, Ellie flipped back through the results, looking for one that might actually be about him. A couple of pages back she spied one. It was an obscure blog by someone who she’d never heard of before, and it was four years old, but it had been tagged by the internet search engine as having a reference to her man, and there was always a chance that it might yield something. Ellie opened her notebook, picked up her pen and prepared to concentrate.
The blog was called Paws for Thought and it was by someone called Matt Budgeon. Most of the entries were about Matt’s dogs, and the dogs owned by his friends. So how does Charlie Daniels figure in all this stuff? Ellie asked herself. The only way to find out was to read it. The latest entry was called “Names”.
It’s amazing how unimaginative people can be with their dog names, read Ellie. If they don’t choose human names (a total cop-out I think) they go for ones that are ridiculous. Why name a dog Badger, or Moth? Keep a badger, if you want a badger for goodness’ sake!
Ellie found herself giggling. This Matt Budgeon person sounded very grumpy. She wondered if he was still blogging, and if so, if anyone ever read it.
The best names usually go in pairs, she read. Pepper and Salt, Rhubarb and Custard, Snippet and Snappit, Cut and Paste. In my opinion, if you want to keep a dog, keep two, and like my old friend, the maybe soon to be famous scribbler Charlie Daniels (wot a name, wink wink!!) give them imaginative names, not cop-out ones. Just make sure they’re the same age, or one day, old Rhubarb’s companion will pass on, and then you’ll be left looking for a new Custard.
Ellie caught her breath. She’d found something. Charlie Daniels kept dogs, and two of them at that. And this was a blog by one of his friends, who thought he had given them imaginative names! The blog might prove very useful, if it was still going. She could look in a moment. Quickly, she scribbled down what she’d found, feeling rather pleased with herself, although it didn’t seem to be leading her anywhere yet. So now…why did one of the names she’d just read ring a faint bell in her head?
Ellie leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She was sure she’d heard one of those names recently. Was it on another website about Charlie Daniels? She’d looked at so many. Then Francesca disturbed her.
“Sorry?” Ellie opened her eyes and looked at Francesca standing by her desk.
“I wondered if you were going shopping during your lunch break. Or if you could get something for me when you take Ferdinand out this afternoon. I need you to go to the stationer’s. I’ve got an urgent deadline, I’m just not going to be able to get out.”
“Oh! Umm…” It was so annoying to be interrupted. She was sure she’d never remember now. Then, suddenly, she did. “Ferdinand? Ferdinand! His friend, Snappit. That’s it!”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s not you, Francesca. Sorry. I was just trying to remember something, but I was thinking the wrong way. It wasn’t anything to do with Charlie Daniels. Snappit is Ferdinand’s friend.”
Then Ellie stopped, as a sudden, huge, scary, tremendous thought swooped into her head. What if Snappit and Snippit were the blogger’s dogs, or maybe even Charlie Daniels’s? And what if Snippit had died…and he’d got Beastly instead? After all, the blog was four years old. And Snappit was hardly a common dog’s name. And what about the dog tag she’d so admired on Snappit’s collar – that little silver book. Might that be significant?
Ellie tried to stay calm, but it wasn’t easy. Could Charlie Daniels be much closer than she thought? After all, she now knew he lived in this city, and owned two dogs. There were lots of places to take dogs in London, but few parks in the centre of town were quite as well set up for them and their owners as this one. He, or his dog walker had to take them somewhere. She remembered holding the tag in her hand, and the woman virtually snatching Snappit out of her arms. Had she really been late for an appointment, or was it that she didn’t want Ellie to read the address or phone number on the tag? And why would someone not want their address known unless it was important? Was that woman Charlie Daniels’s dog walker…as Ellie was Ferdinand’s…or was she the blogger…or maybe even Charlie Daniels’s wife?
The thought was so huge that for a moment Ellie couldn’t take it in. Ideas started bouncing round inside her head like a bumblebee on a windowpane, and she fought to control them and calm down. She would take Ferdinand at his usual time, when Beastly and Snappit would be there. She could simply ask the woman if she was connected to Charlie Daniels, but somehow, if she was, Ellie had the feeling that she’d deny it, to protect him…from the possibility of journalists turning up on his doorstep perhaps. It would be better to catch one of the dogs again, so she could look on a tag. There might be a phone number… It was worth a try. Of course Francesca had told her to discuss it before she did anything. But surely she meant before she actually phoned or went to an address. Just walking in the park and chatting to other dog owners about their dogs wasn’t actually doing anything…was it?
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