Time: Present Day.

Location: Sydney, Australia.

When they got back to the office Ed was furious with them. He dressed them down right there in front of the whole staff. "Where the fuck have you two been?" he roared.

Layla was the saucy one, luckily for her it was a trait that charmed the pants off most men including her boss.

"Lunch," she said, "a girl's gotta eat!"

Ed's face turned red, he was fit to explode. "It's ten past three. You should have been here at two!" he yelled straight at Layla.

"Why? What happened?" she replied coyly, "what did we miss?"

"What did you miss! What did you miss!" Ed was roaring again. At this the rest of the staff broke up into fits of laughter . . . it didn't last long.

"Shuddup the lot of you!

"What did you miss? I'll tell you what you missed you little smart arse. I've been trying to ring you since one o'clock. I even tried to text you but gave up. You know how I hate textering or whatever you call it, fucking phone, your job! Your job that's what you've missed. Now get into my office, the both of you. The rest of you layabouts can get back to work, if that's not too much trouble!" The laughter died down as Layla and Amanda smiled at each other and made their way to Ed's office.

"Sit down and shut the fuck up!" Ed loved the TV show Rake and had picked up a lot of Rake's habits, particularly swearing. He continued before they could scold him. "Godda call . . . from you know who. Says he wants to offer you a job, Layla, I mean. He wants you to anchor After Dark. He wants you to replace Carter!"

"I told him I wasn't sure how you'd feel about that, still am. Says he was impressed at how you handled yourself at the media interviews after it happened and also after the funeral. He thinks you're a natural . . . his words, not mine! Whaddu think?"

"Can I think about it?" she asked him.

"That's something you'll have to ask him, but don't fuck with him. You know patience isn't his strong suit. If you want the job, better tell him real quick like. He's probably already thinking of someone else, maybe even someone like you Amanda, someone sexy but with a few miles on the clock." Ed loved to pit the girls against each other from time to time and sit back and enjoy the show. Carter's death hadn't changed much, really.

"Thanks Ed, for the backhanded compliment, but no thanks. I like to stay behind the scenes. In saying that Layla and I have a proposal for you!We've just been speaking to a few people and we would like to investigate Carter's murder, check out the CCTV footage from the restaurant."

"Look, girls, you know how much I liked Carter, but I have a newspaper to run here."

Layla interjected. She could tell Ed was about to shut them down, "Ed, you know us. We have a good nose for a story, and something's not kosher here. There are some things about Carter's shooting that just aren't right."

"Now look, as far as the police are concerned the case is closed until something concrete turns up. They've been told to drop it. I've been told that, consequently, I am to drop it as well. So has the After Dark team I believe. So you two want to play detective you do it on your own time not mine. You'll have to fund any investigation yourselves, understand? As far as today goes, I'll pick up the lunch tab, I assume you two put it on the company credit card but that's as far as I go, get it? It's over!

Layla was about to tell him lunch was free, when Amanda got her attention and shook her head, so she let that one slide back to the keeper.

"Now, if that's all? I want you to get back to work, real work. Your next assignment, if you wish to take it is on your desk. If you don't, you know which way the door is. I have my orders, now you have yours! Good afternoon ladies. This little soiree is finished."

Chapter 15 - Back to Work.

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