Search for a Star (4 page)

“Francesca?” Ellie hovered by the Deputy Editor's desk.

“Found something on Charlie Daniels?”

“No. Sorry. Not yet.” Ellie bit her lip to stop herself grinning too manically. “But I've just had an email I think you ought to see.”

“Oh Ellie, can't it wait? I'm trying to get this article finished.”

Ellie hesitated. “Well, it
will
wait I suppose.”

Francesca looked up from her screen and sighed. “You've disturbed me now so I might as well look, otherwise I'll keep wondering what the problem is.” She walked over to Ellie's desk and sat down. “Well?”

“I thought you should see this,” said Ellie, reopening the email.

Francesca scanned it swiftly, scrolling down to read the press release. Then she turned to Ellie with an approving smile. “Well! You
are
turning out to be an asset. You must have made quite an impression on Pop and Lolly Lowther when you interviewed them. Have you replied yet?”

Ellie shook her head. “Not yet. I didn't want to risk messing it up by doing something stupid.”

“Well good for you.” Francesca looked very pleased. “Do reply, and thank Satin for letting you know. The sooner you reply, the better, then she'll know you've got the information okay.” She looked back at the screen again. “The date is perfect for us. If they keep to that, we can definitely do a piece on this in the next issue of
Heart
, before it's released to anyone else. Once you've replied, why don't you write an account of how and why you were given the information, and show it to me. It would be great to have the story of how we came to get such a lovely scoop. Once that's done we can take it in and show Angel. What do you want, Piano?” she added as Piano joined them at Ellie's desk.

Piano was leaning against the window, looking down at Ellie with a suspicious expression on her face. Ellie wondered how much she'd overheard, but Piano wasn't about to let on.

“I wondered if Ellie had forgotten about Ferdinand,” she said, looking down her nose. “Only it's getting rather late.”

Ellie was sure that it was an excuse for Piano to come over to try and find out what Francesca and Ellie were looking so pleased about. Piano wouldn't usually remind Ellie of anything. She'd much rather look on, amused, while Ellie got told off. But she was right, it
was
past walk time for poor Ferdinand.

Ellie groaned inwardly, but to Piano she showed a smiling face. “I was just going to take him out!”

Ferdinand was Angel's little dog, and whenever Ellie was at the office it was her job to take him out for two or three walks each day. Unusually, Angel had taken him herself that morning, but now it was well after lunch, and if Ellie didn't hurry, Angel would be asking where she was; and if she did that it could lead to several other jobs, some of which Ellie would probably rather not do. Piano had actually done Ellie a real favour, because with all the excitement of the scoop from Satin, Ellie
had
forgotten all about the poor dog.

“Send your reply first,” said Francesca. “It'll only take a moment.”

“Okay,” said Ellie. Francesca got up and gave Piano a quizzical look.

“Was there anything else you wanted to say?” she asked.

Ellie paid no attention to Piano's reply. She hurried to write an email back to Satin, making sure to thank her and asking her to pass on her grateful thanks to Pop. Then she pressed send.

Trying not to look as if she were hurrying, Ellie went and knocked on Angel's door. The Editor answered and Ellie went in. Angel looked at her with raised eyebrows as she took Ferdinand's lead from where it was hanging on the coat stand, and clipped it on to his collar.

“It's your job to clear up any puddles poor Ferdinand might make because you haven't taken him out in time,” she said.

Ellie resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose in distaste. “Yes, Angel,” she said, wondering if Piano had ever been given that job, and feeling determined that it would never happen to her. “Come on then, Ferdinand,” she said, and the little dog jumped out of his basket and ran to the door, tugging Ellie after him.

Ferdinand didn't really like going in the lift, so Ellie picked him up and carried him while they were going down. “Where shall we go then?” she asked him as they went out onto the street. “How about the park?”

The park was actually the only place to take a dog, unless he was going for grooming, at Pamper Your Pets. It wasn't far, and soon they reached the specially enclosed area that was set aside for dogs. It was a warm day, so Ellie sat on a bench, thinking about the celebrities on her list, while Ferdinand sniffed about and said hello to the other dogs being walked in the park. Ellie could remember from earlier visits a large poodle that he liked to play with, and two very friendly little scruffy terriers, a bit like him, that he enjoyed rough and tumble games with as well. Today the poodle wasn't there, but the terriers arrived at the same time as Ellie and Ferdinand. Their middle-aged owner joined her on the bench.

“Is that Ferdinand?” she asked, pointing to where he was playing with her two dogs.

“Yes,” said Ellie. “I'm exercising him for my boss.”

“I thought it must be him,” said the woman. “My two enjoy playing with him so much. He's more their size than most of the dogs that come here. And he's so good natured.”

“Yes, he is,” said Ellie with a smile. It was rather nice to have another dog walker to talk to.

“I think I remember seeing you a while ago,” said the woman. “But it's usually a girl with long blonde hair who brings him.”

“That's Piano.” Ellie explained about school, and how she dog walked during the holidays for the editor at
Heart
magazine.

“Ah. That explains it,” said the woman. “Is Ferdinand the only dog you walk?”

“Yes,” said Ellie. “And most of the time at work I'm fetching coffee, although I have done a couple of interviews.”

The woman looked surprised. “That must be exciting,” she said. Then she blew out a puff of air. “Phew! It's warm today,” she said, changing the subject and fanning her face with her hand.

“Yes, it is,” agreed Ellie. “But the dogs don't seem to mind.”

The woman smiled. “No, they don't, do they.”

Ferdinand and her two dogs were having great fun chasing each other.

For a while longer Ellie and the woman sat quietly on the bench, enjoying the sun. Then the woman looked at her. “Well, sorry to spoil your Ferdinand's fun, but I must go.” She stood up and called to her dogs. “Come on, Beastly. Snappit, come here. Time to go home.”

Ellie wanted to giggle at their names. They were gentle little animals, and neither name seemed to suit the dogs, but maybe that was the point. Some people did like silly names for their pets. But the woman obviously needed to get home, and Ferdinand was leaping about, encouraging her dogs to misbehave. To be helpful, Ellie lunged at Ferdinand, and caught one of the woman's dogs too. She put Ferdinand's lead on, and stood on it so he couldn't run away. Then she held the woman's little dog while the other waited meekly to have his lead put on, now the game had ended. The little silver tag on the collar of the dog she was holding caught Ellie's eye. It was most unusual, being in the shape of an open book instead of a round disc or tube with an address in.

“What a lovely tag!” said Ellie. She caught hold of it and looked at the name on it:
Snappit
. “You're not at all snappy, are you?” she laughed, stroking the friendly little dog. Ellie turned the tag over.
If found please return to
…

“Thank you so much!” To Ellie's surprise the woman practically snatched Snappit out of Ellie's arms and hurriedly put on his lead. “I'm so sorry,” she apologized. “But I've just remembered something. I'm very late. I simply must go. So sorry!”

Without another word she got up and left the dog enclosure. Ellie watched as she rushed out of the park without a backward glance.

“Well, Ferdi,” she said, feeling a bit put out. “I hope she makes it to whatever she's late for. You were naughty, leading those dogs astray. Come on. It's time we went back now too.”

By the time Ellie and Ferdinand got back to the office it was quite late. There wasn't really time for her to write about her scoop, so Francesca suggested she leave it until the morning. “Now you've thanked Satin, it'll keep for a day,” she said. “And anyway, Angel has gone out, so you can't go and tell her about it now. Why don't you take the post down to Sophie to be franked? Then it will be time to go home. It'll be better to write your piece in the morning when you're fresh.”

“Good idea,” said Ellie at once.

“One piece of advice,” added Francesca as Ellie picked up her bag. “Don't tell a soul about your email from Satin. Not even your best friend. The more people who know, the more leaky the scoop will become. It's amazing how these things get out. Once we've gone to press and the magazine is out it'll be fine, but until then it has to stay in our office.”

“Okay,” said Ellie. It was a shame she wouldn't be able to tell Hannah or Sophie, but she could see what Francesca meant. Secrets passed around like Chinese Whispers very soon stopped being secrets and became inaccurate as well. That sort of thing happened at school all the time, but Ellie was determined that her secret should remain one, until it was time to let it out. She collected up all the post from the Editorial Department and headed down to give it to Sophie.

“Has Flynn stopped going on about Mark Kettle?” she said as she handed the post to her friend.

Sophie frowned. “Well I haven't seen him since lunch,” she said. “He's gone quiet for the moment. I'm sure he still has plans though, probably to be my marketing manager, as soon as I can afford to leave work here and concentrate on being a pot-making genius.”

“Oh don't be cross with him.” Ellie hated to see her friends squabble.

“I just wish he'd let me do my things my way,” Sophie sighed, then her face cleared and she smiled. “Anyway, how did you enjoy your first day back?”

“It's been good,” said Ellie, regretting even more that she couldn't share her most exciting news. “But I'm no further forward with Charlie Daniels, in spite of following your advice. I'm beginning to think he's a real recluse. No one seems to have met him, or know anything about him. I'm not going to give up yet though. I hate to be beaten.”

“Well you've got nothing to lose,” said Sophie.

Ellie laughed. “I know. And Francesca must think I've got a little bit of a chance, otherwise she wouldn't have suggested it.” Ellie turned to go. “See you tomorrow.”

While she was waiting for the bus a text came in from Hannah.
Can I come round tonight? I've got cans of beans swimming before my eyes!

Ellie laughed. Hannah's job at her aunt's shop seemed to be getting to her already.

Sure!

Ellie clutched her phone in one hand and her bag in the other as she climbed on the bus, reminding herself to steer clear of any mention of Pop and Lolly Lowther.

Great! I badly need fun. See you at 7?

Ellie sent her one word back.

Yep.

She had the perfect activity for a jaded Hannah; dreaming up more celebrities for her list!

In Ellie's room that evening the two girls did enjoy discussing people for
Heart
to feature.

“The in-house list had some people on it I didn't know,” said Ellie. “There's a singer on the internet, but I couldn't very well listen to his songs in the office. Let's see what he sounds like.
Heart
must think he's going to be the next big thing.”

Once they'd done that and been duly impressed by him they tried to think of more big names that everyone would want to read about.

“That rugby player…Nick Houseman,” said Hannah. “He's gorgeous!”

“Yes,” agreed Ellie. “And talking about gorgeous, I wanted to add Al from Zone One, but Francesca wouldn't let me.”

Hannah laughed. “You've already written about his band, and they've done a shoot for
Heart
. Besides, you can't interview just one member of a band!”

“I don't see why not,” said Ellie wistfully, thinking how wonderful it would be to get Al all to herself. “But Francesca more or less said the same thing.”

“She's right,” said Hannah firmly. “You can't interview people just because you fancy them. It's not professional.”

Reluctantly, Ellie tried to come up with a different name. “Kurt Draagan,” she said.

“Now he
is
a good idea,” said Hannah, who was sprawled on Ellie's bed. “He was brilliant in
The Vampire Sleeps
.” She closed her eyes and smiled. “He has that smouldering look…fantastic!”

“Now who's being unprofessional?” said Ellie.

Hannah opened her eyes and grinned at Ellie. “I don't have to be professional,” she said. “It's not my list, and I won't be doing any of the interviews.”

“I don't know how many I'll manage to fit in over this holiday,” said Ellie thoughtfully. “By the time I've got
some
of these people to agree to an interview I expect we'll be back at school. But if it's a yes from Kurt Draagan, I'll make sure they arrange it so I can be there, even if they have to wait until Christmas!”

“What about one of the weather girls on TV?” suggested Hannah. “Neesha Abbots for instance. She was on that Reality TV show,
Mix Up
. Remember? They don't
all
have to be totally fanciable boys.”

“No,” said Ellie with a laugh. “They don't, do they? And a few more girls would be good. Who else is there?”

“Mellita,” said Hannah straight away. “She's so cool. I love her latest album.”