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‘Who the hell do you think you are to talk like that? What’s over?’
    â€˜Your job,’ replied Ali in an icy tone.
    â€˜You’re crazy. Get out.’
    â€˜Crazy. Hardly an appropriate word for you to invoke at this point,’ said Ali, with irony that again hit the target and caused the fevered eyes to flash alarmingly. ‘Nina and the Baron have something big in store for me, Lorraine. I’ve been given the nod, if you take my meaning. Only a few hours ago. And when I’m in charge around here, there’ll be no accommodation of junkies.’
    â€˜Get out!’ screamed Lorraine. ‘Get out.’
    Ali had left without looking back, slamming the door with such force that the noise had echoed up the corridor and caused the last of the staff waiting for the elevator to look over their shoulders in surprise.
    Friday, 8 p.m.
    Nina still found it hard to grasp. The call had come from the building’s head of security just over an hour ago.
    Her hands started to shake as she dressed for the dinner that the Baron had insisted must go ahead, despite the tragic circumstances.
    It was only now, when it was too late, and she was struggling to come to terms with the terrible events of that day that Nina realised she hadn’t tried hard enough. She hadn’t paid enough attention to Lorraine’s hurt and personal pain. She had been too focused on her own life events and this evening’s formal recognition of her sixtieth birthday.
    Her mind went back to her breakfast meeting with Lorraine when she’d broken the news to her that she wasn’t being reappointed editor of Blaze .
    The possibility of losing her beloved job, and with it her place in New York society – for Lorraine had no doubts about the consequences – had been Lorraine’s worst-case scenario for months now, a situation she had too often contemplated after a drink or three.
    â€˜Lorraine, I’d give anything to change this, but I can’t. You are not being reappointed as editor of Blaze. It’s a board decision with the Baron, as chairman, in agreement. They want an editor with a different, fresh approach to attract a younger audience. You’ll be taking over a new position as special projects editor. Your appointment will be announced with due ceremony and you’ll be able to carve a niche for yourself there.’
    â€˜Appointment! You mean, dis-appointment . . . dismissal is what I call it, being shoved aside is as good as being out,’ Lorraine had said bitterly.
    Try as she did, Nina had found it impossible to convince Lorraine that she was not obsolete, that there could be a role for her in the reorganisation of the staff. She could still hear her own attempt to rationalise the situation. ‘Lorraine, we are both in the same boat. A new generation of journalists want to take over the oars . . . and the helm. Remember what it was like to be young, impatient and ambitious. Remember how we came by our breaks.’
    â€˜We waited our turn! We learned from the bottom up. An inexperienced editor! Never, never in our day.’
    â€˜Our day has gone, Lorraine. Today is for girls like your daughter, and our bright girls on the staff like Ali.’ Nina was trying to be gentle. Or was she also trying to convince herself?
    â€˜Not so!’ cried Lorraine. ‘My days aren’t over. I still have so much to do and give and teach. Yet, goddamn it, here I am being pushed aside professionally and even my own daughter wants to take off and leave me.’
    â€˜Lorraine, Miche is not leaving you. She has to sort out her own dreams.’
    â€˜Listen, Nina, I’m going to need her now more than ever. At least do this for me. At least try one more time to talk Miche out of this mad idea of going to Australia. Suddenly the most important thing to her seems to be a part of her life that was so brief that she doesn’t even remember