Page 36 (1/2)

CHAPTER ONE

'Hey, what's with all the long faces? There hasn't been a ht sether as her antennae picked up the waves radiating from her office staff

'You…you haven't heard?'

'Heard what?' Joanne's wide honey-brown eyes narrowed slightly as she repeated, 'Heard what, Maggie?'

'About what's happened'

'Maggie'

'About the takeover, and Mr Brightly in her typist's chair and half turned in the seat to include the rest of the office of six, all of whonored the silent plea for help, their faces clearly stating that Maggie had started this and she could finish it

'The takeover? Maggie, I haven't got a clue what you are talking about,' Joanne said as patiently as she could Brusqueness never helped with Maggie; she flustered very easily 'And where does Mr Brigmore come into all this?'

'He doesn't, not any ie's plump plain face was very earnest, and Joanne knew she wasn't deliberately trying to be obtuse, but so her junior's neck ie added hastily, 'Mr Brig It all happened last Thursday, when the takeover was announced; he went the sae on your answer machine-'

'I haven't been back to ht with a friend…' Joanne's voice trailed away as the enor more was axed?' she asked faintly 'Because if you are I can't believe it Who's stepped into his shoes, then?'

'A relation of the ie's voice was full ofand Joanne nodded silently to what remained unsaid So, nepotism was alive and well at Concise Publications, was it? And all this had happened during theround Europe on a reunion with old university friends?

She had heard about these savage 'off with the old, on with the new'directorate were merciless in their desire to sweep clean, but she had never actually experienced one first-hand in her eight years of working life And Charles, of all people…