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Authors: Andrew McAllister
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succession, each spilling out their tale of financial confusion. The last to appear was the young man with the earring.
“Are you thinking of switching banks?” Lesley’s voice said from the TV.
“It’s possible,” Hennebury said. “I’ll wait and see how things pan out.”
“For an explanation of what is behind these problems,” Lesley said, alone on the screen now, “I spoke with Stan Dysart, President of the First Malden Bank.”
Dysart’s confident face appeared with the First Malden logo in the background. Rob listened with confusion and then dismay as his boss talked about malfunctions and minor adjustments. Was this the same Stan Dysart who had been so stressed out all day?
“… everything will be back to normal soon,” Dysart finished.
Lesley appeared for the wrap-up.
“At this hour there is no definitive timeframe for when all of the problems will be resolved but, as we heard, the bank hopes this will be accomplished very soon. In downtown Boston, this is Lesley McGrath.”
“Yeah, baby,” Shayna crowed. “We’re talking the lead-off story.”
She gave Lesley a high-five.
“Arthur said he would probably lead with it,” Lesley said with a huge smile.
“Even better than that,” Shayna said, “I had a good look around at the other tables while our story was on.”
“And?”
“Not one person left to go to the bathroom,” Shayna said.
Lesley laughed. “Meaning someone actually watched for a change.”
“Damn straight.”
Lesley turned excitedly to Rob. “What did you think?”
“It was … great.”
“You didn’t like it?”
“Of course I did. I’m just tired, that’s all.”
“We got an exclusive on this. You know how many brownie points that means in our business?”
It means you’re the only reporter Stan lied to , Rob thought.
“That’s great,” he said.
“So how about your day?” Lesley asked. “Is your computer fixed?”
He hesitated. “I’m not really supposed to say anything.”
“Oh, come on. If Uncle Stan can talk to me about it, there’s no reason you can’t.”
Rob considered telling her the truth, but quickly changed his mind. He didn’t want to throw cold water on her excitement. Besides, telling her the problems were more than technical would put her in a difficult position—if she kept her mouth shut, then she would knowingly let her station report false news. On the other hand, if she told her boss the truth, then she would look bad, and so would Stan and the bank. And Rob didn’t even want to think about what Stan would do if he found out Rob had told her.
“No, really,” he said, “I can’t.”
* * *
Tim sat on one end of the couch in his girlfriend’s apartment. He took a pull from his Budweiser and thumbed the remote, switching the channel back to Lesley’s station. He glanced at his watch. It was nearly time for the six o’clock news.
Kirsten came in from the kitchen with a beer for herself and plopped down on the couch next to him.
“So what’s with all the excitement at your bank today?” she asked.
“I’m not really supposed to talk about it.”
Kirsten shrugged. “I know it has something to do with your computers, so I probably wouldn’t understand the details anyway. I just heard you have plenty of pissed off customers.”
He looked at his watch. It was time.
“Shh,” he said without taking his eyes from the screen. He shifted forward, not wanting to miss a single word of the broadcast.
“We begin tonight with local news,” the anchor said. “Customers of the First Malden Bank received a rude shock today when they found money apparently missing from their accounts.”
Tim barely breathed as first the bank customers and then Dysart recounted their version of events. After the wrap-up Tim slumped back into the couch and fought the urge to scream with exultation. It had worked. Everything was unfolding just as he had predicted, right down to Dysart’s public denials and Lesley’s news
“Are you thinking of switching banks?” Lesley’s voice said from the TV.
“It’s possible,” Hennebury said. “I’ll wait and see how things pan out.”
“For an explanation of what is behind these problems,” Lesley said, alone on the screen now, “I spoke with Stan Dysart, President of the First Malden Bank.”
Dysart’s confident face appeared with the First Malden logo in the background. Rob listened with confusion and then dismay as his boss talked about malfunctions and minor adjustments. Was this the same Stan Dysart who had been so stressed out all day?
“… everything will be back to normal soon,” Dysart finished.
Lesley appeared for the wrap-up.
“At this hour there is no definitive timeframe for when all of the problems will be resolved but, as we heard, the bank hopes this will be accomplished very soon. In downtown Boston, this is Lesley McGrath.”
“Yeah, baby,” Shayna crowed. “We’re talking the lead-off story.”
She gave Lesley a high-five.
“Arthur said he would probably lead with it,” Lesley said with a huge smile.
“Even better than that,” Shayna said, “I had a good look around at the other tables while our story was on.”
“And?”
“Not one person left to go to the bathroom,” Shayna said.
Lesley laughed. “Meaning someone actually watched for a change.”
“Damn straight.”
Lesley turned excitedly to Rob. “What did you think?”
“It was … great.”
“You didn’t like it?”
“Of course I did. I’m just tired, that’s all.”
“We got an exclusive on this. You know how many brownie points that means in our business?”
It means you’re the only reporter Stan lied to , Rob thought.
“That’s great,” he said.
“So how about your day?” Lesley asked. “Is your computer fixed?”
He hesitated. “I’m not really supposed to say anything.”
“Oh, come on. If Uncle Stan can talk to me about it, there’s no reason you can’t.”
Rob considered telling her the truth, but quickly changed his mind. He didn’t want to throw cold water on her excitement. Besides, telling her the problems were more than technical would put her in a difficult position—if she kept her mouth shut, then she would knowingly let her station report false news. On the other hand, if she told her boss the truth, then she would look bad, and so would Stan and the bank. And Rob didn’t even want to think about what Stan would do if he found out Rob had told her.
“No, really,” he said, “I can’t.”
* * *
Tim sat on one end of the couch in his girlfriend’s apartment. He took a pull from his Budweiser and thumbed the remote, switching the channel back to Lesley’s station. He glanced at his watch. It was nearly time for the six o’clock news.
Kirsten came in from the kitchen with a beer for herself and plopped down on the couch next to him.
“So what’s with all the excitement at your bank today?” she asked.
“I’m not really supposed to talk about it.”
Kirsten shrugged. “I know it has something to do with your computers, so I probably wouldn’t understand the details anyway. I just heard you have plenty of pissed off customers.”
He looked at his watch. It was time.
“Shh,” he said without taking his eyes from the screen. He shifted forward, not wanting to miss a single word of the broadcast.
“We begin tonight with local news,” the anchor said. “Customers of the First Malden Bank received a rude shock today when they found money apparently missing from their accounts.”
Tim barely breathed as first the bank customers and then Dysart recounted their version of events. After the wrap-up Tim slumped back into the couch and fought the urge to scream with exultation. It had worked. Everything was unfolding just as he had predicted, right down to Dysart’s public denials and Lesley’s news
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