A Womanizer Reforms

Macy sat looking at her phone. What was she supposed to figure out? If that woman was not be the woman he'd wish to marry then who would that woman be?"

He face began to burn and Macy realized she'd figured it out.

"Omigod."

* * *

Three weeks later Hal was invited to the Law's home for dinner and fully expected to see Macy but her mom said Macy would be staying on after the evening news finished to attend the farewell of the woman she was replacing, Meg Thurlow.

"Oh I know racy Meg."

"Yet another of your conquests Hal?" Davina has said icily and he hastened to say that sort of thing belonged to his past.

Davina just sniffed and took him through to where Frank was waiting to see the evening news on C4.

Macy presented two items, the first an investigation how a snake was resident in the base of a grandfather clock sold by an on-line vendor who under close questioning by Macy finally admitted one of their harmless snakes from their Snake House in the garden had gone missing just prior to the clock was offered for sale. The other one was a short interview of the much-loved principal of a junior school who was taking early retirement.

"Miss Casey, everyone at the school is nonplused about your sudden decision to retire. I think this is an opportune time to come clean but of course I have no wish to invade your privacy."

"I have bowl cancer."

Macy showed shock but nevertheless continued smoothly.

"Well that is so sad and will be a shock to many, many people. What are your chances of a successful surgical outcome?"

"Somewhere between 60 and 80%."

"Well Miss Casey that must be of some considerable relief to you. Now take heart and rest assured a great number of people watching this interview tonight will be wishing you well and we all will be expecting you to have a long retirement. Please let me hug you with best wishes from everyone here at Channel 4."

The camera shot of them hugging faded out.

"Omigod, was that my daughter?" Davina half-sobbed.

"We have just seen a TV star interviewer emerging," Hal said. "That was handled so sensitively that there will be few complaints. Good luck Miss Casey."

"We should not have let her go," Macy's father grumbled.

"Well get her back Frank, I would be prepared to bet on that," Hal said. "But let's not rush it. Allow Macy time to find her wings."

There was some criticism about Macy's emotional behavior during that interview and for her 'forcing that poor woman to reveal her illness on TV" on talkback radio and in letters to the editor of The Sentinel but no complaints were made to Channel 4. Those negative comments were offset by a much larger response from viewers on talkback and newspaper letters praising Macy for handling the situation so delicately and, according to one letter writer, "Providing one of the greatest interviews I've ever seen on local TV."

The head of news and entertainment on C4 had a quiet word to Macy and said although emotion from reporters were generally frowned up there were moments when that was permissible and she thought Macy hugging Miss Casey in the context of the interview was entirely appropriate.

Marcy was quite pleased that at least she was being noticed.

Two weeks later at the end of the news bulletin that finished five minutes early, a message screened, 'Special Report'.

Macy appeared on-screen looking very serious.

'Good evening, I'm a Channel 4 news reporter Marcy Law. Today I was one of almost 200 people on silent vigil outside St Thomas Hospital where former school principal Miss Edwina Casey was being operated on with perhaps no more than 80% chance of total success. Miss Casey was one of the unlucky 20%. She died in theater suffering respiratory complication twelve minutes into surgery. You may remember this part of my interview screened on this channel sixteen evenings ago."

The clip showed Macy asking Miss Casey for the reason for her early retirement and then Miss Casey's reply. The extract finished before Macy asked if she could hug Miss Casey.

"When I was six Miss Casey accepted me into her classroom, calling me her beautiful blonde. I guess that made me feel special. Of course I learned later she greeted all blonde, brunette and auburn-headed new arrivals in similar fashion."

"When I was in the 7th grade Miss Casey, by then school principal, came into the classroom where I was the center of disruption showing kids my Mayor's Bronze Medal that had been awarded the previous afternoon in recognition of my action in saving a toddler from being further mauled by the family's dog. I thought I was really somebody special but then Miss Casey taught the great lesson of humility. She said I'd done the right thing and it had been very brave of me but really I was nobody special because she expected all her children from her school to do their duty and perform honorably when the need arose."

"Well that certainly pulled me down a peg and rightly so."

"This morning, outside that hospital and linking arms with other tearful present and former pupils and some mothers of pupils of Miss Casey I was told something that Miss Casey said at her farewell from the school recently. I point out she'd never married and never had children and stood only five feet, three inches but had a big heart and a big voice. She said to the gathering of 400 present and past parents of the school that during her reign that greatest sadness of being an honorary school parent had been the four boys and one girl who'd arrived at school during her time and who were now dead, killed on active military service abroad and she mourned for at least 21 former students whom she knew had been killed in road accidents or died in other accidents or from fatal medical conditions. She said she felt bereaved and wished they had known her pain to have known that she cared."

"Educators of the caliber of Miss Casey who care so much for their students are one of the human treasures of our community. Thank you for listening to my personal tribute. Good night."

The image of Macy faded amid somber music and the image of a guy in a dark suit appeared.

"Good evening. My name is Ralph Ellis, chief executive of Channel 4. What Macy has just you she told me something similar earlier today and she convinced me to have Channel 4 launch a memorial appeal to the memory of Miss Casey to establish an endowment fund to be administered by the Mayor's office and to be simply called the Miss Casey Fund to Support Needy Children. Macy has opened the fund with a donation of $2000 and Channel 4 management has added $5000 from our charitable contributions fund. Macy hopes the fund can raise $400,000 and her parents who are well-known in this city have pledged to meet any shortfall of that target. Details of the fund will be announced as soon as the trust deed for the Miss Casey Fund has been drawn up and registered. Thank you for listening. Good night."

Hal who now watched C4's News at Six nightly instead of channel switching sighed and scrubbed his jaw, his mind racing. He'd already known Blondie would be good and it now appeared she was racing ahead of his expectations. Jesus the simplicity of her personal tribute had been stunning. He was thinking how The Sentinel could back the fund-raising project, apart from a donation of course.

Next day he sat with the executive editor and Frank agreed to contact C4's CEO and offer a half-page space free of charge in The Sentinel for 10 days for the TV station's promotion of its public appeal.

"Ralph we suggest the campaign needs to be short and swift. When will the trust deed by registered?"

"Today hopefully Frank. I had our legal people working on it last night."

"One of my guys suggests we must hit while people are still thinking of that broadcast last night. We favor a phone-in appeal response this Saturday night, noting Miss Casey's funeral is on Friday. We will supply 50 volunteers to assist you and suggest you have the phone-in appeal center set up at City Hall. The Mayor is one of my close pals so expect nothing but cooperation Ralph."

"Okay then let's go with the phone-in Frank. I'll get our appeal notices and the half page ad for The Sentinel done today. I really appreciate this spirit of cooperation Frank because we are in competing media. Now perhaps this will warm your heart. The public is not waiting for the appeal to be set up officially and legally. People have been coming in all morning with checks and kids with their pocket money as well. I was told only fifteen minutes ago we the rough tally is $127,500."

"Jesus."

"A team of people including Macy right now is working on tonight's presentation that will include last-night's personal presentation and it is likely the clip will go Network because of its uniqueness, triggered by our rookie reporter who was stunned by that turnout of women outside that hospital, telegraphing to her just how special Miss Casey really was."

"We already have a news team going after our own report Ralph. I think we should publish a barometer showing progress towards that $400,000 target."

Ralph laughed and said it was unlikely Frank and Davina would be called on to make up any shortfall."

"No and after hearing about this initial response pal I think the one million mark could be under threat."

"Keep this under your hat Frank, an hour ago I began thinking the same thing. Thanks buddy. Must go."

Alerted at the big response to donate, the hastily recruited five trustees of the trust fund who included Davina, decided the income from the fund should be restricted to grants to cover short-falls in the applicants' school fees for children, contributions to study tours away from school and be used to cover abnormal expenses faced by parents or guardians of children under the age of sixteen for special academic coaching or to participate in away-from-school academic events. Applications involving health and safety issues would also be considered.

The phone-in appeal was hugely successful and after two weeks when promotion of the appeal ceased the Miss Casey Trust Fund had capital of $2,327,300. The city's largest firm of investment brokers would administer the fund free of charge.

A few days after the announcement of the closing of the appeal and the amount raised, a very happy-faced Macy was filmed and photographed unveiling a brass plaque at the entrance to the Mayor's offices that stated, 'Home of the Miss Casey Trust Fund'.

* * *

Hal Pearson became editor of The Sentinel with little fanfare. There was an article on Page 3 of the newspaper of the retiring editor with his wife photographed at the farewell function and below that a small photograph of Hal as the successor and a brief bio made no mentioned or whether he was married.

However on the evening of Hal's first day in the editor's chair he held a party for all senior staff and their partners at a bar. Macy wasn't invited of course because attendance was restricted to newspaper personnel and partners.

Late that evening Davina came into the kitchen where Macy, who was soon to move into a shared apartment, said rather tight-lipped, "He was there with this stunning looking woman in black."

"Who was where?" Macy said, straight-faced, knowing very well the person her mom was talking about.

"Hal Pearson had this woman called Debra, who is the city library's new assistant chief librarian. She had great hair and a very lovely face but had practically no bust and is a little thick around the waist."

"Oh mother how you can be so dismissive? Shouldn't we be more focused on the woman's intelligence and ability to socialize and perform in his job?"

"What on earth are you talking about? Hal could well decide to marry her."

"Oh dear. Mom Hal is unlikely to marry a woman without prominent tits. All of his women to date that I know about have upper development. He has teamed up with a woman that is unlikely to deeply appeal to him but you must expect a guy like Hal to go after a source of nightly sex."

"I don't understand. He could have a nightly assignation with you if it was only a matter of wallowing in sex."

"What and have Hal risk damaging my carefully preserved reputation? Oh mother."

Davina said crossly, "Darling there are times I simply cannot follow you. Surely you cannot expect me to believe that super-stud Hal Pearson is holding back from you to avoid soiling your reputation while you attempt to establish yourself in TV?"

"You've hit it right on the button mom. Here drink this water. You are a little drunk."

Davina looked at her daughter almost stupidly.

"I cannot believe that, absolutely not."

"Mother you have always believed emphatically what you want to believe. Being only mortal it is unlikely I can change such profoundness."

"Are you telling me you and Hal Pearson plan to marry or at least cohabitate but in the meantime are holding back?"

"Oh my clear-thinking mother is back. How pleasing. Tell me who interested you most at the party?"

"You are avoiding the issue. Tell me what I wish to know?"

Macy sighed. "Yes mother. Hal Pearson has this intention of attempting to fuck my butt off every night and all weekends once the timing to do that is right."

"God you are a disgusting brat."

Davina began weeping and said Macy had made her so happy.

"Mom you ought to go to bed. You're drunk."

Macy called Hal next day.

"Hi stranger," he said cheerfully. "I missed you at my party last night."

"I wasn't invited."

"That doesn't mean I'm not allowed to miss you."

Macy giggled and called him an idiot.

"How did your first day as editor go?"

"Oh ever so pleasantly. My PA did her best to get me to seduce her and everyone else is so nice because I haven't yet changed anything affecting them or their personnel and they feel secure in their comfort boxes."

"Oh shit."

"What?"

"You intend to change things and do it ruthlessly."

"Well you know me. Actually it sounds as if you really do know me. I guess your mother told you I was with Miss Debra Paglia."

"She mentioned it."

"I bet she did."

"Are you and Miss Paglia fucking?"

"Is that a question to ask a highly revered editor?"

"Well I hope you enjoy yourself at work and with Miss Paglia. Mom didn't think she'd be a great fuck."

"You know that sounds very much like something your mom would say, you liar."

"Bye Mr Editor."

"No wait. I can't tell you this because I stupidly said I would listen to something confidently. That meant I was effectively muzzled and hogtied my newspaper as well. Boy was that a lesson for me. I'll say just this. Something is wrong, very wrong, with the roof of the city museum. Bye."

Macy sat looking at her phone. God the stupid man. No journalist worth her salt would ever agree to be told something she couldn't use. God male journalists could be so dumb.

She called the chief reporter.

"Gwen I could be on to something big. I could break it with a confrontation. Are you able to switch my assignments and give me a full camera crew to leave within the hour? Any later and we could be held up by the lunch break."

"Please tell me what it is."

"Possibly something very big."

"In that case I'll need a senior reporter on the case."

"Gwen please, how can I become a presenter if you won't permit me to shine as a reporter?"

There was silence.

"Gwen?"

"All right. I'll haul one of the camera teams off something."

The director of the city museum came out smiling and looked delighted to see the pretty Macy had arrived with two camera guys and other badly-dressed associates.

Macy raised a hand and the lights went on and the microphone booms were pushed out overhead.

"Good morning Mr Knowles. We are here following up on a hot tip. What is so disastrously wrong with the museum's roof?"

Jerry Knowles's face paled and his eyes practically popped.

"Omigod. How did you find out?"

"An anonymous tip. It was no one from your fine museum Mr Knowles. I have no idea but am suspicious it might have been a girlfriend of one of the structural investigators."

"Omigod please wait. I'll be skinned alive if I don't bring our chairman in on this. She's actually in the building. If you use anything of this you've just filmed I'll sue your TV company."

"Feel welcome to sue us Mr Knowles. We are simply doing our duty in the public interest."

"You smart-mouth bitch."

"Oh that's naughty Mr Knowles."

Macy held up her hand and filming closed down.

She called Gwen back at the TV station.

"We have tonight's lead story Gwen providing we pull it off. An unidentified source told me the museum roof is in very, very bad shape. My pick is it will have to be dismantled and replaced, costing several million dollars no doubt and legal repercussions. I confronted the director upfront and he practically scuttled for cover and threatened to sue and called me a bitch. We have that all on camera and now he's gone off to fetch the chairman. If they don't come clean I'll make up what I don't know."

"Oh tremendous Macy. Do you require reinforcements?"

"Yep but only one. Get a legal guy over here pronto. Send him or her by chopper would be the best bet. That would be enough to scare the crap out of the chairman. Send no one else. Bye."

The grossly over-weight Mrs Fowler arrived looking very relaxed and doubtless well briefed. She immediately began pushing her weight around when Macy raised her hand and the cameras began rolling.

"No cameras I said."

The cameras continued filming.

Mrs Fowler turned to the director and barked, "Call security."

"Mrs Fowler I am Marcy Law from Channel 4 TV here on a legitimate purpose in the public interest."

They heard the sound of an arriving helicopter.

"This is one of our attorneys arriving to support me and my crew. You are advised to come clean Mrs Fowler. Is the roof of this museum in danger of collapsing either imminently or before too long?"

Mrs Fowler behaved impeccably. "We were simply waiting for assessment of an engineering report to be completed before advising the museum board and city authorities and then deciding a contingency plan. As it happens I've already decided to close the museum from tomorrow until further notice."

Macy was filmed looking nervously up at the ceiling although they were standing two floors below the roof.

"Why not close the museum today if the danger of possible catastrophe is that great?"

"Oh great idea everyone out. Mr Knowles call security and clear the museum of the public forthwith and erect closure notices."

Pam White, an attorney, arrived to stand alongside Macy. She whispered something to Macy.

"Although the public is being cleared Mrs Fowler if you remain in the building we as a news team reporting in the public interest are entitled to remain to report an impending crises unless, and listen carefully Mrs Fowler, unless you as an official in charge have reason to belief we are in immediate danger."

Mrs Fowler hesitated and Macy looked at her aggressively.

"All right. I cannot deny the public's right to know although this is somewhat premature but being a prudent person I suggest we continue this interview in front of the building."

Macy raised her hand and filming ceased and the crew began preparing to relocate.

Mrs Fowler said, "My director confessed he called you a bitch. You must understand we have been under enormous pressures and that has produced stress."

"Thank you for that Mrs Fowler but you must understand I don't made that decision what part of filming will be cut but I can confirm I was called a bitch when on camera. I suggest you repeat your apology and explanation on camera and I'll accept your apology and comment yes I can understand stress must be high."

* * *

Hal was still in his office, working on his restructuring plan, with the TV switched on.