office. That had to be it, right?
“So, what do you want to know?”
“I was just curious if you thought expanding to three days a week was a good idea?” Sam asked the big question right out of the gate.
“I don’t know,” I hedged, glancing at Brian. “I think that expanding the paper is going to be a difficult process.” I was trying to be diplomatic.
“How so?”
I blew out a sigh. There really was no way around this. “This is a small area, Mr. Cornell.”
“Please, call me Sam.”
“Sam,” I continued. “Even if we had unprecedented growth, which is possible down the road, we still won’t get enough people to warrant the expansion of the paper, in my opinion.”
“So you don’t think that this is a good idea?” Sam was blunt, which I respected.
“That’s not what she’s saying,” Brian interjected hurriedly.
“No offense, Mr. Kelly,” Sam turned to him carefully. “But you don’t handle the news side of the business and Ms. Winchester does. I really need to hear her thoughts – and I need to hear her honest thoughts. That’s going to help me come up with the right plan.”
Brian looked properly chastised as Sam turned back to me. “Please continue.”
“This is a very small town,” I explained. “The people that actually live in town only amount to about seven thousand. Then you have the outlying district. There’s about another three thousand in the twenty miles in any direction. I don’t see how that translates to a lot of news.”
“No,” Sam looked serious.
I glanced up at Edith, who was watching the two men closely. I had no idea what she was thinking, and it wasn’t like I could ask her.
“There’s also not a lot of actual news here,” I continued.
“Try none,” Edith snorted.
I ignored her. “There’s just very little news to fill the editorial hole three times a week. I struggle to fill it – and I mostly use fluff – one day a week.”
“There has been an increase in crime in the area,” Brian said desperately.
Sam looked interested. “How so?”
“Last fall there were two bodies found in a cornfield. Then, a month later, there was another body found in the middle of town. The man who is believed to have did that murder is still on the loose.”
“He’s not on the loose,” Edith scoffed. “Your Aunt Tillie incinerated him.”
Now, this time I’m almost positive, Sam’s ears twitched at the sound of Edith’s voice. He didn’t turn in her direction, though. He kept his gaze focused on Brian.
“And then, just this past winter, there was a crazed drug dealer on the loose,” Brian finished up excitedly.
Sam turned to me, his dark eyes unreadable. “That sounds like exciting stuff.”
“Yes,” I agreed. “It was. However, we can’t keep hoping that crime finds a way to Hemlock Cove three times a week. Those were all . . . flukes. Sure, there’s going to be some level of crime from time to time, but it’s been quiet for months.”
“Once the tourists get here, though, that will change,” Brian said defensively.
“You don’t know that,” I challenged.
“Ms. Winchester – may I call you Bay – is right,” Sam plowed on. “You can’t count on anything like that.”
I raised my eyebrows in Brian’s direction. Of course I was right.
“That doesn’t mean that we can’t come up with alternative news copy ideas,” Sam continued.
“See,” Brian said triumphantly.
“What are you working on this week?” Sam asked curiously.
“A list of all the spring activities planned by the area businesses,” I replied blandly.
“Really?” Sam looked surprised. “That’s it?”
“You have other suggestions?” He was starting to bug me.
“I noticed you have two new businesses in town, why not do stories on those?” Sam didn’t seem to notice that I was starting to get aggravated with him.
“We did,” I said. “When they first opened. They both got the front page spot on different weeks.”
“Oh,” Sam
“So, what do you want to know?”
“I was just curious if you thought expanding to three days a week was a good idea?” Sam asked the big question right out of the gate.
“I don’t know,” I hedged, glancing at Brian. “I think that expanding the paper is going to be a difficult process.” I was trying to be diplomatic.
“How so?”
I blew out a sigh. There really was no way around this. “This is a small area, Mr. Cornell.”
“Please, call me Sam.”
“Sam,” I continued. “Even if we had unprecedented growth, which is possible down the road, we still won’t get enough people to warrant the expansion of the paper, in my opinion.”
“So you don’t think that this is a good idea?” Sam was blunt, which I respected.
“That’s not what she’s saying,” Brian interjected hurriedly.
“No offense, Mr. Kelly,” Sam turned to him carefully. “But you don’t handle the news side of the business and Ms. Winchester does. I really need to hear her thoughts – and I need to hear her honest thoughts. That’s going to help me come up with the right plan.”
Brian looked properly chastised as Sam turned back to me. “Please continue.”
“This is a very small town,” I explained. “The people that actually live in town only amount to about seven thousand. Then you have the outlying district. There’s about another three thousand in the twenty miles in any direction. I don’t see how that translates to a lot of news.”
“No,” Sam looked serious.
I glanced up at Edith, who was watching the two men closely. I had no idea what she was thinking, and it wasn’t like I could ask her.
“There’s also not a lot of actual news here,” I continued.
“Try none,” Edith snorted.
I ignored her. “There’s just very little news to fill the editorial hole three times a week. I struggle to fill it – and I mostly use fluff – one day a week.”
“There has been an increase in crime in the area,” Brian said desperately.
Sam looked interested. “How so?”
“Last fall there were two bodies found in a cornfield. Then, a month later, there was another body found in the middle of town. The man who is believed to have did that murder is still on the loose.”
“He’s not on the loose,” Edith scoffed. “Your Aunt Tillie incinerated him.”
Now, this time I’m almost positive, Sam’s ears twitched at the sound of Edith’s voice. He didn’t turn in her direction, though. He kept his gaze focused on Brian.
“And then, just this past winter, there was a crazed drug dealer on the loose,” Brian finished up excitedly.
Sam turned to me, his dark eyes unreadable. “That sounds like exciting stuff.”
“Yes,” I agreed. “It was. However, we can’t keep hoping that crime finds a way to Hemlock Cove three times a week. Those were all . . . flukes. Sure, there’s going to be some level of crime from time to time, but it’s been quiet for months.”
“Once the tourists get here, though, that will change,” Brian said defensively.
“You don’t know that,” I challenged.
“Ms. Winchester – may I call you Bay – is right,” Sam plowed on. “You can’t count on anything like that.”
I raised my eyebrows in Brian’s direction. Of course I was right.
“That doesn’t mean that we can’t come up with alternative news copy ideas,” Sam continued.
“See,” Brian said triumphantly.
“What are you working on this week?” Sam asked curiously.
“A list of all the spring activities planned by the area businesses,” I replied blandly.
“Really?” Sam looked surprised. “That’s it?”
“You have other suggestions?” He was starting to bug me.
“I noticed you have two new businesses in town, why not do stories on those?” Sam didn’t seem to notice that I was starting to get aggravated with him.
“We did,” I said. “When they first opened. They both got the front page spot on different weeks.”
“Oh,” Sam
Similar Books
