Cam shook her head. “Don’t look at me. I like my job here. No way am I going behind Felix’s back with something like this.”

I felt my shoulders sag. I’d actually secretly been counting on Cam to help me out.

“Please?” I begged.

But the resolved look in her eyes told me no amount of pleading was going to change her mind. “Sorry, Tina, but you’re on your own with this one. Look, just submit it to him, and see what he says. Maybe he’s feeling generous today.”

I put my hands on my hips. “Hello? Have you met Felix?”

She gave me a sympathetic shrug. “Sorry.” Then added as she turned to go, “And be careful, Tina, okay?”

I nodded. Really, I couldn’t blame her. A week ago keeping my boss happy would have been at the top of my priority list, too. And I’d already gotten her in hot water over the whole lookout at Katie Briggs’s incident.

Unfortunately, that left me still distraction-less. I let my gaze wander over the newsroom for another possible ally. Max, Cece…Allie.

I froze. If ever someone had distraction written all over her, it was Allie.

I clenched my jaw. I stood up. I sucked in a deep breath. And prepared to make a deal with the devil to save my skin.

“You’re nuts, you know that?”

I nodded.

Allie shook her head at me, her blonde locks falling over her shoulder. “You’re really going to call this guy out?”

I nodded again. “Look, I need you to distract Felix. Just for a second.”

She narrowed her eyes. “And what’s in it for me?”

I bit my lip. “That satisfaction of helping a coworker?”

Her eyes narrowed further until they looked like a cat’s.

Okay, so she was into satisfaction.

“Look, I’ll…I’ll introduce you to some of my contacts around town.”

Her lip curled. And she shook her head. “Not good enough.”

I threw my hands up. “Okay, fine. What do you want?”

“I want this story.”

I blinked at her. “What story?”

“The story of the Informer reporter who’s being stalked by a murderer, threatens to expose him, then ends up getting herself killed.”

I raised an eyebrow at her.

She shrugged. “It’s one possible ending.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Do we have a deal?”

I ground my teeth together. The last thing I wanted to do was give Barbie an exclusive on my life story. On the other hand, if I didn’t, said story was likely to be a whole lot shorter and have a much less pleasant ending.

Begrudgingly, I stuck my hand out. “Deal.”

Allie shook it, the most evil grin I’d ever seen spreading across her cute little face.

I involuntarily shuddered.

“So, you’re on Felix, then?”

She nodded. Then fluffed up her boobs. “Come six o’clock, he’s all mine.”