The newsroom was quiet now that all the dayshift had departed. The night news editor stared at the slowly scrolling Press Association newsfeed on his computer while lazily chewing on a cheese roll. One of the sports reporters whistled loudly.

Mello, darlin'," Kay shouted back with a cheery wave.

"It's all right for them," Lucy muttered moodily, "their Ludo tournaments never get censored."

"You're in a right mood, aren't you?"

They'd walked on a few paces before Lucy said, "I had the splash today and they pulled it."

"Oh, that explains it. Bitter and twisted at not getting any front page glory. What was the story?"

"A whole unit of Royal Marines slaughtered up in the Highlands. A hot tip from my man at Command Headquarters." She stuck out her bottom lip like a sulky child.

"Wow. A proper story. No EastEnders stud getting bladdered in that one," Kay said with what Lucy thought was an unreasonable amount of glee. "But you didn't really expect to get it through, did you?" Lucy shrugged. Kay's expression gradually became troubled. "Slaughtered? In Scotland?"

"Hey, it's the Barbie twins!" Kevin Smith, one of the sales managers, had been lurking around the news desk. The hacks hated him for his retro-yuppie look and his aftershave stink, but he insisted on pretending he was one of the boys.

"Fuck off, Kevin," Kay said with a mock-sweet smile.

"Careful you don't cut yourself with that." He patted the desk so they could both sit next to him, but they studiously went round to the other side where they could talk to the handful of freelancers doing the night shift.

"What's up?" Lucy perched on the edge of the desk so she could tease the newbies with a flash of her thigh.

"Don't bother the fresh meat!" the news editor barked. "Get over here!"

Kay was first over. "What is it, chief?"

He tapped the screen as he spoke through a mouthful of cheese roll. "PA says the PM's making an announcement at nine. Half the cabinet is getting the boot and they're setting up a coalition with the other parties. Government of National Unity or something."