"OK, I've thought of one." "Is it a man?" "Yeah." "A race car driver?" "Yeah." "Raikkonen?" "How did you know?" "Alonso is too obvious, dear." "This won't take long." "Do I look okay?" "No." "Don't be like that." "Seriously, do I look okay?" "Yes, of course." "Let's go." "Hi." "How's everything?" "Just fine." "Hi, Alda, are you going to be with me while your mom talks with the man?" "Yes." "Thanks." "And don't be stressed." "No, no, don't worry." "Yes, right... shouldn't you let the kids do it?" "Yeah, yeah," "No, don't expect me." "Okay, bye." "Hi, you're Lara?" "Yes." "Are you as terrific as your friend, Harpa, says?" "I don't know about that." "At least I want to be a terrific journalist." "Well, it's not enough, to want." "To be a terrific journalist on the Post, you have to become awful in everything else." "We aren't here to make friends." "Do you have a problem with that?" "No." "Not at all." "Right." "There's still no confirmation the boy was there." "I can't reach his mom." "Duh, he must have a father." "Can you reach him?" "The father lives in Denmark." "Wow, right, then you can't reach him." "He has a phone just like everyone else although he lives in Denmark." "But how would he know anything about this if he was in Denmark?" "Hey, just find the goddamn guy and ask him about it." "Do I have to do everything around here?" "What's this?" "One semester in literature, then left." "Just quit working as a barmaid." "Can't you stick to anything?" "Do you always give up?" "I don't like boring jobs." "At any rate, I've got some hot news for you." "What's this?" "Do you know who Einar Teodorsson is?" "The MR?" "Yes." "I've been working at a bar weekends, and this wasn't the first time he's harassed people there." "He's quite a piece of work when he's drunk, and that's putting it mildly." "Aren't you...?" "None of your business." "Give me that." "Hey, gimme that!" "Security!" "And what did you do then?" "Called one of the bouncers." "Einar knocked him out cold." "Can anyone confirm this?" "At least three witnesses." "Good, but it can't go into the paper as it is." "I'll have someone in editorial take a look at it." "If you could let us have the phone numbers of these three witness..." "I'll hire you on trial for a few weeks." "Thanks a lot." "I got hold of the father, and he said the boy wasn't there, and he doesn't know about this yet." "Shit, then we can't run this." "Here, take this, then," "Try to make something of it" "Hey, I think Alda is sick." "She just threw up." "Shit." "OK, go and see to her, but I want to see you here at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning." "I just want to try this out, Dad." "Yes, but why that paper?" "Why not someplace more respectable?" "Why don't you try for a job on Daily News?" "That's a paper people respect." "What's that, can you make it tomorrow morning?" "I should be able to take the morning off since I haven't gone home yet." "I'll have to go just after 12." "That's okay, I'll tell August to relieve you at 12." "Yeah, that's like trusting a tradesman to show up." "Exactly." "Hey, Dad, thanks for doing this." "Hi, can you take care of Alda tomorrow afternoon?" "She's sick, and I have to start work on the Post." "The Post, are you going to work on the Post?" "Oh, stop it." "It's just like any other job." "No, I don't like it." "Oh, come on, Gus." "Can you do it?" "OK, OK, OK." "Right, I really liked your essay." "You show a lot of talent." "Thanks." "It's 7:50 and time for On the Pulse." "Yes, a big story in the Post this morning." "A picture of MP Einar Teodorsson and the headline:" ""MP punches bouncer."" "What do you think?" "Is it true?" "Difficult to say." "Wouldn't be the first time the Post sends out a story..." "Say that again." "Joining us on the programme this morning will be..." "Does this rag expect people to believe this - about an MP?" "Yellow journalism, that's what it is, yellow journalism." "You don't belong there, Lara." "It's just as well the child doesn't get a look at this." "She has a temperature of 38.5 and has no appetite at all." "Bye, Dad." "Bye." "Hi, are you the new reporter?" "Yes." "Gestur Jónsson, news editor." "Hello." "Hi, welcome to the Post." "OK, the meeting is right now." "Ok, once more the Post isn't there when the news happens." "It wouldn't have killed anyone to mention that the Post was there when Einar Teodorsson punched out the bouncer." "How many times have I said when the Post gets a scoop, the piece has to state the Post was there." "Get it?" "We'll probably hear from Einar Teodorsson today." "Stefan, you take care of that." "Okay." "Still, I'd like to know if the new hand..." "Excuse me, I don't even know your name." "Lara." "Lara, are you going to file a complaint against the MP for sexual harassment." "Yeah, if you are then your first assignment would be to interview yourself." "Precisely, you just go to the restroom, look in the mirror, and press the button." "Out of the question." "Never mix your work with your private life even though this happened before you started here." "You'll do nothing of the kind." "Wasn't planning to." "That's too bad." "We'll just have to sacrifice an excellent news item." "Stina, what have you got?" "He'll have to resign." "No, I'm serious." "An MP punches someone out!" "Isn't that good enough reason to resign?" "Well, of course, we're not in the UK." "No, we are in Iceland where MPs never resign." "Never." "Arni Jonsson resigned." "Right, and where is he today?" "Isn't he back in parliament?" "Well?" "I thought you had something?" "I can never get hold of those lesbians who are fighting a custody battle." "Maybe we should advertise on the radio?" "Lesbians in custody suit, please contact the Post immediately." "You'll call, won't you?" "Of course I'll call you." "This isn't a one-night stand." "Nothing interesting here." "We have to put together a paper that sells." "So we're going to have to find something to put in it." "Hey, keep trying to get hold of them." "Einar." "Einar, a journalist from the Post is trying to reach you." "Listen, I wouldn't say a single word to anyone from that filthy rag." "Everyone's been calling." "TV, radio, all the major papers." "They just won't let up." "Look, Vala, tell them, tell them I'll issue some kind of statement." "Viggo!" "This is Viggo, he does our layout." "Will you show her around?" "Sure, no problem." "Uh, the coffee maker is broken." "You have to go the bakery to get coffee." "Sorry, it's being fixed, but there's bottled water." "It's healthier, anyway." "Yeah." "Here's where we keep the files." "Have you wanted to be a journalist long?" "Yes, actually." "Don't you enjoy it?" "I'm just doing layout." "Actually, I'm an artist." "Oh yeah, and the woman on the phones, Harpa?" "She's married to the Chairman of the Board of Directors." "So, you have to watch what you say." "Actually, I know her quite well, we're old friends." "The meeting room is here, the printers and photocopier," "And here are the top reporters, Stefan and Stina." "At your service." "Yeah, right, you won't get much service from this guy." "Here's your place." "Well, it's supposed to work." "Welcome to work." "Thanks." "Well, how do you like it?" "You didn't tell me Gestur Sveinsson was news editor here." "Don't worry about that, dear." "He's not going to let that concern him." "Why should I be worried?" "It's not as if I'm concerned myself." "Oops, speak of the devil." "Well, the new computer's here." "Yep, he's setting it up." "That's the best place for it." "Look, here's your first job." "This is an engineer who's missing, Mani Magnusson." "Really?" "You know who he is?" "Yes, he's married to the TV presenter," "Esther Gunnarsdóttir." "No, hey guys, you should know that kind of thing." "Isn't that about it for today?" "Einar." "Yes." "Can I have a word with you?" "Yes." "Of course." "In private?" "Sure." "Einar, my friend." "Yes." "You are a Member of Parliament." "Yes." "Drunkenness is not appropriate to your position and are street fights." "No, of course not, but it isn't exactly what it looks like." "That's fine because it doesn't look good at all." "No, it doesn't." "I fully realize that but I have my private life, and I've decided issue a statement in tomorrow's Daily News," "and I'm considering suing for damages." "Charges have been brought for less, as we both know." "It's just as well that people have little sympathy with such journalism, but this won't help you," "and I don't want to have to speak to you about this kind of thing again." "Is that clear?" "Yes, of course." "Now, I'm going to call Bjarni Pálmason, chairman of the Board at the Post, and see whether he can't cut us a little slack here." "No, no, that's completely unnecessary, I can see to this." "No, I'm afraid you can't." "Are you sure that this is him?" "Yes, I am." "I was going through old copies of Seen and Heard where there were pictures of their wedding, for example." "Get those pictures." "I didn't think she'd ever take the plunge." "She'd been dating lots of guys, the actor, Saevar Geir, for example." "They were together for several months." "And she was on the planning committee for the Vatnsmyri area." "You must be joking?" "Nope." "She represented the residents of Skerjafjordur." "Hmm, it takes considerable pull for a TV announcer" "She must have something." "She must have something." "Shouldn't we take this?" "No, I think it would be good for Lara to have a go at this." "You find Esther and get going." "Something is going on." "Find out what it is." "Okay." "Listen, you just let her talk about love, missing him, etc." "That was way too fast." "No, grandpa." "You're supposed to steer it like this." "Oh, yeah." "Who's that supposed to be?" "Baricello." "Oh, I thought maybe Schumacher." "No, he's stopped racing." "The police are looking For a 38-year-old man, Mani Magnusson." "Home address Skeljavegur 11, Reykjavik." "Yes-s-s." "Skeljavegur 11." "He was last seen about 4 o'clock on Monday at the N1 gas station on Artunsbrekka." "Hello, my name's Lara." "Hi." "I've been waiting around for a quarter of an hour." "Sorry, I got a little lost." "Do I look all right?" "Hello, my name is Lara from the Post." "Yes, welcome." "Please, come in." "Sadly." "Excellent, excellent." "Sadly." "Excellent, excellent." "And look at it." "And look at it." "Very sad, yes, that's it." "Very sad, yes, that's it." "That's perfect, just perfect." "I don't know about this Mani." "This is the first guy she's been out with who isn't famous." "He's an engineer." "She's been with actors and TV personalities and she was with a footballer, in Liverpool, what's his name?" "Hreinn Larusson." "Jesus, were they an item?" "Think about it." "What TV announcer would be on the Vatnsmyri Planning Committee?" "It's just absurd." "Doesn't she just want to be the centre of attention?" "Making herself famous by dating guys in the public eye?" "I think there is much more to her than that." "What makes you think so?" "She has a degree in philosophy." "Oh, wow..." "Why can't beautiful women be talented?" "Really now, take the new girl." "Why do you think Gestur let her have this news story?" "Because she's so talented?" "We all know what his motivation is." "Why say that?" "I'm sure she has excellent potential." "I'm pretty sure Gestur will get her before you do." "I'm not after her, and Gestur is a married man with family." "Yeah, that hasn't stopped him yet." "She probably wasn't hired for her talent." "Sometimes I think that's his key's in the lock, that he's coming home." "Whenever a car comes, I go to the window, but it's some other car." "How did you meet your husband?" "It was an unbelievable coincidence." "It was at the annual party for State Television." "We met in the coat room at Hotel Nordica and he got my hanger number, and I got his," "and he did not give up until he got my phone number." "What was the last thing he said to you?" "He said that he and Halldor- Halldor is a colleague of his at the engineering firm - were going hunting." "Halldor knew nothing about it." "Never went with him." "I'm sure he'll come home soon." "Excuse me, I have to answer." "Hello." "RS 950." "Are you sure?" "Yes." "Yes." "Thank you." "They found the car." "Where?" "At Sandskeid." "What the hell was he doing here?" "We'd need at least twenty searchers and several dogs to comb the area around here." "They're should be here any minute." "I think they have four dogs." "Hreinn!" "Hello." "Hi." "It's as if he took off." "The vehicle was locked when we found it." "We'll just get started and see what we can find." "They're here." "About time, too." "Were we supposed to keep quiet when an MP harassed a bartender and beat up a bouncer?" "Are you forgetting that he has a family?" "It makes no difference who a person is." "It could be an upright citizen, a crook, or a convicted rapist." "Many people have families." "You and I have families." "Everyone does." "Should we stop writing about people?" "This is a sensitive matter." "It's political." "Ah com'on, Bjarni, so what!" "Everything is political." "There are seven witnesses to what happened." "The bouncer will probably file a complaint." "This is big." "Bjarni, who called you?" "Not the point..." "My main concern is publishing a paper that isn't always at war with the public." "I just want fair accord between the people and this mass medium; note, mass, for the masses, right?" "Have you seen today's sales?" "Are they good?" "OK." "But be careful." "Is it absolutely clear that the bartender won't file charges?" "I've told her." "There won't be anything like that." "OK, fine." "Hi, dad." "He hasn't shown up." "What?" "Agust hasn't turned up?" "No, and I'm really running out of time now." "Right, then I'll just have to write this article at home." "It doesn't look at all good." "Having to take time off on my first day." "What happened to the guy?" "I don't know, my love, but unfortunately I am due at a meeting very soon." "OK, I'm on my way." "The front page of today's Post has accused MP Einar Teodorsson of a serious act of violence." "Einar, welcome to the programme." "Thank you." "What is your reaction to the story in the Post?" "I just want to state clearly that there are laws in this country protecting an individual's right to privacy, and that the Post's brand of sensationalist journalism is completely unacceptable." "Do you deny then that this incident took place?" "I neither confirm nor deny it." "I do not wish to discuss this matter at all." "These so-called journalists at the Post have been harassing me for the past twenty-four hours." "And not just me." "They're harassing my family too." "Really?" "In what way?" "For example, they called my daughter on the phone, today." "My daughter!" "And what do you intend to do?" "Are you going to sue the paper?" "Naturally, I will consult my lawyers about that, but I don't deny that's a real possibility." "At some point, the people in the country, have to say:" "Enough!" "Here and no farther." "But, Einar, isn't it a public matter when an MP is accused of violent behaviour in a public place?" "Wait just a minute." "Violent behaviour?" "This is just a foul rumour being spread by the Post." "And I don't have to answer such questions." "Hi, I'm here." "Hi, Lara." "How's she been?" "Just fine." "Alda, we'll have another race next time I'm here..." "OK." "And you'll have to teach me more about Play Station." "OK." "Good bye, grandpa." "Hope you get well fast, dear." "Thanks for helping out, dad." "It was a pleasure, Lara." "Oh, hi, how's everything?" "You were supposed to be here by noon." "Do you know what time it is?" "No, Lara, we said 2 o'clock." "2 o'clock?" "Yes, you told me to get here by 2 o'clock." "Goodbye." "Bye, dad, thanks again." "Hi, sweetie." "Hi." "Are you sick?" "I said 12:00, Agust." "Listen, you said 2;" "I'm not deaf." "At any rate, I wasn't free to come at 12." "Come with me, Alda." "We'll go to my place." "She had a temperature of 38.5." "You will just stay here till I get back from work." "No, she'll come to my place." "I have to correct some essays." "You're not the only person who, has to work, you know." "Agust, she has a fever. 38.5 degrees." "She can't go anywhere." "Lara, I know you're uptight because it's your first day..." "Oh, shut up." "I've got to go." "Goodbye, Alda, love." "Bye, Mommy." "Lara!" "What!" "Good luck." "Women, Alda, women!" "I just heard that the police brought in Mani Magnusson's car." "Really?" "That means further investigation of something." "What's new on the MP, Einar Teodorsson?" "I got hold of the bouncer and asked him if he was planning to file a complaint." "And?" "He's not going to." "I don't believe it." "What's wrong with the guy?" "What'd he say?" "He said if he filed complaints against drunks who hit him, he'd have no time for anything but lawsuits." "Look, Einar Teodorsson is no Ordinary street drunk." "He's a publicly elected representative." "Exactly." "It's pretty serious when someone elected to make laws gets away with breaking them." "You didn't want Lara to file a complaint." "Now the guy is just going to get away with it." "Gestur, that issue is closed." "We can't cover cases where our own employees are involved." "The Post would be accused of hiring Lara to get this news." "I asked the bouncer if he'd been leaned on." "He didn't answer." "He was very awkward." "Obviously lying." "Sorry, I got held up." "All right." "How was Esther?" "That depends how you look at it." "I think I have a good interview with her on tape, and I was there with her when she heard about the car." "Then you just have to write it." "Have you done that before?" "Now, now, Stefan, That's enough of that." "Freyr." "What?" "Come over here." "There was quite a struggle." "Jesus Christ!" "That wasn't there when he bought it." "Hi." "How's it going?" "Pretty good." "I'm still transcribing the tape." "Then I have to format it." "Don't hesitate to talk to me if some problems come up." "You'd better watch out for these layout guys, Lara." "I remember when I was starting out at the Star," "There was a layout guy there, who had been trained in the Soviet Union." "He could make any news boring just with the layout." "I thought you started out on television." "Yep, I was on 19:19 Show in the old days." "Now, that was an experience." "I'll never forget." "Omar Ragnarsson and I were somewhere in the highlands when Mt." "Hekla erupted, as if on cue." "I rushed to a telephone, and Omar took pictures." "Then, we split up." "Omar stayed put, and I went back to town, and we got the pictures on the air before the guys at State Television got their slippers off." "Yeah, Omar was an absolute natural at all that." "What do you mean?" "Some problem?" "Oh, I was just trying to call home, but no one answers." "You can just call my place." "Someone always answers there." "Hello." "Is Gestur there." "Mom, is dad at home?" "Hell of a good-looking girl." "Bjarni." "Leifur Thorsteinsson here." "Am I calling at a bad time?" "No, not at all, I'm just messing about at home." "What's happening?" "Isn't everything going to be OK?" "I have no reason to think otherwise." "Excellent." "Aren't you getting tired of being a newspaper publisher?" "Not at all, there's a new challenge every day." "Yeah, but do you think you'll Stick it out?" "Well, like any other job" " Someone has to do it." "Of course, it's good to know Some people are hard-working." "Bjarni!" "Nokkvi's on TV." "Someone's calling me." "I've got to go." "Here are the main players in this high-level media drama," "MP Einar Teodorsson and Nokkvi Egilsson." "Welcome." "Let's start with you Nokkvi," "How do you justify this publishing this story?" "Well, first, the news is accurate." "Many witnesses and sources have confirmed it." "Second, such news is fully justified when it's about an elected MP, breaking the laws of the land and making a disgrace of himself in a public place." "Really?" "Let's say that you were drunk, or "drunk as a skunk' as it says here." "Would you like to be on the front page like this?" "Well, of course I did a thing or two when I was younger and under the influence." " But I stopped long ago." "It's not my job to pass any laws on the subject." "But that is exactly what the person sitting me does." "Look here, although my work entails the passing of laws, which I take very seriously," "I have not thereby given up my rights to privacy." "Members of Parliament are also people." "And I will not discuss my private life with the mass media." "Let's take a few examples." "I have here several magazines containing details of the so-called private life of Einar Teodorsson, published with his full consent." ""Einar Teodorsson Finds His Dream House in Grafavogur"." ""They Met at the Bakery:" "Einar Teodorsson and Wife" "Tell Tales of Love and Politics";" ""Oodles of Women at Einar Teodorsson's 40th Birthday" "They All Love Me";" "Obviously, we're talking about two different kinds of privacy!" "This is the lowest you have ever stooped..." "The Post is not an ad agency." "Image is one thing; reality is another." "Einar, this isn't the first time you've thrown a punch at someone, you've just been lucky it didn't make the media." "Ladies and gentlemen, a democratically elected MP!" "Well, we can't pursue this any further at present." "Nokkvi?" "Can't even talk to the man, that's obvious..." "No lack of pathos there." "A bit different from her TV look, eh?" "How long is the article?" "Lara, how many column inches is the article?" "What do you mean?" "Just keep going, finish up." "OK, since Lara's article is still being written," "We'll have to wait and see whether Esther or the MP gets the front page" "You hear that, Lara?" "You could get the front page." "If you do a good job." "Did Mani have any enemies?" "Not that I could think of." "Why do you say "did"?" "Do you believe he's dead?" "No, of course not." "The search is still in process, and we certainly hope he's still alive." "But I am being honest when I tell you the chances are decreasing, not least because we found signs of violence in the car." "AT THE NORDIC HOUSE" "I don't believe it!" "Hello darling." "Come on, we're going home." "I can take her." "I just had to show up at this lecture." "It's over now." "You just continue with your cultural life." "It obviously means more to you than your daughter being ill." "Lara, don't be like that." "We weren't here for long." "Lara." "Where the hell are you?" "This is half-finished crap." "You have to finish the article." "Yes, I'll be there right away." "Alda, dear, you're going to have to come to work with Mummy." "OK." "What the hell's up now?" "Damn!" "Yes, hello." "Can you send a cab to Miklabraut?" "At the intersection of Miklabraut and Snorrabraut, just past the footbridge." "What is this?" "Isn't the paper coming out tomorrow morning?" "Don't be like that, it's on its way." "We're not waiting much longer." "Are you going to pay overtime?" "Look, we're waiting for the Frontpage piece." "Whoops, it's just coming in." "You've just got to get it done." "Where on earth have you been?" "I just got a flat tire." "Had to take a taxi." "Yeah, right, and my grandmother was being buried." "Where, how, and what then?" "Is the rule in our interviews." "Write the introduction again." "Start at the beginning." "Let us approach the subject with you." "What's it like being close to her?" "OK, do we have the headline for the front page?" "Yes. "Between hope and despair'" "That's dreadful." "OK, front page..." ""Esther er..." "Esther Widowed?"" "With a questioned mark." "No, let me." ""Where is Esther's husband?"" "Are you OK, sweetie?" "Yes, I think so." "You've still got a temperature." "I'm almost done; then, home." "Is she yours?" "Yes." "This is Alda." "Hi, Alda." "My name's Gestur." "Hi." "Look." "Pretty good, eh?" "This is a proper front page." "I mean Esther will sell, no question about it." "Yes, we'll bet on this one." "The punch isn't news anymore." "We just have to get the Post in Somewhere..." ""A journalist from the Post was with her when Esther received news that..."" "Something along those lines." "Hi, Markus again." "You guys are so far past deadline that you can just keep it till tomorrow." "Calm down, it's on the way." "Hey, they're losing patience downstairs." "I'll send it in two minutes." "They're going crazy." "One minute." "You there?" "One minute." "Better be." "We don't want to be late with this." "Should we wait for the late news?" "No, we'll chance it now." "They'll hardly find a body after dark." "I don't want Bjarni on my case tomorrow, either." "Send it like that." "Right!" "It's gone." "The Government met this morning on a constitutional amendment" "Egg-laying going well, say ornithologists." "And here's tonight's news:" "Einar Teodorsson has resigned his post as MP." "His resignation is said to be connected with an incident on TV, where he lunged at Nokkvi Egilsson, editor of the Post." "And this news is just in:" "A woman in her 30s was just taken into custody, suspected of being involved in the disappearance of Mani Magnusson, three days ago." "Reliable sources say that the woman is Esther Gunnarsdottir, Mani's wife." "The police refused to make any statement at this time."