The team were swivelling around in their chairs to look at her as Anna nervously explained that after having read the contents from a file, she thought it was possible that Amanda Delany was writing her memoirs.
Langton pointed at her. ‘That’s a motive. Little crack-head about to spill the beans. Get it verified, and another thing …’ He paused and rubbed his head. ‘Money. We need to get access to her accounts and her accountant, so bring him in. Do we know who it is?’
They had not even gone down that route yet.
‘Right, now we move on two possible motives. If Amanda was leaving her agent it might throw up a little bit of skulduggery on her finances, and if, as Detective Travis thinks is possible, she was writing a memoir, this could also be a motive if someone didn’t want her spilling out something that would be damaging. But,’ he shook his finger, ‘constantly keep in your minds: people could get angry and afraid, if this little screwball was about to publish something derogatory about them, but to plan a murder and knife her is a long way off from either of the emotions I just mentioned. Hatred kills, and fear can only be measured by how important a person they are. If we were to discover she had been screwing the Prime Minister or one of his cronies, for example …’ Langton laughed humourlessly.
‘You hire someone to kill, and this could be a contract murder. An even stronger possibility is that the murder could have been staged to make it appear different from the real reason she was killed.’
It was another half-hour before Langton wound up the meeting. He had gone through all the evidence to date in detail but also underlined that, to him, the most important items were information brought to them by Anna Travis.
They finished off the refreshments as Langton made a point of talking to each and every one of them. Anna had returned to her office to patch up her report quickly on the publishing possibility. She looked up to see him laughing with Barbara and Joan; the latter was obviously very enamoured. She saw him enter Simon’s office and have a lengthy conversation with him. Then he headed in her direction. She was typing furiously, sensing he was about to walk in, and when he did so she looked up, acting surprised.
‘OK, this is what I have suggested to Mathews. I want Dunn out and I am bringing in Barolli and Lewis.’
Anna was taken aback.
‘I need him on something else,’ Langton said by way of explanation. He drew up the only extra chair and leaned his elbows on her desk. ‘If they come on board, don’t keep any information you get. Pass it out, understand me?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘It’s imperative, Anna, that you learn this. I mean, how long have you known about this book?’
‘I don’t know. It was just reading some of the material from Amanda’s laptop last night.’
‘And the agent thing?’
‘I’d only just got back from a meeting with Andrea Lesser when you arrived.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes.’
‘I know you too well, Anna,’ he said softly.
‘Maybe you do, but I didn’t think it was ready for the team to take on board until I was sure.’
He stared hard at her and she refused to look away. He suddenly stood up.
‘OK, you should really move on it now.’
‘Yes. I was going to ask DCI Mathews if we could get onto this Spotlight website to check out theatrical agents. Reason I haven’t done it already is because it costs.’
Langton paused at her door, cocking his head to one side.
‘Do it. You should be running rings around this crowd. I know how hard you worked on that trial with Lord Whatsit.’
‘Lord Halesbury.’
‘Yeah, you had a good result, proving me right. You’ve got quite a career ahead of you, and I know you get along with Lewis and Barolli. They’re both good detectives; I miss working alongside them.’ He paused and smiled. ‘And you.’
‘Thank you.’
‘I mean it.’
‘Thanks again.’
‘How’s life treating you?’
‘Fine. You look well.’
‘Yeah, I took a long break, feel rested. I needed it.’
She hesitated. ‘How’s the family?’
He gave a soft laugh. ‘We’re doing fine. My son has grown a lot, and my stepdaughter …’
‘Kitty?’
‘Yeah, only now she likes to be called Catherine. She’s grown into a lovely girl.’
‘Good.’
He looked at Anna before giving her that smile of his that always touched a chord inside her.
‘I’ll be around until I think we’ve got this case under wraps, so I’ll no doubt see you again.’
She smiled and could think of nothing else to say to him as he walked out. She watched him sitting with Simon and then she saw him go into Mathews’s office. It was another fifteen minutes before he came out and looked over to her window, giving her a small salute as he left the station.
Anna sighed. As always he’d taken everyone by storm, his energy and drive stronger than ever. She decided to leave for the night. She didn’t bother saying goodnight to anyone in her eagerness to get home.
In the car park, Barbara was walking out with Joan. She looked over to Anna.
‘I miss him, don’t you?’
Anna nodded. She missed him more than anyone would ever realise. Seeing him again, watching him at work had, as always, made her admire him. Yet at the same time she felt that he was calmer now, less angry. She had known him before, known and loved him, was still in love with him and try as she could, it was harder than ever to disassociate herself from those feelings.
She sat for a while in her Mini, thinking, remembering, and not until she started the engine did she really force herself to concentrate on driving, refusing to allow any more thoughts of Langton to invade her mind. It was like an invasion; his dominance over her that she had really felt was a thing of the past. He was still very much a part of her, only now it was so distant it was easier. If he was going to be on the Delany case, she knew it was vital that she keep any latent feelings well below the surface.
It was not until she was getting ready for bed that Anna remembered the photograph she had taken of Andrea Lesser and the man she had met outside Liberty. She clicked onto the picture; it was a good clear shot of him and she made a mental note to mention it first thing in the morning. With Langton watching her, she knew that from now on she had better inform the team of every piece of information she came by.
Chapter Nine
‘I suppose you know.’
Anna acted surprised when Simon appeared at her office door at 8.15 the next morning, Saturday.
‘I’m off the case, going onto another investigation in Hampstead. At least it’s not looking as if I’ve got shafted, unlike poor old Mathews.’
‘What?’
‘Oh come on, don’t tell me you don’t know about him either. He’s been given a research and policy desk job until his retirement, poor sod. He got well pissed last night. Langton really rode roughshod over him.’
‘I had no idea.’
Simon gave a mirthless laugh. ‘No? How did Langton know I was knocking off that little actress from the movie set, if it didn’t come from you?’
‘I beg your pardon!’
‘“I didn’t know”,’ he mimicked.
‘Simon, I didn’t.’
‘Well, he bloody knew about it, so somebody ratted on me, and I guessed it could only be you. Anyway, I suppose you’re so well in with him you might have let it slip.’
‘What do you mean by that?’ Anna said angrily.
‘What do you take us all for? Everyone knows that you and he were shacked up for a time together, so it’s unlikely he’s gonna kick you off this investigation.’
‘Whatever my past relationship with DCS Langton, that is not only none of your business or anyone else’s, but it was over a long time ago. I resent you suggesting that there’s any favouritism being shown towards me.’
&nb
sp; ‘Yeah, I hear you. Well, good luck. Truth be known is, I wouldn’t want that control freak looking over my shoulder, so I’m gone and good riddance.’
‘Who’s taking over from Mathews?’ Anna asked Joan, who nodded over to Mathews’s office. The door was closed and blinds were down.
‘It’s Mike Lewis. He’s a DCI now.’
‘I didn’t know he’d been promoted.’
‘Well, he has. Also Barolli’s on board, so it’s gonna be like old times.’
Anna gave a brittle smile and returned to her office. Langton always moved fast and fifteen minutes later, she knew just how fast he had moved this time when Mike Lewis came into her office.
‘Congratulations,’ she said, meaning it. She had always liked Mike.
‘Yeah, well, let’s say I needed the break. I’ve got three kids now.’
‘Three?’
‘Yeah, we had twins the last time and they’re a handful. Never mind financially, it’s the sleep deprivation. That was a joke! They’re great kids. What about you? Married yet?’
‘No, no, still single.’
He checked the time. He was waiting on Tony Barolli to arrive before he started the briefing.
‘We had a pretty strong one last night from Langton,’ Anna told him.
‘Yeah, I know. Between you and me and the gatepost, he’s had me sort of sniffing around on this for a while. Anyway, good to see you again. Let’s hope we can crack this one together.’
‘I’m sure we will.’
‘See you in a bit then. Oh, I’ve been told you’re up for promotion. A word of advice: do your homework. It’s like going back to school exams, only with a lot more at stake.’
‘Did Mathews tell you?’
Mike shrugged and grinned. ‘He must have.’
Anna had copies of the photo of Andrea Lesser and her companion that she had taken on her mobile ready to hand out. She was using the time before the briefing to connect with the Spotlight website. She sought Joan’s advice.
‘Joan, would you know who’s famous or maybe up-and-coming in showbiz? I need to know the names of the major theatrical agencies – you know, the ones that already have famous people on their books.’
Joan was helpful. ‘Scott Myers is with the same agent as Amanda Delany was, and O’Dell and Mitchell are with Independent and William Morris. They’ve also got counterpart agents in the US, so I’d say if you wanted the main ones, they must be up at the top.’
‘Call both of them, will you, and arrange for me to see someone there. It’s not urgent, but make it soon, and also check out a few others – specifically ones that are up-and-coming and after new talent.’
Mike Lewis eventually called the team together and introduced himself. Anna noticed he was quite nervous and wondered when he had been promoted. She doubted if it had been that long ago.
‘Right, let’s see how much progress we’ve made in piecing together our victim’s career. The film industry in the UK is tight-knit, so that should help us find out if she’s worked with any of the same people in other films. She may have been murdered by someone she knew, someone she might have had sexual contact with or someone who had a grudge against her.’
Barolli stepped forwards, saying, ‘All we have been able to mark up are the actual films she starred in. We’ll need to go to production offices or wherever to get the lists of the cast, crew members, et cetera. Her agent Andrea Lesser has given us videos and DVDs of the productions, which everyone should look through … These have just arrived.’
This amount of information could not have been assessed overnight, Anna knew; it meant that Langton had been preparing to take over the case almost since they started.
‘We know that Amanda left RADA aged sixteen in 2001,’ Barolli continued. ‘She got her big break shortly afterwards, starring in a film called Rock Baby. She won awards and went straight on to film Gabriella, then she worked virtually on back-to-back films. In 2003 there was Jail Girls and Marian’s Heart; neither of these were blockbusters, they were small independents. Then we have a gap from 2003 to 2004 when she starred in Little Liars, which was a bigger budget and her salary would have jumped up …’
Anna interrupted, standing up. ‘Is the gap in the filming the time she was pregnant?’
Barolli shrugged; it would have been possible.
‘So we should check back to see if she was seeing anyone from that film?’
‘Correct. Her co-star was Scott Myers.’
‘But, timewise, as we know O’Dell visited her in the Drury, she must have known him before making that film The Mansion with him, later,’ Anna said.
‘Let’s just get the timeframe sorted first before we determine who knew her when, eh?’ Barolli said impatiently.
Joan turned to Anna. ‘I saw that one,’ she confided, ‘but I can’t remember much about it. It was a horror film, wasn’t it?’
Barolli glared at Joan, before continuing, ‘OK, after she shot Little Liars we have her in a really big budget film called The Last Soldier, followed by The Heiress, and hard on its heels comes a remake of Lady Hamilton and then The Mansion. Lastly, she was starring with Rupert Mitchell in Gaslight, which brings us up to date.’
He stepped back from the board and faced the team.
‘What we get now is a clear picture of how and when she met the three actors we have questioned. I want cast and crew listed from all these movies. Let’s see who else worked with her on more than one film.’
‘I know the make-up girl had worked with her before and I think one of the unit drivers did too,’ Anna said.
‘Right, now you see what I’m after. We also need to verify exactly when she had the termination, and whether it did occur between the two films, Marian’s Heart and Little Liars.’
‘Was Marian’s Heart about Maid Marian and Robin Hood?’ Joan asked and Barolli turned on her.
‘I don’t bloody know, Joan, I’ve not seen any of them.’
‘Just that I saw that as well, and I’m sure Rupert Mitchell was in it. Mind you, I could be wrong.’
‘Then you, Joan – and you, Barbara, start the cross-reference going and get onto the companies for their production staff, cast and crew lists.’
Anna sat frowning, returning to her notebook and back to the board.
‘Are you saying that she was older or younger than the age we have down for her? Because I didn’t think you could get into RADA unless you were eighteen, but if we go by this and she was twenty-four when she died, then she must have only been fifteen when she went to RADA.’
‘Check with her parents. Her real age has to be on the death certificate.’
Barolli clapped his hands as everyone started to get up, thinking the meeting was over.
‘Hold it there. I’m not through yet.’ He looked towards Anna. ‘You’re digging into the possibility that she was about to switch agents, correct?’
‘Yes.’
‘Mike thinks we should concentrate first on whether she had some kind of publishing deal, so I’ll leave that with you too. We also want to bring in her accountant to discuss her finances. Mike is handling that.’ He crossed to stand beside Anna. ‘According to Mike, Andrea Lesser has been really helpful, but you have misgivings about her?’
‘Not exactly. I just don’t think she has been as helpful to me. Also, she seemed very agitated when she was seen with this man, just shortly after I had my meeting with her yesterday.’ She showed Barolli the photograph of the two of them together.
‘We should take a close look round at the funeral and see if he shows up,’ Barolli told everyone.
‘Or ask her directly.’ Anna was feeling snappy.
‘Not cool. You don’t want to antagonise her and get her paranoid that you’ve been following her around.’
‘It wasn’t that at all! I just happened to catch her with the guy.’
‘Nah. Just let it hang loose for a while.’
Barolli and Lewis had certainly picked up a lot of Langton’s traits. Anna would
have to have a quiet word with Barolli, ask him to show her more respect, especially in front of the team, so as to not undermine her. She didn’t like the way he had spoken to her.
‘Joan!’
The DC arrived expectantly at Anna’s office door.
‘Which publishing companies might be most likely to offer someone like Amanda a book deal? I know you’re an avid reader.’
An hour or so later, Joan returned with a list of publishers, together with the advances the big media stars had been paid, according to the press.
‘Good God, two million. But she’s just a model!’ Anna exclaimed.
Joan chuckled. ‘Goes to show what breast implants can do for you. All of those books were on the bestseller lists, and the topless porno star has had another book commissioned.’
‘Thank you for this, Joan. It’s after five now so maybe I’ll leave it until Monday, but if you could arrange appointments with …’
‘Already onto it,’ Joan interrupted, and looked at her watch. ‘I’ve got a family commitment tomorrow, and they haven’t stopped weekend leave, so I’d like to get going as soon as I can.’
‘Thank you. I really appreciate this. I’ll take a couple of the DVDs of Amanda’s films home with me.’
Anna too wanted to make a quick getaway. She was looking forward to a Sunday off, not that she had, like Joan, any family commitments. She just needed to get some space between herself and the station.
From the first moment Amanda appeared on the screen, the hairs on Anna’s neck stood up. She sat propped on pillows in bed at home, watching as Amanda walked through what was supposed to be Sherwood Forest, silky chestnut hair down to her waist, wearing a gown of soft pale cream wool, caught at the waist by a coiled belt. Her beauty was translucent, her slender neck and shoulders like porcelain. Anna leaned forwards, watching the scene in Marian’s Heart where Marian meets Robin Hood for the first time – and the pair fall in love. It was very Mills & Boon, and yet Amanda’s performance lifted it onto a higher level; she was so watchable that whenever she was not on screen it became tiresome. Anna found it almost impossible to block out this ethereal creature and remember the stick-thin, bruised body at the mortuary.
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