Silent Scream

by Lynda La Plante

  Andrea Lesser was agitated and constantly twisted a strand of hair between her fingers.

  ‘You do not have to say anything,’ Mike continued, ‘but it may harm your defence if you do not mention now anything which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.’

  Andrea Lesser was silent.

  Mike then outlined the number of fees from film contracts which had been paid into her agency. They had no record of this money being transferred to Miss Delany’s account; this had been verified by her accountant. Could she explain this? Unlike Smith-Barker, Andrea Lesser answered without referring to her solicitor.

  ‘Yes. I had a verbal agreement with Miss Delany that, as the amount was considerable, it should be invested without delay. She agreed and I contacted a reputable investment company for her. She knew exactly what I intended doing and, as I’ve just said, was in full agreement.’

  ‘This investment you arranged, could you give us the company you chose to use?’

  ‘Yes, it was with a Mr Andrew Smith-Barker who had handled a number of my client’s investments on many previous occasions.’

  ‘What is your relationship with this gentleman?’

  ‘Purely business.’

  ‘So you had no personal or social interaction with him prior to this transaction for Miss Delany?’

  ‘No. I was acting on behalf of my client’s investments.’

  ‘So you transferred, directly to this company, considerable funds from Miss Delany’s film work?’ Mike asked.

  ‘Yes, I did.’

  ‘At what point did you make Miss Delany aware that, contrary to the money invested bearing dividends, it was in fact losing?’

  ‘It wasn’t just Miss Delany’s loss, but many others after the appalling crash in many City banks; it was totally out of my control.’

  ‘Can you give us written confirmation that Miss Delany approved this transfer of her earnings to Smith-Barker’s investment company?’

  ‘It was a verbal agreement, and as I had Power of Attorney for Miss Delany, it wasn’t necessary for me to have any written permission. At the time I was also overseeing the purchase and refurbishment of her mews house.’

  ‘So you’re saying that she was privy to the entire transaction that you say you instigated on her behalf?’

  ‘Yes, she was.’

  ‘At what point did you inform Miss Delany that she had lost a very considerable amount of money?’

  Andrea Lesser turned away, becoming tearful.

  ‘Amanda was dead before I could broach the subject with her.’

  ‘So you’re saying she was unaware of the loss?’

  ‘She was busy working on a film and I felt that it wouldn’t be the right time to give her bad news. However, seeing we were in this deep recession I felt sure she must have been aware that there could have been problems.’

  There was a pause as Mike sifted through his file. Anna remained silent, watching Andrea Lesser’s impressive performance.

  ‘How do you think she would have reacted to this loss of earnings?’ Mike continued.

  Andrea Lesser gave a slight shrug of her shoulders.

  ‘Well, it was not as if she was financially insecure. Her future was looking very promising with numerous scripts being offered to her. She’d have been upset, but accepted that I had only acted in her best interests. It wasn’t as if this was a situation unique to her. The recession was affecting everyone.’

  ‘Would you say that Miss Delany’s death was very opportune?’

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘You never had to tell her you had lost millions of her hard-earned money, did you?’ Mike insisted.

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘Miss Delany’s murder meant that you did not have to inform her that you had misappropriated her funds. That must have been quite a relief

  ‘I don’t like what you are implying; I did not find any relief. On the contrary. Amanda was not only someone I cared deeply about, but as a client she was a highly valued actress with a big future ahead of her. As I have said, we had numerous offers of work and a possible Hollywood deal

  ‘So do you believe that if Miss Delany had been alive, had been aware of your transactions, she would have remained with you as a client?’

  ‘Yes, I do. I had managed her career from the first film she made. She trusted me.’

  ‘Trusted you?’ Mike repeated.

  ‘Yes. I would have hoped to be able to reinvest further monies and recoup some of her losses.’

  ‘Without her permission?’

  ‘She knew exactly what my intentions were and had verbally agreed to allow me to handle the investment.’

  At this moment, her solicitor leaned forward and tapped the table with the tip of his pen. He spoke quietly but with a condescending air, wafting his pen around to demonstrate his points.

  ‘We seem to be going around in circles. Miss Lesser has explained in detail how the investments came about and that Miss Delany was fully aware of her endeavours to secure what she hoped would be a viable financial future. We all know what has occurred with the present global débâcle and Miss Lesser cannot be held responsible for that. Your inference that there has been some kind of fraud is strongly refuted, and any involvement with the death of Miss Delany cannot be proved, unless of course you have some documentary evidence to the contrary or with which to substantiate your unfounded allegations. If you have any further questions for my client I would be grateful if you would present them now or allow my client to leave immediately.’

  During his speech Anna saw Barolli signalling through the window of the door of the interview room. She got up quietly and left to talk to him. She was away for less than a few moments and she returned, just as Miss Lesser’s solicitor was asking for his client to be released. He confidently closed his notebook and lifted his briefcase onto the table to pack away his papers. Anna sat down and wrote a note to Mike, passing it to him. He read it and then folded it, running his finger along the crease of the paper.

  ‘Could you explain to me how Miss Delany’s payments came into the agency?’ he asked.

  Andrea Lesser sighed and glanced at her solicitor, who gave her a small nod to continue.

  ‘I’ve explained this before. The agency would invoice the company she was working for; the company would then send the cheques to us. We would bank them, take off our commission and I would forward the monies to Miss Delany’s account and send her our invoice with details of any payments we had taken as our percentage.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  Mike sat for a moment and Anna glanced at him. She then leaned forward to whisper to him and he nodded.

  ‘Let’s return to your relationship with Andrew Smith-Barker.’

  ‘Really, there was no relationship bar a business one. As I said, we had done business together in the past.’

  ‘Are you aware that he is being questioned this evening?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Mr Smith-Barker also maintains that you had a business arrangement, but he claims that he was unaware of the fact that Miss Delany had not been informed about nor had approved the money you passed to him for investments.’

  ‘This is outrageous. I have told you repeatedly that I had a verbal agreement with Amanda and there was no need for me to acquire any written approval.’

  ‘So you passed over Miss Delany’s money to …’

  ‘Yes, I forwarded a cheque to his company,’ she snapped.

  ‘You say that you also had other clients’ investments with Mr Smith-Barker?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Then surely you must have been aware that his company was in dire financial straits.’

  She leaned forward angrily. ‘I was never made aware that he was in any kind of financial trouble! On the contrary, he assured me that his company was in good shape.’

  ‘Do you reside at twenty-two, Atherton Gardens?’

  ‘Yes,’ she sighed, irritated.

&nbs
p; ‘Are you aware that Mr Smith-Barker’s house and offices have been repossessed?’

  She shook her head and glanced at her solicitor.

  ‘During the period his house was being repossessed, he was, I believe, staying with you at your flat. Is that correct?’

  Andrea Lesser gasped and leaned back in her chair.

  ‘So this “business relationship” did extend to you having him as a house guest. We have witness statements from your porter and two other residents that—’

  ‘Yes, I admit he did stay with me for a while. I was just helping him until he regained … his property.’

  ‘But this would have been before Miss Delany’s investments?’

  ‘Possibly. I don’t recall the exact dates.’

  ‘Do you expect us to believe that you have someone staying with you, in your flat, and at no time discuss their reason for being there? Unless you have lied and the relationship was sexual and he was lying to you about his financial situation.’

  Andrea Lesser was taking short sharp breaths, constantly looking at her solicitor.

  Langton yawned as he sat back in his chair, hoping one or other of them would push the agent further. He knew that his team were on shaky ground even if Lesser and Smith-Barker had been going at it like rabbits. They could not prove that she did not have the verbal agreement of their victim, nor could they prove that there had been anything underhand. The team suspected that Amanda Delany had been murdered because she had uncovered the fraud, but they had no proof.

  Langton personally did not believe that either of their suspects would have gone to such lengths as murder as a way out of their predicament. Andrea Lesser could have continued taking money from Amanda; her client was drunk and drugged up often enough not to know what was happening, and might well have been too dumb not to have noticed until they had turned things around. Fraud was always a lengthy and difficult crime to prove; it could take months if not years to solve.

  Now Anna was talking for the first time. Langton leaned forward. She had opened her file and was speaking in a low soft voice, Mike beside her, sitting back in his chair, looking exhausted.

  ‘Miss Lesser, I believe you have been lying to us,’ Anna began. ‘I know through my enquiries that, contrary to what you have stated – that Miss Delany had agreed verbally that you make investments on her behalf – she was completely unaware, and when she did find out, she was very angry. Shortly before her death, one of her flatmates met another actor from the film The Mansion who, having been paid in full, had purchased a new car. Miss Delany became aware only when told …’

  ‘That is not true,’ Andrea Lesser interrupted. ‘Actors often get paid at different times, especially ones taking the lion’s share of the finances.’

  Anna ignored her and continued.

  ‘Miss Delany’s friend called your office to accuse you of stealing from your client. This was just before her brutal murder and you refused to listen. You cut off the caller.’

  ‘I do not recall anyone contacting me, nor did I receive any harsh words from Amanda.’

  ‘I never mentioned the word “harsh”, Miss Lesser, but now you have mentioned it, did you not get threatened by your client that unless she received full payment of what was owed her from The Mansion, she was going to leave your agency?’

  ‘No, that is not true.’

  ‘You were also aware that Miss Delany had been offered a substantial amount of money from a publishing company to write her memoirs. In these memoirs, she was more than likely to write about the fact that she felt she had been robbed by the one person she trusted. You, Miss Lesser.’

  ‘I was not aware of any book deal.’

  ‘It’s strange then, isn’t it, that just as Miss Delany discovers she has money missing and is offered a publishing deal, she is found murdered.’

  ‘I don’t understand what you are insinuating.’

  ‘I am not insinuating, Miss Lesser, I am elaborating on a very strong motive to get rid of your client. Not only would your professional career be in shreds, but you could be arrested for embezzlement.’

  ‘No, no … I swear I didn’t know!’

  Anna upped the temperature by raising her voice.

  ‘Miss Lesser, you have been lying to us! You have insisted that you had only a business relationship with Mr Smith-Barker, yet he was living with you in your flat. You knew exactly what state his finances were in, and yet you kept on feeding him more and more money to try and get his company solvent.’

  ‘That is not true.’

  ‘Yes, it is. And now we have a statement from Andrew Smith-Barker denying that he had ever been told that the monies you handed over to him were stolen, for want of a better word, from your client Miss Delany, and that had he known, he would not have invested or continued his friendship with you, as his business is built on respect, not theft!’

  Miss Lesser bit her lip, trying not to cry.

  ‘The motive is stronger, isn’t it? Miss Lesser, did you also lie to Mr Smith-Barker? Were you so enamoured of him that you couldn’t stop yourself? He denies ever having any kind of feelings for you. You were infatuated with him but he never encouraged or wanted that attention. I believe that you were in such a horrendous situation that you had no option but to get rid of Amanda Delany.’

  The floodgates opened as Andrea Lesser broke down weeping. She seemed very distressed by the revelation that Smith-Barker denied any knowledge of what she was doing, and that he had no feelings for her. In that way, he had really put the boot in.

  Mike glanced at Anna and then took over.

  ‘Miss Lesser, we will now charge you on suspicion of fraud against Amanda Delany and …’

  Andrea Lesser got up. The chair fell behind her and she was sobbing.

  ‘No, no, that is not true!’

  Langton watched the woman breaking down as she denied that she had anything to do with Amanda’s murder. They had no proof that she had instigated the killing or that she had hired someone to do it. He watched as the interrogation continued and the distraught woman veered from fury at her lover to confessing that she had, without Amanda Delany’s permission, embezzled two and a half million pounds, which she said Smith-Barker had persuaded her that he could turn around. She was in love with him, she sobbed; he had used her emotions to make her do something that she now regretted. She knew her career was finished.

  Her statement implicated Smith-Barker as being wholly aware of what she was doing, and claimed that he had, in fact, instigated it. With no evidence as yet to implicate either in the murder, they were both charged with fraud and held in the cells in the station overnight before being taken to the magistrate’s court the following morning. Langton had refused to let either leave the station in case they left the country before charges were formally brought. It was a good result, if not the one they all wanted, but they had at last made a major step forward in their case.

  Anna left the interview room and went to her office. Her headache had returned with a vengeance and she was feeling queasy. She still had to meet Mike to tell him about her afternoon enquiries, but felt so ill that she decided to write him a note and take a taxi home. As she began writing, she dropped her pen and, bending down to retrieve it, she was violently sick. Barbara, suspecting whiplash after the prang in her car, called an ambulance and accompanied Anna to the nearest Out Patients hospital.

  It was a long wait, the pain so excruciating that Anna wanted to weep, desiring nothing more than to go home to bed. Only after she had been X-rayed and prescribed painkillers did Barbara put her in a taxi, wearing a plastic collar round her sore neck. It was indeed a case of whiplash and the doctor suggested she take a couple of days to rest.

  It felt so calm and peaceful to be in her own bed with its crisp, newly-laundered sheets, the fresh smell so unlike the hideous basement flat she’d been in all afternoon. Anna had a shower, put the plastic collar back around her neck and took two painkillers. Then she fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.

  Lan
gton gave Mike and Barolli a long grilling. Offering congratulations on the development, he went on to say that he did not believe they had their murderer in custody. He hoped Anna would be back at work as soon as possible, was his parting shot to Mike. Yet again, she had proved her ability in the interrogation.

  Mike snapped at Barolli when Langton was gone.

  ‘She fucking did it again. Where the fuck did she get all that, about phone calls to that Lesser bitch? I am getting sick and tired of being made to look like a fucking prat. She’s constantly working this case on her own.’

  ‘Tell me about it,’ Barolli complained.

  Mike jabbed the air with his finger.

  ‘I tell you, I’m gonna put this in a report. Langton thinks the sun shines out of her arse, well, she’s gonna trip herself up and I’m gonna be right behind her, giving a push.’

  Chapter Sixteen

  The next morning, Anna felt terrible. The pain in her neck had shifted further down her back and every limb in her body ached. She felt dizzy just getting out of bed. With the neckbrace in place and a hot water bottle strapped to her back, she cooked some eggs and bacon and made a coffee. She knew she should call into the station at eight; it was still not seven. She was anxious about the lecture she knew she would be in for from Mike Lewis when she went back to work. At no time did she even contemplate how she had steered the interrogation of Andrea Lesser to get her to admit the fraud. In fact, she didn’t really have a clear memory of anything she had said.

  Back in bed she dozed off for a while, then on waking burst into tears. She couldn’t stop crying; whether or not it was the aftermath of the past evening, she felt utterly at a loss. Before she had a chance to call the station, Barbara rang to say she mustn’t even think about coming into work. Anna had no sooner put the phone back when it rang again. It was Langton. She felt a twinge of pain as she sat up. He asked how she was, praised her efforts on the previous evening and gave her the number of a good chiropractor. She thanked him, on the brink of tears again.