Chapter 13 #2
“What?” Jesse’s eyes widened. “How do they know Dila is here?”
“I don’t know that they do. They asked about River. Is he up?”
“I’ve not seen him,” Andy said.
Newt called him on his phone.
“Newt?”
“Don’t open your curtains. There are photographers outside. I’m going to call Max.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll go up and tell Dila.” Jesse left the room.
Newt called Max.
“What’s wrong?”
“There are photographers outside the gates. They say if River comes out for a photo they’ll leave. They’re asking how he is.”
“Fuck!”
“Can they take pictures of him? Isn’t that hounding him?”
“They can legally take pictures of anyone if they’re in a public space. Outside the gates, they’re in a public space. But it’s a criminal offence to harass people in their homes.”
“If they stay outside but keep calling for River to come out, that’s harassment?”
“Yes. But…” Max sighed. “The press are annoyingly persistent. Maybe it would be better to let them have a few shots of River and Dila. Then they’ll go away. No one is to speak to them. No questions to be answered. But they need to be told that the house must not be identified. I’ll speak to Dila.”
Max ended the call and Newt put his phone back in his jacket pocket.
“What’s happening?” Andy asked.
“Max says River and Dila should go out and let them take a few pictures but not speak to them. No one’s to speak to them apart from telling them the address is private.”
Something was niggling at Newt. Who had told the press where River lived? He hoped Max didn’t think it was him. More likely to be Jorge getting his own back. Or maybe one of the others River had sacked.
Dila, River and Jesse came into the kitchen. Dila was on her phone.
“How did they find out Dila was here?” Jesse said.
“Or this was where River lives,” Newt pointed out.
Dila put her phone away. “Max says let them take some pictures and if they don’t go away, call the police.”
“They don’t know you’re here,” Newt said. “They didn’t mention you. Only River.” He should have said that to Max. Though that set off another ping in his brain.
Dila tucked her arm into River’s. “Doesn’t matter. We’ll go out together. Max said they can’t reveal this address or they’ll be in serious trouble. Oh and move that bag of leaves, Newt.”
She didn’t look as if she’d just got out of bed. Her makeup was in place along with huge fake eyelashes. She was wearing tight black leather jeans, a fluffy yellow sweater and enormous hoop earrings. Newt was suspicious. Maybe she’d told the press. Or Jesse had.
Newt went out through the back door. He ignored the calls of the photographers and dragged the rubble bag around the corner.
By the time he was back at the front of the house, he could hear the tone of the voices had changed.
They were calling out questions, telling Dila and River to change position, look this way, look that way, look at each other.
Newt went the long way round to get back inside.
He was drinking coffee in the kitchen when River and Dila came in. Dila was laughing.
“Breakfast?” Sai asked.
“River and I will have my usual,” Dila said.
Andy walked in. “They’re leaving.”
“Great!” Dila beamed.
She had known. This was a set up. Newt threw the remains of his coffee in the sink and put the mug in the dishwasher.
“Work,” River said to him.
“Not yet,” Dila said. “We’re leaving today. You can work when we’ve gone.”
Another ping in his head. All that luggage for one night? Though if she was travelling around the UK, she probably had to take everything with her. He was just glad she was going. He went back outside and finished collecting the leaves.
Newt stayed out of everyone’s way for the rest of the morning. There was plenty of tidying to do in the garden and if River needed him, he could text. When he went back inside at lunchtime, all the bags and cases were in the hall. Andy was about to pack the cars.
“Need a hand again?” Newt asked.
“Thanks.”
When they were outside, Newt said, “Did you only plan for one night?”
“I thought we were staying longer. Dila’s anxious to get back to London. We fly to Mexico next week. You’ll have River to yourself again.”
Do not react! No, do react but… “Oh joy.” Please be fooled.
Andy glanced at him. “Is he hard work? He seems pretty laid back.”
“Now I’ve whipped him into shape. I’m a speech therapist, cleaner, clothes washer, gardener, cook, driver, companion and prison guard. I struggle to find time to go for a pee.”
Andy nodded. “I know the feeling.”
Newt helped with the rest of the bags and when everyone was gathered in the hall, saying goodbye to River, he went to strip the beds. Andy had already taken the sheets off his, but no one else had. The rooms and bathrooms needed cleaning too.
River came up as Newt carried the large pile of washing downstairs. He lifted it from Newt’s hands and threw it the rest of the way.
“Thank you. That was helpful.”
River smirked. “Go out. Sea. Dym…Hmm…chu…church.”
“Let me just put a load in the machine.”
When Newt went to get the car keys, River stopped him picking up the one for the Mercedes and gave him the key for the Aston Martin.
“Are you sure? We’ll stand out more in that one.”
River took the mask out of his pocket and waved it.
Newt smiled. “The Aston then. Are you driving?”
“No. You. Auto…mat…ic.”
“Good.”
The car was a delight to drive. As much as Newt hadn’t been into cars when he’d been a youngster, his father had never got his hands on an Aston Martin. If he had, it would have been passed on quickly, probably shipped abroad the same night.
“What did you think about the press knowing where you live?”
“Shit.”
“Have you thought about how they might have found out?” He glanced at River.
“No. You know?”
“How many people know it’s your house? Max and a few of his team.
Dila and co. Anyone who’s been to work here and seen you, including Jorge who has a reason to be pissed off with both of us.
Max’s parents but they wouldn’t say anything.
The postman who saw those letters addressed to you.
I guess that’s quite a lot of people when it comes down to it. ”
“Yes.” River gave a heavy sigh.
“Living out in the middle of nowhere with another name on your official docs should have kept you safe…safer. I assume you opted to keep your name private on the electoral roll. But some people will know your name and address. But I don’t think you were discovered from any official documents.”
“How then?”
“I looked it up and it’s illegal to tell the press where someone lives.
Searching for and putting private information about someone on the internet, especially for malicious reasons, is called doxing.
I’d not heard that word before. Add in the hate mail and Max is right, we need to be careful.
If you found out who told the press, you could make a claim for damages. ”
“Right.”
“The thing is, I don’t think someone did it for money. It’s too risky. The press would be in trouble if they’d paid someone, but if they acted on a tip off? There were only two photographers and they could have been chosen specifically.”
“So…what does…that…? Hmm…means what?”
“I have a feeling Max told the press where you live. And I think Dila knew they were coming. Jesse too.”
A glance at River’s face showed Newt he was shocked.
“The photographers hadn’t asked about her, though if they had, I’d still have thought the same.
She was ready for a photoshoot. Makeup, hair, clothes and now she’s gone after a day here.
You told Max you’d had enough of the relationship.
For whatever reason, he wants it to go on longer.
Maybe… Maybe he thinks we’re getting too attached. ”
River slid his hand onto Newt’s knee. “Fuck Max.”
“Not my type.”
River chuckled.
“Do you still feel safe in the house?” Newt asked. “Because if you don’t, we shouldn’t stay here.”
“Safe. With you.”
But Newt wouldn’t be there forever.
“Why do you think Dila wants this fake relationship?”
“I’m not…a catch?” River pouted. “She had…not good reasons… Shit. Not reasons…re…revise…reviews for last album. I distract from that.”
“Is she gay?”
“Maybe. Don’t like her. Eyelashes! Spi…ders. Ugh.”
Newt smiled.
“I think… I’m…more use to her…than she is…to me.”
“That was a good sentence. Maybe you’re right, but because you’re not meeting friends or seeing anyone, she can say you’re doing fine. They’ll believe your girlfriend. She’s all over social media. She’s getting the message across that Max wants out there.”
“Glad…she’s gone.”
So was Newt.
“Want to go to Pa…Paris? Rome?”
Newt laughed. “Where did that come from?”
“A break. With you.”
It would be lovely but… “No passport.”
“Get one.”
Newt was almost positive he wouldn’t be allowed to go abroad while he was out on licence. Maybe he could make a case that it was his job. His heart beat faster. Was there any chance?
They left the Aston in a car park in Dymchurch and walked up over the elevated sea defences to the concrete promenade. The place was deserted. The wind whipped across the beach sending the sand running in lines of swirling ribbons. The kite was in the car but Newt thought it would be too windy.
“Down to the sea?” Newt asked.
“Yes.”
River put his gloved hand in Newt’s and squeezed his fingers. Newt knew River had only done it because there was no one around but it still made his heart sing.
They made flat stones skip on the water beyond the crashing waves, and counted the skips.
River won. They played who could wait the longest before jumping back from the incoming sea.
Newt won. River ran along the sand, letting the wind help him.
Newt had never seen him run before. He ran too but this time, he didn’t race.
It made Newt wish that this could be his life.
But it couldn’t. River would get better for this role in the autumn.
The film was being shot in the States. A country that Newt definitely couldn’t go to with his criminal record. But his job would be done.