Chapter Seventeen
Seventeen
The police arrived just after ten and showed their ID on the camera. Newt pressed the button to open the gate as River fidgeted at his side. They showed their ID again at the door and Newt moved aside to let them in.
“Mr Lawson, I’m DI Sutcliffe and this is DS Pierce.”
River shook their hands. “This is Newt. He’s helping me. Sometimes I find it… difficult…to get the right words.”
River led the way to the more formal sitting room.
“Can I get you a drink? Coffee or tea?” Newt asked.
“Coffee would be great. Black for me,” Sutcliffe said. “Milk for my colleague. No sugar for either of us. Thanks.”
When Newt returned, they were chatting about River’s films. Newt handed out the drinks and sat next to River.
“Tell us what you remember about the days before you fell,” Sutcliffe said. “Your usual routine. Then run through the day of the fall.”
River did his best, with Newt stepping in to help with some of the words.
He was used to knowing what River meant, or guessing the word he was looking for, though he usually tried to make River be clearer.
River managed to describe what it was like to hang around and wait for your part to be filmed.
It didn’t sound as exciting as Newt thought it might be.
River told the police the names of everyone he knew involved with the film.
The police went through each name and a few more that River hadn’t remembered and asked how he got on with them, whether he liked them, if he thought they liked him.
Had there been any altercation, anything that might hint at some grievance.
It didn’t sound to Newt as if there was anyone River hadn’t got along with.
“What about Malik?” Pierce asked.
“Liked him. Helped me. Sat with him to eat lunch some days.”
“Barney?” asked Sutcliffe.
“Liked him too. Not sure he liked me. He was…a little cool. But…some of stunts difficult. He gets none of the g…g…”
“Glory?” Newt suggested.
“Yes. But that’s life as stuntman.”
“He should have been climbing, not you,” Pierce said.
“Yes. I… Oh, Justin sent Malik to see B…Barney. Be certain he couldn’t climb.” He gave a short laugh. “Max told me but I just remembered that on my own. Wow. Malik said Barney was throwing up while he sat on the toilet. Lovely. That day is still…unclear…in my mind. It’s hard to…hmm…diff…differ…”
“Differentiate,” Newt said.
River nodded. “Yes. Differ…en…tiate between what I might be…remembering and what I’ve been told. Sorry.”
“Malik might not have actually seen Barney,” Newt said. “He could simply have hidden in the bathroom pretending to be ill.”
“Can you think of anyone who would have wanted to hurt you, possibly kill you?” Sutcliffe asked.
Newt swallowed hard. It was a horrible thing to have to consider.
“No. Thought it was accident until my agent…said about…chu…chalk.”
“We’ve examined all the footage we’ve been able to access,” Sutcliffe said.
“We’ve also spoken to some of those who were on set when you fell.
Not all of them. Yet. There’s no value in us visiting the actual location because too much time has passed but it seems possible you were tricked into using an unsafe hold. ”
River exhaled shakily.
“Max Turner, your agent, also gave us the anonymous letters you’ve been sent,” said Pierce. “Have you had any more?”
River looked at Newt.
“No, but I could look now.”
“I’ll come with you,” Pierce said.
There was an envelope, a couple of fliers and an delivery in the box.
“Don’t touch.” Pierce put on a glove to lift it out the envelope, then slid it into a plastic bag.
“It has the same handwriting as the others,” Newt told him.
Newt carried the box inside and left it in the hall.
Pierce handed the plastic bag to Sutcliffe.
“If it’s all right with you, I’ll open it.
” Sutcliffe put on gloves, used a penknife to slit the envelope open from the bottom, then out took the note.
“It says—You’re a terrible actor. You always have been.
You break promises and don’t care who you hurt.
You rely on your looks to get parts, but looks don’t last. Everything bad that’s happened to you, you deserve.
Give us all a break and next time you fall, die. ”
River’s shoulders dropped. Newt wanted to hug him but knew he shouldn’t.
“Same tone as the others,” Pierce said. “Menacing but not directly threatening.”
Sutcliffe carefully put the letter back in the envelope inside the bag. “Your agent doesn’t seem to think that the fall and the letters are connected.”
“Do you think they are?” Newt asked.
“It’s possible. If it is the same person who changed that hold on the rock, they’ll be frustrated you survived and showing that frustration in the letters.
But my colleague is right. The letters are unpleasant but not threatening.
Of course, that could be because whoever is sending them wants to unsettle you and not risk tying themselves to the attempted murder, if that’s what it was.
Your agent gave us a list of people who know you live here.
I’ll read it out. Tell me a little about them and if anyone is missing from the list.” Sutcliffe read it out.
Newt wondered if River would give them Sean’s name, but he didn’t. Only a few names were added to the list the police had. The window cleaner, a windscreen repair company, Dila’s crew…
River shook his head. “More than I thought.”
“Can you get the letter checked for prints?” Newt asked. “DNA from saliva?”
“The envelope looks like a peel and press,” Pierce said.
“What next?” River asked Sutcliffe.
“We’ll hopefully interview the film crew we’ve not yet been able to speak to.
Get samples of their handwriting. For the time being, be cautious.
If the letters become more directly threatening, we can escalate the investigation.
If you think of anything else that might be useful, contact us. ” Sutcliffe offered his card.
Newt came back after he’d let them out of the gate. “Well, that was a waste of time. Be cautious? I mean, what the fuck? Someone tried to kill you. And that was a vile letter.”
River shrugged. “Just words.”
As long as they stayed just words.
“We’re being careful. But don’t want to start…stay in house all the time.”
Newt looked at the window. “It’s a filthy day. Grey and rainy. Depressing.”
“Stay home today then.”
“Max has sent the questions he’s going to plant with the press. We need to work out what you want to say and you can practise.”
“Then we have fun?”
Newt laughed. “I’ll think of something to do tomorrow.”
“I’ve thought of something to do today.” River grinned.
Inevitably, they started with River’s fun and after they’d showered, Newt persuaded him to work on a few of the answers.
“First question is the most obvious. How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling great, thank you.”
“That was quite a fall.”
“Luckily, I have a hard head.”
Newt smiled. “That sounded perfect. Here’s another. Any wedding bells for you and Dila?”
“She won’t let me have the TV remote, so no. Big…biggest issue is she doesn’t have a cock.”
Newt put his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he laughed.
While River was making lunch, Newt completed the application for a passport even though he suspected he’d never get the chance to use it. But if River asked, he wanted to say he’d done it.
Then he called Phelan.
“Newt!”
“How are you? Tired from yesterday?”
“A little. But it was so good. Thank you for coming.”
“I meant to ask you, is there anything you need? Anything I can get for you?”
Phelan’s shaky cry made Newt gulp.
“Nothing, thank you. Speaking to you…was all…I wanted. At least Sean …managed to find you and talk to you. Did he…threaten you?”
“I came because I wanted to see you, not because of Sean.”
“Will you come to my funeral?”
Newt’s heart lurched. “If you want me to.”
“They won’t do what I want.”
“What do you want?”
“No fuss. No flowers. But what I want doesn’t matter. Except you there.”
“I’ll come.”
“Bye, Newt. Be happy.” Phelan ended the call.
His brother wouldn’t know if he went or not. But Newt would honour his wishes, even though he had no desire to see his family.
After lunch they worked on the new Lego kit. River had chosen the Avengers tower. It was huge, over five thousand pieces, and expensive. While they put the bricks together, Newt had River talk to him about the Marvel films, then about Kaden’s Monster.
“We said we’d read the script. We ought to start that.”
“How will we find time for fun?”
“I’ll reward you for excellent reading.”
“I will be per…perfect.”
He wasn’t, but he was getting there.
“What’s Medway Boys about?” Newt asked.
“Two boys. One from rich UK family. That’s me.
One from…Middle-East. I’m a r…rebel and…
rice…hmm…risk-taker. Other is a good boy who’s never good enough for father.
They’re in love, p…planning their future when…
an act of b…betrayal tears them apart. Lots of bad stuff happens but it has a… happy ending.”
“You’re playing a gay guy?” Newt whispered.
River shrugged. “It will piss off a few people who think…only gay guys should play gay roles.”
“But gay guys also play straight guys so… It sounds like the perfect time to come out.”
River gave a heavy sigh. “I know but Max says I have to wait…until I get Kaden’s Monster.”
Newt couldn’t help wondering if another reason to stay in the closet would arise then.
Newt’s suit arrived two days before the premiere. He’d barely closed the gate on the delivery guy’s van before River was pressing him to try it on.
“Now!” River started to unzip the suit carrier. “Try it!”
Newt opened the box that had come with it. “Wow! Max has sent everything. Shoes, shirt, bow tie… What are these? Oh, cufflinks. Black socks, an ear piece and… Oh God.”
“What?” River looked over Newt’s shoulder and smirked.
“What is this? How do you even put it on?” Newt held up a handful of leather straps.
“Max having fun.” River picked a slinky black jockstrap out of the box.