Chapter Eighteen
Eighteen
River hadn’t seen the guy with the knife until he became aware of a kerfuffle behind him.
He’d turned to see Newt had pinned someone on the ground.
He’d tried to pull away from Dila so he could help Newt, but they’d been quickly surrounded by security and pushed into the building.
River was so shaken, he’d been unable to talk to anyone until Newt came inside and he’d seen for himself he was okay.
Now they were on their way back to the hotel to drop off Dila and Andy before the driver returned them to the house.
“I was so scared.” Dila snuggled against River. “Oh my God! It was terrifying.”
“Do you recognise him?” Andy asked and showed her his phone.
“No.”
“He had his gaze fixed on River,” Andy said. “Looked a bit manic.”
Dila didn’t know about the hate mail, as per Max’s instructions, though it felt wrong to keep her in the dark. She ought to know she was at risk with him. Maybe she’d like to dump him.
“I’ve been getting h…hate mail.”
Newt shot him a glance.
“What sort of hate mail?” Dila asked. “Is it about me?”
Fuck off, Dila. Not everything is about you. “No.”
That didn’t seem to pacify her.
“Oh God. That guy had a knife.” She wrung her hands. “He could have killed us both.”
“Maybe the guy in custody is the letter writer,” Andy said.
“Maybe.” River hoped he was. Hoped he was behind the incident in Croatia too, though that seemed a lot to ask.
He’d wondered if a time would come when sending letters no longer felt enough to whoever was doing it.
It had struck him that they’d either get fed up and stop or things would escalate.
Maybe there were three people out to get him.
The letter writer, the guy with the knife and the person who’d sabotaged the climb.
Did that sound paranoid? Common sense suggested it was all the same person.
With a bit of luck, that’s what the police would discover.
“It could have been someone who wanted to hurt River because he was with Dila,” Andy suggested. “Some rabid fan. She has a few.”
Whoever had been the target, they were all shaken.
Up until the knife incident, everything had been going well.
River had managed to get through the questions without hesitating for too long, or making a mistake.
He’d even coped with a couple of questions that he hadn’t prepared for and he’d talked briefly to Misha.
Luckily, Misha had been called away to speak to someone else. That was probably Max’s doing.
But his brain hurt now. He wanted to be at home with Newt, who’d been uncharacteristically quiet.
They’d not long dropped off Dila and Andy before Newt fell asleep. His head was resting against the window and River wished he was leaning against him. But he didn’t know how much the driver knew so he stayed where he was.
It was dark when they pulled up in front of the house. River had to wake Newt who opened his eyes and gasped. His look of alarm immediately faded when he saw River.
“Thank you,” River told the driver and handed him a tip.
Newt unlocked the door, turned off the alarm and pressed the button to close the gate after the car pulled out.
When Newt turned, River tugged him into his arms. They stood together for a long time, just holding each other.
Newt was clutching him tightly and River realised that Newt was more shaken than him.
“I can’t believe I fell asleep.”
“Ad…adren…aline slump. We’re fine.” River twined his fingers with Newt’s.
Newt sighed. “We might not have been.”
“But we are.” River pulled back to look directly at him. “We don’t know who he was going for. And the police arrested him so…”
“Apart from that little hiccup, are you happy with how it all went?”
“I did okay. Now I’m more con…cerned with how the film is received.”
“Nothing you can do about that.”
“Just worry.”
Newt brushed the hair out of River’s eyes. “You can’t please everyone. And some people you can’t please at all.”
“Thank you for saving me. Again. And Dila.”
“I’d sort of hoped you might recognise him. I hope it was him who fucked up that hold on the rockface and then we don’t have to worry anymore. I suppose the police will find out.” He sighed. “I want to go for a swim. I want to empty my head.”
“I’m too tired. Don’t drawn…drown.”
“I’ll try not to.”
River was getting dressed after a shower, when his phone rang. “Hi, Max.”
“My God, River. What can I say? I’m almost speechless.”
“Good speech…less? Bad?”
“Good!”
River could hear the sound of conversation in the background. “At the party?”
“Yes. Are you home?”
“Yes.”
“You were already going places, but this film… Oh my God, this film is going to rocket you to mega stardom. Everything about it was wonderful. The story, the setting, the characters, the cinematography, the acting… Oh God, the acting. You were fucking electric. And it’s not just me saying that.
The whole theatre was buzzing. Omid was great too, you made an excellent duo, but you brought everything to life. You dominated every scene you were in.”
River swallowed hard. But then Max was his agent, of course he was going to praise him. “Did you get…a…copy of the film?”
“Yes. I’ll send it. I didn’t hear any negative comments about your interviews. How do you think they went?”
“All good. Re…hearsing helped. Short answers worked. Have you heard from the police?”
“Not yet.”
“Will they want to speak to us?”
“Probably, but everything was caught on camera. And the police had already interviewed you. I made sure the officer in charge knew that.”
“Right.”
“I spoke to Misha a few moments ago. He said he’d talked to you briefly. I made sure it was brief. He thinks you’re fine. I know you have a little way to go but he’s expecting you on set in late September, early October.”
“Do I still need to be atta…attached to Dila? I told her about the letters. It didn’t…feel fair not to.”
Max tsked. “Right.”
“She should know. She was f…freaked out. This is right moment to stop.” He mentally crossed his fingers. “And to come out.”
“Because of Newt?”
River gulped. “No, because it’s time. I want to.”
“Let’s give it a little while.”
“Not months.”
“Okay. But…”
Of course there’s a fucking but.
“You have to realise you’ll open yourself up to scrutiny. Just because you don’t have the same name as you did when you were seventeen, doesn’t mean some enterprising hack won’t uncover it. All it takes is one school pal to recognise you.”
“Hasn’t happened so far. Maybe…” River hesitated. “Maybe time to come out about that too. Say who I am.”
“That would mean exposing Newt to the same scrutiny. Do you really think that’s a good idea?”
River almost dropped the phone. Fuck. He could tell from the tone of Max’s voice that he was aware of Newt’s background. Should he deny or admit that he knew about it too?
“You’ve gone very quiet, which makes me think he’s told you.
Admittedly, I had no idea of his background when I brought him to the house.
I only knew what he’d told me. He didn’t lie, he just didn’t tell me what he should have done.
Did you really think I wouldn’t check up on him?
He’d changed his surname while he was in prison but he was still traceable.
Not Newt Jones but Newt Walsh. Once I knew, I considered driving back and getting rid of him but… ” He gave a heavy sigh.
River clenched his teeth.
“Well, I didn’t drive back. There was something about him that made me want to give him a chance.
And once I saw that what he was doing with you was working, that you two were becoming friends, I left him in place.
He was a boy who’d made a mistake and paid dearly for it.
He deserved a break and I didn’t consider for a moment that you’d be at risk.
I was hoping he’d both help you and become your friend and—fine, I’ll admit it, maybe a little more than a friend.
But in all honesty, had I known at the beginning where he’s been for the last seven years, and what he did to get put there, I wouldn’t have made the job offer. ”
“I like him.”
“I know you do. I’m pleased that you do. I like him too.”
“Things…not what they…”
“Seem? Sometimes they’re exactly what they seem.
Newt’s been good for you. He might well have saved your life and Dila’s life today.
But… And there is a but whether you like it or not.
He has an unredeemable background. If it’s revealed, I’d have to sack him.
You need to treat him like a throwaway toy.
Have fun but grow out of playing with him.
I’ll make sure he’s paid well when you no longer need his services. ”
River was so furious, he couldn’t speak.
“I can hear you getting bent out of shape, River. Stop it. Maybe the toy reference was a little cruel of me, but how could it possibly work? He has a conviction for armed robbery and manslaughter. I know he didn’t shoot anyone but he discharged a gun and the guy he threatened ended up dead of a heart attack.
He can never go to the States with a record like that and your life will be split between America and the UK. There can be no Newt in your future.”
River wanted to tell him that Newt was completely innocent, that he’d been set up, except he’d promised not to. But he didn’t care what Max said. This was his life and who he had in it was up to him. He cut off the call while Max was still talking. Fuck him! Fuck him!!
River was on his way downstairs when he met Newt coming up.
“Feel better?” River made himself smile.
“Yes. I’ve put potatoes in to bake along with a mushroom tart thing out of the freezer. Looks tasty.”
“I do vege…tables…vegetables?”
“That would be great. Asparagus? Peas?”
River was relieved he hadn’t shown his distress on his face. There had to be a way to fix things. He was so…disappointed in Max. And he was wrong. Newt would be in his future.