Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
I nevitably, I lay awake most of the night wrestling with my thoughts, but when dawn came, I had made a decision.
I would continue working with Leo in a professional capacity only, until we exposed Scammer Brian.
As promised, I would then help him with his business plan and set him up with Doris’s mentorship.
Once all our obligations had been fulfilled, and if– when– I was still feeling like this, I would summon up my courage and ask him out on a proper date.
And if the voice at the back of my head, sounding suspiciously like my sister, told me that I was still taking the coward’s way out by putting it off, I could sensibly counter with the argument that I couldn’t afford to get distracted.
Not at such a crucial moment in the investigation, not when we were so close to bringing the fraudster to justice.
‘Oh, hey, Kat, didn’t realise you were visiting,’ said Una as I went into the kitchen to grab breakfast. ‘Good to see you again. Do you want toast? I was just putting some on.’
‘Thanks, Una. How are things? What’s the latest in theatreland?’
She pulled a face, while adding another two slices to the toaster. ‘I’m at the prep stage for my next directing gig, gathering the team together, casting the roles and so on. It’s basically the foundation work– somewhat faffy, but it has the capacity to make or break the show.’
‘Sounds like a busy time. Drink?’
‘Busy is one way of putting it, but that’s how I like it. And I’ll have a black coffee, if you’re offering.’
I filled the kettle and scooped coffee into the cafetière, wondering if Leo was carrying out a similar morning routine.
I hoped he wasn’t feeling too sore after his accident on the obstacle course.
Should I text and ask, or would that invite conversation of a more personal nature?
What if he brought up the kiss? I really couldn’t handle talking to him about it just yet.
In fact, what I needed to do was come up with a cast-iron conversation topic for our next meeting to distract us from any awkwardness.
And the only guaranteed way to do that was to decide upon the next step in our investigation.
An idea was starting to form in my head. ‘How do you find the people you want to work with in the theatre?’ I asked Una.
‘Job interviews, word-of-mouth recommendations, trawling the freelancer and acting databases, the usual stuff.’
‘So, if I was looking for someone who might be in the business, you could perhaps help me with my search?’
‘Is this something to do with your hunt for that scammer?’ asked Una, grabbing a jar of peanut butter from the cupboard. ‘Caro’s given me the lowdown.’
I quickly explained the latest developments.
‘I’ve had a brief look at the Oxford Grand’s website to try to identify the guy, but the only staff members listed on there are the theatre manager and the press officer, and they don’t have photos.
He could be working backstage, of course, or be in the cast of their latest show.
The cast list is up, but again, no photos.
I was planning to google all the names, but if you’ve got access to some industry databases, that might make my search more targeted. ’
‘A bit of light detective work on a Sunday morning: why not? You sort the toast; I’ll grab my laptop and we’ll get searching.’
Caro wandered in sleepily a quarter of an hour later and found Una and I hunched together over the computer, sipping our coffees.
‘Glad to see you’re in a better frame of mind this morning,’ she said with a yawn. ‘What are you two up to, cackling away like a pair of Macbeth’s witchy pals?’
‘We might have got briefly side-tracked into casting an imaginary film adaptation of my life,’ I said.
‘Hmm, well, until your personal drama comes to a satisfactory conclusion, don’t you think you’re better focusing on reality?’ said Caro, ever the practical one.
‘Fiction’s way better,’ I retorted. ‘And yes, I know you’re going to say that’s what got me into this situation. Okay, back to work, try this next name– Blake Jenkins.’
Una typed it into the actors’ database.
A picture appeared on the screen, and I froze. There he was, the man who’d been responsible for so much heartache and shame. Even though he’d been a whole lot muddier when I’d seen him in real life, I’d recognise those determined eyes anywhere.
‘Gotcha,’ I said, swallowing down the hard lump of rage and sadness, aiming for triumph.
‘He’s fit. I can see why you went for him,’ said Una.
I shook my head, some of my coursing anger beginning to clear as I realised how close we were to finally getting Scammer Brian.
‘He didn’t use actual pictures of himself.
He nicked some from a guy in the army. But this is definitely the bloke we spotted at the obstacle course and followed back to the theatre. ’
‘It’s a shame he felt he had to use someone else’s pictures.
He’d probably still have done well getting dates with his own snaps,’ said Caro, leaning over my shoulder and examining the screen.
‘I guess he was scared of getting caught. Or maybe he has an inferiority complex. Like someone else I know,’ she added pointedly, giving me a slight nudge.
‘I don’t know why you two are bending over backwards to feel sorry for him,’ I said, pushing back and standing up to pace.
‘Have you forgotten why we’ve been hunting him down?
He wasn’t actually looking for love at all, just an easy mark to make money from.
I reckon he used someone else’s pictures out of self-preservation, keeping his professional and personal life separate.
Or rather, his two different professions apart from each other. ’
‘I thought most jobbing actors got positions in coffee shops when they were between roles,’ said Caro. ‘Still, I suppose it shows initiative.’
‘Well, this Blake Jenkins guy obviously decided to go down a different route,’ I snapped at my sister, rising to her deliberate bait against my own better judgement. I should probably be feeling more victorious about the breakthrough, but suddenly I wished Leo were here instead of Caro.
‘It’s too easy to wind you up, little sis, too easy,’ said Caro.
‘Well, we’ve found out his real name at last. Blake Jenkins,’ I repeated. It certainly had a strong ring to it. Definitely more hero credentials than Brian James. But, I reminded myself, there was nothing heroic about the way he’d behaved.
‘That’s what he’s called on the actors’ database,’ corrected Una. ‘It could still be a pseudonym. The site insists that everyone has to have a unique name. It saves the embarrassment of the wrong John Smith being called for auditions or getting his credits muddled up.’
‘I have a feeling it is his real name. It has the same initials as Brian James, after all. I reckon he was sticking with what he knew.’
‘And you’re one hundred percent certain that this is the guy?’ asked Caro, scrolling through the rest of his résumé. ‘Look, he’s got some audio samples on his profile. Why don’t you listen to them? He left you lots of voice notes, didn’t he?’
‘He did,’ I said, humiliation sweeping over me once again. I couldn’t believe I used to listen to his messages on repeat.
I clicked on the play icon and immediately shuddered as the scammer’s rich tones rang out across the room.
What made it somehow much worse was that he was reciting Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116, arguably the most romantic poem in the English language.
At one time, I’d thought Brian and I might have had a ‘marriage of true minds’ in the future.
I gave myself a little shake. I needed to hurry up and confront Blake Jenkins, before he used this seductive poetry recital on some other unsuspecting target.
‘He’s got a good voice, I’ll give him that,’ said Una. ‘If he fancies some non-criminal work, perhaps you could send him my way.’
‘I’m not going to reward him for trying to defraud me.’
My phone rang before she could respond.
‘Come on, Una,’ said Caro, with a grin. ‘I think this is our cue to make ourselves scarce. Judging by the expression on Kat’s face, it’s lover boy calling again. Do say hi from us. I can’t wait to meet him in person.’
I could hear my heart beating in my ears as I answered my mobile. ‘Leo, hi,’ I said, worrying about the sudden breathiness in my voice, then hissed, ‘Go away’ at my sister.
‘Sorry, is now a bad time?’ he said.
‘That wasn’t aimed at you. It was intended for my big sister, who’s extremely annoying.’ This last bit was directed at Caro who, despite saying she would leave, was showing no sign of actually doing so.
She stuck her tongue out at me like we were children again, then reluctantly followed Una out of the room.
‘How—’
‘What—’
Leo and I both started speaking at the same time.
I laughed awkwardly.
‘Sorry, you go first,’ said Leo.
‘I was going to ask how you are,’ I said.
‘Oh. I’m fine. How about you?’
He wasn’t going to mention the kiss, then. That was good. A big relief, in fact. So why did I feel disappointed?
‘All the better for speaking to you,’ I said, trying to sound as normal as possible. ‘I’ve had a breakthrough,’ I quickly added, before I accidentally let slip something I might regret.
‘That’s good news,’ said Leo, although he didn’t sound as excited as I’d hoped he would. ‘But you can tell me later, if you prefer. I don’t want to keep you when you’ve got your sister round.’
‘I’m at hers in London, actually. Bit of an impulse trip, but it’s proved to be very productive because her housemate works in the theatre industry and she’s helped me track down Brian James’s real name. He’s called– drumroll please– Blake Jenkins. And he’s an actor.’
I even did a celebratory jazz hand. It was probably good Leo couldn’t see me striding up and down Caro’s kitchen as I attempted to work off my nervous energy.
‘Not a very imaginative one sticking to his real initials,’ said Leo. He sounded strangely subdued.
‘Exactly. So, do you reckon we could go to the app, or even the police, with this new evidence?’ I pushed, still trying to drum up some enthusiasm from him. ‘Surely, they’d have to take me seriously now we can show that he’s been using a false identity?’
Leo sighed. ‘I wish it was that simple, but we don’t have any proof of wrongdoing.
It’s not a criminal offence to use another name and someone else’s pictures on a dating app, and although he was clearly out for money, he’s still not made another outright demand in black and white.
And there’s no evidence that he’s been targeting other people. ’
I thought rapidly. ‘Fair points. But how about this for an idea? We know Bri— Blake’s job, so we know exactly where to find him and at what times he’ll be there.
What if I go and wait for him near the stage door after a show, and pretend I want to pick up where we left off in our last online conversation? ’
I pictured Leo frowning at the other end of the line as he prepared to pick my improvised plan apart.
‘Putting myself in Brian slash Blake’s shoes, wouldn’t I be highly suspicious if you suddenly came up to me, not even questioning why I look nothing like my profile pictures or why I was at a theatre in Oxford when I’d told you I was being debriefed at an army camp? ’
I was grasping at straws here, but I couldn’t seem to stop.
‘I could give him an abbreviated version of the truth, that I recognised his voice at the obstacle course and managed to find him in Oxford when I couldn’t keep up with him at the event.
I’ll ask him if he’s dyed his hair, and pretend I’ve not noticed he’s half a foot shorter in real life than he appears in his profile pictures.
He’ll probably be flattered that someone has gone to such an effort to meet him. ’
I sank back onto a chair, exhausted by my mental gymnastics.
‘Or he’ll start worrying that he’s got a stalker. I’m not telling you what to do but, as your friend, I’d advise you to reconsider.’
‘I have to do something,’ I said, a little more brusquely than I’d intended as I tried not to get caught up in overanalysing his use of the word ‘friend’. ‘We can’t carry on forever like a budget Holmes and Watson, never achieving anything.’
‘Morse and Lewis would be more accurate, given our usual surroundings,’ said Leo, a genuine warmth in his voice for the first time in this strange conversation.
‘And I’m offended that you’d describe us as “budget” anything.
Haven’t you just tracked down your man? I would say that makes you quite the crimefighter. ’
‘Yes, but it’s seemingly not going to make a scrap of difference unless we can bring him to justice. I need to move on with my life. We can’t keep going like this.’
‘Sure, I understand,’ said Leo, suddenly all business again. ‘You’re right. We sort out the Scammer Brian situation and then we can both move on.’
I wished he hadn’t agreed so readily.