Cherringham--Final Cut (12 page)

“Nope,” said Jack. “All right — so they decide to move the main camera. But just in case they need him again — you see — he goes and sits down against the wall.”

“Oh yes,” said Wally. “Right by that flask.”

“Right by that flask,” repeated Jack. “And if we freeze it … Now …”

Jack stopped the shot with Gary on the very edge of frame.

And before the camera moved off him, Jack could see his hand slowly moving to the flask on the ground next to him — and sliding it closer to his side.

And suddenly it was clear who had taken the flask …

…who had poisoned Zoë.

When Jack had met Gary in the back of the prop truck, the prop man had said he’d not been needed on set the whole morning.

He’d lied.

And there was only one reason he’d lie.

If he had something to hide.

Jack took out his phone to ring Sarah. It was eight o’clock. There wasn’t much time.

Sarah could alert Fraser. Stop Zoë going in the boat.

But her phone rang through to answer.

Jack didn’t stop to think — or even to thank Wally.

He leaped from the chair, grabbed his coat and car keys — and raced for the door.

Sarah put her hands over her ears.

The explosions were so loud — it was like being at the very centre of a fireworks display. She looked at Chloe and Daniel: they were loving every minute.

“Awesome!” said Daniel, giving her a big grin.

Both kids knew they didn’t need to worry about talking during the shot — the sound for this scene would all be laid on afterwards.

And what an amazing scene it was.

As Sarah took in the view across the river — it was like looking back in time to the English Civil War. Scores of cannons kept firing at the castle; hundreds of soldiers were firing muskets; plumes of water rose in the air from cannon balls landing in the river; and from the battlements of the castle, where Royalist flags flew bravely, answering musket and cannon fire roared.

Sarah could see cameras everywhere, all grabbing the action. And at the heart of the crew, Alphonso and Fraser strode, constantly talking into the radios and gesticulating, like conductors leading an unruly orchestra.

“Hey Mum!” shouted Chloe, her words barely reaching Sarah amid the tumultuous explosions. “Is that Zoë?”

Sarah looked across the river.

Through the billowing smoke, she could just see a lone white horse and rider in the far meadows, galloping fast through the massed ranks of the Puritan army, hurdling bales of straw, campfires, boxes of ammunition.

Heading for the river.

And in the saddle Sarah saw Zoë, pressing herself flat, her head buried in the mane, her hands on the reins urging the horse on, faster, faster …

In just a few minutes she’d be at the riverside, ready to leap in the boat and row to the castle.

What had happened to Jack?

She reached in her pocket and pulled out her phone.

Oh no! Missed call!

In the crashing noise of the battle, she hadn’t heard it ring.

She turned and ran towards the car park and crouched down behind one of the trucks so she could hear.

Then dialled Jack’s number. It answered immediately.

“Sarah!”

“Jack — I’m so sorry, the noise—”

“Listen — can you hear me? It’s Gary! He’s behind it!”

“Gary?”

“The prop man — you have to stop him — stop Zoë. I’m just minutes away—”

“The prop man …”

Then Sarah remembered the man by the rowing boat.

“Jack — God, he was working on the boat — Zoë’s boat—”

“Stop him — Sarah — you have to stop the scene!”

Then the line cut out — the signal gone.

Sarah put her phone away and stood up, her heart racing.

She looked down at the river. From here she couldn’t see how close Zoë was to the riverbank and the boat. But she could see Fraser.

And she knew the First Assistant was her only hope.

She ran towards him …

*

Jack hurled the Mercedes through the gates of Combe Castle, steering into the skid as the tyres hit the gravel drive, then flooring the throttle as the car straightened.

Ahead of him, down in the valley, he could see the whole scene lit up in the dusk by explosions and fires.

He had to get to the riverbank — fast.

But he mustn’t get caught up in that chaos.

Then he saw two figures on the side of the river — running away from the crowds and the castle towards one of the RIBs moored on the riverbank.

He recognised Sarah — and Fraser Haines.

The Mercedes was a rental. Had to have plenty of insurance.

The field was pretty flat. And it was downhill all the way.

It was a no-brainer.

Jack flicked the wheel and the car leaped from the drive onto the grassy slope like it was a thoroughbred born to race on the flat …

A long, long time ago he’d been busted a rank for chasing a perp across the grass of Central Park in a squad car.

But here? Hell — what did he have to lose?

And after all — this was the movies, wasn’t it?

*

Sarah jumped into the front of the RIB while Fraser released the catches on the outboard.

He might be an arrogant bastard,
she thought.
But he’s a brave one.

When she’d grabbed him and told him what Jack said on the phone, he’d taken only a few seconds to make his mind up — and then to act.

It was too late to stop Zoë getting into the boat.

The only solution was to get to her on one of the RIBs — fast. Even if it meant ruining the whole shoot …

Sarah heard the sound of a car and watched as Jack’s Mercedes flew into view over a small rise in the field and slid to a halt on the grass just yards from the river.

Jack flung open the door, climbed out, and ran towards the RIB.

“Room for one more?” he said, untying the rope from the bow and flinging it to Sarah to catch.

“Jump in — Detective,” said Fraser as the outboard kicked into life.

Sarah made space for Jack who clambered in like he was twenty years younger, and almost fell into the seat next to her.

“We gotta hurry,” he said.

“Hang on,” shouted Fraser.

Sarah watched the AD pull the throttle levers back hard and then turned to look over the prow of the boat up river as the RIB picked up speed fast, its bow wave massive as it raced into the very heart of the Battle of Combe Castle …

*

The RIB hurtled up river, past the car park and main camera crew. Sarah heard people — confused, angry — shouting and waving at them on the bank.

But now she was concentrating on the river ahead which was thick with smoke as if covered in a blanket of fog.

Fraser had managed to call off the cannon and musket fire. But the charges in the river were still going off. Great plumes of water were exploding all around the boat, the noise incredible.

“There she is!” shouted Fraser.

Sarah peered through the smoke — and at last saw the little boat half way across the river.

Zoë was rowing hard, but it was clearly slow going against the powerful river current.

“She looks okay,” said Sarah. “If we pull alongside, we can—”

But then — just as they got close enough to shout — she saw one of Zoë’s oars burst from the side of the boat, and catch the water. It flipped hard — and toppled the young actress straight into the dark water.

Fraser hit the throttle and powered the RIB in a fast curve towards the now-upturned boat, and then stopped.

Zoë was nowhere to be seen.

Sarah pulled her boots off and without thinking unzipped her coat.

“No, Sarah—” said Jack, reaching to her. The water, this time of year, still icy …

But she wasn’t going to stop and argue.

She took a step to the side of the RIB — and dived into the black rushing river.

The shock of the freezing water was agony.

And she couldn’t see a thing.

Years ago she’d done some night diving — but that had been in the blue waters of the Maldives.

And once on a case, she’d dived a local lake.

But the Thames in full flood — in April — in the twilight — was a completely different thing.

I’m mad. This is crazy. I have to get out,
she thought and she battled to the surface, her lungs bursting.

Her head above water, she looked around.

She’d drifted downstream with the upturned rowing boat — and she could see Jack and Fraser at the side of the RIB, which floated alongside it. Both were peering down into the deep.

“Anything?” she called.

“Sarah — it’s too dangerous — leave it for—” said Jack.

Sarah took another deep breath and dived again, kicking hard with her legs to get deeper, pushing her hands ahead, down into the depths, hoping to touch something, anything, knowing this was the only chance Zoë had, and then …

She touched — leather — an arm — she grabbed — and pulled it to her.

Zoë.

Feeling like a dead weight. Sinking …

But Sarah had the strength. With one arm wrapped around the actress, she drove her legs against the current and pulled at the water with all her strength, driving upwards towards the half blackness of the night above, until at last … her lungs burning, her head was free …

…and she felt Jack’s arms around her and Fraser taking Zoë’s weight and pulling her up into the RIB.

And she was safe.

Jack tapped his wine glass with his knife and as he waited for silence, he looked around the table.

This was — without a doubt — the most glamorous dinner party he had ever held on the deck of the Grey Goose.

A warm night in late spring — the big table from the saloon brought up on top and laid with a pure white tablecloth. His best glasses and cutlery — and a perfect meal cooked in the galley below by the chef from The Spotted Pig.

The very best reds he could buy — and two bottles of champagne already emptied.

And the guests: Sarah, Daniel and Chloe. Fraser, Michael and Helen.

And — not one — but two movie stars: Zac and Zoë who were now — secretly — an
item
…

It was nearly a month since the movie had wrapped. Zoë had recovered within a couple of days and the reshoot of the battle scene had gone without a hitch. Gary had owned up immediately to his role in the sword swap and the poisoning — and sabotaging the boat by sawing through the rowlocks.

He’d also been quick to take Ludo down with him …

Because it was Ludo who’d promised the syndicate that the movie would make a loss — and he’d gone out of his way to sabotage it with script changes and risky casting. As exec producer he also had access to the cast and crew database — it was Ludo who’d altered phone numbers and emails so Zoë missed her calls. And Ludo who’d concealed reports that Zoë’s horse had an infection that was causing it to shy.

When that had clearly failed, he’d bribed Gary — who had gambling debts — to cause trouble on set.

Both were in prison awaiting trial.

This time, with a new producer and a star who was now loved and admired by the whole crew, the movie had gone from strength to strength — and there were even rumours that a new edit had put
The Rose of Cherringham
in line for awards next year.

“I know we said no more speeches — but I did want to thank one last person,” said Jack.

He could see the smiling faces looking at him expectantly.

“My new friend Fraser Haines,” said Jack, raising his glass. “Who never complained when the rental company put in for the damage to their brand new Mercedes. To Fraser!”

He saw the others laugh, and raise their glasses. “To Fraser!” they echoed.

“I’m still convinced you’d make a great mini-cab driver,” said Fraser with a smile. “That handbrake turn at the end — you’re a natural, Jack.”

“No, you should be a stuntman!” said Daniel.

“
Mum
should be the stuntman,” said Chloe.

“She should be in front of the camera,” said Fraser.

Jack watched Sarah blush — a rare sight.

But she was a real hero,
he thought.
Took guts, what she did.

“In fact,” said Fraser, looking at Jack and Sarah, “the movie writer said to me last week we should pitch a TV show about you two guys.”

“No way,” said Jack.

“American cop — single mum — solving crimes. It’s a shoo-in,” said Fraser.

“Hey,” said Chloe, “I could get to play me!”

“Who would play Mum?” said Daniel.

“I could,” said Zoë.

“You’re way too young,” said Daniel.

“Oh, thanks Daniel,” said Sarah, laughing. “Don’t forget it’s way past your bedtime …”

“She could play you in the prequel —
Sarah Edwards, The Early Years
,” said Fraser.

“So who plays Jack?” asked Sarah.

“Hmm,” said Jack. “I’ve always thought Tom Selleck might be able to make a decent stab at the role …”

“Oh, Jack, don’t be silly,” said Chloe. “He’s way too old. Robert Downey Jr. maybe? Or — who’s that guy in
House of Cards
?”

“No, no,” said Sarah. “You’ll always be my George Clooney, Jack—”

“Oh, Mum!” said Chloe. “You’re so embarrassing!”

“Hey,” said Fraser. “Gotta have some romance between them!”

“No way,” said Jack, not quite knowing where to look for the first time in a very long time. He looked across at Sarah and saw that she was blushing too — again.

We’re like two kids,
he thought.

“Ooohhhh …” said various voices around the table — and in among all the laughter, Riley leaped up from his basket under the table and excitedly put his paws on Jack’s lap.

“Well, one thing’s for sure, Riley,” said Jack, patting him. “We’re not in Kansas anymore …”

END