Wicked Beauty

by Susan Lewis

  Smiling politely, as a petite, blonde woman with an attractive retroussé nose and large brown eyes pulled a chair up next to her, she turned her gaze back to the set where they were still blocking the same shot. She had to confess that she hadn’t paid much attention for a while, for the haunting dialogue and creepy feel of the atmosphere had reminded her of the Cornish ghost stories she’d heard at the weekend, which in turn had made her think about Rachel, whom she’d spoken to just before coming here.

  ‘First things first,’ Rachel had declared, even before Laurie could ask how she was, ‘the baby’s OK. I saw the doctor yesterday and he’s satisfied that everything’s as it should be. So it was just a show. Now you want to know about the transfer. Did you mention it to Elliot, by the way?’

  ‘Of course,’ Laurie answered, and repeated what Elliot had said about holding out, but at the first sign of anything unpleasant, to give it straight back.

  ‘I agree,’ Rachel said. ‘Under any other circumstances I’d probably hold out even longer, but I’m afraid the baby has to come first, and life is already stressful enough.’

  It had been Laurie’s intention, at that point, to bring up the possibility of confiding in Chris Gallagher, or at least someone other than Beanie – if nothing else it would be interesting to find out whether or not Rachel had any concerns about her new friend – but her second line had rung then, and since it was William Haynes from Special Ops, she’d cut Rachel short and taken the call.

  ‘She’s amazing, isn’t she?’

  Regaining a sense of where she was, Laurie focused on the set again, and since the young woman next to her could only be talking about Stacey Greene, she had no problem agreeing.

  ‘She absolutely makes this movie,’ the woman declared. ‘And the play. Did you see the play?’

  ‘I have to confess, I didn’t,’ Laurie answered.

  ‘She was amazing in that too.’ The woman was shaking her head in awe. Then suddenly she smiled, and turning to Laurie, stuck out her hand. ‘Gloria Sullivan,’ she said. ‘I’m playing Alma, the wife, which probably doesn’t mean anything if you don’t know the story.’

  ‘Laurie Forbes,’ Laurie said, shaking hands.

  Gloria’s smile widened, then turning back to the set she continued to watch the blocking, until, apparently sunk again in admiration, she said, ‘I wasn’t in the play, so I had a lot of catching up to do when I joined. But Stacey’s been so good to me, even to the point of giving up her own time to rehearse privately with me.’

  Not sure what to say to that, Laurie merely smiled, and continued to watch what was happening on the set.

  ‘Do you know her?’ Gloria said. ‘Have you met her before?’

  ‘No.’ Laurie wasn’t about to confess that she’d barely even heard of her until today, because she knew that actors got touchy about such things.

  ‘Well, I’m sure Robert will introduce you,’ Gloria said. ‘It is him you’re here to see, isn’t it?’

  Laurie nodded.

  ‘About all that terrible business with his brother-in-law, I suppose.’ Gloria was still staring at the set, her expression set in tragedy.

  Laurie was tensing slightly, for she was beginning to wonder if this woman had singled her out in the hope of getting some gossip. If so, then Ms Sullivan was going to be disappointed, for Laurie had no intention of discussing the Hendon case with anyone, least of all someone she didn’t know.

  Another minute or two passed, then Gloria said, ‘I’ve been to the country house, actually.’

  Not having the faintest idea what she was talking about now, nor really caring, Laurie said, ‘How nice.’

  Gloria sighed. ‘It’s to die for,’ she said. ‘You’ve never seen anything like it. And the lengths she goes to, just to keep everyone happy, including her husband, well …’ Gloria was shaking her head, apparently too overwhelmed for words.

  Realizing she must still be talking about Stacey Greene, Laurie made no response.

  After a while, Gloria said, ‘You know, I probably shouldn’t say this, I mean, they keep it all very hush-hush … Well, they have to, but it came out while I was down there, well it couldn’t not come out, because there’s just no way she’s earning enough to support all that. If she was in Hollywood, maybe, but she’s not, so it has to be her husband who’s got all the money, which means that there’s a good chance he really is who they say he is.’

  Laurie was happy to go for it. ‘And who do they say he is?’ she asked.

  ‘Well, let’s put it this way,’ Gloria replied, ‘her assistant, Petey … Yeah, that’s right, she’s got her own assistant! Can you believe that? No one else has, but he’s not on the budget. Anna would never allow that. No, he’s one of the expenses her husband covers. Anyway, Petey was the one who told me that her husband’s as big as that Colombian chap, what’s-his-name? He’s dead now, but apparently he was one of the world’s biggest, you know, in his time.’

  ‘Pablo Escobar?’ Laurie suggested, citing the only ‘biggest’ she’d heard of from that part of the world.

  ‘That’s him. Not that I think Stacey’s husband’s that big, but honestly, if you saw the way they live …’

  Laurie slanted her a look. She surely wasn’t serious, for Escobar was a notorious drug lord and murderer, and though Laurie knew nothing at all about either Stacey Greene or her husband, she was having a hard time seeing them as a couple of Escobar wannabes. Much more likely that Ms Sullivan was the victim of an elaborate wind-up, or she was attempting to use Laurie to settle some kind of grudge. Whichever, Laurie was no longer particularly interested, for she had too much else on her mind to concern herself with a stranger’s petty peeves.

  Several minutes ticked by as Gloria slouched more comfortably in her chair and made appreciative noises at what was happening on the set. Then finally she said, ‘You know what’s so wonderful about this shoot is the way everyone on it has turned into a kind of family. We all really support each other, and Robert, well, he’s just the best director in the world. I’ve never worked with anyone who cares so much about the cast.’ She leaned in closer and kept her voice low as she said, ‘Of course, he cares a lot more about Stacey than the rest of us, but who can blame him for that? Apparently he’s been writing her poems in private, which Petey, her assistant, says are absolutely pornographic. Personally, if it were me, I’d be offended, but Stacey’s so tolerant, and kind …’

  ‘OK, everyone, that’s lunch,’ someone suddenly shouted. ‘Back at two-fifteen.’

  Laurie got to her feet and smiled down at Gloria. ‘It was very nice meeting you,’ she said. ‘Good luck with the film.’

  As she walked away she could feel Gloria’s eyes on her back like two hot rods, and wouldn’t have minded knowing what was going through her malicious little mind now, or indeed what she was expecting to come of the information she’d just deliberately fed to a journalist. She’d probably be quite put out to discover that she’d talked to entirely the wrong person, for Laurie simply wasn’t in the business of celebrity scandal, or of settling other people’s scores.

  ‘I’m sorry to have kept you waiting so long,’ Robert said, coming to meet her and reaching for her hands. ‘We’re having a bit of a problem with this particular scene. But we’re getting there. Are you hungry? We can go to the dining room, or maybe we should be more private. Of course, what am I thinking? Private. My office. I’ll get someone to bring us a couple of sandwiches.’

  ‘Actually, I’m fine, thanks,’ Laurie responded, going on ahead as he indicated the way. ‘But please, don’t let me stop you.’

  ‘I’ll get something later,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry Anna’s not here, she has a big meeting with the distributors today. But I think you’re seeing her tomorrow, aren’t you?’

  Laurie was about to reply when someone came up behind them and began talking to Robert, keeping close behind as they wound their way through a labyrinth of corridors and stairwells. Finally Robert stopped at a plain white door with his name on,
thanked the person who still didn’t look as though he’d finished his diatribe, then winked at Laurie as though to say, ‘time to make a getaway.’

  A few minutes later they were sitting either side of his desk, in an office that was small and functional, though not particularly impressive for a man of his standing. ‘So how was Rachel when you left?’ he asked, reaching behind him to adjust the blinds so that the sun would no longer dazzle her. ‘I don’t mind telling you, Anna’s quite worried. Well, we both are. This is a terrible time she’s going through.’

  Laurie nodded a sober agreement. ‘She didn’t sound too bad when I spoke to her earlier,’ she said. ‘Apparently everything’s OK with the baby.’

  ‘Yes, she called Anna before we left this morning. What a relief it was to hear that, but we’re still going to try and get down there this weekend. Oh, excuse me,’ he said as the phone on his desk started to ring.

  As he answered, Laurie’s eyes dropped to the wooden box he’d begun toying with, flicking the ornately carved lid up and down with his thumb. For some reason it looked familiar, though she couldn’t think why. Then it came back to her: she’d spotted one like it in Killian, and almost had it snatched from her hand. Obviously, if that was where he’d got it, he hadn’t been considered such an undesirable customer.

  She forgot about it then as he laughed and her eyes rose to his face. Not for the first time since meeting him she found herself thinking how much more appealing, and somehow substantial, he seemed in person than he did in pictures, or on TV, where he looked rather bland and slight. Nor did he give the impression of someone who experienced the insecurity that Rachel had mentioned, for he looked perfectly relaxed now, and had seemed in total control of the shoot while she was watching. However, she knew very well how deceptive appearances could be. After all, who would know that she was experiencing her own personal dilemmas right now?

  ‘Sorry,’ he said, putting the phone down. ‘Maybe we should have met at the end of the day, because it’s probably going to be a bit like this. But you’re here now – and by the way, thank you for taking this on, because the last thing Anna or I wanted was to see Rachel trying to do it herself.’

  Laurie smiled. Her notebook was open, her pencil poised.

  Robert was still talking. ‘It would have probably come close to destroying her if she had,’ he was saying, ‘as if it’s not that close already.’ He gave a despairing shake of his head while gazing absently at the small wooden box. ‘What the hell happened that morning, eh?’ he said. ‘What was the man doing in another woman’s flat at such an ungodly hour?’

  ‘So you don’t believe they were having an affair?’ Laurie said.

  His eyes came up, showing surprise and a little offence. ‘I know it looks that way,’ he answered, ‘but frankly I’d have staked my life on Tim’s fidelity. They were very close. There was no pretence put on for the media. The man loved his wife.’

  ‘But you hadn’t seen much of them for a while,’ Laurie reminded him.

  ‘Actually, I saw more of them than Anna knew,’ he confided. ‘But even if I hadn’t, if anything changed between them during the year she and Anna didn’t speak, then it was simply that they got closer. Anna herself remarked on it, not long after she and Rachel made up their differences.’

  ‘Did he ever talk to you about Katherine Sumner?’ Laurie asked. ‘In any context.’

  His eyes narrowed as he thought. ‘Not really,’ he said finally. ‘In fact, the only time I remember him mentioning her is when he called to ask if she could come to my fortieth birthday party. As it turned out, she was there longer than Tim and Rachel, because she got an earlier plane back from Scotland. That was only the second or third time I’d met her. The first time was at their house, the second was … Well, I think it was the party.’

  Laurie’s smile was bland. ‘And obviously she hasn’t been in touch with you since?’

  ‘No. Well, she wouldn’t. We didn’t really know her.’

  Laurie was about to move on to his interviews with the police when the door opened and Stacey Greene swept in, creating a small whirlwind of perfume, chiffon and deep throaty tones. ‘Robert, darling, I was hoping to find you here … Oh gosh!’ she gasped, seeing Laurie. ‘I’m so sorry. I totally forgot you had a visitor. Please, excuse me. I didn’t mean to interrupt.’

  ‘No, no, it’s quite all right,’ Robert assured her, getting to his feet. ‘Have you met Stacey Greene?’ he said to Laurie. ‘Stacey, this is Laurie Forbes.’

  ‘How do you do?’ Laurie said, standing up too. Though she was tall, Stacey had at least another two inches on her, and with all that flowing red hair and heady sensuousness she was a truly dazzling creature to behold. However, quite of their own accord, Laurie’s heckles were definitely on the rise.

  ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you,’ Stacey told her warmly, using both hands to shake. ‘I’ve heard of you, of course. But please, don’t let me interrupt any further.’

  Laurie smiled politely and hoped her antipathy didn’t show.

  ‘Actually, I don’t think it would be a problem if you stayed,’ Robert said, reaching for Stacey’s hand. ‘Would it?’ he asked Laurie.

  Surprised that he’d want her to, and even more surprised that Stacey seemed willing, Laurie was about to protest, when recalling what Gloria Sullivan had told her, she felt mildly intrigued to see where this might go. Not that she wanted the scandal, but the timing of Stacey’s entrance was … interesting, and for all she knew Stacey might have something worthwhile to contribute.

  As Laurie and Robert sat down again, Stacey went to stand behind him, and placed an almost proprietary hand on his shoulder. Laurie couldn’t be sure whether his act of covering the hand with his own was a conscious one or not. It could be just a showbizzy thing, because actors were always touching each other, though it had to be said, this little tableau was conveying an air of togetherness that she knew very well, were she his wife, she wouldn’t appreciate at all.

  ‘You’re here to talk about that terrible tragedy, aren’t you?’ Stacey said, looking at her with such soulful eyes that Laurie could almost be convinced by their compassion. ‘That poor woman. Robert’s been so worried, haven’t you, darling? It’s been affecting his work, or so he thinks, but actually he copes much better than he gives himself credit for. It hasn’t been easy for him, though.’

  ‘But worse for Rachel,’ Laurie couldn’t help saying.

  ‘Oh, of course. No one’s ever doubting that. And I believe she’s pregnant. How on earth does a woman deal with so much, I wonder.’

  ‘Do you know Rachel?’ Laurie asked.

  ‘Not personally, no. But Robert’s talked about her such a lot that I feel as though I do. I only wish there was something I could do to help.’

  Feeling certain that Rachel would be glad there wasn’t, Laurie looked at Robert as he said,

  ‘Oh, but you do help.’ He was pressing her hand to his cheek. Then he turned to look up at her with an expression of such naked adoration that Laurie actually felt herself cringe. ‘You do,’ he whispered to Stacey.

  Stacey smiled down at him, then stooped to press her mouth to his forehead.

  He whispered something that Laurie didn’t catch, and Stacey smiled and kissed him again.

  Feeling horribly like a voyeur, and resenting it, Laurie cleared her throat, but as they looked at her she suddenly realized that she couldn’t continue. She was in no position to ask Stacey to go, and since she had at least a dozen other people to interview over the next few days, she saw no point in wasting her time here, watching this bizarre little performance that was making her skin crawl. So starting to pack away her notebook, she said to Robert, ‘I think you’re right, we should meet at the end of the day, when you’re less … distracted.’

  As she looked up again, Stacey smiled sweetly, so she did too.

  ‘It was a pleasure meeting you,’ she said, noting how Stacey had made no attempt to leave, the way most people would have after such a blatant h
int.

  ‘The feeling’s mutual,’ Stacey replied.

  Wondering whether she meant the pleasure, or the dislike that she surely must have picked up on, Laurie felt herself flush, for she’d never been good at bitchiness. ‘Thank you,’ she said, holding a hand out to Robert. ‘I’ll probably be in touch again after I’ve spoken to Anna.’ Had she put too much emphasis on his wife’s name? She hoped so.

  ‘Any time,’ he told her, standing up to shake hands.

  It took a moment or two after Laurie had gone for Stacey to regain her composure, for her heart had begun pounding with an unexpected rush of adrenalin when she’d realized that Laurie had taken such an instant dislike to her. It was so rare an occurrence that Stacey still couldn’t quite make herself accept it, though she had to wonder why she cared, when Laurie Forbes meant absolutely nothing to her, wouldn’t even have come into her life, had she not inadvertently walked in on this meeting.

  Realizing Robert was watching her she turned to him and smiled. ‘Are you all right?’ she asked gently, smoothing a hand over his face.

  ‘Of course,’ he replied, taking the hand and kissing it.

  ‘I would have left,’ she said, ‘but you seemed to need me to stay. What was she asking you?’

  ‘Nothing, really. We’d barely got started. But you were right to think I needed you, because I always do.’

  Laughing softly, she leaned forward to plant her mouth briefly on his. ‘You are such a darling,’ she told him.

  His hands rose to her shoulders and gently massaged them. ‘Did you read what I left for you this morning?’ he murmured, his palms cupping the perfect bones as though they were breasts.