Contents
Cover
Cherringham — A Cosy Crime Series
The Authors
Main Characters
Final Cut
Copyright
1. Swordplay
2. A Falling Star
3. Sanctuary and Suspicions
4. Driving to the Set
5. Below the Line
6. Rumour Has It …
7. A Narrow Escape …
8. The Doctor’s Report
9. Enter Ludo
10. A Fatal Sip
11. Missing
12. Many a True Word …
13. Just One More
14. A Full English Breakfast
15. The Camera Never Lies
16. Back to the Set
17. It’s All in the Edit
18. A Different Angle
19. Casualties of War
20. Last Reel
Next episode
Cherringham — A Cosy Crime Series
“Cherringham — A Cosy Crime Series” is a series made up of self-contained stories. A new episode is released each month. The series is published in English as well as in German, and is only available in e-book form.
The Authors
Matthew Costello (US-based) is the author of a number of successful novels, including Vacation (2011), Home (2014) and Beneath Still Waters (1989), which was adapted by Lionsgate as a major motion picture. He has written for The Disney Channel, BBC, SyFy and has also designed dozens of bestselling games including the critically acclaimed The 7th Guest, Doom 3, Rage and Pirates of the Caribbean.
Neil Richards has worked as a producer and writer in TV and film, creating scripts for BBC, Disney, and Channel 4, and earning numerous Bafta nominations along the way. He’s also written script and story for over 20 video games including The Da Vinci Code and Starship Titanic, co-written with Douglas Adams, and consults around the world on digital storytelling.
His writing partnership with NYC-based Matt Costello goes back to the late 90’s and the two have written many hours of TV together. Cherringham is their first crime fiction as co-writers.
Main Characters
Jack Brennan is a former NYPD homicide detective who lost his wife a year ago. Being retired, all he wants is peace and quiet. Which is what he hopes to find in the quiet town of Cherringham, UK. Living on a canal boat, he enjoys his solitude. But soon enough he discovers that something is missing — the challenge of solving crimes. Surprisingly, Cherringham can help him with that.
Sarah Edwards is a web designer who was living in London with her husband and two kids. Two years ago, he ran off with his sexy American boss, and Sarah’s world fell apart. With her children she moved back to her home town, laid-back Cherringham. But the small town atmosphere is killing her all over again — nothing ever happens. At least, that’s what she thinks until Jack enters her life and changes it for good or worse …
Matthew Costello
Neil Richards
CHERRINGHAM
A COSY CRIME SERIES
Final Cut
BASTEI ENTERTAINMENT
Digital original edition
Bastei Entertainment is an imprint of Bastei Lübbe AG
Copyright © 2015 by Bastei Lübbe AG, Schanzenstraße 6-20, 51063 Cologne, Germany
Written by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards
Edited by Victoria Pepe
Project management: Lori Herber
Cover illustration: © shutterstock/ Buslik/ BackyardProduction/ Bastian Keinitz/ artemisphoto/ Helen Hotson
Cover design: Jeannine Schmelzer
E-book production: Urban SatzKonzept, Düsseldorf
ISBN 978-3-7325-0849-5
www.bastei-entertainment.com
1. Swordplay
Daniel brought his binoculars up to his eyes while — beside him — so did his best friend, Tom.
Daniel’s binoculars — used by his mum to identify the birds that came to their garden feeder were tiny. But Tom had his dad’s military field glasses, giant things.
But from here — on the crest of a hill — they both got a great view.
They could look down at the rolling fields of Pelham farm, now turned into a real movie set.
This was absolutely the best place to see it all.
“Look,” Daniel said to Tom, “they’re getting all the horses lined up.”
“This is brilliant — just like the real thing. See the guys in armour? But what are those white things over there, near the cameras?” Tom said.
Daniel looked away from the line of actors on horseback over to where he could see one of the big cameras. On either side, he saw what looked like massive pieces of white material, hanging like sails.
“Not sure. Looks like — I don’t know — maybe they catch the light?”
Why they would need more light, he wasn’t sure.
Today was all blue sky and sun; it even felt warm for a spring day. New grass on the field, the bushes and trees all coming back to life.
Winter was gone at last. Perfect timing, what with the Easter holidays just a couple of days away …
“Hey look! I think that’s the director,” Daniel said.
“Who? Oh — wait — the guy waving his arms?”
“Could be. Looks like total chaos,” Daniel said.
Then men in jeans started leading the horses, getting them into a neat line.
But one horse — deep black, its coat shiny in the sun — stayed at the back, no rider yet. Then a woman with blonde hair, wearing a puffy purple gown, walked towards it.
The black stallion shook its head, and then a man came over, held the reins and placed a stool at its side.
Daniel watched as the woman looked up at the horse, and then, with the man helping her, she grabbed the saddle and climbed onto the horse, sitting to the side, legs dangling.
Side-saddle, Daniel thought.
Every horse now had an actor on it, the line standing quietly, waiting. The man who Daniel thought was the director came over, gesturing to first one actor then another, until finally he looked back at the last horse, the gleaming black one with the woman rider.
From up here, he couldn’t hear what the director was saying. But it looked like he was giving everyone last-minute instructions.
“This is so cool,” Daniel said.
“I can only see one microphone though; you see it on that long pole? How will they get all the sound?” Tom said.
In the last couple of years, Daniel had become a movie buff; he even thought he might like to work in that world of film, TV one day …
He was reading all the books on film-making in the school library that he could find.
“They do that later,” he said. “It’s called ‘looping’. They’ll re-record any dialogue they need in a studio. All the sound effects too …”
“Oh,” Tom said. “Makes sense.”
“The horses’ hooves on the ground, the clattering armour … all that. That’s called ‘Foley’ work.”
“Foley? Who’s that?”
Daniel laughed, “The guy who invented making sound effects.”
“Fred Foley?” Tom said, laughing.
“No. He was real. His name was Jack Foley. When they started making films with sound. Almost a hundred years ago …”
“If you say so …”
“Wait. Who’s that?” Daniel watched the man he thought was the director back off, moving away from the horses and the actors. And now another man appeared from the side, with a baseball cap on his head, looking just like one of Daniel’s favourite directors, Steven Spielberg.
And now the men holding the reins of the horses handed them to the actors, all of them dressed in deep maroon costumes dotted with
silvery pieces of armour, the helmets with their visors raised.
“I think — that’s the director.” Daniel said. “See how everyone’s listening to him. Has to be …”
And after the director pointed left and right, everyone not in costume backed away, until Daniel could see that — in front of the massive camera — it must have looked like a scene from 400 years ago.
Which was when the movie was set.
Daniel didn’t know much about the story of the film, just that it was about a battle between King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell over a woman …
When he’d first read about it, it sounded like it might be just a boring love story … The title wasn’t promising: The Rose of Cherringham, and the description — ‘she broke their hearts and tore a country apart’ — was exactly the kind of movie Daniel would try and avoid.
But this scene — with the soldiers, the horses, the swords … looked like it was going to be all action.
Daniel watched the director walk close to the camera. But instead of looking at the scene through the camera, he crouched down in a huddle of other people on low chairs.
“Guess he can see it all being filmed on some kind of monitor,” Daniel said.
“This is cool,” Tom, said. “From up here you can see everything.”
There was no way they could have got close to the set down on the field, not with the area cut off with tape, and men acting as guards to keep people away.
But here?
No one guarding this hill that looked over the field of battle.
The director raised his hand.
Another wave.
Then … the horses started to move.
*
The line of horses with the soldiers had only taken a few steps when, from the left, a single rider in full armour came galloping up fast.
“Who’s he?” Tom said.
“Maybe that’s Cromwell?” Daniel said. “It’s one of the stars, for sure.”
And just as that rider raced onto the scene, the line of horses stopped.
But the black stallion with the woman on it … didn’t stop as fast as the others.
That horse took a step forward, then another back, as if confused.
“See the horse in the back, with the queen on it? I think there’s something strange going on …” Daniel said.
“You’re right. It looks … fidgety.”
But the action seemed to go on, now with the actor who had galloped into the scene pointing to the woman, attempting to use his horse to block his way.
“Wonder what they’re saying?” Tom said.
Daniel did too — but he kept letting his binoculars drift back to the woman sitting side-saddle, her long gown trailing almost down to the muddy ground.
Then — in one fluid movement — the actor wearing full armour pulled out his sword. The metal caught the sunlight and sent a brilliant flash shooting up to the top of the hill.
“Wow,” Tom said.
And the other soldier leading the line of men, obviously protecting the woman, pulled out his sword as well.
Then — best of all — they slashed at each other. The swords — which Daniel had assumed couldn’t be real — gave off a realistic clang that travelled all the way up to their viewing spot.
And all the horses stayed perfectly still as again the two swords went flying through the air, banging together.
All the horses … all so still …
Except for the one at the back, with the woman in the long dress …
That already fractious horse suddenly backed up, then lowered its head and started to turn. And while the sword battle continued, Daniel suddenly saw the men on the sidelines start to move.
“Something’s wrong,” Daniel said.
He could see that the black horse, nodding its great head, now stomped the ground with its hooves, while twisting and turning as if eager to break away from the orderly line.
And while men from every side raced to the horse, even the director, Daniel kept his binoculars tight on it.
The actress held the reins tight; she looked scared!
Something was about to happen.
Now what had been pretend … suddenly turned real.
2. A Falling Star
“This is bad, Tom,” Daniel said. “There’s something weird going on with that horse.”
And just as he said those words the black horse, its handlers still feet away, did more than shake its head and pound the ground.
It reared back high on its hind legs as if about to jump a giant fence.
Towering over the other horses.
And in that move, the actress riding it went flying, with no one yet close enough to catch her.
It happened so fast.
The other actors on their docile animals, turned to look just as the woman, blonde hair whipping around her face as she tumbled, went rocketing to the side.
“Daniel!” Tom said. “She’s going to get killed!”
Daniel didn’t say anything, but it looked so dangerous.
The stallion, now out of control, pounded its forelegs on the ground; it looked as though he had landed right on top of the actress.
Then it reared again — still right above her, as if claiming her as its prize.
Somebody do something … Daniel thought.
Then — when it landed again, when anything could have happened to the actress — the men were finally there, three, then four of them, one grabbing the reins.
Another got an arm around the horse’s neck.
Two others went to one side as if shielding the woman on the ground.
Other men ran over and they quickly slid her away.
This is not what we expected to see, Daniel thought.
Was the actress hurt?
“Tom — can you see? Is she okay?”
“Not sure. She’s not moving.”
Daniel and his good friend both waited silently. Until finally, the actress with two men helping her, stood up.
Like a footballer after a nasty foul.
She gave a wave to the crew.
And then — the strangest thing — applause.
Daniel even heard a few whistles.
But he could also see the black stallion being led away, still trying to pull left and right.
The other horses stood still. The actors in their costumes and heavy armour sitting on top of them, doing nothing.
The director hurried over to the actress, put an arm around her, and walked her away from the scene.
But not before he gestured at some of the crew.
The white sails near the camera were lowered.
Some actors started — with difficulty — to get off their horses, while others waited until someone came to help them down.
Daniel lowered his binoculars and turned to his friend.
“Wow. That was something.”
“Amazing! I thought movies were supposed to be safe. All looking dangerous, exciting … but totally safe.”
Daniel nodded.
After the accident, this day’s filming looked over.
And he thought.
Right. Safe.
All pretend.
But what they had just seen didn’t look safe at all.
*
Sarah looked at her son making the chicken parmigiana disappear.
More like he’s inhaling it than eating it, she thought.
She saved a plate for Chloe, though her daughter had said she’d probably be eating at her friend Steffi’s after they finished doing homework together.
Doing homework.
And probably talking about boys.
Boys.
Inevitable, Sarah knew.
Between gulps, Daniel gave her the report from his spying on the movie set.
“It looked really amazing, Mum; all those horses, everything so real. Loads of people too. You know most of them just stand around? They do that a lot.”
Another forkful of cheese-coated chicken vanished.
“And the actress? She looked okay?”
A few chews, then: “I think so. I mean, she got up, waved at everyone. That horse though … he looked wild.”
Strange, thought Sarah.
Big production like that. You’d think every precaution would be taken to keep the actors safe, especially the stars.
“The other horses, they just stood there. Well-behaved. But that black one? Looked amazing, totally black — but he seemed out of control.”
Sarah nodded.
Cherringham was abuzz — literally — with the arrival of a film company to shoot the Civil War epic.
Shops were busy; pubs and restaurants packed — and the film company had taken over Repton Hall as a production base. From what she’d heard, the leading actors were all being put up there, while the rest of the cast and crew had the village’s hotels and B&Bs fully booked.
It was a boon for the village, that’s for sure.
Though she had heard some grumblings from people in the shops about ‘all these outsiders …’
Parking in the centre of the village had become an impossible challenge.
She planned on doing a piece about the film for the Cherringham newsletter. It was, after all, the first movie ever filmed in the village.
“Then they stopped the filming?”
“Yeah. Well, maybe they were done for the day anyway. Or had to get another horse. Tomorrow, Tom and me plan—”
“Tom and I?”
Daniel grinned. “Yeah, me and Tom. Anyway, we’re going to go there tomorrow again straight after school. Though I wish I had binoculars like his.”
“Mine work perfectly fine for the wrens and robins.”
“Mum, his dad’s field glasses were amazing.”
Daniel’s plate was empty, the bottomless pit that was his appetite these days like a black hole for food.
“Seconds?”
“Brilliant! Thanks.”
Sarah took his plate and put another chicken breast on it, a dollop of sauce, and then she scooped out some more of the penne.
She knew that she wasn’t much of a chef.
But this meal?
Never failed.
Cherringham--Final Cut Page 1
