“Tim’s loaned it to me so we could see each other and sort out arrangements for the weekend.”
“I see. And what does Tim want in return, I wonder,” Didi said, giving Kate an old- fashioned look.
“He can want what he likes, but he’s not getting it.”
“Oh, so he is interested, then,” said Didi, excitedly leaning forward.
“I don’t think so,” said Kate, wishing the conversation hadn’t gone down this particular path. “We are becoming friends, which is a bit weird because he’s this big, famous film star and I’m just me.”
“Just friends?” Didi replaced her cup on its saucer without breaking eye contact with Kate.
“Yes, Didi, just friends. Nothing else.”
“Nothing? With that hotty Timothy Calder? I don’t believe it. You must feel something.”
“Hotty? Really, you’re using the word ‘hotty’?”
“We’ve had some student nurses working over here for their geriatric training. It’s amazing what you pick up,” grinned Didi. “Don’t change the subject. You must have felt something, having been that close to the man?”
Kate thought for a moment. “There is something. He can do that thing where he knows how to give you a tingly arm.” Kate struggled to think of a better way to describe it without sounding too effusive.
“Uh huh, like electricity?”
“Yes! Exactly like thirty thousand volts sometimes. He must know pressure points or something, but whatever he does you can’t not notice it. Must be a trick they teach you at the RSC,” said Kate, feeling better for sharing it.
“You think it’s a trick?” said Didi, looking very pleased with herself as she relaxed back into the chair.
“Well, it must be.”
“You’ve not felt that before, then?”
“No.”
“And it happens every time Tim touches you?” asked Didi, looking smugger by the second.
“Pretty much, yes. Do you know what it is?” asked Kate, feeling a little shiver, which was either the thought of Tim’s touch or someone had left a window open.
“Oh, yes, I know what it is,” said Didi with a wry smile. “It’s static electricity. It’s a bugger.”
When the laughter had subsided the two women agreed that Kate would pick Didi up after lunch on Saturday. That would give Kate time to help out with tidying up after Amy’s birthday party, which was in the morning, and would still give her plenty of time to make sure Didi was settled in before she drove back home. They kissed their goodbyes and Didi insisted on coming outside to wave off Kate’s helicopter.
The helicopter had barely gained any height before it was landing again next to Kate’s village church. She thanked the pilot far too many times, took her bag and almost skipped all the way home. If it wasn’t for the fact that skipping was actually quite tiring if you did it for any length of time, she would have done. She was smiling to herself like the village idiot when she crunched up the gravel drive and was pleased to see lights on, which meant that Andy was still up. She turned her key in the lock and had a shock as the door stuck on the chain.
“Hello, Andy. Can you let me in, please,” she called through the gap in the door. Andy appeared instantly, having been jolted to his feet by the sudden noise of the door. Sarah quickly appeared behind him.
“Hello,” said Kate, when Andy opened the door, and she tried to mouth behind his back to Sarah to ask if she’d interrupted something. Kate quickly realised that couldn’t have been the reason as Sarah was looking wretched. “What’s happened?” Kate looked from Andy to Sarah and back again. Andy kept quiet. “Sarah, what’s wrong?” Sarah gave Kate a hug and a few silent tears escaped, despite her best efforts to contain them.
“Amy’s asleep upstairs. Come and sit down and I’ll tell you everything,” said Sarah. I bet you don’t tell her everything, thought Andy, who had been waiting for Sarah to provide the missing details all week. He hadn’t asked the direct question because he didn’t want to push her, but the elephant in the room was growing fatter by the day.
Sarah explained about the police searching the house and questioning both her and Andy informally, about them taking carpet samples and being very interested in the patio.
“What’s the plan now, then?” Kate said, releasing Sarah from another hug.
“Just wait for Shaun to show up, I guess,” shrugged Sarah.
“But what if he doesn’t show up? What if something has happened to him, or if he’s just gone off to start a new life? He may never show up. What then?”
“Kate, I can’t magic him out of thin air! I’m not a magician!” Sarah’s fragility was showing through.
“Someone must know something. He can’t just vanish. And why are the police so keen to find him? That’s not normal. Sadly, thousands of people go missing every year and the police aren’t doing house-to-house and testing carpet stains for all of them.”
Andy joined the conversation for the first time since Kate had come home. “I’ve asked around everyone I can think of and nobody has seen or heard from him.”
“Do you think he’ll turn up on Saturday for Amy’s birthday?” asked Kate.
“I doubt it,” said Sarah bluntly, which made Andy study her a little closer.
“I think that will be a really good indication of whether he’s alive or not,” said Andy, and Sarah turned to glare at him but said nothing. “I honestly don’t think he would completely miss Amy’s birthday if he could help it. I know you disagree, Sarah, but it’s what I think.” Sensing the increase in hostility, Andy stood up and air-kissed Sarah and then Kate. “I’ll leave you two to have a catch-up.” He paused at the door. “Your next-door neighbour was round in the week; he wants to talk to you about something.”
“Oh dear. He wants to look at the boundaries on my deeds, but I can’t find them. He’ll just have to wait,” said Kate as Andy avoided the look he knew Sarah was giving him.
“I’m off to bed. Night.” And he left.
“You know you can stay as long as you like, but if you don’t think he’s going to show up, what made you move you and Amy in here?” Kate tried to phrase the question as gently as possible.
“It is a bit of a faff, but I can’t sleep there any more. I keep having nightmares. I know it sounds childish, but here I’m able to sleep for a few hours and it makes a huge difference.”
“What happens in the nightmares?”
“It’s a mixture, really. Sometimes it’s Shaun breaking in, sometimes it’s the police raiding the house and taking Amy, sometimes… it’s just rubbish, but I can’t sleep afterwards.” Sarah rummaged with difficulty in her skinny jeans pocket, retrieved a crumpled tissue and dabbed her blotchy face. Kate moved along the sofa and held Sarah tightly. Sarah let the tears come. They sat there together for some time and Kate gently rocked Sarah as all the emotion that had been building up was suddenly too much to contain any longer. Andy silently crept away from the doorway, wiped a stray tear from his cheek and went to bed.
In what felt like a blink, Kate found herself back on set surrounded by raised voices, and caught between a very stroppy Che and a tearful Lumina. Kate felt that her head was full of marshmallow today, as she had struggled to sleep properly after the overload of information from Sarah. It made her feel that these people really didn’t live in the real world and had no clue what people like Sarah had to cope with day to day. Che was unhappy with what he called Lumina’s lack of commitment to the scene, and Lumina was basically throwing a strop for being told off. Whilst Kate tried feebly to referee the situation that was unfolding, Tim seized the opportunity to take Marcus off for a chat. They stepped out into a warm sunny day and proceeded to wander off across the lot.
“So, yesterday went well, I hear.” Marcus undid his buttoned waistcoat as they walked along at a gentle pace.
“Yeah, it was a great day. You know, just spending some time together, I’m calmer, I feel at ease. What did she say?” Tim was eager to hear Kate’s take on the
day.
“She? I spoke to Paul. He told me you approved all but one location and that one was easily resolved,” Marcus continued to walk alongside Tim, but was now eyeing him speculatively.
“Right. Yes, of course. Yes, locations are fine. Kate felt exactly the same about each of them,”
“So, have you sorted out your, um, medical condition?” said Marcus, slowing his pace and eventually stopping. Tim walked on briefly and then realised, so spun around on his heel to face Marcus. Tim took off his sunglasses and played with them distractedly. Marcus waited patiently.
“Marcus, I know you don’t believe it but… I touch people all the time,” started Tim.
“Yes, I know, I read the papers.” Marcus had the look of a portly school teacher about him as he said this.
“No, you know all the lovey actor stuff, all the fake hugs and air kisses and such. But I have never felt this… this sensation I feel with Kate.”
“Go on,” he had Marcus’s full attention.
“Yesterday, Kate nearly fell over in the park and we reached for each other at the same time and it’s like zing, there’s this amazing…”
“Sensation?”
“Yes!”
“Like electricity?”
“Exactly that,” said Tim, pointing his sunglasses at Marcus, who rolled his eyes and took a small step to the side and started them off on their stroll again. “You know, I’ve read it a thousand times in scripts – ‘the electricity’ between them – and thought ‘what a load of crap’. No offence.”
“Some taken,” said Marcus, his jaw tightening slightly.
“But that was what it was. It was electric. For that split second, we could have lit up Vegas.”
“However, it matters not a jot unless Kate felt it too,” Marcus said, in a sombre tone.
“She must have done. Every inch of me felt it,” said Tim, as Marcus raised his eyebrows sharply and gave Tim a knowing look. “No, not like that,” Marcus held his expression. “Well, yes, okay, but not just like that,” conceded Tim.
“Did she react at all?”
“No, I don’t think so, but I could tell yesterday she was holding back. Her guard is always up.”
Marcus nodded. “Tim, we’ve known each other a very long time now and I know I can be honest with you. You love the thrill of the chase, and even more than that, you love obtaining the unobtainable, and I fear Kate is ticking those boxes.”
“I won’t deny that’s how I’ve been in the past, but that’s not what’s happening this time.” Tim was shaking his head for emphasis. Once again, Marcus stopped and looked as if he was in deep thought. He turned assertively on his heel and waved for Tim to join him on the return stroll back towards the set.
“What exactly makes this time different?” asked Marcus.
“Kate. Kate makes this time different.”
“Hmm. Do you want my advice?” asked Marcus, glancing at Tim.
“Probably not, if you’re going to tell me to leave well alone.”
“Okay, good, here’s my advice. Take it slowly. If there is something there for you and for Kate then it’s worth waiting until you are sure. I don’t want either of you getting hurt.”
“Okay. Good advice, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. There is, of course, the matter of Lumina. You need to rectify that before it gets completely out of hand.”
“Again, good advice, but it won’t be pleasant. Kate seems to think that Lumina is in love with me.”
“Kate is a very perceptive lady.”
“Shit,” said Tim with feeling,
“Precisely, dear boy,” said Marcus patting him on the back, “precisely”.
As they walked back inside, Tim caught sight of Kate. She was sitting with an arm around Lumina, who was sniffing and patting at her eyes with a handful of tissues. Tim didn’t like the look Kate gave him as he approached.
“Is it all sorted with Che?” he said to both of them.
“Lumina is taking a short break, Che’s gone to get a migraine tablet and we’re back on set in 15 minutes,” said Kate, nodding her head towards Lumina to indicate that he should speak to her. Tim took the cue like the pro he was and sat down on the other side of Lumina. He nodded to Kate to let go and he put his arms around Lumina, so that Kate could escape. Kate gave him a weak smile and left them alone. Lumina was in full Marcie make-up and wardrobe with a very long, patterned maxi dress and her hair loosely clipped up off her face. The make-up was subtle and made her look vulnerable. Lumina quietly snuggled into Tim’s chest.
“Do you fancy dinner somewhere nice tonight?” Tim said softly and Lumina nodded.
The rest of the day’s filming went well and almost without incident. Horse had escaped from his latest puppy minder and run amuck on set for a brief period in the afternoon, but apart from that everyone seemed happy, except Che, who was like a crocodile with toothache. As they set up for the final take of the day, Kate found herself in Che’s firing line as Tim and Lumina were both missing. She placated him as best she could and went off in search of the pair praying, as she did so, that she wouldn’t find them in a lovers’ clinch somewhere. Not that it should matter to her.
Kate spotted them sitting together where they had been earlier. Lumina had her head in Tim’s lap, which made Kate look twice before she realised that Lumina was asleep, so it was quite safe to approach them. Kate headed over to deliver the rather curt message Che had given her and, as she reached them, Tim’s mobile rang. He pulled it from his pocket with his left hand and kept his other arm around Lumina. Kate stood and waited.
“Hang on, Mum, calm down and speak slower,” Tim said, as he indicated for Kate to take Lumina. Kate shook her head and Tim removed himself as best he could without sending Lumina’s head crashing onto the seat. She reluctantly sat up and walked off, pouting like a small child. Kate went after her.
“Che is setting up. Can you go straight over, please? I’ll tell Tim when he’s off the phone.” That was the clean version of what Che had said, anyway.
“Did you see?” Lumina pointed her finger at Tim and then at herself. “Did you see us?”
“I did,” smiled Kate. “Now get a move on or Che will fry your backside.” Lumina giggled and trotted off towards the set and Kate returned to stand patiently next to Tim.
Tim was pacing and looked shocked by what the caller was saying.
“My God. I can’t believe he’s dead. How are the boys? And Mum, are you okay? No, of course you’re not okay. How did it happen?” The words and the sorrow in Tim’s voice grabbed Kate’s attention and she watched him closely. She was frozen to the spot as Tim’s face changed from concern to pain. Kate knew that feeling all too well. She gestured for him to sit down again and he did.
“Mum, I’ll come up tonight. No, I want to. I can be back here for filming tomorrow. Is Dad there?” There was a brief pause as the phone was passed over at the other end. “Hi, Dad, I’m so sorry. Take care of Mum for me. I can’t leave immediately, but I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Tim ended the call and sat thumbing the phone, looking shell-shocked. Kate sat down next to him and took his hand. Tim welcomed the contact and gripped it tightly and, after a long pause, he said, “It’s Barney, he’s dead.”
“Oh, Tim, I’m so sorry,” and, now the boot was on the other foot, Kate found herself just like all those people who had tried to comfort her. She was lost for words and she knew there was nothing she could do to help. Tim took his time to get the sentences out, as if he was going over them in his head first to check the information he had just received.
“He was playing with my nephews and he was hit by a car, died instantly.”
“Oh, Tim, the poor children,” said Kate, as she instinctively put her arm around his shoulder. Tim leaned in slightly to her and tried, but failed, to smile.
“Mum says the boys are pretty upset, poor little sods.” Kate’s grip on Tim’s hand grew tighter as she fought to keep her emotions in check. Tim stared at their entwined h
ands.
“I can’t think of anything worse than seeing your father killed.” Kate had to get a grip of herself. The last thing Tim needed now was her getting emotional.
“Oh, um,” said Tim, but the feel of Kate so close to him made him not finish the sentence. He let Kate hold him, enjoying the feel of Kate’s closeness, her usual guard completely down.
Che came striding into view and Kate stood up to try to intercept him, but Tim stopped her.
“It’s okay. Please don’t say anything. I’ll do the last scene and then leave.” He looked into Kate’s eyes. Her face was tense, but he could sense her craving to be close to him right now and to help. Kate threw her arms around Tim and hugged him, “I’m here, anything, anytime, just call.” Tim nodded and then strode over to meet Che. Kate sat back down and stared at her shoes for a moment as she tried to compose herself. Her heart was racing, the tears were ready to fall at a moment’s notice, and she needed to get things back under control before she went back on set.
Once she felt composed, she sneaked on set just before someone called out, “Quiet on set, rolling, action.” Kate was mesmerised by Tim. She barely noticed the others in the scene; he was completely brilliant and gave a perfect performance. It never ceased to amaze her how he seemed to just step into Patrick’s character and then step out again after the scene.
As soon as Che indicated it was a good scene and the filming day was over, Kate tried to make her way over to Tim. Unfortunately, Dennis had other ideas and was keen to speak to Kate before she left. She tried to listen to Dennis, but she was watching Tim over his shoulder. Tim was speaking to Lumina, holding both her hands in his. She was looking decidedly grumpy, and Tim had his apologetic face on. That wasn’t the look of a supportive girlfriend; what was wrong with the woman? He kissed her briefly and she went over to Horse’s play pen to retrieve him before leaving on her own. Tim stood scanning the set. He was looking for someone else now; was he looking for her? She caught his eye; he looked to the ground and then turned and left.
Kate returned her attention to Dennis, who was very keen to show her some emotional close-ups they had captured. She spent a few minutes trying to watch them, but it was pointless, her brain had been hijacked. Nothing was going in and nothing of any use was coming out. Kate made her apologies and headed back to the hotel in a complete daze. All she could think about was Tim.
It Started at Sunset Cottage Page 20
