who owns the site; after all, you have to do something to earn your money.'
Payne laughed. 'I'll get straight on to it, Nick, and be back in touch with you as soon as I've tracked down the owner.'
'Don't hang about,' said Danny, standing up. 'The rewards will only be high if we can move quickly.'
Payne produced the same smile as he stood to shake hands with his new client. As Danny turned to leave, he spotted a familiar invitation on the mantelpiece. 'Will you be at Charlie Duncan's drinks party this evening?' he asked, sounding surprised.
'Yes, I will. I occasionally invest in his shows.'
'Then I may see you there,' said Danny. 'In which case you'll be able to bring me up to date.'
'Will do,' said Payne. 'Can I just check on one thing before I get started?'
'Yes, of course,' said Danny, trying not to sound anxious.
'When it comes to the investment, will you be putting up the full amount yourself?'
'Every penny,' said Danny.
'And you wouldn't consider allowing anyone else to have a piece of the action?'
'No,' said Danny firmly.
'Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned,' said Beth. 'It's been two weeks since my last confession.'
Father Michael smiled the moment he recognized Beth's gentle voice. He was always moved by her confessions, because what she considered to be a sin, most of his parishioners would not have thought worthy of mention.
'I am ready to hear your confession, my child,' he said, as if he had no idea who it was on the other side of the lattice window.
'I have thought unworthily of another, and wished them ill.'
Father Michael stirred. 'Are you able to tell me what caused you to have such evil thoughts, my child?'
'I wanted my daughter to have a better start in life than I did, and I felt that the headmistress of the school I had chosen did not give me a fair hearing.'
'Is it possible that you were unable to see things from her point of view?' said Father Michael. 'After all, you may have misjudged her motives.' When Beth didn't respond, he added, 'You must always remember, my child, that it is not for us to judge the Lord's will, as He might have other plans for your little girl.'
'Then I must ask for the Lord's forgiveness,' said Beth, 'and wait to discover what is His will.'
'I think that would be the wise course to take, my child. Meanwhile, you should pray and seek the Lord's guidance.'
'And what penance should I perform, Father, for my sins?'
'You must learn to be contrite, and to forgive those who cannot hope to understand your problems,' said Father Michael. 'You will say one Our Father and two Hail Marys.'
'Thank you, Father.'
Father Michael waited until he heard the little door close and was sure that Beth had departed. He sat alone for some time while he gave Beth's problem considerable thought, only relieved that he was not interrupted by another parishioner. He then stepped out of the confessional box and headed for the vestry. He walked quickly past Beth who was on her knees, head bowed, a rosary in her hand.
Once he'd reached the vestry, Father Michael locked the door, went over to his desk and dialed a number. This was one of those rare occasions when he felt the Lord's will needed a little assistance.
Big Al dropped the boss outside the front door a few minutes after eight. Once Danny had entered the building, he didn't need to be told where Charlie Duncan's office was. The sound of laughter and exuberant chatter was coming from the first floor, and one or two of the guests had spilled out onto the landing.
Danny climbed the shabby, badly lit staircase, passing framed posters of previous shows Duncan had produced, not one of which Danny remembered being a hit. He made his way past an intertwined young couple who didn't give him as much as a glance. He walked into what was clearly Duncan 's office and quickly discovered why people were spilling out onto the landing. It was so crowded, the guests could hardly move. A young girl standing by the door offered him a drink and Danny asked for a glass of water-after all, he needed to concentrate if his investment was to show a dividend.
Danny glanced around the room looking for someone he knew, and spotted Katie. She turned away the moment she saw him. It only made him smile and think of Beth. She'd always teased him about how shy he was, especially when he entered a room full of strangers. If Beth had been there, by now she would have been chatting to a group of people she'd never met before. How he missed her. Someone touched his arm, interrupting his thoughts, and he turned to find Gerald Payne standing by his side.
'Nick,' he said as if they were old friends. 'Good news. I've tracked down the bank which represents the owner of one of the sites.'
'And do you have any contacts there?'
'Unfortunately not,' admitted Payne, 'but as they are based in Geneva, the owner may well be a foreigner who has no idea of the site's potential value.'
'Or he may be an Englishman who knows only too well.' Danny had already discovered that Payne's bottles were always three-quarters full.
'Either way,' said Payne, 'we'll find out tomorrow because the banker, a Monsieur Segat, has promised to call back in the morning and let me know if his client is willing to sell.'
'And the other site?' asked Danny.
'Not much point in chasing after that if the owner of the first site is unwilling to sell.'
'You're probably right;' said Danny, not bothering to point out that was what he had recommended in the first place.
'Gerald,' said Lawrence Davenport, leaning down to kiss Payne on both cheeks.
Danny was surprised to see that Davenport was unshaven, and wearing a shirt that had clearly already been worn more than once that week. As the two men exchanged greetings, he felt such loathing for both of them that he found himself unable to join in the conversation.
'Do you know Nick Moncrieff?' asked Payne.
Davenport showed neither recognition nor interest.
'We met at your closing-night party,' said Danny.
'Oh, right,' said Davenport, showing a little more interest.
'I saw the play twice.'
'How flattering,' said Davenport, giving him the smile reserved for his fans.
'Will you be starring in Charlie's next production?' asked Danny.
'No,' replied Davenport. 'Much as I adored being in Earnest, I can't afford to devote my talents to the stage alone.'
'Why's that?' asked Danny innocently.
'You have to turn down so many opportunities if you commit yourself to a long run. You never know when someone's going to ask you to star in a film, or take the lead in a new miniseries.'
'That's a pity,' said Danny. 'I would have invested considerably more if you'd been a member of the cast.'
'How nice of you to say so,' said Davenport. 'Perhaps you'll have another opportunity at some time in the future.'
'I do hope so,' said Danny, 'because you're a real star.' He was becoming aware that there was no such thing as over-the-top with Lawrence Davenport, as long as you were talking to Lawrence Davenport about Lawrence Davenport.
'Well,' said Davenport, 'if you really did want to make a shrewd investment, I have-'
'Larry!' said a voice. Davenport turned away and kissed another man, far younger than himself. The moment
