‘Not confirmed?’
‘The crime scene examiner will let us know when the autopsy has been conducted, as well as keep up updated on the toxicology analysis on the contents of the bottle.’
‘The poison was in a bottle?’
‘That’s what we are led to believe.’
‘If it’s a confirmed murder, then we’ll need to set up a Murder Investigation Team.’
‘We’ve just been discussing this,’ Farhan said. ‘We could do with the help, sir.’
‘Isaac, you’ll be the senior investigating officer. Is that okay with you?’ the detective superintendent asked.
‘Fine, sir.’
‘Now, what do I tell my contact? He’s bugging me for information.’
‘Downing Street?’
‘Isaac, it’s best if you don’t pry too much into my contacts.’
‘What do you know?’ Isaac asked.
‘Not a great deal, other than Marjorie Frobisher would be better off dead, but the murder of Sutherland? That’s another situation altogether.’
‘There has been no connection made between the disappearance of one and the murder of the other,’ Isaac said.
‘Then make the connection,’ the detective superintendent replied.
‘And you, sir?’ Farhan asked.
‘I’ll see what I can find out.’
‘You’ll talk to your contact?’ Isaac asked.
‘This afternoon. He wants an update. Give me what you can before then.’
Sophie messaged soon after Goddard had left the office. Isaac replied that it was not possible. She messaged back ‘understood’, which with her it was.
Farhan had received news that his children were at school and fine.
Isaac decided to travel out to the production lot. It was a murder unless confirmed otherwise, which seemed unlikely. For whatever reason, the people he had interviewed needed to be re-interviewed, including Jess O’Neill.
Farhan headed back to the hotel.
***
If they were aware out at the production lot that one of their former stars had met an untimely death, it was not apparent. The place was a hive of activity. Every time that Isaac had been out there in the past, it had been towards the end of the day or early morning.
The end of the day, they were invariably looking through the day’s filming or else finalising the script for the next day’s shooting. Early morning, the production people were still in the offices, and the cast were in their dressing rooms. This time, it was just after two in the afternoon. Isaac had been on the go since three in the morning and he was starting to feel a little weary. He knew it would pass once he started interviewing the people again.
He saw Jess O’Neill from a distance. He could see her arguing with someone, but then that was her job, and apparently she was good at putting people in their place, getting what she wanted.
Richard Williams was at the production lot. It seemed unusual to Isaac. He decided to talk to him first. He waylaid him as he walked swiftly towards the central offices. Isaac was well aware that Williams had seen him and had been trying to get out of his way. To Isaac, it was a red rag to a bull. He quickened his pace and caught up with Williams just as he opened the door to the first office.
‘Mr Williams.’
‘Now is not an ideal time.’ Richard Williams said, catching his breath. He was not as young as Isaac, not as fit, although that didn’t stop him when it came to chasing the women. Sally Jenkins was nowhere to be seen, but Isaac assumed she was back in the office in the city. No reason to bring the end of the day bit of fluff out to the production lot, Isaac thought. Richard Williams was always on the prowl, and the production lot would be a good place to look for a new conquest. There were invariably some extras hired for the day. The pretty, young, and female would be easy prey for someone as suave as Williams. Isaac had noticed the Ferrari when he parked his car.
‘It’s important.’ Isaac replied.
‘You’re here about Charles Sutherland, I assume?’
‘You’ve heard?’
‘It’s all over the media. They say he’s been murdered.’
‘There has been no official confirmation.’
‘I’ll take your word on that. The media will beat anything up.’
‘Officially, the death is regarded as suspicious.’
‘Suspicious! That’s as good as saying he’s been murdered.’
‘Not at all,’ Isaac replied. ‘A well-known person is found dead in a hotel room. There has to be an autopsy and an official investigation. That does not mean murder, or not to the police.’
‘It certainly does to the media; you must know that by now.’
‘In the short time that I have been involved in the Marjorie Frobisher case, I have formed a greater understanding of how the media works: hyperbole, innuendo, assumption, and clever wording.’
‘Yes, you’ve picked it up. Marjorie Frobisher, is that murder as well? I didn’t know you had found her body.’
‘I need to be careful what I say. Marjorie Frobisher is still declared as missing and there is not a corpse. Is that clear enough?’
‘Clear enough. Unless you have anything more to talk about, I’m busy.’
‘Why are you here?’ Isaac asked.
‘I had to get out of the office; too busy down there with the media. The phone’s ringing off the hook. I needed some space and time to work out an appropriate response to his death. Some carefully crafted words on how sorry we are to lose such a great actor in the prime of his life. Those sorts of words.’
‘A truthful reflection on the passing of such a great man,’ Isaac said sarcastically.
‘A pain in the arse, a lousy actor, and no great loss. Is that what you expect me to say?’
‘You and I need to talk.’
‘Give me fifteen minutes while I draft a statement. I’ll give it to the scriptwriters to tidy up the grammar.’
‘Thirty minutes. Fine,’ Isaac replied. He headed to the coffee machine. Seated next to
