I looked at him, shocked. That really was a horrible thing to say, and blatantly untrue because both he and Kimi were talented actors. I still couldn’t quite believe that Faith would say that, though, despite having had my own doubts about her earlier; but then I’d realised that my own judgement had been clouded by jealousy over her and Tony. That jealousy was still kind of there, but had subsided enough for me to actually quite like the woman. ‘So what did you do?’
‘I was really upset and angry,’ he said. ‘I was going to burst in and have a go at her, but I didn’t want to make a big scene. Because to be honest, I’ve been on sets where I am the diversity hire, and I didn’t want to find out if what she was saying was true.’ I reached out and touched his arm, feeling immense sympathy for him. ‘I didn’t know what to do, but then I felt in my pocket and I still had this tube of superglue one of the crew gave me. Bits kept falling off my stupid sword and I was using it to stick them back on.’ I remembered him brandishing the sword the day of the dinner party, striking a heroic pose with it before a big plastic red jewel in the hilt had fallen off.
‘You squirted glue in the lock,’ I said, and he nodded.
‘Yeah. I had some mates back home who had this squat in Tulse Hill years ago, and they tried to stop the police getting in by buggering up all the locks with superglue.’
‘So how did your mates get in and out?’ I asked, interested in spite of myself.
‘They climbed through the windows,’ he said. ‘It was a third-floor flat and all. Their next-door neighbour used to let them climb onto his balcony then let them out.’ He grinned. ‘I couldn’t see Faith doing that… But look, it was just a daft thing; she was never going to get hurt.’
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘So you were the one who sabotaged Faith’s caravan. What about the other things? Did you let Kimi’s dog out?’
Zack shook his head. ‘Of course I didn’t. Why would I? Between you and me, I quite like that dog.’ Germaine settled on his feet with an approving grunt. He laughed. ‘And this one, too. Maybe I am a dog person after all.’
‘You don’t know who was behind that, or any of the other pranks?’
‘No,’ he said, but I was suddenly not so sure.
‘Zack…’ I said warningly. He sighed again.
‘Oh, all right. You might want to talk to Aiko about the dog.’
Chapter Twenty-Three
Zack was due on set, so I went back to the bacon and finished setting everything out for breakfast/brunch-time butties. Then I clipped the lead on Germaine and headed over to Wardrobe to see how Daisy and Mum were getting on.
I’d timed it perfectly, as they had just finished getting their clothes and make-up on, and the two of them looked amazing.
‘I don’t believe it!’ I said. ‘You’re both members of the aristocracy!’
‘Too blooming right we are!’ said Mum, indignantly adjusting her crinoline. ‘Ain’t no peasants in this family.’
‘Mum was,’ smirked Daisy.
‘They just didn’t want me to outshine Kimi,’ I said, and was mildly offended when both of them guffawed loudly. ‘Seriously, you both look lovely. Did you see Jade?’ I asked Daisy. She nodded.
‘She’s playing one of the fairy folk,’ she said. ‘She’s got wings. She had to turn sideways to get out the door.’
We were interrupted by the sound of a wolf whistle. I turned round to see Tony grinning, although he looked a little uncertain when he looked at me.
‘Wow, Shirl, look at you!’ he said. ‘You do know I’ve always had a thing about older women?’
‘Faith does,’ I said in a low voice, but I was only messing about.
Mum laughed and hit him (harder than he expected, going by the way he flinched) with her embroidered fan.
‘Ooh you’re a cheeky one, Tony Penhaligon! Your dad was just the same in his younger days.’
‘Now that I don’t want to know,’ he said. ‘Daisy, you look really lovely.’ Daisy smiled, but she was distracted by the sight of Jade getting her wings wedged into a gap between two trailers and went to free her. Mum looked at the two of us in a way that made it really obvious I’d told her about our kiss.
‘I’ll give you two some space,’ she said, turning away.
‘Mum, there’s no need—’
‘It’s fine, Shirley—’
But she was off. We stood and looked at each other.
‘Are we really okay?’ asked Tony, and just like that we were. The ice was broken.
‘Of course,’ I said. ‘It was bound to be a bit awkward, seeing each other today, but it’s for the best, innit?’
‘It is. Unless you’ve changed your mind?’
‘No. Have you?’
‘No, I haven’t.’ Tony sighed. ‘It would have been proper easy, though. I mean, I’m already used to your funny little ways…’
‘What funny little ways? Flipping cheek. I’m used to your smell, and I don’t even really notice anymore when you wipe your nose on your sleeve…’
‘Yeah, whatever.’ Tony grinned at me. ‘I see you told your mum.’
‘And you told Debbie.’
‘Callum, actually.’
‘Same thing.’
Lucy appeared and began collecting extras, so I let him go, wished Mum and Daisy good luck, and then headed over to Zack’s trailer, which was now officially (as far as I was concerned, anyway) a crime scene.
Sergeant Adams was on duty today, sitting on a fold-up chair, guarding the stairs up to the trailer. Germaine bounded over to him and popped her front paws on his knees, making him laugh. He patted her head and looked up at me.
‘All right there, young Jodie?’ he said.
‘I’m good, thanks. They let you out of the station, then?’ He was rapidly approaching retirement age and not really up for chasing criminals, so they
