Take Two (A psychological thriller)

Richards stiffened as he realised his mistake. He forced himself to smile. ‘When we were out, that’s what she asked for. That’s what I meant.’

Jenny looked relieved. ‘Whew. I thought you were thinking that something had happened to her.’

‘Like an accident, you mean? That’s her car outside, isn’t it? The Audi?’ Jenny nodded. ‘I’m sure she’s okay. She’s well known. If she’d been involved in an accident it would be all over the TV, wouldn’t it?’

‘That’s what I thought,’ said Jenny.

‘If she was going to check herself into rehab, wouldn’t she have called you?’

‘Could have been short notice, and I was in the air for nigh on twenty four hours.’ She sipped her wine. ‘I plan to go around to the studio tomorrow and see if they know where she is.’

‘Sounds like a plan,’ said Richards. His mobile phone rang and he fished it out of his pocket. It was Halpin. ‘Sorry, I’ve got to take this,’ he said and put the phone to his ear.

‘Boss, are you okay?’

‘Yeah, I’m fine. Hang on outside, I’ll be out in a while.’

‘You’re okay? You’ve been in there for ages.’

‘Everything’s okay,  Just sit tight.’  Richards ended the call.  ‘My driver, wanting to know how long I’m going to be.’

‘And how long are you going to be?’ asked Jenny, smiling over the top of her glass.

‘I’ll finish this and then I’ll be off,’ he said.

‘Well it’s been nice meeting you, anyway,’ said Jenny. ‘When Carolyn turns up we should have a night out, the three of us.’

‘I’d like that,’ said Richards. ‘I’d like that a lot.’

CHAPTER 68

Richards climbed into the Lexus and took out a cigar. ‘You are not going to believe this,’ he said. He opened the window, bit the end off the cigar and spat it onto the pavement. ‘I’m not sure I believe it myself.’ He lit the cigar.

‘Believe what, boss?’ asked Halpin.

Richards blew smoke out through the window. ‘It’s her sister.’

‘Her sister?’ repeated Halpin incredulously.

‘Her name’s Jenny.’

‘I didn’t know she had a sister.’

‘Neither did I,’ said Richards thoughtfully.

‘She didn’t mention it?’

‘It didn’t come up.’  He blew more smoke through the window. ‘She’s a twin.’

‘A twin?’

‘Like two peas in a pod,’ said Richards. ‘Jenny’s a bit blonder and a lot more Australian, but other than that they’re pretty much identical.’

‘Australian?’

‘She flew in this morning. Carolyn was supposed to be at the airport to meet her.’ He saw the curtains twitch at the front window. ‘We should move on, she’s watching us.’

Halpin indicated and pulled away from the kerb. ‘Is she a problem, this Jenny?’

Richards turned to look at Halpin, frowning. ‘In what way?’

‘She’s realised her sister’s gone missing. And you turn up at her house at midnight. If she tells the cops, they might put two and two together.’

‘No reason for them to,’ said Richards. ‘I said I knew her sister and was just passing by.’

‘At midnight?’

‘She seemed to buy it, I don’t know why the cops shouldn’t.’

‘I’m just saying. We don’t want to be on their radar, that’s all.’

‘What are you saying? You want to go back and do her as well?’

‘I’m not saying that at all, boss. If anything, I suppose you going around there makes you less of a suspect. I mean, why would you do that if you knew she was dead?’

‘Exactly,’ said Richards.

He didn’t say anything for a few minutes, then he looked across at Halpin. ‘You are one hundred percent sure that trunk’s at the bottom of the North Sea?’

Halpin looked offended, opened his mouth to reply, and then stopped himself. ‘You’re joking, right?’

Richards grinned. ‘Of course I am, you soft bastard.’

CHAPTER 69

Billy found a parking space about a hundred feet from Carolyn Castle’s front door. He took out his mobile phone and called her number but it went straight through to her voicemail.  He put his phone back in his pocket and got out of the car and walked to the house.  It was eight-thirty and they were supposed to be at the studio at nine-thirty. There was no filming to be done but all the cast and the senior crew members had to attend a read-through. He pressed the doorbell and waited for a minute or so and then pressed it again.  He heard footsteps and then the door opened. He smiled and was about to wish her good morning when he was hit by a tirade of abuse. ‘What the fuck are you doing ringing the bell at this time of the morning? Do you have any fucking idea what time it is?’

Billy stepped back in surprise. ‘What?’

‘It’s hardly even light, what the hell are you doing?’

‘Miss Castle, are you okay?’

‘Miss Castle?’ She sighed. ‘I’m not Miss Castle. I’m Mrs Hall.’

‘Is this some sort of joke, Miss Castle? Because really, I don’t get it.’ He held up his hands. ‘If you want me to give you a few minutes to get yourself together, I’ll wait in the car.’

She sighed and folded her arms. She was wearing pale blue silk pyjamas and had a gold crucifix around her neck that Billy had never seen before. ‘You’re Carolyn’s driver, right?’