Shafted Read online

  ‘Oh, I’ve no doubt women probably idolise him on sight,’ Jon sniped. ‘But we’ve been working on this kind of thing for long enough to know that men despise guys who are prettier than their girlfriends – especially the kind of men we’ll be targeting here.’

  Mulling this over for several moments, Terri said, ‘You’ve got a point, and ordinarily I’d probably agree with you. But that’s back home, and we already know how different everything is over here. And Inspector Keeton mustn’t have thought it would be a problem or he wouldn’t have suggested him. And let’s not forget why he chose him.’

  ‘Which is the other thing that’s bothering me,’ Jon said. ‘That whole under-age sex thing was wrong, and I’m not sure I can work with someone who’s into that kind of shit.’

  Reminding him that it hadn’t been proved or Larry would have been prosecuted, Terri said,‘Mud sticks, but that doesn’t make it true. Anyway, I prefer to go with my instincts, and they’re telling me that he’s not the type to do something like that.’

  ‘He’s not going to be obvious about it, is he?’ Jon argued. ‘Decent people are disgusted by that kind of thing, which is why it’s such an underground issue.’

  ‘Well, now you’ve met him, do you think he’s a child abuser?’ Terri challenged.

  Folding his arms, Jon pursed his lips. Shrugging after a moment, he said, ‘Probably not. But you can never be sure, can you? Take that guy last year: fucking every grown woman he could get his hands on, just to deflect suspicion from the fact that he had all those kids locked in his basement.’

  ‘You can’t compare him to Larry.’Terri laughed. ‘Anyway, I told you it was him from the start, but you thought it was that kid from down the block.’

  ‘Yeah, well, there was something wrong with the kid, too,’ Jon muttered, knowing that he’d used a bad example. ‘He had the shiftiest eyes I’ve ever seen.’

  ‘Because he was terrified the cops were going to stumble across the grass he was growing in the attic,’ Terri reminded him. ‘Anyway, we’re getting off track here. This is about Larry, and I really think he’s our guy.’

  ‘I don’t.’ Jon shrugged again. ‘But you’re the boss, so it’s your call. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you if anything goes wrong.’

  ‘It won’t,’ Terri stated with certainty. Then, smiling, she said, ‘Right, let’s call him back in and get this contract signed before he runs out on us.’

  Reaching for the Scotch that Larry had resisted, Jon poured himself a stiff shot. He’d respect Terri’s decision, but that didn’t mean he had to agree with it. He was professional enough to push his personal feelings aside for the sake of his work, and he just hoped that Terri would do the same, because he’d hate for her lust-life to jeopardise their project.

  Still, if she fucked it up, Shock-Wave would have to see that it had been a mistake putting her in charge, and Jon might just get the chance to show what he was made of – at last.

  Calling Larry and Georgie back in, Terri signed her part of the contract and pushed it across the table to Larry, mentally crossing her fingers in the hope that Jon hadn’t put him off – because she thought that he was absolutely perfect.

  Giving it to Georgie, who took one last look over it to make sure that it hadn’t been altered in any way since she and Terri had agreed the terms, Larry signed it and pushed it back to Terri.

  Reaching out to shake first Georgie’s, then Larry’s hand, Terri said,‘Great to be working with you. And now we’ve got that out of the way, I’d love to take you both over to see the location.’

  Glancing at her watch, Georgie said, ‘I can’t, I’m afraid. But I’m sure you can manage without me, can’t you, Larry?’

  Patting him on the arm when he said he’d be fine, pleased with him for behaving himself, Georgie said, ‘Okay, well, I’ll speak to you when I get back. And it was very nice to meet you both, Terri and Jon.’

  ‘Nice lady,’ Terri said when Georgie had gone. Then, back to Larry, ‘Right, well, shall we set straight off, then? Or would you rather have a spot of lunch first?’

  Frowning, because he’d just picked up the scent of the Scotch that Jon was cradling, Larry shook his head and said, ‘I’d rather just go straight there, if you don’t mind.’

  Then I can cut loose and get blasted.

  Handing the signed contracts to Jon, Terri stood up and reached for her jacket. ‘Come on, then. Let’s get you over there to meet everyone. Do you want to hang on here in case that call comes through, Jon?’

  Guessing that it wasn’t a question, Jon smiled tightly. ‘Yeah, why not,’ he said, getting up to put the paperwork in the safe. ‘I’m sure you’ll manage without me for an hour or two.’

  Saying ‘Call me on the cell if you need me,’ Terri opened the door and waved Larry out of the office ahead of her.

  Passing Julie as they went through the outer office, Larry flipped her a wink and said, ‘Later babe.’

  Smiling as they took the elevator down to the ground floor, Terri said, ‘I think you’ve got yourself quite a fan back there.’

  ‘Who, Jon?’ Larry quipped, feigning surprise. ‘Well, I must say, I’m shocked. I got the distinct impression he didn’t like me.’

  Telling him that she’d been talking about Julie, although she guessed that he already knew that, Terri stepped back to let him out when the elevator stopped. Following him out into the foyer, she hesitated when she saw how many young women were milling about there. She recognised most of them as secretaries and receptionists from the various businesses located in the block, but she had never seen so many of them in the same place at the same time before. Word that Larry was here had obviously spread.

  Most of the girls were trying to act cool, but when one rushed forward just as Larry reached the street door and asked him for his autograph, the rest quickly followed, and Terri had to wait almost ten minutes while he obliged.

  Stepping out onto the pavement at last, she hailed a cab and rushed him into it, in case any of the women who were already doing double takes as they passed on the street decided to delay them further. It was an amazing reaction, she thought, given that Larry had supposedly been off the scene for so long and out of the public’s favour. But it all boded well for her project because, if the British women were so taken with him, then the girls back home were bound to fall for him, too.

  Terri had chosen an almost derelict Victorian warehouse in the undeveloped section of Trafford Park’s otherwise flourishing industrial estate as the location for her mock-studio. Gazing out at the building as the cab pulled up at the kerb, Larry wondered what on earth had possessed her. It looked in serious danger of crumbling to dust if too many more rats trod its mouldy boards, and there was no way anyone was going to be fooled into thinking it was a genuine TV station – especially not the notoriously paranoid Mancunian criminals they were hoping to lure in. They’d take one look at the place and run for their lives.

  ‘I know it looks awful,’ Terri said, paying the driver and climbing out. ‘But it’s a lot better inside. And when we’re done, the exterior will be just as good, I promise.’

  Doubting that very much, Larry wasn’t holding his breath as she tapped on the ancient shutters which were drawn almost all the way down over the entrance. But he got a shock when someone hauled the shutters up a few seconds later and he found himself walking into a modern reception area, complete with a long polished desk, over which two men were busy erecting a neon sign reading INDIGO TV.

  ‘Good, isn’t it?’ Terri said, smiling because he looked so surprised.

  ‘Great,’ Larry agreed, gazing around. ‘It’s a lot like Oasis, actually – the studio I used to work at.’

  ‘So I heard,’ Terri said, nodding her approval to the workmen when they stepped down to view their handiwork. ‘But then, most station receptions look like this, so it wasn’t hard to set it up. And it will look even better when we put the finishing touches to it. A few potted palms, and maybe a coffee machine. Oh, and do you g
et the name, by the way?’

  Shrugging, Larry said, ‘It’s a colour, isn’t it?’

  ‘In-di-go,’ Terri said, punctuating each syllable. When Larry still looked blank, she said, ‘In dey go – to prison. Get it?’

  ‘Ah . . .’ Larry drew his head back. ‘Very clever.’

  ‘Thought you’d like it,’ Terri said proudly. ‘And we’re calling the game show Gotcha!, by the way.’

  ‘Right,’ Larry murmured uncertainly. ‘And you don’t think that’s a bit obvious?’

  ‘Not at all,’ Terri replied, smiling coyly as she added, ‘Mind you, I’m bound to say that, considering it was my idea. But everyone else seems to like it, so I guess it must be okay. Anyway, come on . . . let me show you around.’

  Leading him to a door marked PRIVATE at the far end of the reception area now, Terri thanked Larry when he held it open for her, and wondered as she passed him – as she’d been doing since she’d first laid eyes on him – how one man could have been blessed with such an extraordinarily beautiful face. She’d worked with some of the most handsome men in the States during her time in TV, but none had been quite as stunning in the flesh as Larry was. She just prayed that his year away from the camera hadn’t dulled his on-screen magic or she’d have some serious explaining to do, having practically forced Jon to dismiss his own instincts in favour of hers.

  Smiling to himself, sure that Terri was thinking hot thoughts about him, Larry followed her into the heart of the old warehouse. Having expected it to be a cold, cavernous shell, littered with the remnants of old machinery and resonating with the echoes of a long-gone Victorian workforce, he was surprised to see how much work Shock-Wave had done to transform it into a credible-looking TV studio, complete with soundproofed walls and hush-foot flooring. A large stage-floor had been laid to the rear of the hall, and several set-builders were busy hoisting a glitzy backdrop into position as he watched. And rows of audience seating were being installed, the workers creating a cacophonous din with their hammers and screeching drills; while, overhead, metal clanked on metal as technicians moved huge banks of studio lights into position.

  Watching Larry raptly as the light of something indefinable began to shine in his eyes, Terri said, ‘Impressed?’

  ‘Very,’ he murmured, his heart singing a sweet song of joy at being back where he belonged – despite it not being real. ‘Seems a lot of expense for a one-off show, though. Hope the owners aren’t letting you foot the bill for the work and charging you rent?’

  ‘Actually, we got a very reasonable deal,’ Terri told him. ‘And we were already using it as our base for Cops ’n’ Bobbies, so it made sense to use it for Gotcha! as well. It’s cost more than we originally intended to convert it into a realistic-looking studio, of course, because we were only actually using it for editing and equipment storage before. But if we get a fantastic show out of it, I don’t think anyone’s going to complain about a few extra thousand.’ Smiling now, she gazed around with satisfaction. ‘Everything’s coming along fantastically so far, and Inspector Keeton’s been a huge help, because he knows your laws and regulations so much better than we do.’ Chuckling softly, she added, ‘I actually think he’s been bitten by the showbiz bug, because we can’t seem to keep him away from the place. He’s always offering help and making suggestions. Like the commercial – that was one of his.’

  ‘Commercial?’ Larry repeated, giving her a quizzical look.

  ‘Oh, sorry, did I forget to mention that?’ Terri gave him an I’m so ditzy smile. ‘Yeah, we’re planning a twenty-second ad to air at prime time for two weeks, running up to the actual day of filming, with a Freepost address for anyone who wants to apply to be a contestant. Bit of a shame for those who never hear back from us, I know, but at least it won’t have cost them anything.’

  Wondering how they would get away with that, given that there was no show – not of the kind that they’d be advertising, anyway – Larry said, ‘Isn’t that entrapment, or whatever you call it?’

  ‘Not if you word it right,’ Terri told him. ‘And our legal guys are the best, so I don’t anticipate any problems. No one will be out of pocket, and we won’t be promising replies, so the ones who don’t hear back will just assume they were unsuccessful, while the targets will believe that they were successful.’

  ‘And what if they never entered in the first place?’ Larry said, thinking he’d stumbled onto a pretty major flaw in her seemingly perfect plan.

  ‘Oh, you’d be surprised how gullible people can be,’ Terri said, reaching into her pocket for her mobile when it began to ring. ‘And the smarter they think they are, the easier they are to fool. Show them a golden ticket with their name on it, and they don’t tend to question how we got hold of them. Greed is a terrific tool of persuasion, in my experience.’

  Glancing down at her phone, she sighed when she saw the name on the screen. ‘My mother,’ she said, switching it off. ‘I keep telling her not to call me on the cell because it’s so expensive, but she won’t wait till I get back to the hotel. And it’ll only be something trivial, like the kettle won’t boil, or the cat won’t come down from the tree, or something.’

  ‘Right,’ Larry murmured, sure that it had actually been a man, and that she’d ignored it because she hadn’t wanted Larry to hear her talking to him. Probably that dipstick Jon, checking up on her.

  ‘What was I talking about?’Terri said now. Then, clicking her fingers, ‘Oh, yeah, the commercial . . . Right, well, we’re planning on shooting later today – if that’s okay with you? We can reschedule if you’ve got something else to do, but I’d really appreciate it if you could fit us in. You’re the bait, after all, so we need to get your face out there as soon as possible.’

  Assuring her that he had nothing to rush away for, Larry forgot all about the drink he’d been so desperate for when they’d left her office. He was ecstatic to hear that his face would be back on screen over here, after all – and at prime time, too, putting him right back where he belonged come Wednesday night: smack in the middle of Matty Kline’s inferior version of Star Struck. And what a kick in the bollocks that would be for the slimy bastard!

  Thanking Larry for jumping in at such short notice, Terri spotted Inspector Keeton arriving just then. Waving to him, she linked her arm through Larry’s as she said, ‘Come and meet Bill. He’s adorable, and he’s got a great sense of humour. But I guess you need one in his line of work, don’t you? The cops we work with back home sure do. They call it morgue mirth, or something like that.’

  Looking the inspector over as they approached him Larry thought that ‘adorable’ was the last tag he’d have ever given him, because Keeton had a face like a grumpy old bulldog’s. And he didn’t like the way the man was looking at him, with his eyes narrowed – like he was sizing him up for a prison cell.

  Bill Keeton was indeed studying Larry. He’d seen him before, of course, but only on screen or in the papers, never in the flesh. Face to face now, he knew he’d made the right choice when he’d suggested him as host, because Larry Logan was a very handsome lad. And Keeton would bet his own untainted reputation that he wasn’t a kiddie-fiddler, either – and he’d met enough of them to know.

  Extending a hand now when Terri introduced them, he said, ‘Pleased to meet you, Mr Logan.’

  ‘Likewise,’ Larry said guardedly. ‘But please call me Larry.’

  ‘Will do,’ Keeton agreed, a small but seemingly genuine smile lifting one side of his thin lips as he added, ‘But only if you call me “sir”.’

  Relieved that the glint of suspicion had left the inspector’s eyes, Larry was about to make a witty comeback when a loud crashing sound came from the stage area, followed by a string of expletives.

  Frowning, Terri said,‘Sorry, guys, think I’d best go see what’s happened. Will you be all right by yourselves for a minute?’

  Assuring her that they would be just fine, Keeton waited until she’d gone. Then he turned back to Larry and said, ‘Doing a grand job,
isn’t she? I don’t think we’ll have much trouble convincing the jumpers they’ve hit the jackpot when they cop for this lot. Given you the low-down, has she?’

  ‘Er, yeah,’ Larry replied uncertainly. ‘Sorry, did you say jumpers?’

  ‘Bail jumpers,’ Keeton explained, folding his arms across his chest. ‘That’s the bulk of what we’re after with this, and I’ve a feeling we’ll net a fair few once the ad’s airing and the flyers are doing the rounds. Good to have you on board, by the way,’ he said now, giving Larry a sympathetic smile as he added, ‘Any luck, it might help to put all the troubles you had last year behind you, eh? Can’t have been easy holding your head up with all that nonsense going on.’

  Touched that yet another person – and a police inspector at that – had expressed support for him after the living nightmare of being shunned and vilified for the best part of a year, Larry thanked him. Then, feeling awkward as they lapsed into silence, he stuck his hands deep into his trouser pockets and looked around as if he was suddenly really, really interested in the activity of the workmen. He’d never been good at small talk. Not with men, anyway – and definitely not when he was sober.

  Rushing back just then, Terri said, ‘Sorry about that. Just a little hitch with some guy ropes, or something, but it’s fine now. Anyway, this is for you.’ She passed a two-sheet script to Larry.

  ‘And these are for you.’ She handed Keeton a thick wad of gold tickets. ‘Just back from the printers, so be careful they’re not still damp.’

  ‘Oh, they’re good,’ Keeton murmured approvingly, looking them over and handing one to Larry. ‘What do you think, son?’

  ‘They look great,’ Larry agreed. ‘I reckon I’d be fooled if one landed on my doormat.’

  Chuckling softly, Keeton nudged him. ‘Me, too. Good job I’m in on it, or I’d have probably sent in for an application form.’

  ‘You’re not that stupid,’Terri purred, giving him a fond smile. Then, taking a sheet of paper from the stack she was holding, she said,‘Oh, and before I forget, look what just got faxed through.’