coffee. "Sleeping off an enormous steak dinner in the conservatory. Last time I looked they'd found the patch of sunshine and were snoring."
"You fed them steak? I'll never get them back," sighed Eric, pretending to be annoyed and trying not to feel jealous.
"They woke you up last night, I believe?" Mark asked. Eric noticed he'd been watching Thomas almost obsessively, although Thomas didn't seem to pay any attention. He wondered if there was any history there.
"Yeah," Eric confirmed. "I woke up to the sound of them barking and nudging me."
"Thank God," muttered Thomas, giving him a heated look under his lashes.
"I think they deserve their steak then, Mr. Pawlowski," Ted said.
"Eric, please."
"Eric. The cottage is virtually leveled. A few minutes later and you wouldn't have survived."
God. Promising his dogs a steak dinner every day for the rest of their lives, Eric turned guilty eyes on Thomas. His cottage was destroyed. "I'm so sorry, Tom."
There was a sharp intake of breath from Mark but he ignored it as Thomas shook his head. "I don't care about the cottage. You're okay and that's all that matters."
"Eric, we have to ask, because it was definitely arson. Is there anyone who may bear a grudge against you?"
Shaking his head, Eric said, "No-one, apart from two people, should even know that I'm here. I… uh…" He trailed off, not sure how to continue.
Ted gave Thomas a meaningful look.
"Want me to leave?" Thomas asked, picking up on Eric's discomfort.
"Maybe Eric would prefer it." Ted replied.
Eric took a deep breath and shook his head. It wasn't like it was exactly a secret, and it would come out soon enough. He was visible enough that people would recognize him sooner or later. Better Thomas found out from him rather than a fan.
"I'm an actor. I work in films." He watched Thomas' eyes widened slightly, then he could see as they became hooded; that guarded expression he was coming to recognize. "I needed a break after my last film and came here. The only people who should know where I am are my agent and my publicist. Even my parents don't know I'm on vacation. I just wanted a normal vacation to unwind… me and the mutts." The last sentence was directed at Thomas, begging him to understand why he hadn't discussed it before.
"I see." Ted wrote something down in his notebook. "We'll need a name and contact number for them both. Maybe you've had some crazy fans or potential stalkers who've been following you?"
"A number over the years," agreed Eric, "But I'm not an A-list celebrity. I can't see why anyone would be following me, let alone trying to kill me."
"I don’t think it makes much difference today, Eric. Even minor celebrities have their share of the crazies." the policeman pointed out.
"What sort of films are you in?" asked Mark as he put down his coffee mug. "Anything we would have seen you in?"
"Action, mainly." Eric reeled off half a dozen titles, all major box office releases over the last couple of years.
He could see the recognition dawn on their faces. "Shit, you're Sky Davies!" Mark exclaimed. Even Ted looked impressed.
"That I am," Eric agreed. He knew this bit; questions about his films, possibly a request for an autograph. He didn't expect Thomas to get up and walk out of the room.
When Eric rose to follow, Ted stopped him. "Sorry, Eric, but I still need a couple more questions answered."
"But…"
Ted gave him an apologetic but firm smile. "We'll be finished soon, Eric."
Eric sat back down and resigned himself to waiting before he found out what exactly upset Thomas.
Ted quickly took Eric through his activities of the month up until the fire of the previous night. "So nothing unusual has happened since you've been here?"
Eric parsed through the last couple of days in his mind. "There was one thing. I'm not sure how significant it is…"
"Yes?" Ted waited, pen poised expectantly. "Tom and I were walking the dogs this morning
— yesterday morning," Mark stiffened
"You fed them steak? I'll never get them back," sighed Eric, pretending to be annoyed and trying not to feel jealous.
"They woke you up last night, I believe?" Mark asked. Eric noticed he'd been watching Thomas almost obsessively, although Thomas didn't seem to pay any attention. He wondered if there was any history there.
"Yeah," Eric confirmed. "I woke up to the sound of them barking and nudging me."
"Thank God," muttered Thomas, giving him a heated look under his lashes.
"I think they deserve their steak then, Mr. Pawlowski," Ted said.
"Eric, please."
"Eric. The cottage is virtually leveled. A few minutes later and you wouldn't have survived."
God. Promising his dogs a steak dinner every day for the rest of their lives, Eric turned guilty eyes on Thomas. His cottage was destroyed. "I'm so sorry, Tom."
There was a sharp intake of breath from Mark but he ignored it as Thomas shook his head. "I don't care about the cottage. You're okay and that's all that matters."
"Eric, we have to ask, because it was definitely arson. Is there anyone who may bear a grudge against you?"
Shaking his head, Eric said, "No-one, apart from two people, should even know that I'm here. I… uh…" He trailed off, not sure how to continue.
Ted gave Thomas a meaningful look.
"Want me to leave?" Thomas asked, picking up on Eric's discomfort.
"Maybe Eric would prefer it." Ted replied.
Eric took a deep breath and shook his head. It wasn't like it was exactly a secret, and it would come out soon enough. He was visible enough that people would recognize him sooner or later. Better Thomas found out from him rather than a fan.
"I'm an actor. I work in films." He watched Thomas' eyes widened slightly, then he could see as they became hooded; that guarded expression he was coming to recognize. "I needed a break after my last film and came here. The only people who should know where I am are my agent and my publicist. Even my parents don't know I'm on vacation. I just wanted a normal vacation to unwind… me and the mutts." The last sentence was directed at Thomas, begging him to understand why he hadn't discussed it before.
"I see." Ted wrote something down in his notebook. "We'll need a name and contact number for them both. Maybe you've had some crazy fans or potential stalkers who've been following you?"
"A number over the years," agreed Eric, "But I'm not an A-list celebrity. I can't see why anyone would be following me, let alone trying to kill me."
"I don’t think it makes much difference today, Eric. Even minor celebrities have their share of the crazies." the policeman pointed out.
"What sort of films are you in?" asked Mark as he put down his coffee mug. "Anything we would have seen you in?"
"Action, mainly." Eric reeled off half a dozen titles, all major box office releases over the last couple of years.
He could see the recognition dawn on their faces. "Shit, you're Sky Davies!" Mark exclaimed. Even Ted looked impressed.
"That I am," Eric agreed. He knew this bit; questions about his films, possibly a request for an autograph. He didn't expect Thomas to get up and walk out of the room.
When Eric rose to follow, Ted stopped him. "Sorry, Eric, but I still need a couple more questions answered."
"But…"
Ted gave him an apologetic but firm smile. "We'll be finished soon, Eric."
Eric sat back down and resigned himself to waiting before he found out what exactly upset Thomas.
Ted quickly took Eric through his activities of the month up until the fire of the previous night. "So nothing unusual has happened since you've been here?"
Eric parsed through the last couple of days in his mind. "There was one thing. I'm not sure how significant it is…"
"Yes?" Ted waited, pen poised expectantly. "Tom and I were walking the dogs this morning
— yesterday morning," Mark stiffened
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