Silent Scream by Lynda La Plante Read Free Book Online

arguments?’
    ‘Really? Well, by that you probably mean when I had to talk to her firmly about how she was interpreting the scenes. She was playing a very nervous and sheltered young heiress, and obviously Amanda was neither, so sometimes she would appear too modern – in her gestures, her delivery, et cetera, but I didn’t have any actual arguments with her. I admired her – she was very strong-minded.’
    ‘Did you have a close relationship with her?’
    Pike gave a short barking laugh and pushed his glasses up onto his head.
    ‘If you are trying to find out if I was having sex with her, you couldn’t be more wrong. I was directing her; it was a professional relationship and nothing more.’ He snapped the elastic band.
    ‘Had you ever had a relationship with her before this film?’
    ‘Christ, no, but I’m certain you’ll have a list of men who did – not that I think she was involved with anyone here. Her agent had given her a good talking-to about behaving herself, as the last thing we wanted was any scandal . . . not that it wouldn’t be good publicity eventually, but to have press hanging around the set would have been intrusive. It took me all my time making her concentrate.’
    ‘You’ve replaced her?’
    He recrossed his legs and leaned forward.
    ‘Listen, I know a lot of the crew don’t like the fact that we have kept the cameras rolling, but I have backers and producers eager to get the movie finished.’ He stood up then, saying, ‘Now, is there anything else you want to ask me, only I should get started as we’re almost ready to go with the next scene.’
    ‘Did you like Amanda?’
    For the first time, Pike became still.
    ‘Did I like her?’ he repeated.
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘I cast her, Detective Travis, I admired her, and she was a very beautiful young woman. This is tragic and, to be honest, I’ve not really allowed myself to think about what happened to her.’
    ‘Would you know of anyone who would have had a grievance against her?’
    Pike sighed in irritation.
    ‘Maybe one or other of the boyfriends she dumped, maybe even one of the wives they left to be with her, but whether any one of them would have done this terrible thing is beyond my comprehension. She was twenty-four years old, with a big career ahead of her, and she was an astonishingly beautiful girl, cut down in the prime of her life and her career.’
    There was a sudden flurry of activity, actors returning to the set ready for the filming, lighting technicians hovering. Pike got up from the chair, dismissing Anna.
    ‘Could I ask you one more thing?’ she said, jumping up and following him.
    ‘Yes,’ he hissed.
    ‘Did Amanda say anything to you about hearing someone screaming in the night?’
    He turned towards her, his face pinched with impatience.
    ‘She mentioned it, but I didn’t give it much attention. I said something like . . . oh, I can’t remember, but I think it was that she should use it for the sequence we were shooting. I wanted to hear her really screaming. Now, if you’ll excuse me . . .’
    ‘But she was obviously distressed, wasn’t she?’
    ‘Listen, Detective, Amanda could get distressed if her costume was too tight, but whether or not it had any connection to what happened, I really couldn’t say. Now, I have to get back to work.’
    ‘You suspect someone from the unit killed her?’ Simon asked Anna as they walked towards his car.
    Anna got into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut. Simon winced as he sat beside her, closing his own door more carefully.
    ‘I think . . .’ She hesitated. ‘One of them knows a lot more than I was able to uncover. Which one, I don’t know – but I’m not through here. Something doesn’t sit right, apart from their lack of genuine grief, and I didn’t like the director.’
    ‘Julian Pike? Was it just a personal reaction or did you get something else?’ Simon asked.
    ‘There’s just something about him. He’s a cold fish. And he doesn’t really