‘Was she representing him when he took on the work with The Motley Crew fifteen years ago?’
‘Yeah, she was just starting up then. She’d seen him in an amateur play and thought he was good, offered to take him on.’
Perez remembered the performance in the Herring House, the tears. Oh, he was good, he thought.
‘How did the work on the boat come about?’
‘She’d been in college with the guy who dreamed up the idea of the theatre in the boat and he asked her to find him a couple of actors. It was Booth’s first professional work. That’s why she remembers it.’
‘I don’t suppose he talked to her about it afterwards? Or that she remembers what he said?’
‘No detail. He called in to see her when he got back. She said he’d enjoyed the acting, travelling round the coast, but he seemed a bit low. She’d expected a blow-by-blow account of the season but he didn’t want to talk about it much. She put that down to the recent separation from his wife and daughter. But if Bella sent him away with a flea in his ear, perhaps that explains it.’
‘Did he tell her that he was planning to come back to Shetland?’
‘He went over to Liverpool a few weeks ago. It was about the time that his daughter got in touch with him. Perhaps he was curious to see the girl before he made a commitment to meet her. I can imagine him hanging around the school, waiting to see what she was like.’
What would he have done if he hadn’t liked the look of her? Perez wondered. Made some excuse? Run away again?
Taylor was still sketching out the possible scenario. ‘He went to see Ms Murphy while he was in Merseyside. We’ll probably never know if that’s why he was there, but anyway, they met for lunch in a bar. Rita said Booth was really elated. It sounds as if they had a lot to drink. He told her then that he was taking on a bit of work in Shetland. “Don’t worry, darling. You’ll get your ten per cent. But this is a bit of private enterprise.”’
‘Did he say what sort of work it was?’
‘“Promotional street theatre”.’ Perez could hear the quotation marks in Taylor’s voice, thought that might describe the pantomime at the cruise ship and in Lerwick. He wasn’t sure it covered the drama at the Herring House though.
‘Rita thought it was weird that he’d consider doing work like that. She said usually he was a bit picky. He liked real theatre, not the arty stuff. She thought it would be some sort of conceptual theatre – whatever that is – because he said it was linked to an art gallery. When I told her what was actually involved she said she was surprised he hadn’t just left and come home. It wasn’t acting at all. A kid straight out of school could put on a costume and hand out a few flyers. And Booth could be very arsy when it came to work.’
‘So she thought he’d been hired to do the work by the gallery?’
‘That was the impression he gave at first. Later he said what a great opportunity it was – a chance to get close to a real celebrity. “This could be my big chance, darling. The time to hit the jackpot. My little bit of luck. And if I hadn’t been watching the telly the other night, I’d never have known.”’ He went all mysterious on her after that. She didn’t really take any notice. He was always talking about hitting the big time. All actors do.’
Perez sat for a moment in silence, wondering how this information fitted in with his ideas about the case.
‘Do you have any idea which television programme he was talking about?’
‘Wouldn’t it have been that documentary about Roddy Sinclair?’
Perez didn’t watch much television, but the uncertain theories in his head about how Booth had died suddenly shifted and came into focus.
‘What documentary would that be?’
‘It was one of a series. Sort of a fly-on-the-wall look at contemporary artists. The cameras followed Roddy round for a week.’
‘I think I read about it in the Shetland Times,’ Perez said. ‘The BBC came here to film him during the music festival last year.’ Then he remembered that Kenny had talked about it and been involved in it too.
‘Some of it was set in Glasgow. Him playing at a folk club, meeting up with his friends, talking about his music – but there were a couple of scenes in London and quite a long piece filmed in Shetland. The Herring House featured, I think, and there was an interview with Bella. I remember one part where they followed Roddy into the Biddista shop – there was a bit of banter with the customers – and another of him playing music in the school where he used to go.’
‘The high school?’
‘Nah, these were little kids. It must have been the local primary.’
‘In Lerwick?
‘Out in the wilds somewhere, I thought.’
‘Can we track down a copy of the film?’ Perez asked.
‘If you think it’s important.’
Perez didn’t answer, but he was thinking it would confirm to him who’d killed three people. Proving it, though, would be quite a different matter.
Perez arrived at Middleton School just as the children were leaving. He’d asked Taylor if he’d like to come too, thought Taylor could do with a break from the incident room, some fresh air, cold turkey from the caffeine. And if Perez did the driving he might even catch some sleep in the car. But the conversation with Booth’s agent seemed to have had a strange effect on Taylor. He sat at his desk, frowning, oblivious to the activity around him. He was quite still. The restlessness and fidgeting seemed finally under control. He didn’t even ask why Perez wanted to go to Middleton. He seemed preoccupied with concerns of his own.
‘Are you OK?’
Taylor turned then, flashed a grin, which immediately disappeared.
‘Yeah, fine. Things on my mind. You know. Nothing to do with this case. Work-related, stuff happening back in Inverness.’
Perez didn’t think he could push it. They’d reestablished a delicate balance in their friendship. He wanted to keep things that way.
It was classic Shetland weather, breezy with flashes of bright sunshine, and as Perez got out of his car a group of children ran out of the school into the wind, arms outstretched, yelling and laughing. He envied their energy. He waited until the playground was empty before he went inside. Dawn Williamson was in the school library, sitting on one of the small chairs in front of a computer. He stood for a moment watching her, but her body blocked his view of the machine so he couldn’t see what was on the screen.
‘Don’t you have a PC at home?’ Everyone did now. Most Shetlanders shopped online. One time, when you went south, people gave you a list of goodies unobtainable in the islands to bring back. Now people bought their CDs, books, clothes and even household items on the internet.
She turned, startled by his voice, then smiled, reassured, when she recognized him.
‘The hard drive’s crashed,’ she said. ‘I’ve only had the bloody thing for six months. It’s a real nuisance. Martin used it for work. Even Aggie had become a convert – she’s really interested in family history and there’s loads you can do online. I’ve just sent it back to the manufacturer. It was still under warranty and I couldn’t get anyone to come out to fix it.’
‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I’ve a few more questions.’
She stood up and leaned against the desk so she was facing him. Something about his expression seemed to panic her.
‘Is anything wrong, inspector? What’s happened now?’
‘There’s nothing new,’ he said. ‘Just questions.’
‘We’re all so jumpy. I heard you’d found another body down the Pit. It’s horrible, unbelievable. What do I tell Alice? I hoped she’d be protected, growing up here.’