10

MARIO MORANDI WAS sitting in the chaos of his office on the third floor of a nineteenth-century building just off the Avenue Jean Médecin in Nice. As his mournful brown eyes darted about the stacks of film cans, haphazard piles of video cassettes and endless reams of typed paper, his expression became increasingly anxious. The din of the traffic outside was bothering him, and each time a lorry roared past or someone hooted angrily on a car horn he winced. The heat was getting to him too, as he repeatedly picked up his handkerchief to mop the sweat from his troubled face.

There was a stack of messages in front of him, most of which needed to be dealt with yesterday and on top of them was a huge plan of a schedule which, unless he could master the art of being in four places at once, he was never going to make work.

He called himself a producer, which from time to time he was, but on the whole he was a high-faluting Mr Fixit, who couldn’t say no to anyone, no matter how impossible or outlandish the request – which was how he’d come to land himself in the kind of mess that etched his naturally worried expression deeper into his face and had, he was sure, given him an ulcer.

He was about to get up from his desk when the door opened and Aphrodite, his Greek assistant, put her head in. ‘Your visitors have arrived,’ she told him, then laughed at the blank expression that came over his handsome face.

‘The friends of Consuela Santini,’ she reminded him, coming into the room and closing the door behind her.

‘Yes, oh yes,’ he said sounding very depressed.

Aphrodite grinned, pushed her long, frizzy brown hair back over her shoulder and walked to his desk to dab his face with his handkerchief. ‘Don’t look so worried,’ she told him, dropping a kiss on his receding hairline. ‘It’ll be fine.’

‘Will it?’ he asked despondently. ‘I have a feeling I’m going to make a real hash of it.’

‘You won’t,’ she assured him. ‘Now, shall I run out for some lemonade?’

‘Mmm,’ he responded, clearly deep in thought. ‘You’d better ask them if they’d like some too. Did you get any joy from Rome, by the way?’

‘The lights are on their way. I’ve found some editing facilities for Frank Bull’s production too. Ours are all booked up. Now,’ she tilted his face up to hers, kissed him lingeringly on the mouth and said, ‘I’d better remind you that you’re taking me to dinner tonight. You promised and I’m holding you to it.’

‘I’m looking forward to it,’ he said and as he smiled the soft light in his hazel eyes added a quality to his sombre expression that more accurately portrayed the man behind it. ‘What would I do without you?’ he said.

‘I really don’t know,’ she replied, kissing him again. ‘Incidentally,’ she added, nodding towards the outer office, ‘only two of them have turned up.’

Morandi was suddenly depressed again, watching Aphrodite wander back to the door. ‘You’d better contact Jake Mallory and tell him that,’ he said.

Aphrodite turned back, looked as though she was about to say something, then merely shrugged and pulled open the door.

Morandi was already on his feet when Sarah and Louisa walked in and the first thing they noticed about him was his incredible height. It was rare to find an Italian over six feet and Morandi had passed the mark by several inches. The second thing they noticed was his deeply troubled frown. Sarah glanced at Louisa, then moved forward holding out her hand.

‘I’m Sarah Lovell,’ she told him, surprised by his firm, cool grip when his brow was sweating so profusely. ‘And this is Louisa Kramer.’

‘It is a great pleasure to meet you both,’ Morandi said, leaning further across his desk to shake Louisa’s hand. ‘Please, won’t you sit down.’

Sarah and Louisa looked around at the cluttered chairs and Sarah felt a moment’s nostalgia for the bedlam of her old office.

‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ Morandi said, hastening around his desk to clear some space. He sent books and cassettes crashing to the floor then held the backs of the chairs as first Louisa, then Sarah, sat down. He seemed so absurdly polite that Louisa wanted to laugh.

‘So,’ he said, returning to his own chair. ‘How can I help you, ladies?’

Ah, there was an accent, Sarah registered, it was the first note of it, for so far his English had been incredibly Oxford. She was on the point of answering when she noticed how suddenly pained he looked. ‘Are you all right, Mr Morandi?’ she said solicitously.

His eyes opened wide. ‘Oh, yes. Yes, I’m very well thank you,’ he answered. ‘How are you?’

Sarah’s lips twitched. ‘I’m fine, thank you, it’s just that you looked a little, uh, bothered, about something.’

‘Si?’ he said surprised.

‘Si,’ she nodded when he didn’t continue.

‘Ah, no. I was trying to remember. I was thinking that when Señora Santini called me she said there were three of you. But now,’ he spread his hands so flamboyantly it was as though he were ending a conjuring trick, ‘you are two!’ he declared.

Sarah could sense that Louisa was having an even harder time keeping a straight face than she was. ‘Yes, I’m afraid that Danny wasn’t able to come today,’ she explained, ‘so as you say, we are two.’

‘Three including me,’ he said delightedly.

Sarah looked frankly and humorously into his eyes. To her surprise he returned the look and then to her even greater surprise he started to blush.

‘So, you are interested in making films,’ he said and the suddenness of his despondency caused Sarah and Louisa to look at one another in bewilderment.

‘Well, uh,’ Sarah began.

‘We don’t actually have any projects ready to go into production at this time,’ Louisa said. ‘We just thought it would be a good idea to meet. The market in England is slow at the moment and well …’ She shrugged. ‘It’s always interesting to see what other people are doing.’

‘Si, si, of course,’ he said. ‘But you don’t have any projects yourselves?’

‘Not at the moment,’ Sarah said apologetically.

‘It is of no matter,’ he said, the astonishing brightness of his smile lighting up his face. ‘I have many projects and not enough people to make them. I am a very busy man, I need more staff, more people willing to work, it is not easy, I must find the right people.’

‘Of course,’ Sarah agreed. ‘Uh, what kind of projects do you have?’

‘All kinds. One kind,’ he corrected. ‘All variations on the same theme. You don’t want to make these films,’ he added.

Sarah turned to Louisa, unsure whether that was a question or a statement.

‘Actually,’ Louisa said carefully, ‘we’re a little more interested in finding out how we might go about raising finance for films ourselves. Well, TV actually.’

He appeared to be quite taken with this idea and clasping his large hands together in front of him he said, ‘I think yes, that maybe I can help you with that.’ Again his smile was so transforming that Sarah almost felt she was meeting two totally different people. ‘I have many contacts here in France and in Italy and Germany, I will be happy to introduce you,’ he told them cheerfully.

‘Thank you,’ Sarah said.’

This time when he looked at her she could feel her own cheeks starting to reflect the colour rising in his. ‘Um,’ she said, tearing her eyes away and turning to Louisa.

‘Uh, exactly what is the theme of your films?’ Louisa said, feeling that polite interest was the best way of filling the awkward pause.

At that moment Aphrodite returned with the lemonade.

‘So,’ Morandi said as the door closed behind her. ‘You want to make my films. I shall be glad to hand them over.’

Sarah blinked, wondering if maybe she’d passed out for a moment and missed a vital link in the conversation. When did they say they wanted to make his films?

‘You have no problem with morals, I hope,’ Morandi muttered, looking uncomfortably at the window. ‘It is not good to have a problem with morals, it does not help.’

Sarah’s loss for a response took her eyes back to Louisa.

Louisa grinned. ‘Would I be right in thinking, Mr Morandi,’ she said, ‘that you make adult movies?’

Morandi’s colour sank to the roots of his thinning brown hair.

‘And you would like us to make them for you?’ Louisa added helpfully.

Sarah looked at her in amazement. That had almost sounded like an offer. Then her head spun back to Morandi as he said, ‘If you prefer you can act in them. You are actresses, no?’

‘No,’ Louisa said, hardly able to contain her laughter. ‘Danny, our friend, is an actress, but I think we’re talking at cross-purposes here. You see, as I said earlier, Sarah and I are exploring the possible avenues of finance in France for our own projects. Not,’ she added hastily, ‘that we have any objection to the films you make, it’s simply that they’re not for us.’

‘I understand,’ he said. ‘Si, si, I understand. My poor mother, she would turn in her grave if she knew that I make these films. It is terrible, disgusting, I am glad you no want to do it. Very glad.’

Sarah, totally bemused by now, decided to let Louisa continue. Besides, she was happy just to watch this man for she had never come across anyone who appeared so at odds with himself.

‘But if you don’t approve of what you do, Mr Morandi,’ Louisa said, ‘then if you don’t mind me asking, why do you do it?’

‘Why do any of us do anything?’ he sighed. ‘We do for money. I start my company. It was good company. A little editing here, a little shooting there and then a request come in to do scenes for a TV programme, very late night TV programme for Holland. I take it, I help out, like I help everyone and then in comes another and another. After that it is not just the TV, it is private videos too. Now I have to make them or the boys …’ He slid a finger across his throat.

‘Boys?’ Sarah echoed.

‘The boys from Naples,’ he explained. ‘They are here in Nice. They own Nice, they own me. I do as they say, I live. But you, you no want to be involved. You are good women, I can see. You stay that way, you don’t become involved.’

‘No, well, no of course not,’ Louisa said, wondering if her imagination was going too far or if he really was talking about the Mafia.

‘You like to come to a party on Friday night?’ Morandi asked.

Louisa’s mouth opened and stayed that way. She turned to Sarah – time for her to take over.

‘You mean Friday night as in tomorrow night?’ Sarah said.

Morandi hastily consulted his diary. ‘Si, as in tomorrow night,’ he answered. ‘I will introduce you to people who might be able to help you. It is party at the Colombe d’Or hotel in St Paul. They are very nice people, very respectable.’

‘Well, that’s very kind of you,’ Sarah said, smiling and frowning.

‘You call me, yes?’ he said.

‘Yes, we’ll do that,’ Sarah said as she and Louisa picked up their bags.

‘And please,’ he added as he showed them out through the reception, where Aphrodite was frantically dealing with the phones, ‘if there is anything else I can do for you, anything at all, you call me.’

A few minutes later Louisa and Sarah fell out onto the busy, noisy street, clutching their sides with laughter.

‘You didn’t really fancy him?’ Louisa cried.

‘Maybe fancy’s too strong a word,’ Sarah laughed, ‘but isn’t he a scream? Have you ever seen so many emotions cross one face in such a short space of time?’

‘Never. But what’s intriguing me is the way the conversation suddenly turned when his secretary came back into the office.’

‘Yes, didn’t it? I thought I’d fallen asleep or something. Do you think there’s something going on between them?’

‘Looked pretty much like it. Anyway, what do you think about this party tomorrow night?’

‘I’d like to go,’ Sarah said. ‘I mean, if it’s at the Colombe d’Or then nothing unseemly’s going to happen there, is it?’

‘I wouldn’t have thought so.’

‘Will you come?’ Sarah asked. ‘Like he said, we could make some useful contacts.’

‘We?’ Louisa said playfully. ‘I thought you only came today for moral support.’

‘I did. And I’ll do it again tomorrow. If you’re interested, that is.’

‘Your altruism touches me deeply,’ Louisa grinned. ‘And yes, I’ll go to the party.’

They paused to look in the window of a parfumerie. ‘Do you think he’s really Italian?’ Sarah remarked casually as they walked on.

‘If he is,’ Louisa responded, ‘then I’m Jamaican.’

‘Do you know what I think?’ Sarah went on. ‘I think he’s English. His accent’s all over the place I know, but there’s something about him that looks English.’

‘I’d say you’re probably right,’ Louisa answered. ‘But what I’m wondering …’

‘Is why Consuela Santini sent us to a blue movie producer?’ Sarah provided.

‘Exactly. Except she did say she’d only met him the once, so maybe she doesn’t know. Anyway, tell me, what did you make of that comment about the “boys” in Nice?’

‘Mafia?’ Sarah said.

‘Mmm, that’s what I thought and there are plenty of them around here, so they say.’ She turned to look at Sarah. ‘It didn’t ring true to me though, did it to you?’

‘No, not really,’ Sarah sighed, feeling herself starting to wilt in the heat. ‘If you ask me the guy’s a bit of a crackpot, but we’ll go to the party anyway and see if he really can put you in touch with anyone useful.’

They stopped again, rifling through a circular clothes rail outside a shop. ‘Was it my imagination,’ Sarah said, holding up a pair of shorts, ‘or did I hear Jake Mallory’s name mentioned just before we went in?’

Louisa’s eyes came up. ‘I thought I did, but I wasn’t sure,’ she said.

‘It seems to me,’ Sarah said, putting the shorts down as they turned to walk on, ‘that something pretty peculiar is going on around here.’

Louisa could feel her insides starting to swirl. On the way over in the car she’d told Sarah the things Jake had said to her on Sunday night. She’d done it out of pique really, because for the second night running Danny hadn’t come home. ‘Do you think Danny knows what kind of producer Morandi is?’ she asked.

Sarah shrugged. ‘I wouldn’t have thought so. If she did I’m sure she’d have mentioned it.’

They stopped to cross the road and said no more until they were descending the steps into the underground car park. ‘I was just thinking about Rosalind Carmichael,’ Louisa said. ‘I think I told you, didn’t I, that Danny and I saw her leaving the Grand Hotel? Consuela said that she always drove like a loony, but I saw her face and I’m telling you, she looked really upset.’

‘Mmm,’ Sarah said thoughtfully. ‘It’s all mighty odd, isn’t it, and to tell you the truth I wouldn’t mind trying to get to the bottom of it.’

Louisa didn’t answer straight away. Despite all the evidence telling her that Danny was involved with Jake there was still a very strong part of her that desperately wanted to do as he’d asked and trust him. But on the other hand maybe she’d be doing herself a favour if she found out what she could about him now before she went in any deeper than she already was.

‘How do you propose we go about it?’ she said unlocking the car door.

Sarah shrugged. ‘Go to all the things they invite us to, I suppose. Keep our eyes and ears open and maybe ask around a bit. And we could always try a spot of undercover work.’

‘Don’t let’s get too carried away,’ Louisa said, then laughed as she realized what Sarah was getting at. ‘No, I am most definitely not going to bounce around in front of Morandi’s cameras,’ she declared.

‘Oh,’ Sarah said. ‘I thought that might have been right up your street. What about behind the cameras? I can see you as a purveyor of porn.’

‘Thank you,’ Louisa smiled sweetly getting into the car.

‘Does he strike you as the leather type?’ Sarah laughed, absently watching the sunburned tourists rambling their way to and from the pebbled beach.

‘I don’t know, but he does strike me as your type,’ Louisa teased.

‘Honestly?’ Sarah said turning to look at her.

‘Why not?’ Louisa shrugged, unsure whether Sarah was really as interested as she was making out or if this was just another of her wind-ups.

‘Because the guy’s a few frames short of a reel,’ Sarah responded, ‘which now I come to think of it probably does make him my type. And no matter what’s really going on between him and Jake and Consuela and God knows who else, I got quite good vibes about him? Did you?’

‘I didn’t fancy him if that’s what you mean,’ Louisa answered. ‘But you know, thinking about it, I sort of got the impression he was trying to warn us off.’

‘Did you?’ Sarah said. ‘I didn’t pick that up, but if you’re right it just makes me all the more determined to find out what’s going on.’

Half an hour later they arrived home to find Danny lying by the pool in a shimmering black G-string and a pair of sunglasses.

‘Hi,’ she called out as Sarah and Louisa got out of the car. ‘I got your note. How did it go?’

‘You missed a treat,’ Louisa told her, laughing to hide the unsavoury feelings she was experiencing as Danny got to her feet and sauntered towards them, her magnificent body fresh from Jake’s bed. ‘We got ourselves a job offer and an invite to a party. Oh, and Sarah fell in love.’

‘I did not!’ Sarah cried.

Danny was watching her, smiling affectionately. ‘You’re blushing,’ she teased.

‘Oh, honestly,’ Sarah said, rolling her eyes. ‘He makes porn films for the Mafia, or so he says. Come to think of it, Louisa, if he really is working for the Mafia he’d never have told us. Not just like that when he didn’t really have a clue who we were.’

‘True,’ Louisa agreed, sinking into a chair as they reached the terrace. ‘Tell me, Danny,’ she said, ‘did you have any idea that Morandi was a blue movie producer?’

Danny shook her head. ‘If I’d known I’d have told you and saved you the trip,’ she answered. ‘Unless you’ve decided you want to go in with him,’ she added teasingly.

‘Sarah might,’ Louisa grinned, ducking as Sarah tried to slap her. ‘And I expect the offer’s still open if you’re interested, Danny. How do you fancy becoming a porn star?’

Danny’s eyebrows were raised. ‘I don’t think so somehow,’ she said, the same edge to her voice as Louisa’s. Then, looking Louisa full in the face she gave her such a dazzling smile that Louisa’s fingers itched to slap her. If she had spent the night with Jake again, she didn’t have to gloat over it.

‘What time did you get home?’ Sarah asked, kicking off her shoes.

‘An hour or so ago,’ Danny answered, picking up the suntan oil and massaging it into her heavy breasts. She knew the gardener was watching her, that he’d hardly taken his eyes off her since he arrived. He’d been her camera and she’d enjoyed the performance, carrying a drink to him on a tray, watching him try not to look at her breasts and failing. No, she had no desire to perform these little scenarios publicly, it was far better having the cameras roll inside her head and trying to manipulate others into playing out a script that was totally unknown to them. Mahmud was shy, a little too respectful, but she’d planned her scenario around it and had Louisa and Sarah not returned when they did, she’d probably be wearing nothing at all by now and asking him to rub oil on her back. Still, there’d be other occasions, just like there would with Jake Mallory. Which reminded her:

‘I didn’t know you’d been on board the Valhalla, Sarah,’ she said, sitting on the ground and stretching out her legs.

‘Didn’t you?’ Sarah said, nonplussed.

Danny shrugged. ‘You never mentioned it to me. I only know because I sneaked a look in your darkroom. Those photographs are terrific, you know. Have you seen them?’ she asked Louisa.

Louisa nodded. ‘I told her they were,’ she answered. ‘The best she’s taken yet.’

‘Are you planning to show Jake?’ Danny wondered casually.

‘I hadn’t really thought about it,’ Sarah replied, sensing the hostility in the air and wishing they could get off the subject.

‘Well I think you should. And you’ll never guess who agrees with me?’ Danny’s violet eyes were flashing with intrigue and laughter. ‘Erik Svensson!’ she declared.

Sarah stared at her. ‘Erik Svensson has seen them?’ she said, confused.

Danny nodded. ‘Jean-Claude brought him over to say hello about half an hour ago so I hope you don’t mind, but I thought they were so good that I invited him and Jean-Claude in to take a look.’

‘No, no, of course I don’t mind,’ Sarah said starting to smile. ‘Did he really like them?’ she said.

‘He really liked them,’ Danny laughed. ‘If you don’t believe me then you can ask him yourself, we’ve been invited over for aperitifs at seven. And I’d better warn you, if you’re after falling in love with anyone then Erik Svensson is going to blow your mind he’s so damned gorgeous. And,’ she went on, ‘there is no wife in tow, they’ve split up.’

‘She doesn’t trust the good-looking ones,’ Louisa teased.

‘Then she’s probably the wisest of us all,’ Danny laughed. ‘Anyway, tell me more about this Morandi.’

‘You can meet him for yourself,’ Sarah said. ‘He’s invited us to a party at the Colombe d’Or tomorrow night.’

‘What kind of party?’

Leaving Sarah to convince Danny that this was a party she really should go to, Louisa went inside to fix them all a drink. By the time she came back Danny was holding her sides laughing.

‘All right, all right,’ she cried, holding up a hand to stop Sarah’s hilarious account of Morandi’s quicksilver emotions. ‘I’ll come, but in the meantime why don’t we invite Jake over for an evening to see these photographs?’

Louisa felt her insides churning. The last thing she wanted was to spend an evening with Jake while Danny was there. But on the other hand it was perhaps one way of finding out where she really stood with him.

‘Well you can call him,’ Sarah declared. ‘For me, modesty prevails.’

‘I would if I had his number,’ Danny frowned, causing a wave of spiteful pleasure to coast through Louisa. ‘He always calls me,’ Danny went on, immediately dampening Louisa’s triumph. ‘But Consuela’s sure to know how to contact him. Why don’t we call her and ask her a bit more about Morandi at the same time. You can do that, Sarah, then I’ll speak to her about Jake.’

‘I’m not asking her about Morandi!’ Sarah cried. ‘She might think I’m interested. You do it, Louisa.’

‘All right,’ Louisa said, rolling her eyes. ‘Where’s the phone?’

Danny went inside to get it and dialling the number for Louisa she passed her the receiver.

‘Ah, Louisa, chérie,’ Consuela said when Louisa told her who was calling. ‘How are you?’

‘Very well, thank you,’ Louisa answered. ‘Are you?’

‘I am very hot,’ Consuela laughed. ‘But tell me, did you and Danny meet with Señor Morandi today?’

‘No, Sarah and I did.’

‘Danny didn’t go with you?’ Consuela said.

‘No, she couldn’t make it,’ Louisa answered, looking at Sarah as she wondered why Consuela was making it sound important that Danny should have gone.

‘Ah, Mon Dieu!’ Consuela gasped when Louisa had finished telling her about the meeting. ‘I am so sorry, I had no idea. He seemed such a nice man when I met him, not that kind of person at all. Oh, chérie, what can I say? I would never have mentioned it had I known.’

‘It’s OK. No harm done,’ Louisa assured her, then started to smile as she heard Consuela’s gentle laughter.

‘Does he really make those kind of films?’ she said.

‘So he claims. He even offered us parts in them.’

‘Mama mia!’ Consuela exclaimed. ‘I do hope you turned him down.’

‘We did,’ Louisa laughed.

‘Well, I must think again,’ Consuela said. ‘I am sure I can come up with someone else who can help you. Someone a little less, how shall we put it, unconventional.’ She tutted and sighed. ‘My, my,’ she said. ‘I really would never have thought it. He seemed such a shy man and so, well, ordinary and inoffensive. It just goes to show, doesn’t it, how deceiving appearances can be? Now, I must try to remember how I came to be introduced to him, because I wouldn’t want to make the same mistake again. But I can’t think who on earth I know who would know a man in his field. Except …’ She paused. ‘Yes, I remember now who introduced us,’ her tone was suddenly a shade darker. ‘If only I’d remembered before I would never have suggested you meet him. Oh là là, the memory isn’t what it used to be when you reach my age, and when someone appears as sweet and polite and charming as Señor Morandi one is apt to forget who his friends are. Again, chérie, I am sorry. But as I say, I shall try to think of someone else. Meanwhile, how are your friends?’

‘Oh, they’re fine,’ Louisa answered. ‘They’re sitting right here, roasting in the sun. In fact Danny would like a …’ She stopped as Consuela covered the mouthpiece and spoke to someone the other end.

‘I am sorry,’ she said coming back on the line. ‘What were we saying?’

‘Uh, actually,’ Louisa said, lifting her eyes back to Danny. ‘We were wanting to ask you if you knew how we could contact Jake?’

Consuela chuckled. ‘My dear, you are in luck for he has just walked in the door. I’ll pass you over.’

Louisa’s heart somersaulted and without thinking she handed the phone to Danny. ‘He’s there,’ she whispered.

Danny blanched slightly, but took the receiver and nestled it on her shoulder.

‘Hi,’ Jake’s voice came over the line.

‘Hi,’ Danny drawled. ‘How are you?’

‘I’m good. And you?’

‘The same,’ Danny smiled, winking at Louisa. ‘We were just wondering if you’d like to come over and see the photographs Sarah’s taken of the Valhalla. They’re pretty good.’

There was silence for a moment before he said, ‘Sure, why not? When are you thinking?’

‘Whenever’s convenient for you.’

‘How about tomorrow?’

Danny’s eyes narrowed and as the intimacy in her voice deepened to a sensuous purr, she began stroking her fingers lightly over her breasts. ‘That’ll be fine,’ she said. ‘Around eight.’

‘When’s he coming?’ Sarah wanted to know as Danny clicked off the phone.

‘Tomorrow night,’ Danny answered.

‘But we’re going to the Colombe d’Or tomorrow night!’

‘Oh gosh,’ Danny said, clasping a hand to her mouth. ‘I forgot. But it doesn’t matter, you can still go, I’ll stay behind and show him the photos.’

Sarah glanced at Louisa. Was she also wondering if Danny had really forgotten? It was impossible to tell for Louisa’s expression was giving nothing away. ‘I’d rather show him myself,’ Sarah said.

‘I’m sure Danny’ll do a wonderful job for you,’ Louisa said, struggling to keep the fury from her voice. ‘And I quite want to go to that party, so let’s keep the arrangement as it stands, shall we?’