1
CALLUM
You are invited to attend Keith Preston’s (TOP SECRET) surprise party at
7.30p.m. on Saturday 8 August
At Beauvoir Manor, Trinity
Please RSVP to Callum Preston
Callum drove up the dusty drive towards Hollyhock Farm, slowing to look to his left at the vans and groups of people milling about in one of the fields. A buzz of excitement coursed through him. He had been on many modelling shoots, but never a proper film set and was looking forward to meeting the star ofSam Thorne Investigates, Riley Sharp.
Callum thought of the actor he had seen in a couple of action films and tried to imagine him as Sam Thorne, the detective who: ‘once he gets his claws into criminals, there’s no escape’. The tagline was a bit cheesy as far as Callum was concerned, but there had been a lot of interest about this new TV character in the papers and about this new detective series set on the island.
He drove into the yard and smiled to see the brightly coloured hollyhocks that grew in front of the granite farmhouse each summer. He parked and got out of his car and saw Lettie Torel, his best friend Zac’s older sister, who had the previous year taken over the running of the family farm when her father retired.
She walked over to join him carrying her baby, Isla, on her hip and a large shopping bag in her other hand.
‘Here, let me take that from you,’ Callum said, reaching out to lift the bag from Lettie. He puffed out his cheeks. ‘It’s heavier than it looks.’
She sighed. ‘I was wondering how long it would take me to carry it up to where they’re filming.’
He peered into the bag and saw tins. Knowing how much Lettie’s mum enjoyed her baking, he asked, ‘Has Lindy been feeding her delicious cakes to the cast and crew while they’ve been filming here?’
‘How did you guess?’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Mum spends the morning baking and insists we take several up to them every afternoon. Anyone would think the TV company didn’t supply enough food for their cast and crew already.’ She laughed. ‘Anyway, it’s lovely to see you here,’ she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
‘Then I hope there’s enough for me,’ he said. ‘Your mum’s cakes are the best I’ve ever tasted.’ Callum looked at the pretty little girl in Lettie’s arms and smiled. ‘Isla gets more adorable each time I see her.’
Lettie beamed at him. ‘I agree, but then I am biased.’
He tipped his head to his left. ‘So, how’s it going having a film crew on the farm?’
She shrugged. ‘Not bad at all, if I’m honest. They’re very respectful of the place and take care not to bother the animals. And obviously Mum is enjoying having them here.’
Callum was pleased. He knew how welcome the added income would be for Lettie and Brodie but was aware how much she valued her animals. ‘That’s good.’
‘It’s been fun actually.’ She waved for him to accompany her. ‘Let me take you to where they’re filming now.’
He walked with her, taking care not to make any noise when he saw they were filming a scene.
‘I’m glad they chose to film the farmhouse,’ he said, thinking about how beautiful it looked.
‘Me, too. It wasn’t in the original plan to record there, but when they saw the colourful hollyhocks, I think they felt it would be silly not to make the most of such a pretty location. We’d better wait here until they finish this scene,’ Lettie whispered.
They watched for a couple of minutes and Callum couldn’t help thinking how different this was to any of the shoots he’d taken part in for his modelling. With those, the emphasis was on the model and the clothes they were promoting being posed to perfection and on the lighting. There were far fewer people around too.
‘And cut! Take a half-hour break, everyone,’ a woman Callum presumed to be the director said.
‘There’s Tasha.’ Lettie pointed discreetly. ‘Let me introduce you to her and Riley Sharp.’
Callum knew from all the promotion forSam Thorne Investigatesthat the actor had been on the island for a couple of months, filming at various outside locations for the new television series. He wondered whether he should take advantage of meeting the actor and try to book him to be interviewed on his daily radio show.
‘I know what you’re thinking,’ Lettie said, grinning.
‘You do?’
She nodded. ‘Yes, you should ask him.’ She frowned. ‘No, you should ask his PA Tasha. She looks after his diary and might be the right person to persuade him.’ Lettie leant in slightly closer to Callum and lowered her voice. ‘I’ve heard he can be a bit difficult, although I haven’t seen it myself.’
