River did his best, with Newt stepping in to help with some of the words. He was used to knowing what River meant, or guessing the word he was looking for, though he usually tried to make River be clearer. River managed to describe what it was like to hang around and wait for your part to be filmed. It didn’t sound as exciting as Newt thought it might be. River told the police the names of everyone he knew involved with the film.
The police went through each name and a few more that River hadn’t remembered and asked how he got on with them, whether he liked them, if he thought they liked him. Had there been any altercation, anything that might hint at somegrievance. It didn’t sound to Newt as if there was anyone River hadn’t got along with.
“What about Malik?” Pierce asked.
“Liked him. Helped me. Sat with him to eat lunch some days.”
“Barney?” asked Sutcliffe.
“Liked him too. Not sure he liked me. He was…a little cool. But…some of stunts difficult. He gets none of the g…g…”
“Glory?” Newt suggested.
“Yes. But that’s life as stuntman.”
“He should have been climbing, not you,” Pierce said.
“Yes. I… Oh, Justin sent Malik to see B…Barney. Be certain he couldn’t climb.” He gave a short laugh. “Max told me but I just remembered that on my own. Wow. Malik said Barney was throwing up while he sat on the toilet. Lovely. That day is still…unclear…in my mind. It’s hard to…hmm…diff…differ…”
“Differentiate,” Newt said.
River nodded. “Yes. Differ…en…tiate between what I might be…remembering and what I’ve been told. Sorry.”
“Malik might not have actually seen Barney,” Newt said. “He could simply have hidden in the bathroom pretending to be ill.”
“Can you think of anyone who would have wanted to hurt you, possibly kill you?” Sutcliffe asked.
Newt swallowed hard. It was a horrible thing to have to consider.
“No. Thought it was accident until my agent…said about…chu…chalk.”
“We’ve examined all the footage we’ve been able to access,” Sutcliffe said. “We’ve also spoken to some of thosewho were on set when you fell. Not all of them. Yet. There’s no value in us visiting the actual location because too much time has passed but it seems possible you were tricked into using an unsafe hold.”
River exhaled shakily.
“Max Turner, your agent, also gave us the anonymous letters you’ve been sent,” said Pierce. “Have you had any more?”
River looked at Newt.
“No, but I could look now.”
“I’ll come with you,” Pierce said.
There was an envelope, a couple of fliers and an Amazon delivery in the box.
“Don’t touch.” Pierce put on a glove to lift it out the envelope, then slid it into a plastic bag.
“It has the same handwriting as the others,” Newt told him.
Newt carried the box inside and left it in the hall.
Pierce handed the plastic bag to Sutcliffe.
“If it’s all right with you, I’ll open it.” Sutcliffe put on gloves, used a penknife to slit the envelope open from the bottom, then out took the note. “It says—You’re a terrible actor. You always have been. You break promises and don’t care who you hurt. You rely on your looks to get parts, but looks don’t last. Everything bad that’s happened to you, you deserve. Give us all a break and next time you fall, die.”
River’s shoulders dropped. Newt wanted to hug him but knew he shouldn’t.
“Same tone as the others,” Pierce said. “Menacing but not directly threatening.”
