Page 66 of Nothing But the Night (Basic Instincts 2)

“They have?” Jason wondered whether he had underestimated Blyham’s finest, or whether they’d been given a hefty push from the local MP.

“They treated me like shit. Worse than shit.”

“We’re not the police, and I can assure you, we’re not here to lay any blame. We just need to know what you know. You were close to several of the victims—”

“We weren’t close. They paid me to do a job. They were clients.”

“Even so, you know more about them than we do. Without even knowing it, you might hold the key to the entire mystery.”

It was obvious from his face that Blake was not convinced.

“We’re not looking to stitch you up,” Jason said, with his hands out, palms up. “I took this case to help Marc Glass find out what happened to his brother Theo. Since then, two more men have been killed, and someone is also after Marc and me. We need your help, Blake. Honestly.”

His gaze wavered between Jason and Nadine, until he sighed and nodded. “Come on through.”

The apartment was large, with good-sized windows. The view might have been impressive, if it wasn’t for the gloom of the storm. There were framed, poster-sized photographs on the walls. Most of them were black and white landscapes, though there were a handful of portraits. Jason recognised a picture of Theo straight away. It was a monochrome image that made him look like a matinee idol from the 1950s or ’60s. Very handsome, with expressive eyes and a strong jawline. Far more classical than the usual sex images. For the first time, Jason could see the family resemblance between Marc and Theo.

“Excellent work,” Jason said, making no effort to pretend he hadn’t noticed the shot.

“He posed for that as a favour to me,” Blake said, gazing at the image. “Theo wasn’t interested in traditional photography or even glamour. All he wanted was content for his sites, but he agreed to this shoot eventually. I don’t think he ever looked more beautiful. I wish he’d have allowed me to take more like his. He could have been a regular model, instead of just the sex work.”

A gust of wind sent a burst of rain against the windows. Blake wandered across the room and stared out, avoiding their gaze.

“It doesn’t sound like you were keen on the sexual side of things,” Jason said.

“It’s work. It came at a time when I needed the extra income. I couldn’t afford to turn it down. I did it as a paid favour really. Put it this way, I never advertised shooting porn as a service on my website.”

“Did you film a lot of men?” Nadine asked. While Blake’s back was turned, she had turned her phone on to recording mode. Jason shot her a discouraging look. Nadine pulled a face and ignored him.

“Not if I could help it. I got on well with Theo, but most of those guys were more trouble than they were worth. They didn’t always pay what they weresupposed to, either.” Blake turned around and dropped onto the sofa. “I don’t do anything like that now. I don’t have to.”

“I’ve heard from a couple of people that you were fond of Theo,” Jason said.

Blake stiffened. “Who said that?”

“It’s not a criticism,” he said calmly. “Just an observation. I thought if you were close, he might have confided in you.”

“No. Theo did exactly what he wanted. He didn’t come to me for advice.”

“Did he ever mention having trouble with any of his collaborators?”

“No, he didn’t, but I have eyes. I don’t know what you think it’s like to film one of these videos. It’s my job to shoot the boys and edit it all in a way that makes them look sexy, like they’re enjoying themselves and are into each other. That’s not always the case. They come with egos and bad attitudes. Substance misuse. Mental health problems. Some of them make so many of these videos they’re on the clock. Rushing to get it all done in forty minutes because they have another booking.”

“So, are you saying there was friction between Theo and another model?” Jason asked.

“No,” Blake snapped. “That’s not what I’m saying. There’s always tension, that’s all. Just because they fuck, it doesn’t mean they have to like each other.”

“As fascinating as that is, it’s not really telling us much,” Nadine said. Jason winced. He didn’t want her to piss him off and cause him to shut up completely. “Did any of these guys get violent or threatening?”

Blake’s eyes hardened.Fuck, she’s blown it. Then he softened again. “Not really. There was an argument between Tyrone and Theo over money, but it didn’tamount to anything. And given what’s happened, Tyrone is not going to be your killer, is he?”

“What can you tell us about Theo’s escorting work?” Nadine asked. “Did he ever talk about that?”

“No.”

“Did he tell you who he was meeting?”

“No. I wasn’t interested. I took the pictures. I had nothing to do with his private work.”

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