Page 34 of The Cut
‘Well, let me know if you change your mind.’ Karine smiled at Dani, who had been frantically nudging Lily to say yes.
‘Nate’s been so secretive about the whole thing. I’m dying to know what you’ve been up to the last few weeks.’ Dani leant in conspiratorially.
‘He’s doing great. He’s a natural performer.’ Karine winked at Dani. ‘But we will need one or two night shoots, if that’s OK with you and Ben?’
Something in Lily switched at the sound of Karine’s praise and the idea of some exhilarating nightlife, anything to alleviate her teenage boredom and get out of the house. ‘All right then … I’ll give it a go.’ The sibling rivalry overrode her reticence.
‘Amazing! Just out of interest … are you a good swimmer?’
‘She’d give Tom Daley a run for his money.’ Dani was nodding encouragingly at Lily.
‘He’s a diver, love.’ Ben was holding open the basement door for Karine with a face like thunder.
‘Diving works for me.’ Karine’s eyes met Ben’s as she descended the stairs into the darkness. He watched her go, then turned to134Dani, who was silently fist-bumping Lily by the door. Her new career as ‘momager’ appeared to be in full swing.
Ben stood at the top of the stairs, monitoring Karine’s every move. He really didn’t want anyone down there rooting through his private things, not right now with everything going on at work. And the timing of this film was making him feel uneasy. As Karine plunged into the darkness, Ben took one step down and gently closed the door behind him. He watched as she fumbled with her iPhone, trying to find the torch.
His hand hovered over the light switch but he decided to leave her in darkness. He watched as she shone the torch into the corners of the gloomy space. The light passed over the steel shelves bolted to the stone walls, loaded with crates of fine wine. Ben’s collection, an investment of sorts. Several worthless oil paintings and framed prints were filed vertically against a mountain of plastic stacking crates full of junk. There was a pile of old suitcases and the blue-painted wooden highchair that the little Knots had once sat in, passed down through generations. The silhouette of an old dressmaker’s mannequin, propped against the wall in the corner, was draped with an old flea-ridden fur coat.
When they had sold the old house, Ben hadn’t thrown a single thing away. It had all just been shoved down here and forgotten about.
Karine’s torch light picked up the narrow corridor of Ben’s wine cellar and followed the line of shelves into the storage area.
‘The router is right behind you, in the service cupboard.’
The basement spluttered into light as Ben finally flicked the switch. Karine jumped and shielded her eyes from the glare of the strip bulbs.
She exhaled sharply. ‘Thanks.’
‘What exactly is it you need?’ Ben took another step down.135
Karine opened the metal locker bolted to the wall and held out her phone. ‘Just a photo of your set-up for my crew. Ed will sort you out.’ Her hand reached out to a large black box, flickering with green light.
‘Don’t touch that.’ Ben’s tone caught her by surprise. He softened. ‘It’s … for my work. The house Wi-Fi runs from a different system.’
She pocketed her phone. ‘OK, I’ll let the boys know.’
Ben noticed her eyes scan the basement again. He didn’t trust her and needed to keep a tight grip on this. He was standing on thinning ice, the ominous creak of his fate about to shatter everything; unable to do anything about it, except fall. Ben stood his ground as Karine got closer.
‘Before you do any more filming, I’m going to need to see this … deal.’ He made air quotes with his fingers. ‘You know what I’m talking about.’ His phone vibrated in his back pocket. He looked at the screen. ‘I have to take this.’
She smiled awkwardly at him. ‘Then I’ll get out of your hair.’
‘I need the contract or I’m pulling the plug … You understand me?’
Karine nodded as Ben stepped out of the way, opened the door and permitted her to leave.
‘Dad, come on, let’s go.’
Ben left the basement, closing the door firmly behind him, and answered his phone.
‘Lars?’
‘What the fuck, Ben? The FSA are here at the office, they’re confiscating everyone’s computers.’ His voice was a hissed whisper. He was clearly rattled.
‘Listen …’ Ben headed outside after Lily, halting on the thresh-old of the house. ‘I’m gonna need to call you back, Lars.’136
‘Ben, don’t hang up …’ Ben killed the call and froze. A motorbike was speeding off around the corner on to Barton Rise; the rider was wearing a matt-black crash helmet. It was the same one he had seen in the rear-view mirror, the one that had been following him and run him off the road.
