the scene forward, then back.
“Hmm, interesting,” said Wally. “There must have been some kind of problem. See, if you look at the shot from the main camera — it’s in a slightly different place. Let me look at the notes …”
While Wally scrabbled around for the paperwork, Jack rolled the scene back and forth.
The camera now began to pan the room — almost randomly …
“Okay, got it,” said Wally, reading the notes. “Seems they were getting flare from the metal window frame on that camera , so they moved back a foot.”
“But that’s not all they did,” said Jack, freezing the frame again. “You see?”
Jack saw Wally lean forward and peer at the image.
“My old friend Gary,” said Jack.
“The prop man,” said Wally. “They must have got him on set to try and fix it first.”
Jack rolled the scene forward in slow motion. The familiar figure could clearly be seen crossing the set to the window.
“See he sprays it first with his can of anti-flare?” says Wally. “Looks like he’s putting some gaffer tape on it too.”
Jack kept rolling the scene. On screen, Gary turned back and stood talking to the first assistant.
“Doesn’t look like it worked, though.”
“Nope,” said Jack. “All right — so they decide to move the main camera. But just in case they need him again — you see — he goes and sits down against the wall.”
“Oh yes,” said Wally. “Right by that flask.”
“Right by that flask,” repeated Jack. “And if we freeze it … Now …”
Jack stopped the shot with Gary on the very edge of frame.
And before the camera moved off him, Jack could see his hand slowly moving to the flask on the ground next to him — and sliding it closer to his side.
And suddenly it was clear who had taken the flask …
…who had poisoned Zoë.
When Jack had met Gary in the back of the prop truck, the prop man had said he’d not been needed on set the whole morning.
He’d lied.
And there was only one reason he’d lie.
If he had something to hide.
Jack took out his phone to ring Sarah. It was eight o’clock. There wasn’t much time.
Sarah could alert Fraser. Stop Zoë going in the boat.
But her phone rang through to answer.
Jack didn’t stop to think — or even to thank Wally.
He leaped from the chair, grabbed his coat and car keys — and raced for the door.
19. Casualties of War
Sarah put her hands over her ears.
The explosions were so loud — it was like being at the very centre of a fireworks display. She looked at Chloe and Daniel: they were loving every minute.
“Awesome!” said Daniel, giving her a big grin.
Both kids knew they didn’t need to worry about talking during the shot — the sound for this scene would all be laid on afterwards.
And what an amazing scene it was.
As Sarah took in the view across the river — it was like looking back in time to the English Civil War. Scores of cannons kept firing at the castle; hundreds of soldiers were firing muskets; plumes of water rose in the air from cannon balls landing in the river; and from the battlements of the castle, where Royalist flags flew bravely, answering musket and cannon fire roared.
Sarah could see cameras everywhere, all grabbing the action. And at the heart of the crew, Alphonso and Fraser strode, constantly talking into the radios and gesticulating, like conductors leading an unruly orchestra.
“Hey Mum!” shouted Chloe, her words barely reaching Sarah amid the tumultuous explosions. “Is that Zoë?”
Sarah looked across the river.
Through the billowing smoke, she could just see a lone white horse and rider in the far meadows, galloping fast through the massed ranks of the Puritan army, hurdling bales of straw, campfires, boxes of ammunition.
Heading for the river.
And in the saddle Sarah saw Zoë, pressing herself flat, her head buried in the mane, her hands on the reins urging the horse on, faster, faster …
In just a few minutes she’d be at the riverside, ready
“Hmm, interesting,” said Wally. “There must have been some kind of problem. See, if you look at the shot from the main camera — it’s in a slightly different place. Let me look at the notes …”
While Wally scrabbled around for the paperwork, Jack rolled the scene back and forth.
The camera now began to pan the room — almost randomly …
“Okay, got it,” said Wally, reading the notes. “Seems they were getting flare from the metal window frame on that camera , so they moved back a foot.”
“But that’s not all they did,” said Jack, freezing the frame again. “You see?”
Jack saw Wally lean forward and peer at the image.
“My old friend Gary,” said Jack.
“The prop man,” said Wally. “They must have got him on set to try and fix it first.”
Jack rolled the scene forward in slow motion. The familiar figure could clearly be seen crossing the set to the window.
“See he sprays it first with his can of anti-flare?” says Wally. “Looks like he’s putting some gaffer tape on it too.”
Jack kept rolling the scene. On screen, Gary turned back and stood talking to the first assistant.
“Doesn’t look like it worked, though.”
“Nope,” said Jack. “All right — so they decide to move the main camera. But just in case they need him again — you see — he goes and sits down against the wall.”
“Oh yes,” said Wally. “Right by that flask.”
“Right by that flask,” repeated Jack. “And if we freeze it … Now …”
Jack stopped the shot with Gary on the very edge of frame.
And before the camera moved off him, Jack could see his hand slowly moving to the flask on the ground next to him — and sliding it closer to his side.
And suddenly it was clear who had taken the flask …
…who had poisoned Zoë.
When Jack had met Gary in the back of the prop truck, the prop man had said he’d not been needed on set the whole morning.
He’d lied.
And there was only one reason he’d lie.
If he had something to hide.
Jack took out his phone to ring Sarah. It was eight o’clock. There wasn’t much time.
Sarah could alert Fraser. Stop Zoë going in the boat.
But her phone rang through to answer.
Jack didn’t stop to think — or even to thank Wally.
He leaped from the chair, grabbed his coat and car keys — and raced for the door.
19. Casualties of War
Sarah put her hands over her ears.
The explosions were so loud — it was like being at the very centre of a fireworks display. She looked at Chloe and Daniel: they were loving every minute.
“Awesome!” said Daniel, giving her a big grin.
Both kids knew they didn’t need to worry about talking during the shot — the sound for this scene would all be laid on afterwards.
And what an amazing scene it was.
As Sarah took in the view across the river — it was like looking back in time to the English Civil War. Scores of cannons kept firing at the castle; hundreds of soldiers were firing muskets; plumes of water rose in the air from cannon balls landing in the river; and from the battlements of the castle, where Royalist flags flew bravely, answering musket and cannon fire roared.
Sarah could see cameras everywhere, all grabbing the action. And at the heart of the crew, Alphonso and Fraser strode, constantly talking into the radios and gesticulating, like conductors leading an unruly orchestra.
“Hey Mum!” shouted Chloe, her words barely reaching Sarah amid the tumultuous explosions. “Is that Zoë?”
Sarah looked across the river.
Through the billowing smoke, she could just see a lone white horse and rider in the far meadows, galloping fast through the massed ranks of the Puritan army, hurdling bales of straw, campfires, boxes of ammunition.
Heading for the river.
And in the saddle Sarah saw Zoë, pressing herself flat, her head buried in the mane, her hands on the reins urging the horse on, faster, faster …
In just a few minutes she’d be at the riverside, ready
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