Classic Calls the Shots by Amy Myers Page B

buffs,’ Louise said. ‘I’m on call shortly. As soon as the Horch reaches the forecourt my far from beloved husband and I have to rush out to greet von Ribbentrop. This is Chris’s big moment; he only has two words to speak in the film – “
Guten Tag
” –
and this is the scene, so we have to make sure it goes well for his sake.’ She excused herself with a quick touch of my hand, which reassured me that our nights together had been no dream.
    Nigel and I then talked serious cars, as he showed off the Bentley and the Fiat. He knew his stuff, I grudgingly granted. He even knew all about the famous ‘Bentley Boy’ Woolf Barnato, one of Dad’s childhood heroes. I realized that Nigel’s face had struck a chord with me as one I’d seen around at various car shows and gatherings.
    â€˜Where did you hire the cars for the film?’ I asked. ‘From an agency?’
    â€˜That or from people I know through my day job. I’m a car insurance broker.’
    I could see him being rather good at his job. ‘I saw you at the Wheatsheaf, I think. Or Dering Arms at Pluckley.’ Both have regular classic car meets.
    â€˜Probably. Good hunting ground for this job. Did you know we’re having thirty more classics here this Saturday? The whole day’s devoted to them.’
    That sounded good to me. ‘Terrific. I’ll be here. Did you get the Horch from an agency?’
    â€˜Difficult. I tracked it down from someone I know.’ He was so vague I wondered what the mystery was.
    We were still deep into discussing the Car Day, as Nigel referred to it, when Roger Ford joined us and added his profuse thanks. ‘Might save the premiums going up next time, eh, Nigel? The insurers have been having some big payouts recently, Jack, and couldn’t believe their luck over the Auburn being recovered within the thirty days before they had to fork out.’
    â€˜Where are you keeping these classics?’ I asked.
    â€˜We’ve special security garages set up here for two weeks. I don’t think there’ll be more trouble.’
    â€˜You think Bill’s right?’ I asked. ‘That it’s Angie that the thief was targeting, not the film?’
    â€˜I darn well hope so,’ Roger said with feeling. ‘Oxley Productions can’t afford much more of this. He must have realized that this didn’t sound good, because he added, ‘Don’t get me wrong, Jack. Angie was a good friend, and what’s happened is a personal nightmare – both for Bill and me. But Bill’s chosen to push forward with this movie, and the only way it will work is to keep distance between the movie and Angie’s death. We don’t know where we are with the studios, but what’s going on
here
is safe ground. Understand?’
    I did. ‘The known, not the nightmare.’
    He shot me a keen look. ‘You’ve a foot in both camps, Jack. OK with that?’
    â€˜Both camps?’ Nigel queried. ‘The Auburn’s back.’
    Marshy ground. I didn’t want Angie’s comments to Bill spread around.
    â€˜There’s still the paperwork to do,’ I said easily, ‘plus the need to find out who took the car in the first place, plus the possible threat to the other classics.’
    â€˜Of course,’ Nigel murmured. ‘Better safe than sorry.’
    But were they safe? I wondered. Even in these glorious surroundings it was not only the shadow of Angie’s death that hung over the company. I had a feeling that they were characters in a film of their own, caught up in a web in which they were totally unaware of the spider working amongst them.
    It took over an hour – a remarkably brief time apparently – to get the Horch up the drive, and even then its final arrival displeased Bill. I could hear his voice ranting at the unfortunate Chris Frant – for pulling up the Horch too quickly. By that