him.
‘There’s a film crew upstairs,’ Llewelyn began. ‘A cameraman and a sound recordist. They’re on stand-by for after lunch but the decision is yours, absolutely yours. No pressure. I promise.’
Molly looked at Robbie, confused now. Robbie was trying to hide his own surprise.
‘Here? Upstairs here? In the hotel?’ he said.
‘Yes.’
‘Why?’
Llewelyn was toying with his gin and tonic.
‘People’s have asked me to do an interview before we leave. That’s if Molly decides in favour, of course. They believe it’s important that we understand the way she feels now, while it’s still so fresh, and actually I think they’re right. We have to have a context, a framework. Grief is a strange thing. It changes people. I’ve seen it time and time again.’
Molly nodded. This much, at least, she knew already.
‘But what would happen?’ she asked. ‘Upstairs?’
‘It’s very simple. We’ve put a couple of lights in a bedroom. We’ll shoot it in such a way that it’ll look like you’re at home. The shot will be very close, very tight.’ He drew an oblong in the air, framing her face.
‘But why not come home? If it’s that important?’
Llewelyn smiled, ever-patient.
‘Logistics,’ he said simply. ‘I know it sounds crazy but the crew have to be back in town by six. This way we give ourselves a chance.’ He paused. ‘But it’s your decision and yours only. Please. Let’s eat.’ He gestured at her menu and picked up his own, skipping the hors-d’œuvres and moving straight to the entrées. Molly looked at Robbie again. This time his expression gave nothing away.
‘What do
you
think?’ she said.
Robbie had his finger in the menu. He glanced up.
‘Todd’s right,’ he said guardedly, ‘it’s really up to you. All we … Todd … can do is explain what’s involved.’ He paused, looking across at Todd. ‘Are the crew upstairs coming to Angola too? Assuming we go?’
‘No,’ Todd shook his head. ‘I’ll do it on a camcorder. No hassles. No dramas.’ He smiled at Molly. ‘Just little me.’
Molly looked between the two men, trying to get her bearings again, while Llewelyn explained a little more about the camcorder, how the system worked, how much time and trouble it would save.
‘Just the three of us,’ he said finally, ‘looking for James.’ He leaned across, his hand on Robbie’s arm. ‘Nice title, don’t you think?’
Robbie nodded, nonplussed, and Todd returned to his study of the menu. At length he looked at Molly again.
‘Have you decided?’ he said.
Molly glanced up. The last thing she felt was hungry.
‘An omelette or a salad,’ she said. ‘Something light.’
‘I meant about the film.’
‘Oh …’
Molly tried to hide her confusion. Given their imminent bankruptcy, Todd Llewelyn represented the only way she’d ever get to Angola. There were limits to what she’d do to earn her passage but she knew how badly she wanted to see the place, to be part of it, to understand exactly how it was that James’s life had come to such an awful end.
‘Tell me again …’ she said, ‘about this film of yours. Why are you making it? Why go to so much trouble?’
Llewelyn smiled, ever-sympathetic. The project, he said, had already come to mean an enormous amount to him personally. He had kids of his own. He sensed only too well how it must feel to lose someone so close. And so he wantedto get the film right. Desperately. More right than anything else he’d ever done.
He paused, extending a hand across the sofa.
‘Your film is simple,’ he said quietly. ‘It’s about sacrifice. And it’s about remembrance. If you’ll do it at all, you’ll do it for James.’
Molly looked away for a moment, turning the words over in her mind. She didn’t much like sacrifice. It wasn’t a word she’d ever associate with James. But remembrance was different. That mattered. That was important. Remembrance. Yes.
She closed the menu and returned it to the
‘There’s a film crew upstairs,’ Llewelyn began. ‘A cameraman and a sound recordist. They’re on stand-by for after lunch but the decision is yours, absolutely yours. No pressure. I promise.’
Molly looked at Robbie, confused now. Robbie was trying to hide his own surprise.
‘Here? Upstairs here? In the hotel?’ he said.
‘Yes.’
‘Why?’
Llewelyn was toying with his gin and tonic.
‘People’s have asked me to do an interview before we leave. That’s if Molly decides in favour, of course. They believe it’s important that we understand the way she feels now, while it’s still so fresh, and actually I think they’re right. We have to have a context, a framework. Grief is a strange thing. It changes people. I’ve seen it time and time again.’
Molly nodded. This much, at least, she knew already.
‘But what would happen?’ she asked. ‘Upstairs?’
‘It’s very simple. We’ve put a couple of lights in a bedroom. We’ll shoot it in such a way that it’ll look like you’re at home. The shot will be very close, very tight.’ He drew an oblong in the air, framing her face.
‘But why not come home? If it’s that important?’
Llewelyn smiled, ever-patient.
‘Logistics,’ he said simply. ‘I know it sounds crazy but the crew have to be back in town by six. This way we give ourselves a chance.’ He paused. ‘But it’s your decision and yours only. Please. Let’s eat.’ He gestured at her menu and picked up his own, skipping the hors-d’œuvres and moving straight to the entrées. Molly looked at Robbie again. This time his expression gave nothing away.
‘What do
you
think?’ she said.
Robbie had his finger in the menu. He glanced up.
‘Todd’s right,’ he said guardedly, ‘it’s really up to you. All we … Todd … can do is explain what’s involved.’ He paused, looking across at Todd. ‘Are the crew upstairs coming to Angola too? Assuming we go?’
‘No,’ Todd shook his head. ‘I’ll do it on a camcorder. No hassles. No dramas.’ He smiled at Molly. ‘Just little me.’
Molly looked between the two men, trying to get her bearings again, while Llewelyn explained a little more about the camcorder, how the system worked, how much time and trouble it would save.
‘Just the three of us,’ he said finally, ‘looking for James.’ He leaned across, his hand on Robbie’s arm. ‘Nice title, don’t you think?’
Robbie nodded, nonplussed, and Todd returned to his study of the menu. At length he looked at Molly again.
‘Have you decided?’ he said.
Molly glanced up. The last thing she felt was hungry.
‘An omelette or a salad,’ she said. ‘Something light.’
‘I meant about the film.’
‘Oh …’
Molly tried to hide her confusion. Given their imminent bankruptcy, Todd Llewelyn represented the only way she’d ever get to Angola. There were limits to what she’d do to earn her passage but she knew how badly she wanted to see the place, to be part of it, to understand exactly how it was that James’s life had come to such an awful end.
‘Tell me again …’ she said, ‘about this film of yours. Why are you making it? Why go to so much trouble?’
Llewelyn smiled, ever-sympathetic. The project, he said, had already come to mean an enormous amount to him personally. He had kids of his own. He sensed only too well how it must feel to lose someone so close. And so he wantedto get the film right. Desperately. More right than anything else he’d ever done.
He paused, extending a hand across the sofa.
‘Your film is simple,’ he said quietly. ‘It’s about sacrifice. And it’s about remembrance. If you’ll do it at all, you’ll do it for James.’
Molly looked away for a moment, turning the words over in her mind. She didn’t much like sacrifice. It wasn’t a word she’d ever associate with James. But remembrance was different. That mattered. That was important. Remembrance. Yes.
She closed the menu and returned it to the
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