His brother guffawed again. ‘Look, I don’t mind admitting it. I’ve said it often enough. Charles Foxley was becoming a liability. You give some people a little success and it goes to their fucking heads. Half the time he would make out as if he had produced, directed and written the damned movie, never mind spent millions of dollars in promotion. He had a big ego, all right. But I have to give credit where credit is due: he had a stable of very bankable actors, and he had three other agents who were also able to bring names to the table, along with well-known directors and writers. But if it hadn’t been for my expertise, Foxley wouldn’t have had the first idea of how to package a movie.’ He laughed again. ‘I’ve got to hand it to him, though, he did learn fast, but he tried to undercut us and the movie turned out to be a flop, and it was my brother and I who lost the big bucks.’

The meeting continued for a further half an hour as Collins asked about the financial stability of both their companies. To Spencer, their wealth was jaw-dropping. Although he found both men obnoxious, he couldn’t help but be impressed. Eventually, Ivor said he needed to go and deal with some of the formidable costs they would incur by cancelling the premiere of Foxley’s last movie.

As Collins and Spencer stood up to leave, Spencer turned to Max. ‘How’s your daughter, Julia?’

It was just an afterthought, but Max visibly tensed.

‘Why are you bringing her up?’ he snapped.

‘No reason – it’s just I met her at the agency.’

Max immediately relaxed. ‘Well, she isn’t there anymore. She was only there as a favor because these young teenage girls don’t have a brain in their head. When she got two O-levels she thought she was Einstein. Takes after her mother . . . ’

He glanced at the photograph of his wife but, before he could say anything further, his desk phone rang. He waved a hand dismissively at Spencer and Collins as he picked up the phone and they made their way out.

*

Jane had Foxley’s work diary on her desk alongside his personal notebook. She had been cross-checking all the dates and timings but there was no indication where the cash, which Foxley withdrew almost every week, was going. The assumption had always been that he was paying a drug dealer, and Spencer had noted on the incident board that the drug squad should be brought in to get heavy with the agency in case one of the agents was the dealer, but there was still no actual evidence.