‘Since the very start! It’s been . . . an amazing experience. Seriously, what an introduction to the business, right? ’

‘Do you remember an Agnes Garfield? ’

‘Oh, my, God.’ He rolled his eyes, one hand pressed against his chest. ‘Could she have been any more of a nutbag? It’s creepy when people get obsessed like that, isn’t it? I mean, it’s only a film, right? ’

Steel shrugged. ‘Wouldn’t know.’

‘Right, here we are.’ Jack swept his arms out, encompassing the front of another dirty big warehouse, this one with the number ‘2’ painted in silver all up the front and over the massive sliding doors. If anything it was even larger than the first one. ‘Oh-oh, we’ve got a red light, so we’re going to have to wait here for a minute or two.’

Logan rested his back against the warm metal wall. ‘They had to throw her off the studio lot three times? ’

‘I know, and then she broke in! Can you believe it? There’s props missing from the stores and everything.’ A sigh. ‘That’s why we’ve all got to be like super vigilant about passes. Even the actors have to wear them between scenes.’

Steel puckered her lips. ‘What, stark bollock naked with a stiffy and wee ID card dangling about? ’

Jack’s smile slipped a little. ‘A . . . stiffy? ’

‘Aye, between scenes. When they’re no’ humping? ’

His mouth fell open a half-inch. Then clacked shut again, and the insincere smile was back. ‘Well, that’s us got a green light now. Shall we? ’

Chapter 17

17

Steel stood in the doorway and stared. Soundstage Two was massive, broken up into different sets. The biggest was a four-storey block of flats in partial cutaway, the rooms full of battered furniture and grubby wallpaper, with what looked like a water tank at the bottom. Three people in dirty coveralls and facemasks were spray-painting stains onto one of the rooms.

Then there was a shanty town at the foot of a cliff, and the inside of what might have been a fishing boat. They all backed onto vast sweeps of green fabric marked with little yellow crosses. But other than a handful of people doing set-dressing, the locations were deserted. All the real activity was taking place around the set in the far corner – a sort of circular House of Commons, with raked green leather bench seating and carved woodwork, arranged around a central island of red carpet and a massive brass lectern.

Half of the set was green-screen, but they’d built a segment of wall with more benches, a couple of balconies, and a curved ceiling painted blue with gold stars.