Ari frowned. ‘For snowboarding? No, of course not.’ He took in her quizzical expression. ‘. . . Why?’

‘I found Kit breath-training in the pool the other day.’

‘Seriously?’ Ari gave a half laugh, half snort of confusion. ‘. . . Why would he be doing that?’

‘You tell me,’ Clover said, looking back at him coolly. ‘. . . Do you still think he has no regrets?’

‘Ari, you did brilliantly!’ Matty said encouragingly as Johnny gave them the sign he’d stopped rolling.

He didn’t reply, his body held stiffly as she ran over and unclipped his mic.

‘I told you we were prepared to listen,’ Clover said, getting up and holding out her hand, forcing eye contact. ‘Listen, you know I have to ask the questions about Cory. We can’t avoid them. Everyone wants your side of things, that’s what this whole film is about. We have to address the elephant in the room. But you did well, Ari. You really showed Kit in a sympathetic light.’

‘You think so?’ He shook her hand, seeming comforted by her feedback. ‘I mean, this isn’t my bag. I’m not used to being on that side of the camera. Kit’s the star; I don’t play the PR game. I just shoot from the hip.’

‘And it’s served you well. You’ve really helped draw up a different perspective,’ Matty grinned encouragingly. ‘See, it wasn’t so bad, was it? Want some water?’ She handed him his glass.

Clover could literally see the adrenaline beginning to wash through his veins. It was a different kind of rush than he was used to.

‘It actually wasn’t that bad.’ He drained the glass, then smiled with relief.

‘It was good!’ Matty reassured. She was always great at the post-interview care.

He gave a nervous laugh. ‘. . . I was shitting a brick! Now I don’t know what I was so worried about!’

Johnny, dismantling the lighting softbox behind him, looked over at Clover and smiled; they both knew Ari would now report back to Kit that there was nothing to fear. She’d gone in gently for specifically that reason.

‘At least I can take this damned thing off now,’ Ari said, already unbuttoning his shirt.

They all laughed as he headed downstairs to change, waiting for him to disappear from sight before they quietly high-fived one another.

‘Pleased?’ Johnny asked her.

‘Yeah. I am. There’s some good soundbites in there, plus some threads I want to develop with Beau and Kit. The stuff with his dad I want to work on with Beau. Ari calls it motivation, the rest of the world calls it anger management issues.’

Matty sighed. ‘I’ll have anger management issues if I don’t get a coffee. Where’s Carlotta?’

‘But why didn’t you go in on Amy?’ Johnny asked. ‘You teed it all up. I thought you were going to push him on it.’