‘Do you mean,’ asked Strike, ‘that he was interested in Lula sexually, or…?’

‘Oh yah, I’m sure he was; he’s always liked dark girls better than blondes. What he really loves, though, is getting a bit of celebrity meat into his films. He drives directors mad, trying to crowbar in celebrities, to get a bit of extra press. I’ll bet he was hoping to get her signed up for a film, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised,’ Tansy added, with unexpected shrewdness, ‘if he had something planned around her and Deeby Macc. Imagine the press, with the fuss there was already about the two of them. Freddie’s got a genius for that stuff. He loves publicity for his films as much as he hates it for himself.’

‘Does he know Deeby Macc?’

‘Not unless they’ve met since we separated. He hadn’t met Macc before Lula died. God, he was thrilled that Macc was coming to stay in the building; he started talking about casting him the moment he heard.’

‘Casting him as what?’

‘I don’t know,’ she said irritably. ‘Anything. Macc’s got a huge following; Freddie wasn’t going to pass that chance up. He’d probably have had a part written specially for him if he’d been interested. Oh, he would have been all over him. Telling him all about his pretend black grandmother.’ Tansy’s voice was contemptuous. ‘That’s what he always does when he meets famous black people: tells them he’s a quarter Malay. Yeah, whatever, Freddie.’

‘Isn’t he a quarter Malay?’ asked Strike.

She gave a snide little laugh.

‘I don’t know; I never met any of Freddie’s grandparents, did I? He’s about a hundred years old. I know he’ll say anything if he thinks there’s money in it.’

‘Did anything ever come of these plans to get Lula and Macc into his films, as far as you’re aware?’

‘Well, I’m sure Lula was flattered to be asked; most of these model girls are dying to prove they can do something other than stare into a camera, but she never signed up to anything, did she, John?’

‘Not as far as I know,’ said Bristow. ‘Although… but that was something different,’ he mumbled, turning blotchily pink again. He hesitated, then, responding to Strike’s interrogative gaze, he said:

‘Mr Bestigui visited my mother a couple of weeks ago, out of the blue. She’s exceptionally poorly, and… well, I wouldn’t want to…’

His glance at Tansy was uncomfortable.

‘Say what you like, I don’t care,’ she said, with what seemed like genuine indifference.

Bristow made the strange jutting and sucking movement that temporarily hid the hamsterish teeth.