‘Wouldn’t say,’ shrugged Josh. ‘Female caller, very insistent. Says it’s urgent, personal business.’
Sam frowned, took the mobile and made his way to the stateroom on the mezzanine level of the yacht, hoping it was the lawyer – what was her name? Helen something? She was due any minute. Eli had reassured him the situation was under control, but he would feel much more secure hearing it from an expert.
‘Hey, it’s Sam,’ he said when the door was closed.
‘It’s Katie.’
Immediately Sam could feel his pulse start to flutter. What the hell did she want now? If he was honest, he hadn’t been all that surprised when Katie had called two days ago. Stupidly he’d given her his card, and to be frank, why wouldn’t she call? He would have done. Any struggling thesp worth their salt would try to use whatever contacts they could to get a foot up on the ladder – and who better than a Hollywood star: correction, a guilty Hollywood star? He had been muttering something about getting her a meeting with Eli when Katie had dropped the bombshell.
‘I want five hundred grand,’ she had said, as if she was asking for a signed photograph. ‘I have pictures. Very intimate pictures. I don’t think Jessica will want to see them. Certainly not on the front page of the New York Post.’
He had hung up and called Eli, who had put it into the hands of this lawyer with the attack-dog reputation. Wasn’t she supposed to put a stop to this? He stared at himself in a full-length mirror. In his oversized robe, he looked vulnerable. Scared. Which was exactly how he felt.
‘What do you want now, Katie?’ he said, trying to sound confident and in control.
‘I thought I made that clear,’ she said coldly. ‘I want the money. Where is it?’
Sam frowned.
‘I thought my manager was going to—’
‘I said I wanted the money by five o’clock,’ she snapped. ‘Don’t try and stall me.’
‘Katie, these things take time,’ said Sam soothingly. ‘I can’t just magic the sort of cash you’re asking for out of thin air.’
‘Oh sure. I bet you have that much in your wallet.’
Sam rubbed his eyes. How could he have been so wrong about this girl? That night at the party – the bits he could remember – and the morning in the hotel, Katie had seemed smart, sassy, decent. It was what had attracted him to her in the first place. He could understand her wanting to make the most of the situation, but this was insane. Wasn’t it?
‘Why are you doing this, Katie?’ he said softly. ‘I thought we got along that night. I said I’d help you out as much as I could.’
‘Yeah, right,’ she said sarcastically. ‘Like you were ever going to call me.’
‘But this is blackmail,’ he said. ‘I could go straight to the police. Do you want that?’
‘Are you threatening me, Sam?’ she hissed. ‘Because I don’t think you want to do that in your position.’
Sam winced. Clearly confrontation was not the way to go.
‘Why not let me help you, then?’ he said. ‘You’re an actress. A pretty good one apparently. If you go to the papers, it’s not going to look good for you either. You’ve got so much to lose.’
She snorted. ‘Have I? From where I’m standing, I’ve got nothing to lose.’
She slurred the word ‘nothing’ and Sam realised she was drunk. No wonder she wasn’t buying into the rational argument. Still he pressed on.
‘Listen, I told you in London these things take time. I know it’s hard. It’s frustrating, and you just need that lucky break . . .’
‘Like meeting a movie star at a party. Then having sex with him. That was pretty lucky, huh?’
Despite his anger, he felt a pang of sympathy for her.
‘You’re better than this, Katie. You’re worth more than this.’
‘Yeah, I know,’ she said. ‘Which is why my price has just gone up to six hundred thousand.’
‘This is ridiculous,’ he said, finally losing his cool. And where was his bloody lawyer when he needed her?
‘What’s ridiculous?’ said Katie. ‘Getting money for sex? It wouldn’t be the first time.’