Read Online Closer by Morning by Thom Collins - Free Book Online Page B

between the deaths and the TV show about a murderer currently being filmed on their doorstep. Rumors and hash tags filled in the blanks.”
    Another round of horns blasted outside.
    â€œShit. What did Elton say? Have we put out a statement?”
    â€œElton is livid. Some of the comments posted online suggest the protestors have seen at least some of the script. They’re not one hundred percent off in some of the things they accuse us of. The publicity department is working on a statement right now. Hopefully they can defuse the situation before it gets worse.”
    â€œDon’t count on it,” Dale said. “An old buddy of mine worked on a movie that angered some animal rights protestors. They heard a horse had been killed during the shoot. It was complete bullshit of course. No animals were ever injured. But word got out just the same and it spread like fire. It closed down the production for three weeks.”
    The crowd of protestors grew over the course of the morning. As well as cars, they had started using whistles and bullhorns to add to the disturbance. Unlike a purpose built studio, working within the old school building was like shooting on location. Sets had been constructed in the gymnasium and assembly hall but none of them were sound proofed.
    â€œLet’s just get the fucking scene shot,” Elton hollered. “If we get the visuals, we can re-record the fucking sound later.”
    It was a fair suggestion but not easy to achieve. Nerves and tempers were frayed by the jarring noise outside. Lines were fluffed. Cues were fucked. Lighting, acting, cameras—everyone was off their game.
    Between botched takes, Dale grabbed his phone and tried to get an idea of what was happening online. The profile of the murdered boys was tragic. They were both so young. It made his flesh prickle to look at their photos. It was no stretch of the imagination to see either of them as prey for his character Daryl Stone. They fitted Daryl’s victim profile exactly.
    But it was nothing more than a deeply sad coincidence. Their show hadn’t finished filming, let alone been seen by anyone. The suggestion that it could influence a murderer was impossible—ludicrous. Not that he believed TV or film had an influence on people’s desire to inflict violence anyway. It was blood lust. People acted on their desire to hurt others because they wanted to.
    By the time they broke for lunch, only a fraction of that morning’s work was complete.
    â€œWhy don’t we go out and talk to them?” Dale suggested. “Roxanne, Elton and me. Maybe we can calm things down. It’s got to be worth a try.”
    â€œNo fucking way,” Roxanne said flatly. “They’ve got TV crews out there now. It’s a damn circus. Publicity can deal with this. It’s their job. Not ours!”
    Dale retired to his trailer to catch the local lunchtime bulletin. The murder investigation was rightfully the lead story with police still refusing to confirm a connection between the deaths of Olly Raymond and Conner Welsh. The bulletin then cut from a live broadcast at police HQ to the protest outside the studio.
    There had to be forty people out there now, together with a live news crew. The reporter seemed to revel in the ignorance and scare mongering that had ignited the situation in the first place.
    â€œ Blood Falls on Stone is a violent thriller starring Roxanne Maxwell and American actor Dale Zachary. The series follows the investigation of a perverted serial killer praying on young students in a college town. The chilling similarities to events right here in Durham cannot be ignored. Protestors today are calling for production on the series to be stopped.”
    The reporter turned to interview one of those protestors, a middle-aged woman full of indignation and anger.
    â€œIt shows an utter lack of respect for the victims, their families and our community,” the woman seethed.