Death and the Final Cut, page 1
Contents
Cover
Also by G.M. Malliet
Title Page
Copyright
Praise for the St. Just Mysteries
About the Author
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Epigraph
Cast of Characters
Prologue
Part I: Edinburgh
Chapter One: The Party
Chapter Two: The Producer
Part II: Hollywood on Cam
Chapter Three: Cast and Crew
Chapter Four: An Actor’s Life for Me
Chapter Five: Becky
Chapter Six: Vile Body
Chapter Seven: Dr Pomeroy
Chapter Eight: Becky’s Interview
Part III: Cambridge
Chapter Nine: Something Wicked
Chapter Ten: Background
Chapter Eleven: Ernie Eastman
Chapter Twelve: Alain Vernon
Chapter Thirteen: Magritte
Chapter Fourteen: Ruth Seagram
Chapter Fifteen: The Consultant
Chapter Sixteen: Devon Ashleigh
Chapter Seventeen: Steve Fontaine
Chapter Eighteen: The Reporter
Chapter Nineteen: The Lovers
Chapter Twenty: Home
Part IV: Anglesey Abbey
Chapter Twenty-One: The Cast Gathers
Chapter Twenty-Two: The Publicist
Chapter Twenty-Three: Joe Marlowe
Chapter Twenty-Four: Henrietta II
Chapter Twenty-Five: Shawn Storey
Chapter Twenty-Six: Becky’s Friend
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Mark
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Baron Field
Chapter Twenty-Nine: A Job for Interpol
Chapter Thirty: The Bad News
Chapter Thirty-One: More Bad News
Part V: Edinburgh: The Final Reel
Chapter Thirty-Two: Scandal Sheets
Chapter Thirty-Three: Waverley
Chapter Thirty-Four: The Good Neighbour
Chapter Thirty-Five: The List of Suspects
Chapter Thirty-Six: Final Cut
Also by G.M. Malliet
The St. Just Mysteries
DEATH OF A COSY WRITER
DEATH AND THE LIT CHICK
DEATH AT THE ALMA MATER
DEATH IN CORNWALL *
DEATH IN PRINT *
DEATH AND THE OLD MASTER *
The Max Tudor Series
WICKED AUTUMN
A FATAL WINTER
PAGAN SPRING
A DEMON SUMMER
THE HAUNTED SEASON
DEVIL’S BREATH
IN PRIOR’S WOOD
THE WASHING AWAY OF WRONGS
Augusta Hawke Mysteries
AUGUSTA HAWKE *
INVITATION TO A KILLER *
Other Novels
WEYCOMBE
* available from Severn House
DEATH AND THE FINAL CUT
G.M. Malliet
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
First world edition published in Great Britain and the USA in 2025
by Severn House, an imprint of Canongate Books Ltd,
14 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TE.
This eBook edition first published in 2025 by Severn House,
an imprint of Canongate Books Ltd.
severnhouse.com
Copyright © G.M. Malliet, LLC, 2025
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All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. The right of G.M. Malliet to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988.
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A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4483-1473-7 (cased)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4483-1873-5 (paper)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4483-1687-8 (e-book)
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Except where actual historical events and characters are being described for the storyline of this novel, all situations in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is purely coincidental.
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Praise for the St. Just Mysteries
‘A twisty plot, vivid personalities, and some gentle British humor make this an enjoyable read, particularly for dedicated Anglophile mystery lovers’
Booklist on Death and the Old Master
‘A richly diverse cast of characters, and intriguing glimpses into modern-day police work’
Booklist on Death in Print
‘Malliet draws the reader in with elegant prose and distinctive characters’
Publishers Weekly on Death in Cornwall
‘For fans of old-fashioned cozies’
Booklist on Death in Cornwall
‘Low-key, highly professional work right up to the unmasking of the surprisingly well-hidden killer’
Kirkus Reviews on Death in Cornwall
‘The reader has a real treat in store … Malliet’s writing is both smooth and elegant and her humor delicious’
Booklist Starred Review of Death at the Alma Mater
About the author
Agatha Award-winning G.M. Malliet is the acclaimed author of three traditional mystery series and a standalone novel. The first entry in the DCI St. Just series, Death of a Cozy Writer, won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel and was nominated for numerous awards, including the Macavity and Anthony. The Rev. Max Tudor series has been nominated for many awards as have several of her short stories collected in anthologies and appearing in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and The Strand. She was a graduate student at the universities of Cambridge and Oxford and now lives on the East Coast of the US with her husband.
www.gmmalliet.com
For Jane, Leslie, and Sybil – my Cambridge co-conspirators
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to my agent, Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media Group, for always being in my corner.
Thanks also to the team at Severn House, in particular Martin Brown, Joanne Grant, Penny Isaac, Sianna King, Lucy Page, Sara Porter, Rachel Slatter, Eleanor Smith, and Piers Tilbury.
And to the experts in many fields who patiently answered my questions and allowed me to draw on their expertise, with special thanks to the development team at St Edmund’s College, Cambridge; the staff of the Foundations Trust of the Round Church, Cambridge; and medievalist historians Terri Barnes of Portland, Oregon, and Dr Patzuk-Russell of the University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland. All mistakes or misstatements of fact, intentional or otherwise, are my own.
And as always, to Bob.
‘Remember: there are no small parts, only small actors.’
—Konstantin Stanislavski
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Detective Chief Inspector St. Just and Detective Sergeant Fear of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s Serious Crime Unit.
Portia De’Ath, lecturer at the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology, crime novel writer, and St. Just’s fiancée.
Dr Pomeroy, police pathologist.
•
Becky Ainslie, a server at the Edinburgh party given by Viking Bride’s producer Ernie Eastman.
Devon Ashleigh, the film’s prop master. He prefers the term ‘properties director’.
Redmond Collins, the author of the book on which the film Viking Bride is based.
Agnes Dermont, actress, formerly famous and now cast as lead in Viking Bride. Her husband Alain Vernon is the director.
Ernest ‘Ernie’ Eastman, the film’s producer. People wonder why he cast Agnes Dermont in Viking Bride.
Cordelia Everly, Ernie Eastman’s estranged wife, living in Majorca since the breakdown of their marriage.
Baron Field, a private investigator.
Steve Fontaine, a stuntman formerly married to Agnes Dermont.
Magritte Grimes, an actress cast as the sister of Agnes Dermont’s character. Everyone thinks Magritte would have made a better Viking princess than fifty-year-old Agnes.
Dr Eske Jonasson, a Viking expert hired to consult on the project. He wants his name taken off the credits before his involvement with the film ruins his academic career.
Henrietta Ketel, ambitious reporter for the Cambridgeshire Bugle. A murde r on a film set is her big chance to make her mark in the cut-throat world of journalism.
Brady Malik, general manager of the Hilltop Regency Cambridge Hotel.
Joe Marlowe, cast as the bridegroom in Viking Bride. He is infatuated with Magritte Grimes, who is involved with Steve Fontaine, the film’s stuntman.
Dante Montoya, a police detective.
Mark Mooney, University of Cambridge undergrad and Becky Ainslie’s beau.
Abigail Sanders, a pensioner who misses little that goes on in her neighbourhood.
Ruth Seagram, costume designer.
Shawn Storey, the film’s scriptwriter. After his last box-office flop, Venice in My View, he knows his career is over if this film also fails.
Theresa Tucker, the film’s publicist. She seems delighted by the murder because it generates so much free publicity.
Alain Vernon, director. Married to the once-famous Agnes Dermont. He slowly realises he’s made a terrible mistake casting her in the film that was supposed to establish him as a director. When she is killed, everyone remembers: it’s always the husband.
PROLOGUE
‘How wonderful,’ said Portia, setting down the local newspaper. ‘More coffee, Arthur?’
‘Please,’ said St. Just, turning to The Times crossword.
Crikey, but today’s clues were ridiculous. ‘Actress almost forgotten in turmoil’ – what does that even mean? I’ll just start with the ones I know … if I can find any … ‘What’s wonderful?’
‘There’s going to be a film crew in Cambridge,’ she said. Not for the first time, St. Just had the sense Portia could read his mind. He was almost getting used to it.
‘I don’t suppose you know what “Actress almost forgotten in turmoil” might mean.’
She thought a moment. ‘Mercouri. Maybe.’
‘A film crew,’ he said, lifting his eyes from the puzzle. ‘What – in the centre of Cambridge?’
‘The Round Church is mentioned as a setting for a Viking wedding, so, yes.’
‘Oh,’ he said, taking a sip of coffee and setting the cup down with rather more clatter than he intended. ‘It’ll be a nightmare for the police. We’re so shorthanded I’ll probably be seconded to traffic duty. What would the Vikings be doing getting married in Cambridge, anyway?’
‘I don’t know. I think we’re to take that bit of history with a grain of salt. But they were here an awfully long time and things do happen when people are thrown together.’
‘They were here too long for most people’s liking. What is it they’re filming, a romance?’
‘Of sorts. More of an adventure tale. It’s starring Agnes Dermont and Magritte Grimes and being directed by Agnes’s dishy husband, Alain Vernon.’
Even DCI Arthur St. Just had heard of the women, although the ‘dishy’ director’s name rang no bells.
‘No question, you’ll be shorthanded,’ she went on. ‘We’ll have to hope there’s no serious crime while they’re in town.’
‘Agnes Dermont, did you say?’
‘Yes. I’d say it’s a bit of a comeback for her.’
‘Coming back from rehab?’
‘Yes, if the magazines at my hairdressers are to be believed. What with one thing and another she’s been away from the film scene for a while. This spectacle – and I think we’ll find that’s the only applicable word – this spectacle is meant to set her squarely back in the spotlight.’
The name conjured up a sort of nostalgia for St. Just. Agnes Dermont, although a few years older than he, had been a feature of his misspent youth in both film and stage theatres.
She had to be around fifty now. He was curious to see what she looked like. Perhaps he could volunteer for crowd control when she appeared, or welcome her to the city on behalf of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary – although the chief constable would surely grab that honour.
‘Who is playing the bride?’ he asked.
‘Why, I believe Agnes is.’
‘Agnes Dermont? Seriously? Surely not. I mean, I don’t mean to sound sexist, or ageist, but isn’t that a bit silly at her age?’
‘That’s exactly what you sound, Arthur. Women are judged by a different standard in every field, but especially in Hollywood, I’m sure. However, I think when you’re married to the director, if you want to play a blushing bride at any age, you get to play the blushing bride. They probably have make-up and filters and camera tricks that can restore her to what I’m sure you remember from your youth.’
‘I thought when you mentioned Magritte Grimes you meant she would play the bride.’
Portia shook her head. ‘Apparently not. Magritte is playing the younger sister and bridesmaid. Can I … I mean, I’m such a fan of both women. Do you think you could arrange some way for me to meet them? Something like a stage pass?’
‘I don’t see why not,’ said St. Just. ‘I can organise it at the station. It really is rather thrilling to have them in Cambridge, even though the logistics will be a nightmare. What was a sleepy little town in the thirteenth century was never designed for use as a film set, and I would imagine most of the streets apart from King’s Parade are too narrow to handle more than handheld equipment. When does filming start?’
‘The paper says they should be up and running by the end of full Easter term,’ Portia replied. ‘Near the end of June. I’ll have bid farewell to my students by then and we’ll have the whole summer to plan for our own wedding and watch a wedding being filmed. Maybe we’ll pick up some tips.’
‘Tips on how to decorate for a Viking wedding? That’s very hard to picture – no pun intended.’
‘Keep up with what the students are doing, Arthur. Norse pagan and Viking-themed weddings are all the rage. It’s an entire trend with braids and tunics and so on.’
‘I thought we were keeping things simple,’ St. Just said faintly.
‘I could carry a wheat bundle,’ she said. ‘The flower girl and ring bearer could dress as elves.’
‘You’re joking, aren’t you?’
‘I am, Arthur. We’ll do the traditional in your old college chapel, or anywhere you like.’
‘And that reminds me to call the college chaplain and see about setting a date – at long last.’
‘Am I still pencilled in for next year?’
‘You most certainly are. Even though I’ll be quite old by then. Feeble and in my dotage. Completely unable to do the crossword. If you’re still sure you want to go through with this …’
‘Sure.’
‘I apologise for what I said about Agnes. I’m an idiot. It’s not just with actors – the prejudice is so ingrained.’
‘I do know what you meant, Arthur. The casting is going to raise a few eyebrows. And accusations of nepotism, besides. I can only imagine what the online trolls will make of it. Just don’t forget to see about getting me a day pass. What this town needs is a shot of old-fashioned glamour, don’t you think?’
And fewer murders, thought St. Just. There had been a rash of them lately, the latest being the shocking death of a master at Hardwick College.
What he wouldn’t give for a flagrant shoplifting case, just for a change.
‘You’re quite right,’ he said. ‘Old-fashioned glamour is what’s called for in Cambridge. I promise I’ll see what I can do about getting you a pass.’
But it was a promise St. Just would have to break.
Casual visitors to a murder scene were frowned upon.
PART I
EDINBURGH
‘All the world’s a stage … but the play is badly cast.’
—Oscar Wilde
ONE
The Party
‘A party full of Hollywood types,’ Dru had said. ‘You’ll get to meet all sorts of glamorous people. The pay is good. You’ll kick yourself if you don’t take the job.’
Dru had said.
Becky Ainslie moved quietly through the noisy, crowded room, a tray of canapés expertly poised on her fingertips, wondering when she’d learn to ignore half of what Dru said. Still, her catering company had trained her surprisingly well, rather than assuming all she needed to know was how to carry a tray. You had to be polite, poised, and, where necessary, deftly avoid the grabby hands of the male clients, who seemed to think catering staff were there to cater to every desire.
