Solomon stands up and throws the remote control against the wall over the fireplace. It crashes against the brickwork. The back falls off and the batteries scatter to the floor. Bo ducks and huddles even tighter in the corner of the couch. He looks at her, but neither of them say anything, he doesn’t need to; Bo looks as guilty as he feels.
‘We have to do something,’ Solomon says, feeling and hearing the emotion in his voice. He can barely take this, sitting back and watching Laura being picked apart.
‘I’m trying, Solomon,’ Bo says, tears in her eyes.
‘I’ve had enough of trying to talk to her through StarrQuest,’ he paces the lounge, angrily. ‘We have to get to her ourselves. Where is the contestants’ house the news mentioned?’
‘I have no idea,’ Bo says, lost in thought, then she sits up with an idea. ‘But the fansites will know.’
‘I’m a friend of Laura Button’s, I’m here to see her,’ Solomon says to the security guard on the gates outside the contestants’ house.
The guard laughs and approaches him with a clipboard. ‘You and all the others.’
Solomon looks around. A dozen photographers and a camera crew watch him, at first with interest and then with amusement when his wish to pass is denied. Behind a rail are a handful of hardcore fans, sleeping bags lining the grass, a home-made banner that says We Lyrebird.
‘Leave her alone,’ one girl shouts across to him.
Anger rises in Solomon.
‘If you could tell her that I’m here, then she’ll tell you to let me in.’
Security looks him up and down. ‘Why don’t you go ahead and give her a call first? Tell her to call me and ask me to let you in.’
Solomon grinds his teeth. ‘I can’t call her. That’s why I’m here.’
‘Yeah. Well, I can’t let you in. Your name needs to be on the list and you’re not on the list, so I can’t let you in.’
Solomon turns off the engine and gets out of the car.
‘Sir, I’d advise you to stay in the car. There’s no need to get out of your car.’
He’s standing so close to the car door, Solomon can’t open it. He pushes it a little harder. It hits the guard and he takes a backward step.
‘Hey, what are you doing? I said get back in the car!’
‘Then don’t block my door! Don’t block my door!’ Solomon gets in his face as they both shout at each other.
A bored photographer takes a few photographs.
A second security guard appears from the hut. ‘Barry?’ he says, concerned.
‘Great, hopefully you can help,’ Solomon says, pushing his hair off his face and trying to compose himself in front of the crowd. ‘I need to contact my friend Laura Button. I appreciate that I’m not on the list but if you call her, which will take one second of your time, then she will immediately let me in. Okay?’
‘Who?’ he asks, looking from his colleague to Solomon and back.
‘The Lyrebird,’ Barry says.
‘It’s actually Laura. Laura Button is her name,’ Solomon gets het up again.
‘Leave Lyrebird alone,’ the fan shouts at him again. ‘People like you aren’t helping her!’
Solomon ignores her.
‘So you know her real name, you read the news,’ Barry says, unimpressed.
‘Okay okay, let’s keep it calm,’ the second security guy says. ‘There’s no need to get upset.’
Solomon calms down, he likes this guy, he may see reason. ‘Step this way with me.’ He follows him, out of eyeshot of the crowd, into the security hut. Solomon feels he’s been taken seriously. ‘Now let me tell you how it works here,’ he says calmly.
‘I told him,’ Barry interrupts, behind him.
‘Barry,’ he warns, and Barry leaves the hut swearing.
‘We are given a list of people who are allowed to visit. It’s a very strict list. If you want to visit somebody in the house you’re supposed to contact the production office, who then alert us. We’re not allowed to let any Tom, Dick or Harry just waltz in. And you’re not even family. And it’s ten o’clock at night. Too late for visitors.’
‘I understand that, I appreciate that. And that’s the way it should be, but I know that Laura wants to see me. I’m not on the list because she didn’t know that I was able to visit, but I can and now if you let her know that I’m here, I promise you this won’t be a waste of time.’
He looks at Solomon like he’s trying to figure him out.
He picks up the phone and the relief floods through Solomon.
‘Simon, it’s Richie. I’ve got a visitor for Lyrebird. Yeah. He’s here right now. Not on the list but he wants to see her.’
‘Solomon Fallon,’ Solomon says, realising he hasn’t even asked him his name.
‘Solomon Fallon,’ he says down the phone. He listens. They wait. ‘They’re checking,’ he says. He looks around as he waits a little longer.
Something’s up. Solomon senses something amiss. He looks at the phone and realises that Richie isn’t even on the phone. He hasn’t made a real phone call, this is all a farce. When Solomon listens carefully he can hear the dial tone on the other end of the phone.