He went down to the canteen. He’d arranged to meet his new recruits there. George Pidgeon and Dawn Reed were waiting by the door, as edgy as first night actors. Was it his imagination, or were police getting younger?
‘You should have gone in,’ he told them. ‘Or are you waiting for me to buy you tea and a bun?’
PC Reed started to explain, but Diamond interrupted. ‘You’ll soon learn that I’m not easy to work for. Whatever you do, it’s wrong. Coffee?’
They hesitated as if it was a trick question.
‘I’m having tea and a Bath bun,’ he said.
‘The same for me, sir,’ PC Pidgeon said at once.
‘But we’ll buy our own,’ Reed added.
‘In that case you can buy mine as well while I bag a table,’ Diamond said.
From the far side of the canteen he watched with amusement as they lined up at the counter talking earnestly to each other with an occasional glance to where he was, most likely settling who would pay for his tea and bun.
When they came over with the tray he held out a fiver.
‘It’s on us, sir,’ Reed said.
‘It isn’t. I brought you here. I pay.’
Having worked with Fred Dawkins, this young lady was used to being overruled.
That settled, Diamond said with an effort to be friendly, ‘You’re asking yourselves why you’ve been plucked from the ranks. It’s because I’ve seen you in action, both of you, and I liked what I saw. George, when you found that car for me the other evening you asked about the possibility of a transfer to CID.’
‘Yes, sir.’ Pidgeon’s spaniel eyes gleamed in expectation.
‘This isn’t it. I want two reliable officers for a job I wouldn’t care to do myself. And you can stop all this “sir” stuff. “Guv” will do to my face and what you call me behind my back is your affair. Understood?’
In unison they said, ‘Yes, guv.’
‘This job is secret. Do you know the difference between secret and need to know?’
‘If it’s secret, no one needs to know,’ Reed said.
‘Correct. Not your friends, family, brother officers, superiors, the Chief Constable, not even the theatre ghost. Afraid of ghosts, are you, either of you?’
Unused to this sort of question from a senior officer, they each grinned sheepishly.
‘This is something I do need to know,’ he said.
They glanced at each other and shook their heads.
‘That’s good, because you’ll be spending the next two nights on duty inside the Theatre Royal, supposedly one of the most haunted buildings in Bath. It will be dark when you go in and I want it to remain in darkness. You’ll be alone in that spooky old building, apart perhaps from the grey lady.’ He scanned their faces. ‘How does that strike you?’
‘Not a problem for me, guv,’ Pidgeon said.
‘Me neither,’ Reed said.
And they obviously meant what they said.
‘You’re too polite to ask what this is all about. Here’s the deal. We’ve had two murders in the theatre in two days. One thing we know for certain about the killer is that he or she is very familiar with the place, backstage as well as the part the audience sees. The digital security system is no bar to this individual. And we believe the first murder may have been done after hours, at night. My idea is to set a trap, persuade the killer to return to the scene of the crime. The time they’ll choose will be at night. If this succeeds you’ll be lying in wait and you’ll arrest them. Does that make sense?’
‘What’s the bait, guv?’ Reed asked.
‘Good question. Not yet decided. It has to be something that unsettles them, some giveaway clue they left behind and need to return for. They’ll think the theatre is empty. This is why your mission is top secret.’
The start of a frown appeared as Pidgeon asked, ‘Will we be armed?’
Diamond shook his head. ‘You can carry your batons if you like.’
‘I meant firearms.’
‘I know what you meant and I said batons. Have you done the firearms course, either of you?’
They shook their heads.
‘You’d end up shooting each other. If it’s any comfort, the only weapon the killer has used so far is a plastic bag,’ He took out one of the cards issued to theatre staff. ‘These are the security codes. You enter through the Egg Theatre, which is at the back. Get there by ten. Your shift ends at first light.’
‘Do you want us in uniform, guv?’ Dawn Reed asked.
‘What do you think? Because I treated you to tea and a bun, that doesn’t make you CID. I suggest you get some sleep in the next few hours.’
‘Are we off duty now?’
