‘May I venture to ask why?’
‘The dancing. And because other people can be cruel, that’s why.’
A little later, after more quiet reflection and gnashing of teeth, Diamond emerged from his office again and addressed the troops, by now all present and ready for any other shocks the day might bring. They’d taken stock of the new arrival and were keeping their distance.
‘Some of you know Fred Dawkins already. He’s on secondment from uniform. No doubt he’ll make his own unique contribution to the team. And he comes at a critical moment, because we have a new line of enquiry. Keith and Inge went to the theatre last night.’
Some joker at the back made sounds suggesting unbridled sex. Ingeborg turned and gave a withering glare. Normal service had been restored.
‘Was the play any good?’ Diamond asked.
‘Not much,’ Keith Halliwell said. ‘It creaks a bit.’
‘We didn’t see the first half,’ Ingeborg said. ‘We went backstage.’
‘How did you manage that?’
‘By passing ourselves off as press. There was a security man on the stage door. The regular guy wasn’t on duty.’
‘And you collected the little item I requested?’ Diamond said.
Ingeborg turned to Halliwell, who produced his specs case and opened it like a jeweller displaying a precious stone.
The dead tortoiseshell hadn’t travelled well. Damaged at the edges and missing one of its antennae, it wouldn’t have been of much interest to a butterfly collector, but at least it was out of the theatre.
‘You may be wondering why I wanted this,’ Diamond said. ‘It isn’t my latest hobby. This turned up in the dressing room used by Clarion Calhoun the other night. A dead butterfly is a bad omen in the Theatre Royal. A live one would be good news. Don’t ask me why. It would take too long. All you need to know is that theatre people are deeply superstitious. There’s enough nervousness in that place already without this making it worse.’
‘Did Clarion see it?’ Paul Gilbert, the youngest DC, asked.
‘We don’t know. We’re not even sure if she knows about the butterfly jinx.’
‘Are you thinking someone placed it there to scare her?’
‘Let’s keep an open mind on that. This sad little critter may have been trapped in the room.’
‘How did you know it was there, guv?’ DI John Leaman asked.
‘I was given a tour yesterday lunchtime.’
‘So you’re not the only one who saw it?’
‘My guide saw it. He fainted and appears to have no memory of the incident.’
‘Fainted when he saw the butterfly?’
‘Right.’
‘Bit extreme.’
‘Titus is a bit extreme.’ He added in a tone that didn’t encourage a comeback from anyone, ‘And we were on a so-called ghost hunt at the time. But let’s get back to reality and Clarion’s injury. I called Frenchay Hospital just now and she’s still in the burns unit receiving treatment. There can be no question that the skin damage is real.’
‘Wounding with malicious intent?’ Leaman said.
‘That’s a possibility. Inge, tell the team.’
She nodded. ‘After we found the butterfly, we went backstage and met Kate, the wardrobe manager. She was on extra duties because Denise Pearsall called in earlier to say she was too upset to carry out her duties properly.’
There was a sound like a liner being launched: Dawkins clearing his throat.
‘You want to say something, Fred?’ Diamond had a sense of dread.
‘If you please, superintendent.’
‘“Guv” will do if you want to call me anything at all.’
‘Pardon me. Such an appellation smacks of over-familiarity on one’s first day.’
Looks were exchanged around the room.
‘Get on with it, man.’
‘This may or may not be significant… guv.’
‘Spit it out, or we’ll never know.’
‘I interviewed Ms Pearsall yesterday morning.’
‘I know.’
‘DC Smith just said she was too upset to work last night.’
‘Correct.’
