Stagestruck

‘You’re reading a lot into this.’

‘I want to know who was in there and why.’

‘What would be the point of killing Denise? She was a nice woman, from all I heard, respected by people in the theatre.’

‘I know.’

‘And she’d struggle with an attacker, surely. There would be marks on her body that would be obvious in the post-mortem. Was anything mentioned by the pathologist?’

‘No, but there was alcohol in her system.’

‘She may have taken a drink to get her courage up.’

‘Or someone gave her a cocktail of drink and drugs.’

‘Drugs were present as well?’

He cleared his throat. ‘That’s speculation on my part. We won’t know until the blood is tested.’

‘And if, as I suspect, the results are negative?’

‘I’ll look at the possibility of more than one killer being involved.’

Georgina clicked her tongue. ‘This is in danger of becoming an obsession, Peter.’

‘If you remember, ma’am, you got me started on this.’

‘Only because I could see the theatre being closed down. That seems less likely now, even if Clarion sues.’

‘Do I sense that you’d like to call off the hounds?’

She looked away, out of the window. ‘No, you can finish the job. I’m more confident than I was.’ She turned to face him, eyes shining more brightly than her silver buttons. ‘I was chosen last night for Sweeney Todd.’

‘Nice work, ma’am.’ He couldn’t resist asking, ‘What part are you playing?’

‘Not one of the principals. I have the voice, but as a newcomer to the BLOGs, I can’t expect a major role this year. I’ll be strengthening the company.’

In the chorus, in other words. ‘And it’s to run at the theatre?’

‘The third week in September. Rehearsals have been under way for some time. I’m joining late.’

‘Where do you rehearse? Not in the theatre?’

‘No, we don’t have the use of it yet. Our rehearsal room is a church hall.’ But she took his enquiry as a pledge of interest. ‘Do you sing, Peter?’

He laughed. ‘Like a corncrake.’

‘Well, if you wanted – if you were looking for a way to get involved – you could be an ancillary.’

‘What’s that?’

‘One of our back-up people, using whatever talents you possess, designing the programme, making props, painting scenery. There are jobs galore.’

‘Theatre isn’t my thing.’

‘Fair enough. I only mentioned it in passing. Living alone, as you do, you might want to join something outside the police.’

If I do, he thought, it won’t be anything you belong to.

‘Horatio doesn’t do any singing,’ Georgina added, ‘but we couldn’t stage a production like Sweeney without him.’

There was a pause for thought.

‘Dawkins?’ he said, feeling the blood flushing his face. ‘Sergeant Dawkins is in the BLOGs?’

‘Hasn’t he told you? He’s our movement director. All the action sequences are co-ordinated by him. Dances, fights, stunts, swordplay.’

‘Movement director?’ His head reeling, Diamond was reduced to echoing her words.

‘He’s a trained dancer, you know.’

‘He told me that much. How long has he been doing this?’

‘Before I joined.’

Now it was revealed why Fred Dawkins had been plucked from the uniformed ranks and foisted on CID. He’d got to know Georgina through the BLOGs and worked his ticket. What a shaft.

‘I know exactly what’s going through your head,’ Georgina said, ‘and I have to tell you I moved him into CID on merit. He impressed me long before I joined the BLOGs. In fact, I’m surprised you hadn’t spotted him.’

‘I knew him,’ Diamond said. ‘He stood out.’

‘He’s a rising star.’

‘Risen.’