Murder Dancing (29 page)

The others regarded him uneasily, but Owen threw back his head and laughed. ‘Well said, Dan! Unless a majority want to pull the plug I suggest we leave it to Max.'

‘I think it's an unlucky show,' said Paul from where he sat on his own near the door. ‘I think you've offended them.'

All eyes turned to him in shock.

‘Who's “them”?' asked Libby.

‘Do you mean the witches?' said Lee. ‘Like the ones you were looking for when we went to see that grotto?'

Colour had risen into Paul's face. ‘It isn't wise to mock,' he said.

‘I can't make out whether he's a Christian fanatic or a pagan one,' said Libby under her breath to Owen.

‘Sounds as if he's into witchcraft to me,' whispered back Owen.

‘Well, if Paul's the only one who doesn't want to go on,' said Max, ‘we'll go on. Paul, if you want to go back to London, I'm sure we can cover for you.'

Paul, now the centre of censorious attention, was the colour of beetroot. He shook his head and retreated further into his corner.

‘Show of hands, then,' said Max, raising his own. Slowly hands went up all over the room. A few people were reluctant, including Damian, but in the end all hands were up and Libby led a round of applause.

‘Could I add, please,' she said, as the atmosphere brightened, ‘that I believe Dan was right. The murder and the two attacks were perpetrated by a member of the company, which means – someone in this room.' A murmur of disbelief greeted the statement. ‘I know that's uncomfortable to think about, but the police are getting closer because of the careless nature of these crimes.' She crossed her fingers behind her back. ‘And any more attempts will only confirm their suspicions, so whoever you are, please just stop now. I don't ask you to give yourself up, because I know you won't. I've met murderers before.' She looked round at the shocked faces. ‘Now I'm going to see if Hetty needs a hand in the kitchen.'

She left a silent sitting-room behind her, hoping she'd done the right thing. Ian probably wouldn't like it, but she hoped whoever the murderer was, he would be too scared to do anything else.

‘I dunno why they don't pack up and go home,' muttered Hetty when Libby told her what had happened. ‘Less trouble for us.'

‘You know what they say – the show must go on,' said Libby.

‘You do,' said Hetty. ‘I wouldn't. They want more coffee?'

‘They've got coffee in their rooms, haven't they? Leave them to it for a bit,' said Libby. ‘Is there anything I can do?'

There wasn't, so Libby went back to the theatre. Ian had disappeared with most of his officers and the SOCOs, although a uniformed policeman stood on duty at the door. Ben called down from the FX box.

‘Everybody all right over there?'

‘Yes. They've just taken a vote to see if they pull the plug or not. Again. They're not.'

‘I could have guessed that,' said Ben. ‘Let's just hope the idiot behind all this stops now.'

‘I think he might,' said Libby slowly, ‘if he listened to what I said in there.'

‘Why? What did you say?' Ben was looking suspicious.

‘Nothing, really. Just asked whoever was doing it to stop it. Now,' she said hastily, ‘I must get back.'

‘Libby.' Ben was coming down the stairs. ‘What exactly did you say?'

‘Um …' Libby felt the colour rising into her cheeks once more. ‘I said – I said – well, I actually said the police were getting close and as it was certain to be someone in the company they'd better stop now.'

Ben looked at her hard for a long moment. ‘I don't suppose that could do much harm. You didn't say you knew who'd done it, did you?'

‘No, of course not – I don't. But if anything else happens, it simply must point the finger. We can't have people being laid out right and left, can we? I bet there's a really simple answer staring us in the face if only we could stand back and see it.'

‘Perhaps the students will have something to say tonight. They're all coming down, aren't they?'

‘Yes. Somebody's taking the minibus to meet the train at Canterbury. And come to think of it,' Libby added, ‘I don't suppose they'll be able to stay for long after the performance as they'll have to get back for a train home.'

The students, however, arrived early. Sebastian, having been added hastily to the insurance by Owen, went to collect them in the minibus and they descended on the pub for an early dinner. When Libby and Ben arrived at the theatre, they found Max sitting at one of the white tables looking exhausted.

‘I've left them with Owen,' he said. ‘They're his pigeon. But they've got so much
energy
!'

‘What did they have to say about the murder? And the attacks?'

‘They only knew about the murder, nothing about the attacks on me or Paddy. Owen's filled them in. Sadly, they seem more excited about it than anything else.'

Libby was amused. ‘Youth!'

‘I suppose so. They're nearly all late teens, except for one or two who are twenty. The juniors aren't coming.'

‘Let's hope they enjoy it,' said Libby. ‘Paddy's still alive, isn't he? So let's forget all the unpleasantness and enjoy the rest of the week.'

‘It occurred to me,' said Max, standing up and stretching, ‘that when Paddy comes out of his coma –'

‘Coma?' interrupted Libby, startled.

‘Medically induced to allow the brain swelling to go down,' Max explained. ‘Anyway, when he comes round he'll be able to tell us who attacked him.'

‘You couldn't,' said Libby dubiously.

Damian and Sebastian arrived together, neither looking overjoyed at the prospect of another performance.

‘Cheer up, boys,' said Libby. ‘First night's over and you all know what you're doing.'

‘I've never had anything to do with the students before,' grumbled Sebastian. ‘Boisterous, aren't they?'

‘You won't have to have anything to do with them, though, unless you're driving back to the station,' said Libby.

‘I'll come with you,' said Damian. ‘Then you won't have to drive back on your own.'

Sebastian looked at him in surprise. ‘Really? Thanks – much appreciated.'

‘Also,' added Damian going faintly pink, ‘to be fair, I don't think any of us should be on our own for any longer than necessary at the moment.'

Sebastian grinned. ‘You'll be safe with me!'

‘Quite honestly,' Max said quietly to Libby, ‘if they had voted to pull out this morning I would have been almost relieved. I shall need a month off after this.'

The performance went as well as the previous one, if not slightly better. Libby had two members of the Oast Theatre's company manning the bar, so was free to watch, which she did, cramming into the lighting box with Peter.

‘No Damian?' she whispered.

‘He said he'd sit this one out. He's around somewhere. All I have to do is start it off.' Peter adjusted his head phones and moved a couple of sliders on the control panel. ‘Here we go.'

At the interval, Libby found Damian with Max and Owen surrounded by the students.

‘Sound OK?' she mouthed at him, and received a thumbs up in return.

‘He's cheered up, thank goodness,' said Owen as he went back into the auditorium. ‘I was quite worried about him.'

‘Yes, he did seem as if he might break down,' agreed Libby. ‘But better now.'

Libby waited in the foyer after the performance to greet Patti and Anne and watched Damian and Sebastian, like reluctant sheepdogs, shepherding the little crowd of students out of the building.

‘It was terrific,' said Anne, as she wheeled her chair over to Libby. ‘So atmospheric. I wish I could go to more ballet.'

‘We always go to The Marlowe for the Northern Ballet,' said Patti.

‘Oh, I know, and they're wheelchair-friendly, too, but I still wish I could see more. Where's Max Tobin? Can I speak to him?' Anne looked round eagerly.

‘You've seen him in the pub,' said Patti, amused at her friend's enthusiasm. She looked at Libby. ‘Real fangirl, isn't she?'

Leaving Patti and Anne with Max, Libby went over to where Owen was talking to a few of the company.

‘How did the students like it?'

‘Loved it,' said Owen with a grin. ‘Made a lot of suggestions as to how they would have done it, of course, but they actually asked if they could perform it next year.'

‘Will they be able to?'

‘Yes, unless the company is touring it. After all, you never know, it might take off in a big way.'

‘It deserves to,' said Alan.

It was nearly eleven o'clock before Libby and Ben were able to lock the theatre and walk home.

‘No accidents tonight,' said Libby. ‘And only two more to go.' She shuddered. ‘I'm beginning to look over my shoulder all the time. I seem to be in a perpetual state of nervousness. But surely, that'll be the end of it?'

Ben tucked her arm into his. ‘Don't tempt fate,' he said.

Chapter Thirty-two

Friday was a bit of an anti-climax. There was nothing to do in the theatre, no police to talk to, no questions to ask or be answered. Libby, feeling distinctly unsettled, decided to take herself off to Nethergate.

Fran was relieving Guy in the shop, so Libby sat on the big customer chair and kept her company.

‘So everyone's quite happy now?' said Fran. ‘No more tantrums, alarums or excursions?'

‘Looks like it. Young Paul's still against it all, and I can't make up my mind about him, but I don't think he's guilty of anything but being a bit of a pain. Damian's nervous, doesn't want to be alone anywhere, but everyone else seems fine. Whatever the answer is, everything seems to be fine now. And when Paddy comes out of his medically induced coma we might get some answers.'

‘And if Max could remember what he went into the lighting box for,' said Fran.

‘Oh, yes. And Paddy might not remember, either.' Libby gazed unseeingly at a large painting of what looked like a malformed egg. ‘I just want to forget about it all.'

‘No, you don't,' said Fran shrewdly. ‘You can't wait to find out what it was all about.'

‘It doesn't look as though I will, though, does it?' Libby sighed. ‘Do you fancy a sandwich from Mavis? I'll go and get them.'

‘Good idea. I'll ask Guy what he wants.' Fran got up and went through to the studio, and Sophie appeared from the flat upstairs.

Libby was blown along Harbour Street to Mavis's Blue Anchor cafe and battled against the wind on the way back with a basket full of sandwiches, which the four of them ate together in the shop.

‘That was really nice,' said Libby, licking her fingers and collecting up sandwich paper. ‘Having lived and breathed dancers for the last couple of weeks it made a nice change to be normal.'

‘Glad we provided respite,' said Guy. ‘I'm looking forward to seeing it tomorrow.'

‘Me, too,' said Sophie. ‘All those lovely bodies.'

‘They don't look very lovely,' said Libby. ‘They're either ghoulish witches or forbidding seventeenth century men.'

‘I don't care,' said Sophie. ‘I shall meet some of them afterwards, won't I?'

‘If you're staying for the after-show party, yes,' said Libby. ‘Are you?'

‘Yes, please.' Sophie looked down at her lap and Fran winked.

‘Are you staying with us?' Libby asked her.

‘Ben said so,' said Guy.

‘So …' Libby indicated Sophie, who still wasn't looking.

‘Adam,' mouthed Fran.

‘Ah.' Libby grinned. Adam and Sophie had been a couple for some time, but had broken it off. It seemed as though it was on again.

‘Well, I'll get off and make sure nothing's gone wrong while I've been away. I'll see you tomorrow.'

Steeple Martin was just turning its lights on when Libby got back. She made tea and prepared supper, then sat down to wait for Ben. It was always the same when there was a performance in the evening, whether her own or one at which she was working, the whole day seemed to be holding its breath until the time to go.

It was, therefore, earlier than usual when she made her way up the Manor drive with Ben's keys. She'd barely opened the doors when Max arrived at her shoulder.

‘Is Damian here?' he asked.

‘I've no idea,' said Libby. ‘I've only just got here. Did he have keys?'

‘No, I'm sure he didn't.'

‘Isn't he at the pub?'

‘No. He isn't in with the boys, either.' Max shoved a hand through his hair. ‘I can't believe it.'

Libby's stomach had swooped again.

‘This,' she said shakily, ‘is ridiculous. Come in and start looking, just in case. I'll call Ben.'

Phillip, Jonathan, Tom and Will all burst through the doors.

‘Can we help?' asked Phillip, no trace of a wasp in evidence.

Libby shrugged. ‘You can look over the theatre. Who saw him last?'

‘I haven't seen him all day,' said Alan, ‘but we often didn't unless he came in for lunch at the Manor.'

Max came down from the lighting box.

‘No one's seen him at the pub, either. Seb said goodnight to him when they got back from the station last night and that was it.'

‘He was terribly nervous about the show,' said Libby.

‘Yes, he was,' Phillip looked thoughtful. ‘Do you think he knew something?'

They all looked at each other and Libby saw her own foreboding mirrored in the other faces.

‘Let's look,' said Jonathan and they went through the auditorium doors. Libby went back to the main doors as the Range Rover drew up and Ben climbed out.

‘No sign?'

‘No,' said Libby, ‘and Max said no one's seen him at the pub, either. Oh, Ben, he was so scared about this production. He must have known something.'