A Darker God by Barbara Cleverly

Author:Barbara Cleverly [Cleverly, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural, Historical, General
ISBN: 9780440339052
Google: K2vcyqxSxd0C
Amazon: B00338QEOM
Publisher: Bantam
Published: 2010-03-22T18:30:00+00:00

“‘That was the King, groaning. I fear

The worst has happened. Sound the alarm!

Break in at once and catch them red-handed!’”

Montacute quoted his own chorus lines. “Take it from there. You didn’t yourself happen to catch anyone red-handed backstage?”

“I’m afraid not. I performed the sound effects, and as I strolled off towards wardrobe I paused to look at the dummy. You know—as you do when you subconsciously notice that something’s not right. Someone was at that moment supposed to be anointing it with blood and removing the cover, ready to push it forward onstage. It wasn’t being done. I investigated. I tweaked back the outer edge of the muslin wrapper and saw what lay below. Human limbs where there should have been celluloid. Poked at an arm and encountered human flesh. Recoiled in horror, emitting an unmanly and unscripted exclamation.”

He directed an enquiring smile at Letty and waited a second or so, expecting a response.

Determined not to assist him in any way, she smiled back politely and remained silent.

“I dropped the muslin back in place,” he went on, “not being quite sure what the protocol might be in such circumstances—to stop the play or not to stop the play? Had I prematurely taken the wraps off some practical joke? Some of these young things will go to extraordinary lengths to startle and annoy in the name of humour.” He sighed and shook his head, every inch the jaded housemaster. “Did I risk making a fool of myself by interfering? You know—‘Trust that spoilsport Melton to ruin everything!… Perhaps one of us should have told him…’ I’m not the sort who develops an intimacy with his fellows on short acquaintance—you may have noticed that? Well, you can imagine what was going through my mind … In the end, I decided—none of my business … let them have their fun. I went mechanically through my rehearsed movements until I came onstage to find Lady Merriman stirring about in the cauldron with her stick! Thought for an awful moment I’d fetched up in scene one of the Scottish Play and we were all to be accursed! But no—the old witch was merely pronouncing the last rites over what was now revealed to be an actual body—and, moreover, the body of her husband.”

Letty glowered at Melton, hating him for his lack of feeling, but he glanced away, refusing to acknowledge her disapproval.

As a reaction to the stony silence of his audience, he allowed his face to melt into an expression of what he intended to be a blend of incredulity and sorrow. “What a loss! A wonderful man!”

Letty didn’t believe a word he said.

“And the rest you witnessed for yourselves. All I have to tell you, I’m afraid. Do let me know how you get on with all this. You’re bound to stumble upon the wretch responsible sooner or later. I expect you’ll find it was some vagrant straying onto the set … Knives two-a-penny to be had on any street in Athens, of course.

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