Death and Cinderella (The Inspector Felix Mysteries Book 11) by R. A. Bentley

Author:R. A. Bentley [Bentley, R. A.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2021-08-21T16:00:00+00:00

​‘How the fellow can work alone in the dark in that place I don’t know,’ said Felix. ‘It gives me the heebie-jeebies. Morning, Cribb, what’s the lowdown on Miss Bagshaw, as our American friends would say?’

​Constable Cribb took out his notebook. ‘Nothing out of the way, sir. She went straight home last night and was in bed twelve minutes later. She left the house at eight thirty-three this morning, took the bus and arrived back here at five past nine. She’s presently in her dressing room.’

​‘By herself?’

​‘Yes, sir. Bewdley says no-one called at the house overnight and she didn’t go out again.’

​‘How do you know when she went to bed?’

​Cribb cracked a smile. ‘Thin curtains, sir.’

​‘Hmm, I see. Thank you, Constable. Or perhaps you should be thanking me. Tell me. You’re a personable sort of chap. How would you describe your capacity for conversation?’

​‘My missus says I could gas for England, sir.’

​‘Good. Then now is your opportunity to shine. The booking office will be handing out refunds today and your job is to stand about in the foyer looking approachable. You can talk to the ladies on the desk as well, of course. If you hear anything interesting, make a note of it. If it goes quiet, wander about the theatre in general.’

​‘What about the press, sir?’

​‘I’ll be leaving a press-release in the booking office. Now then, where have we got to, Teddy? How many folk admit to having been here last night, during the critical period?’

​Rattigan consulted his notes. ‘It depends where you set the limits. Most of our interviewees were still here at six and some few of them until about seven. After that, not so many. Betty Bagshaw was here until she was taken away by Bethencourt at seven-fifteen. We haven’t any witnesses to that, though. According to Hilliard, Bill Hutchings and Ron Cooper, his lighting man, were here until about nine and were the last to leave; although he reckons those two are out of it. Not sure what his reasoning is.’

​Felix looked thoughtful. ‘Six or seven o’clock doesn’t sound very promising on the face of it. Most people seem to have been with someone else after the dress rehearsal, talking about it or adjusting the scenery, and then getting ready to go home. A buzz of activity in fact. And wouldn’t someone have seen or heard something of Sullivan if he’d been there then?’

​‘According to Bethencourt, Miss Bagshaw wanted to be away by seven-thirty to avoid him. Presumably he wasn’t expected earlier.’

​‘Seems a little late for an after-work rendezvous, but who knows? We don’t even know what he was doing these days. He’d be about retirement age, I should think.’

​‘Find Andrew Haigh?’

​‘Yes. He’s the man, isn’t he? We need to eliminate him anyway.’

​‘He might be able to tell us about Penfold’s racecourse gangsters.’

​‘Possibly, although if there’d been any trouble of that sort brewing, I think we’d have known about it. If Haigh’s away for the weekend, of course, he may not have heard he’s out of a job.

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