Murder in the Monastery by Lesley Cookman

Author:Lesley Cookman [Cookman, Lesley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2012-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

Concentrating on emailing, texting and calling performers who had taken part in the Old Time Music Hall the following morning, Libby had almost forgotten her email to Ian.

‘Libby?’

‘Ian!’

‘Yes – were you expecting someone else? You’ve been engaged on both phones all morning.’

‘Sorry – yes. I’m organising a show for the Alexandria all in a bit of a rush.’

‘The Alexandria?’ Ian sounded surprised.

‘Yes – it’s being run by trustees now, and fully refurbished. We’ve been asked to do an End Of The Pier Show for the last week in August.’

‘Will you have time?’

‘I think so. We’re rehashing a Music Hall we did a year or so back.’

‘Well, it’ll keep you out of mischief,’ said Ian, ‘but I just wanted to say thank you for the email. It’s extremely helpful, and I’ve already called Andrew. I’ve agreed to defray some of the expenses if he continues his researches, which he says you want him to do anyway.’

‘Does that mean he won’t be able to share the results with us if you’re paying him?’

‘We’ll only be paying expenses, and you commissioned him first,’ said Ian.

‘I wouldn’t call it a commission,’ said Libby. ‘He just offered to help.’

‘Well, it’s very useful. And he’s going to try and trace a common family member between Ronald Barnes, Bernard Evans and this – what was his name? Mad Jack?’

‘The Honourable John Jarvis,’ said Libby, ‘or Bad Jack Jarvis.’

‘Yes. It would explain why Bernard had it, but not who killed him.’ Ian sighed. ‘I must go. Good luck with the show.’

After informing Fran about the phone call and her expected role in the new show, Libby went on organising. She dug out the programme for the Music Hall, her file of music and sketch scripts and set about putting the show together. She was lucky to have contacts within the world of entertainment who were happy to supply both memories, song lyrics and precious scripts, and spent a happy day deeply involved in her task. Sidney tried to help by spreading the papers all over the table and the sitting room floor, which of course made them easier to find.

Peter joined her in the afternoon, and together they worked out the final details and Libby set the printer to work on a fairly final script and lyrics. Most people who had been in the original Music Hall were happy to appear, the only ones she’d been unable to get in touch with being those on holiday. The panto stalwarts were delighted, Music Hall, concert party and pantomime being so closely related, and Hetty had volunteered to go into the costume store and dig out not only the Music Hall costumes, including those for the seaside set, but those panto costumes she thought might “come in”.

‘I know what it is, of course,’ said Libby, handing Peter a mug of tea. ‘It’s light relief after Dominic’s death.’

‘Possibly.’ Peter nodded and took a sheaf of printed paper from the printer. ‘Let’s hope this one doesn’t end in disaster.’

‘Oh, Pete, it wasn’t your fault!’ Libby hugged his shoulders.

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