Death at the Opera by Gladys Mitchell

Author:Gladys Mitchell [Mitchell, Gladys]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Mystery
ISBN: 9780745126166
Google: QAJOs48DWdAC
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Random House
Published: 1989-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

chapter eight: theories

« ^ »

Coules Street, Hillmaston, whither she journeyed at three-fifteen to interview Mrs. Berotti, the ex-actress who had put on the make-up for the principal players, proved to be a short, neat, select cul-de-sac in the best residential quarter of the small town. A maid opened the door, and, in response to Mrs. Bradley’s inquiry, said that her mistress was resting, but took Mrs. Bradley’s card and asked her in.

In a few moments she returned and asked Mrs. Bradley to follow her. In a small, comfortable, warm room at the back of the house, Mrs. Berotti was lying on a chesterfield drawn up near the fire. She greeted Mrs. Bradley charmingly and told the maid to bring tea. She was a very old lady, nearer eighty than seventy Mrs. Bradley imagined, but her dark eyes were alive with zest and amusement, and she made gestures as she talked.

“I’ve come about the murder of Calma Ferris,” said Mrs. Bradley abruptly, after casual remarks had been exchanged.

“Do I know her?” asked Mrs. Berotti, with a little frown of concentration. “Ah, yes, I know her. The little plump one, plain, and very anxious to do well, who dies instead of playing the part. Unprofessional.”

Mrs. Bradley hooted with laughter, and the ex-actress wrinkled her old face into a smile which beautifully blended malice and childlike fun.

“She could not help dying. She was murdered, I tell you,” said Mrs. Bradley firmly.

Mrs. Berotti nodded and her expression changed to one of thoughtfulness.

“Yes. I thought so myself,” she said. “But one could not say so. There was no evidence. Nothing.”

“Were you present at the inquest?” Mrs. Bradley inquired.

“I was present, yes. I was asked whether I had made her up. I replied that yes, I had made her up. Was she drunk? Imagine asking me such a question! I replied, in a manner which abashed them, I hope, that never had I been in the company of a drunken person, man or woman, all my life. Had she troubles? I was firm over this, my friend. I replied that if she had no troubles, we who understand good acting would have had troubles had she been permitted by Providence to come before an audience and play that nice part so badly!—so badly! That dress rehearsal! Never shall I forget it! It was terrible!”

She shook her head, smiled wistfully and added: “I informed them that I, too, should have committed suicide if ever in my life I had played the part of a strong, hard, middle-aged, grasping, tormented woman so slowly, so carefully, so—so—”—she spread her hands wide apart as though to embrace the right word when it came—“so inoffensively, my friend!”

Mrs. Bradley cackled. She had formed a very complete mental picture of Calma Ferris since the beginning of her investigation.

“But the other—the magnificent, large, personable goddess of a woman who played it on the night!” went on Mrs. Berotti ecstatically. “Never have I seen a performance like it! She had lost her temper when she came to me in the interval to be made up.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.