The Music Hall Murder: A Ruby Redlick Historical Mystery (Demimondaine Detective Agency) by Tracy Jennifer Johnson

Author:Tracy Jennifer Johnson [Johnson, Tracy Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ikigai Press
Published: 2021-10-24T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

It transpired that one of the stage hands had been transferred from the old show to the new and so had evaded being interviewed previously. Inspector Ruggle delivered this information with an air of deep suspicion, as though poor Timmy had switched jobs in order to avoid interrogation. Throughout his questioning Ruggle stared past the man’s shoulder directly at Ruby, so intensely that she couldn’t prevent a guilty feeling wrapping around her. She managed to avoid a telltale flush invading her cheeks - at last she was growing out of that.

The inspector paid almost no mind to the stagehand’s answers to his queries and soon turned his attention directly to Ruby. “You were at the river bank when the maharajah was dredged up.” He said with accusation in his tone.

“I was.” She replied, attempting the fierce spirit she’d observed in Kitty Marion.

“Would you mind telling me what you were doing there?” He nodded to his sergeant to take down her reply in his notebook. The man hunted through his pockets and eventually came up with a stub of pencil to write with.

“My answer does not deviate from the reason I gave at the time. The poor drowned man was not the maharajah, but one of his servants.”

“We, the police are quite certain that the deceased is the maharajah.” The inspector grunted an aside under his breath that wouldn’t he recognize the identity of a cadaver better than a chorus girl? “In fact we’ve had confirmation from the Punjab that his highness has not returned to his palace from his trip to London. That proves he has met with an unfortunate end.”

Ruby thought that didn’t prove diddly. And the inspector didn’t appear to be remotely concerned about the loss of a foreigner, royalty or not. She resisted rolling her eyes at his simplistic deductions and glanced at the women surrounding Maudi and attempting to revive her. An older woman in huge fur stoles had emerged from the darkened stalls to assist the actress.

“I have reason to believe that the killer is in fact Ian Bullough.” Ruby said under her breath.

“The Right Honourable Ian Bullough, brother of George Bullough, owner of Meggernie Castle and an estate on the Island of Rhum?” The inspector intoned loudly, with an aghast look.

“He has a pile of gambling debts.” Ruby told him, under her breath, wishing he wouldn’t shout quite so loud. “Such that the estate is in trouble and his commanding officer gave him a warning for conduct unbecoming.”

Maudi was starting to come around. Her confused and weakened state had the entire theatre including the Guv’nor rallying around her. But the older woman at her side was the one exerting most influence. Ruby recognised her as the woman she saw both in Maudi’s dressing room and at the Salome party, where she’d instigated a reunion of the lovers.

Ruby regretted speaking up in front of the entire cast and crew but hurried on quickly with the report of her findings; “I was informed by a

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