Death Treads the Boards

by Lesley Cookman

  That, Dorinda knew, would be in the scheme’s favour. Landladies were inclined to charge rather more for ‘theatricals’ than other people. Dorinda was sure Ivy was preparing to charge a merely nominal amount for Cliff House.

  ‘It sounds like a good idea,’ she said cautiously, ‘but I don’t see how it helps with our current problem.’

  ‘People wouldn’t be inclined to, well, run away. Feel safe, see.’

  ‘You mean Jessie, don’t you?’ Dorinda thought for a moment. ‘Do you think she might want to, then?’

  ‘Wouldn’t surprise me. What with Aramantha going. She might think – oh, I dunno. Someone’s after her, too?’

  ‘You think Aramantha thought someone was after her?’

  ‘Well, o’ course! So do you. And that Inspector Colyer.’

  Dorinda had to admit that was true.

  ‘When’s Ada coming? And shall I suggest it to the company?’

  ‘Yeah, you do that. I bet Jessie’ll feel happier. They don’t ’ave to, o’ course. Ted and Algy might not want to. She’s comin’ tomorrer – Freddie’s sendin’ Billy to fetch ’er.’ Ivy’s accent was slipping, a sure sign that she was becoming excited. ‘You ring me when you’ve ’ad a word.’

  Dorinda changed into her costume and decided to wait until the interval to put Ivy’s suggestion to the company. There weren’t as many in the audience as it was a sunny Sunday afternoon, and, as it often happened, meant that the programme moved along at a slightly quicker pace, so Dorinda was able to deliver her news sooner than she had anticipated. It was greeted with surprised delight on all sides.

  ‘All of us?’ asked Ted. ‘Even Algy and me?’

  ‘All of you,’ said Dorinda, ‘but only if you want to. It will be cheaper, of course.’

  There was unanimous approval of this.

  ‘Ada?’ said Jessie. ‘I know Ada, don’t I?’

  ‘Yes, you do. Ivy’s – I mean, Lady Ivy’s sister.’

  ‘Oh.’ Jessie’s face broke into a smile. ‘I’d like that.’

  ‘Well, you’ll have to give notice to your current lodgings, so I expect it will be next week before you move -I doubt if Ada would be ready for you before then. But I’m glad you’re pleased.’ Dorinda went back to the office and just had time to put in a telephone call to Ivy to tell her the good news. She still wasn’t sure that it was going to help with Jessie’s situation, and even less with Aramantha’s, but that, she decided, was now out of her hands and nothing to do with The Alexandrians.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The landladies, it turned out, were more than happy to let their tenants leave as soon as they liked – with a full week’s rent, of course – as it gave them time to have the rooms ready for the new influx of holidaymakers the following weekend. The week, therefore, was a flurry of activity. First, the arrival of Ada and the children, then Cliff House to be got ready which involved May, Ellen, and even Ivy arriving from Anderson Place to help. Finally, the gradual removal of The Alexandrians into their new home from home.

  ‘Trouble is, Dolly,’ said Maude, sitting down on an office chair and fanning herself with her apron, ‘none of them will want to go home at the end of the season.’

  ‘Nice house, isn’t it?’ said Dorinda, amused.

  ‘Cut above any of the other lodgings,’ said Maude. ‘Even ours.’ She looked pointedly at Dorinda, who laughed.

  ‘There isn’t room for us as well,’ she said. ‘Besides, they wouldn’t want me there too. They’d feel I was spying on them.’

  Since this was, in effect, what Ivy had suggested, she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

  ‘Oh, well,’ sighed Maude, ‘I’d better go and make sure the dressing rooms are ready – they’ll never have time to do that themselves by the time they get down here.’

  It was Thursday, and today the programme changed. Dorinda had written out the order of the items to be performed. She gave the lists to Maude and sat down to start on the seemingly inexhaustible pile of bills. She was so engrossed, she didn’t see the approach down the slope of Inspector Jack Colyer, and answered his knock on the office door with a vague, ‘yes?’

  ‘Miss Alexander.’

  Dorinda looked up and met the dark brown eyes. She swallowed convulsively.

  ‘Inspector.’ She stood up and smoothed down her skirt. ‘Is – is there any news of Aramantha?’

  He shook his head. ‘She hasn’t been seen, no. I take it you have no news either?’

  ‘No.’

  He placed his bowler carefully on the desk, leaning forward onto it . ‘And where is Miss Jones? I have just come from her lodgings...’

  ‘Ah.’ Dorinda smiled in relief. ‘Her former lodgings.’

  He raised his eyebrows. ‘Former?’

  ‘Did the landlady not tell you?’ Dorinda’s smile was now tinged with mischief. ‘How annoying for you.’

  ‘Dorinda!’ Colyer’s tone held a warning note. She sat down again.

  ‘We have moved the company into Cliff House.’ She looked up at him.

  ‘Lady Ivy’s idea – partly to keep Jessie safe. She thought Jessie might still be in danger.’

  Colyer frowned. ‘How will moving lodgings keep her safer?’

  ‘I’m not really sure either, but the whole company, including the men, have moved in there. Lady Ivy’s sister Ada has come down to act as housekeeper.’

  ‘So they have a dragon.’ He perched on the edge of the desk and folded his arms. ‘Is she supposed to keep Jessie Jones under lock and key?’

  Dorinda was surprised. ‘Of course not! Why would she do that?’

  ‘To stop Jessie from leaving.’ He narrowed his eyes at her. ‘Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of that?’

  Dorinda felt heat creeping into her cheeks.

  ‘I see you have. You thought up this ingenious scheme to keep her under observation.’

  ‘I did not!’ Dorinda was indignant. ‘It was all Lady Ivy’s idea. Cliff House has been empty for a year because Sir Frederick didn’t want to sell it -’

  ‘I didn’t realise he owned it.’

  ‘Neither did I at first, but that’s what’s happened. The company are delighted. Why are you here?’

  ‘I told you. I was looking for Jessie Jones.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘We – the police – have some questions for her.’ Dorinda stood up and went to the window, then opened the door to the foyer.

  ‘There are no other officers here.’

  ‘I merely want to ask her a few questions.’

  Dorinda eyed him doubtfully. ‘In here?’

  ‘If you don’t mind.’

  ‘Very well. I’ll see if she’s arrived yet. They no longer have to come down so early, you see.’

  Now what? wondered Dorinda as she made her way backstage. Unsurprised to find no one there but Maude and Will, she returned to the office where the inspector stood staring out of the window.

  ‘I’m sorry, no one’s arrived yet. Would you like me to take you up to Cliff House?’

  Colyer turned around. ‘That might be – upsetting, don’t you think?’

  Surprised again at this delicacy, Dorinda nodded slowly. ‘Well, do sit down. We can watch the slope from here and catch her when she comes in.’

  After a moment, Colyer sat down and cleared his throat. ‘I’m sorry if I seem to be pestering the young ladies...’

  ‘Only one, at the moment,’ said Dorinda.

  ‘But we do need to find out where Ethel Small – sorry, Aramantha Giles – is.’

  ‘Why should Jessie know?’

  ‘That’s what I need to find out,’ said Colyer obscurely.

  ‘Here come the girls,’ said Dorinda, catching sight of the laughing group coming down Cliff Steps. ‘They certainly like their new lodgings.’

  Colyer stood up to watch them out of the window as they approached Victoria Place and the slope down to The Alexandria.

  ‘Hmm,’ he said, turning away to the door.

  All signs of mer
riment died when the girls opened the main doors and caught sight of him.

  ‘I’m sorry, Miss Jones,’ he said formally. ‘Could I have a few more words, please?’

  Dorinda read panic in Jessie’s face and stepped forward.

  ‘Don’t worry, Jessie. Would you like me to be with you?’ She ignored Colyer’s frown.

  ‘Yes, please,’ Jessie whispered, and giving the other girls an anxious look, followed Dorinda into the office. Colyer came in and closed the door, pulling forward the visitor’s chair.

  ‘Now, I just need to know if you ever came across Aramantha Giles when you were in London.’

  Jessie looked surprised. ‘Aramantha? No – I’d never met ’er till I come down ’ere.’

  ‘And could you tell me the names of the halls you worked in?’

  ‘But I told you last time!’

  ‘Tell me again, please.’ Colyer smiled. ‘I didn’t make a note, and I’ve got a terrible memory.’

  Dorinda gave an inward snort at this palpable untruth.

  Jessie reeled off the names of the few small halls she had been working in London. ‘But why?’

  ‘And that was all? You didn’t work for any of the – shall we say, the more private clubs?’

  Jessie frowned. ‘No – just the ones I said. I know there was private clubs, but I – well, I ’eard they wasn’ t very... nice.’ Jessie’s colour had risen. ‘I wouldn’t work in them.’

  ‘You don’t know what they were called?’

  Jessie looked bewildered. ‘No.’

  ‘Who told you about them?’

  Now Jessie looked confused. ‘What d’you mean, ’oo? I dunno. Just girls...’

  ‘No one ever approached you about them?’

  ‘Approached?’ By now Jessie’s colour had risen even further.

  ‘A gentleman, for instance.’

  Jessie shook her head vigorously, but Dorinda was convinced she wasn’t telling the truth. So, obviously, was the inspector.

  ‘You said your step-father attacked you on your way home. He didn’t mention these private clubs?’

  ‘No!’ Jessie stood up. ‘I dunno nothin’ about no clubs! I said.’

  ‘Very well, Jessie.’ He smiled at her again. ‘That’s all for the moment. Thank you.’

  Jessie bolted from the room.

  ‘She knows.’ The inspector moved to the window once more. ‘Let’s hope she doesn’ t take it into her head to run as Ethel Small did.’

  ‘Do you really think there’s a connection between Aramantha and Jessie? I could swear they didn’t know one another,’ said Dorinda.

  ‘I think the connection is Jessie’s step-father. He attacked them both, after all.’

  ‘I assumed he attacked Jessie because of her... profession.’ Dorinda fidgeted uncomfortably. ‘Because of his – what? Religious tendencies.’

  ‘Do you really believe that’s what it was? Oh, Dorinda!’

  Colouring faintly, Dorinda met his eyes squarely. ‘And just how would your questions help to find Aramantha?’

  For a moment, Colyer looked confused.

  ‘They wouldn’t, would they? Or...’ Dorinda thought. ‘If she had known a name...’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘And her stepfather was connected to these private clubs?’

  ‘I believe so. I think he wanted Jessie in there.’

  ‘But... what about his Brother Anarawd activities? Were they all a lie?’

  Colyer sat down on the visitor’s chair. ‘In a way, I don’t think so. I think probably he truly was disgusted by the activities. Did either Aramantha or Jessie ever say anything to you they may not have said to me?’

  ‘Well...’ Dorinda reflected. ‘Yes. Aramantha did. I didn’t truly understand it. The man who attacked her whispered to her about sin and how he could save her. Then she said he couldn’t do something.’ She looked up at Colyer. ‘Do you understand it?’

  Oh, yes,’ said Colyer after a moment. ‘I understand.’

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  When Colyer left Dorinda stood up, collected her hat and jacket, and went to find Maude.

  ‘I’m going up to Cliff House,’ she said. ‘I won’t be long.’

  ‘Why? What did that inspector say?’ Maude looked worried.

  ‘Not much. He wanted know if there was a link between Aramantha and Jessie.’

  ‘Of course there isn’t!’ Maude was indignant. ‘I can’t imagine two girls more different.’

  ‘I know.’ Dorinda sighed. ‘But I’m going up to find out if Ada knows anything – perhaps about – oh, I don’t know. Something I don’t. Is Jessie all right?’

  ‘Not really. She isn’t saying much, though.’

  ‘Well, I trust you to keep an eye on her. Won’t be long.’

  Dorinda left the building and went quickly up the slope, crossed Victoria Place and climbed Cliff Steps. She could not prevent a shiver and a sensation of dread as she approached Cliff House, remembering her own time living there a few years ago, but resolutely suppressed it as she knocked sharply on the front door.

  Ada opened it, revealing May behind her industriously sweeping the hallway.

  ‘Hello, Ada!’ said Dorinda brightly. ‘And May – a bit different to how it was, isn’t it?’

  ‘More cheerful-like, Miss!’ May grinned. ‘I’d be ’appy to stay ’ere now.’

  ‘Oh, you wouldn’t leave Lady Ivy and Sir Frederick, would you?’ Dorinda laughed. ‘And Mrs Nemone and Julia.’

  ‘No, that I wouldn’t!’ May returned to her sweeping.

  ‘Did you want to see me, Dolly?’ Ada looked nervous.

  ‘If you can spare me a minute.’ Dorinda followed into the big drawing room on the left of the hall, which now looked as if it was Ada and the children’s main living quarters.

  ‘Nearer the kitchen down ’ere, see,’ said Ada, ‘and it leaves all the rooms upstairs for your girls and boys.’

  ‘Very sensible, Ada.’ Dorinda sat down on the edge of the sofa, a relic from its former days under the Shepherd and Anderson regime. Ada perched on an upright chair, looking anxious.

  ‘Now, what I wanted to know was anything you could tell me about these places Jessie and Aramantha were working in before they came down here.’

  Ada frowned. ‘I don’t know as I know much, Dolly. Oh, I know the small halls Jessie was playin’, good ones, they was, but I dunno where Ethel – sorry, Aramantha – was. She musta told that inspector. Didn’t she tell you?’

  ‘No. I gather they were private clubs.’ Dorinda looked down at her lap. ‘Not very nice ones.’

  ‘Oh.’ Ada nodded, and relaxed. ‘Well, I can’t tell you much about them, but we all knew about ’em.’

  ‘And the girls – were they actually performers?’

  ‘Well, they danced a bit, far as I can tell, and maybe sang, but that wasn’t what they were there for, if you know what I mean.’

  ‘Yes, I thought so. Maude told me a bit about them. But I wondered if there was – anything else?’

  ‘Anything else? ’Ow d’you mean?’

  ‘I don’t exactly know.’ Dorinda leaned forward. ‘But now Aramantha’s run away – if she has – and Jessie seems to be so scared, well, I wondered. What they could be so scared of.’

  ‘I think it’s ’oo they’re scared of,’ said Ada, after a moment’s thought. ‘See, these places ain’t legal, like, and the people runnin’ ’em – well, you wouldn’t want to get on their wrong side, if you know what I mean.’

  ‘So these clubs – or whatever they are – the men running them are criminals. Yes, I think I’d realised that.’ Dorinda tapped her lips with a forefinger. ‘And girls who run away are punished?’

  ‘Oh, yes. Far as I can say.’

  ‘But Jessie hasn’t worked for them...’

  ‘No – but maybe they was trying to get her to work for them,’ suggested Ada.

  ‘And she ran away to avoid it?’

  ‘I dunno.’ Ada shrugged. ‘When she first come to me, she’
d bin given the push ’cos of her pa and all them women carryin’ banners.’

  ‘And he’d attacked her.’ Dorinda frowned. ‘And now he’s dead.’ She looked up at Ada. ‘I don’t see the link at all, do you?’

  ‘But Ethel – Aramantha – said ’e was one o’ the men in the club, didn’t she? Ivy said -’

  ‘At first she said she didn’t know who attacked her,’ said Dorinda. She sighed. ‘Do you think there was more going on in those places than just the – well, the girls? That if they knew about it...’

  ‘But Jessie didn’t work in them places,’ insisted Ada. ‘I’m sure she didn’t.’

  ‘So was I, but now I’m wondering.’

  ‘Oh, don’t, Dolly! She wouldn’t! They might’ve been tryin’ to make ’er, but I swear she didn’t.’

  ‘No, I didn’t think so, either. But it’s so puzzling.’ Dorinda stood up. ‘And worrying. Well, Ada, if Jessie – or even one of the others – says anything you think might help, will you let me know?’

  Ada looked doubtful. ‘I don’t like spyin’, Dolly...’

  ‘No, I don’t want you to do that. We just need to find out what happened to those girls, don’t we?’

  Ada stood up. ‘Oh, yes. It’s shockin’ what some men do. I’ll listen out.’

  When Dorinda got back to The Alexandria she was just in time to change for the afternoon performance. The weather had clouded over and the house was packed with people taking shelter from the promise of rain. Despite what might be going on under the surface the company, including Jessie, performed well up to standard. At the end, after the final chorus, Dorinda went to congratulate them.

  She had barely had time to say, ‘well done’, when Maude came bursting in.

  ‘Dolly – there’s someone to see you.’

  ‘Who? Not the inspector again?’

  ‘No.’ Maude looked puzzled. ‘It’s a man. Well, a gentleman, I suppose. He said he wanted to see the manager.’

  ‘Oh?’ Dorinda raised her eyebrows. ‘Did you tell him who the manager was?’

  ‘No.’ Maude grinned. ‘Be a bit of a surprise, won’t it?’

  ‘Shall I come with you, Dolly?’ Will came forward.

  ‘Maybe just to the foyer, Will? Thank you.’

  The auditorium doors were still closed, and Dorinda motioned Will through while she and Maude remained where they were.