Death Treads the Boards

by Lesley Cookman

  ‘What?’ Dorinda felt as if she couldn’t take any more shocks.

  ‘As far as our enquiries in London can ascertain, Jessie was not involved in anything other than straightforward performances at some smaller halls.’

  ‘Good,’ Dorinda forced the word from a dry throat. ‘But she’s still here. Aramantha isn’t.’

  ‘Quite.’ Colyer cleared his throat and stood up.

  ‘And why was she so frightened of that man? When she first arrived. She must have been used to – to -’

  ‘I’m sure she was. It was the threat of death she was so scared of.’

  ‘Death?’ Dorinda’s eyes became wide. ‘Not...?’

  ‘I wish I didn’t have to tell you, Dorinda.’ Colyer reached out and took her hands. ‘I’m fairly sure you knew -or were told – that there were rumours about Aramantha Giles and Velda being too close?’ He put his head on one side. ‘And even Mrs Coutts and Mariah Belting?’

  Dorinda’s face was flaming as she stood up. ‘Vicious rumours.’

  ‘Certainly those regarding Mrs Coutts were, but I doubt that those about Aramantha and Velda were.’ He shook her hands very slightly. ‘Even if you don’t know exactly...’

  ‘What happens,’ croaked Dorinda, freeing her hands.

  ‘You can guess. And in some of those places where Aramantha was working, people – men – paid to see just that.’

  Dorinda sat down again abruptly. ‘I can’t take any more.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Dorinda, but you must be aware that if anyone involved in that world tries to break out of it, they will be in danger.’

  ‘And you think that’s what’s happened to Aramantha?’

  ‘I think that’s what she feared, certainly.’

  ‘But I still don’t see what the disappearance of the child has to with us – or her?’

  ‘The police know a lot about the people and places Brother Anarawd, or Michael Evans, knew and frequented, and it is quite probable that those people now know about The Alexandria.’

  Something was happening to Dorinda’s stomach. The sensation of panic was almost overwhelming.

  ‘And the trade in boys – sorry – will always overlap in their business. We just need to make sure these people aren’t transferring their operation down here.’

  Dorinda was transfixed.

  ‘So I needed to warn you, and the rest of the cast, to be on their guard,’ Colyer continued. ‘It could simply be that the child has run off, but there are multiple examples of child kidnap in London -’

  ‘Oh, please don’t say Nethergate is becoming as bad as London!’

  ‘I don’t think so – not yet, anyway. No doubt as it grows, it might.’

  ‘Grows?’

  ‘Well, of course. It’s already growing. There are far more people here now than there were in the nineties.’

  ‘What shall I do, then?’ Dorinda asked after a pause.

  ‘Try and keep alert, don’t go out on your own – any of you.’

  ‘And about The Alexandria? You must see that I’m a bad fit for this sort of life.’

  Colyer smiled. ‘But you know what you’re doing, even if you’re not always aware of what’s going on under the surface. And would you be happy?’

  Dorinda looked down. ‘Ivy thinks I should stay.’

  ‘So do I.’ Colyer leant across the desk and planted a soft kiss on her lips. ‘We’ll all look after you.’

  Dorinda was too surprised to protest and let him walk out of the office without saying another word.

  ‘How?’ she muttered to herself when her breathing had slowed. ‘You’re in London.’

  Her pie lay untouched on the desk, but she was no longer hungry. Outside the grey sky had finally fulfilled its promise and rain was falling heavily, turning the slope into a running river. She sighed, stood up, and prepared to change once more into her pierrot costume.

  The inspector had again warned the cast about not walking home alone, not that they needed reminding, thought Dorinda. There was a slightly febrile edge to the evening’s performance. Again, Dorinda scrutinised the audience, damp and now steaming in the heat of the auditorium, carefully, but was unable to identify anyone who looked, to her eyes, like a criminal. The well-dressed gentleman had not reappeared since his first visit, but Dorinda was now aware that anyone, whatever they looked like, could be involved in this wicked trade in human suffering. For she was sure they did suffer, these unfortunate young women – and boys.

  The rain was still falling when they saw the audience, still gently steaming, out into the night at the end of the performance. The company gathered in the foyer in their everyday clothes, all the girls looking nervous. Maude helped Dorinda into her grey flannel skirt and white blouse and jammed the small straw hat on top of her hastily constructed bun.

  ‘Come on, then,’ said Will. ‘Let’s go.’ He ushered the company out and turned to lock the doors after Maude and Dorinda.

  ‘At least they haven’t got far to go,’ said Dorinda, as they watched the rest of the company up the slope. ‘Perhaps we should have moved in there, too.’

  ‘As you said before, no room,’ said Maude. ‘Come on.’

  They were halfway up the slope when Dorinda felt a tug on her skirt. She grabbed Will’s arm and whirled round in one movement. Behind her, cowering back against the railings was a small and very wet and ragged little boy.

  ‘What -’ began Will, but Dorinda hushed him and crouched down to the child’s level.

  ‘Did you want me?’ she asked gently.

  ‘Please, Miss,’ he said, in a hoarse whisper, ‘she said as to fetch you.’

  ‘She? Who?’ Maude had crouched down beside Dorinda. The boy regarded her from frightened eyes.

  ‘Dunno, Miss.’

  ‘Are you Joe Briggs’ boy?’ Dorinda asked him.

  The child nodded.

  ‘And a lady sent you to fetch me?’

  He nodded again. ‘Weren’t no lady,’ he added.

  Dorinda straightened up. ‘Maude, you go back inside and telephone the police station. Will and I will go with the boy.’

  Will and Maude both protested vigorously.

  ‘It’s not safe!’ said Will. ‘Who knows where he’ll take us?’

  ‘She said just you, Miss,’ said the child, with another tug on Dorinda’s skirt.

  ‘How do you know it’s me you want?’ asked Dorinda.

  ‘She said the lady who talked nice.’

  ‘The lady can’t go on her own, lad,’ said Will.

  ‘Won’t be on ’er own. Be with me.’

  It seemed they were at an impasse. Maude solved the problem by turning back and unlocking the doors.

  ‘Come inside,’ she said. ‘We’ll get the boy dry.’

  It took all three of them to get the child inside, where he was persuaded to sit down in the foyer between Maude and Dorinda, who indicated with a jerk of her head that Will should go into the office. With a swift nod, he disappeared.

  ‘Now,’ said Dorinda, putting an arm round the almost skeletal shoulders. ‘Tell us where you’ve been and all about the person who told you to find me.’

  There was an ominous trembling of the bottom lip, and the child ducked his head. Dorinda and Maude exchanged despairing looks.

  ‘Where did you go, luvvie?’ asked Maude. ‘After the netting shed?’

  ‘Away.’

  ‘On your own?’ said Dorinda. He nodded.

  ‘Why did you go?’ Maudie laid a gentle hand on the boy’s arm. ‘Away from your dad?’

  This brought the boy’s head up sharply. Then he nodded.

  ‘Ah.’ Dorinda began to understand. ‘You ran away from your dad? You didn’t like the boat?’

  A vigorous nod.

  ‘Where’d you go?’ asked Maude.

  A shrug. ‘Dunno.’

  ‘You hid somewhere,’ stated Dorinda. ‘When did you meet the lady?’

  ‘She were there.’ He looked up, first at Dorinda, then at Maude. ‘She were tied
up.’ He was gaining confidence. ‘An’ this toff come. So I hid.’

  ‘What did he do?’ asked Maude.

  ‘Talked. An’ then...’ he shut his eyes.

  ‘Did he hurt her?’ Dorinda said quietly.

  Another nod.

  ‘Aramantha?’ mouthed Dorinda to Maude. She gave a brisk nod.

  ‘Did you talk to her after that?’ she said. Another nod.

  ‘And that was when she told you to come and find me?’

  ‘She said as you’d ’elp.’ Will came out of the office.

  ‘They said they’ll send someone over from Deal. Fred Fowler or his son will be in the town somewhere, but they can’t get hold of them.’

  ‘Constable Fowler might come and check on The Alexandria if he sees the light on. Turn up the gas Will,’ said Dorinda, ‘and now – what’s your name?’

  ‘Jim.’

  ‘All right, Jim, now try and explain where this place is? I can’t help if I don’t know where this lady is.’

  He screwed up his face. ‘T’other end. Round the top.’

  ‘The top?’ Dorinda looked at Will and Maude in puzzlement.

  ‘What the locals call where the lighthouse is,’ explained Will. ‘I think I know where. There’s an old boathouse – I wonder Fred didn’t look there for the boy. Or his dad, come to that.’

  ‘Shall we go then?’

  ‘No!’ said Maude. ‘That toff might come back. Do you think it’s the same one who came here?’

  ‘And what does he want?’ Dorinda frowned.

  A sharp rap on the door took them all by surprise. Jim Briggs shrank into Dorinda’s side, as Will went to answer it.

  ‘All right in there?’ came Fred Fowler’s voice.

  Will opened the door a crack. ‘I’ll come out, Fred.’

  ‘What’ll they do?’ whispered Maude. ‘We’ve got to get Aramantha somehow.’

  Will put his head round the door. ‘Fred and me’ll go up to the top and see what’s what. You stay here with the boy.’

  After they’d gone, silence descended. Dorinda felt little Jim Briggs relax against her and realised he was almost asleep. She wondered what would happen to him now – she felt fairly sure his father wouldn’t leave this escapade unpunished.

  Suddenly, Maude started up.

  ‘What?’ whispered Dorinda.

  ‘Shhh!’ Maude pointed at the door, which was slowly beginning to open.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  ‘Stay where you are.’ The well-dressed gentleman – now looking rather dishevelled – slid in through the opening. Jim began to howl. ‘And shut that boy up.’

  At the sight of the shiny barrel of a small pistol, Dorinda hugged the boy tighter. She felt her heart thudding so loudly she was sure it could be heard by them all.

  ‘What do you want?’ Maude said bravely, only a tremor in her voice betraying her fear.

  ‘I want him.’ He pointed at Jim. Dorinda tried to muffle his cries against her breast, but it didn’t seem to help.

  ‘Why?’ she said. This seemed to confuse him.

  ‘I saw those two go away. Where are they going?’

  ‘To fetch more policemen,’ said Dorinda bravely.

  He laughed – a manic bray. ‘Police? Here? Just give me the boy.’

  He came towards Dorinda, still pointing the gun. Maude stood up, as if preparing to attack.

  ‘No, Maude!’ said Dorinda, and clasped Jim even tighter. ‘What do you want him for?’

  ‘Shut up.’ He reached forward and grasped her arm, pulling it free from Jim, who immediately darted up and behind Maude.

  ‘Right,’ snarled their attacker. ‘I’ll have to take you, too.’

  ‘Take me where?’ gasped Dorinda, as she struggled to free herself.

  ‘Back to the other whore.’ He didn’t look certain of this, and Dorinda realised he really didn’t know what to do with any of them. This was dangerous and could only lead to his losing all control. She stopped struggling and stood up. ‘All right,’ she said. ‘I’ll come.’ He gaped at her.

  ‘Come on, then. Or don’t you want to, now?’

  Without warning she felt a stinging blow on the side of her head. Her vision blurred and pain burst through her as she fell to the floor. Something else was happening. She was being dragged by her arm, and everything hurt. Her arm, held in a merciless grip, her knees, her feet, dragging against the floor.

  Now she was aware that she was outside and tried to clear her vision. There was sound, a background mumble that eventually resolved itself into a voice, and then the movement stopped. Her head hit the floor, and everything disappeared again.

  Then she was flying. No – someone was holding her and shouting. She was suddenly aware that the shouting was all around her, and she opened her eyes. All she could see was something dark and she felt so sick. Everything faded in and out.

  She became aware that there was a change but she couldn’t tell what, until a gentle hand was under her arm and the noise that penetrated the pain resolved itself into a child’s crying and male voices.

  She realised she was sitting back on one of the foyer chairs, and Maude was sitting on another cradling Jim Briggs on her lap. Next to her, Jack Colyer was peering anxiously into her face and standing in front of the office door, their attacker was being held by Constable Robert Fowler and another uniformed policeman.

  ‘What happened?’ she managed to ask.

  Colyer let out a hissing breath. ‘He damn near killed you, that’s what happened. Why did you let him in?’

  ‘We didn’t,’ Maude cut in. ‘And Dorinda ought to be lying down at home, not being questioned by you.’

  Colyer looked somewhat shamefaced. ‘I know. But we’ve only got the one motor car, and we must take this -this -’ he took a deep breath and indicated the man being held, ‘to the police station. I’ll go and find you a hackney.’

  ‘At this time of night?’ said Maude. ‘You’ll be lucky!’

  ‘I’ll walk,’ said Dorinda and attempted to stand up.

  ‘Inspector!’ called Robert Fowler. ‘This feller ’ere’s got a motor car.’

  ‘How do you know?’ Colyer turned sharply.

  ‘Left it up the top,’ said Robert triumphantly. ‘We can take ’ im to the station in that. You take the ladies ’ome.’

  ‘Thank you, Constable,’ said Colyer, amused, while the other officer protested, red-faced, at his colleague’s presumption.

  This programme was followed, although Dorinda didn’t take much notice. She was dimly aware of Maude explaining what had happened since the appearance of Jim Briggs, whom she had insisted on bringing with them. Once delivered back to their lodgings, Colyer insisted on carrying Dorinda up to the bedroom, under the scandalised eyes of their landlady, before departing to follow Constable Fred and Will.

  It wasn’t until the morning, after Maude had ushered in a local doctor summoned by the police, that Dorinda began to ask questions.

  ‘I don’t know, Dolly,’ said Maude, sitting on the edge of the bed. ‘Gawd, you gave us a fright. What did the doctor say?’

  Dorinda pulled a face. ‘I’m supposed to stay here. But I can’t – we’ve been through all this before. I have to play for you.’

  Maude exploded. ‘We’ve cancelled, you silly woman! How could we go on with you like this? The others are all going to the station as usual,’ -Dorinda suddenly remembered it was Saturday – ‘and they’ll tell everyone. Stop worrying.’

  Dorinda subsided back against her pillows. ‘And what about Aramantha?’

  Maude looked serious. ‘Will said they found her, tied up and filthy dirty – she wouldn’t have liked that – and all she could say was that she’d told young Jim to bring you, not the police.’

  ‘What have they done with her?’

  ‘They took her to the police station in Deal, too. Inspector Colyer, when he got there, seemed to think that was the right thing to do.’ She shrugged. ‘I don’t know what to make of it. And that cove last night – wh
at was all that about? Would he have killed us all?’

  ‘I think he was frightened, too, but I don’t know why. I think maybe he saw Jim coming to us and wanted to stop him talking – even though Jim didn’t know anything. How is Jim, by the way?’

  Maude grinned. ‘Our Lady Anderson will be along later to tell you. You just be patient. And your Inspector’s coming to call, too. He’ll tell us what’s been going on.’

  ‘Then I must get up. I can’t see him here.’ Dorinda swung her legs out of bed and was gratified to find that she could stand. ‘Give me a hand, Maudie.’

  However, it wasn’t until almost four o’clock in the afternoon that both Ivy, with a considerably cleaned up Jim Briggs, and Inspector Colyer arrived at the lodgings. Maude busied herself fetching tea, while Jim was allowed to go back to Ivy’s chauffeur, Billy, and inspect the inner workings of the motor car. ‘Better than fishin’!’ he announced.

  ‘Go on, Ivy,’ said Maude. ‘Tell Dolly and the inspector what you’ve been doing.’

  Ivy, resplendent in her most respectable outfit, grinned smugly. ‘Been buying Jim Briggs!’

  ‘What!’ gasped Dorinda. ‘Bought him?’ Colyer merely raised amused eyebrows.

  ‘He didn’t want to go back to his father,’ said Maude, ‘and he said he liked horses.’

  ‘So, she telephoned me from the theatre. Clever that. And asked if Billy could use a stable lad. And I said he could if I said so.’

  Dorinda laughed, until she realised it hurt. ‘So – what? You paid off Joe Briggs?’

  ‘He’ll only spend it on drink,’ said Ivy, ‘but there won’t be a boy to hit.’

  ‘What about Aramantha and Jim’s “toff’?’ asked Dorinda asked, when they had all exclaimed about Ivy’s generosity.

  ‘It was much as we expected,’ said Colyer. ‘Ethel Small -’

  ‘Please,’ interrupted Dorinda, ‘could you start at the beginning? With Jessie and her step-father?’

  ‘It isn’t pleasant,’ said Colyer.

  ‘I know,’ said Dorinda bravely. ‘I’ve learnt a lot in the last few days, and over the last two seasons, as a matter of fact. I won’t be shocked.’

  Ivy, Maude and Will all looked dubious, but Colyer sighed, leant back in his chair and began.

  ‘Jessie ran away from home before her mother remarried and was making quite a good career for herself when her step-father turned up. At first, he merely tried to intercept her and tell her what she was doing was immoral. She ignored him, but then the other people, particularly women, started coming with him and the banners and chanting started. Finally, he began approaching her and trying to attack her. That really scared her, but at that point, she lost her job at two of her regular halls, which was when she turned to Ada.’