The Cinderella Murders

by David Cargill

‘I’m afraid we do sometimes. Usually by irresponsible groups bent on causing us, as well as the ambulance and fire service, unnecessary journeys involving needless expense.’

  ‘Surely you didn’t believe such a call from the Theatre Royal was a hoax?’

  ‘We certainly didn’t. Not until we didn’t find what we expected to see. But as it apparently came from the stage door at the theatre, it could conceivably have come from anyone masquerading as the stage doorman. Calls regarding shootings are so serious that we respond immediately and the only information we got was that there had been a shooting at the theatre. When the emergency number is dialled the operator transfers it to the specific emergency service and when we received the call we didn’t know if the theatre was full of an audience watching a play. It could have been very serious.’

  ‘And when you arrived and found no body you thought…?’

  ‘Exactly Giles! But having met you and questioned those who were present it appears we could have a critical incident on our hands and time is of the essence. Let’s get cracking. My team will start the search in the basement.’

  Giles had a quick word with Laura and Freddie telling them to keep a watchful eye on the others in the Green Room while he went to the stage door. DS Miller along with DC Watson and Constable Jenkins left the room to start their search.

  It didn’t take Giles long to establish that no one had left the theatre by the stage door and the only people entering by that door were Freddie, the three detectives, who confirmed their identities and the ambulance crew. Robbie at the stage door was certain that all other means of entry or exit were securely locked.

  As Giles approached the door of the Green Room on his return from the stage door he met the CID detectives and Constable Jenkins. The senior detective’s face was grim. ‘Well we’ve found what looked like blood,’ he said, shaking his head, ‘but still no sign of a body. I’m reluctant to say so but I’m baffled, Giles. No blood on the stage where the actor allegedly was shot, a suspect on the scene with blood on his hands bending over the body and then no further traces until it suddenly appears at some distance from the site of the crime.’

  ‘Where did you find the blood?’

  ‘My constable found traces on the stairs going down to the basement. It was the first place we looked at and the traces were rather difficult to identify on the poorly lit stairs. But there was no such trouble down in the basement. It was in the props room where we came across a significant amount. That’s if it is blood and if it’s human blood. I’ve sent a sample to the lab for testing.’

  ‘But he must be alive and still in the building, John. The stage doorman confirms that no one has left the theatre.’

  ‘So far our search hasn’t come up with much. I’m short of manpower Giles but it’s important to make a much more systematic search of the entire building. Do you think your lot could help?’

  ‘Of course,’ said Giles, ‘only too willing.’

  ‘Good man. Let’s get cracking then.’ The sergeant clapped Giles on the shoulder. ‘Glad you’re here Giles.’

  DS Miller started to organise team groups for the search. He put Cindy and Dicky together with Giles as trustworthy leader. The Brigadier was linked with Grizelda and Freddie was to be the one who would keep an eye on them. Finally the Fairy Godmother and the two playwrights along with Laura were to complete the teams conducting the search.

  Each of the teams was given specific instructions as to which part of the theatre they should search and the three detectives would pay particular attention to the remaining areas. Looking everyone in the eye – the Sergeant emphasised how none could leave the group at any time on any pretext whatsoever.

  Although the DS appeared confident the actor would be found Giles was at once aware that the pragmatic experienced-hardened policeman was seriously disturbed. ‘You’re worried, John. What are you thinking?’

  ‘If no body is found, Giles, I won’t know what to think. Without evidence that a shooting took place I’m afraid it’s only hearsay at present. Think about it, Giles. The gun we found had not been fired. There was no blood on the stage. The alleged victim has not been found. Was he actually there? Or it this a monumental trick played out by a group of actors designed to put one over a magician who’s renowned for his illusions? As a police officer I might have to go along with such a theory. Could you be fooled by such a mind-boggling prank, Giles? I hesitate to think so but who knows? It’s really the only plausible explanation. And if the blood we did find turns out to be the same as Dicky’s it won’t prove much. It only confirms what we already know – that the supposed missing person is indeed Dicky’s brother Cyril. Being identical twins they would have the same blood group.’

  ‘Possible,’ said Giles, looking rather sceptical. ‘A bit far-fetched, I must admit, but let’s not jump the gun, if you’ll pardon the expression. The search may well solve many of the problems you’ve just mentioned but if they’re still unanswered where do we go from there?’

  ‘I rather doubt if the police or the ambulance service can spend much time deliberating on a case that simply doesn’t exist,’ the Detective Sergeant said. ‘There’s little the police can do in a case like this. If it does turn out to be a case of a missing person it will then be the responsibility of the missing persons bureau and will be out of my remit, Giles. But if you come up with any possible leads get in touch with me immediately of course. We can then bring the weight of the law into action. However we’ll get on with the search and I suggest you keep an eye on the two who presumably were involved in the supposed shooting. The one who was to fire the gun in the play and the one who claims his brother was dead. A statement that can’t be substantiated. Either one could have played a major part in this curious affair. And if that was indeed the case I certainly would want to know.’

  ‘I have to admit I’m as flummoxed as you are, John,’ Giles said. ‘If someone had tried to kill the actor playing Cyril there had to be a good reason for it. As you say it could conceivably be a rather poor taste joke on me or some stupid prank engineered by the twins for some obscure reason – they are, I must say, both rather strange youths quite capable of such mischief.’ Giles paused. His voice was low, almost a mumble, as if talking to himself. ‘Or could it be some cunning device to sabotage the play itself? Certainly a murder or suspected murder would effectively derail the production. But for what purpose? Dislike for the playwrights is surely insufficient motive for such an extravagant ploy.’

  Giles’ voice trailed off into a whisper obliging the DS to lean towards him. ‘Or was there another entirely different, unthinkable reason?’

  ‘I’m not too sure what possible reason you’re contemplating, Giles. But I have a fair idea that whatever it is will be revealed eventually. Why don’t you take Marlene and Mr Kelly and search the storage area. I’ll give the others instructions as to where they should look. That would be helpful as I’ve only got a couple of men. After a complete search of the storage area check the auditorium and the foyer. It doesn’t matter if the same area is covered by different groups as long as no area is left uncovered. We have to find this man assuming, of course, that there is a man to be found.’ The inspector gave Giles a dubious look. ‘On the other hand he may need urgent medical treatment and what we certainly don’t want to find is a corpse. That would cause us considerable embarrassment, Giles.’ He smiled, rather condescendingly, thought Giles and the DS quickly rearranged his face and quietly said ‘We’ll meet on the stage and compare notes. If anyone should find the twin and he’s so weak from his injury he should of course be left where he is until the ambulance men attend to him.’

  The storage area reminded Giles of the basement at Maskelyne Hall. It was packed with everything a theatre required to put on a season of three-act plays. It was essential that a theatre such as the Theatre Royal should have every conceivable type of furniture necessary to dress a stage for a production depicting a wide variety of differing periods. It was also a perfect area where som
eone could remain hidden and Giles not only had to make a thorough search of each and every item but had to keep a watchful eye on the two actors who were conducting the search with him. There were period pieces of large wardrobes and grandfather clocks plus suits of armour where a body could remain hidden. Everything that was to be used for the forthcoming winter season was already stored in the space. Each piece of furniture for the theatre’s next three plays Hotel Paradiso, The Master Builder and Separate Tables had to be meticulously searched and Giles was only too aware that someone hiding could leave one hiding place and move to another especially if there was an accomplice who could assist or distract the attention of the responsible one. It was while he was searching around this treasure trove of antiques that Giles spotted what looked like a spot of blood on a divan. It was still slightly wet to the touch and Giles was in no doubt that a wounded person had been there recently. He pointed this out to both actors and their response was simply a nodding of heads.

  Nothing more was found that would convince the three searchers that a missing person was still hiding in the storage area but one thing seemed to be evident. The twin brother of Mr Kelly had most likely been there recently and was probably still bleeding.

  Giles left the storage area with Marlene and the Kelly twin and entered the foyer where he met the lady playing Grizelda and the man playing the Brigadier along with Freddie on their way to the stairs leading up to the balcony.

  Freddie’s shake of the head meant they had failed to find any trace of the injured man in the dressing rooms or kitchen area and Giles already feared the worst.

  The empty auditorium looked somehow menacing to Giles. The seats gave out strange sounds as if someone was breathing deeply and what sounded like an occasional eerie cry of pain was audible to him in the silence of the place. Much of these were no doubt due to the rush of draughts disturbing the area and causing the movement of dust and the creepy noise of the ropes hanging from the ceiling in one of the wings of the stage. Giles’ eyes were uncannily drawn to the bust of Robert Burns which graced the auditorium wall and a trick of the light appeared to create furtive shifting of the bard’s eyes which followed Giles as he continued his search. There were faint but noticeable scuttling sounds like small creatures running around this empty space which made him shudder.

  Giles looked up at the stage where the sacking could still be seen on the stage floor. In his mind he could visualise the dramatic collapse of Cyril when the shot was fired. He could still see the look of total disbelief and naked fear in the eyes of the actor as he clutched his chest and slid to the floor where he remained motionless. Had that been a piece of play acting designed to dupe Giles or anyone else watching the rehearsal it was deserving of an award. If Cyril was bent on duping him his acting was worthy of an Oscar.

  Nothing made any sense. If Marlene hadn’t fired the gun where had the shot come from? The only sight he’d had of a gun was the one in Marlene’s hand. It was almost unthinkable that she could have had a second gun. Or was it? Giles could remember telling one of the playwrights that he considered Marlene a natural in the handling of a weapon. But even he, as a magician, was completely unaware that by some clever sleight of hand a second gun was used. That left all the others on stage and those in the auditorium as potential murderers or attempted murderers. But who? And why?

  He turned his mind back to the job in hand – that of examining every possibility of a hiding place in the auditorium though he was acutely conscious that with every minute that passed the likelihood of finding Cyril was rapidly becoming more doubtful. He was tempted to sound out Dicky as to what possible explanation he could think of for his twin’s disappearance, even if only to gauge any subtle reaction to implied complicity. And of course if he were involved, Dicky would certainly lie with an actor’s conviction.

  He kept a close watch on the Kelly twin and Marlene as all three searched the seating. When he looked upstairs he could see Freddie and his group clearly as they conducted their search. But down below, his team had to scour every seat in every row as it was distinctly possible for someone to conceal himself below the seating.

  When the back row was reached and no sign of a human was found Giles turned to look at the stage again. Though he couldn’t see the trap door from where he was standing he knew exactly where it was and he wondered if anyone unfamiliar with the theatre could use this escape route on his own or if it required an accomplice. He was fairly sure it had to have someone triggering the heavy intricate device or it wouldn’t work.

  His thoughts were quickly interrupted when he saw Laura and her team members appearing on stage with the three detectives who were deep in conversation. Laura’s shake of the head and thumbs down were all that was necessary for Giles to realise that their search had also proved negative.

  As he approached the steps from the auditorium up to the stage he instantly observed that the detective sergeant was looking seriously perturbed and seemed very anxious to speak to Giles.

  ‘You’ve had some news, John?’

  ‘I’ve just had a phone call from the lab. They’ve examined the blood sample found in the basement and it’s real blood all right. But heavily contaminated with what I imagine to be stage blood. And the real blood is not only human blood but it’s a rather rare blood group of AB-Rh negative. The forensic team confirm that identical twins usually have the same blood group though that isn’t always the case apparently. Extremely rare, but a possibility. Which probably means, of course, that the blood found on the stairs leading to the basement and that found in the basement itself would match the blood group of the twin with us now. If such a test was made and a match proved, all that would tell us is that the so-called missing person is Malcolm’s brother but wouldn’t tell us which one was bleeding. I’m sorry but what we know so far means we really have no case to answer.’

  ‘What exactly does that mean? And where do we go from here?’

  ‘Face it Giles. We’ve nothing much to go on. A possible missing person. And missing for what? Barely an hour? Blood samples similar to those of the twin brothers – both experienced actors I must say. And the blood mixed up with stage blood. An assertion by a group of actors of an attempted murder. A so-called gun on the stage floor that’s virtually a toy. Sorry Giles, I know your well-deserved reputation but in this case it’s pretty certain someone is trying to dupe you. However,’ the sergeant raised a placatory hand, ‘we’ll spread the word about a possible missing person.’ Scepticism mixed in equal measure with annoyance was evident in his raised eyebrows. ‘But,’ he continued, ‘I can tell you Giles, the police don’t take too kindly to that sort of prank. The CID called to investigate a shooting or attempted murder will no longer be involved. What I suggest you do, Giles is allow the rehearsal group to carry on if they wish. Of course should anything occur that is somehow connected to the alleged shooting get in touch and be assured we’ll bring the weight of the law to track down the culprit. As for myself and my team there is unfortunately no case to answer.’

  Chapter 14

  BULLETS OR BLANKS

  When Detective Sergeant Miller and the two other policemen left the theatre Giles told Mark and Walter that the DS advised they continue with rehearsals as normal if they so wished. With evident relief Mark agreed but Walter argued with some vehemence that whatever the explanation some member of the cast was responsible for the upheaval.

  ‘Damn disgrace!’ he muttered shaking his head. ‘Damn disgrace,’ he repeated, glowering at everyone. ‘Either Cyril is a bloody fool or we have a murderer in our midst.’

  Giles scrutinised the faces of the cast – amazement, horror, disbelief and was there also a hint of fear?

  Eventually Walter was pacified and with the reluctant agreement of the cast it was decided to proceed with rehearsals, Walter being persuaded to step in and play the part of Cyril.

  Despite the cast being rather edgy because of the unaccountable disappearance of Cyril, things continued with remarkable ease. For some unp
redictable reason Walter became relieved and reassured everyone that Cyril’s disappearance would eventually be resolved. His enthusiasm gradually infected each cast member as he cajoled them to increase their efforts.

  As the day wore on well into evening Giles decided to return to Maskelyne Hall with Laura and Freddie where he was anxious to go over the unusual events of that day. With the help of Laura and Freddie he might start to unravel the riddle of a shooting that somehow occurred in front of their eyes with no indication as to where the shot had come from or who had fired that shot and why?

  As the DS had stated no case to answer, the two playwrights told the cast that rehearsals should continue well into the night. There was always a possibility that Cyril would appear and would probably need help. Mark said he’d been in touch with the Guild and arrangements for bedding and a light breakfast would enable everyone to make the best of things.

  Giles explained that he was returning to the house in Lockerbie where he would give the day’s events a lot of thought. He would be with them again in the morning when he might be able to throw some light on what had taken place.

  On the way back to Lockerbie in the car Giles was deep in thought and Freddie, from past experience, knew it was never a good thing to interrupt by asking what he was thinking. Laura drove the car in silence conscious that Giles would take his time before eventually coming out of his coma and bombarding both her and Freddie with questions, most of which would be unanswerable.

  As they went through the little town of Lockerbie and were travelling up the hill turning on to the road leading to Maskelyne Hall Freddie glanced at his friend whose eyes were closed. Although he appeared to be fast asleep Freddie was all too aware that his friend was probably going through a host of imponderables after which he would often make an important deduction.

  As the car came to a halt on the gravel drive in front of the Hall, Giles suddenly became alert and spoke quietly but deliberately as if making a concluding statement at a lecture to an audience who were hanging on his every word. ‘It’s not always a motive you look for when trying to solve a problem,’ he said. ‘it can often be infinitely more advantageous to search for who had the opportunity.’