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“Johnny,” Warren said firmly, stopping him just as he had grabbed Geoff’s collar and had one fist raised. His tone of voice was commanding and the opposite of how he’d spoken in his role as butler.
“Follow me,” he said without waiting for him to respond. He strode past them without even a glance and went through the door that Johnny had come through.
Johnny glared at Geoff and for a moment I thought he wouldn’t let go, but he did. Interesting tactic from Warren of all people.
Everyone let out a collective sigh.
With enough swagger to intimidate even Pandora, he disappeared through the entrance.
“Damn, that was intense,” Eddie muttered.
“What’s interesting is that he wouldn’t have done that if he had killed his wife,” I said.
“Unless he wanted to make himself look innocent,” Eddie said.
Miles scoffed. “That hardly made him seem innocent. I agree with Maggie. I don’t think he did it.”
“Even so, he might know something that can help us. Let’s go.” I rose to my feet. It was not like the actors were going to continue; they had all taken a break. David handed Geoff a water bottle so he could take a moment and gather himself while Brenda patted his arm.
Instead of following in Johnny’s direction, we went out through the front and found a corridor with several dressing rooms and areas filled with props.
There was also a small kitchen with chairs and a table, which was also where Johnny and Warren were now seated. Their eyes briefly widened as they spotted us.
“Hi, I’m Maggie,” I said, before they were inclined to throw me out. “This is Miles and this is Eddie, my associates. We, err, are looking into your wife’s murder.” Nothing wrong with stretching the truth a little, though Eddie would probably not appreciate being called my associate.
“Who hired you?” Johnny asked.
“Good question,” I said as my brain scrambled for an answer.
“The police asked us to help,” Miles said. “They don’t usually do that, but we were part of the murder mystery weekend and are therefore also potential witnesses. The police are hoping we can provide invaluable insight.”
Wow, he made it sound so...official.
Johnny seemed to accept it and gave a sharp nod.
Warren had his arms folded across his chest and though he appeared calm and collected, just taking a sip of his water, he also looked as if he was ready to jump up any second. Perhaps he was expecting another outburst from Valerie’s lovely husband.
“I’m hoping you guys can maybe tell us a bit more about what Valerie was like. Perhaps you also have an idea about who could have done something so terrible.” I sat down at the table while Eddie and Miles lingered somewhere behind me. This way it totally felt like they were my bodyguards.
“Ask those loopy plonkers on stage,” Johnny said with a wave of his hand. “She spent most of her time with them, prancing around.”
“You didn’t approve?”
“It didn’t make any money, did it? What was the point?”
“Was she friends with any of them?”
“What are you implying?” His eyes started to bulge again and it was not a good look for him.
“Well, you seemed to think one of them had killed her. Why?”
“Who else would it be? They were the only other people she spent time with.”
I looked at Warren. It was still strange how he had calmed down Johnny. Then again, perhaps Johnny was just a big bully who backed down from people who knew how to handle themselves. Warren could apparently be very authoritative.
Warren sighed. “Like I was telling Johnny, I can’t imagine any of them hurting Valerie.”
“Who else would it be then?” Johnny raised his voice again.
“I hope we can find out,” I said.
He ignored my attempt at conciliation. “She only ever spent her time here. I was glad the rehearsals had been cut to three times a week since a short while ago. Before that, she was here Monday through Friday evening.”
Warren shifted her weight and looked down at the table.
Aha.
“Well, thank you for your time. We won’t keep you any longer.” I got up and nodded to Eddie and Miles to follow me.
Behind me, I heard them say goodbye. Our footsteps were the only sound as we walked through the corridor and back to the front entrance of the theatre where I stopped.
“Okay, so rehearsals are only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and judging by Warren’s reaction he knew why Valerie had lied about that. My guess would be an affair.”
“Mine too,” Eddie said. “The way she had been flirting with me.”
“Did she flirt with you when we weren’t there as well?” I asked.
“Yeah. Sometime Saturday she came across me in the corridor and started touching my chest. She was coming on way too strong too fast. I didn’t like it.”
I glanced at Miles. “What about you?”
“She tried it Friday, the afternoon they arrived,” he said curtly.
“But?”
“But I shut it down.” His tone indicated it was as easy as flipping a switch.
“How?” Eddie and I asked.
“I told her she reminded me of my mother.”
“Ouch.” Eddie and I cringed at the same time.
Miles smiled as if he’d just revealed a magician’s trick.
“Okay, what I’d really like to do is talk to Brenda and Geoff. All of them, really. But I’d like to start with them. I just don’t want the others to be around when we do.” I pressed my finger against my lip.
“Oh, I have an idea then. I still have to settle their payment. We can drop it off where they live. I can ring them tomorrow and set it up,” Miles said.
“Perfect, actually. Well done. We make a pretty good team.”
The front door behind me opened and I whirled around. Alistair stood there in his pristine suit. He surveyed us for a moment.
“Ah, Scooby Gang,” he said.
“We’re actually the Super Sleuthers.” Eddie folded his arms across his chest.
“We are?” I asked him.
“I’d prefer it if we weren’t,” Miles said dryly.
“What? It’s a good name.”
“Crisis averted, actually,” Miles told Alistair, and then proceeded to explain what happened.
“Hmm,” Alistair said. “I’ll still show my face. I think that will send the right kind of message here. Where are you heading off to now?”
We spoke all at once.
“Home,” I said.
“Brian,” Eddie mumbled.
“Pub,” was Miles’s answer.
“Alright, I might join you in the pub later.” Alistair replied to Miles. He looked at me last, and then he was off. And so were we.
Christina was on the sofa watching a documentary about wildlife while Snowball had jumped onto the sofa next to her. She was currently washing her ears. Even though I had seen her do that many times, it still remained immensely adorable.
I poured myself a glass of lemonade in the kitchen and joined Christina. “What’s new?” I asked.
“Did you hear that Pandora viciously attacked one of Emblyn’s friends? Okay, not really viciously attacked, he got pecked on the ankle a few times.”
“Really? Was it this Elijah bloke?” I asked, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. What was it about this guy?
“I’m not sure, Dawn mentioned it when she delivered the post.”
“She must have noticed something off about him,” I said.
Christina drew her eyes away from the TV. “It sounds as if you don’t like him. Why?”
“I don’t know. I only met him once but he immediately brought out my protective instincts.” I shrugged. “I should probably cut him some slack. I don’t even know him.”
“Mags, hate to break it to you, but intuition is a powerful ally.”
I bit my lip. “That is true.”
“Any news about the murder?”
“We think she might have been having an affair, but we don’t know if that’s true, nor with whom if it is.”
“Interesting. And you still don’t know why she was outside at midnight?”
I shook my head. “If it was to talk with someone from the murder mystery weekend, I don’t see why they’d be outside. But then again, why would someone else drive up to the Pembroke and meet with her at midnight?”
“Do you think she was up to something? Like, maybe she was planning on robbing Miles.” Christina had a glint in her eyes.
“Apparently I’m rubbing off on you. You do realise that that’s very unlikely and we have no proof for that?”
“Ha. And apparently Alistair is rubbing off on you.”
“If only,” Detective Black sighed.
“Don’t worry, I’m keeping an open mind. So far, all we know is that she likes to flirt and that until recently she was gone most evenings.” I tapped my finger against my lips. “You know, she could have just stepped outside to get some fresh air. Maybe someone in the Pembroke saw her and followed her outside.”
“Do you think the killer intended to go out and kill her? Or was it to talk to her and then it ended up in murder?”
“Too soon to tell. But I heard voices and they didn’t sound upset or anything, so my guess is they were discussing something. It doesn’t necessarily mean a fight erupted, it could be that the killer didn’t like whatever was being discussed and decided to end it there and then.”
“Eddie said she was killed with your scarf.”
I shivered. “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry.”
“We’ll find out who did it. Besides, there’s plenty of good things going on in our lives. Our other flatmate is a cute, fluffy bunny, you’re dating someone, I’m...working on a novel.”
Christina raised an eyebrow. “You’re always working on a novel.”
“Not always. Right now I’m watching a documentary about—” I looked up just in time to see two rhinos mate.
“Great,” I muttered while Christina laughed.