The Crimson Ramblers Read online

  The packet had gone.

  *

  There was a rehearsal on the following morning. Sharon was putting in a new number for the following week and Andy was making several slight alterations to the programme.

  ‘It was no too bad for a first run through,’ he remarked as they left the stage. ‘It’ll work up fine.’

  ‘I can put a lot more in it yet,’ said Sharon.

  ‘Ye’d find it better if Billy and Beryl could take the tempo a wee bit faster...’

  ‘That’s easy,’ said Billy.

  ‘I felt that’s what it wanted,’ agreed Beryl.

  ‘I suppose,’ said Vera cattily, ‘if Andy had said it was too slow, you’d have felt that too?’

  ‘It would be better faster,’ said Sharon hastily. ‘Give it more pep.’

  ‘Anything more, Andy?’ asked Vera.

  He shook his head.

  ‘No, ye can all go away and enjoy yourselves until the matinée.’

  They trouped out of the dark passage into the sunshine of the pier. Vera and Billy elected to go for a swim. Andy, as usual, and to the disappointment of the hopeful Beryl, went off to do some accounts. Tony and Sharon decided that coffee would be nice and went off together to find a café.

  They found one on the front that was not too crowded and settled themselves at a corner table. There was a vacant table nearby and they had scarcely taken their seats when the little, thin-faced man, who had spoken to Gilbert, followed them in and sat down at the vacant table. He pulled out a newspaper and became engrossed in its contents, holding it so that he was screened from their view.

  ‘I’ve been waiting for a chance to talk to you, Tony,’ said Sharon, when the waitress had brought the coffee. ‘What really happened last night?’

  ‘What happened?’ repeated Tony innocently.

  ‘Don’t look vacuous. Something happened. You know it did. When you and Andy came on for the finale you both looked scared to death. As if you’d seen a ghost.’

  ‘Imagination,’ he declared.

  She shook her head.

  ‘No, it wasn’t. Had it anything to do with that girl and the packet?’

  ‘What makes you think that?’

  ‘I just wondered. Did she come back for it?’

  ‘No,’ he answered truthfully, ‘she didn’t.’

  ‘You’re hedging,’ she accused. ‘Something did happen and it was to do with that girl and the packet...’

  A shadow fell across the table — a huge distorted shadow that blotted out the ray of sunlight from the wide window. Sharon drew in her breath sharply and looked up.

  ‘We meet again, Mr. Wayne,’ said Simon Beatal. ‘It is indeed a pleasant surprise.’

  ‘For which of us?’ said Tony.

  ‘For both of us, I hope, sir. You permit me to sit down?’ Without waiting for a reply he drew up a chair and lowered his huge body into it. ‘I trust you will forgive me for my somewhat hasty departure last night — a business appointment, sir. Punctuality is one of my virtues. You and your friend found out your little mistake?’ He uttered one of his little mirthless, jerky laughs.

  ‘Was it a mistake?’ asked Tony.

  ‘A stupid trick, sir.’ Beatal laughed again. ‘A practical joke played by someone with a childish sense of humour.’

  ‘So you looked, did you?’ said Tony. ‘Naturally, sir. I was greatly relieved...’

  ‘I hope your niece is well,’ said Tony. ‘In the best of health, sir,’ said Simon Beatal. ‘I trust you have reconsidered your attitude, Mr. Wayne?’

  ‘About what?’ asked Tony.

  ‘You are cautious, sir. An excellent trait — if it is not carried to extremes.’ ‘Meaning?’

  ‘You are an intelligent man, sir. It will be to your own interests to grant my previous request. You are dabbling in dangerous matters, sir.’

  ‘I’m beginning to believe you,’ said Tony grimly.

  ‘I’m glad to hear it. Perhaps it will alter your outlook, sir.’

  ‘But not, I’m afraid,’ said Tony, ‘to your advantage, Mr. Beatal.’

  ‘That is a pity, sir,’ replied Simon Beatal. ‘You may, indeed, find it a great pity.’

  ‘Is that a threat?’ demanded Tony.

  ‘A threat, sir?’ Beatal uttered another of his jerky little laughs. ‘Nothing so melodramatic — just a friendly warning, sir.’

  ‘I’m afraid you are wasting your time,’ said Tony shortly.

  ‘I never waste anything, sir.’

  ‘What you want is no longer in my possession.’

  The suaveness vanished from Simon Beatal’s face as though a sponge had been drawn across it. For a moment he looked like an enraged demon.

  ‘What have you done with it? Where is it?’ he demanded harshly.

  ‘Wasn’t it you who took it from my dressing room last night?’ asked Tony.

  The fat man recovered his usual smooth attitude.

  ‘If you are bluffing, sir,’ he said, ‘I should advise you to change your mind. If it is a question of money...’

  ‘It isn’t.’

  ‘Then what is it you want? I am prepared to give you anything within reason, sir.’

  ‘Can’t you understand plain English, Mr. Beatal?’ said Tony. ‘I no longer have the packet. Is that clear?’

  ‘I hear what you say, sir.’ Simon Beatal got up. ‘I apologise for my intrusion, sir. You have not seen fit to introduce me to your charming companion — ’ he bowed to Sharon ‘ — an oversight that can be rectified in the future, sir. I have a feeling that we shall meet again. Let me offer you a word of advice, Mr. Wayne. Keep out of this business.’ He laughed. ‘You see I am generous. In spite of your refusal to cooperate I bear you no malice. Good day, sir.’

  He bowed again to Sharon and made his way out of the café. The little man behind the newspaper got up quietly, folded his paper, and went after him.

  Sharon gave a shiver.

  ‘Who is that horrible man, Tony?’ she asked.

  ‘He calls himself Simon Beatal,’ answered Tony.

  She shivered again.

  ‘He’s horrible — he frightens me... Let’s go Tony. Let’s get out into the sunshine.’

  4

  The small, thin-faced man opened the stage door and looked cautiously into the passage beyond. It was empty and he could hear the sound of the show in progress, for the matinée was half over. Very stealthily he entered and made his way along to Howard Gilbert’s dressing room. He tapped on the door.

  Gilbert opened it quickly and frowned as he saw who had knocked.

  ‘I told you not to come here,’ he muttered angrily.

  ‘It’s urgent,’ said the little man.

  ‘All right. Come in.’ Gilbert almost dragged him into the room and shut the door.

  Sharon came out of her dressing room almost at the same moment. If she had been a second sooner she would have seen the little man go into Gilbert’s room but she had no knowledge of his presence. She went quickly along towards the stage and ran into Tony as he came down the steps. From inside the theatre came a howl of laughter.

  ‘Andy’s going well this afternoon,’ she said.

  The whole show’s going well,’ said Tony. ‘There’s something the matter with Vera, though...’

  ‘I know,’ Sharon frowned. ‘She’s awfully touchy lately. You have to be careful what you say or she bites your head off.’

  ‘She always was on the catty side,’ said Tony.

  ‘She’s got worse lately. Do you think something’s worrying her?’

  ‘It’s Billy probably,’ said Tony. ‘She’s nuts about him and he’s always dithering around after other girls.’

  ‘I don’t think it’s entirely that.’

  ‘What do you think it is?’ He smiled down at her. ‘A guilty secret?’

  ‘What made you say that?’ she asked quickly.

  ‘I was only joking. You didn’t think I was serious, did you?’

  ‘No, but that’s exactly how she’s be
having.’

  ‘I wouldn’t worry, if I were you,’ he said. ‘I’m not worrying,’ said Sharon. ‘But with all these queer things going on... the packet and that frightened girl... and that horrible fat man...’

  ‘The ubiquitous Mr. Beatal?’ Tony smiled. ‘Yes, and then there’s you and Andy...’ ‘What’s wrong with us?’

  ‘There’s something going on between you. It’s no use pretending... Something happened last night. What did that man mean about a practical joke?’

  ‘The less you know about it the better,’ said Tony seriously.

  ‘So there is something?’ she said quickly. ‘Why did he warn you to keep out of it?’ There was a burst of applause from the direction of the stage.

  ‘That’s the end of Andy’s act,’ said Tony. ‘You’d better hurry or you’ll be off.’ ‘You’re not getting out of it as easily as that,’ said Sharon. ‘I’ll see you later.’

  She hurried up the steps to the stage. Tony looked after her and then made his way to his dressing room. He lit a cigarette and sat down smoking thoughtfully.

  Howard Gilbert looked at the thin-faced little man perched on a corner of his dressing table and there was a worried frown on his heavy face.

  ‘When did they find it?’ he asked.

  ‘A few minutes ago,’ answered the other. ‘I thought I’d better come and tell you at once.’

  ‘Go back and get hold of all the information you can,’ said Gilbert. ‘I’ll meet you after the show. Outside the cafe opposite the pier.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll do me best.’

  ‘And be careful,’ warned Gilbert. ‘Be very careful.’

  ‘You can trust me,’ said the little man. He went over to the door.

  ‘Wait,’ said Gilbert. He opened the door and looked out. ‘The coast’s clear. Hurry, I don’t want anyone to see you.’

  The little man nodded and hurried away.

  Gilbert watched him until he had shut the stage door behind him and then he came back into the dressing room. For a moment he stood thoughtfully looking at himself in the mirror and then he went over to the large trunk, unlocked it and took out the small black hat. He found a sheet of brown paper that had had laundry in it and very carefully made the hat into a parcel.

  Putting it down on the dressing table he sat and stared at it as though trying to make up his mind...

  *

  Andy came hurriedly into the dressing room and began to change.

  ‘That woman,’ he declared, ‘is becoming a menace!’

  ‘Which woman?’ asked Tony.

  ‘There’s only one woman in my life,’ said Andy.

  ‘What’s she been up to now?’

  ‘She wants to take me out to tea. She was nearly in tears when I said I hadna got the time. She even offered to pay the bill as an inducement!’

  ‘What could be fairer than that?’ said Tony laughing. ‘You’ll have to do one of two things, Andy sack her or marry her.’

  ‘She’s a contract for the season. It would be cheaper to marry her!’

  ‘You might do worse.’

  ‘Aye — I could fall off the end of the pier and drown, maybe!’

  ‘I think Beryl would make a very good wife.’

  ‘We’ll drop the subject, if ye dinna mind,’ said Andy firmly. ‘Have ye seen anything more of Beatal?’

  Tony told him about the morning meeting.

  ‘But I thought he was the one who took the packet from your suitcase,’ commented Andy.

  ‘So did I,’ agreed Tony. ‘We were both wrong apparently.’

  ‘If he didna take it who did?’

  ‘Don’t ask me.’ Tony shrugged his shoulders.

  ‘I wonder what’s in it to make it so valuable?’

  ‘I rather wish I’d looked now,’ said Tony. ‘Maybe it’s just as well ye didn’t,’ said Andy meaningfully.

  ‘You mean it might have proved dangerous?’

  ‘Aye. Ye mind what happened to that girl?’

  ‘We’ve no proof that anything happened to her. I agree with you that Beatal would stop at very little to get hold of the thing. He offered to bribe me to give it to him and I don’t think he meant chicken feed. The contents of that packet are worth money — big money, Andy.’

  ‘It’s better out of your hands, in my opinion,’ remarked Andy.

  ‘Maybe you’re right. I’d like to know, though, what...’ Tony broke off as Sharon came bursting excitedly into the room.

  ‘Tony — Andy!’ she cried. ‘They’ve found the dead body of a woman — in the sea — at the end of the pier...’

  ‘When?’ asked Tony quickly.

  ‘This afternoon — while the show was on.’ She was breathless. ‘Ted, the electrician, has just told me. One of the fishermen’s lines caught in it.’

  Andy shot a quick glance at Tony.

  ‘The girl in the basket,’ he murmured.

  ‘What girl — what basket?’ demanded Sharon.

  ‘Was the woman drowned?’ asked Tony. ‘The woman they found?’

  ‘I suppose so — I don’t know,’ she answered. ‘The police have cleared the end of the pier and are keeping everybody away... You know something about it, don’t you?’ she accused. ‘You and Andy. It’s got something to do with what happened last night... Tony! Is it that girl — the girl in black?’

  ‘Ye’ll do well to keep out of it, Sharon,’ said Andy.

  ‘That’s what that horrible man said this morning. He warned Tony...’

  ‘It was good advice, I’m thinking,’ said Andy seriously. ‘There’s something going on that we don’t understand and maybe it’s as well that we don’t. Our job is to entertain the public and we don’t want to get mixed up with murder...’

  Sharon looked at him with horrified eyes.

  ‘Murder?’ she gasped. ‘Do you mean that the woman they found was murdered?’

  ‘I wouldna know.’ Andy shook his head. ‘But it’s not our affair.’

  Vera Lee, her face worried and anxious, came quickly into the room.

  ‘Andy,’ she said in an agitated voice, ‘there’s a man wants to see you. He says he’s a police inspector...’

  ‘Superintendent, miss,’ interrupted a voice behind her and a big man followed her into the room. ‘Are you Mr. McKay, sir?’

  ‘Aye, that’s my name,’ said Andy.

  ‘Sorry to bother you, sir,’ said the big man. ‘I’m Superintendent Halliday of the Westpool Criminal Investigation Department. We’re inquiring into the death of a woman whose body was taken out of the sea this afternoon.’

  ‘Drowned?’ interpolated Tony.

  ‘No, sir, strangled — with a silk scarf that was still knotted round her neck,’ said Halliday. ‘It’s a pretty obvious case of murder.’

  ‘Why have ye come to me?’ asked Andy.

  ‘We’re trying to identify the woman, sir,’ said Halliday. The body had got wedged in the piles under the pier... It’s not a very pleasant thing to talk about but, well, the battering of the sea...’

  Sharon went a little white and Vera put up her hand quickly to her mouth. They could imagine what the Superintendent had left unsaid.

  ‘I still don’t see how I can help ye,’ said Andy.

  ‘It seems you may have known the woman, sir,’ answered Halliday. ‘She was wearing a black suit and we found a bit of paper in one of the pockets with your name on it. The paper was very sodden but just decipherable.’

  ‘What colour is her hair?’ asked Sharon before she could stop herself. The Superintendent turned to her in surprise.

  ‘Reddish, miss,’ he said. ‘Auburn, I suppose you’d call it.’

  ‘I’m afraid I canna help ye,’ said Andy.

  ‘This woman must have known you, sir, or she wouldn’t have been carrying your name about with her...’

  ‘It doesna necessarily follow,’ said Andy.

  ‘It suggests a connection, sir,’ said Halliday. ‘I’d be obliged if you would come along to the mortuary with me and...’


  ‘I thought you said the features were unrecognisable,’ interrupted Tony.

  ‘That’s true, sir, but there might be something about the clothes or the appearance of the body that this gentleman might identify.’

  ‘I’m quite certain I know nothing about her,’ began Andy, but the Superintendent interrupted him apologetically.

  ‘Afraid I shall have to insist, sir,’ he said.

  ‘When do you want me to come?’ asked Andy.

  ‘There’s no time like now, sir. I’ve a car outside the pier. It won’t take more than a few minutes.’

  Andy shrugged his shoulders.

  ‘Let’s get it over, then,’ he said resignedly.

  Just as they were going, the Superintendent turned to Sharon.

  ‘Why did you ask what colour the woman’s hair was, miss?’ he said.

  ‘I — I don’t know... I just — wondered,’ she answered.

  ‘Rather a queer thing to wonder, wasn’t it? Unless you had some special reason?’

  ‘It — it just came into my mind...’

  He gave her a long and rather searching look.

  ‘I see, miss. It just came into your mind...’

  He nodded thoughtfully and went out with Andy.

  As they came into the passage, Gilbert came out of his dressing room. He was carrying a brown paper parcel under his arm.

  ‘Taking the washing home?’ said Andy.

  ‘Yes,’ retorted Gilbert curtly. ‘Any objection?’

  He pushed past them without another word and went out the stage door.

  Halliday frowned.

  ‘Who was that, sir?’ he asked.

  ‘One of my company — why?’ answered Andy.

  ‘His face seemed familiar. What’s his name, sir?’

  ‘Gilbert — Howard Gilbert.’

  Halliday shook his head in a puzzled way.

  ‘Gilbert, eh? I wonder where I’ve seen him before?’

  5

  ‘You nearly put the cat among the pigeons, Sharon,’ said Tony. ‘What did you ask about her hair for?’

  ‘Why didn’t you and Andy tell him about the girl and the packet?’ she said.

  ‘Yes, why didn’t you?’ asked Vera. ‘I think it was awfully silly not to. If the police find out there’ll be a lot of trouble.’