The Crimson Ramblers Page 5

  ‘We could try, couldn’t we?’ she said. ‘My landlady goes to bed awfully early and I don’t want to have to knock her up. Then we needn’t hurry.’

  Tony agreed and they set off along the front. Simon Beatal, who had been sitting patiently on a seat watching the entrance to the Blue Grotto, got up and walked slowly along behind them.

  It was a short walk to the pier and in a few minutes they were standing outside the stage door. It was shut but when Tony tried the handle it opened easily.

  ‘There you are,’ said Sharon. ‘It is open.’

  ‘And somebody has left the light on in the passage,’ said Tony.

  They entered and the door closed behind them.

  ‘Isn’t there a watchman or a fireman or something?’ said Sharon.

  ‘Probably,’ said Tony. ‘That would account for the light. Hello,’ he called. ‘Anybody about?’

  His voice echoed along the passage but there was no reply.

  ‘I’ll slip into my dressing room and get the key,’ said Sharon. ‘I shan’t be a minute.’

  She went over to the door and opened it, switching on the light.

  ‘Tony,’ she called sharply a second later. ‘Come here.’

  He hurried over to her.

  ‘Look,’ she said, pointing. ‘Somebody has been here. The whole place has been turned upside down.’

  He looked in over her shoulder. The room was a chaotic muddle. The contents of the dressing table had been swept on to the floor and dresses had been pulled from their hooks and strewn in every direction.

  ‘I say,’ exclaimed Tony, ‘this is too bad, you know. I wonder if the other rooms are in the same state.’

  He went to the room next door, turned the handle and looked in. Here, too, the whole place was in a muddle. He went quickly in turn to all the dressing rooms. They were all in the same state. Somebody had made a thorough search. He came back to Sharon.

  ‘They’re all in the same state,’ he said indignantly. ‘It’s disgraceful! The whole place has been ransacked. I’m going to find someone in authority and complain.’

  ‘Don’t you dare to go and leave me here alone,’ she said.

  ‘I suppose we ought to make certain that there’s nobody still about,’ he said.

  Sharon looked at him with frightened eyes.

  ‘You don’t really think there is, do you?’ she gasped.

  ‘There could be. I’ll go and have a look round.’

  She grabbed at his arm.

  ‘You’ll do nothing of the kind,’ she said firmly. ‘You’ll stay just where you are!’

  ‘But we must make certain there’s nobody still here,’ he said. ‘We can’t leave the place until we’re sure...’

  ‘Well, then, I’m coming with you,’ she declared determinedly. ‘I’m not going to be left alone.’

  ‘Good evening, sir,’ remarked a voice behind them. They turned swiftly to the doorway. Simon Beatal was leaning against the door frame.

  ‘Oh, it’s you again, is it?’ said Tony.

  ‘I ventured to suggest, sir, that we should meet again,’ said Beatal. He came farther into the room. ‘I trust this time you will introduce me to your charming companion, sir.’

  ‘What are you doing here?’ demanded Tony angrily.

  ‘I saw you come in, sir. The opportunity presented itself for a little talk.’

  ‘I’ve not the slightest wish to talk to you,’ snapped Tony rudely.

  ‘Perhaps you would prefer to call it a business conference, sir.’

  ‘I should prefer to call it nothing.’

  ‘Come, come, sir,’ said Simon Beatal soothingly. ‘You are impetuous. You are not allowing your natural perspicacity to overrule a certain unfounded antipathy to myself. I am prepared to discuss business, sir. There is a great deal of money involved in this matter. You will not find me ungenerous, sir.’

  ‘That is the second time you’ve tried to bribe me,’ said Tony.

  ‘An unpleasant word, sir,’ said Simon Beatal. ‘Shall we say remuneration for services rendered?’

  ‘You can call it what you like. It makes no difference.’

  ‘You are behaving foolishly, sir.’

  ‘That is a matter of opinion,’ said Tony. ‘Exactly, sir — my opinion. You are, naturally, unaware of the vast issues involved...’

  ‘Why don’t you tell us what it’s all about?’ said Sharon.

  ‘Because it is far better that you should remain in ignorance,’ he answered. ‘Come, come, sir. You have got mixed up in this matter by an unfortunate accident. It is no concern of yours. Why not stop being obstinate, sir? The packet is of no value to you...’

  ‘Is that what you’ve been searching the place for?’ asked Sharon.

  Simon Beatal turned towards her quickly.

  ‘I fail to comprehend your meaning,’ he said.

  ‘Haven’t you been here before tonight?’ said Sharon. ‘Wasn’t it you who turned all the dressing rooms upside down?’

  ‘The dressing rooms have been searched?’ he demanded sharply.

  ‘You know very well they have,’ said Tony.

  ‘You attribute knowledge to me, sir, that I do not possess,’ retorted Simon Beatal.

  ‘Well. Somebody’s been here,’ said Sharon. ‘Just look at the place.’

  The black, beady snake-like eyes in their folds of fat turned from side to side slowly.

  ‘I see,’ said Simon Beatal. ‘Somebody has been looking for the packet, sir.’

  ‘What is so valuable about this packet?’ asked Tony curiously.

  Beatal laughed, his little jerky, mirthless laugh.

  ‘Regarding that, sir, I’m afraid I cannot enlighten you,’ he said.

  ‘He told you, Mr. Wayne, it’s no concern of yours,’ said a fresh voice, breaking in from the doorway. With remarkable swiftness for so fat a man, Simon Beatal swung round.

  ‘Hargreaves!’ he exclaimed.

  Hargreaves came into the room followed by Renton.

  ‘Quite a surprise, eh, Mr. Beatal?’ he said.

  ‘Look here, what is this?’ demanded Tony. ‘A gathering of the clans?’

  ‘I should hardly call it that, Mr. Wayne,’ said Hargreaves.

  ‘Nicely put, sir,’ said Simon Beatal. ‘Quite a coincidence this meeting, if I may say so.’

  ‘There’s no coincidence about it,’ snapped Renton. ‘We followed you.’

  ‘Two minds with but a single thought, sir.’

  ‘If you put any value on that fat hide of yours, you’d better keep out of this,’ said Renton angrily.

  ‘There is no point in being rude, sir,’ answered Beatal, ‘or indulging in empty threats.’

  ‘They’re not empty. You’ll find that out quick enough, if you don’t stop sticking your ugly nose in our business...’

  ‘Your business, sir?’ Simon Beatal managed in some way to make the question sound like an insult. Renton uttered an exclamation and raised a clenched fist.

  ‘I’ve a good mind to...’ he snarled, but Hargreaves stopped him.

  ‘That’ll do, Renton,’ he said curtly.

  ‘I know you,’ said Sharon suddenly to Hargreaves. ‘You came to see Vera Lee this afternoon.’

  Hargreaves looked disconcerted and Beatal was quick to notice it.

  ‘Who is Vera Lee?’ he asked quickly.

  ‘One of our company,’ answered Sharon.

  ‘This is interesting, sir, very interesting.’ Simon Beatal raised his eyebrows. ‘May I be permitted to inquire why you came to see this lady?’

  ‘You may,’ said Hargreaves.

  ‘But you won’t get an answer,’ sneered Renton.

  ‘I’m rather curious myself — now,’ remarked Tony.

  ‘I wouldn’t get too curious,’ snapped Renton.

  ‘If I might hazard a guess, sir,’ said Simon Beatal, ‘it was connected with a certain packet?’

  ‘Vera couldn’t have had anything to do with that,’ said Sharon.

  ‘She co
uldn’t have taken it out of my dressing room,’ said Tony. ‘She had no opportunity.’

  Hargreaves laughed shortly.

  ‘You find something in the situation amusing, sir?’ asked Simon Beatal.

  Renton made an impatient gesture.

  ‘Cut out all the smarmy talk, Beatal,’ he cried. ‘You’ve got the packet and we want it. Come on — hand it over.’

  ‘You are mistaken, sir,’ began Beatal.

  ‘Hand it over!’ snapped Renton. His hand came out of his pocket and there was a glint as the light fell on a small automatic pistol. Sharon gave a little cry and shrank back against Tony.

  ‘Put that away!’ ordered Hargreaves sternly.

  ‘I’m sick of all this fooling around,’ snarled Renton.

  ‘Put that away, I tell you,’ said Hargreaves. Renton hesitated and then he reluctantly put the little weapon back in his pocket.

  ‘You want to handle everything with kid gloves,’ he said disgustedly.

  ‘I dislike violence,’ said Hargreaves. ‘Mr. Beatal will, I am sure, agree with me that it is unnecessary.’

  ‘Will he?’ sneered Renton. ‘What about the girl?’

  ‘I don’t know what you mean, sir,’ said Beatal.

  ‘I mean the girl you strangled and flung in the sea,’ said Renton brutally.

  Sharon gave a little cry and moved closer to Tony.

  ‘Oh,’ she breathed, staring at the fat man in terror, ‘it wasn’t you...’

  ‘It’s no concern of ours,’ interrupted Hargreaves. ‘If Mr. Beatal was so unwise as to lose his self-control in that direction, there is no reason why we should follow such a bad example.’

  ‘You are wrong, sir,’ said Simon Beatal. ‘I am in no way responsible. I deplore violence...’

  ‘I’m all for it — at the right time,’ said Renton.

  ‘All we are interested in, Beatal,’ said Hargreaves, ‘is your unauthorised visit to Miss Lee’s lodgings.’

  ‘You are wrong again, sir. You appear to be completely misinformed about these matters.’

  ‘You’re lying,’ grated Renton. ‘You’ve got that packet...’

  ‘You should use your intelligence, sir, if you possess such a commodity,’ said Simon Beatal. ‘If I were in possession of the packet should I be here now? An irrefutable argument, sir.’

  ‘There’s something in that,’ muttered Hargreaves.

  ‘He’s bluffing,’ snarled Renton. ‘Let me have a go at him. I’ll soon make him tell the truth.’

  ‘No,’ snapped Hargreaves.

  ‘What’s the good of being squeamish? This isn’t a kids’ bun-fight.’

  ‘We’ll handle it my way,’ said Hargreaves coldly.

  ‘You make me sick!’ said Renton, his face white with suppressed fury.

  ‘I congratulate you, sir. Your attitude to the situation is one of admirable restraint,’ said Simon Beatal. ‘These strong-arm methods, advocated by your associate, would be of no avail. I do not possess the packet — unfortunately.’

  ‘Then who has?’ demanded Renton.

  ‘That, sir, is what I am endeavouring to discover...’

  At that moment the light in the dressing room and the passage outside went out.

  Sharon uttered a startled cry. Renton muttered an oath. There was a faint sound — the sound of scurrying footsteps along the passage.

  ‘Who’s there?’ cried Hargreaves. ‘There’s somebody in the building besides us’ Tony and Sharon pushed their way out into the passage. They saw the stage door open and, in the light that streamed in from the pier, caught a glimpse of a figure as it slipped out.

  It was the figure of a woman.

  The stage door shut with a thud that echoed in the darkness of the passage.

  ‘Tony,’ said Sharon huskily and he felt her trembling against him. ‘Did you see who it was?’

  ‘No,’ he answered.

  ‘It was the girl — the girl who was killed,’ said Sharon shakily. ‘I saw her face — for a moment — in the light...’

  ‘But that’s impossible.’

  ‘It was I tell you, it was...’ She suddenly buried her face on his shoulder and began to cry...

  7

  Hargeave’s voice came sharply out of the darkness:

  ‘Did you say it was the girl who was killed?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, yes — it was.’ Sharon’s voice was muffled against Tony’s shoulder.

  ‘Are you suggesting it was a ghost?’ asked Simon Beatal.

  ‘Scared, Beatal?’ sneered Renton.

  ‘There is no valid reason why I should be, sir.’

  ‘You’re sure it was the same girl, Sharon?’ asked Tony.

  She raised her head.

  ‘Yes... I saw her face clearly...’

  ‘Jill Manners,’ muttered Hargreaves.

  ‘Is that her name?’ asked Tony quickly.

  ‘I — I don’t understand,’ said Sharon. She was still trembling and her voice was husky. ‘She’s dead... They found her body...’

  ‘An obvious error,’ remarked Simon Beatal.

  ‘You should know,’ said Tony.

  ‘If you are insinuating, sir - ’ began the fat man.

  ‘She’s your niece, isn’t she?’ interrupted Tony sarcastically.

  Hargreaves laughed.

  ‘Is that what he told you?’ he asked.

  ‘A necessary adjustment of the facts, sir,’ said Simon Beatal.

  Renton had gone along to the stage door and opened it. He looked out.

  ‘There’s a hook on the door,’ said Tony. ‘Keep it open.’

  Renton found the hook and slipped it into a ring in the wall. The light from outside streamed through into the passage and dispelled the darkness.

  ‘Let’s go, Tony,’ whispered Sharon. ‘Let’s get out of this place...’

  The figure of a man suddenly appeared in the open doorway.

  ‘What’s all this?’ it demanded in a surly voice. ‘What’s going on here?’ He came farther into the passage and they saw that he was the pier attendant. ‘You’ve no right in ’ere, yer know...’

  ‘Are you responsible for locking this place up?’ demanded Tony.

  ‘Never you mind what I’m responsible for,’ said the attendant. ‘You just clear out of ’ere — quick, see?’

  ‘Excellent advice, sir,’ said Simon Beatal. ‘There seems no point in our prolonging our little conference.’

  ‘I ought ter report this to the piermaster,’ said the attendant.

  ‘I’m going to do a little reporting, myself,’ snapped Tony. ‘This place was left open and somebody has been in and ransacked our dressing rooms...’

  ‘So that’s what she was doing,’ said Hargreaves.

  ‘Do you belong to the concert party?’ asked the attendant.

  ‘Yes. We came back because this lady had left her key and we found the stage door open,’ said Tony.

  ‘A man’s entitled to ’is supper, ain’t ’e?’ The attendant sounded slightly aggrieved. ‘I’ve never ’ad no trouble before.’ He felt for the passage light switch. ‘’Allo, what’s the matter with the lights?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Tony. ‘They all went out.’

  ‘Fuse gone, I expect,’ said the attendant. He took a torch from the pocket of his uniform. ‘I’ll ’ave a look at the switchboard.’

  ‘Let’s go, Tony,’ said Sharon.

  ‘That’s right, miss,’ said the attendant. ‘If yer all go, I can lock up. I like to see me wife now an’ again — even if it’s only just ter say good night.’

  ‘A laudable ambition, sir,’ said Simon Beatal. ‘I will be the first to set a good example. Good night, sir. Good night, gentlemen.’

  ‘We’re coming with you,’ said Renton grimly.

  ‘We do not go in the same direction, sir.’

  ‘I think we do, Beatal — I think we do,’ remarked Hargreaves.

  Beatal uttered one of his little jerky laughs.

  ‘As you wish, sir,’ he said. �
�I’m gratified to think that you should find so much pleasure in my company.’

  He went out with Hargreaves and Renton on either side of him, still laughing his unpleasant little mirthless laugh.

  The attendant came back.

  ‘Somebody pulled down the main switch,’ he said. ‘Funny goings on, if yer ask me...’

  They left him, muttering and grumbling. When they were out in the moonlit summer night, Sharon looked up at Tony.

  ‘Tony,’ she said with a troubled face. ‘That was the girl — the red-haired girl who was on the train.’

  ‘You’re quite sure of that, Sharon?’ he asked.

  She nodded emphatically.

  ‘Yes,’ she answered without hesitation. ‘Quite sure.’

  He frowned in a puzzled way.

  ‘Then who,’ he said, ‘was the other one? The one they took out of the sea...’

  *

  ‘Vera!’ Vera Lee turned quickly as Tony called to her from the door of his dressing room.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘I want to talk to you,’ he said. ‘Will you come and have tea somewhere after the matinee?’

  ‘I’ve got a headache...’

  ‘A cup of tea will do it good,’ he persisted.

  She frowned.

  ‘I don’t think I can,’ she said. ‘I’m going home to lie down.’

  ‘It’s rather important — it’s about Hargreaves.’

  A startled look came into her face.

  ‘What do you know about Hargreaves?’ she asked sharply.

  ‘Let’s discuss it at tea, shall we?’ he answered.

  ‘All right,’ she said at last.

  *

  Superintendent Halliday was sitting in his office at the police station. It was a small room which was almost completely filled by the big desk at which he sat and a couple of filing cabinets.

  Halliday was gently chewing at the end of a pencil and frowning. The door opened and Detective-Sergeant Soames came in. He was a thin, rather melancholylooking man.

  ‘Well?’ asked Halliday, ‘did you get anything?’

  Soames shook his head.

  ‘Nothing, sir,’ he answered gloomily. ‘We’ve tried all the hotels.’

  ‘Boarding houses?’

  ‘Quite a lot of them too. Collins and Vance are still working on the rest. Up to now there’s no woman reported missing.’

  ‘Maybe she wasn’t staying in Westpool,’ Halliday sighed. ‘That’s going to make it more difficult. We can’t get much farther until we can identify her.’