A Stolen Shadow, page 9
“Thanks,” grunted Shadow. He had a feeling tan or no tan, all the colour was about to drain out of his face. “Let’s get it over with then,” he said with a nod towards the body on the ground. Sophie and Jimmy obligingly turned back the sheet. Beneath was a woman of about forty. Her brown hair was loosely curled, the make-up on her face had been carefully and subtly applied and she was wearing high-heeled black ankle boots and a black leather jacket. Shadow was relieved that the only visible evidence of her murder was a dark red stain around the tear in the middle of her animal-print mini dress.
“She was killed with a single stab wound. They attacked her from behind but it went right through. That’s the exit wound her at the front. They weren’t messing about. It’s so precise you could say it’s the work of a professional. Whoever killed her must have used some force. My guess is they completely severed the spinal cord.”
Shadow grimaced and swallowed down the bile he could feel rising in his throat.
“Are you saying the killer was a man?”
“Or a strong, fit woman. They had the strength to drag her over here too. She was actually killed closer to the path. There’s a trail of blood over the grass.”
“Why would they move her?” asked Jimmy.
“To try to hide her, I think. The road that runs alongside this hedge is pretty quiet, but if a tractor was driving by, I bet the driver would be high enough to see over into the garden,” replied Sophie, who had grown up on a farm. “They would have spotted the body if she had been left where she was killed, but not down here. The guy who found her didn’t even notice at first. It was only when he spotted the stuff she’d dropped.” She pointed to where a handbag and a few other items were scattered in the long grass.
“Any thoughts on the time of death?”
“It’s tricky as the temperature has been below freezing for the last couple of days but I’d say she’s been here for about forty-eight hours. Look, an animal has had a nibble at her hand.” She pointed to small teeth marks on the edge of Francesca’s palm. “My guess is she was killed on Sunday, but I’ll be able to give you a better idea after the post-mortem.”
Shadow took a deep breath and raised his hand to his mouth.
“But you think it was before Knight was killed?”
“Oh, definitely.”
“Any thoughts on the weapon?”
“Well, something with a long blade – at least two feet – and about an inch wide.
Shadow exchanged a look with Jimmy.
“That sounds very much like our sabre.”
“The ceremonial one that was stolen and then turned up at the theatre?” asked Sophie.
Shadow nodded. “Where is it now?” he asked.
“Ben and Ollie have it,” replied Jimmy.
“And where are they? I thought they would have been here by now.”
“They’re at the hospital. They’re both getting their collars taken off today.”
“Pity it wasn’t before all this started,” grumbled Shadow. “How long will they be?”
Jimmy checked his phone. “They’re about to set off now. Shall I ask them to bring the sabre with them?”
“Will it help you, Sophie?” asked Shadow.
Sophie shook her head. “I’d rather take a look after I’ve examined her properly. Am I okay to the move the body now?”
Shadow nodded, and he and Jimmy stood to one side as the dead woman was carefully placed on a stretcher and taken to the waiting private ambulance.
“If it turns out the stolen sabre really was the murder weapon, that means it was stolen on Saturday night, used to kill Francesca sometime on Sunday, then found its way backstage at the theatre in time for Monday night’s performance of the pantomime,” mused Jimmy.
Shadow frowned. “It’s what, about three feet long in total? You can’t exactly slip it into your pocket. Surely someone must have spotted it being carried around.”
“How about if it was stolen and taken to the theatre with the idea of killing Spencer, but someone found it and used it to kill Francesca and then returned it to the theatre?” suggested Jimmy.
“It still doesn’t explain how it was moved around without anyone noticing.”
Taking care where he placed his feet, he walked back towards the cottage and the collection of the dead woman’s belongings. Lying next to the garden path, partly hidden in the grass, was a small leather handbag, a set of keys and bottle of champagne.
“She’d come here to celebrate,” he said.
“Getting the keys to the cottage maybe,” suggested Jimmy.
Shadow knelt down and carefully opened the bag and looked inside.
“There’s her phone, purse and car keys.” He handed the phone to Jimmy. “Can you turn it on?”
His sergeant pressed a couple of buttons then shook his head. “Sorry, Chief, no. The battery is dead. I’ll get Ben and Ollie to take a look though.”
He slipped the phone into an evidence bag while Shadow opened the purse. “All credit cards and about forty pounds still here.”
“And they didn’t take her car, so theft wasn’t the motive. Unless they dropped the house keys back here again, it doesn’t look like they were interested in anything that could be inside either.”
Shadow picked up the keys that were still attached to the keyring bearing the estate agent’s logo.
“Let’s take a look for ourselves.”
He turned the key in the lock and the door opened with a creak. He tried the light switch but nothing happened. “When did she buy the place?” he asked.
Jimmy consulted his notebook again. “The estate agents said the sale completed on Friday and that it had been empty for a few months. The previous owner died. I guess Francesca didn’t have time to get the electricity reconnected.”
They made their way through the rooms in semi-darkness. All carpets and curtains had been removed and there were no electrical appliances in the kitchen, but in the largest of the two upstairs bedrooms several big brightly coloured cushions had been scattered on the floor along with a faux fur throw. In the little fireplace there were half a dozen thick white candles waiting to be lit, and a pair of champagne flutes were on the hearth stone.
“Looks like she was planning on meeting up with someone here. Spencer, do you think?” asked Jimmy.
“Maybe. The question is, did whoever she arranged all this for turn up, and did they kill her?”
“Do you think Spencer could have killed Francesca and then he was killed by someone who had found out what he’d done?”
“Two murderers? It seems unlikely, but it might explain the plethora of suspects,” he said almost to himself. “Get the place checked for fingerprints, particularly Spencer’s, and tell Ben and Ollie to make accessing Francesca’s phone a priority.” Then as an afterthought: “Once they have found out if that damn sabre is our murder weapon.”
The two of them left the crime scene team to their work and returned to the station. They were about to head up to the incident room when the desk sergeant called out to them. “Chief Inspector, the media team at Northallerton left you a message. Word has got out about a second suspected murder and the local press have been in touch with them. They want to talk to you about issuing a statement.”
Shadow frowned. The media team or press office, as they used to be called, were based at North Yorkshire Police’s headquarters and were the bane of his life during an investigation.
“Phone them back and tell them not to issue anything. The victim’s next of kin haven’t been informed yet.”
The sergeant nodded then turned to Jimmy. “Your sister is waiting for you in one of the interview rooms, Sarge, and so is a Mr Kapoor.”
“Oh, that’s right,” replied Jimmy. “Angela said she and Rohan would be coming over to make their witness statements together after school. Rohan wasn’t sure where the station was, and I think he was a bit nervous.”
“I’ll take their statements,” said Shadow. “You go and find out who Francesca’s next of kin is and keep chasing forensics and check on finance.”
He made his way to the rear of the Guildhall and found Angela and Rohan sitting side by side in the corridor outside one of the interview rooms.
“Thank you both for coming. Angela, I’ll speak with you first if I may.”
He opened the door of the interview room and ushered her in. They both took a seat on either side of the large table overlooking the swirling brown river below. Shadow rummaged through his pockets for his old notebook and pen. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d used it. He’d grown reliant on Jimmy and his electronic gadgets.
“How are the children? Not too troubled by what happened, I hope,” he began, giving the biro a shake and hoping it still worked. Angela gave a smile and shook her head.
“Not at all. If anything, they seemed to find the whole thing quite exciting, apart from Kitty, the girl I took home; she’s a sensitive little soul. She didn’t come into school today. As for the others, I think they were a bit disappointed that Jimmy didn’t slap them in handcuffs.”
“Well, they are meant to be very resilient,” replied Shadow, although in truth he had very little experience of children. “What can you tell me about last night? What time did you arrive at the theatre?”
“I got there at about five thirty. Stan and Susan were already there. I helped Susan make sure the costumes for the children were in order and as they arrived got them changed in the large dressing room. The rest of the cast filtered in over the next half hour or so, I think.”
“Except Francesca French.”
“Yes, but nobody was worried at first. She was often the last to turn up for rehearsals. She liked to make an entrance.”
Shadow stopped scribbling for a second and cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry to have to tell you that Francesca has also been killed.”
Angela’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my goodness. That’s terrible. Do you think it’s the same person who killed Spencer?”
“That’s what we are trying to find out.”
Angela shifted in her chair. “Now I feel bad for saying she liked making an entrance, even if it was true.”
Shadow looked down at the notes he was making and smiled to himself. He’d never known Angela be anything but completely honest.
“Who was last to arrive last night?” he asked.
“Spencer. He had just turned up when you saw him backstage.”
“Did everyone have their own dressing room?”
“Rohan shared with the two West boys, and the children shared the largest dressing room, but everyone else did, yes. I used Francesca’s when I knew I would be playing her part.”
“Who was the first to notice Francesca was missing?”
Angela frowned. “I think it was Susan. She was in charge of costumes and props. I remember her knocking on the door and asking if I’d seen her. When I said I hadn’t, she tutted and said, ‘Typical, she isn’t answering her phone either,’ then went to find Malcolm and tell him. After she’d gone, I tried phoning Francesca myself, in case she just didn’t want to speak to Susan, but there was no reply.”
Shadow nodded. He didn’t tell her that it wouldn’t have mattered who had called as Francesca was already dead. Instead, he asked, “Susan and Francesca didn’t get on?”
“Not really. They were jealous of each other, well, they were jealous of anyone they thought was close to Spencer.”
“So, Lottie can’t have been very popular with either of them.”
“Susan was always polite to her, if a bit cold, but Francesca barely spoke to the poor girl.”
“Is it true that Francesca wanted the part of Snow White?”
“Yes, I think she had this romantic idea that Spencer would commit to her if they fell in love onstage. For an intelligent woman, she was very silly where he was concerned.”
“Did you see or hear anything strange that night? Anyone hanging around the prop table who shouldn’t have been there?”
“I’m sorry but no, I didn’t. It was all so chaotic. Whenever I was offstage, I was running through my lines and trying to keep an eye on the children too. Rohan was doing his best to help with them. He’s got DBS clearance from when he helped out at a petting zoo, so I was happy to leave them with him, otherwise we would have needed to ask Tom, and he was busy videoing up with the Dawsons. Oh, and Susan helped too. She knew some of the children from when she worked at the school. With all that on my mind, I really didn’t notice what anyone else was doing.”
Shadow nodded. She was confirming what Susan had told them.
“Thank you, Angela. I’ll get someone to type this up and Jimmy or someone will get you to sign it,” he told her a little uncertainly. In truth, he couldn’t quite remember the procedure for witness statements. They usually just appeared on his desk.
He showed Angela out, and she gave Rohan a reassuring smile before he took her place opposite Shadow. The young man looked nervous as he adjusted his glasses. He was wearing a very long raincoat that went almost to his ankles. When he removed it to sit down, he was dressed casually in a University of Edinburgh sweatshirt and jeans that he self-consciously brushed dog hairs from. As he arranged his tall, skinny frame, he reminded Shadow of his sergeant.
“Thank you for coming to make a statement,” he began. “I understand you work for a local vet.”
“Yes. I’m an international student. I left India to study at Edinburgh and now I’m doing my master’s in veterinary medicine at Bishop Askham,” he explained.
Shadow nodded. He was vaguely aware of the large agricultural college a few miles out of the city.
“I moved to York in September,” continued Rohan. “I’m on a six-month placement at Town and County Vets. It’s part of my degree course, but I graduate soon, then I’m going to Brazil to volunteer at an animal sanctuary there for a year. I’m currently living in the flat above the practice if you need my address.”
“How did you come to be involved in the pantomime? Have you acted before?”
The young man looked embarrassed and shook his head. “No, not at all. I don’t even like public speaking usually, but I got to know Lottie when I helped treat Arthur, her dog, or at least he’s the dog she and her dad look after, and she suggested I go along. When I got there, Malcolm offered me the part of the evil queen’s henchman. He said I didn’t have to say anything, just look tough and fierce.”
Shadow thought Rohan had looked more worried and confused, like a man who’d remembered he hadn’t locked his front door, when he was onstage. As if reading his mind, the young man continued: “I don’t think I was very convincing, but Lottie knew I didn’t know many people in York and said it would be a good way to meet people.”
“And was it?”
“Yes, I suppose so. I like to think Angela and Tom have become friends, and Steve and Matt too. Len is a pretty funny guy. Every Wednesday after rehearsals we’d all go for a drink, not that I drink, but it was nice to be included.”
“What about Spencer Knight and Francesca French?”
“To be honest, I didn’t really speak to Francesca much. She seemed to be in a bad mood a lot of the time.”
“And Spencer Knight?”
Rohan shrugged. “He was friendly enough but spent most of the time talking to Lottie.”
“Did that bother you at all?”
Rohan frowned and fiddled with his glasses again. “Do you mean was I jealous, Chief Inspector?”
“Lottie is a very attractive young lady.”
The young man seemed embarrassed. “She is and a good friend, but that’s all. Even if I had wanted more, she wasn’t interested in me, and as I said, I leave for South America soon.”
“Can you tell us what happened on Monday night before Spencer collapsed?”
“We all got there about six like Malcolm had asked, except Francesca of course and Spencer wasn’t there either, but he was often late. Malcolm gave us a bit of a pep talk, and we all started getting into costume. Then about five minutes before the curtain was due to go up, we realised Angela was going to have to go on instead of Francesca. That’s when everything got a bit manic. It meant Susan and I were going to have to help look after the children when Angela was onstage. I didn’t mind – they are nice kids – but between you and me, I don’t think Susan likes children much. She was quite cross when she was left on her own with them.”
“When you and Angela were onstage?”
“Yes, and when I was offstage, I often had to help Stan move some of the bigger bits of scenery too.”
“So you didn’t help Susan with putting out the props at all?”
“No, that was definitely her domain. She was quite protective about it, kept shooing away the children if they tried to help.”
“Did you see her putting out the bottle of green liquid or the swords you were due to fight with?”
“No, I was too busy.”
“I understand you were due to take part in a sword fight with Spencer in the second half.”
“Yes, that’s right. Malcolm called it ‘my moment’, but I was pretty nervous about it.”
“And you were to collect your sword from the prop table?”
“Yes, I was meant to attack Snow White then the prince, I mean Spencer, came to her rescue.”
“Were the swords different?”
“Yes, mine was straight and Spencer’s was curved. Malcolm gave us a long lecture about how it was what a cavalry officer would have used. Originally, Spencer was meant to arrive on horseback. There was talk of getting a real horse, then using Dobbin the pantomime horse, but Steve and Matt weren’t keen on that idea.” He gave a half smile. “Like much of this production, it all got a bit complicated in the end.”
Shadow nodded. He could quite imagine Malcolm’s grandiose schemes coming to nothing.
“Would the rest of the cast know who would have used which sword?” he asked.
Rohan shrugged. “I think so.”
Shadow frowned. If that was the case, then it would mean whoever put the stolen sabre on the table meant Spencer to use it. Surely Rohan couldn’t have been the intended victim. The young man was watching him expectantly.
“What was the outcome of the fight meant to be?” asked Shadow.
“She was killed with a single stab wound. They attacked her from behind but it went right through. That’s the exit wound her at the front. They weren’t messing about. It’s so precise you could say it’s the work of a professional. Whoever killed her must have used some force. My guess is they completely severed the spinal cord.”
Shadow grimaced and swallowed down the bile he could feel rising in his throat.
“Are you saying the killer was a man?”
“Or a strong, fit woman. They had the strength to drag her over here too. She was actually killed closer to the path. There’s a trail of blood over the grass.”
“Why would they move her?” asked Jimmy.
“To try to hide her, I think. The road that runs alongside this hedge is pretty quiet, but if a tractor was driving by, I bet the driver would be high enough to see over into the garden,” replied Sophie, who had grown up on a farm. “They would have spotted the body if she had been left where she was killed, but not down here. The guy who found her didn’t even notice at first. It was only when he spotted the stuff she’d dropped.” She pointed to where a handbag and a few other items were scattered in the long grass.
“Any thoughts on the time of death?”
“It’s tricky as the temperature has been below freezing for the last couple of days but I’d say she’s been here for about forty-eight hours. Look, an animal has had a nibble at her hand.” She pointed to small teeth marks on the edge of Francesca’s palm. “My guess is she was killed on Sunday, but I’ll be able to give you a better idea after the post-mortem.”
Shadow took a deep breath and raised his hand to his mouth.
“But you think it was before Knight was killed?”
“Oh, definitely.”
“Any thoughts on the weapon?”
“Well, something with a long blade – at least two feet – and about an inch wide.
Shadow exchanged a look with Jimmy.
“That sounds very much like our sabre.”
“The ceremonial one that was stolen and then turned up at the theatre?” asked Sophie.
Shadow nodded. “Where is it now?” he asked.
“Ben and Ollie have it,” replied Jimmy.
“And where are they? I thought they would have been here by now.”
“They’re at the hospital. They’re both getting their collars taken off today.”
“Pity it wasn’t before all this started,” grumbled Shadow. “How long will they be?”
Jimmy checked his phone. “They’re about to set off now. Shall I ask them to bring the sabre with them?”
“Will it help you, Sophie?” asked Shadow.
Sophie shook her head. “I’d rather take a look after I’ve examined her properly. Am I okay to the move the body now?”
Shadow nodded, and he and Jimmy stood to one side as the dead woman was carefully placed on a stretcher and taken to the waiting private ambulance.
“If it turns out the stolen sabre really was the murder weapon, that means it was stolen on Saturday night, used to kill Francesca sometime on Sunday, then found its way backstage at the theatre in time for Monday night’s performance of the pantomime,” mused Jimmy.
Shadow frowned. “It’s what, about three feet long in total? You can’t exactly slip it into your pocket. Surely someone must have spotted it being carried around.”
“How about if it was stolen and taken to the theatre with the idea of killing Spencer, but someone found it and used it to kill Francesca and then returned it to the theatre?” suggested Jimmy.
“It still doesn’t explain how it was moved around without anyone noticing.”
Taking care where he placed his feet, he walked back towards the cottage and the collection of the dead woman’s belongings. Lying next to the garden path, partly hidden in the grass, was a small leather handbag, a set of keys and bottle of champagne.
“She’d come here to celebrate,” he said.
“Getting the keys to the cottage maybe,” suggested Jimmy.
Shadow knelt down and carefully opened the bag and looked inside.
“There’s her phone, purse and car keys.” He handed the phone to Jimmy. “Can you turn it on?”
His sergeant pressed a couple of buttons then shook his head. “Sorry, Chief, no. The battery is dead. I’ll get Ben and Ollie to take a look though.”
He slipped the phone into an evidence bag while Shadow opened the purse. “All credit cards and about forty pounds still here.”
“And they didn’t take her car, so theft wasn’t the motive. Unless they dropped the house keys back here again, it doesn’t look like they were interested in anything that could be inside either.”
Shadow picked up the keys that were still attached to the keyring bearing the estate agent’s logo.
“Let’s take a look for ourselves.”
He turned the key in the lock and the door opened with a creak. He tried the light switch but nothing happened. “When did she buy the place?” he asked.
Jimmy consulted his notebook again. “The estate agents said the sale completed on Friday and that it had been empty for a few months. The previous owner died. I guess Francesca didn’t have time to get the electricity reconnected.”
They made their way through the rooms in semi-darkness. All carpets and curtains had been removed and there were no electrical appliances in the kitchen, but in the largest of the two upstairs bedrooms several big brightly coloured cushions had been scattered on the floor along with a faux fur throw. In the little fireplace there were half a dozen thick white candles waiting to be lit, and a pair of champagne flutes were on the hearth stone.
“Looks like she was planning on meeting up with someone here. Spencer, do you think?” asked Jimmy.
“Maybe. The question is, did whoever she arranged all this for turn up, and did they kill her?”
“Do you think Spencer could have killed Francesca and then he was killed by someone who had found out what he’d done?”
“Two murderers? It seems unlikely, but it might explain the plethora of suspects,” he said almost to himself. “Get the place checked for fingerprints, particularly Spencer’s, and tell Ben and Ollie to make accessing Francesca’s phone a priority.” Then as an afterthought: “Once they have found out if that damn sabre is our murder weapon.”
The two of them left the crime scene team to their work and returned to the station. They were about to head up to the incident room when the desk sergeant called out to them. “Chief Inspector, the media team at Northallerton left you a message. Word has got out about a second suspected murder and the local press have been in touch with them. They want to talk to you about issuing a statement.”
Shadow frowned. The media team or press office, as they used to be called, were based at North Yorkshire Police’s headquarters and were the bane of his life during an investigation.
“Phone them back and tell them not to issue anything. The victim’s next of kin haven’t been informed yet.”
The sergeant nodded then turned to Jimmy. “Your sister is waiting for you in one of the interview rooms, Sarge, and so is a Mr Kapoor.”
“Oh, that’s right,” replied Jimmy. “Angela said she and Rohan would be coming over to make their witness statements together after school. Rohan wasn’t sure where the station was, and I think he was a bit nervous.”
“I’ll take their statements,” said Shadow. “You go and find out who Francesca’s next of kin is and keep chasing forensics and check on finance.”
He made his way to the rear of the Guildhall and found Angela and Rohan sitting side by side in the corridor outside one of the interview rooms.
“Thank you both for coming. Angela, I’ll speak with you first if I may.”
He opened the door of the interview room and ushered her in. They both took a seat on either side of the large table overlooking the swirling brown river below. Shadow rummaged through his pockets for his old notebook and pen. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d used it. He’d grown reliant on Jimmy and his electronic gadgets.
“How are the children? Not too troubled by what happened, I hope,” he began, giving the biro a shake and hoping it still worked. Angela gave a smile and shook her head.
“Not at all. If anything, they seemed to find the whole thing quite exciting, apart from Kitty, the girl I took home; she’s a sensitive little soul. She didn’t come into school today. As for the others, I think they were a bit disappointed that Jimmy didn’t slap them in handcuffs.”
“Well, they are meant to be very resilient,” replied Shadow, although in truth he had very little experience of children. “What can you tell me about last night? What time did you arrive at the theatre?”
“I got there at about five thirty. Stan and Susan were already there. I helped Susan make sure the costumes for the children were in order and as they arrived got them changed in the large dressing room. The rest of the cast filtered in over the next half hour or so, I think.”
“Except Francesca French.”
“Yes, but nobody was worried at first. She was often the last to turn up for rehearsals. She liked to make an entrance.”
Shadow stopped scribbling for a second and cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry to have to tell you that Francesca has also been killed.”
Angela’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my goodness. That’s terrible. Do you think it’s the same person who killed Spencer?”
“That’s what we are trying to find out.”
Angela shifted in her chair. “Now I feel bad for saying she liked making an entrance, even if it was true.”
Shadow looked down at the notes he was making and smiled to himself. He’d never known Angela be anything but completely honest.
“Who was last to arrive last night?” he asked.
“Spencer. He had just turned up when you saw him backstage.”
“Did everyone have their own dressing room?”
“Rohan shared with the two West boys, and the children shared the largest dressing room, but everyone else did, yes. I used Francesca’s when I knew I would be playing her part.”
“Who was the first to notice Francesca was missing?”
Angela frowned. “I think it was Susan. She was in charge of costumes and props. I remember her knocking on the door and asking if I’d seen her. When I said I hadn’t, she tutted and said, ‘Typical, she isn’t answering her phone either,’ then went to find Malcolm and tell him. After she’d gone, I tried phoning Francesca myself, in case she just didn’t want to speak to Susan, but there was no reply.”
Shadow nodded. He didn’t tell her that it wouldn’t have mattered who had called as Francesca was already dead. Instead, he asked, “Susan and Francesca didn’t get on?”
“Not really. They were jealous of each other, well, they were jealous of anyone they thought was close to Spencer.”
“So, Lottie can’t have been very popular with either of them.”
“Susan was always polite to her, if a bit cold, but Francesca barely spoke to the poor girl.”
“Is it true that Francesca wanted the part of Snow White?”
“Yes, I think she had this romantic idea that Spencer would commit to her if they fell in love onstage. For an intelligent woman, she was very silly where he was concerned.”
“Did you see or hear anything strange that night? Anyone hanging around the prop table who shouldn’t have been there?”
“I’m sorry but no, I didn’t. It was all so chaotic. Whenever I was offstage, I was running through my lines and trying to keep an eye on the children too. Rohan was doing his best to help with them. He’s got DBS clearance from when he helped out at a petting zoo, so I was happy to leave them with him, otherwise we would have needed to ask Tom, and he was busy videoing up with the Dawsons. Oh, and Susan helped too. She knew some of the children from when she worked at the school. With all that on my mind, I really didn’t notice what anyone else was doing.”
Shadow nodded. She was confirming what Susan had told them.
“Thank you, Angela. I’ll get someone to type this up and Jimmy or someone will get you to sign it,” he told her a little uncertainly. In truth, he couldn’t quite remember the procedure for witness statements. They usually just appeared on his desk.
He showed Angela out, and she gave Rohan a reassuring smile before he took her place opposite Shadow. The young man looked nervous as he adjusted his glasses. He was wearing a very long raincoat that went almost to his ankles. When he removed it to sit down, he was dressed casually in a University of Edinburgh sweatshirt and jeans that he self-consciously brushed dog hairs from. As he arranged his tall, skinny frame, he reminded Shadow of his sergeant.
“Thank you for coming to make a statement,” he began. “I understand you work for a local vet.”
“Yes. I’m an international student. I left India to study at Edinburgh and now I’m doing my master’s in veterinary medicine at Bishop Askham,” he explained.
Shadow nodded. He was vaguely aware of the large agricultural college a few miles out of the city.
“I moved to York in September,” continued Rohan. “I’m on a six-month placement at Town and County Vets. It’s part of my degree course, but I graduate soon, then I’m going to Brazil to volunteer at an animal sanctuary there for a year. I’m currently living in the flat above the practice if you need my address.”
“How did you come to be involved in the pantomime? Have you acted before?”
The young man looked embarrassed and shook his head. “No, not at all. I don’t even like public speaking usually, but I got to know Lottie when I helped treat Arthur, her dog, or at least he’s the dog she and her dad look after, and she suggested I go along. When I got there, Malcolm offered me the part of the evil queen’s henchman. He said I didn’t have to say anything, just look tough and fierce.”
Shadow thought Rohan had looked more worried and confused, like a man who’d remembered he hadn’t locked his front door, when he was onstage. As if reading his mind, the young man continued: “I don’t think I was very convincing, but Lottie knew I didn’t know many people in York and said it would be a good way to meet people.”
“And was it?”
“Yes, I suppose so. I like to think Angela and Tom have become friends, and Steve and Matt too. Len is a pretty funny guy. Every Wednesday after rehearsals we’d all go for a drink, not that I drink, but it was nice to be included.”
“What about Spencer Knight and Francesca French?”
“To be honest, I didn’t really speak to Francesca much. She seemed to be in a bad mood a lot of the time.”
“And Spencer Knight?”
Rohan shrugged. “He was friendly enough but spent most of the time talking to Lottie.”
“Did that bother you at all?”
Rohan frowned and fiddled with his glasses again. “Do you mean was I jealous, Chief Inspector?”
“Lottie is a very attractive young lady.”
The young man seemed embarrassed. “She is and a good friend, but that’s all. Even if I had wanted more, she wasn’t interested in me, and as I said, I leave for South America soon.”
“Can you tell us what happened on Monday night before Spencer collapsed?”
“We all got there about six like Malcolm had asked, except Francesca of course and Spencer wasn’t there either, but he was often late. Malcolm gave us a bit of a pep talk, and we all started getting into costume. Then about five minutes before the curtain was due to go up, we realised Angela was going to have to go on instead of Francesca. That’s when everything got a bit manic. It meant Susan and I were going to have to help look after the children when Angela was onstage. I didn’t mind – they are nice kids – but between you and me, I don’t think Susan likes children much. She was quite cross when she was left on her own with them.”
“When you and Angela were onstage?”
“Yes, and when I was offstage, I often had to help Stan move some of the bigger bits of scenery too.”
“So you didn’t help Susan with putting out the props at all?”
“No, that was definitely her domain. She was quite protective about it, kept shooing away the children if they tried to help.”
“Did you see her putting out the bottle of green liquid or the swords you were due to fight with?”
“No, I was too busy.”
“I understand you were due to take part in a sword fight with Spencer in the second half.”
“Yes, that’s right. Malcolm called it ‘my moment’, but I was pretty nervous about it.”
“And you were to collect your sword from the prop table?”
“Yes, I was meant to attack Snow White then the prince, I mean Spencer, came to her rescue.”
“Were the swords different?”
“Yes, mine was straight and Spencer’s was curved. Malcolm gave us a long lecture about how it was what a cavalry officer would have used. Originally, Spencer was meant to arrive on horseback. There was talk of getting a real horse, then using Dobbin the pantomime horse, but Steve and Matt weren’t keen on that idea.” He gave a half smile. “Like much of this production, it all got a bit complicated in the end.”
Shadow nodded. He could quite imagine Malcolm’s grandiose schemes coming to nothing.
“Would the rest of the cast know who would have used which sword?” he asked.
Rohan shrugged. “I think so.”
Shadow frowned. If that was the case, then it would mean whoever put the stolen sabre on the table meant Spencer to use it. Surely Rohan couldn’t have been the intended victim. The young man was watching him expectantly.
“What was the outcome of the fight meant to be?” asked Shadow.
