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“We’ve thought of it.”

“I mean, isn’t that the way stages work? The stage set itself creates the illusion. Anything can be built into it. Anything can be made to happen.”

“We’ve looked.”

“The fact that nothing shows up on the tapes and films so far sort of substantiates his theory, doesn’t it? I mean, this thing would have to be rigged by someone who knew where the cameras would be.”

“It’s a good theory.”

“And Roller points out really the only person who would have the time, the expert knowledge, enough control over the set to rig such a thing would be Dan Buckley himself.”

“You notice something?”

“What?”

“Koller seems very anxious to pin Dan Buckley.”

“Maybe so. But maybe he’s right.”

“Last night and again this morning we went over that set millimeter by millimeter.”

“Come on, Chief. What does your average cop know about stage sets? Your average citizen can be fooled by an eight-year-old magician wearing French cuffs.”

“Which is why we have three set designers flying down from New York.”

“Experts.”

“More experts. This case is going to wreck our budget for this year, and next. Of course, having to call Key West long distance doesn’t help the budget any, either.”

“You have film experts coming in and stage set experts.”

“We have.”

“You know what this means…”

“It means property taxes will have to go up in this district. Because a bunch of rich film people visited us, and one of them got murdered.”

“If you need theater experts to solve this crime, then it means this crime must have been committed by a theater expert.”

“Very good, earwig. Especially seeing you’re the only person involved who has nothing to do with theater.”

People were shouting in the front hall of The Blue House.

“I didn’t kill Peterman,” Fletch said. “You should have asked.”

“We’re hiring experts by the planeload, Mister Fletcher,” Chief Roz Nachman said. “And I intend to listen to them. I also intend to keep my mind open to the simple explanation.”

“Which is?”

“I wish I knew. Someone put a knife in Steven Peterman’s back. Granted, it happened under most unusual and complicated circumstances. But it is still a simple crime of violence.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

“Yeah. Next time I call answer the phone.”

There was another shout from the front hall. It sounded like Sy Koller.

“I’ll answer the phone.”

“Nice talking with you,” Roz Nachman said. “Maybe sometime I’ll come down.”

“You might as well,” Fletch said. “Everyone else has.”

“I’ll kill you!”

Fletch hurried through the billiard room and along the corridor to the front hall.

Sy Koller stood halfway down the stairs, facing downward.

Gerry Littleford stood just below him on the stairs, facing upward. He was naked. In his right hand was a carving knife.

Gerry was sexually aroused. Every muscle in his lean body was taut. His skin shone with sweat. He was moving like a panther about to pounce.

He was beautiful.

Koller took a step backward, up the stairs.

“What are you all doing to me?” Gerry asked, softly.

“Gerry, you’ve been working hard,” Koller said. “There’s been strain.”

At the top of the stairs, leaning on the bannister, Geoff McRensie watched. Something in his eyes was turning over like a reel of film.

On the floor of the front hall were Gerry’s red bikini underpants.

“No, no,” said Gerry. “It’s not that. I know it’s not that. I’m black. You all think I’m black.”

Koller laughed nervously. “Gerry, you are black.”

Gerry plunged the knife at Roller’s fat, white legs. Roller jumped up another step. His face was wet with sweat, too.

Mrs Lopez was in the diningroom door. “He’s got my knife,” she said to Fletch.

“Say man, Sy. Go ahead. Say man. Say boy.”

“I never called you boy in my life. I never would.”

Gerry lunged again. Roller stepped sideways on the stair.

“You’re insulting me,” said Roller.

“I’m a twenty-seven-year-old professional actor!” Gerry screamed.

“Good one, too,” Roller said mildly.

“I’m a man!”

“Gerry, that’s obvious. If you’d just put down the knife. Give it to Fletcher…”

“Gerry,” Fletch said quietly. “This is not a good day for you to be threatening someone with a knife. It doesn’t look good. You know what I mean?”

Gerry pivoted on the stair to look down at Fletch fully.

“Don’t call me boy.”

“Who called you boy?”

Mrs Lopez said, “That’s my good knife.”

Sy Koller laughed. “Come on, Gerry. You can’t expect to be asked to play Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest.”

“Everyone’s always beatin’ up on me,” Gerry said.

“That’s in the movies, Gerry,” Sy Koller said. “You’re a well-paid professional actor. At home you drive a Porsche. No one beats you up.”

“Goddamn it!” He slashed at Sy Koller’s legs.

Koller jumped back, up another stair. His green T-shirt flapped.

Fletch heard Moxie walk along the upper corridor. She, or something like her, appeared at the top of the stairs. They were her legs between white shorts and white sneakers. The torso was her’s, in a light blue sport shirt. The head was wrapped in a red kerchief. The face was matted with rouge and powder. Bright red lipstick enlarged her mouth ridiculously. The eyes were covered by giant sunglasses in white plastic frames.

Koller said, as if threatening, “Gerry, I’m not going to jump another stair.”

“Oh, for goodness’ sake.” Moxie started down the stairs.

“Be careful,” Fletch said.

She passed Koller and stood on the stair with Gerry. She ignored the knife. She took his erect penis in her hand and shook it as if she were shaking hands. “You need something else to think about, boy.”

“You called him boy,” Koller said. “She called him boy.”

“I should call him girl?” asked Moxie. “With his prick in my hand?”

Mrs Lopez climbed the steps, reached around Gerry, and took the knife from his hand. “My good knife,” she said. She started back to the kitchen.

“Get Mrs Littleford, will you?” Fletch asked Mrs Lopez.

“They’re all against me.” Gerry confided to Moxie. “You should see what they’re doin’ to me.”

Moxie put her hands on his wet, shining shoulders. “It’s just the coke, honey. No one’s doing anything to you. Everything’s fine. You’re fine. It’s a nice day.”

“It’s not the coke. It’s what they’re doin’ to me.”

“It’s that little white powder you keep puttin’ up your nose, sweetheart,” Moxie said. “Drugs do funny things to your mind. Have you heard that?”

Gerry was studying Sy Koller’s legs. They were unscratched.

Stella came into the front hall. She had a bath towel in her hands.

“Gerry needs an airing,” Fletch said to her. “Why don’t you walk him any direction from here until you come to water. And throw him in. He needs a swim.” Her eyes had heavy lids. “You need a swim, too.”

“I’m the one who needs the airing,” Moxie said to Fletch. “Get me out of here.”

“Dressed like that? You’ll attract flies.”

“No one will look at me,” Moxie said.

“You’re kidding.”

On the stairs Stella was wiping down Gerry’s whole body with the towel.