‘Yes, yes, of course. How the devil are you?’
‘Fine, thanks. And you?’
‘Never better.’
‘I was actually ringing about Hester …’
‘Oh yes?’ For the first time there was a less welcoming tone in his voice.
‘When I last saw her on Sunday she was in a terrible state.’
‘Well, she’s fine now,’ said Mike Winstone curtly.
‘But it looked as if she was about to be taken away by the police.’
‘She did go with them to the station, where she made a statement and then was allowed to come home.’
‘So is she there now? Would it be possible for me to speak to her?’
‘No, I’m afraid that wouldn’t be possible.’
‘But she is there, is she?’
‘No. No, she’s not.’ He spoke as if he had just thought of the answer. ‘Hester’s gone to stay with a friend.’
And that was all Jude got out of him. Except for the impression that he was lying.
FIFTEEN
A text had gone round to all the Devil’s Disciple company to say that the Tuesday rehearsal was cancelled. The police were yet to finish their investigations at St Mary’s Hall, but there was a hope the SADOS could resume their schedule on the Thursday. They’d receive a confirmatory text from Davina Vere Smith if that proved to be the case.
Jude was not surprised by the cancellation, but it did raise the question of what the police were investigating. An accident? Or something more serious? She couldn’t get out of her mind what Hester had said in St Mary’s Hall after Jude discovered Ritchie Good’s body.
If only she could contact Hester … Partly to find out what had happened to her at the police station, what she’d been asked, what she had told them. But more than that, the healer in Jude was worried by the state in which she had last seen the woman. Though the incident in the car park had been almost too trivial to count as a suicide attempt, it still raised the possibility that, when faced with increased stress, the woman might try again.
Jude hoped the ‘friend’ that Mike had said Hester was staying with was of the sensitive and nurturing kind. And yet at the same time the suspicion recurred as to whether the ‘friend’ even existed. Was it just a covering lie from her husband for the fact that Hester was in police custody? Or had she actually been at home with him when he had taken Jude’s call?
If so, she didn’t think Mike Winstone would necessarily come out very well in the sensitive and nurturing stakes. Jude was seriously worried about Hester.
Later in the day, after she’d had coffee with Carole, she had a call from Davina Vere Smith. ‘You got the text, did you?’
‘Yes, thanks. Any news yet from the police on whether Thursday’s rehearsal’s likely to be on?’
‘When they were last in touch, things were looking quite hopeful.’
‘Good. And how’re you going to replace Ritchie?’
‘Olly Pinto will be playing Dick Dudgeon.’
‘He’ll be pleased.’
‘What do you mean by that?’ asked Davina rather sharply.
‘Just that Olly seems to think he should have had the part in the first place.’
‘Mm. Maybe you’re right. Yes, Olly has served his time in supporting roles. And at least he is a member of SADOS, which is more than Ritchie ever was.’ There was an undercurrent of resentment in these words. Jude was reminded once again of Ritchie’s outsider status in the society. His behaviour had only been tolerated because of his talent. In the world of amateur dramatics loyalty to an individual group counted for quite a lot. And there was a nit-picking punctiliousness about details like whether someone involved in a production had actually paid his subscription or not.
With this came another thought, that Davina might actually relish working with Olly Pinto more than she did with Ritchie Good. The younger man would probably be more malleable, more inclined to listen to the director’s ideas about the play and less likely just to follow his own agenda. Jude wondered how many more members of the Devil’s Disciple company might regard Ritchie’s death as something of a bonus.
‘Anyway, Jude, the reason for my call –’ oh yes, of course, there must be a reason – ‘is that it seems Hester Winstone won’t be able to take any further part in the production.’
‘Ah. Do you know anything about where she is? Or indeed how she is?’
‘No. I spoke to her husband. He said she was staying with a friend.’ At least Mike’s story was consistent.
‘He didn’t say any more?’
‘No, Jude.’
‘Didn’t say what was wrong with her?’
‘He didn’t say that there was anything wrong with her. All he said was that Hester wouldn’t be able to continue being our prompter for The Devil’s Disciple.’
‘Ah.’
‘And he seemed quite gleeful as he passed on the news.’ Jude could picture that. Mike Winstone had always resented his wife’s involvement in SADOS. ‘Which does put me in a bit of a bind.’
‘In what way?’
‘Well, it means we haven’t got a prompter. And just at this stage of the production, when I’m trying to get everyone off the book … we need one more than ever.’
‘I can see that.’
‘And the trouble is that there are plenty of SADOS members who might be happy to take on the role, but they’re all friends of Elizaveta’s.’
‘Ah, yes.’
‘And since Elizaveta’s boycotting the production – and incidentally being very shirty with me – none of them will help me out. They’re all part of her inner circle, you know, the lot who were always going to little “drinkies things” at Elizaveta and Freddie’s … which I used to be, but I’ve somehow blotted my copybook with Elizaveta. Anyway, if she makes it a three-line whip on the potential prompters, none of them would dare go against her.’
‘Mm.’
‘But I was talking to Storm Lavelle, who surprisingly now seems to be a fixture at Elizaveta’s “drinkies things” –’ Jude found herself starting to grin as she realized which way the conversation was heading – ‘and she said you had a friend who might be prepared to step into the breach …?’
‘Well, I could ask her,’ said Jude, suppressing a giggle.
‘What – me? Are you asking me to get involved in amateur dramatics?’ The way the last two words were spoken, they could have been some unhealthy sexual practice.
Jude had gone round to High Tor as soon as she’d ended the call from Davina Vere Smith. She was mischievously intrigued as to how the proposal would be greeted. And her neighbour’s reaction did not disappoint.
‘I thought,’ Carole went on, ‘I had made clear my views on amateur dramatics.’
‘Oh yes, you certainly have. But I thought, you know, helping people out when they’re in a bit of a spot …’
‘There are people I might help out when they’re in a spot, but not people who indulge in amateur dramatics.’
‘So your answer to taking over as prompter is no?’
‘Definitely.’
‘That’s rather a pity.’
‘Why?’
‘Well, I thought you might be able to help me on the investigation.’
‘The investigation?’
‘Into Ritchie Good’s death.’
Carole’s expression changed instantly from disapproval to alert interest. ‘Oh yes, I hadn’t thought of that.’
‘And, if you were, kind of … embedded in the production of The Devil’s Disciple … well, we’d both be on the spot … and able to investigate, wouldn’t we?’
‘That is a thought, yes.’ Carole was clearly intrigued. ‘You said earlier this afternoon that you didn’t know whether it was murder.’