Imperfection (DI Gardener 2)
“When?”
Gardener wasn’t sure whether or not his temper was shorter than usual, or if everyone he’d met so far was stupid. “Can you take me through what happened from the beginning of the show?”
“Oh,” replied Price. “Well, not much. The place was full, the lights dimmed, and then a voice came over the PA system–”
“Live or recorded?” interrupted Gardener.
“Does it matter?”
“Live or recorded,” he repeated.
“I’m really not sure. I suppose it sounded live, now I come to think of it.”
“Did you recognise the voice?”
“No, but it could have been any one of my staff.”
“And it might not have been. Was it in the script?”
“I never saw the script. I have no idea what was planned.”
“Was the show being recorded?”
“No.”
“Where were you when it happened?” asked Gardener.
“Sitting with your father,” replied Price. “The first box in the dress circle to the left of the stage.”
Gardener suddenly remembered his father’s presence. The reason he had made it to the theatre so quickly was because he was sitting in a coffee bar around the corner, intending to pick his father up after the show. “How is he?”
“Shocked, like the rest of us.”
Gardener wanted to see his father, Malcolm, but at the moment his professional capacity wouldn’t allow that. “Carry on.”
“Well, after the voice – before the curtain was raised – we saw fog creeping out from underneath. The curtain rose, but Leonard White was nowhere to be seen.”
“Where should he have been?” asked Gardener.
“On the settee I assume, but as I’ve said, I never saw the script. Suddenly, there were a couple of explosions and lots of lighting before a voice screamed out something I didn’t catch... and then the body simply dropped... and just sort of dangled there.”
“Did you come on stage immediately?”
“I think so.”
“Think isn’t good enough, I need to know,” replied Gardener.
“Well... not straight away. I left my box and came down the stairs and telephoned the police first.”
“So, when you entered the stage, did you see anyone?”
“Only my stage manager, Steve Rogers.”
“Where is he now?”
“I think he went in the direction of the roller shutter door.”
“Was it open?”