Part 20: A Murder Staged - End

No, he doesn't. I thought that was a little strange as well.






Oh, hello Detective Lawson. Have you got some new info for us?

Yes, I have. The lads found a typewriter in Blaise's room identical to the one used to type the note you found?

And they've proven it was Blaise who ordered the gun, too.

That's the proof we needed.

Lovely job!

Who'd have guessed the victim was the mastermind behind the whole thing? I'm amazed you figured it out.

Hee hee.

There's no mention of if Strapping and/or Knox were charged.



Eh? What d'you mean? The Prof and me of course. Who else?

That's what I'm asking you.

I don't follow.

Sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm going to have to leave.

Oh? It's not like you to head off so early, Prof. Everything alright?

Yes, perfectly. There's just a programme I'd like to see on the television. So, I'll see you tomorrow.

Okey-dokey. See you later.

Bye, Al. Nice work.

Alfendi leaves.



Excitement? What do you mean?

I'll tell you what I mean!

When he starts getting on a roll with his questions and that, he changes. It's ever so sudden when it happens.

Hmm, I see. And how does he change exactly?

Like you wouldn't believe!






I see. Anything other than his hair that changes about him?

Oh, aye. It's his whole personality. That's the worst bit about it. It's the way he says stuff I suppose.

Yet Lucy looks rather happy about it.



Mardy basically means moody.

I mean, do you know what he said to me and the fellow that were here before when we were arguing?

No, what?

He said we were yapping like dogs, and he'd have to cut out our tongues!

And he were being serious!

Heh heh. You can't blame the man for having a sense of humour.

It weren't funny! He's so intense, I'm telling you. It's dead frightening.

Hmm, it must be very difficult.



Well, try not to lose your patience.

Oh, I'm trying. Hard.

By the way, Al doesn't ever come out with any unfamiliar names when he's like that, does he?

Eh?

You know, he doesn't start talking about people or places that have nothing to do with the case?

Hmm...No, I can't say that he does.

I'll tell you something he did say though. He said death were inspired and beautiful!

Really?

Why are you so interested, anyway?

Oh, no reason, really. It's just...



On the quiet?

Yes, it'd be better for Al that way.

How come?

It just would. Trust me.

Well, okay, if you say so.





Hints:



There's no two ways about it. Strapping's a very popular bloke.

But he's always in the tabloids and the gossip mags with some scandal or other.

You read those magazines and things, don't you, Lucy?

I have a feeling we're going to be plagued by all sorts of rumours and heresay.

Oh, aye, that we will!



She's that comely, I don't know why she had to stoop so low just to get a part.

That's just gossip, Lucy. You don't know if there's any truth in it.

Oh no, Prof! The theatre's full of intrigue and all stuff like that behind the scenes. I bet it's true.

You're quite the aficionado, I see Lucy.



There's more to Clegg than meets the eye.

Ooh, aye! The feelings he had for Blaise.

Keeping them to himself all them years as they slowly turned from love to hate.

And in the end...this happens!

Er, no. That's not really what I meant.

He made the replica gun and the fake blood himself, you know. I was admiring his handiwork.

Was that an actual compliment for Clegg?

Oh, aye, that's grand. But doesn't his love for a lass way out of his league get you thinking more, eh?

It could do, I suppose.

It should do!



I can see how a real fan could be that besotted they'd rather kill their idol than have her stolen away.

Why, are you an admirer of someone yourself, Lucy?

No!

I'm just thinking it's a shame it were Ms Blaise that got shot and t'other way round...



The fact they collided just moments before the shooting makes me suspicious.

But what could have come from them just bumping into one another?

Well, it's the classic maneuver of the pickpocket, isn't it? The fleeting moment when your wallet is swiped.

You don't have to worry about pickpocketing on stage, Prof!

A secret communication, then. A little bump would afford just enough time to convey some kind of message.



A woman shot and a man struck from behind, all in a matter of minutes.

And in the pitch black, too.

Ee, sounds like we're dealing with one of them ninjas, Prof.

Hmm, an interesting theory. Unlikely, but not impossible.

Don't be daft! I weren't serious!

The attacker moved from one victim to the next with pinpoint accuracy under cover of darkness.

That's no mean feat. Certainly beyond the skills of the average person.

So...it really were a ninja then?

It would all make more sense if the perpetrator had only committed one of these acts of violence. But both...?



Seeing a ladder like this makes me want to get climbing.

Hm, makes me thankful I joined the police and not the fire brigade.

Still, it doesn't appear to have any bearing on our case.



If the bullet passed right through her body over there, and hit the wall here, then...

...by extrapolation, we can derive the line on which the shooter must have been standing.

Hey, you took the words right out of my mouth!



Knox were stood here, right in front of the door leading off stage.

Yes. This is where Strapping bumped into her and knocked her over.

Heh heh. Even an old pro like Strapping stuffs up once in a while, eh?

I wonder.

Perhaps Strapping intentionally collided with Knox, do you think?



The pattern of this blood, it's...

Is there something odd about it, Prof?

It's almost as if the fake and the real blood spilled at the same time. But perhaps I'm wrong.



I wouldn't expect to see a rubbish bin on a theatre set, would you?

It's a big set. There's bound to be a fair amount of rubbish generated.

Maybe someone's thrown summat away that could give us a clue, eh?

If you think there could be something relevant in there, you'd better go and have a closer look.

Urgh, I don't know about that. There could be all sorts of manky stuff in there.



Eh-up. I'm sure I've seen a gun just like this somewhere else round here.

Yes, me too. I think it was in the box of props next to the door that leads on to the stage.

Aye, that's it.

The replica and this here gun are peas in a pod, they are! You can hardly tell them apart.

Yes, they're of a very similar weight as well.

In fact, I should think about the only way to tell them apart would be the difference in recoil.