Fatal Act (21 page)

‘Two friends, similar in appearance and experience, both killed at around the same time. This is not a coincidence, however much Reg bangs on about car accidents not being the same as garrotting.’

‘But don’t multiple homicides usually follow similar patterns?’ Sam asked.

‘Not necessarily. The killer could be hoping we won’t make the connection between the victims.’

‘But the victims knew each other. They studied together and they were screwing the same man, for Christ’s sake. How much more closely could they be connected?’

‘Or,’ Geraldine continued, ignoring Sam’s interruption, ‘perhaps the killer was just using whatever came to hand.’

S
he paused. Everything about Anna’s death pointed at Piers whose van had been used in the accident, although they hadn’t yet established he had been driving it at the time. The van had driven directly into the path of Anna’s oncoming car and she hadn’t stood a chance. Whoever had been driving the van must have been following her. Bethany’s death on the other hand could have been spontaneous, the killer taking advantage of the leather thong around her neck to throttle her, but it was also possible she had been followed from the theatre she had visited that evening.

A
part from the question of whether both victims might have been pursued prior to their deaths, the manner of killing was different in just about every detail. But even that didn’t mean that a different person had been responsible for each murder. Geraldine decided to confront Piers about his relationships with both victims. He appeared amused by her accusation.

‘First of all, if you believe everything that’s written about me in the papers, you’re a fool, if you’ll pardon my bluntness. Secondly, Inspector, I’m over sixty. Do you really think I’d be carrying on with two women at the same time? I loved Anna,’ he added solemnly. ‘I know she was young, but I was hoping she’d stay with me. I genuinely loved her. As for Bethany, I directed her once at college, but that was the extent of our relationship. I barely knew the girl.’

Geraldine wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not. But his reference to his age could be an unconscious allusion to the young man who had been involved with Anna. Despatching Sam to quiz Dirk about Bethany, she went to look into another connection between the two victims: the drama school.

T
he college was only a few minutes walk from Euston Square station, and parking wasn’t easy, being so central. It made more sense to take the tube. Geraldine didn’t have to wait long for a train, and was soon walking along Gower Street to the main entrance to the college. She explained the reason for her visit and a young girl on reception led her upstairs to a quiet office where a round-faced middle-aged woman was chatting on the phone. She looked up and nodded when the receptionist rapped on the open door.

‘Try not to worry about it, Lucy,’ she said briskly into the phone and hung up. ‘What is it?’

‘There’s a detective here to see you.’

G
esturing to Geraldine to take a seat, she introduced herself as Sue.

‘I look after the students’ welfare, help them when they have trouble finding accommodation, and generally lend a listening ear when there are problems. Some of them are only eighteen, and away from home for the first time, and London can be a daunting place if you’re not used to life in a city. But I’m guessing it’s not any of our current students you want to talk about, although we are keeping a close eye on Dirk just now.’

‘D
irk is Anna’s ex-boyfriend?’ Geraldine asked, although she knew the answer.

‘Yes. He seems fine but he’s rehearsing a play about a suicide, and he’s playing the brother of the dead girl. They’re not the same thing of course, murder and suicide, but even so, we’re keeping an eye on him. Megan’s been great.’

‘Megan?’

‘Dirk’s girlfriend. It’s no secret that he and Anna split up soon after she graduated, when she met Piers. Of course she’d met him before, he comes here as a visiting director.’

‘I thought he was a casting director?’

‘Yes, that’s his work. But they all like directing here. It gives them freedom to experiment.’

S
ue was clearly knowledgeable about all the students in her care. Geraldine asked her about Dirk.

‘What would you like to know?’ Sue hedged. ‘He’s a real sweetheart. A bit of a lad, with an eye for a pretty girl.’ She smiled.

Geraldine was silent, thinking that she had heard the same words used about Piers. Then again, with so many pretty girls studying acting, perhaps it was hardly surprising. For all she knew, it could be shorthand for establishing that a man was straight, in the entertainment world.

‘Dirk was living with Anna for about six months, I think, maybe longer, before she left here. And then not long after that we heard she’d been cast in Down and Out. It was a great boost for us, of course, having one of our students land such a high profile role so soon after graduating. Poor Anna, she could have been –’ She broke off with a sigh. ‘She was a brilliant talent. Such a loss.’

C
autiously, Geraldine asked if Dirk and Anna had remained on good terms after she left. Sue’s brows lowered.

‘On good terms? I should think so. Why wouldn’t they? The students here are a close knit bunch and very supportive of each other, even if they aren’t in the same year group. There are so few of them, you see. And it’s a hard life, so they tend to stick together. They bond, you see. It happens every year.’

‘Dirk wouldn’t have been upset when she left him for a successful older man?’

Geraldine was surprised when Sue broke into a smile.

‘Good lord no. He would have been delighted for her. We all were. So you’re thinking he might have killed her out of jealousy?’

Her smile broadened, as though Geraldine had said something amusing.

‘We keep our melodramas for the stage, Inspector. Relationships breaking up is just part of the way of life for young actors, I’m afraid. He might not have been very happy about it, on a personal level, but he would have been pleased for her. And he certainly wasn’t pining for her.’

S
ue was clearly protective of her students’ reputations. Nevertheless, Geraldine thought she was probably a reliable witness.

‘What about Dirk and Bethany?’ she asked.

Sue shook her head. ‘He didn’t make out with all the girls,’ she said. ‘I’m sure I would have known if there was anything going on between Dirk and Bethany.’

‘What about Piers and Bethany?’ Geraldine pressed her, although she could sense that Sue was beginning to worry she had already been indiscreet.

‘I saw that story in the paper,’ she said sharply. ‘We get used to the tabloids here. To be honest, the real scandal is how they get away with the stories they invent. Piers was with Anna,’ she concluded firmly.

‘So Piers wasn’t in a relationship with Bethany while Anna was living with him?’

Sue stared at Geraldine sternly. ‘I suggest you ignore the tittle tattle in the tabloids, and concentrate on your work, as we do on ours. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Inspector, I have work to do.’

I
T
WASN
’
T APPARENT
how tall the principal of the drama school was until he stood up to greet her, an imposing figure on his feet. He looked about sixty, slender and grey-haired. His lips curled into a slow smile, and he intoned his speech like a dirge, while his grey eyes remained wary. Geraldine wondered whether he always spoke like that, or if he felt this was an appropriate way to conduct an interview about a dead student. He formed a stark contrast to the woman who looked after the students’ welfare. Between her and the principal, the students appeared to be in safe hands. Except that two of them were dead.

‘H
ow can I help?’ he asked as she sat down.

‘Mr Ellory –’

He held up an elegant white hand.

‘Everyone calls me William.’

‘William, I need to know everything you can tell us about Anna and Bethany.’

His expression grew even more solemn than before.

‘It goes without saying that I’ll help you in any way I can. This was a terrible tragedy for two very talented young women. They both had brilliant careers ahead of them. You must know that Anna was already carving out a name for herself on television. And Bethany –’

O
nce again Geraldine felt as though he was preparing a funeral speech, or perhaps reprising the announcement he had made to the other students. He must have spoken to them about what had happened.

‘It would have been terrible for anyone,’ she interjected softly.

‘Indeed it would.’

He inclined his greying head without saying anything else.

‘Is there anything you can think of that might help us to discover who is responsible for their deaths?’

William sat forward in his chair and stared straight at Geraldine, his grey eyes steely.

‘Do you mean to say you don’t know who did this? I heard Piers Trevelyan had been arrested, but I suspected that was unfounded rumour.’

‘He’s been helping us with our enquiries,’ Geraldine said cautiously.

‘I
t’s no secret he was living with Anna, or rather she had moved in with him. But I don’t believe for one minute he could have killed anyone. It’s a ludicrous idea. I’ve known Piers for a long time. He’s a huge talent, and he could be temperamental, unreasonable even. It’s not uncommon with creative people. We learn to manage them here, and we teach them to manage themselves.’ He inhaled deeply. ‘I thought you had this all sewn up and had come here for witness corroboration. Although what we’d have been able to tell you I can’t imagine.’

A
s briefly as she could, Geraldine explained that Piers was being questioned.

‘But you’re going to let him go? Only we have a production coming up that he’ll be directing, and we need to know the situation. Are you going to arrest him?’

For answer, Geraldine repeated her earlier enquiry.

‘Well, we’ll do everything we can, of course. The college is open to you – ask Sue for a key card for the duration of your investigation, so you can come in and out of the building freely. And you must question anyone who might be able to help. I’ll announce to the students to come to you with any information. Perhaps I can post a contact number on the board? It’s only accessible to those with swipe cards. We’re very careful with security. We have a lot of very expensive equipment here. I would just ask that you respect our rehearsals where possible. Our students work on a tight schedule and missing a single rehearsal can impact on a production, especially where a lead is involved.’

H
e paused. Geraldine waited.

‘I think that covers everything,’ he said finally, rising to his feet. ‘And I should stress that Anna and Bethany both graduated last year. Of course we continue to care about our alumni – we’re a very close knit community here. But they were no longer enrolled with us when all this happened.’

‘Is there nothing more you can tell us?’ Geraldine asked, without standing up. ‘You must have known both the girls very well.’

‘Indeed, I know all my students,’ he replied, sitting down again.

H
e talked for a while about how talented both the victims had been. Geraldine listened patiently as his formal oratory slipped into personal reminiscence.

‘Anna was always so earnest about her work, and so ambitious! We all thought she was one to watch, and we were right. She was the first in her year to get an agent, the first to be cast on television, and –’

He broke off, gazing helplessly at Geraldine. They both knew what he was thinking.

‘Bethany was a different kettle of fish altogether. Anna was the ingénue, the romantic lead that Bethany aspired to emulate, but her talents lay in comedy, although she hadn’t yet realised it.’

He stopped. Once again Geraldine could guess what must be going through his mind.

‘They were so young!’ he broke out suddenly.

‘Y
ou must have worked very closely with them,’ Geraldine said after a pause. ‘We know they were both involved with Piers, but other than that, did they have any particular boyfriend in common, or did they have any enemies? Someone who was jealous perhaps? Were there any odd characters among the students or staff while they were both here?’ She paused. ‘Is there anything you can think of that might help us? Anything at all. Were you aware of anyone who might have wished to harm these girls?’

It was difficult to pose the question tactfully, but important to ask.

‘Is there anyone I suspect might have committed these dreadful murders, you mean?’

He shook his head emphatically.

‘W
e get some characters here that you might think of as quirky, eccentric, but actors aren’t as unconventional as you might think.’

‘Yes, I’m sure they’re just like everyone else –’

‘Yes and no. Our students are dedicated to their work.’

He was dithering, uncertain what to say, trotting out stock phrases he must have used thousands of times before.

‘Anna had a boyfriend called Dirk,’ Geraldine prompted him.

‘Dirk was in the year below Anna. He’s still here. I can summon him if you wish to speak to him, but I really don’t know that he’d be able to add anything –’

Geraldine told him she had already spoken to Dirk.

‘W
as there anyone else? Bethany’s mother mentioned a dark-haired man.’

‘That would be Marco. He and Bethany were an item but they split up in their final year. A lot of relationships founder then. It’s the pressure. They feel they have to focus exclusively on their careers.’ He sighed again. ‘They all knew each other, Anna, Dirk, Bethany and Marco. We had such hopes… I’m afraid Marco’s a sensitive boy. He’ll be terribly upset about what happened. Sue will tell you where you can contact him. She keeps in touch with everyone. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and watch a rehearsal. I promised some of the students.’

H
e stood up.

‘You might think we’re putting the students under unnecessary pressure here, but they thrive on the regime. Believe me, if they don’t, they won’t cope long in the industry. People outside the profession have no idea how demanding acting is, or how dangerous it can be.’