[Berkeley Brigade 10] - Shadow of Murder by Joan Smith Page A

Luten’s T’ang horse?”
    “What — you mean the horse from the table in the hall? I haven’t used it.”
    “Well, it’s missing.”
    “Perhaps Evans —”
    “No, he hasn’t seen it. It’s missing I tell you. If Luten finds out he’ll be furious.”
    “Don’t tell him!” he exclaimed. “It’s bound to turn up. I’ll ask the cast tomorrow if they’ve seen it. Or perhaps Miss Lipman knows.”
    After a little more wrangling, Reg left, the invitation to his party forgotten, and Corinne went to speak to Miss Lipman, who could tell her nothing. She didn’t even know what horse Lady Luten was talking about. Corinne also consulted Mrs. Ballard, who was similarly unhelpful. In fact, she annoyed Corinne considerably by suggesting she speak to Black. He and Mrs. Ballard had never got along. She thought him encroaching, as he was, and he mistrusted her holier-than-thou ways.
    Corinne was so loathe to tell Luten about the horse that she decided to wait one day in hope that it would turn up. But she felt guilty at concealing it from him.
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Chapter 8
     
    Reg took his crew to task the next morning before the rehearsal started. “Attention, people. I have an unpleasant announcement,” he began, and was greeted with a communal groan as his announcements usually involved changes in the script they had memorised. He ignored the groans and continued.
    “I am not making any accusation, but a valuable item has gone missing from the house. Very likely some maid has moved it, or broken it, and is afraid to admit it. I want only to ascertain if any of you have any knowledge of it. I shall have a word with each of you in private after the rehearsal. I don’t see why anyone would take it when it couldn’t possibly be sold. The item in question is a Chinese statue of a horse from the T’ang dynasty. It is wearing a red saddle, the paint somewhat faded. You must have seen it on the hall table, beside the vase of flowers. It’s a famous statue. It would be recognized immediately if one tried to sell or pawn it.”
    “How horrid!” Chloe said at once. “Why don’t we all have a search for it?”
    “Another excuse to be running through the house, Chloe?” Vance sneered.
    “Not necessary, Chloe,” Prance informed her. “The staff are looking. Lady Luten has generously allowed us to have our little rehearsals here, and we must not abuse her hospitality. Now, enough about that. Vance, we shall do the scene between you and Lorraine this morning, the scene where you first propose to her.”
    “At what point in the story are we here?” Vance asked. “So difficult, acting from these bits of the script you’ve given us without a copy of the whole opus to judge the trajectory of the plot.”
    “Ah, you still haven’t read the book.”
    “I’m reading it. I haven’t come to this part yet.”
    “It’s in chapter three, page 70, when you can find a few moments from your busy schedule. I want a certain oiliness from you, and muted horror from you, Chloe, but don’t, please, sink into melodrama. Ready?”
    When he interviewed them individually after the rehearsal, all three of the actors earnestly claimed their innocence. Chloe seemed a little hesitant. Before leaving she said, “I don’t like to say anything, and I’m sure he’s innocent, but I did see Vance examining that little horse the other day when we were putting on our bonnets and hats in the hall.”
    “Indeed!”
    “But then, you know, he takes more interest in things like that than the rest of us,” she said, with a troubled frown. “Very likely he was just lifting it to see if it was genuine. I’m sure that’s all it was. You know how he was praising the tea set when Mrs. Ballard brought it in. He has a good eye for things like that. I’m certainly not accusing him, because I don’t believe for one moment he would ever steal anything, even if he doesn’t like you. I mean he’s just jealous of you and doesn’t appreciate this wonderful