Dance of Death by Edward Marston Page B

was an extraordinary man,’ said Pattinson. ‘I’ve never met anyone with that amount of energy. He was indefatigable.’
    ‘We’ve gathered that, sir.’ Marmion tapped the book then switched his gaze to Audrey. ‘I see that you’ve had a long association with him, Mrs Pattinson.’
    ‘Audrey joined him soon after he opened the dance studio,’ said her husband on her behalf. ‘He tried another accompanist before her but the man could not compete with my wife.’
    ‘How would you describe him?’
    ‘He was a man of the utmost charm and had a good business sense.’
    ‘Actually, sir,’ said Marmion, pleasantly, ‘the question was for your wife.’
    ‘I do beg your pardon.’
    ‘Mrs Pattinson?’
    After a considered pause, she began to speak, measuring her words carefully. It was almost as if she’d been gathering material for a biography of Simon Wilder because she knew so much about him. The detectives were not surprised to find out that, before he turned to dancing, he was an actor. He’d had a fairly successful career onstage but there were inevitable lulls. During periods of unemployment, it transpired, he had a second string to his bow. As the son of aphotographer, he’d learnt the trade at his father’s knee and become so proficient that he was able to make a good income by taking photographs.
    ‘They were mostly of other actors,’ said Audrey. ‘A lot of them still choose Mr Wilder’s portrait of them to put on display at the theatre in which they’re working. That shows how good they are.’
    ‘Actors are very vain,’ added her husband. ‘Look at those photographs and you’ll see that they were usually taken years ago. Oh, I’m sorry,’ he said, drawing back, ‘I didn’t mean to interrupt.’
    Audrey continued her monologue, explaining that Simon Wilder was a stage name. He’d been christened Stanley Hogg but felt that it was not the ideal name for an ambitious young actor. He’d met Catherine when they appeared together in a play by Bernard Shaw. She’d been trained in ballet and the couple shared a love of dance. Once married, they devoted all their spare time to dancing until they reached a level where they began to win competitions and garner good publicity. Abandoning the stage, Audrey told them, they bought the hall and converted it into a dance studio.
    ‘That must have cost a lot,’ observed Marmion.
    ‘Mrs Wilder had private wealth,’ said Pattinson, butting in again. ‘Not that I’m suggesting Wilder married her for her money. Heaven forbid! No, they’re very well matched. They worked around the clock to get where they are now and deserve every ounce of success.’ He touched his wife’s hand. ‘I do apologise, Audrey. You know far more about them than I do. Please go on.’
    But the interruption had served to stem the flow of her reminiscences. After a few more sentences, she sat back and folded her arms to show that she’d finished.
    ‘Thank you, Mrs Pattinson,’ said Marmion. ‘That was enlightening.’
    She smiled for the first time. ‘He and his wife were the personification of grace on the dance floor.’
    ‘But I was told that she is no longer able to partner him,’ said Keedy. ‘Since her accident, she’s had persistent back problems.’
    ‘Fate was so cruel to the poor woman. She can’t even take classes.’
    ‘Who replaced her as Mr Wilder’s dancing partner?’
    ‘Odele Thompson.’
    ‘She was the person in the final class yesterday afternoon,’ said Marmion, remembering the name he’d seen in the appointments book.
    ‘That was usually the case, Inspector. They wanted practice time. Mr Wilder didn’t need to instruct Miss Thompson. She’s a professional dancer, you see. After a day with less talented dancers, he loved to work with someone who was his match on the dance floor.’
    ‘Yet he didn’t make use of you as an accompanist.’
    ‘He had the gramophone. They were able to dance to a full orchestra. Is that all?’ she asked,