A Comedian Dies by Simon Brett Page B

know.’
    â€˜That’s true.’ She vacillated. ‘But no, we’ve got to find out. I loved him. I’ve got to know.’
    Her final avowal again sounded pedestrian, but maybe that was as emotional as she ever got.
    Still, she had given Charles a cue and he was obliged to pick it up. ‘You say you loved him. You mean it was a happy marriage?’
    â€˜Of course,’ she snapped.
    â€˜I’m sorry to ask you this, but I’ve talked to other members of the Hunstanton company and they have suggested that perhaps your husband was not always . . . completely faithful?’
    He was fully prepared to get his face slapped for that, but her reply was surprisingly mild. ‘He was away a lot. I suppose in the nature of things he must have met other girls, had the occasional fling. I never asked. At least he had the decency to keep that sort of thing away from his own doorstep.’
    â€˜He never talked about any girl-friends?’
    â€˜No. We had a good marriage.’ Her persistence on this point was again unsettling. If the marriage was that good, if she had been so desolated by her husband’s death, how could she be so cool and collected and even sexy (yes, definitely sexy) so soon afterwards?
    â€˜And you never met any of his girl-friends?’
    â€˜Never. He wouldn’t humiliate me. It was a good marriage,’ she insisted.
    â€˜Yes. Of course. So the name Janine Bentley doesn’t mean anything to you?’
    She shook her head. Charles elaborated. ‘Janine Bentley is a dancer. She was in the Hunstanton company. Backstage gossip said she was having an affair with your husband just before he died. Backstage gossip also said they had a serious row on the afternoon of his death.’
    â€˜What? And you think she might have murdered him out of spite?’ Carla asked with wonderment.
    Charles shrugged. ‘It’s a theory. I’d certainly like to talk to her. Unfortunately she’s disappeared.’
    â€˜But she’s your main suspect?’
    â€˜I wouldn’t say that, but she seems to have had more motive than anyone else. Also opportunity. If I found out something more which pointed to her guilt, I’d be prepared to be very suspicious.’
    â€˜I see.’ Carla Pratt seemed to be thinking something out. When she spoke again, it was with much greater fluency. Maybe now for the first time she felt that she was not under suspicion and could speak freely. ‘I think I have heard of her.’
    â€˜From Bill?’
    â€˜In a way.’
    â€˜I heard a rumour that she was very serious about him. Talking about marriage, expecting him to divorce you, that sort of thing.’
    â€˜Bill would never have divorced me.’
    â€˜You sound almost as if you wish he had.’
    The wistfulness of its tone had given her remark that flavour, but she bridled strongly at the suggestion. ‘Certainly not. You got me all wrong if you think that. All I ever wanted was to go on being with Bill. It was a very good marriage.’
    â€˜Yes, I’m sorry. I was being facetious. Going back to Janine. The rumours I heard suggested that the row she had with your husband on the afternoon of his death was caused by her threat to tell you about their relationship.’
    Carla Pratt was silent for a long time after this. When she did speak, for the first time in their conversation her voice was a little unsteady with emotion. ‘You seem to know so much, I might as well tell you.’
    Charles made a sympathetic grunt, unwilling to break her new confidential mood with words.
    â€˜She did tell me. She rang up here. About a week before Bill died. She said they were having this affair and they wanted to get married and I ought to know.’
    â€˜What did you say?’
    â€˜I didn’t believe her. I mean, I believed Bill was having a bit of fun with her – he liked girls – but nothing serious, no. So after she’d