Jack in the Box by Hania Allen Page A

closer. Says it all.’
    ‘No love lost between them, then?’ said Steve.
    She threw her head back and laughed. As she drew in her breath, the laugh turned into a hacking cough. ‘No-one likes Gillanders,’ she wheezed, ‘specially the cast. Don’t take my word for it, ask them. He’s always trying to spike their performances. Makes him look so much better, you see. But then, if you can’t act…’ She wiped her eyes. ‘Gillanders told me once he wanted to be in films, in a Hollywood movie. You wouldn’t believe he fancies himself as a great romantic lead. I could just see it now: From Here to Obscurity.’
    Von ran a hand across her mouth, trying not to laugh. She didn’t dare look at Steve.
    ‘Mr Quincey got lots of placings on the tour, he did,’ Rose was saying. ‘We went all over Britain. And the cast loved him. He was a brilliant director.’ Her eyes were glistening. ‘I used to sneak in and watch the rehearsals. Mr Quincey never directed from the seats. He stood on the stage, close to the actors. I can see him now, in his cashmere shawl. He’d wear it hanging from his elbows, like a lady’s wrap. He had such style. The actors were like his family, he once told me. He gave them so much supportwhenever Gillanders was doing his thing.’
    ‘Doing his thing?’ said Steve.
    ‘Ruining their performances, I’ve just told you.’ She glared at him. ‘Do keep up. You’re not half as quick as she is,’ she said, indicating Von.
    ‘Why do you think Michael Gillanders stayed with the Players, Miss Manning?’ Von said. ‘From what you’ve told us, he didn’t seem happy.’
    ‘He wanted to take over running the Quincey Players and get all the money for himself. That was his big ambition. Plain for all to see, it was.’
    ‘Do you think he could have harmed Mr Quincey?’
    ‘Course he could,’ she said, almost to herself. She dropped her voice to a whisper. ‘Yes, I think he could have done him.’
    ‘But why wait till now?’ said Steve. ‘Why wait fifteen years?’
    Her jaw dropped. ‘Where did they find you? Look, I’d have thought that was obvious.’
    ‘Not to me,’ he said, smiling faintly.
    ‘Gillanders would be a suspect, wouldn’t he, if he did it on the tour. Better to wait till they were back here.’ She took his silence for incomprehension. ‘There’d be loads of people to come under suspicion, wouldn’t there? Half the regulars at the Duke, I should imagine. That Detective Harriman really didn’t do his job there either, did he?’
    ‘Why the Duke?’ said Von.
    ‘They didn’t like Mr Quincey. That landlord was always giving him the eye. That’s why—’ She stopped, as though she’d said too much.
    ‘That’s why what?’ Von said quickly.
    She hesitated. ‘That’s why he kept himself to himself.’
    She’s lying. She was going to say something else . But Von knew better than to persist when someone clammed up. There were other ways of obtaining information. She decided to changetack. ‘Miss Manning, did you ever visit Max Quincey in his lodgings?’
    Rose drew herself up. ‘Our relationship’ – she accented the word – ‘was strictly professional. An unmarried lady would never visit a gentleman in his rooms.’
    ‘Even one who’s gay?’ said Steve.
    She stiffened. ‘Whatever his persuasion, he was still a single gentleman.’
    Von jerked her head towards the back of the room. ‘You said those packing cases travel with you. The knots look complicated. Did you tie them?’
    She seemed mildly surprised. ‘Zack Lazarus showed us all how to tie them years ago. He’s the lighting manager. Good at knots, he is. It looks difficult but it’s easy once you know how.’
    ‘Why not use simple knots?’
    ‘They can come undone. No use when you’re on tour. Costumes are expensive.’ She stared fixedly at the clothes waiting to be pressed.
    Von took the hint. She handed Rose a card. ‘Please do contact me if there’s anything else you’d like to tell