to be cancelled, after all the hard work the cast has put into it, but under the circumstances it is unavoidable.’
The fire was thought to have been caused by a faulty oxygen line. To represent the fire scene, metal troughs containing special flammable substances were placed strategically around the stage, concealed by scenery. On cue, these were remotely ignited by the props Manager, Mr Dennis Long. The height and ferocity of the flames of each trough was individually controlled by pumping oxygen into the flame. One of the pump’s valves appeared to have blown open as the character, Nero, played by the star, Malcolm Malloy, who also ventured too close, caught his costume in the flame-producing apparatus. Malloy was unable to free his costume and in the attempt to escape, he pulled the pipe across himself and was very badly burned on the face, chest, arms and stomach. The flames also spread to the scenery. Several of the cast and the stage manager, Charles Catchpole, tried to detach the pipe from Malloy and received minor injuries in the process. Eventually the safety curtain was lowered, the fire department arrived and the fire was quickly extinguished.
*
Angel read the text again. His eyes were glowing, his heart thumping. This was the breakthrough he had been longing for.
He turned to Hanger and said, ‘Can I have a copy of this?’
‘ Of course.’
The clerk pressed some keys and a printed copy shot out on to the tray. Angel reached out for it.
‘ If there’s anything else you want, Inspector?’
Angel was deep in thought. He looked up. ‘No thank you, Mr Hanger. That’s a big help.’
‘ If there’s anything else you need, come straight to me. The boss said I was to help you all I could.’
Angel nodded and, holding on to the print, he ran out of the little office, through the printing room, out of the back door, where vans were being loaded with newspapers, and up the ginnel back to the BMW.
*
Five minutes later, at 20.45 hours, Angel arrived back at the police station.
Ahmed saw him pass the CID office door and he dashed out in the corridor to speak to him. ‘Sir.’
Angel heard him, stopped and turned.
‘ DS Crisp has located the Margaret Ireland on his list,’ Ahmed said: ‘She lives on Wakefield Road. And he’s gone out to bring her in.’
Angel ’s face brightened. ‘That’s great, lad.’
He rubbed his chin and proceeded towards his office. That meant that there were only two more to find. Then he suddenly stopped, turned back and said, ‘Has he gone on his own?’
‘ Yes, sir.’
Angel ’s lips tightened back against his teeth simultaneously sucking in air and making a hissing noise. Although he had thought all along that the murders had been executed by a member of the male gender, nevertheless the murderer could have been a woman, and that woman could have been Miss Margaret Ireland.
‘ How long has he been gone?’
‘ About ten minutes, sir.’
He sighed. ‘Let me know the moment they arrive.’
‘ Yes, sir,’ Ahmed said. ‘And there’s another man, Kenneth Lamb.’
Angel turned round again. ‘Yes, lad? What about him?’
‘ He is on my list. I’ve just tracked him down on the phone, sir. I told him that his life was possibly in danger. He didn’t take it seriously. I asked him to stay where he was, to lock the house up and we would send a car for him. He laughed at the idea and said that he might come here himself when he’d had his tea.’
Angel ’s fists tightened. ‘Have you got his address?’
‘ Yes, sir.’
‘ Come in the office.’ He reached the desk, picked up the phone and handed it to him. ‘Tell Transport I want a vehicle urgently now to collect you, pick this joker up at his place and bring you both back here smartly . All right?’
Ahmed blinked, took the phone and began tapping in the internal number 4 for Transport.
Scrivens came through the open office door.
Angel looked up. ‘What are you busy with?’
‘ Angus Peel,
The fire was thought to have been caused by a faulty oxygen line. To represent the fire scene, metal troughs containing special flammable substances were placed strategically around the stage, concealed by scenery. On cue, these were remotely ignited by the props Manager, Mr Dennis Long. The height and ferocity of the flames of each trough was individually controlled by pumping oxygen into the flame. One of the pump’s valves appeared to have blown open as the character, Nero, played by the star, Malcolm Malloy, who also ventured too close, caught his costume in the flame-producing apparatus. Malloy was unable to free his costume and in the attempt to escape, he pulled the pipe across himself and was very badly burned on the face, chest, arms and stomach. The flames also spread to the scenery. Several of the cast and the stage manager, Charles Catchpole, tried to detach the pipe from Malloy and received minor injuries in the process. Eventually the safety curtain was lowered, the fire department arrived and the fire was quickly extinguished.
*
Angel read the text again. His eyes were glowing, his heart thumping. This was the breakthrough he had been longing for.
He turned to Hanger and said, ‘Can I have a copy of this?’
‘ Of course.’
The clerk pressed some keys and a printed copy shot out on to the tray. Angel reached out for it.
‘ If there’s anything else you want, Inspector?’
Angel was deep in thought. He looked up. ‘No thank you, Mr Hanger. That’s a big help.’
‘ If there’s anything else you need, come straight to me. The boss said I was to help you all I could.’
Angel nodded and, holding on to the print, he ran out of the little office, through the printing room, out of the back door, where vans were being loaded with newspapers, and up the ginnel back to the BMW.
*
Five minutes later, at 20.45 hours, Angel arrived back at the police station.
Ahmed saw him pass the CID office door and he dashed out in the corridor to speak to him. ‘Sir.’
Angel heard him, stopped and turned.
‘ DS Crisp has located the Margaret Ireland on his list,’ Ahmed said: ‘She lives on Wakefield Road. And he’s gone out to bring her in.’
Angel ’s face brightened. ‘That’s great, lad.’
He rubbed his chin and proceeded towards his office. That meant that there were only two more to find. Then he suddenly stopped, turned back and said, ‘Has he gone on his own?’
‘ Yes, sir.’
Angel ’s lips tightened back against his teeth simultaneously sucking in air and making a hissing noise. Although he had thought all along that the murders had been executed by a member of the male gender, nevertheless the murderer could have been a woman, and that woman could have been Miss Margaret Ireland.
‘ How long has he been gone?’
‘ About ten minutes, sir.’
He sighed. ‘Let me know the moment they arrive.’
‘ Yes, sir,’ Ahmed said. ‘And there’s another man, Kenneth Lamb.’
Angel turned round again. ‘Yes, lad? What about him?’
‘ He is on my list. I’ve just tracked him down on the phone, sir. I told him that his life was possibly in danger. He didn’t take it seriously. I asked him to stay where he was, to lock the house up and we would send a car for him. He laughed at the idea and said that he might come here himself when he’d had his tea.’
Angel ’s fists tightened. ‘Have you got his address?’
‘ Yes, sir.’
‘ Come in the office.’ He reached the desk, picked up the phone and handed it to him. ‘Tell Transport I want a vehicle urgently now to collect you, pick this joker up at his place and bring you both back here smartly . All right?’
Ahmed blinked, took the phone and began tapping in the internal number 4 for Transport.
Scrivens came through the open office door.
Angel looked up. ‘What are you busy with?’
‘ Angus Peel,
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