grey-uniformed security man seated outside.
Diamond showed his ID and the guard picked up his mobile phone.
‘Is that necessary? We’ll just go in.’
‘She’s with someone,’ the man said. ‘I’ll have to clear it.’
He was about to push past when Ingeborg touched his arm. ‘She may be having treatment, guv.’
‘Is she?’ he asked the guard.
‘I’m checking now.’
The upshot was that the ‘someone’ came out and she didn’t appear to be a doctor or a nurse. She was in a black suit with red tights and patent leather shoes. Her hair was dark, with red streaks, and she wore black shades with a retaining chain. To Diamond’s eye, she was in her forties, confident and businesslike. ‘You’d better not be press,’ she said.
Considering that the guard had already said they were police, this was not a good beginning.
Diamond held up his ID again and introduced Ingeborg. ‘And who are you?’
‘Tilda Box, Clarion’s agent. She’s not seeing anyone.’
‘Why? Has she gone blind?’
Tilda Box pursed her lips. ‘There’s no need to be facetious. She’s suffering from third degree burns and severe shock. She’s been through a traumatic experience and she’s far too distressed to have visitors.’
‘We’re not visitors,’ he said. ‘We’re on an investigation.’
‘That’s being taken care of.’
‘Who by?’
‘Private inquiry agents employed by her insurance people. You’re not needed here.’
Staying civil with this lady wasn’t easy. ‘It’s not a private matter, Ms Box. It appears a criminal offence was committed Monday evening and we have a duty to investigate.’
She folded her arms. ‘Speak to me, then. I’m aware of all the facts.’
‘We’ll speak to Miss Calhoun.’
‘I told you. She’s not speaking to anyone.’
‘She’s spoken to you, apparently, or you wouldn’t be aware of all the facts. Are you going to step aside, or do we charge you with obstructing the police?’
‘That’s blatant intimidation,’ she said, and then, as the last words sank in, capitulated. ‘For God’s sake. Wait here. I’ll see what state she’s in.’
‘No need,’ Diamond said. ‘We’re going straight in. Inge, you go first.’
Tilda Box was incandescent, but stopped short of wrestling with them. Inge went through two sets of swing doors, turned and gestured to Diamond and he followed her into a large room and got his first sight of Clarion Calhoun. He was prepared to find a figure swathed in bandages with apertures for the eyes and mouth. Not so. The patient wasn’t bandaged and wasn’t in bed. Dressed in a white bathrobe, she was in an armchair looking at television. Her face, neck and what was visible of her chest appeared to be coated in a yellowish ointment or healing agent. To be fair, the damage to her skin was evident, flakes of tissue hanging from raw burns. She tugged at her long, blonde hair to screen her face from the intruders. ‘Who are you?’
Diamond showed the ID and introduced Ingeborg.
‘I’m not speaking to the police,’ Clarion said. ‘Tell them, Tilda.’
The agent had come into the room behind them. Diamond swung around and said, ‘Out.’
‘I absolutely refuse to leave you alone with her,’ Tilda Box said.
‘You can absolutely get lost, or I’ll absolutely do you for wilfully obstructing a police officer.’
He had Tilda’s measure. She quit the room without another word.
‘Now, Clarion,’ he said. ‘I take it you didn’t do this to yourself, so it’s our job to find who is responsible.’
She appeared to think about playing dumb. There was a lengthy pause. Then she couldn’t resist saying from behind the hair, ‘The theatre is responsible and we intend to sue.’ The voice was easy on the ear. She would have got by as Sally Bowles.
‘It may not be so simple,’ he said.
‘Explain.’
‘If someone wanted to harm you, they’re mainly to blame.’
Startled, she let go of the hair and turned, giving them a
Diamond showed his ID and the guard picked up his mobile phone.
‘Is that necessary? We’ll just go in.’
‘She’s with someone,’ the man said. ‘I’ll have to clear it.’
He was about to push past when Ingeborg touched his arm. ‘She may be having treatment, guv.’
‘Is she?’ he asked the guard.
‘I’m checking now.’
The upshot was that the ‘someone’ came out and she didn’t appear to be a doctor or a nurse. She was in a black suit with red tights and patent leather shoes. Her hair was dark, with red streaks, and she wore black shades with a retaining chain. To Diamond’s eye, she was in her forties, confident and businesslike. ‘You’d better not be press,’ she said.
Considering that the guard had already said they were police, this was not a good beginning.
Diamond held up his ID again and introduced Ingeborg. ‘And who are you?’
‘Tilda Box, Clarion’s agent. She’s not seeing anyone.’
‘Why? Has she gone blind?’
Tilda Box pursed her lips. ‘There’s no need to be facetious. She’s suffering from third degree burns and severe shock. She’s been through a traumatic experience and she’s far too distressed to have visitors.’
‘We’re not visitors,’ he said. ‘We’re on an investigation.’
‘That’s being taken care of.’
‘Who by?’
‘Private inquiry agents employed by her insurance people. You’re not needed here.’
Staying civil with this lady wasn’t easy. ‘It’s not a private matter, Ms Box. It appears a criminal offence was committed Monday evening and we have a duty to investigate.’
She folded her arms. ‘Speak to me, then. I’m aware of all the facts.’
‘We’ll speak to Miss Calhoun.’
‘I told you. She’s not speaking to anyone.’
‘She’s spoken to you, apparently, or you wouldn’t be aware of all the facts. Are you going to step aside, or do we charge you with obstructing the police?’
‘That’s blatant intimidation,’ she said, and then, as the last words sank in, capitulated. ‘For God’s sake. Wait here. I’ll see what state she’s in.’
‘No need,’ Diamond said. ‘We’re going straight in. Inge, you go first.’
Tilda Box was incandescent, but stopped short of wrestling with them. Inge went through two sets of swing doors, turned and gestured to Diamond and he followed her into a large room and got his first sight of Clarion Calhoun. He was prepared to find a figure swathed in bandages with apertures for the eyes and mouth. Not so. The patient wasn’t bandaged and wasn’t in bed. Dressed in a white bathrobe, she was in an armchair looking at television. Her face, neck and what was visible of her chest appeared to be coated in a yellowish ointment or healing agent. To be fair, the damage to her skin was evident, flakes of tissue hanging from raw burns. She tugged at her long, blonde hair to screen her face from the intruders. ‘Who are you?’
Diamond showed the ID and introduced Ingeborg.
‘I’m not speaking to the police,’ Clarion said. ‘Tell them, Tilda.’
The agent had come into the room behind them. Diamond swung around and said, ‘Out.’
‘I absolutely refuse to leave you alone with her,’ Tilda Box said.
‘You can absolutely get lost, or I’ll absolutely do you for wilfully obstructing a police officer.’
He had Tilda’s measure. She quit the room without another word.
‘Now, Clarion,’ he said. ‘I take it you didn’t do this to yourself, so it’s our job to find who is responsible.’
She appeared to think about playing dumb. There was a lengthy pause. Then she couldn’t resist saying from behind the hair, ‘The theatre is responsible and we intend to sue.’ The voice was easy on the ear. She would have got by as Sally Bowles.
‘It may not be so simple,’ he said.
‘Explain.’
‘If someone wanted to harm you, they’re mainly to blame.’
Startled, she let go of the hair and turned, giving them a
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