‘Pretty much.’
‘What about those crazy women outside? Don’t you think it could be someone who’s taken the show as a personal affront to decency?’
‘I think plenty of them are doing that. I just can’t imagine anyone being so upset that they would break into a theatre and start murdering the performers.’
‘Don’t be so sure. The Nazis are on the lookout for signs of dissatisfaction and unrest. It said so in the paper. They’re infiltrating groups and stirring up trouble, just like they did in the thirties.’
‘I don’t think we’re under attack from German spies,’ said Bryant firmly. ‘My spiritualist mentioned Medea and Calliope.’
‘Your spiritualist,’ repeated Helena.
Bryant nodded, patting his pockets for a light.
‘I’m surrounded by blithering idiots.’ The artistic director rose to leave. ‘If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I’ve a show to rehearse.’
‘Calliope was the mother of Orpheus,’ Bryant explained once he and May had returned to their offices behind Bow Street. ‘He got his musical talents from her. Perhaps we should take a look at the original legend, not Offenbach’s version of it.’
‘We’re not looking for a mythical creature, Arthur, even your Mrs Wagstaff agreed about that.’
‘We need to find a motive, John. Aristaeus tried to rape Eurydice, and she trod on a serpent as she fled. The poison killed her. Hemlock is a poison that was known to the ancient Greeks. Orpheus followed her down to Hades, and suspended the tortures of the damned with his music. Orpheus was instructed not to turn round to look at her until she had reached the light of the sun. Eurydice made her way through the darkness, guided by the sound of his lyre. As he reached the sunlight, he looked back and lost her for ever. Various reasons have been given for his behaviour. Some say he was frightened by a clap of thunder. Others reckon he was pushed in the back by Jupiter. Our Jupiter is dead, and can no longer stop the flight of Orpheus, running to daylight. Edna talked of ghosts, unseen hands guiding, pushing at the actors’ backs. The girl, Jan, she’s not been seen anywhere?’
‘It’s impossible to find out. The stations are still full of evacuees and servicemen, people moving around all over the place.’
Forthright looked in. ‘Arthur, the article you requested from your journalist pal, Peregrine Summerfield. He’s managed to find you a copy. He’s sending a lad over with it right now.’
Several minutes later, a boy arrived with a brown envelope under his arm. May gave him sixpence from the petty-cash tin and tore open the accompanying letter.
‘What appalling handwriting.’
‘Give it to me, I’m used to reading his scrawl,’ said Bryant, snatching away the letter.
Dear Arthur,
There was a lot of interest in this at the time, but the paper wouldn’t run my article because Andreas Renalda got wind of it and threatened The Thunderer with a lawsuit. The family was based in Calliste (’Most Beautiful’), also known as Santorini. I managed to locate his former home on the outskirts of Thira, but couldn’t gain admittance to the estate. Everyone on the island knows the family, but nobody was very happy talking about them. I tried mentioning them in one of the local bars and the locals all clammed up, it was like one of those scenes in a cowboy film where the stranger comes into town. However . . .
‘Is there another page to this?’
‘Sorry.’ May handed the sheet to Bryant.
. . . I wrote a profile and was even paid, but the damned thing never appeared in print. Andreas Renalda has made my life a living hell ever since, ringing up publishers and complaining about me. His old man employed half the island, and a lot of loyalties still survive. I suggest you read the article and form your own conclusions.
For the next few minutes no sound was heard in the office, save for the familiar double clang of a distant tram.
‘You wanted a motive,’ Bryant said finally. ‘It looks like we’ve got one. Listen to this.’ He balanced his legs along the edge of the desk. ‘Peregrine called his piece “Orpheus Ascending”. Sirius, Renalda’s father, lost an eye at the battle of Modder River, and was employed as a mercenary under General “Backbreaker” Gatacre during the Boer War.’
‘That’s not what I’d call a motive,’ said May.
‘Don’t be so impatient. His wife, Diana, bore him two sons. Andreas came along in 1905, when his brother Minos was five. His legs were too brittle to support him, so Sirius had his workers build steel calipers that would enable him to walk. He had lost an eye before finding his own strength, so thought Andreas would also turn disability to his advantage. He gave Minos, his other son, an allowance, but reserved his empire for Andreas. He dismissed the missus to a wing of the house and took a series of mistresses. Diana stopped attending church and raised her son in pagan ways in order to afford him protection from enemies. Superstitious lot, eh? Andreas became the keyholder to a shipping fortune and Minos turned into an embittered drunk who couldn’t touch his brother for fear of reprisals.