Sidney Chambers and The Shadow of Death (The Grantchester Mysteries)

murder itself, and all the plebeians had handled the knives in the ensuing tumult. The actors playing Marcus Brutus, Cassius, Decius Brutus, Metellus, Cinna, Casca, Ligarius and Trebonius were all suspects.
    The stage area was sealed off and the investigation began. Inspector Keating called Sidney aside. ‘I’m assuming that I will have your help on this case?’
    ‘As a member of the cast I am of course a witness. And, I suppose, a suspect.’
    ‘Now you are being plain daft.’
    ‘I would hope to be one of the first to be ruled out of your investigation.’
    ‘You can take that as read. Where do we start?’
    ‘With the director: Derek Jarvis. He should know what everyone was supposed to be doing and who was meant to stab Lord Teversham and where. He’s quite thorough about that kind of thing.’
    ‘I can’t imagine that the coroner is best pleased to have his night of theatrical triumph ruined by his professional duty. As soon as we know the angle of the crucial blow we will have to do a re-enactment.’
    ‘Tonight?’
    ‘Tomorrow. Once we have heard everyone’s statements. It’s going to be a long evening. You must be getting used to these by now.’
    ‘They are,’ Sidney agreed, ‘becoming alarmingly familiar.’
    Police were stationed at the public entrance and the stage door. The cast was asked to wait in the auditorium while the stage and backstage areas were searched for the murder weapon. The coroner made a preliminary examination of Lord Teversham and organised his removal to the mortuary. His distraught sister had been in the audience and accompanied the body. Ben was alone in the bar. Frank Blackwood gave him a stiff drink and wrapped him in a blanket. He sat in the corner, shivering, without saying a word, unable to leave until the police had taken his statement, a hipflask of brandy beside him.
    Inspector Keating commandeered the theatre manager’s office and went through the list of official suspects on a blackboard.
     
    Marcus Brutus: Simon Hackford, auctioneer and art dealer
    Cassius: Frank Blackwood, engineer
    Decius Brutus: Hector Kirby, butcher
    Metellus: Stan Headley, blacksmith
    Cinna : Michel Morel, le patron , Le Bistro Bleu Blanc Rouge, Mill Road
    Casca : Clive Morton, solicitor
    Ligarius: Tom Rogerson, stationmaster, British Rail
    Trebonius: Mike Standing, businessman
     
    Inspector Keating briefed his men. ‘According to the coroner’s preliminary examination Lord Teversham was stabbed between the chest and the stomach with a single blow which twisted first to the left and then to the right. He suggests a short blade, three or four inches in length. It must have been sharp as the wound was clean and deep. To disguise a stage dagger and conceal its sharpness would take skill. All the knives used in the production were put back on the prop table after the murder. There are no missing stage weapons and they are all blunt, retractable and safe. The real weapon has disappeared. We need to find it.’
    PC Roger Wilson asked a question. ‘An additional knife?’
    ‘Possibly disguised as a stage weapon.’
    Wilson continued. ‘We are assuming, then, that the murderer would be some kind of expert . . .’
    ‘It seems likely but . . .’
    ‘Which means the butcher, the chef and the blacksmith?’
    ‘They would be obvious suspects. At the same time we must establish a motive. Why would Hector Kirby, for example, a butcher, want to kill Lord Teversham? Why would a French chef? It doesn’t make sense. We need to ask each man where he struck his blow, find out any inconsistencies and proceed from there . . .’
    ‘Can we rule any of them out?’ Sidney asked. ‘We know that the actors playing Ligarius and Trebonius did not stab Caesar at all and were nowhere near his body. Furthermore, Clive Morton, who played Casca, stabbed Lord Teversham in the back.’
    ‘Very well, but he still had a weapon, Sidney.’
    ‘I do think that after we have taken their statements we can probably discount Mike Standing and Tom Rogerson.’
    Inspector Keating took out his blackboard duster and rubbed the names away. ‘Very well. That would still leave six main suspects, all of whom were known to the victim. Clive Morton was his lawyer, Simon Hackford dealt with his art, Stan Headley sorted out his horses, Hector Kirby provided his meat, Le Bistro Bleu Blanc Rouge was his favourite restaurant, and Frank Blackwood was father to his personal assistant. They all knew the victim, and any one of