Play to the End by Robert Goddard Read Free Book Online Page A

pull the wool over my eyes a second time.
    You can count on that."

    "Can I?"

    "Yes, Jenny, you can." I grimaced at myself in the mirror above the dressing table. "I won't let you down."

    The technical rehearsal is a blurred memory. My thoughts were vainly devoted to unravelling Derek Oswin's devious motives. Staging practicalities suddenly counted for nothing. Martin Donohue made some crack about me having late improvements to suggest, Fred having presumably tipped him off about my comments to the press, but they were far from my mind. I had nothing whatsoever to suggest, except that we finish as soon as possible. And for that there was no lack of consensus. We were done in less than an hour.

    I headed straight for the stage door afterwards, debating whether I should check the Rendezvous before trying Oswin's house. But the debate was resolved before it had properly begun. A letter had been left for me with the doorman during the rehearsal. "By some bloke in a duffel-coat." Oswin was still at least one step ahead of me.

    I stepped out into Bond Street, tore the envelope open and read the note inside, written in ballpoint in a small, precise hand.

    Dear Mr. Flood,

    I am sorry I misled you earlier. I did not expect you to contact me so soon. I was not properly prepared. I did not tell you the whole truth. I think now I should. It concerns Mr. Colborn. So, if you want to know what it is, meet me by the Hollingdean Road railway bridge at 8 o'clock this evening. I realize that is a very inconvenient time for you, but I think I must ask a small sacrifice of you as an earnest of your good intentions. I will be there. I hope you will be too. It would be best if you were. I will not give you another chance of learning what this is all about. And you will regret spurning that chance, believe me. I shall look forward to seeing you later.

    Respectfully,

    Derek Oswin

    Yesterday afternoon, I knew nothing of Derek Oswin. This morning, I was still unaware of his name. Now, within six hours of our first meeting, he had me dangling on a string. I cursed him roundly under my breath as I walked through the crowds along North Street in the approximate direction of the Sea Air, wrestling in my mind with the conundrum of how to respond to his message.

    He wouldn't be at the Rendezvous, of course, even if it was still open.
    He wouldn't be at home either. He'd make sure I had no chance of speaking to him until the time he'd chosen:

    8 p.m. And to speak to him then, with curtain up at 7.45, I'd have to pull out of the evening's show. Such, in his own quaint phraseology, was the earnest of my good intentions he'd decided upon. Common sense said I should scorn his summons. Pride in my own professionalism rammed the point home. But there was the definite hint of a threat in his closing sentences. There'd be a penalty to pay for standing him up. That was certain. And only he knew what it was.

    I didn't get as far as the Sea Air after all. I doubled back to Bond Street and skulked about on the opposite side from the stage door. When I'd left, Brian had been putting the understudies through their paces, but I didn't reckon that would take long. The last week of a Londonless run is no time for doing more than the minimum. Sure enough, I'd not been there above ten minutes when Denis Maple and Glenys Williams emerged into the lamplight.

    I dashed across the road and caught up with them before they'd reached the corner. They looked understandably surprised to see me.

    "Hello, Toby," said Glenys. "What's wrong?"

    "Nothing," I replied. "Could we have a word, Denis?"

    "Sure," said Denis, frowning at me.

    "I can take a hint," said Glenys. "See you both later."

    She beetled obligingly off, leaving Denis with the frown still fixed on his face. "Shall we go back in?" he asked, nodding towards the stage door.

    "No. What about a quick drink somewhere?"

    "Do you think that's a good idea?"

    "Oh yes." In ordinary circumstances, drinking so close to a