Stagestruck by Peter Lovesey Read Free Book Online Page A

don’t know if that’s true. They make their decisions entirely on medical grounds, don’t they?’
    ‘Hedley, if I was a young doctor presented with a superstar hysterical about the state of her face I’d be only too pleased to refer her to someone else.’
    ‘What are you suggesting – that she might not be as badly hurt as we fear?’
    ‘That’s a possibility.’
    ‘A hope, more like. They’ve retained her in Frenchay and all I get on the phone is that there’s no change.’
    ‘No change from what? Red cheeks?’
    ‘It must be more serious than that. One of the cast tried visiting her this morning and was turned away by a security guard.’
    ‘I wouldn’t read too much into that. These celebs surround themselves with security.’
    ‘But why?’
    ‘She’s buying time while she considers her next move.’
    This possibility plunged Shearman into greater panic. ‘I think we’ve got to get our own house in order. I had to speak to Martina, the press officer. She was giving statements off the cuff. A few words out of turn and we could find we’re admitting to negligence.’
    Even Melmot’s self-possession took a knock. ‘There’s no question of that, is there?’
    ‘I’m afraid there is – if, as we suspect, the make-up caused the damage. The police spent some time questioning Denise Pearsall. She’s gone home, very anxious.’
    ‘I’m not surprised. Is she coming in tonight?’
    ‘She has to. Gisella the understudy will need all the support we can give her.’
    Abruptly Melmot changed tack. He was all vigilance now. ‘Be sure to see Denise the moment she arrives and impound her make-up. We don’t want anyone else ending up in Frenchay.’
    ‘Gisella’s a professional,’ Shearman said. ‘She’ll do her own make-up.’
    Melmot gave him a sharp look. ‘I hope you’re not implying that Clarion was out of her depth.’
    ‘That’s not what I said.’
    ‘You’re right about publicity. Make it clear that no one speaks to the press except the press officer and she must get everything vetted by you. Incidentally, what did you say to the police this morning?’
    ‘That was very bizarre. They don’t have a clue what’s going on. The sergeant was all mouth and trousers, quoting Keats and strutting around my office like Olivier doing Henry V . The theatre has that effect on some people. It’s a good thing some of us have our feet on the ground.’
    ‘What did they want? It’s no business of the police.’
    ‘Apparently they follow up anything unusual that shows up in Accident and Emergency. It was a routine visit, as far as I could make out.’
    ‘They won’t be back?’
    ‘I hope not.’
    Melmot made an effort to sound calm again. ‘We can get through this if we act responsibly. Tomorrow’s headlines will be about something else. Performances continue, don’t they?’
    ‘Absolutely.’
    ‘Business as usual. That’s the way forward.’
    When Peter Diamond walked into the Garrick’s Head with Titus O’Driscoll hanging onto his arm for support, there was a collective intake of breath not unlike the scene in Lawrence of Arabia when Lawrence enters the officers’ mess in Cairo accompanied by a native tribesman. The barmaid called out, ‘Ooh, look at these two. Are we an item already?’
    ‘A glass of water and a cup of weak tea,’ Diamond said through clenched teeth.
    ‘On a bender, are we?’ she said, and then, after a closer look, ‘What’s up, Titus?’ She added with a giggle, ‘You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.’
    ‘He’ll be fine,’ Diamond said, after helping Titus into a chair. ‘He passed out. Plenty of sugar in the tea.’
    ‘Sorry, love. I had no idea,’ she said as she dropped a teabag into a pot and filled it with water from the urn. ‘What could have caused that?’
    ‘It was all those stairs backstage,’ Diamond said. ‘The blood runs from your head, makes you giddy. How are you doing, Titus?’
    The voice was little more than a whisper.