IMPERFECTION by Ray Clark (e novels to read online TXT) 📗

Gardener glanced at the officer.

Sharp continued. “I believe it comes from the 1925 film version of Phantom of the Opera.”

“Where did you find it?” asked Gardener.

“Usual place, the internet. But the reference I came across was from a book called, Smirk, Sneer And Scream.”

“Who wrote the book?” asked Reilly.

“Someone called Mark Clark.”

“Add him to the list of contacts,” said Gardener, “we may need to speak to him.”

“So, is it a random comment?” Reilly asked, “Or is it there for a reason?”

“I can’t see it being random, stuff like this never is,” said Gardener. He addressed Sharp, “was there anything else?”

“There was a lot more to the paragraph, so I’ll have to study it, see what it’s referring to and whether or not it sheds any light.”

“So, that opens up more avenues,” said Gardener. “As Sean said, is the comment a random one in so far as he’s seen it in the film and it simply fitted with what he wanted to do, or does it really mean what he wants to say?”

“It strikes me as being the latter,” said Sharp. “I’m liable to agree with what Frank says, this guy is holding a grudge and that film happened to have the right quote.”

“Okay,” replied Gardener, “so what does it say about our man?”

“He’s intelligent,” said Dave Rawson. “He’s obviously well versed, knows his films, spent a lifetime in or around them, and he’ll make us work for a result.”

“Okay, so we need to keep digging with that one,” said Gardener, “the second quote – or verse – would certainly suggest a grudge.”

He turned back to the board and the verse. “This had been burned into Leonard White’s chest while he was alive, judging by the blisters on the skin. Fitz suggested a caustic pencil was used, which would have been extremely painful. Sean and I are of the opinion that it’s a taunt. Whilst we haven’t unearthed any evidence of a disagreement between Leonard White and anyone connected to him so far, there obviously has been one.

“‘Man cannot hide from his sin, as the past will always reveal’. It’s obvious our aged actor has done something he shouldn’t. I think you’re right, Frank, someone definitely bears a grudge. And it’s not just against Leonard White. According to the message, there are others. ‘One has paid while others remain, but be warned, a deal is a deal’.”

Gardener allowed time for more questions, but his officers were tired, so he quickly brought things to a halt. He raised his hand to the board. “Actions for tomorrow. I want answers on the rope, and any shop in the city that stocks theatrical products, and any information. Colin can concentrate on the dressing room wall quote, the Phantom film, and Leonard White. I also want someone checking out Paul Price and his theatre. Again, there was nothing to suggest he was directly involved, but you never know. I want someone listening to the tapes we pulled from backstage. Something might come to light. And we also need the results of the ESLA.

“We need to pull out all the stops if we’re going to prevent another death. So, we have a few things to be going on with, but by no means everything. Sean and I will be in Skipton tomorrow. Hopefully, we’ll have something more to add.”

Chapter Thirteen

The room resembled a dungeon. The walls were painted matt black, the ceiling grey. In each of the corners, running the length of the walls, were huge cobwebs artificially created by him, despite his loathing of the creatures that spun them.

His mind was instantly cast back to a particular morning. The big black spider was halfway down the wall when he discovered it. Judging by the direction in which it was heading, he suspected the only place it could have come from was behind the wardrobe. He’d felt tense, uncomfortable. His whole body had shivered, his breathing had grown heavier, and within seconds he was sweating.

Where had it come from? More to the point, where the hell was it going?

He and spiders didn’t mix. The thought that the monster had been hiding behind his furniture generated absolute revulsion within him. He’d hated spiders for as long as he could remember: all too aware of commonly held beliefs about them being carriers of disease. But he knew other things about them as well – like the fact that it was unlucky to kill a spider. If you were sweeping and came across a web, you should not destroy it till the spider was safe, when you could sweep away the web; but if you killed the spider, it will surely bring poverty to your house. Thereby creating another problem.

To ensure the safety of the spider meant he had to leave it. So, it was still in the room. He couldn’t sleep knowing it was permanently at large. If he did manage to drop off, it might creep out and watch him – run all over the place. Even across his face. Couldn’t have that.

Then again, he knew there would always be a spider in the room if he grew ill. A long-standing cure for ague or fever was to imprison a spider in a nutshell and then wear it as an amulet. Question was, how would you imprison it in a nutshell if you didn’t like them in the first place?

He shuddered again before continuing with his inspection. Bare boards lined the floor, treated and stained light green. But it was not dirty! The display was merely for effect. It was, in fact, spotless and smelled of lavender.

Lining each of the walls – either side of a collection of mannequins – were posters of his favourite film star Lon Chaney in a variety of different disguises. The Phantom. The Hunchback. The Ape Man, from the film