we went out of town to do the shows. He’d told me she had that thing—you know—where you don’t want to leave the house?”
“Agoraphobia?” I suggested, even though I already knew that was just a lie Gil had fed them.
He nodded. “He said it wasn’t really bad but that he basically had to force her to come with him to rehearsal or to see a play. I assumed he finally gave up trying because he stopped mentioning it about a year ago.”
“Anything else you guys can tell me about Tiffany?” I asked.
They all shook their heads.
“Really, we barely knew the woman,” Brigette said. “She seemed polite enough but clearly not interested in acting. The couple times she came with Gil, it was obvious she’d rather be somewhere else. If I had to guess, it’s been two years or better since she’s been here.”
“Lil?” I questioned the one person who hadn’t volunteered anything.
“Me?” she asked. “I’m not really part of the troupe. I work for the theater during the day—simple maintenance and janitorial. I volunteered to help some with the props because I’m good with a hammer and screwdriver and well, I found it all interesting. But I don’t travel with them and only come to rehearsal if I’m needed for prop stuff. Usually, I work on things during the day when I have the spare time to tinker.”
“What about the other members of the troupe?” I asked. “Were any of them friendly with Gil after rehearsal or performances?”
They all shook their heads.
“I can’t think of anyone that he talked to outside of rehearsal,” Paul said. “The people here tonight are what you’d call the regulars. A lot of the other actors drift in and out, taking the best gigs they can get, and that’s not always with us. The others that are most consistently with us on tours are mainly married couples, and they tend to stick together.”
“And what about the security cameras?” I asked. “I understand they’re not working.”
“That’s correct,” Brigette said. “The system is an old one to begin with and the owner of the building simply doesn’t see the point in upgrading. It’s always been spotty with recording and even when it works, the feed is grainy.”
“So it’s not completely broken,” I said. “Just unreliable.”
“Yes,” Brigette said. “But according to the owner, it stopped functioning the week before and he hadn’t noticed. Nothing has ever happened here so he said he’s not in the habit of checking it. I’m sorry but we really need to get on with our business for the night. Gil’s…absence requires some changes and we don’t have long to get them implemented.”
“No problem,” I said. “I appreciate the time. Let me give you guys my card. If you think of anything important, please give me a call.”
We headed off the stage and I paused at a wall with several pictures hanging on it. I assumed they were inventory since the wall itself didn’t look like a prop, but the painting at the bottom looked just like the one Gil had in his hallway.
“I guess this is where he got the idea for that tacky painting,” I said and shook my head.
We headed down the hallway and Gertie snorted.
“I’m surprised that uptight Brigette even allows something that crass in her production,” Gertie said.
“She’s definitely got the snooty thing down,” Ida Belle said. “So are we heading home?”
“Not just yet,” I said. “I’d like to park across the street and watch when they leave. If possible, I want to catch Gwyn on her own.”
“You think she knows something?” Gertie asked.
“Did you see the look Brigette threw at her when I asked if Gil ever discussed his personal business with any of them?” I asked.
They both shook their heads.
“You think Gil confided in her,” Ida Belle said.
“Yeah, and I think she had a thing for Gil,” I said.
Ida Belle whistled. “You might have found your other woman.”
Chapter Sixteen
I had no idea how long the meeting would take but figured it would be lengthy, so I was surprised to see them exit the theater thirty minutes later. Brigette had that controlled look on her face but I could tell it was masking anger. Paul looked as if he’d been whipped but I had a feeling that was probably his default expression. He didn’t seem to be a person who stood up for himself on a regular basis. Lil just hurried to her car, her head down, and pulled away, Paul close behind her.