in the ambulance with the girl on it. I helped carry her out.”
“Did you? And if it was all locked up with chains like that, then I don’t see how anyone could have tampered with it ahead of time, do you?”
“Beats me,” he said in disinterested fashion. “Unless you were Houdini. Those locks would be a piece of cake to him. But I can’t see Houdini tampering with another fellow’s act. He’s the big star, isn’t he?”
“And if anyone came in from the outside?” I suggested. “What chance would they have?”
“At tampering with the illusionists’ equipment?” He put down his paintbrush and looked up at me, as if he was really taking in what I had said for the first time. “Here, what are you getting at? You’re one of those newspaper reporters, aren’t you? Slipping in here on some flimsy pretext and then asking questions.”
He got to his feet, towering over me.
“Oh, no.” I backed away. “I promise you I’m not a reporter. I suppose it’s just morbid curiosity. I was up onstage, you see, covering up that girl with my wrap, and I heard Mr. Scarpelli say that someone must have tampered with his equipment, so I just wondered how anyone could have done that.”
“Curiosity killed the cat,” he said bluntly.
“I know. My mother was always telling me that I ask too many questions. It’s a failing of mine, and I’m taking up your time. I should be going. Thank you again.”
I turned away.
“I don’t see how anyone could have tampered with Scarpelli’s table,” he said. “How are they going to get in, to start with? They’d have to get past Ted at the stage door.”
“Can’t you get to the stage from the front of the theater?”
“Nah. We only open the doors an hour before the performance and then there’s always something going on backstage. We’re all here, aren’t we? The illusionists are getting ready. We’d spot an outsider in a second.”
“Of course you would. You spotted me right away, didn’t you?”
“And if any stage door Johnny slips in, well, he’d be tossed out on his ear.”
“I really have taken enough of your time,” I said hastily. “I should be going. Nice talking to you, Mr. . . .”
“Reg,” he said. “Just plain Reg.”
“Nice talking to you, Reg.”
“And you too, miss.” I saw that he was now eyeing me with interest. Perhaps he thought I’d been flirting with him. “So you’re not in the theater yourself then?”
“I have been,” I said, stretching the truth only a little. “At this moment I’m not working.”
“Happens to the best of performers,” he said. “Say, if you’d like to go for a malt sometime?”
“That’s kind of you, but I have a very jealous boyfriend,” I said.
I beat a hasty retreat then and made my way back to Ted at the stage door.
“No luck then, miss?” he asked.
“I didn’t really expect to find it,” I said, “but at least I can say that I tried now.”
He nodded with sympathy.
“Ted, you’re here all the time, aren’t you? You’d know if anyone tried to sneak into the theater?”
“I’ve been stage doorkeeper for twenty years now,” he said proudly. “I can keep out unwanted intruders better than anybody.”
“So you didn’t find anyone trying to get into the theater earlier this week?”
He shook his head, then he frowned. “Exactly what are you suggesting?”
“I was wondering if somebody wished Scarpelli harm and deliberately tried to ruin his act.”
His eyes narrowed. “You seem remarkably interested in this. Are you sure you’re not a reporter? Old Ted don’t take kindly to being tricked, you know.”
“I swear I’m not a reporter,” I said. “I guess I was just being too curious. You know, when something like that happens, you can’t help wondering why. And I was wondering whether it really was an accident or someone had a grudge against Lily or Scarpelli himself.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Ted said. “I just stand here at my post and mind my own business, and you should do the same, young lady. It don’t pay to meddle, or to ask too many questions.”
I came out into the alleyway. Was that just a general word of advice or was I being warned off?
Five
As I picked my way back down the alley I noticed the dustbins. On impulse I took the top off the nearest one and started rummaging through it. It was just possible that my wrap had wound up here. It was disgusting work and I had just told myself that I didn’t want to reclaim