CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Ella had tried to grab Mia on her way out of the precinct but she was nowhere to be found, so she was either shoveling more food into her mouth or chasing down Jared Novak’s alibi.Either way, she was flying solo on this one.
She'd called the Colisée Theatre twice from the car and both times it had rung out.The listings said there was a show on tonight, but it didn't say exactly what show.Now she was about two miles away from the place, according to her GPS, and trying to call again.
Nobody answered, so she put her foot down and weaved through the evening traffic at what many people would call a reckless pace.Fifteen minutes after leaving the precinct, she arrived at a row of buildings in a backstreet.Ella ditched the car and made the rest of the journey on foot.
The buildings in this row had no identification that Ella could see, but halfway down, she spotted a lone door with a sign above it.It said Colisée Theatre alongside a picture of a ballet dancer she’d come to know intimately over the past few hours.
Ella pushed inside and found herself at a stairwell.She went down, down and through another door.Now she was in what she guessed was a lobby, given the few people loitering around and the woman guarding a sign that saidTHEATER ENTRANCE.Ella badged the woman before she could make her introduction.
‘I’m Agent Dark with the FBI.I need to speak to someone who works here.’
The woman was mid-twenties, dark hair pulled back, wearing a black polo shirt with the theatre’s logo on the breast pocket.The same ballet dancer.
‘FBI?Is there a problem?’
‘Possibly.How many people are here tonight?’
‘Staff or punters?’
‘Both.’
‘Umm, about fifty punters.Staff, there’s only three of us on.There’s a one-man show on tonight.It’s just getting started.Can I help with something?’
Ella had rushed here without a plan, and now she found herself struggling to articulate the situation, at least without raising concern.‘I believe someone in this theater has had a threat made against their life.I don’t know who, but I need to be vigilant.Have you seen anything or anyone suspicious tonight?’
‘Suspicious how?’the woman asked.Ella felt more than a few pairs of eyes on her from the other side of the lobby, but she didn’t have time to take this conversation somewhere more private.
‘Anything.Strange people, strange requests.’
‘This is an art theater.Both of those are very much normal around here.’
Dammit.Ella needed to approach this smartly.She couldn’t just waltz into a show and put a stop to it, not to mention that she doubted a killer would strike in a theater of fifty people.‘Is the manager around?’
‘The manager?No.He went home an hour ago.’
‘Is that normal for a theater manager to do?’
‘Yes, actually.He was here all last night and all day today.We’re a small outfit and we have to rotate.Usually I’d be in the office upstairs but I’m in charge tonight.’
That explained why her calls rang out, Ella thought.‘He would be the guy who knows this place inside out, right?’
‘I guess so.He knows the regulars, and if anyone had any issues, they’d contact him.’
‘What’s his name?’
‘Eddie.Eddie Foxall.I can call him if you like?’
‘Please.’
The woman pulled her phone out and dialled.Ella watched her face while it rang.After fifteen seconds the woman lowered the phone and frowned at the screen.
‘Nothing.That’s weird.’
‘Weird?’
‘Eddie’s usually glued to his phone.Even if he can’t answer he sends a message from his watch.He’s one of those people.’She tried again and got the same result.‘That’s really unlike him.He knew we had a show tonight.He wouldn’t just not answer.’
