Page 143 of The Silent Appeal

8:31 a.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

I mean disappointing it took seven hours. Whatever happened to vaulting ambition?

To: Joel Halliday

From: Kevin MacDonald

Date: April 27, 2025

Subject: Light

Hi Joel,

Thanks for your help carrying Amelia off the stage. Many hands make light work! An appalling pun, but gallows humor is cathartic.

I’ve put the offending light in the wings, stage left, wiped the blood off, and had a closer look at what might have caused its downfall. In short, it looks like the bolts were loose and the safety chain failed. What’s more, the pulley rope that lowers the rig to the stage had been unwrapped from the cleat. It means we’ve had a large, heavy light hanging by a thread on an unstable rig, ready to drop at any time, above the actors’ heads for goodness knows how long. It’s a perfect storm of negligence.

It was the ellipsoidal reflector of Damocles. Poor Amelia had rotten luck for it to fall down the very night she was sleeping under it. I can only imagine what it must’ve been like to be woken up by such a sudden injury.

Sarah-Jane will check our insurance and I’ll liaise with Father Josh about the church’s policies. Meanwhile, any insight you have would be welcome. Kevin

To: Kevin MacDonald

From: Celia Halliday

Date: April 27, 2025

Subject: Disaster

No one forgot to fix the chain or tighten the bolts. Joel has a fail-safe method for checking each and every light is secure whenever he moves them around on the rig.

The light was sabotaged. Someone wanted the sleep out to end in disaster, or at least cast the glare of suspicion on Joel and his team. Well, he will not be a scapegoat for safety checks that are, ultimately, the responsibility of the director and the chairpersons of the group. If you haven’t been checking that the lights are firmly bolted and chained to the rig—every time the group meets in the hall—then the buck stops with you. Celia

Message exchange between Kevin and Sarah-Jane MacDonald on April 27, 2025:

11:18 a.m. Kevin wrote:

Celia and Joel have passed the buck to me and now I’m thinking I should’ve checked the lighting chains before we put sleeping bags on the stage.

11:22 a.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

It’s not your fault. This is why we have insurance. Anyway, the Stibsons live on the Grange estate. They won’t have the money to sue even if they want to.

11:23 a.m. Kevin wrote:

Didn’t he used to work in the City? Got the impression he made a mint then followed his dreams. He might have lawyer friends.

11:25 a.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

That’s the story. But I delivered scripts to their flat a few weeks ago. It’s a tiny bedsit. Not the place you’d live if you’d made a mint. He doesn’t own the club, just manages it.

11:26 a.m. Kevin wrote:

Let’s hope she isn’t too badly injured.

Message exchange between Joel Halliday and Kevin MacDonald on April 27, 2025:

12:10 p.m. Joel wrote: