Enter Second Murderer (24 page)

"What, should I stay—"

And then she fell, not back on her funeral couch to lie there regal and dignified. Instead, she jerked once, like a puppet, and slithered to the floor. Her last words were lost as Charmain screamed out loud and the curtain descended abruptly to tumultuous cheering.

Now the audience were on their feet. They began to applaud wildly, stamping feet, unaware apparently that the play was not yet over. Where were the guards and Dolabella and Caesar's entry and triumphant oration?

There was something wrong. Vince took one look at his stepfather and began to struggle through the cheering students. There was movement on stage, a great hush. But it was only Antony. Antony without Cleopatra at his side, who staggered forward and looked somewhat ashen-faced under his make-up.

Trembling, he held up his hand for silence. His plea was ignored; the stamping, cheering began again.

"Cleopatra.We want Cleopatra."

"We want Mrs. Aird, Mrs. Aird."

The stage-hands, unaware of any disaster, set in motion the machinery. Antony's shout—"Keep the curtain lowered, for God's sake"—came too late.

The curtain rose slowly to reveal Cleopatra lying where she had fallen. It was no ornamental asp at her breast, but the jewelled dagger, embedded to its hilt, and the dark red on her white robe grew to a monstrous rose, as slowly her lifeblood seeped away. It ran, a thin red line, flowing unevenly across the boards to where Faro, with Vince at his side, was already leaping on to the stage.

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There are fifteen titles in the Inspector Faro series available from bookstores and on www.amazon.co.uk. Available on Kindle:

Enter Second Murderer

Bloodline

Deadly Beloved

Killing Cousins

A Quiet Death

To Kill A Queen

Also available on Kindle in the Rose McQuinn series:

The Inspector’s Daughter

Dangerous Pursuits

An Orkney Murder

Connect with Alanna online:

Author’s homepage:
http://www.alannaknight.com