Of Lights and Shadows (Book 4)

23) The Truth Hurts

At the same time that Dutch broke open the door to enter the deserted building, a lone taxi drew up next to the curb outside the theatre and deposited Dastardious on the side of the road. Dastardious was different from Dutch in many ways, one of them was the fact that he didn't care about the rain. Indeed, he did not even have to worry about becoming wet because the rain stopped just for him as he crossed the pavement and hurried inside.

It was just as busy inside as it had been the night before. People moved around in the lobby and backstage, adjusting furniture, props and scenery in preparation for the next show that evening. As Dastardious walked through the maze of ropes and props he caught a glimpse of the stage, it was full of people moving and dancing around. They were dressed in plain dance clothes, and the only sound was a man out of sight yelling at them to start over.

No one payed him any attention as he walked through, ducking under a large table being carried by two straining men, down a narrow corridor past an open dressing room in which people were changing, applying make-up and cleaning. He remembered the way to Sarah Earl's dressing room and knocked on the door once he reached it.

'I'll get it,' he heard Mrs Earl tell someone inside the room with her. A short moment later the door opened.

The Sarah Earl that faced Dastardious was a changed woman from the one he had last seen. The difference being was that last night she had been in complete costume and make-up, and now she looked like a normal woman with no make-up that he could see. She had also been crying, he could tell from the bright red eyes.

'Ah,' she said upon seeing him. She opened the door and Dastardious saw Silence sitting in the spare chair in the room. 'Please come in, Detective. Mr Mourner here told me you would be dropping by shortly.'

'Yes,' replied Dastardious as he stepped into the room and positioned himself next to Silence. 'Did Silence tell you why I am here?'

She nodded. 'I was just answering some of his questions when you knocked.'

'Good.' He could tell from the way she hovered over her seat, not quite bringing herself to sit down that she wanted to ask him something. 'Yes?' he asked, deciding to open the conversation.

'Is there any word about my son?' it came out in a rush, along with more tears as she slumped down onto her seat.

'No word yet, ma'am,' he told her. 'It's only the second day after all; we're not magicians or anything. That's why I'm here. Now I left early last night, if you remember, before Detective Mulligan completed the questioning. What more did he ask?'

Sniffing, Sarah Earl blew her nose and looked up at him. 'He didn't ask anything else after you left. He left as quickly as you did.

'Ah. That's good. So he didn't think to ask you what your son's favourite place to be was?'

She looked surprised. 'No, he didn't. But what does that have to do with Jackson being kidnapped?'

'While it may only be day two I believe this to be a Shadow kidnapping. In fact there is no doubt in any of our minds that this is so,' at this Dastardious saw her face change to one of absolute fear as it whitened dramatically. 'I see you know what that means.'

'You mean...?' she found herself unable to finish the question, her voice dropping away into another sob.

'I mean that if it's a Shadow kidnapping then your son is dead,' Dastardious told her frankly. In the corner of his eye he saw Silence subtly shaking his head in warning.

'You can think of it this way,' Dastardious continued, ignoring Silence. 'You'll have your son back soon and it will be like he only went on a short holiday.' From the corner of his eye he once more saw Silence shaking his head in disbelief and he allowed himself a moment of pleasure.