309828-0830-3333

to show off his work, to turn the unveiling of a dead body into a theatrical flourish, staged for
maximum dramatic impact.”
“Much like the Romeo and Juliet we began with,” Trevor agreed, still scribbling. “But at least
there the message was clearer. Why the deuce was the Kirby woman dressed up as a man? Or a
gypsy?”
“Whose costume is it?” Davy asked. “Who wears it in the show, I mean?”
“An excellent question to start with,” Trevor said. “Although the answer is more likely to tell
us who the message is intended to frighten rather than who sent it.”
“The killer was in the room the whole time Konstantin and I were waltzing, wasn’t he?” Emma
said dully, still holding the shirt in her hands. She had left Rayley to contend alone with the task of
going through Cynthia Kirby’s worldly possessions, which was unlike her, and seemed instead
singularly preoccupied with the gypsy costume, which she had now folded and refolded several
times. “Hiding in the balcony just above the pirate scene with this poor woman’s dead body. Waiting
for us to leave. Waiting for his chance.”
“Perhaps not,” Rayley said, for she seemed genuinely distressed at the thought. “It is possible,
of course, but it seems to me far more likely that most of the people connected to the theatricals,
perhaps even many more people from all sorts of walks within the palace, knew that the dance
lessons ended at five and that there was generally a lull before the group practices began. So he
might have entered the ballroom from the top floor with the body, which had already been killed and
dressed just as Davy and Trevor say, and believing himself to have a leisurely two hours in which to
stage his grand unveiling. The idea was most likely that when any number of people were assembled
for rehearsal that someone would notice the alteration in the pirate scene and pull the rope. And thus
the shock of finding Mrs. Kirby’s dead body would be witnessed not merely by two inconvenient
foreigners poking about, but rather by the entire dance troupe, including a coterie of the imperial
women and their attendants.”
“Excellent,” said Trevor, writing with increased fervor. “Whatever message implied in the
choice of costume was meant to be delivered to someone the killer expected to be in that room during
the group rehearsals at seven. Our man believes he has two hours to do his work but then is startled
when Emma and Tom, without warning, enter the room and begin to explore. When they disappeared
into the dressing rooms, he seized the chance to finish his task, no doubt more clumsily than he
intended, and escape.”