Half Moon Investigations - Eoin Colfer [72]
‘All that did was buy her sympathy. She’s still in the competition. And that dress never did bring her luck, did it?’
I put on my best aghast face, which is not easy underneath layers of fake tan and shoe polish.
‘What are you saying, Red? That May did all this to win a competition? She sabotaged her friends and burned her own dress, all for a little trophy?’
‘Maybe. How well do you know her?’
‘Well enough. I study people, Red. That’s what I do. She helped us, didn’t she? She saved Herod.’
Red stuck his chin out belligerently. ‘Yes, well, maybe you’ve been studying May a bit too hard. Maybe you’re getting romantic ideas.’
My cheeks burned hot enough to melt the shoe polish. ‘She’s just a kid, for heaven’s sake.’
Red surprised himself, and me, by backing off.
‘All right, calm down. It’s a possibility, that’s all. You’re supposed to look at every possibility. You told me that, Fletcher.’
It was true. I had. Quoting the Bernstein Manual. But May being behind all this wasn’t even a possibility, was it? And why not? Because I liked May? Because I trusted her? I dismissed the niggling doubts. I could think about this later, when May was safe. And had Red just called me Fletcher?
The Cork guard, John Cassidy, was plonked outside the stage door. Extra security because of the threat from deranged escapees. He sat on a bar stool, arms folded across his chest. His eyes were glazed with boredom, but he perked up when he saw Red approaching.
‘Look who it is, Elvis and the freak show. You’re suspended, Red. You’ve about as much chance of getting in here as an axe-wielding psychopath. And Murt is looking for you, by the way.’
Red said nothing, simply handed Cassidy his mobile phone. The guard placed the receiver to his ear, which is almost impossible not to do if someone hands you a phone.
‘Hello?’
‘Hello?’ said a male voice. ‘Who is this?’
Cassidy stood. ‘This is Guard John Cassidy, who is this?’
‘This is Brendan O’Kelly Riordan, the Sharkeys’ solicitor. I believe you are denying my clients their constitutional rights by refusing them access to a public performance at which they are registered to perform.’
Cassidy stiffened. ‘I have my orders.’
‘That’s all very well, but your orders are invalid. If you persist in enforcing them, you will be named in the lawsuit.’
Cassidy’s head snapped back a fraction. ‘Lawsuit?’
‘Of course lawsuit. You are traumatizing my client. You are stunting his mental growth. You are fostering antisocial behaviour. Just ask young Red how traumatized he is.’
Guard Cassidy covered the mouthpiece with a hand. ‘Hey, Red. How traumatized are you?’
Red’s face grew long and weary. ‘Very. About ten grand’s worth, at a guess. Of course, if I cry in court, it could be twenty.’
Cassidy tossed him the phone.
‘I need to go over there for a minute, because of a suspicious noise that I just heard. If someone were to sneak in while I’m away, it’s hardly my fault, is it?’
Red pocketed the phone. ‘Hardly,’ he said, leading the way into the hall.
We filed past Guard Cassidy. On this occasion even Herod managed to keep his trap shut. Cassidy was on a hair trigger and one smart remark could have the lot of us thrown out on our ears.
As I squeezed past his belly, Cassidy laid a hand on my shoulder.
‘Keep an eye out for Fletcher Moon, Watson. He’s a psychopath that one, mark my words.’
‘Don’t worry, guard,’ I said, scratching the stubble on my brow, to hide my face. ‘Eyes peeled, that’s me.’
I breathed a quiet sigh of relief as I sidled into the hall. Obviously Murt hadn’t spread the word that Watson Sharkey was actually Fletcher Moon. Maybe he was giving me the benefit of the doubt, or maybe he wanted to catch me himself.
The Lock Community Centre’s backstage area was jammed with bodies. Guard Cassidy seemed to have let in more than he had kept out. Proud mothers backcombed their daughters’ hair, pushy dads glared at rival contestants and wannabe pop stars swanned around as though they were already double platinum. I couldn’t see May anywhere.
‘OK,’ I said, eyes darting like a nervous deer.