‘They’ll be back,’ Kate said with quiet certainty. ‘Just you wait and see.’
‘I hope so,’ Bridie murmured.
She looked around again. The grand sweep of seats felt suddenly cavernous, emptier than it should have been. Now only her friends from Cobblers Yard along with Kate, Andy, Layla and George remained, scattered through the front rows, along withtwo younger children, William and Maisie, swinging their legs and whispering.
Bridie lifted her phone and shone its torch discreetly. ‘Where are Oliver, Joss and Reggie?’
No one answered.
Minutes passed. The darkness pressed in, thick and uneasy, until suddenly the lights blazed back on.
Bridie was startled. ‘How did you fix it?’ she asked, impressed, when they returned.
Joss shrugged. ‘It didn’t need fixing.’
Reggie elaborated calmly. ‘Someone turned them off.’
Bridie frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘We found the fuse board,’ Oliver said. ‘Someone had pulled the lever down. We just switched it back on.’
‘Someone did it on purpose?’ Bridie asked.
‘You mean sabotage!’ Mabel exclaimed indignantly. ‘Who would do such a thing?’
‘Jack.’
Every head turned.
Bridie sighed. That was exactly what she’d expected Oliver to say. ‘Look, Oliver, you can’t blame everything on—’
‘It’s what I wanted to talk to you about yesterday,’ Oliver said quietly. ‘When I was standing outside your flat.’
Bridie flushed, suddenly aware of their audience. ‘I thought you were just there to see me?’
‘I was,’ Oliver said. ‘But I also wanted to tell you something I’d found out. About Jack. But I just couldn’t find the right moment to tell you. And, to be honest, I really didn’t think he’d go to these lengths …’
She shook her head, already weary. ‘He’s a lot of things, but I don’t believe he’d sabotage the theatre, especially after spending so much money on renovations.’
‘He’s lodged a planning application,’ Oliver said flatly, ‘to raze the theatre to the ground and turn it into luxury apartments.’
Silence fell like a dropped curtain.
‘I’m so sorry, Bridie.’
‘No,’ Bridie said faintly. ‘That can’t be true.’ She looked to each of her friends, but their expressions said they believed every word Oliver had said.
‘When?’ she asked.
‘Two weeks ago.’
Her breath caught. ‘That’s … that’s when I signed that contract.’
‘You signed something?’ Reggie asked sharply.
‘It was just a formality,’ Bridie insisted. ‘Because he was using the tradespeople he employs in his business – nothing more.’
‘Well,’ Hannah said gently, ‘it was something more, wasn’t it? I bet if the theatre fails, that contract means he can recoup his money. And if you can’t pay—’
