“I was there when it happened.”
“Is that what you wanted to tell me?” Anders asked.
“No. I have no idea how Chesterfield was murdered or who killed him, but I wanted you to know that there are several people in the audience who had it in for him.”
“Such as?”
Robin pointed at Rafael and Marco. “Those men work for Augustine Montenegro, a Las Vegas casino owner. Chesterfield had gambling debts. A short time ago, Montenegro sent those men to collect. They attacked Chesterfield in an alley behind a tavern. Chesterfield fought them off and stabbed Rafael.”
“How do you know this?”
“I saw it happen. Chesterfield asked me to meet him at the tavern to discuss a legal matter. After we were through, Chesterfield left by the back door. I left the same way a few minutes later and saw Rafael and Marco threatening Chesterfield. I told them I wascalling 911. When Rafael turned toward me, Chesterfield stabbed him. A week later, they threatened me in the park across from the jail.”
“Did you report any of this?”
“No.”
Anders knew Robin well, so she didn’t ask why. Instead she said, “You mentioned that there are several people in the audience who didn’t like Chesterfield. Who are the others?”
Robin pointed out David Turner and Claire Madison. “Claire is married to Chesterfield and she’s very wealthy. Turner has been her lover for years. I read that Chesterfield has filed for a divorce. The main issue is Claire’s money and how much of it he can get.
“Turner is a famous magician. He has a show at a Las Vegas casino that he used to close with a mystifying illusion. A few years ago, there was a TV show with a masked magician who called himself Mysterioso and revealed the secrets behind magic tricks. It turns out that Chesterfield was Mysterioso, and he told the world how Turner did his biggest trick because Turner was sleeping with his wife. That crippled Turner’s act and hampered his career.
“Then there are those protesters outside the theater. They’re professional magicians, and they’re here because Turner let everyone know that Chesterfield was Mysterioso. They hate Chesterfield.”
“Anyone else with a grudge?”
Robin gestured toward Joe Samuels. “Chesterfield embezzled money from Joe Samuels, and he’s filed a criminal complaint. When we met at the tavern, Chesterfield hired me to try to settle with Samuels so he wouldn’t be arrested. Samuels rejected the offer and told me he wants Chesterfield to suffer in jail.
“Then there’s Iris Hitchens,” Robin said, pointing toward Lily Dowd’s daughter. “Chesterfield was married to her mother, who died under mysterious circumstances. Hitchens blamed Chesterfield, although there was no evidence that he killed her. There wasa protracted court battle over Dowd’s will and really bad feelings between Dowd’s children and Chesterfield.
“Miriam Ross is also in the audience. She was Chesterfield’s assistant. I don’t know if she has a motive to kill her old boss, but she’s here.”
“Jesus, Robin. Is there anyone in the audience who didn’t have a motive to kill Chesterfield?” Anders shook her head. “You’re not making my job any easier.”
“Sorry,” Robin said.
Robin had seen Peter Ragland on the stage. She knew his failure in Chesterfield’s case had torpedoed his career, but she decided not to mention that to Carrie, who already had too many suspects.
“Okay,” Anders said. “I appreciate the help. I’ll talk to the people you named, but Chesterfield was onstage doing his act, and the people you’ve mentioned were in the audience. Doesn’t that rule them out?”
“It was pitch-black in the theater, and everyone was watching the stage. The people I mentioned could have slipped out during the performance. I don’t know how they could have gotten to Chesterfield without being seen, but David Turner is a master magician, and the protesters are magicians. Turner and the other magicians might have been able to figure out a way to kill Chesterfield in the middle of the Chamber of Death trick.”
Anders furrowed her brow. “It just occurred to me that the killer had to know how the trick was performed before he could figure out how to kill Chesterfield onstage, but this is the premiere.”
“Most of the people I mentioned saw the trick performed a few years ago during the rehearsal at the coast. That’s where I met most of them. And Horace Dobson and everyone who works in the show would know how the illusion works. Rafael and Marco weren’t at the rehearsal, but Montenegro was, so he could have told them about the trick.”
“Okay. Thanks for the heads-up, Robin. You and the people you’re with can leave. I’ll clear it with one of the uniforms.”
When Horace Dobson announced Chesterfield’s murder, Peter Ragland had ordered Tamara Robinson and Lou Fletcher to secure the doors to the theater and call for more officers. Then he had raced onto the stage to take charge of the investigation. As soon as he’d gotten Dobson and the magician’s assistant calmed down, he called Vanessa Cole. Ragland could tell that Vanessa wasn’t pleased that he hadn’t waited for a DA in Homicide, but she had let him take charge since he was on the scene and had experience in handling murder cases.
When Peter had charged Chesterfield with murder all those years ago, the case had ruined Peter’s career. Now Chesterfield’s murder onstage during the Chamber of Death illusion would be national news. Wouldn’t it be ironic, he thought, if the magician’s murder resurrected his career?
Peter was talking to Sally Grace, the medical examiner, when Roger Dillon walked onto the stage.
“Hi, Peter,” Dillon said. “I didn’t know you handled homicides.”
Ragland reddened. “Normally I don’t, but I was here to arrest Chesterfield in a theft case. Since I was here, Vanessa told me to take charge.”