A buzz had started amongst the audience. Because there was one thing every fan knew about Dahlia’s interrogations. Eventually, the right person would tell her the wrong thing and she’d solve the case. But before it got that far, many other people – the red herrings – would confess to something else. Only Dahlia got to keep all her secrets.

With a broad smile and a hand to one side of her mouth, she gave the suspects a reassuring wink, feeling like a pantomime prince as she did so. ‘Don’t worry. This is just for show.’

Caro turned back to the audience. ‘We’ve picked our VIP delegates to play our suspects, as they were here all day yesterday. And as some of you know, we have a very convenient crime to investigate! The theft of a jewelled magnifying glass.’

There was a satisfying gasp at that. Caro glanced at the suspects in case any of them were looking particularly guilty. They weren’t.

‘Now, I imagine we’ll all look very silly when it turns out the glass has actually fallen down the back of a cabinet or something—’ That earned a somewhat relieved chuckle from some audience members. ‘—but for the purposes of this exercise, it’s perfect! All we’re going to do is ask each of our suspects here to think back over the events of yesterday and see if they can remember anything suspicious …’

An ‘Oooo’ went up from the audience. She wondered if they thought this was a set-up, another part of the game they’d played yesterday with the fake murder mystery.

It took Caro a moment to realise that Posy had stood up and joined her in the centre of the stage. When she held out her hand for the microphone, Caro had little choice but to pass it over graciously. After all, this was the Three Dahlias panel.

‘As you’ll all know from the books,’ Posy said, smiling out at the crowd, ‘Dahlia is always looking for a chink in the armour of a story. Something that doesn’t quite match up with the facts, or what someone else has said. But of course, we know that our memories are fallible, and it’s rare to get two people to agree on exactly what happened!’

Rosalind appeared at her other side, holding out a pale, elegant hand for the microphone. ‘I’ll start.’

Rosalind approached the suspects. From behind her, Caro couldn’t see her face – but she’d place money she knew exactly the expression that was on it. The arch, slightly knowing look she’d perfected as Dahlia. The one that told the audience she knew something they didn’t, yet, but if they stuck with her all would be revealed.