Dead Dead

DI CLIFFORD WAINWRIGHT and DS CAROLINE EVENS arrive on set and meet WALTER RALEIGH, the Director to learn that the leading lady of his latest movie is lying dead in her dressing room. SALLY’S DRESSING ROOM: SALLY FIELDING lies dead with a knife in her chest. In front, along the wall, a dressing table, chair small fridge and corner unit. On the dressing table, an open tube of Incense sticks, an incense holder with an unlit incense stick and an empty open match box. On top of the corner unit sits a movie prop - a chalice. The small window high on the wall is open. Sally’s handbag is lying on the floor, contents strewn across the floor towards the corner unit. DI Wainwright and DS Evens learn Sally had stabbed herself during the death scene where, after her love interest dies in her arms from drinking poison, she stabs herself with his blade. The prop knife blade failed to retract into the handle. THE GREEN ROOM: MRS BROWN the tea lady, wearing clear gloves, makes tea and coffee for any that wish it. Initial investigation reveals ANGELA, Sally’s assistant, found the body when she went to inform her of the ambulance’s arrival. FRANK, the security guard and SHAMIM, the lead male actor, had moved helped Sally move from the set to her dressing room as she was feeling cold. Frank gave her a drink from the chalice. BHARAT PALMER, the Producer, was Sally Fielding’s husband. DI Wainwright learns Sally’s father had recently died, leaving a sizable inheritance. SALLY’S DRESSING ROOM: DI Wainwright and DS Evens review the crime scene with fresh eyes. CATHY REGIS (Forensics) is taking photos whilst her aid dusts for prints. DI Wainwright remarks on the cold and closes the window. DS Evens notes the fresh incense stick in the holder and the empty box of matches bearing a local club logo on the dressing table and asks Regis to bag these items and dust for prints before searching the purses belonging strewn over the floor. THE CLUB: DI Wainwright, DS Evens and Cathy Regis meet for dinner at the local club. DS Evens shares her conversation with Mrs Brown. Sally and Shamim were having an affair. DS Evens remarks on Sally’s move from the set to the dressing room on account of being cold. Why was the window open? On the table are boxes of matches bearing the club’s logo. THE GREEN ROOM: The following morning, DS Evens is looking for Frank and meets Mrs Brown. DS Evens learns of an argument between Frank and Sally, resulting in Sally trying to get Frank the sack. THE INTERVIEW ROOM: In the room DS Evens asks Frank about a half match found in his matchbox, sharing that the other half had been used to tamper with the knife. Frank claims innocents. DI Wainwright arrests Frank on suspicion of murder. THE SET: DS Evens talks to Walter, who confirms the argument between Frank and Sally and that he had smoothed it over with the Security Company. No one was getting fired. Sally fired someone nearly every day. DI Wainwright reveals the Sally had been poisoned before stabbing herself. INTERVIEW ROOM: DS Evens pulls the Chalice from the pile of bagged evidence for testing, together with two glass vials. During an interview with Frank, DS Evens asks him about the chalice. Frank confirms he gave Sally the drink after fetching the Chalice, only he hadn’t gone far as Shamim handed it to him just outside Sally’s dressing room. After the interview, DI Wainwright points out the inconsistency in Frank’s statement. Angela had already said Shamim was in the dressing room, having assisted Frank in walking Sally from the set. THE CLUB: That night, Regis confirms that Sally was not killed by the knife or the poison, but from anaphylactic shock and the presence of a bee sting on Sally’s body. Angela walks passed wearing a sexy dress meeting Bharat for dinner. THE GREEN ROOM: DS Evens talks to Mrs Brown after learning Angela had landed the lead in the movie. Mrs Brown confirms Sally and Shamim were having an affair, one that Bharat knew after walking in on the two of them in Sally’s dressing room. DS Even asked about Angela and Bharat. Mrs Brown assures DS Evens that was malicious gossip as Bharat loved his wife, having rushed to the studio bringing Sally’s purse the morning of her death. INTERVIEW ROOM: DI Wainwright shares Sally was trying to get Shamim replaced as the leading man by the lounge singer at the club, GEORGE EDWARDS. George had alluded to a blossoming romance between Angela and himself. Despite Sally giving motives for Bharat, Shamim, Frank and Angela to kill her, the Crime Prosecution Services were happy to proceed legally against Frank. LATER: Shamim confirms he was aware Sally was trying to have him replaced, but dismissed the idea and that he had ended the affair, having found out that Sally and George were sleeping together. An affair he had learned from Angela. Leaving Shamim shares his parents wanted him to become a doctor or pharmacist and not waste his college education acting. Angela confirms she had tried to stop Bharat from finding Sally and Shamim having sex in the dressing room and a misunderstand between Angela and Sally had been resolved when Sally had caught Bharat wiping honey off of Angela’s blouse. Bharat confirms he was at the studio that morning, but not at the time of the accident has in his statement. That he was aware of the affair between Sally and Shamim, but Sally had assured him it had been a onetime thing and that it had been Angela who had tipped him off about that both were in the dressing room having sex. DRESSING ROOM: DS Evens returns to the scene, pacing out Sally’s last movements. Mrs Brown reveals Bharat is heading off to Florida at any moment. SECURITY OFFICE: DS Evens, watching security footage of the night before the murder, sees Frank picking up a box of matches from the floor, and the face of Angela, as she moves from her hiding place just inside the backdoor. BHARAT’S HOUSE: DI Wainwright and DS Evens arrive as Bharat and Angela are packing the car. Inside, Bharat and Angela defend the innocents. Bharat confirms he keeps bees, and that Sally was allergic to latex. THE GREENROOM: DS Evens learns George Edwards is Mrs Brown’s son. That Mrs Brown was angry that Angela had led her boy on, having found out Angela was going to Florida with Bharat, and that she knew of Sally’s allergy as she had to wear non latex gloves since shooting started. THE SET- next day: DS Evens and DI Wainwright race to the set, having remembered Mrs Brown wore clear gloves and fearing for Angela’s safety. Angela coughs up blood after drinking coffee containing ground glass and narrowly missing certain death as a light fixture crashes to the floor where Angela was sitting, if not for the quick reactions of DS Evens. Arresting Mrs Brown, DI Wainwright and DS Evens weigh up the chances of a conviction, given all the evidence, bar one partial print was circumstantial. It is unlikely. Thank you for your time Simon