شبی در تئاتر

CHAPTER SEVEN

A night at the theatre

‘Let’s celebrate,’ said Lone to Patience as they walked away from the funfair. ‘Would you like to have dinner?’

‘I’d love to… but I can’t, not tonight,’ said Patience sadly. She really liked Lone, but she needed to see George Hedare tonight.

Catwoman looked up and saw the camera on the wall outside Hedare’s big house. She cracked her whip at it and it pointed a different way. Then she climbed the wall and jumped across to a first-floor window. She looked in and saw lots of books and papers and a large desk. It was George Hedare’s home office.

With one diamond claw she cut a circle in the glass, opened the window and climbed inside. She looked at the computer disks on the desk but there was nothing about Beau-line. Then she walked into the hall.

Bang!

Catwoman fell down the stairs and lay on the floor. She didn’t move. The lights went on and she could see Laurel Hedare with a golf club at the top of the stairs. Laurel walked down the stairs and kicked Catwoman.

‘You can’t rob this house,’ she said.

Catwoman jumped up, took the golf club and threw it across the room.

‘You’re that cat person,’ said Laurel. ‘You killed Slavicky. What do you want?’

‘Where’s the man of the house?’ asked Catwoman.

‘My husband? Out. He’s always out,’ Laurel replied. Suddenly she tried to run up the stairs, but Catwoman jumped on her and they fell down the stairs again together.

‘When you see your husband,’ said Catwoman, ‘tell him that I know about Beau-line.’

‘What about Beau-line?’ asked Laurel.

‘It makes people ill,’ said Catwoman, ‘and it can kill them.’

‘That’s not true,’ said Laurel. ‘I’ve been using it for years.’

‘Well, someone killed Slavicky. They wanted to stop him talking.’

‘Are you saying that my husband is a murderer?’ said Laurel, surprised.

‘Tell me where he is. Then I can ask him myself,’ said Catwoman.

Laurel went to a table and picked up an invitation. She gave it to Catwoman.

‘This is where you can find George,’ Laurel said. ‘If you’re right about Beau-line, I’ll help you. How can I find you?’

Catwoman thought for a moment and then picked up Laurel’s mobile phone from the table. ‘I’ll take this,’ she said. ‘I’m so sorry about everything.’

‘I’ve lived my life for him,’ said Laurel.

‘Now it’s time to live your own life,’ said Catwoman.

There were crowds of people in the theatre when Catwoman arrived. She walked around the building and saw an open window on the second floor. She climbed up to it and got in.

She soon found George Hedare watching the show from a private box. He was sitting next to Drina, the beautiful girl in the Beau-line adverts. Suddenly Drina stood up and left her seat. She looked angry. Catwoman smiled.

Catwoman sat in Drina’s seat. ‘Hello, George,’ she said. ‘Do you like my claws?’ She quickly cut him across the face. The music was very loud, so nobody could hear his scream.

Catwoman pushed Hedare against a wall. Her diamond claws cut his skin.

‘I know all about Beau-line,’ she said. ‘I know that it can kill people. Patience knew about Beau-line too. So you killed her.’

‘What?’ shouted Hedare. ‘I didn’t kill her. I told her to leave the company.’

Suddenly the door opened and several policemen with guns ran in.

Catwoman jumped out of the box towards the dancers in the show. Everybody clapped. They thought that she was one of the dancers. Then she jumped up towards the theatre lights.

Suddenly she heard a voice. ‘Stop right there!’ It was Tom Lone and he was pointing a gun at her. He climbed up towards her but then he began to fall. Catwoman jumped to save him. She threw his gun away and then kissed his nose.

‘You’re under arrest,’ he said, but Catwoman escaped from him. Lone went after her and kicked her in the stomach. Then Catwoman saw a rope. She jumped onto it. The rope took her to the other side of the theatre. Lone tried to catch the rope but he fell. Catwoman caught him and held him tightly, with her legs under his arms. But Lone pulled suddenly. The rope broke and a moment later they were falling very quickly downwards. Luckily Catwoman caught an electric line and they were safe. They crashed onto the floor of the theatre. Catwoman looked up and saw lots of policemen all around them. They were all pointing guns at her.

‘You’re under arrest,’ said Lone for the second time. He reached for her mask. But Catwoman was too quick for him. She jumped towards the electric line and pointed it at the back of the theatre.

Bang!

All the lights went out. Nobody could see anything. Except Catwoman. Cats can see in the dark.

‘This is terrible! Really terrible!’ Hedare was shouting into the telephone in his office. ‘Who is she? And how does she know everything? What can we do?’

‘It’s OK, Georgie.’ Laurel was standing at the door. ‘Don’t be frightened.’

‘Don’t be frightened?’ shouted Hedare. ‘We’re going to lose everything and you tell me not to be frightened?’

‘No, George,’ said Laurel as she moved towards him. ‘I’m telling you to be a man. For once in your life… be a man!’

Hedare hit Laurel across the face. Laurel didn’t move, but Hedare screamed. His arm hurt badly. His wife’s face was really hard… like a rock.

‘You stupid man,’ she said.