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trouble had been left behind in London.’
    â€˜And no one said anything about the – the rat?’
    â€˜I haven’t seen anyone since you asked them all into the theatre and told them about it. I know Ben was cross about having to re-rig and possibly re-plot the lights, but that’s about it.’
    Max drained his mug. ‘That was a lovely cup of tea.’ He stood up. ‘Well, if you haven’t heard anything, I suppose there’s nothing we can do.’
    â€˜If I had heard something, what would you have done?’
    He scowled. ‘I don’t know.’
    â€˜Are you going to carry on with your rehearsal now?’ Libby also stood up. ‘May I come up and watch?’
    â€˜Of course. We’re going to see how the transformation scene works.’
    â€˜Oh – the Kabuki curtain? That’s so impressive.’
    â€˜You ought to congratulate Ben about that. It was mostly his idea.’
    â€˜Was it?’ Libby was surprised. ‘He never told me!’
    â€˜He and Peter came up with it after Stan told them what effect we wanted for the transformation to Pendle Hill.’
    â€˜Is that what it is? From where?’
    â€˜From inside Malkin Tower, where Demdike and Alizon live. Alizon goes straight out and meets John Law.’
    â€˜That’s the pedlar she curses, isn’t it?’
    â€˜That’s right. Been reading up on it?’
    Libby laughed and carried the tray into the kitchen. ‘Certainly have.’
    Together they walked up the Manor drive under the grey October sky.
    â€˜You feel the seasons more in the country, don’t you?’ said Max with a shiver, pulling his long, woollen scarf tighter round his neck.
    â€˜I suppose so,’ said Libby. ‘It’s so long since I lived in town that I’ve forgotten.’
    In the auditorium the dancers were draped across the seats like discarded washing. Max clapped his hands and they metamorphosed into lithe young men. Ben was standing with Peter at the back.
    â€˜All done?’ asked Libby.
    â€˜Oh, yes.’ Ben pushed a weary hand through his grey curls. ‘We had Seb up the ladder in the end, while we re-set from up top.’ He indicated the lighting box. ‘I’m going to watch for a while, just to make sure it’s all OK.’
    â€˜Yes, I asked if I could watch, too.’ Libby took a seat on the back row, just as Peter went upstairs and lowered the house lights. Ben sat down beside her as the first notes of the music rang out eerily across the auditorium and dim lighting illuminated the inside of Demdike’s house.
    Then Jonathan as Demdike was pointing Phillip, as Alizon, outside and suddenly there was a blue flash as the Kabuki disappeared, revealing the menacing view of Pendle Hill. And the screaming started.

Chapter Eight
    The dancers froze. Ben jack-knifed out of his seat and he and Max raced each other to the stage. Over it all, the music continued.
    Libby stood slowly, her heart pumping madly. She and the dancers seemed to be incapable of movement, until suddenly Phillip sat down on the stage with a thump and put his head in his hands.
    Ben appeared from the wings, his phone to his ear. Libby’s legs decided to work and she moved down the auditorium. As she reached the stage, Ben ended his call and smiled down at her.
    â€˜Nothing too dreadful,’ he said. ‘Sounded a lot worse than it was.’
    â€˜But what was it?’
    â€˜There was something inside the Kabuki.’
    â€˜What do you mean – inside? How could it have been?’
    â€˜You know Stan has to pull it into the wings? There’s a specific way to do it, and exactly where Stan has to grab it there was an open Stanley knife.’
    â€˜Goodness!’ Libby’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘How bad is it?’
    â€˜It missed his wrist, which it could have caught, but it’s right across his palm. He’s laid out in the wings looking