Gently Instrumental by Alan Hunter

with a dirndl skirt and strapless sandals.
    ‘Perhaps a few minutes.’
    ‘I hope you’ll be quick, because the electricians are fixing the mikes. They always get them wrong unless someone is there to tell them.’
    ‘If you’ll step this way.’
    With a show of reluctance she went with them into the south aisle, where the war memorial made a screen between part of the aisle and the nave. Gently pointed to a pew. Miss Hazlewood sat and arranged her skirt over her knees.
    ‘I’ve been reading your statement, Miss Hazlewood.’
    ‘Have you?’ She gave the skirt a touch.
    ‘Now that you’ve had time to think things over I’m wondering if you can add a little to it.’
    ‘I’m not sure I can.’
    ‘For example, the rehearsal. I’d like to know exactly how the trouble began.’
    ‘Oh, I see.’ She made a little grimace. ‘Not much mystery about that, I would have thought.’
    ‘It was all Virtue’s doing?’
    ‘Entirely. He simply set himself to wreck us. In the end, it got so chronic that it was pointless going on.’
    ‘And then Mr Hozeley put a stop to it.’
    ‘Oh no. Walt was willing to carry on. But the Quartet had had enough, so we opted out. And that was that.’
    ‘It was a general response.’
    She stared. ‘I suppose so.’
    ‘Someone said something like: “We’ve had enough!” ’
    Miss Hazlewood considered. ‘I think Terry was being rude to Walt, and then Leonard got up and said something of the sort.’
    ‘After which the row began.’
    ‘Yes . . . that started it. Leonard isn’t a man to tolerate rudeness. Then Tom weighed in, and Terry picked it up. And Leonard said it was time for a showdown.’
    ‘And the doctor meanwhile . . . ?’
    ‘He didn’t say anything.’ Her peaky face was thoughtful. ‘He’s my uncle, you know – sort of. He’s the one who runs the Quartet. But I don’t remember him saying anything at all, which is unusual for him. Perhaps he thought Leonard was doing all right as spokesman. Anyway, this time he kept out of it.’
    ‘It developed between Leonard Meares and Virtue.’
    ‘Well . . . Tom was giving Leonard support. Tom has a hot temper. Once or twice I thought he was going to clout Terry.’ She covered her mouth. ‘I suppose I shouldn’t have said that! But nobody can suspect Tom of anything.’
    Gently grunted. ‘Let’s stick to Meares! Did he happen to mention an understudy?’
    Miss Hazlewood pouted for a moment. ‘Yes. Leonard did suggest it.’
    ‘What was Virtue’s response?’
    ‘He began to get nasty. He asked Leonard if he wanted trouble. He went up to him and stared him in the eyes.’ She shivered. ‘There was something really horrid about Terry.’
    ‘He was threatening Meares?’
    ‘Yes. Tom was getting ready to intervene. But Leonard just stayed cool and contemptuous and refused to let Terry provoke him.’
    ‘Virtue’s actual words were: did Meares want trouble?’
    ‘Yes. He kept repeating them in an unpleasant way. Leonard said he thought that was Terry’s problem, but Terry kept staring at him and asking the same thing. And then I chipped in.’ She jigged her shoulders. ‘That probably didn’t help matters! And Tom was chivvying Walt about replacing Terry – and poor Walt was almost in tears.’
    ‘What did Virtue do then?’
    ‘He got ready to leave.’
    ‘And Meares?’
    ‘Leonard didn’t say any more. After that it was a row between Terry and Walt, with Terry behaving like a street lout.’ Her mouth quivered. ‘It was ugly and vicious. Poor Walt didn’t have any defence. Terry was mocking him, tearing him to pieces. If I’d been a man I’d certainly have hit him.’
    ‘Did no one try to stop him?’
    She shook her head. ‘In the end, Tom threatened to break his neck. But it was too late then. He’d made a jelly of Walt, and said things that could never be forgiven.’
    ‘Things about another man, for instance.’
    ‘Yes.’ Miss Hazlewood grimaced her distaste.
    ‘At that moment, who was