The Final Act
I tiptoed down the red velvet staircase towards the backstage area. I heard muffled voices from the stage above me. Every few steps I paused, listening out for approaching footsteps. Determined to reach the pre-planted fuse unnoticed, I moved quickly, removing the matchbox from under my cloak as I approached the spot.
In the Upper Circle, I waited nervously, searching for the spark I knew would come. I spotted my Boss standing anxiously behind Coucou, the novice detective who had so far failed to uncover my mischievous plots. I gave the prearranged signal knowing that only my boss would know what it meant. Suddenly a small puff of smoke emerged from the back of the stage. The smoke quickly drifted across the front of the galleries, blocking the view of people and their actions.
In the confusion, I walked swiftly through the back door, along the corridor, back down the stair, returning to the familiarity of the backstage area. My Boss came quickly and we made our way together to the theatre owner’s secret hiding place where the box office takings were kept. A grin spread across my face as my ex-husband’s inability to keep a secret came back to haunt him. My Boss helped me to lift the heavy box. We made our way back into the mayhem of smoke-filled corridors and panicked audience flooding towards the emergency exits. We confidently made our way through the double doors and into our waiting taxi.
