[MaC] A pause in the music

[Mel Mason]

>> >  > > And then all those present saw her ... Nola
>> Diamond.
>> > > >
>> > > > She was lying on the settee, and at first
>> glance it seemed as though
>> > > > she had fallen asleep there, her dark red hair
>> falling across her
>> > > > face.  But there was something strangely still
>> about her.  Oswald,
>> > > > with an exclamation, walked forward and lifted
>> the hair to reveal a
>> > > > little of her neck.  And then they all saw the
>> marks left by a
>> > > > ligature that had bitten deeply into the pale
>> flesh.
>> > > >
>> > > > "I'm afraid," said Oswald, "she's dead."
>> > >

"Good God," Philip said, and closed his eyes momentarily. After a moment,
they opened again, and he looked at the injury to her neck. "Murdered, you
mean."

>> > >        "Well, best to be sure," Pamela said
>> firmly. "Bear witness,
>> > > Mr. Skeffington-Nottle, won't you? Just as well
>> I wore gloves this
>> > > evening." And she bent to touch her first two
>> fingers to the pulse-
>> > > point in The Actress's lacerated throat.

There was no response - but she did see how cruelly something had cut into 
the pale skin - something that had been removed.

The signs were that Philip was right - this was no accident or suicide ...

>> >
>> > The sight of Anton's ashen face and Oswald's "Come
>> on!" did
>> > what even the blackout couldn't- got Warren off of
>> his stool and
>> > through the door. It took him a little time, but
>> he finally arrived
>> > at Anton's flat with the others.
>> >
>> > "But she... she was just... right next to me!" he
>> exclaimed.
>> > She was just right there... " and then he
>> swallowed; he appeared
>> > to be trying to keep from vomiting.
>> >
>> > "Sorry," he said, his eyes watering from the
>> effort. "it's one
>> > thing to be flying and in combat... it's quite
>> another to see
>> > this up close... and a lady..."
>>
>> Marion had come up next to him and looked almost as
>> white-faced
>> as he did, though this was not the first murder
>> scene she had
>> ever viewed.
>>
>> "But how could he..." she whispered, "...sit here
>> playing ... and
>> not see it, till now?"
>>
>
> "In the dark, you mean?" asked Tabitha, appearing in
> the doorway. "I should imagine it would be more
> difficult to see it than not. He was probably paying
> more attention to his music than his surroundings,
> anyway." She moved towards the settee, where Lady
> Pamela was attempting to find a pulse, and looked at
> Nola Diamond with the detached expression of someone
> who had seen far too many dead bodies in her life.
>

The hair had fallen back a little from the livid face now.  It was ugly to 
look at - but her appearance also showed the clear signs of strangulation.