Read Online Case with 4 Clowns by Leo Bruce - Free Book Online

was already asleep, snoring gently with his face to the wall.

CHAPTER VII
    April
27th.
    B EEF was already up and dressed when I awoke. He was sitting on the edge of his bunk examining a long yellow sheet which he held in his hands, and when I spoke to him he brought it over to me.
    â€œThis is one of the circus bills,” he explained.
    â€œHave you found a clue or something on it?” I asked drowsily.
    â€œClue?” said Beef. “No, I got an idea, that’s all. You know what we ought to do today? We ought to make a thorough round of everybody in the show; go along to everybody and see what they’re like, and that. Might come in handy afterwards.”
    â€œSo that bill is a sort of checking list, is it?” I asked.
    â€œThat’s right. Take a look at it.” And Beef handed me the bill. This is what I read:
    JACOBI’S CIRCUS.
    Twice
4-30
    Daily.
8-0
    Seats at 1/-, 1/3, 2/4, and 3/6.
Children
half-price
at matinees.
    THE CONCINIS.

THE GREATEST LADY TRICK RIDERS IN THE WORLD.
    Incredible equestrian feats—grace and color on a galloping horse.
    CORINNE JACOBI

& her
ARAB HORSES.
    Equine elegance and good manners under the eye of the graceful Corinne.
    The DARIENNE BROTHERS AND SUZANNE.

GREATEST AERIAL ACT OF ALL TIME.
Thrills!     
Thrills!!     THRILLS!!!
    HERR KURT

AND HIS MAN-EATING LIONS.
The bravest man on earth.
    PETROV DAROGA.

ECSTASY ON THE TIGHT WIRE.
    EUSTACE

THE UNBELIEVABLE SEAL
Shown by our own Corinne Jacobi.
    ARCHIE, SAM, and TINY

the funniest clowns in existence.
You scream,
YOU ROAR,
YOU YELL!!
    JACOBI’S FAMOUS ELEPHANTS

SHOWN BY PETROV DAROGA
Watch Hoodlums stand on his head!
    MANY OTHER LAUGHS, THRILLS, AND DISPLAYS.
    â€œSimple, isn’t it?” said Beef as soon as I had finished reading it. “We just go round to each of those in turn, and there you are.”
    â€œI suppose you know what you are doing,” I said, “but personally I can’t see the use of it. You can’t very well collect evidence at this stage, can you?”
    â€œEvidence? Of course not,” said Beef scornfully, “that’s allyou seem to think about. My idea is to get to know some of the people. Make myself at home like. You never know what might come of it.”
    â€œTrue,” I said. And in a few minutes we had started on our tour.
    Beef made first for the proprietor’s wagon. Jackson was alone and let us in immediately Beef knocked.
    â€œWell,” he said, “I suppose you’ve got your murder now, Sergeant. Although you can hardly call it a murder when the girl was little more than scratched, can you?”
    â€œAs a matter of fact,” said Beef slowly, “I don’t somehow think this is the murder I’ve been looking for. In the first place, it was too clumsy, wasn’t premeditated, as they say. More what they call in France a crime of passion, if you ask me. And then, of course, as you say, it wasn’t a murder at all. Now, I’ve spoken to both of the young ladies, and although I won’t bother you by going into the full story, it seems to me that it’s something to do with them being twins, if you see what I mean?”
    â€œI’m afraid I don’t,” replied Jackson.
    â€œWell, it’s rather difficult to explain,” said the Sergeant slowly. “Look at it like this. Here you have two girls, as like as two peas. Now, in an ordinary family living in a town say, that might cause a bit of fun sometimes, but nobody wouldn’t take it serious. But here things are a bit different. Those two girls weren’t leading more than one life between the two of them. Everything one could do the other might get the credit for, everybody one knew, the other knew as well. There was nothing private between them at all. Well, I think that’s what was the cause of this little business. Nothing very serious, mind you, but just enough to make one of them