the
murderer and the name of the thief.”
“Is he not the same?”
“It’s a he ?”
“Such a request for info has many ramifications.
When a mystic knows things they must tread carefully. I do not answer questions
that can snake back and grab me by the throat.”
“Then forget it; you’re of no help to me.”
She met his gaze with an eerie intensity. “I see
death close by.”
The smoke from the candles thickened. His heart
pounded wildly. She’s sucking me in
again. “Exactly what do you mean?”
“The future is a maze of uncertainty.”
“Hell. I don’t need a mystic to tell me that.”
It was clear the fortune teller knew something about
the murders and theft, but for self-preservation was refusing to talk. He
couldn’t blame her. Why would he expect the truth anyway? Maybe the whole band
of closed-mouthed traveling entertainers was a den of liars.
****
Hugh stuck his head into the office doorway. “Good
news,” he told Boss Coleman, “Tigra is resting, but she’ll be able to do the
evenings show.”
“Great!” Coleman said. “Glad you came by. I need a
clown for the Entrance Parade. Billy Cornwell has disappeared. Ever play around
with clown make-up?”
“No, sir. But if you provide the costume, I can probably
improvise.”
Coleman handed him a costume that was several sizes
too big around the middle and too short. “Tigra is great with make-up and
costuming, but we’d better let her rest. Bubbles, the exotic dancer can help
you. She’s a make-up expert, too. She’s in caravan seven. You’d better talk to
her right away. Unless you’re a quick change artist, you’ll probably have to
wear your costume in the tiger show.” Coleman smiled. “With all the
sensationalism in the newspapers about the tiger attack on Rolo, we should have
a full house in spite of the unpredictable weather. Which
means we can’t disappoint them on any level. Maybe a clown in the cage
wouldn’t be a bad idea. I liked the tiger switch trick, but we have to keep the
surprises coming.”
The satisfied look in the boss’ expression and the
calculating tone in his voice sent an uneasy feeling creeping through Hugh.
Could the boss have poisoned Rolo to bring sensationalism to his circus,
thereby increasing the revenue? Could he also be the thief?
As Hugh headed back out into the fairground’s
swarming crowds, he frowned at his thoughts. He liked the boss and didn’t want
to think evil of him.
Chapter
Nine
Hugh slowed his pace when he saw Vance Skull Kilman
coming toward him; he had seen his aerial act from a distance and saw him around
the grounds, following after Tigra, but he’d never talked to him. His long,
high-cheek boned face with shadowy hollows and his musky odor reminded Hugh of
the walking dead he’d known. Skully, as everyone called him, wrinkled his
narrow nose as if he had also caught a scent and gave a poor excuse for a
knowing smile through thin lips, showing long, extremely white teeth.
“Where’s Tigra,” Skully asked.
The biting chill to his voice scraped across Hugh’s
nerves. That and the dead look in his eyes warned that, when it came to women,
Skully was a user and opportunist. And possibly a killer.
“She’s resting for tonight’s performance.” Tigra’s
habit of not allowing anyone to do what she could do on her own and her
dedication to her job could make her especially vulnerable to an
advantage-seeking man like Skully.
Skully sent him a gleaming white smile; he was
probably considered a handsome man by the ladies. He wore his long, black hair
in a pony-tail and, as an aerialist, the man had a
tight flat abdomen, wide-shoulders, and appeared strong and fit. Hugh fought a
pang of jealousy and hoped there wasn’t something going on between Mr. Highwire and the Queen of Tigers.
As they did a sizing up dance, Hugh’s suspicions
grew. He sensed something supernatural, cold, even icy about the man. He didn’t
know where Skully Kilman fit into the trouble
murderer and the name of the thief.”
“Is he not the same?”
“It’s a he ?”
“Such a request for info has many ramifications.
When a mystic knows things they must tread carefully. I do not answer questions
that can snake back and grab me by the throat.”
“Then forget it; you’re of no help to me.”
She met his gaze with an eerie intensity. “I see
death close by.”
The smoke from the candles thickened. His heart
pounded wildly. She’s sucking me in
again. “Exactly what do you mean?”
“The future is a maze of uncertainty.”
“Hell. I don’t need a mystic to tell me that.”
It was clear the fortune teller knew something about
the murders and theft, but for self-preservation was refusing to talk. He
couldn’t blame her. Why would he expect the truth anyway? Maybe the whole band
of closed-mouthed traveling entertainers was a den of liars.
****
Hugh stuck his head into the office doorway. “Good
news,” he told Boss Coleman, “Tigra is resting, but she’ll be able to do the
evenings show.”
“Great!” Coleman said. “Glad you came by. I need a
clown for the Entrance Parade. Billy Cornwell has disappeared. Ever play around
with clown make-up?”
“No, sir. But if you provide the costume, I can probably
improvise.”
Coleman handed him a costume that was several sizes
too big around the middle and too short. “Tigra is great with make-up and
costuming, but we’d better let her rest. Bubbles, the exotic dancer can help
you. She’s a make-up expert, too. She’s in caravan seven. You’d better talk to
her right away. Unless you’re a quick change artist, you’ll probably have to
wear your costume in the tiger show.” Coleman smiled. “With all the
sensationalism in the newspapers about the tiger attack on Rolo, we should have
a full house in spite of the unpredictable weather. Which
means we can’t disappoint them on any level. Maybe a clown in the cage
wouldn’t be a bad idea. I liked the tiger switch trick, but we have to keep the
surprises coming.”
The satisfied look in the boss’ expression and the
calculating tone in his voice sent an uneasy feeling creeping through Hugh.
Could the boss have poisoned Rolo to bring sensationalism to his circus,
thereby increasing the revenue? Could he also be the thief?
As Hugh headed back out into the fairground’s
swarming crowds, he frowned at his thoughts. He liked the boss and didn’t want
to think evil of him.
Chapter
Nine
Hugh slowed his pace when he saw Vance Skull Kilman
coming toward him; he had seen his aerial act from a distance and saw him around
the grounds, following after Tigra, but he’d never talked to him. His long,
high-cheek boned face with shadowy hollows and his musky odor reminded Hugh of
the walking dead he’d known. Skully, as everyone called him, wrinkled his
narrow nose as if he had also caught a scent and gave a poor excuse for a
knowing smile through thin lips, showing long, extremely white teeth.
“Where’s Tigra,” Skully asked.
The biting chill to his voice scraped across Hugh’s
nerves. That and the dead look in his eyes warned that, when it came to women,
Skully was a user and opportunist. And possibly a killer.
“She’s resting for tonight’s performance.” Tigra’s
habit of not allowing anyone to do what she could do on her own and her
dedication to her job could make her especially vulnerable to an
advantage-seeking man like Skully.
Skully sent him a gleaming white smile; he was
probably considered a handsome man by the ladies. He wore his long, black hair
in a pony-tail and, as an aerialist, the man had a
tight flat abdomen, wide-shoulders, and appeared strong and fit. Hugh fought a
pang of jealousy and hoped there wasn’t something going on between Mr. Highwire and the Queen of Tigers.
As they did a sizing up dance, Hugh’s suspicions
grew. He sensed something supernatural, cold, even icy about the man. He didn’t
know where Skully Kilman fit into the trouble
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