by Grace York
Next were Corey and Luc. They were little more than kids, really. Corey obviously had issues with Frankie, but if Luc and Holly were to be believed he generally ignored Frankie's taunts. It seemed an unlikely motive for murder, unless Frankie had pushed so hard Corey had snapped. But it was an unprovoked attack, so that was unlikely.
Corey was absolutely hiding something, but that could just be the secret boyfriend Holly thought he had. It might be worth trying to uncover who that was in order to rule Corey out completely. Addison made herself a to-do list on a separate page then put 'find out who Corey is dating' as item number one.
She couldn't see any real motive for Luc. He seemed like a nice young man, and he'd come to help quickly when the Ferris wheel had broken down. He'd also been only halfway through putting on his clown makeup at the time. Surely he wouldn't have done only half his face, then gone to murder Frankie?
That brought Addison to the Hanleys. Was it possible that one of the owners of the travelling show had murdered one of their performers? A murder would have to be bad publicity for the show, wouldn't it? Or would it? There's no such thing as bad publicity in show business, so the saying goes.
The news that Henry Hanley wasn't Owen's son was interesting, but Addison wasn't sure whether it had anything to do with the murder. There were other questions to be asked. Does Owen know the child isn't his? Did Frankie? And of course, who is the boy's father?
Addison made a second note on her to-do list: find out as much as possible about Henry Hanley's parentage.
Back to the suspect list. Addison recalled the conversation she'd overheard between Jake Hanley and another man. It seemed one of them had owed the other one money, and needed more time to get it together. She wondered which one Jake was. She was cross with herself for forgetting to mention that conversation to Isaac. She added that to her list of things to do.
Then there was Hugh, the youngest of the Hanley brothers. Could he have had something to do with Frankie's murder? Holly had said Frankie was causing Hugh some problems. It was all about Frankie wanting Paolo's job, which fell to Hugh as the manager of the stage performance. Frankie had both Morris Hanley and Jake on his side, according to Holly.
Addison could see how this would put pressure on Hugh, but it was just a workplace issue. Hardly something worth killing over.
She closed her notebook and leaned back in her chair. She needed to get more of a picture of each of the Hanley brothers. Hopefully this afternoon's meeting with Dot would shine some light on the inner workings of the carnival family.
18
"I don't understand why I can't help," Adam whined. They were back in the kitchen, and he was fixing himself what he called a 'pre-lunch snack'. Addison was going to have to increase his board just to cover the amount of food he made his way through.
"I didn't say you can't help," said Addison. She thought she'd figured out a way to involve him, but it was going to require a bit of manipulation. "I just said I can't tell you certain things that are confidential."
"Right. But how can I help if I'm being treated like a mushroom?"
"A mushroom?" Addison was confused.
"You know… kept in the dark and fed sh—"
"All right," said Addison, holding up a hand to stop him finishing the sentence. "I get it. But I'm not treating you like a mushroom. I signed a confidentiality agreement, so there are things I can't tell you. But you can still help, if you'll just get over yourself and stop acting like a child for a minute."
Adam stopped what he was doing and looked up at her, mouth agape. He stood there like that for a good ten seconds, before finally closing his mouth and nodding.
"Fair enough," he said. "What can I do?"
"You can accompany me to the carnival today, for a start."
"Cool." Adam quickly finished making his sandwich and put all the ingredients back in the fridge. Addison stood her ground, arms folded, looking at the mess he'd made, before he took the hint and cleaned away the crumbs.
"That's better," she said, and smiled to herself. He was learning.
"Can we go now?"
"Sure. Let me get my bag. We have to be back before three, as I'm having afternoon tea with Mrs Jones." She didn't add that Dot Hanley would be there, in case he insisted on joining them. Addison wanted to have that meeting on her own.
"No problem," said Adam, opening the front door for her. "Will we take the car, or walk?"
It was another beautiful day, and they had plenty of time. "I think we'll walk," said Addison.
They set off, and Adam soon started asking questions. "What are we looking for today? Is there anything I should specifically keep my eye open for?"
"Nothing specific," said Addison. "Although I would like to learn more about the Hanley brothers. Owen, Jake, and Hugh. What they do, how well they get along, that sort of thing."
"I can tell you what they do. Holly already told us, remember?"
"I remember Hugh is in charge of the stage performance and the performers. What did she say about the other two?"
Adam kicked a rock out of their path. "Owen is married to Harriet, and she seems to be the one who runs the whole carnival. He's the muscle behind her. Holly said Owen does whatever Harriet tells him to do."
"That's right. And Jake?"
"Jake looks after all the rides and the games, and the people who operate them. His wife works on the ticket booth, but I forget her name."
"Davina," said Addison. "I should be writing all this down."
"We did, on Friday night. You, me and Olivia sat and brainstormed possible motives for all the staff. I wrote notes on my laptop."
"Yes, I remember," said Addison. They stopped to wait for a car before crossing the road and continuing to the sports ground where the carnival was set up.
"Then you went all private investigator on us and joined forces with Wilcox," said Adam.
"I thought you'd got over that?"
"I have, sorry. I just… I don't like being left out. I should be used to it, I suppose. It's the story of my life."
Adam had never spoken much about his past, and Addison had always got the impression he wanted to talk about it but could never find the right words.
"What story is that?" she asked, seizing the opportunity.
Adam stopped walking and looked her in the eye. "You really want to know?"
"I do, Adam. You've been living with me for a couple of months now. You're practically family. But it's okay if you don't want to tell me."
They resumed their walk, but at a slower pace. "I've never spoken about my past with anyone besides social workers before," he said.
Addison stayed quiet, sensing the story needed to be told in his own time.
"My father went to prison when I was a baby. I don't know what he did. Don't want to know. All I've been told is my mother couldn't cope with me, so I went into foster care before I could walk. I've never known my real parents. I've never known any parents, not really. I bounced around a lot in the system. The longest I ever stayed with one family was two years."
"Oh, Adam," said Addison. She'd had no idea. "I'm so sorry."
"I don't want pity," he said, and she could hear the defence in his voice. "It's in the past. I'm stronger for it, I reckon."
"Did you ever think of trying to find your real parents?"
Adam shook his head. "I don't want to drag it up. I just want to look forward, you know what I mean?"
Addison smiled. "I do." She linked her arm through his. "And I promise you have a home at the beach house for as long as you want."
"Thanks, Addison. That means a lot to me. I promise I'll work harder on my manners."
They walked the rest of the way to the carnival in companionable silence. Addison's mind tumbled with thoughts of what Adam must have gone through growing up. To not have known a family must have been so isolating. No wonder the poor boy had lapses when it came to manners and respect of others. He was actually doing great, considering.
She had a
new appreciation for his need to be included, too. Maybe she could talk to Isaac, see if she could get him on the volunteer list. Surely two volunteers were better than one?
Addison was glad Adam had found her and the beach house. He'd been through too much rejection and abandonment in his life. She made a quiet resolution then and there not to be another person who let him down.
19
Addison and Adam spent a few hours at the carnival but didn't learn anything useful. They hadn't even managed to set eyes on any of the Hanleys. Still, they'd had a good time. Addison even went on a few of the smaller rides. Not the Ferris wheel, though. No way were they getting her back on that thing.
She arrived at Mrs Jones's place promptly at three o'clock and was surprised to see that Dot Hanley was already there with a young boy, who had to be Henry. Addison had made a lemon drizzle cake to contribute to afternoon tea, which Mrs Jones accepted gratefully.
"Mrs Jones says you're writing a book about carnival life," said Dot after they'd been introduced and tea had been poured. She was a small woman, but strong and sturdy in build. It was obvious she'd had an active life.
"I'm thinking about writing a book that might include some elements of carnival life, yes," said Addison. She tried to keep it as vague as possible – she had no idea whether she'd actually write any such book in the future, but the possibility was always there. As much as she was trying to get information about the Hanleys specifically in relation to the murder, the lifestyle did sound fascinating and she was keen to find out more.
"Well, what can I tell you?"
Addison looked down to where Henry was playing on the floor with a basket of toys Mrs Jones kept for the occasional young visitor. He had his mother's blond hair and wide eyes.
"It must be tough raising a little one on the road," said Addison.
"I did it with my three boys," said Dot. "They turned out all right."
"Were they home-schooled?"
Dot shook her head. "No such thing back then. We sent them to school in whichever town we stopped. We had our regular towns, even back then, so the kids got used to revisiting some of the same schools every year. The teachers were good, gave them homework they could do on the road. They got by."
Addison helped herself to a piece of cake. "But Henry will be home-schooled?"
"Yes," said Dot. "You have to apply for it; Harriet has organised it all. But he'll be able to do lessons at home, and I'll help out a lot with that. At least in the first few years. When we're home over winter he'll go to school normally."
"I suppose getting to travel and see so much of the country will be an education in itself," said Addison.
"That's right. The school of life. Didn't do my three any harm." Dot raised her teacup to her mouth. "Lovely tea, Mrs Jones, as usual. I do look forward to coming here."
"You're welcome, my dear," said Mrs Jones.
"So tell me about your boys," said Addison as casually as she could manage.
Dot smiled fondly as she described each of her sons in turn, and it was obvious how proud she was of them. "They've all got their strengths," she said after talking through each one's role in the carnival. "Owen and Jake are the muscle. They take after their father. They keep the workers in line, too. Although Harry also has a lot to do with that."
"I've met Harriet," said Addison. "She certainly seems to know what she's doing."
"You'd think she was born into it if you didn't know better," said Dot. "Owen found himself a good one there."
Addison glanced over at Henry, who was driving a series of matchbox cars around the kitchen floor. When she looked back she caught Dot staring at her, her brow creased. Did Dot know Henry wasn't Owen's? Addison couldn't ask.
"How long have they been married?" she asked instead.
"Oh, coming up to ten years now. They were together for a few years before that. Harry was a waitress in a small town in Western Australia. They hit it off immediately, and by the end of the week she'd quit her job and joined us."
"Really? It was that quick?"
Dot nodded and took a bite of her piece of cake. "This is good," she said when she'd finished the mouthful.
"Thank you," said Addison. "It's hard to believe someone would leave their home and their life behind after just one week," she said, trying to stay on the subject of Harry and Owen.
"You'd be surprised," said Dot. "That's how we get a lot of our staff. Some stay with us, some drift off to other places. But they're all looking to get away from something. We certainly offer the ability to do that."
Addison hadn't really given any thought to how a travelling carnival would find its staff. She supposed someone wanting to get away from whatever they had going on at home would make an ideal candidate. It looked like hard work, with all the repetitive setting up and tearing down as they moved from place to place, not to mention long days standing in the sun trying to tempt customers to get on a ride or try their luck on a game of chance. But it was the kind of work anyone could do if they had a bit of muscle and stamina.
"So Harriet… Harry… joined you when the carnival came to her home town in Western Australia," said Addison. "Has she been back?"
"We go back there every year," said Dot. "She sees her family, although her father passed away a couple of years ago. Her mother is always happy to see her. But life on the road suits Harry. Some of us are just born for it."
Addison cut herself a half slice of cake. She made a mental note to ask Isaac whether Harriet had any ties to men who could be Henry's biological father in her home town, before changing the subject. "What about Jake's wife, Davina? How does she like it?"
"She does all right," said Dot, although Addison noticed the old woman's face darken at the mention of her other daughter-in-law.
"She works in the ticket booth, doesn't she?"
"Yes."
Dot obviously didn't want to talk about Davina. Addison added her to the list of people to discuss with Isaac after his background checks.
"So what do you think about the murder?" asked Mrs Jones. Addison had been trying to think of a less direct way to bring that up. Mrs Jones obviously wasn't bothered with being coy about the subject.
"It's been quite devastating for us, as you can imagine," said Dot. She looked down at Henry, who'd driven his little collection of cars out the back door and onto Mrs Jones's verandah. "Stay where I can see you, please," she called to him.
"Yes Grandma," he said back. Such a polite little boy, Addison thought.
"Do you have any idea who might have done it?" Addison asked Dot.
Dot shook her head. "It has to have been someone from outside," she said. "We're all family. We look out for each other. Sure, there are squabbles and arguments. When you live in such close quarters things are bound to get tense from time to time. But none of my people would have done that to one of their own. Mark my words."
Dot folded her arms across her chest. She had a point and seemed quite adamant about it. But Addison knew the statistics. Family violence was real and far more prevalent than it should be. Just because the carnival staff all treated each other like family didn't exclude any of them from being the one to murder Frankie.
Addison cast her mind back over the events that Friday afternoon. She'd been there, up in the Ferris wheel. She'd seen the murderer going into Frankie's bunk. He or she was wearing a red shirt. Isaac and his team had narrowed it down to one of nine staff, hadn't they?
No. There were eight staff members on the suspect list, and one local.
Bob Carter. Maybe it was time for Addison to pay Bob a visit.
20
It was almost five o'clock on Monday afternoon when Addison entered the Getaway Bay police station. The bell above the door jangled, and Isaac looked up from his desk.
"I've come to do some of that administrative work you've been talking about," said Addison.
Isaac approached the bench separating the public area from the rest of the station. "You'd better come through then," he said,
holding the barrier open for her. "Can I get you anything? Tea or coffee?"
"No thanks, I'm all full of tea. I've come from Mrs Jones's house."
"Enough said. Mind if I grab one?"
"Go ahead," said Addison, looking around the deserted station. "Where is everyone?"
"I sent them home," said Isaac, spooning instant coffee into a mug. "It's Easter Monday, and we weren't getting anywhere anyway. There wasn't much else they could do today."
He added three sugars and boiling water, and Addison cringed. She didn't like to think of herself as a coffee snob, but the thought of instant coffee made her face involuntarily screw up.
"So why are you still here then?"
"I'm the boss," he said, taking his seat behind his desk and inviting Addison to the other chair in the little office. "Plus, I've got nowhere better to be." He sipped the coffee and screwed his face up too.
"The force won't spring for a decent machine?" Addison asked.
"I can barely get the staff we need. The only way this station gets a coffee machine is if I bring it myself." He sipped again. "It's not too bad. Only the first mouthful is a shock to the system. Told you I usually go over to Hazel's, but she closed up a couple of hours ago."
Addison pulled out her notebook. "I've got a few questions," she said, settling herself back into the chair. She told him about her conversation with Dot Hanley earlier that afternoon.
"You're not supposed to be out asking questions, you know," he said, brow creased. "That's my job."
"Yes, but I figured people would probably tell me more than they would you. Because you're a detective, I mean. And you told me to speak to Holly some more. You didn't have a problem with me asking her questions."
"Yeah, you're right," he said with a sigh. "So what did you find out?"
"I asked Dot to tell me about her sons, but she actually spoke more about their wives. The two older boys, anyway. I got the feeling she is very proud of Harriet, Owen's wife. Dot said it was as if Harriet was born into the lifestyle, rather than marrying into it. She says Harriet joined them ten years ago after the carnival had come to her home town."