Beauty is the Beast: Beasts Among Us - Book 1

by Jennifer Zamboni

  Demothi scowled and left.

  Doug let go of my fingers as a group approached, and went back to growling.

  Hopefully they hadn’t observed his gentlemanly behavior.

  I wandered over to join my friends, who were deep in discussion with a pair of conjoined twins.

  “Gretchen, come on over! Let me introduce you to Jerry and Rochelle,” said Percy.

  I shook hands with the unique conjoined twins. The left was male, Jerry, and the right a woman, Rochelle.

  Each had their own set of arms, and a leg each, with a shared center leg. As far as I could tell with them fully clothed, Jerry had boy bits while Rochelle had girl bits. It made for an interesting outfit to say the least. They did have the faint odor of fae emanating from them.

  “It’s a pleasure,” said Jerry squeezing my hand in a much too personal manner.

  Rochelle took my hand in turn, and shook it without a word.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, if you would take your seats, it’s time for dinner,” Ulysses boomed as he entered the tent.

  We excused ourselves from the twins and found seats.

  Someone walked in behind us, and I whipped my head around. The woman, dressed as a gypsy, complete with bells on her ankles, dripping magic like she was holding the place up.

  She greeted people as she approached them and took a seat by Demothi.

  I spied him eating a salad and flirting with the woman on his other side, who was hanging on his every word.

  Bimbo, I thought. For one thing: blood sucking is not sexy—it makes you dead. Another: he couldn’t be more obviously not a vamp.

  It made for good dinner conversation for those of us in the know.

  When my eyes opened the next morning, they were immediately drawn to the crumpled mess of a dress I’d left in the corner.

  Crud, I thought. It probably shouldn’t be lying on my floor getting all wrinkled.

  I poked my toes from under my blankets, then quickly pulled them back in. Nope! My blankets were far too warm and comfy to leave, so pulling my blankets to my nose, I snuggled back down.

  The first hint of sun kissed the sky, and while it wouldn’t stream across my room until late afternoon, it was still too bright for me to fall back to sleep, so I threw off my blankets and forced myself upright. The cold didn't bother me, but I still preferred a warm bed. I grabbed the mug of room temperature water from my bedside table and took a gulp, getting rid of that morning blah taste.

  The dress was hopelessly wrinkled, and it said right on the tag that ironing was a no-no. I hung it on my bathroom door, hoping the steam would take the wrinkles out while I enjoyed a nice hot shower.

  I started the water to warm up, then made the mistake of looking in the mirror. Scary. I’d neglected to wash off my makeup and brush out my hair.

  After dousing my eyelids in makeup remover, I jumped in the shower so the hot steam would soften up the remainder of last night's mascara. I sighed and sank down to the floor of the shower to let the water pound away my stress. It was far too tempting to curl up and fall back asleep, so I stood and commenced shampooing.

  A quick inspection of the dress showed an improvement in wrinkle quantity. Percy could deal with the rest. It was her fault I was forced to wear it, after all.

  I'd had a good time, despite the artifice of some of the freaks we dined with. Something about the gypsy girl unsettled me. It wasn’t just the magic she had been sweating. There was a look of fright on her face upon seeing Lacey-Marie, as if she’d guessed Lacey’s true nature. Her glamour had been firmly in place, so there wasn’t anything physically about her that should have made the woman nervous.

  It wasn’t just her. The wolf man bothered me as well. He’d been a perfect gentleman, but his eyes never left me. It wasn’t what I would call a friendly or flirtatious gaze. It was a hard look.

  I shivered as I dressed, my thoughts lingering on the previous evening. How on earth did I have a good time at dinner? It was downright creepy. I’d met fae before, but the ‘freaks’ were wrong in so many ways. I picked up and reread the program, everything from where the animals had been obtained through the history of the circus. It was all a lie. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

  I needed to learn more about that circus. I wanted hard facts.

  The library, and all its information, waited for me. I slid up the lid of the antique roll top desk and booted up the computer, my fingers tapping with impatience.

  I typed “Treats & Freaks Circus” into the search engine and waited for the results to load. The first thing that popped up was their personal website. I skipped it in favor of a link promising their tour dates. I skimmed until I hit Maine. They’d made it to Portland just in time for Penny’s murder. They’d be in the state for the remainder of the month.

  This had to be it. I pulled my cell phone and called Lacey.

  “Hello?” her groggy answer came through the receiver.

  “Mornin’, sunshine. Get your skinny ass down here. I wanna show you something.” I stared at the screen in fascination.

  “Down where.” It was not a question. It was resignation.

  “Library.” I minimized the list of dates and scrolled through the other links, looking for something incriminating.

  “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Lacey hung up on me.

  The next link led me to a small town newspaper article dealing with Bigfoot sightings and the possible relation to hypertrichosis, excessive hair growth, sometimes covering the patient’s whole body, and hirsutism, which is when woman grow hair in a male pattern. A few more links featured more sightings around the state, all within the dates of the murders.

  Lacey shuffled in clad in bathrobe and slippers.

  “What.” She pulled a chair up next to mine.

  I reopened the tour dates and pointed. “That’s when the murders started.”

  We dug up more information, coinciding the murders and the circus. Nothing pointed direct fingers. The connections I was making weren't what the police would put together, unless they were fae. I’d yet to meet a fae cop.

  Maybe I should sign up when I’m done with hairdressing.

  “So, what do you think?” I asked, after printing the information.

  Lacey pulled the pages from the printer and skimmed through them. “I think we need to get a closer look at the circus itself. You know, see what's going on after hours.”

  “After hours where?” Percy asked, joining us.

  Lacey handed her the pages, while I shut the computer down.

  “I had a thought this morning. The dinner last night didn't sit well. Mentally, I mean," I said, leaning forward in my chair, elbows on knees.

  “Now don’t go looking for trouble,” said Percy as she read. “Huh.”

  “What?”

  “Their first performance was on the night of the first murder. It could just be a coincidence—”

  “Or one of the freaks could be a murderer. There’s been sightings of weird creatures as well. See?” I interrupted and pulled out the pages about the freak sightings.

  “You may have something here, but we need facts before actions.”

  “That’s the plan. Lacey and I are going to go check them out. Tonight.”

  “Tonight?” Lacey’s eyes narrowed.

  “Yeah, tonight. The sooner we can get this whole thing settled, the less likely there will be another murder.”

  “Why are you so certain it’s one of the freaks?” asked Percy.

  “Well, there was that gypsy chick. She was having a hard time holding it together. Then there was the wannabe werewolf.” I ticked each off on a different finger.

  “Yeah, he stared at her all through dinner, like he wanted to maul her, and not in a good way,” Lacey added.

  “So, do you think it’s the man or the woman?” Percy asked.

  “My money's on him. But she could very well be in on it, covering his scent or something. I don’t know what her brand of magic is, but maybe it helped them break into the g
irls’ houses and keep the noise down.” My opinion was a spur-of-the-moment one.

  “Agreed. What she said.” Lacey spun in her chair, playing with the ends of her hair.

  “What time do you plan on doing this?” Percy brought me back down to earth.

  “Um, when did the dinner get over last night?” I asked.

  “Around midnight.”

  “Does getting there around one sound good to you?” I turned to Lacey.

  “Sure, but we’re open Thursday, right?”

  “That is correct.” Percy nodded.

  “We’ll try to be quick. We don’t want them to know we’re there.” I stood and paced.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Lacey said, “See you later. I’m going back to bed.” She shuffled out, leaving the door open behind her.

  “Do you really think this is wise? It's almost the new moon, and you’ve said yourself that Lacey’s been a little wacky.” Percy crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows in challenge.

  “That’s why I want to do this now. I’m well aware that I can’t shift during the new moon. We’ll be fine. I won’t start anything without you there to back me up.”

  “You better not.” She grabbed her book and left.

  I should have followed Lacey’s example and tried to get more sleep, but my mind was racing a million miles an hour. What if we got there and discovered that we were right? How long could we afford to delay before neutralizing the problem? I wanted to avoid another death, even the killer’s. I would do it if I had to, but I wasn’t making it my plan or anything.

  My heart was speeding up with every minute, and if I wasn't so close to a new moon, I would have been at risk of wolfing. I was ready to go by sundown, despite another five or six hours until go time. I’d dressed in black, complete down to hat and gloves. I was prepared.

  My digital camera took decent night pictures, as it was meant for wildlife photography. It also had bluetooth connection, to download directly to my laptop.

  Lacey knocked on my door around ten.

  “Come in!” I called while stuffing my hair up into a black beanie.

  “Wow, you are way too excited.” She was decked out in black, but her blonde hair was down around her shoulders, and she reeked of cigarettes.

  I dug in my bedside table for a hair elastic and flung it at her. “Aw come on, you’re excited too. You’re all dressed up and everything!”

  I looked down at her shoes. Pointed toes peeked out from her dark jeans. “You can’t be stealthy in heels. Don’t you have any boots or sneakers?”

  “No. My boots have higher heels. Would ballet flats be satisfactory?"

  “They’d be better than those.” I pointed at her feet and rolled up my lip.

  She made a face at me and pulled her hair up in a messy bun. “Better?”

  “Yes. And I have a hat and gloves for you.”

  “I’m not wearing a hat.”

  “Yes, you are. Your hair is light enough to glow in the dark.” I handed her the hat and gloves.

  “I’m surprised you’re not painting me up in camo,” she muttered.

  I tapped a finger on my chin. “That might not be a bad—”

  “Forget I said that!” She threw her hands up in the air, palms out.

  “Fine.” I sat back down on my bed, and we stared at the clock. Tick, tick, tick.

  “This is going to be a long night, isn’t it?” Lacey asked, flopping down beside me on her belly, fiddling with a loose thread on my quilt.

  “Uh-huh.” I nodded.

  She rolled back over and balanced back on her elbows. “Wanna watch a movie?”

  “Sure.”

  We sneaked down the hall spy style, darting into doorways and signaling each other to go until we got to the right room, collapsing on her couch in a fit of giggles.

  “God, will we ever grow up?” she asked after getting ahold of herself.

  “I hope not.” I pulled myself upright and wiped an arm across my eyes.

  Lacey popped in a chick flick. Blech. For a dead girl, she sure melted right into those movies, and the only books I’d ever seen her read were romances.

  “Why on earth does she find that sexy? He’s an ass, dump him! Get on with your life!” I fumed at the TV, waving my arms.

  “It’s a movie, relax. Besides, she’ll find someone better.” Lacey justified.

  “I know, we’ve only watched this one, what, 50, 60 times?” I crossed my arms and leaned back. It killed time either way.

  “Are we walking or driving?” Lacey asked as we made our way downstairs.

  “Running. Oh wait, I need to get my laptop.” I ran back up the stairs and picked up my backpack. “All right, you ready? I’m ready.” I slung the pack over my shoulders, buckling the chest and waist stabilizing straps.

  “I guess I’m ready. What’s the computer for?”

  “Pictures, in case we get caught and something happens to my camera. I’ll set it up in the woods.”

  “Aren’t you worried someone will see it glowing through the trees?” she asked, heading towards the door.

  I followed her out. “Nope. Besides, I don’t plan on getting caught.”

  “Me either.”

  “Good, let’s get going.” I double checked my straps, then took off with Lacey in hot pursuit. We stuck to snowmobile trails, instead of the roads. It would suck if we got hit by a car. For the car anyhow. It would hurt us, but we’d bounce back.

  I tugged on my gloves as I ran, more for stealth than for warmth.

  I smelled fae before we saw the lights in the dinner tent. Good, dinner was still in progress.

  I set my computer behind a tree and opened it up. Lacey snuck out to where the cars were parked, to tell me if she could see any light from my screen.

  She returned quickly. “Nothing, you’re good.”

  “Great. I want to take some pictures of the dinner.”

  “You’re gonna get us caught,” Lacey cautioned me.

  “No, I won’t. I’ll take them from outside the tent. I can keep out of the light just as well as you.”

  “Fine, but I’m waiting here until you come back. And don’t expect me to come rescue you when you get caught.” She plopped herself down on the ground with her back against a tree.

  “I’m not getting caught. You man the computer. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” I slung the camera strap around my neck so the camera rested against my stomach.

  “Be careful,” she whispered loudly.

  “Shut up, and quit worrying,” I whispered back.

  Sticking to the shadows, I darted from tree to tree until I reached the open space the circus had settled in. I snuck down to the big top first but didn’t sense anything suspicious and snapped a few photos just in case there was something there I wasn't seeing. Climbing into the big cat performance cage was easy, so I took pictures there as well. The smell of magic had dissipated, leaving me with the unpleasant stench of angry kitty.

  I was just about to exit the main tent when I heard something jingle. The gypsy woman walked past, the bells jingling obnoxiously around her ankles serving as warning.

  Maybe I should get a set for Lacey, I mused. As soon as the sound faded away, I came out of hiding and headed for the dinner tent.

  I tried a couple of hiding spots before hunkering down and lifting my camera. I got the fish tank in my sites and zoomed in. It took a moment for the image to clear up, but I got a decent shot featuring my fish boyfriend plastered right up to the glass. I took a couple more as he swam around, then shifted to find another subject.

  My sights settled next on the wolf man. He was looking in my direction. Could he see me? No, it was pitch black out, and the tent was brightly lit. He probably couldn’t see any further than the tent flap, so I snapped pictures.

  Dragon boy flamed nastily, giving me some spectacular photo options. The one they called Tsarina kept her back to me or would tilt her head forward so her scraggly blonde curls hung over her face. I wasn't satisfied with the sh
ots I got, but there wasn’t much I could do.

  Jerry, flirting with the young woman in a nearly see-through white dress, and Rochelle, arms crossed over her chest, scowling at her brother with narrowed eyes, mingled near the opening, and I took advantage of the easy shots.

  Demothi made it easy as well, what with the bimbo he’d chosen for the evening hanging all over him. His very demeanor begging me to reach in there and smack him.

  I didn’t get a single photograph of the gypsy. I berated myself for not taking the opportunity when she jingled by my hiding place. Oh, well, Woulda, shoulda, coulda, didn’t.

  I decided to get some shots of the ringmaster, the lion tamer, and the ticket man as they walked by, so close I could have reached out and touched them.

  People were standing up from the table and shaking hands. My cue to leave. I didn’t want to get discovered in the mass exit. I booked it back to Lacey’s hiding spot and flopped down by my computer.

  “Well?” I asked, pulling the laptop towards me.

  “These are awesome! Too bad we can’t make these public.” She grabbed it back and clicked through the pictures, her face illuminated by the screen, making her look even more sickly than before she started using the spray tan booth.

  My subjects had made it easy. I’m not much of a photographer, but I’d managed to get some beautiful shots.

  “Look at those teeth! I hadn’t noticed those last night.” Lacey pointed at Demothi’s grinning mouth.

  “I saw them up close and personal when he tried to make me his toy last night. I’m surprised he didn’t try you.” I was unimpressed.

  She thrust her elbow into my ribs. “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Absolutely nothing.” Luckily she didn’t pick up on my lie.

  “He is supposed to be a vampire, right?” She turned her attention back to the photographs.

  “Yup. You’re not convinced? It’s working on her.” I pointed at the girl glued to his lap. “I guarantee we’d find her in his RV.”

  “Oh, goody. You can find her. I wanna check out the tiger.” She rubbed her hands together.

  “We’re looking for a murderer, not your next pet.” I pushed her jokingly.