Entwined

by La Plante, Lynda

  Helen grabbed hold of Grimaldi’s rain cape. “Is Ruda Kellerman here?”

  “She is about to go into the ring. Look, I don’t know what you can do now. I’ll try and find her, tell her you’re here. Wait at the trailer, the big silver one over there—but after the show. I have to go!”

  “Please, please wait—your wife, Ruda—”

  Grimaldi backed away, pointed again to his trailer. “Meet me here, after the show.”

  The baron and Helen watched him hurry away, then stop and turn. He shouted for them to mention his name at the box office, if they wanted to go into the big tent.

  Helen and the baron crossed to the box office.

  “Louis, we’ll do as he said, just wait until the end of the show. We’ll buy two standing room tickets, please.”

  “You will have a very good view, it’ll be worth it,” said the cashier, and pointed toward the tent. “I’d hurry, the parade’s already started.”

  The artists were lined up, waiting for their cues by the entrance to the ring: red for standby, green for go. The music blared from massive speakers as the orchestra gave each act an introduction. The ringmaster, with his red frock coat, his black silk top hat and whip, was in the spotlight.

  Ruda Kellerman waited for her turn to enter. The hectic events both frightened and exhilarated Rebecca; her whole body trembled. Ruda kept tight hold of her twin’s hand, describing some of the acts. Anyone close was proudly introduced. “This is my sister!”

  Ruda was dressed in a tailored black evening suit, a white silk shirt with heavy ruffles at her neck, and a flowing black cloak lined in white satin. The trousers were skintight, and she wore black polished Russian riding boots. She carried a pair of white gloves and a top hat and smiled broadly, joking with friends as they passed her to enter the ring. Her red warning light flickered. The loudspeaker warned: “Stand by, Ruda Kellerman.”

  Ruda whispered to Rebecca that any moment it would be her cue. But Rebecca continued to cling to her. Ruda cupped Rebecca’s face in her strong hands.

  “Just for a moment…watch me!”

  “Ladies and gentlemen, the most daring, the most famous, the most audacious, fearless female wild animal trainer in the world…please welcome to Berlin the star of our show. Welcome to Berlin, Ruda Kellerman!…Ruda Kellerman, ladies and gentlemen!”

  Ruda stood with arms raised above her head, her cloak swirling around her. She stood motionless, held in the brilliant spotlight, then strode to the center of the ring. She turned to the right, to the left, bowing low, taking her applause. The cheers had never felt so sweet.

  Torsen stared at the confident figure. Having met Ruda, he found it fascinating to see her now. Rieckert turned to Torsen. “She’s something else isn’t she? I can’t wait to see her with the big cats.”

  Helen and the baron were five rows behind, in the standing room section. Helen could not even see the ring. Louis looked at her.

  “I told you. This is a waste of time, we can’t see.”

  Helen beckoned to Louis to follow as she pushed and shoved her way through the crowd.

  “Look, Louis, there’s four vacant seats in the second row. Why don’t we just take a seat—if the ticket holders arrive, then we’ll move. Come on.”

  “From Florida, America’s Arabian Nights—the finest Arab horses in the world…the finest horsemen…the Franklynn Brothers!!”

  No one stopped them. Louis and Helen now had a perfect view of the center ring. They took their seats. Helen leaned across to the couple sitting next to them and asked if she could borrow their program. Helen looked at it and passed it to Louis.

  “Ruda Kellerman is on last, just before the intermission.”

  Louis held the program at a slight angle so he could read it in the semidarkness. The half-light accentuated his high cheekbones.

  “The Bellinis! Please welcome—from Italy—Didi and Barbara Bellini…and their team of dogs!”

  Ruda was hurrying around the back of the tent when she saw Luis. She called out to him with a broad smile. “What a house, can you hear them?”

  He nodded. As they drew close, he could see her eyes were shining. “I can’t wait…I can’t wait, Luis! Tonight…I will be the most magnificent, the best…”

  She was walking so fast he almost had to jog to keep up with her. She pulled off her white gloves and flicked them at him.

  “You know what it means for me to have her here? For her to see me? You know, Luis, we used to make up stories and always, always, Luis, I would say: I am the lion tamer!”

  She hurried back to the artists’ enclosure, talking nonstop, unbuttoning her cuffs and the buttons on her shirt. Then she stopped and turned to him.

  “You made my dreams come true, Luis. Did you know that?”

  He had never seen her so happy. She seemed to dance as she hurried on, tossing the cloak to him. “You made my dream come true. I am here, Luis, and my sister is here. My heart, Luis, my heart is bursting!”

  “I love you, Ruda.”

  But she had moved on. With his arms weighed down by her heavy cloak, hat, and gloves, he couldn’t keep up with her. He trailed behind like a lackey, tripping, stumbling, and then he watched as Rebecca ran to Ruda. They embraced, Rebecca giving Ruda frantic childlike kisses.

  “Rebecca! Wait! Your husband was here looking for you with a woman, a doctor!”

  Rebecca stared wide-eyed at Grimaldi. She seemed terrified, but Ruda, impatient to change for the act, drew Rebecca toward the exit.

  “Did you hear what I said? I told them to meet us at the trailer…Ruda?”

  They ignored Grimaldi and ran out. He saw the attendant stop Ruda and point at Rebecca. No one was allowed to bring guests to the back of the arena unless they had a special pass. Ruda flung a protective arm around Rebecca’s shoulders and pushed the attendant out of her way. “She is not anybody, she is my sister!” she said.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Torsen flicked through the program and turned to Rieckert, pointing out when Ruda Kellerman was on. He then put his arm around Freda’s shoulders. She was laughing at the clowns who rushed around with a bucket filled with soap suds. The small clown, with his short legs and funny bowler hat, reminded Torsen of Kellerman. It could have been Kellerman—except he was dead and buried. As Torsen watched the diminutive figure tumble around the ring, all the facts he had been gathering began to gnaw at him. He was sure it was Ruda who had walked away from Kellerman’s hotel, Ruda who had worn his hat as a disguise. She had lied to him, not once, but many times. She was strong enough to have killed Kellerman. The question was, how in God’s name could he prove it?

  Everything going on in the ring became blurred as Torsen started to piece together the evidence he had accumulated to date against Ruda.

  “The wonders of the animal kingdom…Rahji the Elephant Man!”

  Grimaldi had provided Ruda with an alibi, but the young boy, Vernon, had said Grimaldi had been on one of his binges. What if he had been drunk on the evening of the murder? Would he have known what time she came or went? Had Grimaldi lied? And where were the boots?”

  “It’s the elephants next!” Rieckert shouted, his tie loose, his face flushed.

  Torsen grimaced to himself. They did not sleep in the same room. How could Grimaldi give his wife an alibi if he was drunk? Torsen remembered Ruda saying Grimaldi was snoring, that he had kept her awake! So obviously he had been sleeping. Could she—did she—leave the trailer, return…while Grimaldi slept?

  Freda clutched his arm as the elephants started to enter the ring. They were within touching distance. Rieckert shouted excitedly to Torsen: “I hope they don’t let the lions this close, eh?”

  An elephant’s trunk swung dangerously close to Torsen, and he pressed back in his seat—much to the delight of Rieckert, who shrieked with laughter. The animal gently placed his front feet on the ring rim: then swirled his massive trunk above their heads. They screeched and cowered as the elephan
t slowly turned back, and all eight elephants began to waltz.

  Freda suddenly sighed.

  “You okay? You weren’t afraid, were you?” Torsen asked.

  “It’s sad in a way, isn’t it? They are so wonderfully huge, and I don’t like to see them looking foolish, dancing. It’s not right.”

  At that moment a baby elephant began to perform what could possibly have been termed a pirouette. The crowd roared its delight. But Freda did not approve. Torsen liked her more and more. He leaned closer.

  “If I get rid of Rieckert, would you have dinner with me? Tonight, after the show?”

  She nodded, and his grip tightened. She rested her head on his shoulder and he didn’t think of Ruda anymore.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Helen was laughing, amused by the antics of the baby elephant. Louis turned to watch her. Her face was lovely, it was as if he had never really noticed it before this evening. He reached over and held her hand.

  “You know, I don’t think I have ever really said how much I appreciate your kindness, the way you have cared for Vebekka. You must think me a very…”

  Helen withdrew her hand. “I think you have been under tremendous stress. I understand, and I hope…”

  “I love her, Helen, I always have…I always will.”

  “Yes, I know.” Helen knew no one could take Vebekka’s place. He was a weak, delightful man. A charming man who had always found solace in women. Louis had turned to other women to survive. All Louis’s infidelities were really substitutions. His weakness was his inability to face reality; instead of seriously trying to help Vebekka, he had others assume that responsibility for him.

  “The fearless daredevil Dupres—from Paris, France…no safety net, ladies and gentlemen! The Flying Dupres defy death!”

  The main ring darkened as slim, white-clad figures climbed the ropes to the roof of the big tent. Louis watched a young beautiful boy expertly swing the trapeze backward and forward, his eyes on the catcher who dropped down, his arms free, his legs hooked over the bar of the swing. The swing picked up momentum. The boy sprang forward, flying through the air. The swings passed each other, high above the audience’s heads, and the crowd gasped as the boy performed a perfect triple somersault, the catcher reaching out with split-second timing to clasp his hands.

  Louis looked at Helen. “You know…that is how she makes me feel—that it’s up to me to catch her. I almost touch her hands, almost save her, but she slips away, she falls, each time. Helen…?”

  Helen put her hand on his. “We’ll find her. You’ll hold her, and maybe next time she won’t tall, if she feels you are strong enough.”

  “Do you think this Ruda Kellerman is really her sister : It would be an extraordinary coincidence, wouldn’t it? That she should be here in Berlin?”

  Helen edged closer, whispering: “You know. Rebecca kept on saving. ‘It’s close, it’s very close.’ What if ‘it’ meant her sister was close? I mean if they are twins, then maybe it is likely there is some kind of telepathy between them. She sensed her sister was nearby, but because of what had been done to her, she couldn’t bring to the conscious level the fact that she had a sister, and that she might be alive.”

  Louis gasped along with the crowd as a trapeze artist slipped. But it was a very carefully rehearsed mistake. The tent was silent as the artists prepared for a dangerous jump: springing from the swing onto a high wire in the darkness, a wire not visible to the audience. The man seemed to fly downward and then swung his body around the taut high wire, twelve feet below.

  While watching the high-wire act. Helen tried to remember something Rebecca had said. Suddenly she felt her palms begin to sweat. She recalled the incident at the circus in Monaco. Rebecca had attempted to get into the ring—could she have done this because of a telepathic connection to her sister : Helen leaned against Louis.

  “Louis, the time Rebecca attacked the circus clown…maybe Ruda Kellerman was with the circus then. Louis?”

  But Louis was lost in his own thoughts.

  “I wasn’t there for her. Helen. I should have found out more about her past, cared more. Now I feel as if I have a second chance.

  I hope I am not too late.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Rebecca helped Ruda into her costume, and then changed into trousers and boots herself, and put on one of the boys’ red jackets

  “Now you don’t have to stay by the entrance, you can come right into the ring! Stand outside the cages. Luis will look after you, won’t you?* 1

  Luis was not happy about it. He said that Rebecca would be in the way and besides it was dangerous; she might distract Ruda. Ruda dismissed his fears with a wave of her hand. “Nonsense. You take her in, she’ll stand by you and then you take care of her.”

  He shrugged reluctantly.

  “But you must go now. I’ll take care of Rebecca. Please, you haven’t been near the cages.”

  Ruda nodded, then took Rebecca’s hand. “We’re ready!”

  Grimaldi stood beside Rebecca as Ruda went over to the boys. At last she seemed to be concentrating as she checked the props and cages. She gave a signal for the boys to start stacking the tunnel sections to the entrance. Two more acts and they were on.

  Ruda moved from cage to cage. She had changed into tight white trousers, black shiny boots, and a white frilled Russian-style shirt. The simplicity of her costume made her look smaller and more vulnerable. She carried only a short stick. Rebecca stepped forward to follow Ruda, but Grimaldi held her back firmly. “No, no, you must leave her alone now. This is very important, she must get ready.”

  “Yes, of course!”

  Ruda started pacing. Twice she stopped and looked over at Rebecca. She smiled, then asked the boys if the fire hoop was set up, the pedestals stacked. Back to her old self, she went over every detail. Grimaldi felt relieved.

  Mike stood by the mass of stacked railings; four circus hands waited for the signal to spring into action. There would be two sets of clowns and jugglers covering the mounting of the cages in the central ring. The main ring would be in darkness as the safety barrier was erected.

  Red light on. Mike looked to Vernon. “Stand by…Okay boys, stand by, we got the red light. Red light, Mr. Grimaldi.”

  “Two minutes for Kellerman’s act. Stand by, you have red light…GO GREEN, MISS KELLERMAN, PLEASE STAND BY.”

  Luis looked at Rebecca. She was shaking; he patted her shoulder.

  “When the red light comes on over there, that is our cue to go into the ring. We go in first, then Ruda will get her own red and green light.”

  In the darkened ring the cages were brought into position, the tunnel erected. The first cage was placed by the trapdoor of the tunnel.

  Mike checked the trapdoor and used his walkie-talkie. “Cages in position for tunnel, over…”

  “Ladies and gentlemen! Schmidt’s is proud to announce for your entertainment tonight, the most famous, the most daring wild animal act in the world. Please remain in your seats. Do not attempt to move from the ringside anywhere near the barriers. Please do not move down the aisles during this act. Any one of these wild animals can kill, please remain seated…Any movement outside the barriers can distract the animals, can endanger their trainer.”

  The crowd murmured. The excitement became palpable as the orchestra began a slow drumbeat.

  Grimaldi got the green light to enter the ring. He picked up his rifle and beckoned for Rebecca to follow. She kept close as he entered the darkened arena, making his way carefully to the far edge of the barrier to take up his “watching” position.

  Vernon was already in place opposite Grimaldi, and he lifted his radio set piece. “In position, Grimaldi on the far side with the woman. Eh! Looks like he’s got a bloody rifle!”

  Mike kept his eyes on Ruda as she paced up and down. He lifted the radio. “He’s just showing off, Vern. Okay, we got the red! Stand by for green!”

  Ruda pulled on her leather
gloves.

  “Ladies and gentlemen…Ruda Kellerman!”

  “GREEN GO! GREEN GO!”

  Vernon withdrew the bolts from the trapdoor leading from the tunnel into the darkened ring. Ruda made her way in the dark toward the open trap from ring to tunnel. She backed into the tunnel, exactly ten paces.

  “She’s in position, over!”

  Vernon heard Mike tell him the cats were released. Bang! Up came the central spotlight, pinpointing Ruda Kellerman running from the tunnel into the center of the ring, while close on her heels came Roja, followed by fifteen more tigers. The crowd murmured. It looked as if the tigers were chasing Ruda into the ring.

  The act began. Rieckert gasped: “Holy shit!”

  Helen gripped Louis’ arm. “My God…look at her, look at her face!”

  Louis half rose out of his seat: Ruda could have been Rebecca. Stunned, he couldn’t catch his breath.

  “My God, they’re almost identical!”

  Torsen released his arm from around Freda, and stared in astonishment. There she was, surrounded by a mass of cats, so close they seemed to brush against her legs.

  Ruda was in full control as she issued commands. In perfect coordination the cats kept up the tight, circular movement.

  “Good Roja…Roja good…ROJA BREAK!”

  The massive tiger broke to his right. Now the sixteen animals formed two circles as Ruda backed to the barrier and picked up the reinforced ladder. The spotlight spilled over to the barrier, momentarily shining on Grimaldi and Rebecca. Helen stood up. “She’s at the side of the ring, Louis. I saw her!”

  The man behind Helen pulled on her jacket and told her to sit down. But Louis had seen too. White-faced, he turned to Helen.

  “I saw her, too. She’s with Grimaldi.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Torsen was on the edge of his seat. He leaned across to Rieckert. “Did you see her? The woman across the ring, on the opposite side?”

  Freda turned to Torsen. “What did you say?”

  Torsen stared into the ring, and then gasped. “My God! Look what she’s doing!”