I pointed toward the “no refunds” sign and shook my head. “No can do. You knew that coming in.”
“But … you’re a fraud,” Frankie spat. “You didn’t tell me what I wanted to hear.”
“That’s not my job,” I shot back. “I told you the truth. What you choose to do with it is up to you.”
“But … .”
“I would take the opportunity to go,” Kade ordered, taking a purposeful step forward. “You heard her.”
Frankie swallowed hard at the sight of Kade’s flexing muscles and finally shuffled toward the tent flap. “You’re a charlatan.”
I pursed my lips to keep from laughing. “Go with God, Frankie.” I waited until I was sure he was out of earshot before turning my attention to Kade. “Did you race in here to save me?”
“I … thought you might be in trouble,” Kade admitted, stretching his fingers and staring at his hands. “I was listening outside and heard things go south. I was simply watching out for you.”
“Well, thanks,” I said brightly, enjoying the annoyed look on Kade’s face. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
“You had everything under control. You didn’t need me.”
“That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the effort,” I countered. “I might be able to take care of myself, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready for you to relinquish the job.”
Kade’s smile was sheepish. “If you’re trying to prove that you listen when I talk, I get it.”
“I don’t know what I’m trying to prove,” I said, stretching in the chair. “I’m just … .” I didn’t get a chance to finish, instead snapping my head to the right when my mind brushed against something familiar.
Kade must’ve recognized the action, because he immediately moved in that direction. “What is it?”
Instead of some terrible monster or angry man-child, the face revealed when the tent flap shifted to the left was angelic. The boy smiled when he saw me, offering a wave as he gripped a woman’s hand tighter.
“Joshua,” I murmured, matching his smile before turning to the two people flanking him. The man and woman were young – not quite thirty – and their expressions were unreadable as they stared in my direction. “Welcome to my parlor.”
“I’M BARB Gilmore.” The woman appeared nervous as she shifted from one foot to the other, Joshua’s hand clenched tightly in hers as she scanned the tent. “This is Joshua. I believe you’re the one who found him yesterday.”
“Of course.” I flashed a bright smile. “It’s not often that a handsome young man walks into my world. When it happens I file the memory away to cherish forever.”
Joshua’s grin was shy as he locked gazes with me. “You found me.”
“You found us,” I corrected, gesturing toward the chairs. “Do you want to take a seat?”
“Sure.” Barb was understandably nervous as she settled in the nearest chair. Her husband – or at least the man I assumed was her husband – seemed uncertain but did the same, tugging Joshua on his lap to keep the boy close. “This is Tim. He’s Joshua’s father.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I offered, resting my hands on the table. “I’m glad to see you made it home, Joshua. Are you feeling better?”
Joshua didn’t speak, but he did nod, his almond-shaped eyes going wide as he tentatively touched the tablecloth.
“We had a rough day yesterday,” Barb supplied. “It was a wonderful day, but rough all the same.”
“I’m glad he’s home.”
“We understand that you found him,” Tim interjected. “The police didn’t tell us much … only that you saw him wandering through the field and went to him. We’d like more information.”
I maintained my calm demeanor even as I sensed the recrimination in Tim’s words. “I’m not sure what you want me to say,” I hedged. “We were preparing breakfast close to the trailers where we sleep at night when I looked toward the field and saw Joshua.
“We didn’t want to frighten him, so Mr. Denton and I headed in his direction,” I continued. “I tried to get him to talk, but he got upset. I picked him up, carried him back to the picnic tables and held him while we called the police. Then we waited.”
“That’s it?” Tim didn’t look convinced.
“That’s it,” I confirmed. “We tried to get him to eat. His skin was really cold and he was unnaturally pale. He wasn’t interested in eating, though. I didn’t know what else to do besides wait.”
“I don’t know that I would’ve done anything different in your position,” Barb offered. “It must’ve been surprising to you. Did you know he was missing?”
“We heard when we were in the hardware store the previous day,” Kade answered. “We needed supplies and heard some women talking about the situation.”
Tim’s eyebrows rose. “Didn’t the police question you after he went missing?”
Kade shook his head. “No. No one came to visit us. It was a normal prep day.” He left out the part where we suspected that whoever took Joshua from his room tried for me first. That probably would’ve done more harm than good.
“The police told us they were going to question you,” Tim mused. “They seemed to regard you as suspects.”
“Because we’re new?” I asked.
“Because you’re circus folk.” Tim answered without hesitation, as if testing to see how I would respond.
“Tim.” Barb’s voice was low and full of warning. “These people saved our son. What are you doing?”
“I’m merely talking to them,” Tim replied, squeezing her hand before returning his attention to me. “I don’t want to be mean or accuse you of anything. My son is alive, but you have to see this from our point of view. We were terrified and didn’t know if we’d ever see our son again.”
“And what is your point of view?” Kade challenged, annoyance bubbling close to the surface and threatening to displace his calm veneer.
“Our son was safe and asleep in his bed until someone crawled through the window and took him,” Tim answered. “We never had problems in this area until you people showed up.”
“You people?” Kade didn’t bother to hide his displeasure with the term. “What kind of people are we?”
“Strangers.”
“Well, I guess next time we’ll ignore the kid in the field and go on about our day,” Kade muttered.
“Kade.” I offered him a firm headshake. I understood where the young parents were coming from, and even though I didn’t like being a suspect I could hardly fault them for their concern. “We didn’t take your son, Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore. I’m not sure what motivation you think we have – other than being different – but it hardly seems a logical choice because we’re the outsiders in your community.
“Wouldn’t it be stupid to arrive in a town and immediately steal a kid?” I continued. “Even if we had a reason – which we don’t – opening ourselves up for scrutiny of that nature hardly seems conducive to a profitable business endeavor. If we were stealing children in the night, wouldn’t it make sense to shop for one in an area that didn’t abut our backyard?”
“I … didn’t really think about that,” Tim admitted. “I need you to understand that we’re very grateful for our son’s safe return. Something terrible could’ve happened to him.”
I pictured the cabin, the shackles attached to the bed frame, but kept my expression neutral. Something terrible happened to Joshua. I was certain of that. It could’ve been much worse, though. “We’re glad he’s home where he belongs.”
“We just wanted to come and thank you,” Barb offered. “I don’t know what we would’ve done if we didn’t get him back.”
“Yes, well … .” Something occurred to me and I focused on Joshua. “I’m guessing he hasn’t told you what happened. If he did, you wouldn’t still be suspicious of us.”
Tim balked. “He says he doesn’t remember anything.”
That was probably for the better. Perhaps whatever Joshua saw in that shack was too terrible
for his mind to comprehend. “Well, at least he’s home.” I flashed another smile and then dug in the chest next to my table. “I’m not sure what your plans are, but please take these free game coupons and tickets to the big show. I understand that may be the last thing on your minds but … well … here.”
Barb accepted the gift with a smile. “Thank you so much. I’m not sure we’ll use them, but we appreciate the gesture.”
“You’re welcome. The fact that your family is whole is thanks enough for us.” I meant every word and smiled as I watched the small family depart, Joshua casting one final look over his shoulder as I waved goodbye.
Kade remained by the door, his expression thoughtful as he shifted his contemplative eyes in my direction. “You handled them well.”
“It’s been known to happen. I’m not always an idiot when it comes to other people’s feelings.”
Kade smirked. “I need to do another loop around the fairgrounds. Are you okay here?”
“I’m fine.”
Kade opened his mouth to say something, but I realized what it was and cut him off. “This time I really mean that I’m fine.”
Kade smirked. “Good. I’ll be back around to check on you later. Try not to beat the crap out of any other guests if you can help it. That might reflect poorly in our Yelp reviews.”
I smirked. “No promises. I’ll see you later.”
“You definitely will.”
18
Eighteen
I shut down my tent shortly before seven. I saw steady if unspectacular business throughout the day, although I didn’t exactly tear up the profit charts. I decided to take a walk through the grounds to see how things were going. The midway was my first stop.
Mark, a dour expression on his face, rested his hip against the back of one of the ticket booths and watched the bustling activity.
“What’s your problem?” I asked, moving to his side. “Things don’t look nearly as dire as you predicted. Business looks nice and steady.”
“I guess you don’t see everything despite your mental edge over us common folk,” Mark groused. “Most of these people are playing kiddie games.”
“So?”
“So we make the bulk of our money off drunk adults who keep throwing dollars at the barkers so they can win prizes,” Mark replied. “We’re not going to clear half of what we would at another venue.”
I didn’t want to agree with him – mostly on principle, mind you – but I couldn’t help but wonder if he was right. “Yeah, my tent wasn’t nearly as popular as it is in other parts of the country. I think it’s normal to see fluctuations – I’m the most popular attraction in places like Las Vegas and New Orleans – but I think people are frightened of us here.”
Mark lifted an eyebrow, intrigued. He was a mortal man – at least to my knowledge – but he was well aware of our magical hijinks. He opted to keep his nose out of them when at all possible, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious. “Because they know what you are?”
“Because a boy went missing and we found him and they’re worried that we generally spend all of our time worshipping the Devil and fornicating,” I replied. “This is a religious area. We need to be mindful of that.”
“Yes, well, I would rather be mindful of money,” Mark muttered. “What about you? Are you religious?”
It was an odd question, one I wasn’t keen to discuss … especially with him. “I believe there’s something else out there, if that’s what you’re asking. I don’t think faith in one thing is important. I think overall faith is key. Keeping your mind open to new possibilities has always worked for me.”
“I always keep my mind open to the possibility of more money.”
I offered him a disgusted look before shifting to put some distance between us. Even when he wasn’t trying to be oily the filth from his personality had a tendency to make me want to shower. “Either way, I guess this will be our first and last visit here. It never hurts to try something new. If it was a mistake, I can promise we won’t repeat it.”
“Oh, I totally agree,” Mark said. “About trying something new, I mean. That’s why I haven’t ruled out romancing you yet.”
Yup. Now I definitely needed a shower. “That’s one new thing I’ll never try,” I warned, wagging a finger. “Don’t be gross.”
“I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
Mark waggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, causing my stomach to flip. Thankfully, another familiar face moved to my right and I had something else to focus on. Who would’ve thought I would be excited to see a police officer?
“Officer Ashburn.”
“Detective.” He offered me a smile even though I didn’t miss the annoyance lurking behind his eyes. Status was important to him. I knew that before I let myself into his mind for a brief tour this afternoon.
“Detective,” I corrected after a beat, tilting my head to the side. Kade warned that the police would be here to spy on us. I thought they would strictly work in an undercover capacity. Apparently Ashburn intended to be more overt. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
Once he realized Ashburn was a police officer, Mark couldn’t slink away fast enough. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smirking at the furtive glances he lobbed in Ashburn’s direction before disappearing in the direction of his beloved games.
“It’s an interesting place,” Ashburn replied, choosing his words carefully.
“Is this your first visit to a circus?”
“I attended one when I was a child,” he replied. “It was different, though. Of course, that could merely be my mind playing tricks on me. I believe I was about seven at the time. Memories change once you’re older and have perspective.”
“I’m sure that’s true. Are you investigating anything specific?”
Ashburn arched an eyebrow, amused. “You’re pretty bold, huh? You don’t even want to fake pleasantries before going for my jugular.”
“I have no interest in your jugular or faked pleasantries,” I supplied. “I was merely asking a question. We knew you would come. Honestly, though, we expected undercover efforts – like that gentleman over there – rather than a forward assault.”
I enjoyed the look on Ashburn’s face when he turned and locked gazes with one of his officers. The man in question looked surprised when I pointed at him, but Ashburn merely waved him off before focusing his attention on me. “How did you know?”
“I could supply you with a bevy of answers to that question, but I’m not sure any of them would suffice,” I replied. “We’re not idiots. And that guy has spent the past twenty minutes pretending to sip a bottle of water while he’s really been watching us.
“Most people here would consider us a curiosity but end up entranced by the lights, animals and show,” I continued. “He’s never focused on anything but the workers … and he occasionally jots down something in a notebook that he carries in his pocket.”
Ashburn pursed his lips. “You know how to spot an undercover agent. Is that because you’re really psychic or that you’ve been taught to recognize the signs so you can better protect yourself?”
If Ashburn was bothered by the fact that I called out his officer, he didn’t show it. I couldn’t help but muster a bit of grudging respect for him. “Perhaps it’s a bit of both,” I answered. “I understand you don’t believe in psychics. Half of my clientele says that. It’s fine. I’m used to it. As for the other … I’ve learned to read people over the years. It’s another sort of … gift.”
Ashburn chuckled, although the sound was hollow. “Did you learn that gift when you were picking pockets in Detroit?”
“Do you expect me to act surprised because you ran my name through law enforcement search engines?” I challenged. “I knew that would happen once you visited us yesterday. You’re convinced we had something to do with Joshua Gilmore’s abduction.”
“Can you blame me?”
I shrugged. “I can see why we make intriguing suspects
, but the logic associated with that doesn’t hold together for more than a cursory inspection. What would we possibly have to gain by abducting a child?”
“You’d be surprised,” Ashburn replied. “People have strange appetites when it comes to children. I don’t understand any of that. That doesn’t mean it’s out of the realm of possibility.”
He had a point. Still … . “If we were abducting children for that purpose we’d leave a string of missing children reports in our wake,” I pointed out. “Child predators can’t control their urges. Have you found anything of the sort in our background checks?”
“No, but there are a few missing persons along the way.”
“I’m sure that we make convenient targets for law enforcement agencies whenever they have a missing person,” I said smoothly. In truth, we were responsible for any number of missing persons. Nixie turned the evil ones into dolls, which she promptly sold for a profit. Others ended up dead and burned or discarded in other ways. There was obviously no way I could explain that, so I ignored it. “Do you worry that you’re missing out on another suspect because you’re focusing on us?”
“That’s cute,” Ashburn said. “You’re very good at deflecting.”
“That wasn’t deflection. If I intended to deflect you I would do it without you realizing what was happening. It was an honest question.”
“It doesn’t feel that way to me.”
“And yet, in truth, we have no motive for child abduction and we would have to be idiots to even try so close to our home base,” I offered. “If we were abducting children it would make more sense to drive several towns over to do it.”
“I can see you’ve given this some thought.”
“I have,” I confirmed, gritting my teeth as I worked overtime to tamp down my irritation. “Joshua was scared and traumatized when we found him. You may think we’re weird … or closed off … or even secretive. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to help.”
“Is that why you wandered into the woods with Luke Bishop and Kade Denton yesterday? Were you trying to help?”
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