Gauntlet of Fear

by David Cargill

  ‘Come on, Giles. You saw something in that trailer today that you’re not disclosing to anyone. Am I right?’

  ‘Not quite, Laura. I am about to disclose it here and now and you are to be the first to know.’

  ‘And…? Well don’t keep me in suspense, Giles.’

  ‘I noticed something in there as you suggest. I’m not yet sure of the significance of what I saw but there was something quite meaningful…on the Dead Man’s Chest!’

  By noon, on the following day, the trailer belonging to the circus boss was restored to its former elegance. The police surgeon and photographer had made their examination and taken details at the scene of the crime, the body of Sebastian Capuzzo had been removed for a pathologist’s report. The door and window had been repaired and all traces of the macabre killing had been wiped clean.

  The subdued atmosphere among the Tropicana crew was now tempered with the attitude that, in a few days time, everyone would be required to produce quality acts before a capacity audience. Rehearsals were now at a critical stage and circus life was always going to be one step away from tragedy, despite the many triumphs attained during each season.

  Wandering around the various trials Giles was able to let Laura have a good look at the quality which would appear before a York public in less than a week.

  The understudy ringmaster was a South African by the name of Mark Kimberley. It didn’t take Giles long to discard him as a possible addition to Ramon’s list of suspects as he was on holiday when the first set of incidents occurred.

  Spotting the colourful booth of Madame Zigana, Giles coaxed Laura to accompany him to meet the fortune-teller extraordinaire who had correctly forecast the winning horse in the recently run Grand National.

  ‘Good day, Giles, and I’m best pleased to renew acquaintance with your lovely fiancée.’

  ‘Likewise, Madame Zigana.’ said Laura, returning the compliment. ‘Giles told me that you are always extremely diligent in doing your homework.’

  ‘That’s very true, Miss Ramsden.’

  ‘Please call me Laura. I’d prefer that.’

  ‘Thank you, Laura. I would be so glad if you would do the same and call me Eva. After all we put one over on the boys at Aintree, did we not?’

  ‘That was certainly the case though I’m not convinced that success was due entirely to homework. Have you, by any chance, done any research about the city of York?’

  ‘To be honest with you I do not have to look into my crystal ball to let you both know that this vast area, known as the Knavesmire, was also home to the Tyburn where the Three-Legged-Mare was situated.’

  ‘The Three-Legged-Mare?’ The puzzled expression on his face was enough to suggest that Giles had never heard of the name.

  ‘It is a little piece of York history that, as a historian, you will undoubtedly welcome with some degree of satisfaction. The Three-Legged-Mare was the title given to the gallows at Tyburn. It was where Dick Turpin the highwayman was hanged for horse theft. The gallows was removed over one hundred and fifty years ago but now we’ve had another execution close to the same spot.’

  ‘But not for horse stealing, Eva,’ Giles tilted his head as he spoke. ‘I can assure you of that. But if you accumulate anything more that might be of use to us please don’t hesitate to get in touch.’

  ‘There is just one thing, Giles.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Something I mentioned to you before. You have been followed for some time now and you will continue to be followed. You must be on your guard! Someone in this circus is out to silence you. You really have to be very careful where you go especially at night. The city of York has a maze of narrow streets where, under darkness, you would be vulnerable to attack if you should venture there.’

  ‘I will take your warning to heart, Eva. I’ll bear everything in mind. Now we must go and take another peep at Ingrid’s Wheel of Death.’

  On entering the large tented area they were just in the nick of time to catch the start of the knife-throwing rehearsal. It was the first time Laura had seen a knife-thrower at work and she watched the rehearsal enthralled. When the practice was over Giles suggested they drive back to the city centre and find somewhere for a cup of tea.

  They discovered a tea room in St Helen’s Square. It was Betty’s Tea Room. Inside it wasn’t long before a neatly-attired waitress took their order and informed them that Betty’s Tea Rooms were world famous in North Yorkshire. The décor having been inspired by the ocean liner, Queen Mary, after the person who established the tea rooms sailed on the ship in 1936.

  As they sipped their Russian tea amid the elegance of this unique establishment, Giles decided to seek out some information from Laura.

  ‘Was there anything in particular that made a special impression on you when you watched Ingrid throwing her knives?’

  It took a little time for Laura to answer. When she did, the answer came partly as a question. ‘I was expecting to see Ingrid throwing at a man but with the necessary accuracy to avoid hitting him. But she was alone and the person on the rotating wheel was a dummy. Is that how she will do the act before an audience?’

  ‘No, Laura. The dummy is only occasionally used when there is a danger of the act going wrong and Ingrid was still a bit upset after the ordeal yesterday when she discovered that Sebastian had been murdered.’

  ‘She didn’t appear to be too upset though and she performed her act without hitting the dummy target.’

  ‘She is that proficient, Laura. She is one of the world’s best knife-throwers if not the best. Her father taught her at an early age. Did anything else impress you?’

  ‘Yes there was something else.. Apart from the accuracy and strength of her throwing arm…she threw with her right arm.’ Laura put a hand up to her mouth before she continued. ‘Ingrid was right-handed.’

  ‘And…?’ said an inquisitive Giles.

  ‘It was Ingrid’s left arm I treated for cuts after she pushed her arm through the broken window.’

  ‘Which probably means?’

  ‘It means it is unlikely that she threw the Lalique mascot that killed Sebastian.’

  ‘Good girl. Well spotted! It wasn’t Ingrid unless she is equally proficient with her left arm as she is with her right. But if it wasn’t Ingrid…who was it? Or what was it?’

  ‘What do we do now?’

  ‘I think a visit to the Pathology Department at York County Hospital in Monkgate is called for. We may discover if the post-mortem has been carried out and whether it clarifies the mysterious death of Ringmaster Sebastian Capuzzo.’

  The hospital staff were courteous to a fault when Giles and Laura asked to see the pathologist. The senior member of the team, Sir Lionel Spencer, made it crystal clear that every post-mortem differed depending on the circumstances and this one would take some time for conclusions to be reached.

  ‘The peculiar scenario in which the death took place is going to complicate things, Professor Dawson. From details given by the police surgeon and the Inspector who visited the crime scene the man obviously died in a room which was effectively sealed apart from a broken pane of glass. There wasn’t a great deal of blood from the wound caused by the object that pierced his throat which may suggest that he was dead before being impaled. There is some evidence that suggests that he may have died by injection or inhalation of some deadly substance.’

  ‘Is that possible?’

  ‘Yes, his colour may be the result of some agent entering the body in a sufficient dosage to cause death. But, if so, why was he stabbed when there was no need to go to such elaborate detail?’

  ‘In your opinion, could the Lalique car mascot have been thrown from the broken window or fired, in some way, using a gun or crossbow device?’

  ‘Why do you ask?’

  ‘Well, if the man was already dead, might the killer have used the car mascot in order to try and implicate someone else?

  ‘You mean someone in the circus renowned for throwing?’

 
‘Yes. Why not?’

  ‘If the man was already dead, how would the criminal know this when all the windows were locked and the curtains closed? And if the person was not dead the breaking of the glass would surely have alerted the victim who would then have taken evasive action.’

  ‘Exactly my own thoughts, Sir. Thank you for providing me with some of the answers I required.’

  ‘I’m not entirely sure I’m on the same wavelength as you are, Professor. I cannot see how I have answered your questions when I don’t yet know if I have answered them myself.’

  ‘You mentioned earlier that there was some indication that the dead man might have inhaled some sleep inducing agent before he died.’

  ‘Yes! But how was that possible? He might have smoked something before entering the trailer. But then again, the killer would not have dared breaking the glass for fear of warning the victim in advance. There was, apparently, no evidence that the man smoked after he was inside, and if he had taken a contaminated cigarette or cigar the remains of such would surely have been found. The death was a complex one, Professor. The throwing of such an implement was difficult enough even if the man was asleep. If he was awake it would have been impossible; the breaking of the glass making it more so. At the moment we’re stumped, Professor Dawson. We’ll provide you and the police with all the details at our disposal, as and when we have them. I’m sure you’ll work things out in due course, though I wonder if you have considered the possibility that someone or something entered the trailer and plunged…? Need I say more?’

  ‘What was all that about, Giles?’ Laura questioned him, as they got into the car, before heading back to the circus encampment.’

  ‘It’s exactly as I knew it would be. Despite all the skill of the medical team they are at a distinct disadvantage if they do not have all the evidence. They can only go so far and the answers they seek can only be attained if the facts are revealed.’

  ‘I do believe, Giles that you know a lot more than you are prepared to divulge. I have an uncanny feeling that you either have all the facts or that you can put all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together to make a calculated guess. Am I right?’

  ‘You’ve always said you could read me like a book. Draw your own conclusion, my dearest.’

  ‘Since childhood, you and I have collaborated in the solving of enigmatic puzzles and I have every reason to believe that you have more than a shrewd idea of how this evil deed was done. Count me in, squire. We work well as a team.’

  Chapter 19

  YOU MAY BE NEXT, PROFESSOR!

  Several large circus trucks were arriving at the Knavesmire when Laura drove her car into the large area in the centre of the racecourse.

  The circus boss was supervising the arrival of the wagons when Giles got out of the car to speak to him.

  ‘We have just been along to the District Hospital and had a word with the Pathologist.’

  ‘Has the hospital come up with any results?’

  ‘Early days yet, I’m afraid. They are just as baffled as we are.’

  ‘I still think you are the one to sort all this out. I believe I can still count on you.’

  ‘I have not the slightest doubt about that.’

  ‘When you do, you will have earned the bonus I have lined up for you. Now let me introduce you to a new and original bonus for our great circus.’

  ‘Would that be something brought here in those wagons?’ Giles asked as he nodded towards the men unloading the trucks.

  ‘Yes indeed! What you see is the necessary equipment, but the real bonus is the lady who will be using it…and she is not in the wagons. Come, let me introduce her to you.’

  They followed Ramon to a gaily coloured trailer where an attractive young dark-haired woman was busy doing some warm-up exercises. She turned when the group approached and her radiant smile was a welcoming signal that impressed Giles.

  ‘Miss Sirpes, allow me to introduce Professor Giles Dawson and his fiancée Miss Laura Ramsden. Giles is the historian of illusion and magic who has been of enormous assistance in bringing the craft of stage magic into the circus ring.’

  ‘Delighted to meet you, Miss…?’

  ‘Sirpes, Giles but please call me Gayle.’

  Giles took her hand which he kissed gently. ‘Now am I expected to guess what role you are about to play in this talented show?’

  ‘You mean, of course like a piece of mentalism or mind magic,’ the circus boss suggested, his tone hinting that even a mentalist would have great difficulty in providing a suitable description of this gorgeous woman’s athletic prowess. ‘Remember you were unable to guess correctly the art of another of our female performers.’

  ‘That is true. And I expect to be equally astonished when you explain what Gayle does in a circus such as this.’

  ‘Gayle is going to work on a swaying pole high above the circus ring. An act, I believe, that was first devised by the Chinese. It has now been transformed by this young woman who will perform a multitude of daring balances on the pole in conjunction with the trapeze and without a safety net. When you see her perform later this evening, I promise you that, as a historian of magic, you will have to suspend disbelief.’

  The eagerly-awaited performance on the swaying pole was about to be witnessed by a large number of the circus crew,

  as Giles and Laura took their seats close to the ringside. The hushed buzz of anticipation was unmistakable as they sat down and raised their heads to look skywards. The slender pole, which was securely anchored in the centre of the ring, appeared to reach almost to the topmost part of the circus tent and there was no visible means of ascending the structure.

  The sudden applause which heralded the appearance of the young woman Giles and Laura had been introduced to earlier that afternoon, brought everyone’s attention to the stunning girl who now stood in the centre of the ring.

  She was attired in a floor length glittering cape and when she disrobed her fantastic figure was clothed in an alluring body-hugging leotard which complimented her curvaceous torso. Her lustrous Prussian blue costume, her dark hair, tied back, allied with her golden skin, lit by the circus lighting, made a sensational spectacle.

  After stepping on to a mat at the foot of the pole she slipped off her dainty footwear and, with not the slightest hesitation, started to climb the pole using hands and bare feet. Without so much as a pause or stumble she ascended and the higher she went the more the pole began to sway at the top. She moved upwards like a tree-climbing female panther but with the poise of a ballerina.

  Whenever she stopped she moved around the pole and, with arms and legs, presented balletic postures that were graceful to watch. At times she let go with hands and arms using only her legs to maintain her grip on the pole, and on several occasions she slipped downwards to suddenly stop using only the power of her legs.

  The seemingly effortless movement around a swaying pole and the numerous artistic postures brought admiring gasps from an audience used to watching death-defying aerialists. As the moments ticked by a trapeze was brought into action and made to gently swing towards the pole.

  The astonishing 180 degree turn as Gayle left the pole and grasped the bar of the trapeze followed by another turn to leave the swinging trapeze and finally clutch the pole brought spontaneous applause from those watching with bated breath. Gayle made a theatrical gesture of thanks as she steadied herself on the upright pole, but she wasn’t finished.

  She climbed upwards to the top of the pole which was now starting to sway quite a bit more. At the top there was a small round platform and, gripping that with her hands, she gently eased herself into a handstand and, placing her raven-haired head on the platform, removed her hands and maintained a headstand. With her legs and feet stretched skywards and arms outwards for balance she allowed her body to move from side to side to counteract the swaying of the pole.

  Remaining in that position for almost thirty seconds before returning to the vertical again, she did a theatrical bow
to her audience, before starting her downward descent to an ear-splitting clapping of hands from a circus group who knew they had another wonderful act to amaze the public.

  Gayle was helped into her robe and disappeared to her trailer. Ramon approached Giles who could only shake his head when the circus supremo asked ‘Well, what do you think?’

  ‘You have another winner there,’ Giles said as he watched the circus crew removing the pole. ‘And without a safety net! Extraordinary and quite exceptional.’

  ‘My arms and legs ache as if I’d gone through that routine,’ added Laura. ‘Gayle must be exhausted.’

  ‘Yes,’ said a beaming circus proprietor. ‘And she may have to do that twice each day when our season starts next week.’

  It was pitch dark outside the old coach house inn while Giles and Laura were deep in conversation in the cosy little lounge.

  ‘What thoughts do you have after watching that incredible performance this evening, Laura?’

  ‘It was an accident waiting to happen,’ Laura declared, her voice demonstrating her obvious concern. ‘It really wouldn’t take a lot to create some demonic alteration in the safety devices at this circus which could cause that young woman to fall.’

  ‘That is a good assessment of the situation, my love, The ground is hard and a long way down from the top of that pole and, without a safety net…death is almost inevitable!’

  ‘Someone in that circus will consider this a golden opportunity to make Senhor Mordomo give up control.’ Laura added, shaking her head

  ‘You may well be right, darling, and one more fatality could be disastrous.’

  ‘And another female, particularly a star like Gayle, may be more than enough, Giles.’

  Getting to his feet Giles crossed to the window and looked outside. Rubbing his hands he turned to Laura. ‘If you will put your warm coat on and accompany me I think we should go to the narrow streets of this great city and enjoy a leisurely, but captivating, ghost walk.’