His thoughts were engaged in how this narrow medieval street, the only street in the city to be named in the Domesday Book, got its title. His thoughts were miles away in a different age when there was a very slight rustle from one side, followed immediately by a thump that hit him high up on the back of his neck. As he staggered on unsteady legs he caught a vague glimpse of a cloaked figure disappearing out of sight. He put a hand up to his coat collar where he could feel something hard embedded in the material. His legs felt weak and he was on the point of sitting down when the assistance of two welcome friends helped him to recover. They guided him to a part of the city where they were able to assess what damage, if any, had been done.
It was Freddie, with the aid of his scarf, who extracted the object which was sticking out of Giles’ coat collar. When they reached a point where there was better lighting all three could recognise what the object was. It was a dart, and the kind of dart which could be projected via a blowpipe. The invisible executioner had been at work again, but thanks to an overcoat the assassin had failed. Or had he? Was it just another shot warning Giles to back off?
Chapter 21
THE THREE-LEGGED MARE
The morning after the escapade in the shadows of The Shambles Giles was loathe to rise early and spent an extra hour in bed.
Laura brought a light breakfast up to him and, as he munched a piece of wholemeal toast swallowed down with hot tea, she tried to remonstrate with him about the folly of his ways in putting himself at risk…especially with a person who refused to offer identity.
‘You might have been killed, Giles. You must admit you gained nothing by accepting that assignation.’
‘On the contrary, darling,’ asserted Giles as he seemed to come out of his cocoon-like mood. ‘I don’t think I was the intended target last night. That, I believe, was a warning shot across my bows and, strangely enough, that confirmed what I suspected. If someone had wished me dead last night it would have happened in The Shambles.’
‘How can you say that, Giles?’
‘It was one more warning to make me give up the chase and, my dear, I have no intention of doing that.’
‘But don’t you think you may be out of your depth compared to those in this circus. You could be up against more than one, Giles, and in racing parlance you are still in the novice class and could be handicapped out of any chance of success.’
‘You are perfectly right to criticise my actions, Laura, but last night assured me I’m simply up against one person. And that person is beginning to realise that the net is closing.’
‘So what do we do now?’
‘We must be diligent. Keep our eyes open for any sign of an accident which the public might accept as a piece of misfortune in a circus act that constantly attempts to defy death, but which has probably been caused deliberately by the person on that list.’
‘That’s not going to be easy.’
‘No! In fact it’s going to be rather difficult, and I have a strong feeling that two artistes may be the next ones to be involved, and they’re both young and female!’
‘You very seldom get it wrong so count me in. I’m with you all the way, Giles, so what’s the next move?’
‘I think another visit to the pathologist is called for. I want that dart examined; the one that Freddie pulled out of my coat collar. We need to know if it was poisoned and, if so, with what.’
The return journey to the County Hospital was like something straight out of “The Wizard of Oz” and Giles was almost on the point of whistling We’re off to see the wizard as the three companion sleuths travelled their own yellow brick road through the hospital corridors to meet the forensic wizard inside.
The medical scientist had the dart placed in a clear plastic packet and sent to the lab for tests. ‘It shouldn’t be too long before we have a result,’ he said, once he heard of the nocturnal event in The Shambles. ‘We can then assess how close you were to death.’
The short wait for the result of the tests on the dart was interspersed with the pathologist’s comments, such as ‘You must be involved in a very dangerous game, Professor’ and ‘Whatever possessed you to try and solve such a complex and life-threatening puzzle?’
When the lab assistant reappeared with the dart he gave the object to the pathologist along with a note. Sir Lionel passed the packet containing the dart to Giles, and started to read what the note conveyed. In a few seconds the beginnings of a smile on the medical expert’s face broadened into a huge grin. ‘Yes, Professor, as I said before, you must be involved in a very dangerous game. Your dart was as lethal as a prick from a drawing pin. It had not been dipped in anything stronger than water so had you died it could only have been from a heart attack due to fright.’
Grinning almost as much as the pathologist Giles could only say ‘That clinches it,’ as he and Laura gave Freddie a send off when he left to return home to his wife and family in Evesham. When Freddie had gone, Giles took Laura to Bessie’s Tea Room. After a light snack they headed to the Knavesmire for the first afternoon performance of Ramon’s talented circus at York’s racecourse.
When it was over, the capacity crowd had been entertained to over two hours of high quality acrobatic acts; alongside the glamour, side-splitting humour and artistry of elegant equestrianism; plus the mystery and magic of ringside illusions. Everything went as smoothly as Swiss clockwork and the circus elite were perhaps wondering if the afternoon success was a forerunner of things to come.
The crowds leaving the racecourse after the extravaganza were vocally complimentary and many said they would come again. Everyone seemed to have a special fondness for a different act, but the general opinion was that the entire programme was an enormous triumph from start to finish. As Giles acclaimed ‘Not an accident in sight.’
Leaving the Big Top and heading back to the coach house for dinner Giles reflected on that statement about there being no accidents. He regretted having to admit that before every storm there was usually a calm. The prospect of disaster happening after such a wonderful start to the season, was unthinkable but, unfortunately, not unlikely.
Dinner at the coach house was delicious yet Giles had extreme difficulty in eating. His vitals were knotted and he imagined what stomach ulcers must feel like. The possible outcome of unwelcome catastrophe to one of the female performers in the next few hours was, according to Giles, almost inevitable if Ramon’s gauntlet of fear was still a problem.
The evening performance started well with every seat taken. Giles and Laura had the best seats as usual. When the opening acts of acrobats and jugglers were followed by Hank, the funambulist, giving a flawless display on the high wire, Giles could feel the tension drain from his body. Before he knew it, the clowns had him relaxed and ready to watch the first of the illusions when Annette successfully replaced Khan, the tiger, in full view of the audience. The action, accompanied by the music played by the circus band, was non-stop and when Chuck and his firemen clowns brought roars of laughter from those watching, Giles was convinced the noise would be heard as far away as York Minster.
The suspense as Leonardo climbed the staircase of swords was electric and the superb equestrian artistry of the young girl from Exeter riding her white Andalusian horse was poetry in motion. The applause for young Lizzie was so prolonged that the ringmaster had to ask for special attention to be paid to the next performance as it was one of extreme danger. While he was making a plea for a restraint of noise during the next act a pole was being securely harnessed in the centre of the ring. The pole clearly stretched upwards towards the roof of the giant tent. Being fixed at the base and unconnected at the top, the structure could be seen to be swaying gently by the hundreds of eyes looking upwards.
Into the ring stepped the young woman being introduced as Gayle. Removing her dressing gown and shoes she bowed to the crowd and, without any fuss, started to climb the pole using hands and feet. As she climbed, the band was playing the kind of music that enhanced her movements and Yoga-t
ype positions on the swaying pole.
Round and round she went: sometimes stopping with her hands only being used to retain a hold on the pole and on other occasions, to the gasps from those watching, using only her legs to maintain a grip.
When a trapeze was released and made ready for the next part of the act, the ringmaster made a special request for the audience to exercise strict control over applause during dangerous moves when Gayle would be performing between the swaying pole and the swinging trapeze.
There was a hush inside the Big Top as Gayle timed her movements on the swaying pole to coincide with the swing of the trapeze. The band slowly and gently set the pace; the music complimenting each action as Gayle moved from the pole to the bar of the trapeze and back again. But something was wrong. There was hesitancy in Gayle and her indecision was disturbing.
Peering upwards Giles tried desperately to figure out what was causing the upset. Gayle moved from one piece of apparatus to the other and she caught the trapeze bar with one hand, the other hand clawing empty space as she knocked the trapeze sideways. Giles had noticed a flash of light as Gayle was about to make the transfer movement and there was another flash shortly afterwards. Now he knew what was happening.
The lights in the circus were positioned to avoid dazzling the aerialists, but this was different. The next flash of light that blinded Gayle as she struggled to achieve perfection appeared to be a reflection from one of the instruments in the band. It was coming from a bassoon and that was being played by the band leader himself. Another flash as Gayle tried to grasp the pole, which was swaying away from her, brought an uncontrollable gasp from an anxious crowd. It was an effort of miraculous proportions which prevented a fall as the young acrobat clung to the pole with her legs while her body travelled downwards, head first, before she could wrap her hands around the swaying device.
A roll of the drums and the crash of cymbals plus a final fanfare from the entire circus band gave the perspiring audience the signal to applaud and cheer a very courageous effort as Gayle descended to the centre of the ring below.
An angry Giles was finding great difficulty in stopping himself from having a confrontation with Felix Reiser, the band leader, but his first duty lay in finding out how Gayle was after such a physical ordeal.
Leaving Laura in her seat Giles went directly to the rest area where the circus nurse was tending to Gayle who was lying down.
‘How is she?’ asked a very concerned Giles. ‘It was touch and go out there, and she could have been seriously injured.’
The nurse took him to one side. ‘She is surprisingly unscathed,’ she said. ‘It was her bodily strength and agility that saved the evening and, like most circus performers, her sheer will to survive was probably the dominant force. Nevertheless she will need time to completely recover and she may have to cancel tomorrow’s performance or modify it by leaving out the trapeze.’ Giles looked over towards the resting athlete who was lying with her eyes closed. ‘You can go over and have a word with her, Professor, but only for a minute or two.’
The Prof went over to Gayle who turned her head and opened her eyes as he approached. ‘I do hope you haven’t come to criticise my performance,’ she said, attempting a grin that became more like a grimace. ‘I’m afraid I wasn’t quite at my best this evening.’
‘On the contrary, I thought you were magnificent. It was a blinding light reflected from an instrument in the band that nearly caused a fall. A fall that would have been devastating for you and would have been added to the list of circus accidents plaguing Senhor Mordomo.’
‘Was it an accident, Professor?’
‘I’m afraid I don’t know. It could have been accidental by the way it happened, but it could have been a deliberate attempt by someone wishing to add to the previous accidents. I just don’t know; I’ll have to reserve judgement on that.’ He nodded, gave her a smile and added, ‘Keep on your guard and get well soon.’
The first half of the circus programme was almost ended when Giles sat down beside Laura. Lizzie, astride her white horse was enthralling the watching crowd and the routine was so captivating that neither Laura nor Giles spoke until it was over and the short interval had started.
‘How was she, Giles?’
‘Who?’
‘The girl who nearly fell off the pole.’
‘Oh, sorry. I was in another world when you asked.’
‘You very often are, Giles.’
‘What?’
‘In another world, precious. But I love you for it.’
‘You’re quite correct, Laura. This circus is another world and the more high profile it is, with the artistes attempting feats that have never been successfully done before, the more likely you are to have accidents. Accidents with the consequence of career-ending injury or life-ending death. I’m damned if I know what category this evening’s event on that pole came under.’
They watched the remainder of the acts, all of which were performed with excellence and without incident. There was a telephone message for Laura when they were back at the coach house. It was from Doreen, the housekeeper at Maskelyne Hall, to say that Laura’s mother was not too well. Although it was quite late in the evening Laura phoned Lockerbie and said she would come home right away.
Left on his own Giles had a nightcap before preparing for bed. His head was buzzing with a myriad of murderous meditations when it eventually hit the pillow.
With Laura gone, sleep was infinitely more difficult. It would be quite some time before she would arrive back home. Giles was aware she would not call him until morning and the night would be long and apprehensive. He was restless and when a fitful sort of slumber overtook his agitated body his fertile imagination took over.
A flashing light intermittently shone through his bedroom window; he tried to open his eyes but the light kept blinding him. When he did manage to catch a glimpse of his lit-up room all he could make out was a hypodermic needle floating in space and hurtling towards him like a javelin. It was being propelled by an invisible executioner and, as it came towards him, it was changing shape. That blasted flash of light came again and everything was a blur. His eyes hurt but he was determined to identify what the changing object was. It was something Laura had told him about – or was it someone else? Get a grip, Giles, he told himself. That was a lot better…he was gripping tightly now but what he was gripping was a pole high above the ground and the object closing in on him was a blowpipe and some invisible force was blowing poisoned darts at him.
He woke in a cold sweat, looked at his watch and realised he’d been in bed less than an hour. He rose and, unsteadily, went to the bathroom where he splashed his face with cold water.
Crawling back to bed he lay for a while as his breathing returned to normal. He was missing Laura and, in a way, he was also missing Freddie, but he was dead set on getting to the bottom of this whole business and finally reaching a conclusion with a conviction to follow.
He turned over, pulled the blankets around him and in no time at all was in the land of nod. Tomorrow was another day and he would show the circus community that he was not prepared to abandon the fight. Perhaps, he thought, his determination may have returned following the conversation with Gayle as she lay exhausted after her ordeal.
At breakfast he received a phone call from Laura to say that her mother was not too seriously ill after a heavy cold had developed into a chest infection. Her mother was responding to treatment and Laura said she would remain at Maskelyne Hall until her mother was fully recovered. She expected to be joining Giles when the circus moved to Alexandra Park.
Feeling a bit more like himself after speaking to Laura, Giles decided to stay in his room and make a special effort to analyse most of the important events which had taken place since he accepted the task at the circus.
Jotting down the various happenings in chronological order as best he could, Giles wrote down the wire walking problem for Hank, the funambulist and the vibrating wire; the metal gauntlet that
was thrown in the old control tower, the names of the film actors who had identity changes which was left in his trailer at RAF Winkleigh; the fire scene involving Allison and the clowns; and the injuries to Leonardo when he hand-balanced on the staircase of swords. All of these incidents could have been the responsibility of any of Ramon’s suspects. Giles could not pinpoint any one person: though the name which stood out for him was capable of involvement in any one, or all of them.
Thinking back to those early days at the winter quarters of the circus, Giles had a problem trying to remember the several times when Khan’s cage had been left open. One person was the most obvious suspect, but again, any one of those considered guilty could have managed to release the tiger.
‘There was the occasion when Lizzie wasn’t given her dressing gown after performing on the Andalusian mare; but that could just have been a pure mistake,” muttered the slightly embarrassed lecturer in magic, becoming aware that he was talking to himself.
Scribbling on the paper Giles added the cryptic message addressed to him in the control tower. Whoever wrote that knew he was to be sailing north on a cruise ship and that surely narrowed the field. That person was the one throwing down the gauntlet and challenging him to answer the clues which would reveal the person’s name.
There was the fire and the smell of kerosene when the light aircraft was arriving, not forgetting the near disaster when Allison and Khan failed to exchange places. There were so many incidents which could have been the nasty work of any of those suspected.
Continuing to scribble notes on the pad Giles stopped abruptly as his thoughts turned to what turned out to be a major incident and a despicable one at that – the death of young Allison during the tyre illusion. The killer had to have been one of the tyre mechanics wearing masks to avoid identity. Why did Allison have to die? The reason was surely to pave the way for the later attempt on Ramon’s life. But he was getting away from what had taken place between the two deaths.
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