by Leona Fox
He walked away from the tent in the direction of the forest, hoping the fates would be with him and that he would be able to get away unseen. The forests of East Pender were dark and far-ranging. Leaves rustled as Bonzo pushed through the foliage and made his way to the trees, casting furtive glances around just in case there were any passersby who could see him.
For a time, he thought he was in the clear and his breathing began to steady as relief washed through his system. But then he froze. There was a sound. Voices. His eyes darted this way and that as he made his way to the nearest tree. His throat was dry as he swallowed and his heart beat rapidly in his chest. Beads of sweat formed on his temples and trickled down the white makeup on his face.
The voices started off faintly but they grew louder and louder as the Twins of Fortune came into view. They were speaking in their native tongue and, unfortunately for Bonzo, he had picked up many of the languages of the other performers. On this occasion he heard something he wished he hadn't, a conversation he hadn't been meant to hear and that made him stop in his tracks.
“Did you know she was running away?”
“I had no idea!”
“So this was all for nothing! You didn't have to do what you did. You didn't have to kill her.”
Bonzo inwardly groaned as he heard those words. He was so close to freedom, to another new beginning. If he wanted to he could carry on and escape through the woods, start a new life and no one would be any the wiser. But he knew what the Twins of Fortune were like, how loyal they were to each other and he knew they never would turn themselves in. More than that, he knew that if he didn't say anything then the crime never would be solved and the circus would spiral down, never to recover. His conscience weighed heavily on him. If he were a younger man then perhaps he would have had no second thoughts about serving himself, but he was older and he had lived with a guilty conscience most of his life. So it was with a heavy sigh that he changed direction and trudged back to the circus.
Chapter 9
When Bonzo returned he was almost shaking because he knew what the consequences were for him. Now that he wasn't trying to hide, Iris spotted him almost immediately and ran toward him, expecting him to run but he did not.
“I'd like to ask you a few questions,” she said.
“I thought you might,” he replied, “but I think for the moment I should talk to your superior. I have some information that he might want to be aware of.”
“That's all well and good, but he's indisposed at the moment. So you will have to deal with me.”
“It's about Aurora and the person who killed her. I know who did it,” Bonzo said.
Iris' eyes went wide and after a moment of processing the news she marched Bonzo to Andy and Ellen, who still were trying to find the murder weapon, and having no luck doing so. When Bonzo approached them Andy's eyes went wide and he raised a hand to point at him.
“I knew there was something fishy about you,” he said. Bonzo had his head hung down.
“How are you involved? Did you do it?”
Bonzo shook his head. “No, but I'm sure it won't take you long to find out what I am guilty of, and I will have to face the consequences of that action. I was going to leave here and you never would have known where I went, but I overheard the brothers talking, and I can tell you who did it.”
By now a few people had gathered around them and when Bonzo revealed this information some of them gasped, shocked that he would break the covenant that existed between circus performers.
“I love this circus and a long time ago I did something bad. I stole a lot of money from some people who really could have used it more than I. Because of that they couldn't afford their medical bills. I ruined their lives and I've been living with that ever since. I know that if the same thing happened here it would ruin us. I know what living with a guilty conscience is like and it's not living at all. There have been some days when I've managed to forget it and that's because of living here, in this place. But if we don't do something now, then whatever the circus means to people, whatever it stands for, it'll be for nothing. It's about time I stood up for my crimes, and I'm also standing up for the truth. You'll find that it was Nikolai who killed Aurora,” he said.
Andy and Ellen looked at each other, and Bonzo held out his hands. “You can take me to the station now,” he said.
Andy slapped cuffs on him and told Iris to take him away. The rest of the circus looked at the forlorn clown as he was taken away and then they erupted with questions and accusations. Andy and Ellen tried their hardest to calm things down.
There was so much chaos that barely anyone noticed the Twins of Fortune returning to the circus. There was a cloud over them and as soon as they saw everyone in such consternation they knew that something was up. They were about to slip away when Ivan saw them.
“There they are,” he growled and stormed toward them with vengeance in his eyes.
His powerful legs thundered across the ground and the Twins cowered in fear. Ivan reached them and grabbed Nikolai by the scruff of his neck, lifting him off his feet then sending him crashing to the ground. Alexander tried to help defend his brother but Ivan easily pushed him away with one hand. Nikolai was up again and Ivan swung his arm back and whacked him around the head, hitting him so hard the pain reverberated back to his hand and he had to shake it off.
“That's enough,” Andy said, coming between them.
“How could you do that to her?” Ivan cried out desperately.
“Why did you do it? She was so precious, so perfect. I knew that getting involved with your brother would only bring bad news.”
“Did you tell them?” Nikolai shouted, glaring at his brother, who merely shook his head as he picked himself up off the ground.
“I told you we wouldn't be able to keep this a secret!” Alexander shouted. Everyone around them fell silent.
“It doesn't matter how we found out,” Andy said. “So you might as well start telling us the truth. Why did you kill Aurora?”
“Why wouldn't I kill her? She knew how much I loved her yet she went with my brother just to torture me. Then all the time they were together, she not only took herself away from me, but my brother as well. All our lives it has been us two. Then it was those two and I would not stand for that. She was heartless and she hurt me so I hurt her back.”
By this point Mr. Mysterio had appeared and the revelation of the truth somehow had invigorated him. He strode up to Nikolai and towered above him.
“You have destroyed the circus and everything it stands for! We are supposed to be a family and you have gone against our every tradition. I am stripping you of your responsibilities to the circus. You no longer have a place here, and as long as I am alive you will find it very difficult to get employment in any other show. Everyone will know your shame and as for you,” he said, turning to Alexander, “you are just as bad. You should have told us the truth! You were with my daughter. How could you live with yourself knowing her death would go unpunished?”
Alexander stood next to his brother and held his head up high, both twins still trying to hold onto their dignity in this most ignominious hour.
“Blood comes before anything else. Long before Aurora, before this circus, Nikolai and I were together in the womb and we have been together ever since then. Aurora was...she was special to me but Nikolai is my brother and my love for him always will triumph over anything else. We came into this world together and there is nothing that can separate us.”
“Well, you'll be together for a long, long time,” Andy said as he arrested Nikolai for the murder of Aurora and Alexander for conspiring to withhold the truth.
“Thank you for doing this,” Mr. Mysterio said.
“You were right. I...I don't know if I could have gone on without knowing who killed my daughter and why. I only hope that she is in a better place now. I suppose,” he laughed softly, “in a way she got what she wanted. She managed to run away from the circus after all.” There was a
sad look in his eyes but Ellen could tell he was relieved.
“And you know what this means,” Ellen said, looking at her watch. “It'll be tight, but I think we could get another show on tonight.”
“I'm afraid that may not be possible. As you said, not many people will want to come after a murder took place. I fear we may have to abandon this town and move on to the next, hoping we can make up the profits somewhere else.”
“I won't have that. We still have time. Put your show on tonight. I guarantee there will be a packed house,” she said.
Mr. Mysterio looked unconvinced, but with little else to do he took up Ellen's offer. Andy carted away the Twins of Fortune and offered to give Ellen a ride back, but she declined, saying she had work to do.
As she made her way back to the cafe Ellen's heart was filled with determination. Kelly and Matthew were at the cafe, overseeing it in her absence. She thanked them for their help, but then said she had a different task for them to do. Soon enough all three of them were running around town, telling everyone they passed that the circus was happening tonight. Many people were startled and wary given what had happened, and it was Ellen who most effusively promoted the circus.
“That all has been taken care of. We found the killer and we've gotten to know the circus folk over the last day or so. They're good people and all they want to do is put a bit of magic before our eyes! The circus is like East Pender. For so long, the circus was popular, and then its popularity declined. The same thing is going to happen with our town. Eventually, people are going to grow bored of it and want to be in the city where all the excitement happens, but we know we have something to offer the world and so does the circus. Going there won't just be supporting them, it'll be supporting the very idea of our town. We need to remind people there is still a good time to be had away from our phones and modern life.”
Her impassioned plea stirred something in the residents of East Pender and, soon enough, she had quite a following as word spread throughout town.
Before the show began Ellen went to the circus early. She was pleased to see everyone had banded together and worked hard to get the show ready. Despite everything that had happened the big top was still an impressive sight to behold, and although a young girl had been murdered she knew there were still many happy memories to be made in the tent. To her delight she saw Mr. Mysterio directing things. He was a much different sight than the previous day, and even though he probably still hadn't had a chance to sleep he was looking much more energetic.
“It looks as though things are going well,” she said as she walked up to him.
“Hopefully,” he replied. “It'll be strange without the acts, though. I've had to rejig some things. I hope people are a little forgiving.”
“They will be. I explained to them that the circus is important, and the rest of your acts are still impressive. Did you manage to get any replacements?”
“Yes, well, I managed to get a replacement for Aurora. They're going to join us in the next town but the others are going to have to wait.”
“I think it's admirable, you know, that you're able to carry on with the circus even though it's brought you so much pain.”
“It has. I lost my wife and my daughter, but the circus is bigger than me and the good memories here far outweigh the bad. Besides, I'm too old to leave now. I wouldn't know what to do with my time, and I've been with these people far too long to abandon them now. We all feel Aurora's loss, it's not just me.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Did you know that Bonzo was a criminal?”
Mr. Mysterio inhaled and rubbed his sharp chin with his long, lithe fingers. “I knew there was something about his past. Being in this business...you get to know people. He was running from something but I never asked him what. He never disappointed me, though, and in all the time he was here I never had cause to worry or doubt him.”
Ellen nodded and wished him luck for the future, then went to buy her tickets for the evening show.
Although the circus had been disrupted by events Ellen was pleased to see the town had turned out in force and were buying programs, for they would be the last ones to have Aurora in them. Everyone was in a strange mood as the tragedy still hung in the air. It seemed as though people almost were unsure if they were allowed to enjoy themselves.
When the show began there was a picture of Aurora projected onto the back side of the tent. The angel was soaring again, and she looked magnificent. Everyone in the crowd applauded, and then Mr. Mysterio came out into the ring.
“Tonight is a special night, for we are paying tribute to one of the most talented acts this circus has ever seen. I know it will not be the same without her, and for that I apologize, but I hope that wherever she is she is looking down upon us and is enjoying the show too. The best thing we can do is put on the best show possible. So please, put on your brightest smiles and cheer your loudest as we say to Aurora, ‘We love you, and we'll miss you.’”
Then he departed the ring and the first act came on. It turned out to be the best show the circus had ever put on. Everyone seemed to give that little bit extra and it was as though the magic that had been imbued into Aurora now was shared among the rest of the acts.
Ellen and the others watched, transfixed by everything they were seeing. At the end, all the acts came out together, linking arms and hands, to rapturous applause. Tears streamed down many of their faces, and Ellen was moved to tears as well. She rested on Andy's shoulder, who kissed her on the head.
“What do you think?” he asked. “Are you going to run away with the circus? They are looking for a few new acts. I think you could team up with Ivan and get Scampy to do a few tricks.”
Ellen laughed and wiped away the tears from her eyes. “Scampy barely does what I command anyway. No, I think I'm happy enough just knowing that the circus is out there. Maybe if I was younger,” she said, her eyes twinkling. Then she leaned in and kissed Andy.
Volume 13
Part I
A Damaging Dilemma
An East Pender Mystery Series Book 13
Chapter 1
Ellen's alarm went off. The shrill ring bored into her skull like a drill. She winced as she turned and pulled the pillow around her head, trying to drown out the sound. But while she could ignore the alarm she could not do the same with her loyal companion, Scampy. The small dog was getting hungry and he knew Ellen should be getting up when that alarm sounded. So his little paws pattered through the house, and his wet nose pushed open the bedroom door. Then he leaped onto the bed and barked, burrowing his face under the pillow to alert Ellen. She screamed and screwed up her face as Scampy licked it all over.
“Fine, fine! I'm getting up!” she said and kicked the covers away.
She sat on the edge of the bed and switched off the alarm. Scampy rested in her lap and she petted him on the head with one hand, while pinching the bridge of her nose and rubbing her eyes with the other. She yawned and rocked her head from side to side, feeling the aches of sleep ease away. As she rose she looked back longingly at the bed, wishing she could stay there for the entire day.
Usually Ellen wasn't a lazy person, and it had been a long time since she had spent an entire day in bed, but recently life had been taking its toll on her. It felt as though she was being pulled in multiple directions and eventually something was going to have to give. What with the cafe, her relationship with Andy, and consulting with the police she barely had any time to do anything else.
It was a struggle to keep up with her running schedule and the pile of books she wanted to read was piling up at an alarming rate. And on days like these, in the morning, she just wished she had an extra hour or two. Unfortunately, even though she was a woman of many talents she could not create time out of thin air, and had to find a way to deal with her situation.
As with every morning, she fed Scampy before she fed herself. As soon as the food was in the bowl Scampy buried himself
in it and lapped it all up with his little pink tongue. Ellen made herself a bowl of cereal and ate some fruit before she went to take a shower and prepare herself for the day. While she did so she tried thinking of a way to deal with the constraints on her time. It all had started when Maggie had come to town. Back then they were friends, but Ellen had been going through a bad period of life. She was feeling lonely and vulnerable after being a stalking victim, and she still shuddered when she thought of it. Paranoia had gripped her. She had done and said things that she now regretted, and that had broken her friendship with Maggie beyond repair.
The Southern woman was proud and made it clear she wanted nothing more to do with Ellen, and all their interactions since then had been fraught with tension. That wouldn't have been that bad if Maggie didn't also own a cafe, and had not been so hell-bent on putting Ellen out of business. Maggie's always had special offers and events going on, and people flocked there. Even Ellen had to admit she knew what she was doing, and the place certainly had a good atmosphere. But East Pender was a small town and it was difficult to balance two cafes, especially when they were in such close proximity to each other. So far The Chrome Cafe was surviving because of the goodwill and loyalty Ellen had generated during her time in East Pender. Yet she knew she couldn't depend on that forever, and she had to give people a reason to come back.
However, splitting her time between the cafe and helping the police did not make it easy. Often she had to rely on the help of volunteers to keep the cafe running in her absence. It was an easy decision to justify as she was helping real people who were the victims of real crimes. She couldn't turn her back on them when she had skills that could help catch criminals, but she knew she also had a duty to her business as well and, in a way, to her parents. She had used the money they had left her to open the business. If it failed, then it would be like she had wasted her inheritance. That thought saddened her.