by Leona Fox
“I really thought she would have told the one she was seeing. I thought they had it planned out together. I can't believe I was the only one she told. I do not know what to tell you other than there's nothing in this world that would have made me harm her. I loved her more than anyone will know, more than she ever will know. Please, just find who did this to her. It has to be one of the brothers. I can think of nobody else who would have the slightest reason. Have you spoken to them yet?” he said.
Ellen admitted they had taken the brothers in for questioning earlier in the morning. She was surprised Ivan hadn't noticed, but he said he had stayed in his trailer most of the time, wanting to mourn and grieve in his own way. But he did follow up by saying the brothers seemed to be bickering more than usual since they had returned from the station. They had been out of earshot so he couldn't tell what the brothers were saying. Still, this raised Andy and Ellen's suspicions. So they told Iris to stay with Ivan and talk with him a little more while they tried finding the brothers, determined to sit them down and get them to crack.
However, it wasn't that easy as the brothers were not in their trailer and were nowhere to be found. After a little while Iris came up to Andy and Ellen.
“I don't think I'm going to get anything more out of Ivan,” she said. “About that...other matter,” she said, turning to Andy.
“Go around and see what you can find out,” Andy ordered. Iris nodded and went off. Ellen tilted her head.
“What is all this about? You've had something else on your mind this whole time and I don't know why you're being so clandestine about it.”
“It's nothing, really. I just had an odd feeling about one of the clowns. I wanted to figure out if he was hiding something. You know what the circus is like, they take anyone. So it wouldn't surprise me if somebody had a criminal record. It didn't pertain to Aurora's death, so I didn't think to mention it to you. It may not even come to anything; it was just a hunch. Look, let's move on and focus on this case. I think maybe we should try finding the murder weapon.”
“That's like looking for a needle in a haystack!”
“I know, but until we find the brothers we're useless here, and at least if we find the weapon we might find some trace of DNA or something to help us,” he said.
Ellen sighed but she had to admit she didn't have any better alternatives. She took a moment to gaze back at the city. The problems of the cafe seemed so far away and she realized then that she hadn't even given a thought to Maggie or how her cafe was doing.
Whenever a crime happened it always took precedence. The need for justice was unassailable and she couldn't allow anything to get in the way, but it was more than that. There was a time pressure for this case that she didn't ordinarily feel, and it was borne from a somewhat selfish desire to see the circus one last time before it left, to see the show in all its glory without the specter of murder hanging over it.
In some ways Ellen felt as though she owed the circus something. It had given her so many special memories as a child that she took upon herself the responsibility to save it. She took upon herself the responsibility to get to the truth and ensure the circus could continue traveling the land, inspiring the same sense of awe and wonder that she had felt as a child.
And so it was that she and Andy tried searching for the murder weapon, still being met with suspicious glances from all corners. Iris encountered the same thing, for she was looking for Bonzo the clown but people were being even more uncooperative with her than they were with Ellen and Andy. Bonzo the clown had been watching them carefully, so carefully he had managed to evade their attention so far.
One would think it strange for a clown to be able to sneak away so easily but Bonzo had been used to hiding. He had spent most of his adult life on the run, even though now the dreaded day had come when his past had caught up with him. Damn Aurora, he thought, and damn the person who killed her. If it wasn't for them they never would have suspected a thing. He'd actually begun to like the circus, and the people around him, and he was going to miss the life.
Bonzo saw the young girl poking around, asking about him, and he recognized the photo she was carrying. It was him without makeup and he knew it wouldn't be long before they found out the truth about his background, about what had happened all those years ago. Since he'd joined the circus he almost had been able to forget what he had done, lost in all the color and the laughter, but now it felt like all the laughs had gone.
He had packed up all his things and was about ready to go. He'd managed to sneak away from the circus. He felt guilty for not having been able to tell Mr. Mysterio or say goodbye to all his friends but he knew that one day this situation would present itself and he had no time to lose. All his possessions were gathered in a small suitcase. He would get rid of his costume and makeup once he was out of the circus.
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 brou
ght 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.’”