by B R Snow
“I bought too many,” I said.
“No, you didn’t,” Josie said, getting to work on her first one.
“Hey, Chief,” I said, motioning for him to come closer. “Remind me to update you on a conversation I just had with Bobbie Tompkins.”
“Yeah, I noticed you two were having a chat,” the Chief said. “I can’t wait to hear all about it. Find me after the show.”
“Will do,” I said, taking a big bite of my sandwich.
“Did he say why he’s here tonight?” the Chief said.
“He did,” I mumbled, then glanced down the row to make sure my mother hadn’t seen me talking with my mouth full.
“And?”
“He’s here for the same reason we are.”
“I see,” the Chief said, nodding. “I take it he’s not a big fan of the circus.”
“Nothing gets past you,” I said, grinning at him as I held my sandwich out to him. “You sure you don’t want a bite?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Actually, I’ve already had three.”
“You little pig,” I said, laughing.
“Says the woman who buys them by the box.”
Chapter 19
The second half of the show began with Grundella and her dog act. The woman who had knocked back at least two bottles of wine while sitting next to me at dinner the previous night seemed to be a little fuzzy and was moving slow. She was wearing the same tails and top hat outfit that Samantha had been wearing in her website picture, but it was baggy and in desperate need of an alteration. Grundella gave the crowd a big wave as she forced a smile and introduced the dogs in a gravelly voice that sounded like she’d polished off a pack of Marlboro right before showtime.
“I think she’s still hungover,” I said to Josie.
“Yeah, she’s definitely a step behind the dogs,” she said, staring out at the ring. “Do they look like they’ve been abused?”
“No, they don’t,” I said. “But it does look like their spirits might have been broken.”
“Yeah, that’s how I see it,” Josie said, shaking her head in mild disgust. “And they’re the ones with the short lifespan. Go figure.”
We watched the collection of poodles, retrievers, and German shepherds work their way through a series of tricks and activities I was sure our house dogs could master after a few weeks of training. But the dogs were fun to watch, and the crowd gave them a big round of applause when they finished. Grundella stood in the center of the ring at the end of the act and took a bow. Then she seemed to wobble on her feet before leading the dogs back through the curtains.
“You want that last sandwich?” Josie said, eyeing the box.
“Knock yourself out,” I said.
“You know, if we split it, then round down, technically, we’ve only had two each,” she said, glancing over at me.
“I like the way you think,” I said, breaking the sandwich in half. I took a bite then focused on the ring as Mr. Pontilly stepped to the center to announce the next act that turned out to be a rehash of the juggling and balancing act we’d seen in the first half of the show.
“I think I’m having a déjà vu moment,” Josie said. “Didn’t we already see these guys?”
“We did,” I said, then shrugged. “But everyone seemed to like them. Maybe Pontilly wanted to bring them back for an encore.”
“Or he’s running short on acts,” Josie said. “Maybe he should consider eliminating intermission.”
“And kill concession sales?” I said, shaking my head. “Not a chance.”
“I wonder where Master Claude is with his tiger act,” Josie said. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“He’s probably still pouting about what the elephant did to him,” I said, laughing. “Now that’s an act I wouldn’t mind seeing again.”
Pontilly again stepped to the center of the ring and drummed up another round of applause for the departing jugglers before announcing the next act. A new act, the old man said, someone certain to astound and delight, the latest addition to the Pontilly Family Circus who, according to Pontilly, was a distant cousin recently released from kidnappers who’d done everything in their power to force him to reveal how he performed his repertoire of astonishing illusions. But the man had withstood their torture and preserved the secrets that had been part of the Pontilly family for decades. I listened closely with a frown on my face.
“This guy missed his calling,” Josie said, polishing off the last bite of her half sandwich.
“Used car salesman, right?”
“Oh, good one. I was thinking politician, but yours is better.”
I focused on Pontilly as he made a sweeping gesture with his arm and introduced Iggy the Magnificent.
“A magician? You gotta be kidding me,” I said, glancing at Josie.
“There's nothing like a little close-up magic in front of a thousand people, right?” she said, laughing.
We sat quietly as we watched the magician do his best to perform and entertain the audience. Even from the front row, I was having a hard time following along, and I was sure that the rest of the crowd were pretty much oblivious to what the magician was doing.
“Wanda said the circus was on its last legs,” I said, shaking my head when the magician began doing a card trick. “I guess she wasn’t joking.”
“This guy would be great in a small club,” Josie said, frowning. “But not here. Wake me up when he’s done.”
Mercifully, the magician’s act didn’t last long, cut short I was certain by the man’s realization that he should probably get out of the ring before the crowd started to turn on him. Mr. Pontilly was obviously annoyed when he came out to introduce the next act, the grand finale that turned out to be Wanda and her brother’s aerial act. The spotlights focused on them already perched high above the crowd. They were standing on opposite ends of the netting, and they both waved to the cheering crowd when the lights hit them.
For the next fifteen minutes, we were captivated by the two aerialists who performed individually on the trapeze, then finished with several somersaults and catches working as a pair. Wanda finished with a triple somersault, and her brother caught her with both hands. Then he released her, and Wanda dropped into the net, backflipped into the air and landed on the ground with both feet. Seconds later, her brother followed suit, and they trotted off waving to a standing ovation. They returned for an encore bow, then disappeared behind the curtains, and the lights in the tent went bright.
“Wow, they’re really good,” Josie said.
“Yeah, they’re gonna fit right in with Cirque de Soleil,” I said. “I can see why Pontilly is cranky about them leaving.”
“That’s gonna leave him pretty much high and dry,” Josie said. “And if anything happens to his animal acts, he’s not gonna have a lot left. Certainly, nothing I’d pay thirty bucks to see.”
“You feel like stopping at C.’s on the way home for dessert?” I said, glancing at Josie and Chef Claire.
“No, I made a chocolate torte today,” Chef Claire said. “And it’s waiting at home as we speak.
“The one you’re going to be serving at the rehearsal dinner?” Josie said.
“That’s the one,” Chef Claire said. “Your mom wants to make sure it pairs well with the dessert wines.” Chef Claire gave us a small shrug. “And she wanted something to snack on while we’re doing the binder session tonight.”
“Crap. That’s right. I forgot,” I said with a scowl.
“Don’t sound so excited, darling,” my mother said.
“Sorry, Mom. I didn’t know you were eavesdropping.”
“Funny,” she said.
“What’s on the agenda tonight?” I said.
“Champagne, dinner reds, and dessert wines.”
“Ooh. Not the briar patch. Are we doing a taste test?”
“Of course,” my mother said, looking at me like I’d lost my mind.
“Well, why didn’t you say so?” I said, leading the wa
y toward the exit.
“I’ve been wondering something,” Josie deadpanned to Chef Claire. “What champagne pairs well with sausage and pepper sandwiches?”
“One with bubbles,” Chef Claire said, giving her a gentle shove. “Just walk.”
Chapter 20
I grabbed a small glass of port from the line my mother had poured and motioned for Chief Abrams to follow me into the living room. Chloe tagged along and hopped up on my lap as soon as I’d settled on the couch. The Chief sat down across from me with a slice of chocolate torte on his lap and a glass of champagne in his hand. He raised his glass in toast then set it down and began working on his cake.
“So, what did Mr. Tompkins have to say for himself?”
“A lot, actually,” I said, scratching Chloe’s ears.
“Did he come across as someone who has nothing to hide?”
“He did,” I said as Chloe spotted Captain entering the living room. She hopped off my lap and began playfully terrorizing the Newfie. Within seconds, they were rolling around on the floor. “And there was no way he was on the boat when Samantha and the dog went in the water.”
“You’re positive about that?”
“Yeah. He went to see the circus in Brockville,” I said, taking full advantage of my dog-free lap to take a sip of port. “And he drove his truck.”
“He told you that?”
“No, I brought it up, but he confirmed it.”
“How the heck did you figure that out?” the Chief said, setting his fork down on his plate.
“It just seemed to make sense,” I said, shrugging. “And when I saw him tonight, I figured he was at the circus for the same reason as us.”
“Trying to find out who killed her,” he said, giving it some serious thought. “Okay, I suppose I can buy that.” Then he frowned. “Hey, wait a sec. There’s no way he could have known she was dead before the Brockville performance. We didn’t even know her name at that point.”
“He was going to surprise her then drive her home to see her mom,” I said.
“So, Samantha told him she was working in the circus?” the Chief said.
“No, he figured it out by himself. And it was pretty clever the way he did it.”
“And when he didn’t see the dog act during the show, he did some snooping around and discovered she was dead?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s what happened. We didn’t go into the details. But he’d been in frequent contact with her over the years.”
“That’s interesting,” he said, taking a bite of torte. He washed it down with a sip of champagne. “Samantha stayed in touch with him but not her mother. Did you get into how he became Bella’s caretaker?”
“Not really,” I said. “My guess is that he just sort of slipped into the role after her husband killed himself and Samantha disappeared.”
“That’s quite a sacrifice,” the Chief said.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. He must have been a close friend of the family. Since he lived just up the road, I imagine he decided it was the neighborly thing to do. And Bucks Bridge is so small and remote he was probably Mrs. Johnson’s only option. He did say that he was doing everything he could to keep her out of an institution.”
“Based on what we saw the other day, I’m not sure he did her any favors,” the Chief said with a shrug. “So, if we remove him from the list of suspects, then it definitely had to be someone from the circus who threw her off the boat.”
“Nothing gets past you, Chief.”
“Don’t start,” he said, stifling a yawn. “It’s too late.”
“Tompkins was worried about Samantha’s safety,” I said.
“Based on what she was telling him in her letters?”
“Yeah, she said something in her last letter that really got his attention,” I said, pausing for effect. “I can’t wait to see you and my mom. If I make it.”
“Okay,” he said, nodding as he finished the last of his champagne. “So, she was concerned about her own safety. Has anybody mentioned if she was prone to paranoia?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Nobody’s specifically mentioned it. But it’s clear she was unstable. Her being paranoid wouldn’t surprise either one of us.”
“It certainly wouldn’t,” he said. “So, the big question remains. Why would anybody want to kill her?”
“I can’t shake the idea that it had to be related to some sort of love triangle. At least, some weird variation of circus love,” I said.
“Circus love?” the Chief said, laughing.
“I couldn’t come up with a better term for it,” I said, laughing along. “You know, brief, casual hookups among a transient population.”
“Sure,” the Chief said, grinning. “Circus love.”
“And somebody got their wires crossed when they expected something more permanent,” I said.
“Such as the aerialist, Miguel?”
“I don’t know, Chief,” I said, shaking my head. “He seems devastated.”
“Maybe it’s guilt posing as despair,” the Chief said.
“Maybe,” I whispered.
“I suppose we could just let it go,” the Chief said. “They’ll be gone soon.”
“You know you don’t mean that, Chief.”
“No, I don’t,” he said. “Especially since she went overboard right in front of town. But I don’t have a clue about how to shake the tree and get something to fall out we can use.”
“I thought I might have a chat with Mr. Pontilly tomorrow,” I said.
“What do you want to talk with him about?”
“Well, he definitely runs a tight ship, and he might have seen or heard something,” I said.
“It might be worth a shot,” the Chief said. “Maybe he gets chatty when annoyed.”
“What makes you think I’m going to annoy him?”
“Let’s call it a hunch,” he said.
“Darling, I’m really going to need a decision from you,” my mother said as she entered the living room carrying a bottle of champagne in each hand.
“Mom, I already told you that I like them both,” I said.
“You need to pick one,” she said, holding the bottles out.
“Fine,” I said, then pointed to the bottle in her left hand. “That one.”
“Really?” my mother said, frowning. “Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer the Vintage Brut?”
“I’m sure,” I said.
“Why?”
“Because it’s three-hundred a bottle,” I said, staring at her.
“You let me worry about that, darling,” she said, then nodded. “The Krug it is. Don’t go anywhere. You need to decide on the ports.”
I watched her head back into the dining room and shook my head.
“Three-hundred a bottle?” the Chief said, staring at his champagne glass.
“Yeah, I know. She’s insane.”
“What’s she giving you and Max for your wedding present? France?”
Chapter 21
Josie and I strolled through the acreage behind the Inn in the general direction of the welders who were making great progress constructing the various cages we needed for the rescue center. We waved to the group of high school kids we’d hired for the summer to help out and were pleased to see that the terraced picnic area behind the pond was beginning to take shape.
“I’m starting to see it,” Josie said, coming to a stop to survey the overall scene.
“Yeah, it’s going to look great,” I said. “But I still think we’re nuts.”
“Oh, there’s no doubt about it,” she said. “But you know what your mom likes to say. Either go big or go home, right?”
“I guess,” I said, staring at the cage area off to our left.
“Uh-oh,” Josie said. “What is it? You’ve got that look.”
“I was just wondering what sort of animals we’ll be able to handle,” I said, rocking back and forth on my heels.
“You mean, like an elephant and a
couple of Siberian tigers?” she said, fixing a narrow-eyed stare on me.
“Now, there’s an idea,” I said, grinning back at her.
“Suzy, please,” she said, shaking her head. “Don’t even go there.”
“Relax. I’m just wondering if we’d be able to handle something like that,” I said. “I imagine the tigers could handle the winters. But I’m not sure about the elephant. How do they handle the cold?”
“I have no idea,” she said. “But it doesn’t matter because we aren’t stealing the elephant. And we certainly aren’t going to keep tigers onsite. Besides, we’d just be swapping one cage out for another. And that wouldn’t do much for them.”
“They’d be treated a lot better here,” I snapped, turning defensive.
“They would. But that’s not the point. They need to be taken to a reserve that’s designed to take care of them,” Josie said.
“So, you agree that they need to be removed from that circus?”
“Of course, I agree. But as despicable as it is, those animals still belong to Pontilly, and he’s not doing anything illegal.”
“Maybe,” I said, staring off into the distance.
“Unbelievable. New topic.”
“Sure. Knock yourself out,” I said, glancing at her.
“Chef Claire and I booked our trip yesterday,” she said.
“That was quick,” I said, feeling a knot begin to form in the pit of my stomach.
“Yeah, we needed to jump on it before the cooking school filled up. We’re starting with that right after we land. The classes run for a week, and the school is at a gorgeous villa in Northern Italy. And we’re going to be staying right onsite.”
“It sounds amazing,” I said, exhaling audibly.
“Yeah, it does. And after the first week, we’re going to head to the Lombardy region. Chef Claire wants to spend some time researching the history of risotto and polenta.”