Chapter 2
Grabbing him before he could take off, Captain Ron snarled at "Zando", "You'd better clarify that remark, mister, otherwise you might have a few questions to answer downtown."
As the policeman talked to the performer, Rick and A.J. went around the back of the tent and found Laurie, wig askew, sitting on the stage and trying to flex her hand. Her husband dropped to his knee, "Sweetheart, are you all right, what happened?"
Startled, she glanced up at him. "Rick, I'm sorry, I hope I didn't blow it! That Zando, he's the knife thrower; he tried to put a move on me and when he kept putting his hands on my shoulders, I hit him. He wrenched my hand behind my back and started to drag me off the stage, so I kicked him then punched him under the chin."
Rick got up then sat on the stage next to her, "Darlin', you didn't blow it, if we play it right none of the guys will try anything around you now! What I don't like is that a security guard was killed a little while ago, somebody doesn't want to be found out. Maybe we ought to pull you out now."
Laurie shook her head, "I'm ok, I just got scared, that's all. Like you said, I don't think anyone's going to mess with me now. Where's Zando now?"
A.J. smiled as he helped her to her feet. "Captain Ron is with him, he's absolutely livid. He knows you're here, let me fix your wig for you and we'll let him know you're ok, honey." Letting "Helga" walk out first, Rick and A.J. followed to find Zando being taken away in handcuffs, Captain Ron turned and getting a good look at the redhead, approached her as she told him in character, "Helga doesn't put up with stuff!"
The smile left his face when he got a look at her swollen hand, then quietly asked Laurie, "Honey, did Zando do that to you?" She nodded, then told him of her encounter with the performer. "I'm all right, Captain Ron, I want to stay at least until we get an idea of who's behind this." she added pleadingly.
The Captain gazed at her, then said, "Only until tonight, then I want Rick to take you home and we'll take over the investigation." He turned to the brothers, "agreed?"
A.J. nodded, "Agreed." At that Rick and A.J. went to report to the midway boss, and Laurie bid goodbye to the Captain, returning to her platform to get ready for the first round of performances.
Checking in with a burly muscle man named Stokes, the brothers soon found themselves running from booth to booth, setting up and moving canvas and wood frames.
Rick caught their co-workers giving them strange looks from time to time, until Bing himself came by and reminded the "Smiths" that their time card needed to be signed off before they left for the day.
"Oh, temps." the carny worker next to Rick muttered after the boss man left. The older Simon finished stacking boxes of prizes on a forklift, then turned to the man. "So that's why I've been getting the fisheye, huh?" he bluntly told the worker.
Flushing red, the man nodded. "Sorry, Smith, but when two new guys come in right after a guy's found dead, well, talk happens." "Yeah, I guess it did look funny, but when the agency calls to offer you work, you don't bargain for a dead body too." Rick said. The other worker held out his hand, "John Dayton, Bing Brothers."
Rick shook it, "Rick Smith, Temp Time, the blond's my brother Tom. We both got laid off the same time; glad this place doesn't have a no family rule." Just then the music came on over the loudspeakers, loud enough to discourage any further conversation. Looking over at his brother, Rick realized he was mixing well with the other group of workers loading the refreshment wagons. When the lunch break was called, he was only too happy to nonchalantly wander over to the lunch wagon, grab the hot dog, popcorn and soda they were each allocated and park himself on a picnic table. As A.J. came over, he saw that Rick was already half-way finished with his lunch. "Guess you were hungry?" he teased, pulling a candied apple out of his lunchbox and putting it in front of his brother.
Rick swallowed the last of his hot dog, "Thanks, little brother, where did you get it?" "From Helga, I think she's got a thing for you!" he returned, laughing. "A.J., to tell the truth, I sure like Helga more all the time!" he smirked, crunching on the sweet fruit.
Once the brothers were finished with their break, they walked the Midway and caught sight of the "Valkrie's" act, which consisted of snapping a whip and climbing a fake rock to classical music.
"Oh, great, wait til' Mom hears about this!" Rick groaned, watching the gusto with which "Helga" shouted her love for Siegfried. A.J. looked at the growing crowd, then nudging his brother, indicated it was a good time to check the booths out.
Skirting the edges of the fun zone, the Simons each took a side and casually walked past the back entrance of each attraction. Coming to the fortuneteller's tent, Rick was surprised to see an older woman come out and beckon him over. Looking around to see if she meant him, Rick approached and asked, "Ma'am, did you need something?"
"Yes, Mr. Simon, I need to warn you and your partners, I see danger in your future. The stars do not lie!" she whispered, furtively glancing around. "Uh, ma'am, I think you have me mixed up with somebody, my name is Smith." he corrected her. She shook her scarf-clad head, "Mr. Simon, I know who you and your brother are, and I know the one you love is in great danger. You must bring her to me, I will prove this to you."
Suddenly she put a finger to her lips, then hissed, "Come at sundown, I will be waiting." The gypsy disappeared into her tent, then he heard his name being called. Rick pretended to be picking up empty boxes and rushed around the corner of the booths, only to nearly bump into A.J. "Rick, the supervisor is looking for us, we need to go back to work." On the way back to the work area, Rick filled his brother In on what the fortuneteller had said. "I don't believe a word of it, A.J., but the fact that she knows who we are, maybe she has information on who may have killed the guard." His brother nodded, "I think you're right, as soon as you get a chance, pass the word to Laurie to meet us at the tent."
As the afternoon wore on, Rick noticed that more cash deliveries were made to the manager's office. Surveying the list of employees who had easy access to the trailers, he noted that a pair of illusionists named Kendall and Kendall seemed to be in and out of several booths.
Taking a quick break, he snuck into the owner's trailer and met with Bing, updating him on the information he and A.J. had gathered. Asking about the husband and wife, he learned they had been with the company for a year, and had inexplicably turned down several larger offers for shows. A warning light went on in his head, and telling the boss he'd be back later, he ran back to the loading area. His brother was in the middle of unpacking more stuffed toys, when Rick brought a box over and started unloading too. Making sure no one was near, A.J. asked him, "What did you find out from Bing?" Rick filled him in, then added, "As soon as I finish this box, I'm going to check on Laurie, I don't trust any of this lot." A.J. cleared his throat, "Good idea, you should have heard some of the guys about her act; a couple of them want to see her later and I don't think it's to get an autograph!"
Seeing his brother was serious, Rick finished emptying his load, then using the excuse of gathering more supplies, slipped away to the side show area. Suddenly he heard angry voices, then saw a clown performer animatedly arguing with Ralph Kendall, the illusionist in back of their trailer. Taking cover behind the corner of the stage, he heard Kendall tell the clown, "I don't care what he saw, leaving him there was stupid, now there's cops around and we have to pull out now!"
Abruptly he heard steps behind him, then Laurie's voice, "Rick?" He reached out and pulled her into the shadows, "Sweetheart, shh, I think we have our killer." he whispered in her ear. Rick felt her breath on his cheek as she answered, "Sorry, but Captain Ron was looking for you; it was clown makeup under the guard's nails. Want me to get the Captain and A.J.?"
"Yes, go around the back of the tents, you'll find A.J. unloading prizes, send him over here then get Captain Ron. Be careful!" he warned. "Ok, darling!" she kissed him then disappeared back down the path.
Turning back to the criminals he saw that Kendall was gone, leaving the clown angrily wiping off his make off.
Amazingly, Rick watched his transformation from circus performer to a dead ringer for...Ralph Kendall.
Stepping backwards as quietly as possible, Rick fled toward the main stage, then saw his brother rushing toward him. "Rick, I just saw Laurie, you heard Kendall and Sniffles arguing about the murder?" He nodded, then told A.J. "That's nothing, Sniffles is a twin of Ralph Kendall, I think that's how they've pulled off the thefts."
Hurrying toward the owner's office, they found Captain Ron with Bing, then breathlessly told both men what Rick had overheard. Suddenly Rick's watch beeped, and he quickly turned it on. Laurie's voice came through clearly, "Rick, I just saw the Kendalls enter the gypsy's tent, I think they're after her money." Rick hit the stem, "Laurie, come to Bing's right now, ..." Suddenly a muffled cry came through the transmitter, then a voice "Don't fight, lady, you're coming with me." "Laurie, no!" he gasped, then he bolted through the door, followed by his brother and the policeman.
Grabbing him before he could take off, Captain Ron snarled at "Zando", "You'd better clarify that remark, mister, otherwise you might have a few questions to answer downtown."
As the policeman talked to the performer, Rick and A.J. went around the back of the tent and found Laurie, wig askew, sitting on the stage and trying to flex her hand. Her husband dropped to his knee, "Sweetheart, are you all right, what happened?"
Startled, she glanced up at him. "Rick, I'm sorry, I hope I didn't blow it! That Zando, he's the knife thrower; he tried to put a move on me and when he kept putting his hands on my shoulders, I hit him. He wrenched my hand behind my back and started to drag me off the stage, so I kicked him then punched him under the chin."
Rick got up then sat on the stage next to her, "Darlin', you didn't blow it, if we play it right none of the guys will try anything around you now! What I don't like is that a security guard was killed a little while ago, somebody doesn't want to be found out. Maybe we ought to pull you out now."
Laurie shook her head, "I'm ok, I just got scared, that's all. Like you said, I don't think anyone's going to mess with me now. Where's Zando now?"
A.J. smiled as he helped her to her feet. "Captain Ron is with him, he's absolutely livid. He knows you're here, let me fix your wig for you and we'll let him know you're ok, honey." Letting "Helga" walk out first, Rick and A.J. followed to find Zando being taken away in handcuffs, Captain Ron turned and getting a good look at the redhead, approached her as she told him in character, "Helga doesn't put up with stuff!"
The smile left his face when he got a look at her swollen hand, then quietly asked Laurie, "Honey, did Zando do that to you?" She nodded, then told him of her encounter with the performer. "I'm all right, Captain Ron, I want to stay at least until we get an idea of who's behind this." she added pleadingly.
The Captain gazed at her, then said, "Only until tonight, then I want Rick to take you home and we'll take over the investigation." He turned to the brothers, "agreed?"
A.J. nodded, "Agreed." At that Rick and A.J. went to report to the midway boss, and Laurie bid goodbye to the Captain, returning to her platform to get ready for the first round of performances.
Checking in with a burly muscle man named Stokes, the brothers soon found themselves running from booth to booth, setting up and moving canvas and wood frames.
Rick caught their co-workers giving them strange looks from time to time, until Bing himself came by and reminded the "Smiths" that their time card needed to be signed off before they left for the day.
"Oh, temps." the carny worker next to Rick muttered after the boss man left. The older Simon finished stacking boxes of prizes on a forklift, then turned to the man. "So that's why I've been getting the fisheye, huh?" he bluntly told the worker.
Flushing red, the man nodded. "Sorry, Smith, but when two new guys come in right after a guy's found dead, well, talk happens." "Yeah, I guess it did look funny, but when the agency calls to offer you work, you don't bargain for a dead body too." Rick said. The other worker held out his hand, "John Dayton, Bing Brothers."
Rick shook it, "Rick Smith, Temp Time, the blond's my brother Tom. We both got laid off the same time; glad this place doesn't have a no family rule." Just then the music came on over the loudspeakers, loud enough to discourage any further conversation. Looking over at his brother, Rick realized he was mixing well with the other group of workers loading the refreshment wagons. When the lunch break was called, he was only too happy to nonchalantly wander over to the lunch wagon, grab the hot dog, popcorn and soda they were each allocated and park himself on a picnic table. As A.J. came over, he saw that Rick was already half-way finished with his lunch. "Guess you were hungry?" he teased, pulling a candied apple out of his lunchbox and putting it in front of his brother.
Rick swallowed the last of his hot dog, "Thanks, little brother, where did you get it?" "From Helga, I think she's got a thing for you!" he returned, laughing. "A.J., to tell the truth, I sure like Helga more all the time!" he smirked, crunching on the sweet fruit.
Once the brothers were finished with their break, they walked the Midway and caught sight of the "Valkrie's" act, which consisted of snapping a whip and climbing a fake rock to classical music.
"Oh, great, wait til' Mom hears about this!" Rick groaned, watching the gusto with which "Helga" shouted her love for Siegfried. A.J. looked at the growing crowd, then nudging his brother, indicated it was a good time to check the booths out.
Skirting the edges of the fun zone, the Simons each took a side and casually walked past the back entrance of each attraction. Coming to the fortuneteller's tent, Rick was surprised to see an older woman come out and beckon him over. Looking around to see if she meant him, Rick approached and asked, "Ma'am, did you need something?"
"Yes, Mr. Simon, I need to warn you and your partners, I see danger in your future. The stars do not lie!" she whispered, furtively glancing around. "Uh, ma'am, I think you have me mixed up with somebody, my name is Smith." he corrected her. She shook her scarf-clad head, "Mr. Simon, I know who you and your brother are, and I know the one you love is in great danger. You must bring her to me, I will prove this to you."
Suddenly she put a finger to her lips, then hissed, "Come at sundown, I will be waiting." The gypsy disappeared into her tent, then he heard his name being called. Rick pretended to be picking up empty boxes and rushed around the corner of the booths, only to nearly bump into A.J. "Rick, the supervisor is looking for us, we need to go back to work." On the way back to the work area, Rick filled his brother In on what the fortuneteller had said. "I don't believe a word of it, A.J., but the fact that she knows who we are, maybe she has information on who may have killed the guard." His brother nodded, "I think you're right, as soon as you get a chance, pass the word to Laurie to meet us at the tent."
As the afternoon wore on, Rick noticed that more cash deliveries were made to the manager's office. Surveying the list of employees who had easy access to the trailers, he noted that a pair of illusionists named Kendall and Kendall seemed to be in and out of several booths.
Taking a quick break, he snuck into the owner's trailer and met with Bing, updating him on the information he and A.J. had gathered. Asking about the husband and wife, he learned they had been with the company for a year, and had inexplicably turned down several larger offers for shows. A warning light went on in his head, and telling the boss he'd be back later, he ran back to the loading area. His brother was in the middle of unpacking more stuffed toys, when Rick brought a box over and started unloading too. Making sure no one was near, A.J. asked him, "What did you find out from Bing?" Rick filled him in, then added, "As soon as I finish this box, I'm going to check on Laurie, I don't trust any of this lot." A.J. cleared his throat, "Good idea, you should have heard some of the guys about her act; a couple of them want to see her later and I don't think it's to get an autograph!"
Seeing his brother was serious, Rick finished emptying his load, then using the excuse of gathering more supplies, slipped away to the side show area. Suddenly he heard angry voices, then saw a clown performer animatedly arguing with Ralph Kendall, the illusionist in back of their trailer. Taking cover behind the corner of the stage, he heard Kendall tell the clown, "I don't care what he saw, leaving him there was stupid, now there's cops around and we have to pull out now!"
Abruptly he heard steps behind him, then Laurie's voice, "Rick?" He reached out and pulled her into the shadows, "Sweetheart, shh, I think we have our killer." he whispered in her ear. Rick felt her breath on his cheek as she answered, "Sorry, but Captain Ron was looking for you; it was clown makeup under the guard's nails. Want me to get the Captain and A.J.?"
"Yes, go around the back of the tents, you'll find A.J. unloading prizes, send him over here then get Captain Ron. Be careful!" he warned. "Ok, darling!" she kissed him then disappeared back down the path.
Turning back to the criminals he saw that Kendall was gone, leaving the clown angrily wiping off his make off.
Amazingly, Rick watched his transformation from circus performer to a dead ringer for...Ralph Kendall.
Stepping backwards as quietly as possible, Rick fled toward the main stage, then saw his brother rushing toward him. "Rick, I just saw Laurie, you heard Kendall and Sniffles arguing about the murder?" He nodded, then told A.J. "That's nothing, Sniffles is a twin of Ralph Kendall, I think that's how they've pulled off the thefts."
Hurrying toward the owner's office, they found Captain Ron with Bing, then breathlessly told both men what Rick had overheard. Suddenly Rick's watch beeped, and he quickly turned it on. Laurie's voice came through clearly, "Rick, I just saw the Kendalls enter the gypsy's tent, I think they're after her money." Rick hit the stem, "Laurie, come to Bing's right now, ..." Suddenly a muffled cry came through the transmitter, then a voice "Don't fight, lady, you're coming with me." "Laurie, no!" he gasped, then he bolted through the door, followed by his brother and the policeman.