Darcy stared at the window, her hand clutching the plastic bottle of cleaner. This can't be. If the fingerprints are on the outside, then maybe Sky really did see…She shook her head.
Walking stiffly, not really sure where she was going, Darcy moved from the room. Without even realizing it, she put away the cleaner and threw the cloth in the laundry pile. She found herself in the living room, looking down at her sleeping daughter. A rush of emotions filled her. Guilt for not believing her when she had first told them she had seen a clown outside her window, inadequacy at not being able to chase away her daughter's fears, sympathy for what Sky must have been feeling, and just plain adoration for the little girl on the couch.
Pulling herself out of her reverie, Darcy laid an afghan over Sky and dropped a kiss on her head. She went to the office and dialed up Castle Control on the videophone.
"Castle Control, Castle of Lions," Koran answered.
"Koran, is Lance there?" Darcy asked, her voice surprisingly steady.
"I'm sorry, but he's out teaching flight maneuvers."
"As soon as he comes back in, can you please send him home?"
Koran raised his eyebrows, "Is everything alright?"
"Yes…no…just send him home, please."
"Alright, I'll tell him as soon as he gets in."
"Thank you, Koran."
……………………………………………………………………………
An hour later, Lance ran up the steps to the front porch of his house and opened the door. Everything seemed alright. He found Schuyler sitting at the kitchen table rubbing a gray crayon over a piece of paper with Chewy lying under her seat. The dog lifted his head and wagged his tail when his master walked in, but he didn't leave his post.
"Hey, Shorty, what have you got there?" He asked.
Sky didn't even lift her head, "It's for Gramma, Mommy said we'll mail it to her for her birthday."
"That's a very nice picture of Lucy," he guessed, looking at the big gray blob.
She beamed up at him, "Thanks Daddy.""Where's Mommy?"
"Upstairs," Sky told him, wiggling around on her chair.
"You have ants in your pants, Sky?"
"I hafta go potty."
"Then go."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
Sky sighed and looked up at him, speaking as though he was the dumbest person alive, "Because Daddy, Mommy said I hafta stay right here an' not go anywhere. If I'm good den we'll go get ice cream tonight. And I want ice cream more den I wanna go potty. "
Lance smiled and ran a hand over her hair, "Sweetheart, you can go potty. You've been very good and I promise we'll go get ice cream tonight."
She looked thoughtful for a moment, shifting on her seat.
"Go, Schuyler, I promise Mommy won't be mad."The little girl hopped off her chair and hurried awkwardly to the bathroom, her knees pressed together.
"Darcy?" Lance called out as he walked up the stairs. When he had gotten back to Castle Control and Koran had told him that Darcy wanted him to come home, Lance felt his heart stop. If it had been a huge emergency, then she would have had Koran call him in from his class, but the fact that she had asked him to come home in the middle of the afternoon still worried him.
"In here!" She called from Sky's room.
He stood in the doorway to see her standing over their daughter's bed, folding clothes and putting them into a little red suitcase. "Is Sky taking a vacation?""We're going up to the castle for a couple of days," she told him, folding up a pair of pajamas. "I spoke to Allura and she said we could stay as long as we want to."
Lance walked over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder, "What happened, Darcy?"
"Come here," she took his hand and led him over to the window. "I was getting some housecleaning done when I noticed fingerprints on Sky's window. At first I thought they were hers, but then I realized they were too big to be hers and I thought they were yours. I tired to clean it, but they wouldn't come off." She pointed to the marks on the glass, "They're on the outside, Lance, someone was outside her window!"
"Alright," he slid his arm around her shoulders, feeling her shake. "Its okay, Darc, we'll go up to the castle as soon as you're packed."
"They're good, latent prints," she continued, her voice rising a little. "I was thinking we should take the glass up to the castle and see if they can lift and analyze them."
"We'll do that."
"And I brought in some wood from the shed to cover the opened window."
"I'll take care of it."
"I already packed some things for us and Allura said we can take Chewy with us, even though I hate asking her to do that. Not that she minds, it's Nanny who hates dogs."
Lance noticed how fast she was talking and her hands moving in quick chopping motions, she was nervous. He pulled her close into a tight hug, "It's alright, honey, Sky is fine and we'll make sure nothing will happen to her."
"I am the worst mother ever," she mumbled into his shoulder.
"You are not, you're the best mother I know. Sky is lucky to have you."
"She came to us and I didn't believe her. I pretty much called her a liar," her voice shook.
He turned his head and kissed her temple, "We both thought it was just a dream. It seemed silly, at the time, to think a clown could be outside her window."
"I am never again going to doubt anything she ever says again."
Lance pushed her away, holding her at arm's length, "Darcy, she is a smart girl with an incredible imagination. You know as well as I do that she has a tendency to exaggerate, all little kids do. You are not a bad mother and Sky doesn't think that either. Finish packing and I will get someone to come up from the castle to lift the prints."
Darcy nodded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, "I promised Sky we would go get ice cream and I don't want to disappoint her."
"Fine, we'll go out for dinner and ice cream. Now go get ready." He leaned down and kissed her gently, "I love you."
"Love you too," Darcy gave him a weak smile.
Sky was just climbing back into her chair at the table when Darcy walked into the kitchen.
"I'm sorry," she said hurriedly as her mother walked in. "I had ta go potty an' Daddy said I could. I didn't wanna move."
Feeling like the meanest mother in the world, Darcy knelt beside her and took her small face in her hands, "It's alright, baby, I didn't mean you couldn't go potty, you have been very good and I am so proud of you. I love you very, very much my Sky."
Schuyler smiled, feeling happy and relieved that her mother wasn't mad, "I love you too, Mommy."
"What do you say we pack up a few of your toys, we're going to spend a couple of nights at the castle."
"For real?"
"Yup. We're going to go into town and have dinner and we'll go get ice cream and then we'll go to the castle. Does that sound good?"
"Can Chewy come?"
"Sure, I already talked to Aunt Allura and she said he could come too."
"We have to pack some toys for him too."
"We will," Darcy stood and offered her hand to Sky. "Let's get your stuff together and then we'll grab some of Chewy's toys, okay?"
"'Kay," she took her mother's hand and jumped off her chair.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Pidge stared at the computer screen, just as he had for the past several hours. He was so focused on the task at hand he didn't hear the door behind him slide open.
"You find anything?"
He looked up as Becca set a mug of coffee down beside his elbow. Taking off his glasses, Pidge rubbed his eyes, "I've found a few inconsistencies that I am trying to figure out."
"Like what?" She asked, rubbing at the knots of tension in his shoulders.
"Well, according to the Intergalactic Business Registry, Muskerry Brothers' Circus was started less than a year ago, ten months to be exact."
"And?"
"We were there last night, Bec, think about it. They seemed rather settled for such a young circus. The animals were mature and had a deep connection with their trainers, the clowns and other performers were not new. I find it hard to believe that they have created such an incredible show in such a short time. However," he shuffled through some papers beside the computer. "I found this." He handed her an article he had printed out.
Becca scanned the paper. It told the story of another circus, the twenty seven year old Kandell Family Circus that was shut down following an investigation. A year ago, evidence had been found that connected some of the elder members of the circus to black market child adoptions. A chill ran down Becca's spine and she shivered when the realization of what Pidge was suggesting sank in.
"So, uh, so you think the Kandell Family reopened their circus under a different name?" She whispered.
He nodded, "I just have to find the connection. The court records were sealed and a couple of people were jailed. But it is a possibility that some of the members of the circus decided to reopen under a different name and they're up to their old tricks."
"But why would they try and kidnap Schuyler? I mean, she's only four, but she knows her name, her address, her parent's names, and that she can come to the Castle if she needs to, not to mention the fact that she is the daughter of the second-in-command to the Voltron Force. It doesn't make sense. It's just plain stupid."
"It would be possible, that if she's separated from them long enough, they could convince her that she was someone else. A four year old would be easy to manipulate and brainwash."
"Oh God," Becca leaned against the desk as her knees weakened. She absolutely adored her niece and if anything happened to her, she didn't know what she would do and she knew it would be the end of Darcy.
Pidge laid a hand on her knee and squeezed gently, "We're not going to let anything happen to her, babe. They're coming up to the castle tonight to stay until this whole thing passes."
"This could explain her fear of clowns."
"But how would she know if a clown was trying to kidnap her?"
"What can I do to help?"
He shrugged, "Rubbing my shoulders helped."
She smiled and kissed him, "Honey, she is my niece, I want to help."
"Alright, go get your laptop, you can do some research with me. With two of us we can cover more ground."
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
"Okay, I think you are officially over your guilt," Lance said dryly as they left the toy store that was conveniently located beside the ice cream parlor.
Darcy watched as Sky skipped just ahead of them, hugging her new stuffed dog that strongly resembled Chewy. Both she and Lance were carrying bags bulging with toys, games, and books.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Darcy replied loftily as they approached their car.
"Yes you do. I think sixty dollars worth of toys pays off your guilt debt."
"$57.83," she corrected, kissing his cheek. "Not to mention a big sundae and allowing her to have French fries for dinner. And it isn't guilt, its love."
He rolled his eyes and slammed the trunk shut over their suitcases and purchases, "I thought you didn't believe in buying a person's love."
"I think Chewy has to go potty," Sky said, patting the dog's head as he stuck it out the window.
Lance checked his watch, "We can take him for a quick walk over to the park and back before we head up to the castle."
"Come here, peanut," Darcy held her hands out to her daughter. Sky threw herself at her mother and laughed as she was swung around onto her mother's back. "I want you to stick to me like glue, okay Sky?"
"'Kay, Mommy," she giggled.
Lance clipped Chewy's leash onto his collar and they crossed to the park in the center of town. A few years earlier, swings, a couple of see-saws, and some monkey bars had been installed, making it a popular place with the kids in town. Darcy took Sky over to the monkey bars while Lance walked Chewy toward the trees.
………………………………………………………………………………………
Hunk and Paton walked hand in hand around the University of Arus to where the circus was set up. They were early, the gates weren't supposed to open for another fifteen minutes.
"What's the plan?" Paton asked as they drew closer.
"Just keep your eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary," Hunk said. "Keith said that we should really look out for this Pepo guy."
"What kind of name is Pepo?"
"I assume it's a stage name."
"Do we know anything about him?""Just that he is the ringleader and manager of the circus and, for some reason, he had a picture of Sky."
Paton looked around, checking the perimeter, "I can plant some of my men here."
Hunk nodded, "That would probably be a good idea."
As the chief of police for the city of Alforia, Paton had access to over a hundred and fifty men and women officers. And Hunk knew that she was the perfect person to have investigating Pepo.
"I'll stop by the station after we're done here and put together a schedule. I already have uniformed men that patrol the area, but they haven't found anything out of the ordinary yet. I'll put some plain clothes officers in the circus each evening."
"Alright, I'll let Keith know what you're doing."
"What precautions are Lance and Darcy taking?"
"They're moving back up to the castle for now."
"That's a good idea, but I can set them up with police protection if they want to stay at home."
Hunk kissed the top of her head, "I know, and I'm sure they'd appreciate it. But if I know Lance, he doesn't want a lot of attention drawn to the situation or to Sky, and spending a couple of days at the castle isn't as obvious."
A large group of people had already gathered, waiting to gain entrance to the circus grounds. A few people stopped Hunk and Paton to speak to the two of them. While they waited, he had his picture taken with a few children.
"Welcome to Muskerry Brothers' Circus," a loud booming voice announced.
Applause broke out in the gathered crowd and excited voices rose.
"If you will please form two single file lines, we will open the gates and welcome you in!"
Hunk and Paton joined a line as it slowly moved forward. They handed their tickets to a sullen faced young girl who tore them and handed the stub back. A tall man dressed in a sparkling red suit over a black shirt and a blinking orange tie stood at the entrance, greeting people and answering questions.
"Is that Pepo?" Paton asked.
Hunk shook his head, "No, Keith said he was short and had curly red hair."
Walking the perimeter, they tried to blend in with the crowd, which was easier said then done when you're six feet, six inches tall and built like a wall of solid muscle.
"There's the tent Keith was talking about," Hunk whispered.
"What are you going to do? You can't just walk in there."
"Wanna bet?"
"Hunk."
"Stay here, Pat."
"Henry…"
"Just stay here," he left her standing beside a ring toss game and crept around the back of the tent.
Pepo had had his tent set up against the tree line that butted up against the meadow. He felt safer, thinking no one could sneak up on him, or if they tried to, he would be able to hear them. As it was, he was standing in his tent fuming, not caring what was going on outside.
Hunk stepped over a root and ducked under a low branch. Holding his breath, he crouched down and peered through an opening in the flaps where the ties had loosened. He saw a short man with vibrant red, curly hair dressed in black pants with lights running down each leg and a sparkling silver shirt while talking to a man who was obviously a clown without his makeup on.
"…you can't get to her?" Pepo asked angrily. "She's perfect."
"Her parents are making it hard to get to her," the clown answered. "And she is afraid of clowns. What kid is afraid of clowns?"
"Then you find another way to get to her, she is worth three million."
"I know what she's worth."
The sound of skin hitting skin echoed through the tent as Pepo slapped the clown across the face, "Don't be so insolent. Just do your job."
"Yes, sir."
"If you fail me again, you will be gone."
"You can't fire me, I know too much."
Pepo leaned in close, "I wasn't talking about firing you."
The clown's face turned bright red, but he kept his mouth shut.
"Go," Pepo dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "Get your makeup on, we have a show in half an hour."Hunk moved stealthily back to where his wife was standing, her arms crossed over her chest, looking annoyed.
"We should go back to the castle."
Her expression changed to one of concern, "What is it?"
"They're after some kid, a girl, worth three million dollars."
"And you think they're talking about Sky?"
"They said she's afraid of clowns and her parents are making it hard for them to get to her."
"Damn," Paton muttered. "If we had more hard evidence I could go in and arrest him now."
"We're working on the evidence."
"I'm going to go to my office and get some officers together, I want to start planting them tonight."
"Alright," Hunk gave her a quick kiss as they had to part ways in the middle of town. "Come up to the castle when you're done."
"I will."
"Be careful."
"You too."
He squeezed her hand and winked at her as they went their separate ways.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Becca was sitting up on Pidge's bed, leaning back on his pillows with her laptop open in front of her. She was researching the black market child adoption rings, finding some seriously disturbing information. Not all the adoptions went to loving, childless couples, some children were sold into slavery. There were even what was called 'Designer Adoptions', where couples could place an order for a specific child, the sex, hair color, eye color, and, for an exorbitant fee, could get that child.
"Bingo."
Becca looked up at the sound of Pidge's exclamation. "What is it?"
"I think I found a connection," he told her, pulling his communicator off his belt. "I have to check with Keith and see if this is the guy he spoke to at the circus."
Becca set her computer aside and got up to see what was on his screen. A mug shot of any angry looking man with a pointed goatee and bushy black hair glared back at her. Underneath the picture was the name Calbert Papillo Kandell. Beneath that was another picture, a man with a blonde crew cut and a defeated expression. His name was Oliverios Cronus Mahault.
"Keith, can you come to my room please," Pidge requested when the Commander answered his call. "I need you to check something out."
"I'll be right there."
"What's the story?" Becca asked when he snapped his communicator shut.
Pidge scrolled down the screen, "It seems that Calbert was the son of the man running Kandell Family Circus, a Rodolfo Kandell, and Oliverios was one of the performers, a second generation clown. Both men were arrested under suspicion of kidnapping, but were released due to lack of evidence. Come in, Keith!" He called out at the knock on the door.
The door slid open and Keith hurried in, "What have you found?"
"Do either of these guys look familiar to you?"
Keith leaned over and studied the pictures. Even with the goatee, he recognized Pepo. "If he shaved and dyed his hair red, that would be Pepo."
"You're sure?"
"Absolutely."
"Then let's go get him," Becca said.
"It's not that easy, Bec," Keith said. "We have our suspicions, but we don't have any evidence."
"So we wait until they try and take Sky before we do anything?"
"Lance and Darcy are coming here, nothing is going to happen to Sky."
"So we just let them go? What happens next? They go to another planet and try to kidnap some other kid? You're going to let that happen?" Her voice rose with each question.
Keith ran a hand through his hair, "Rebecca, you are too close to this. You and Lance both have to understand that we have to do this legally. If we burst in there without any hard evidence, they can turn this around and charge us with invasion of privacy, wrongful arrest, and various other charges. You have the Voltron Force and the chief of police working on this, we will make sure nothing happens to Sky and, if they are guilty, we will make sure they serve time."
"Are they on their way here?"
"Lance said they were stopping in town for dinner first and then they were coming up."
"Maybe you should contact him and tell him what we found," Pidge said.
Keith nodded, "Thanks for your help guys. Compile a file of everything you've found and we'll present it to Paton, see what she thinks we should do."
……………………………………………………………………………………..
"Come on, Chewy," Lance sighed. "All the trees are the same, just pick one and take care of business." He had an uneasy feeling and kept looking over to where Sky was crossing the monkey bars, Darcy steadying her with her hands holding the little girl's waist. The sun was starting to set and he was antsy to get them up to the castle, he was dying to know if Pidge or Hunk had found anything else.
"I can do it, Mommy," Sky insisted.
"Okay, but if you fall, it's your own fault," Darcy teased.
"You can catch me."
"Oh, can I?"
"Yup."
"Are you two gorgeous ladies ready to go?" Lance asked.
"No, Daddy, it's still early."
"But the sun is setting."
"Come on," Darcy took a hold of Sky and lifted her off the monkey bars. "Cady's waiting."
"I don't wanna."
"You've had a busy day," Darcy said as they walked back to the car. "You have no reason to pout."
Lance unclipped his communicator as it beeped, "Collier."
"Hey Lance, are you on your way up to the castle?" Keith asked.
"Yeah, we're getting in the car now, we'll be there in a few minutes. Why? What's up?"
"Pidge and Becca have been doing some research and they found something I want to show you."
"Alright, we'll be there soon." Lance snapped the communicator shut and grabbed Darcy by the arm, pulling her and the dog along at a quick pace.
"What is it, Lance?" She asked.
"Keith has something he wants to show us," he told her. "It's getting dark and I want to get up to the castle before it gets any later."
Darcy buckled Schuyler into the car while Lance loaded the dog in. He didn't even wait for Darcy to buckle her own seatbelt before he took off, his feelings of uneasiness and impatience growing.