by Grace York
"What about the victim's bunk in the trailer? Did you see anyone enter or leave it?"
Addison took a good look at the trailer and tried to picture the scene from up at the top of the Ferris wheel. "I really can't tell from down here," she said. "I think there was someone who went in and came out again a minute later, but I can't be sure it was that particular bunk."
Isaac shielded his eyes from the sun as he stared up at the top of the Ferris wheel, and then looked back to Addison.
"Come on, then," he said.
"Where are we going?" Addison asked, although her stomach was doing backflips already.
"Up there." Isaac pointed up to the scene of her nightmare.
"I was afraid you were going to say that."
"I think they've shut it down," said Justin.
"And you are?" Isaac asked.
"Oh, sorry. Justin Lake. This is my fiancée, Emily."
"My son and daughter-in-law," Addison added, although no clarification was necessary. She was stalling.
Isaac shook hands with Justin and Emily. "Nice to meet you." He signalled to Kendall Short, who came over. "Can we get the Ferris wheel back up and running? I want to take Addison up and see if she can recall anything."
"I'm on it," said Kendall.
Isaac held out a hand in front of him. "Let's go."
Addison couldn't think of a decent excuse.
As they walked back to the Ferris wheel Addison noticed most of the crowd had cleared out. It was less than an hour since Kendall had ordered the carnival be shut down. Despite her initial protests, Harry had been very efficient at complying with police wishes. It fit with Addison's overall impression that the Hanley Brothers Carnival was a very well-run operation.
After a few more minutes of standing around, during which time Isaac blew his nose enough times to make Addison concerned about the state of his handkerchief, Harriet Hanley came over and instructed the Ferris wheel's operator to fire the thing up.
"Nabil here will look after you," said Harry. "I've got to get out the front, make sure the gates are closed."
"Thanks," said Isaac. "I'll come and find you later. I'll need to speak with all the staff."
Addison felt sorry for him. As sick as he was, there was a job to be done. It was going to be a very long afternoon for Isaac and his colleagues.
"Let's get this done," she said, trying to inject a level of enthusiasm in her voice she didn't feel.
"You want us to come with you?" Olivia asked.
"Did any of you see anything?" said Isaac.
Olivia, Justin, and Emily all shook their heads. "We were playing eye spy," Justin explained. "Trying to distract Mum from our predicament."
Isaac nodded. "No worries. Why don't you three stay here then. It'll be quicker if we go up alone."
Nabil ushered them along and Addison climbed into the basket for the second time that afternoon. This time, though, they didn't have to endure the slow climb and stop routine to fill the rest of the baskets. On Isaac's instruction, Nabil lifted them straight to the top and held the wheel in place.
After a moment to get her bearings, Addison worked out which was Frankie's bunk in the trailer. It wasn't hard – it was still surrounded by crime scene tape. The crime scene officers had also arrived, and they were milling about in their blue overalls.
"What can you remember?" Isaac asked.
Addison took a good look at the location of the bunk, then closed her eyes. She remembered counting the staff in and around the trailers. She remembered a couple of people going into one of the bunks, but it was at the far end of the camp.
"Take your time," said Isaac, earning himself a narrow-eyed glance from Addison. She was taking her time.
She remembered the washing hanging on the makeshift clotheslines. That's right – now she could see it.
"Someone walked through the clothes hanging there and entered Frankie's bunk," she told Isaac.
"How long were they in there?"
"At least a minute, maybe longer. Then they came back out again. A lot of the staff were walking in this direction, and they joined in. I supposed because the Ferris wheel was broken down and they were coming to help."
"Can you describe the person you saw?" asked Isaac. He had his notebook out again.
Addison tried to think, to see the figure again in her mind's eye. But it was no use. They were too far away.
"I'd only be guessing, sorry. They were wearing a red shirt, though."
"Great," said Isaac with a sniff. "That narrows it down to the entire staff, plus any visitors wearing a red shirt."
"Sorry," Addison said again.
"What about build? Solid, or slim?"
She shook her head.
"Hair colour? Skin colour?"
Another shake.
"So nothing at all, except the red shirt."
"And blue jeans," she added. "Or at least long blue pants of some description."
Isaac managed a half-smile. "That's not a total loss. From what Kendall's managed to find out, the victim was not well-liked among his peers. There's a good chance we're looking at a member of staff." He signalled to Nabil to bring them down, then changed his mind.
"Hold up for a minute," he called down. The ride stopped again.
"What is it?" Addison asked.
"I'm not sure. Give me a minute." He spent some time looking around, then finally signalled to Nabil once again to bring them down.
They reached the bottom and climbed out of the basket. Addison realised she hadn't been half as scared this time around. Maybe there was something to facing your fears.
Isaac pulled Nabil aside and started asking him questions. Addison left him to it and returned to her family. When she looked back they had the cover open on the mechanical part of the ride again, and Nabil was pointing and explaining something.
"What was that all about?" Addison asked Isaac when he rejoined them a few minutes later.
"Oh, just a suspicion," he said. "When we were up there you said a lot of the people in uniform were walking towards the Ferris wheel."
"Yes, because it had broken down. By the time they got us down there was quite a crowd here."
Isaac got his notebook out again and started writing. It was a minute before Addison realised what he was getting at.
"You think the broken Ferris wheel might have been a diversion," she said.
"Maybe." He shrugged. "Thanks for your time, Addison."
She obviously wasn't going to get any more from him. "Is there anything else I can do?" she asked.
"No, we can handle it from here. Go home and spend some time with your family."
Addison nodded and linked arms with her son. "Come on, you lot. Take me home. I think a glass of wine is in order."
5
Back at the beach house Layla and Adam were in the kitchen preparing a salad. Well Layla was preparing a salad, Adam was sitting at the bench with a beer picking at the contents of the salad. Charlie came racing through the dog door to greet them, his tail wagging so much Addison wondered how it stayed attached. He leapt into Olivia's arms, and she gave the little fluffy dog a cuddle.
"You're all back early," said Layla. "What happened?" she added when she saw the concerned look on Addison's face.
"There's been another murder!" said Olivia, lowering Charlie to the floor. To her credit she was doing her best to hide her delight.
Addison shook her head at her daughter. Olivia was studying forensic science at Griffith University which, coupled with the two murders Getaway Bay had already experienced in their short time in residence, meant Olivia had a macabre outlook on the whole thing.
"You're kidding," said Layla.
Addison shook her head again. "Unfortunately, we're not." She gave Layla and Adam a quick rundown of the events of the past couple of hours while Justin found a bottle of wine and poured three glasses. He got two beers out for himself and Olivia, and held up a third in Adam's direction.
"Yes please," said Adam. "Did
you see anything?" he asked Addison, passing Justin his empty bottle and opening the fresh one.
Addison explained both of her rides on the Ferris wheel. "I don't know if I helped or not. I guess that's up to Isaac."
"Wow," said Adam, taking a sip of the fresh beer. "This place is going to give Midsomer a run for its money."
"Midsomer?" Emily raised one eyebrow.
"Midsomer Murders," said Addison and Olivia in unison. Olivia explained the show, one of Addison's favourites.
"Oh, I see," said Emily. "Why would anyone want to live there?"
"Exactly," said Addison. She had to admit, it was starting to feel a little like that here in Getaway Bay.
She brushed the thought away and turned to Layla. "Thanks for preparing for tonight," she said, nodding towards the salad. "I'm not sure who's coming. Isaac and Kendall will be no-shows, I'd say. They'll be busy at the carnival for hours."
"No problem. Leftovers never go astray in this house. Not with all these young mouths to feed."
Not long after arriving in Getaway Bay, Addison had established an informal get-together on Friday nights for her house guests and any of the locals who cared to join in. Most people brought drinks and a plate of something to share, and they'd had quite a few fun nights now sitting out the back around the barbecue. It had started with a wake after Layla's sister's funeral, but it had become a tradition Addison and her new friends had come to look forward to.
Addison shooed her children, Adam, and Charlie out into the yard to wipe down the chairs and get things ready out there, while she and Layla continued preparing the food. Cooking was one of Addison's greatest enjoyments, and she loved trying new recipes. Tonight, they were having a whole fish baked on the barbecue, plus she'd found a recipe for barbecued garlic and herb mushrooms she wanted to try. She set about preparing the ingredients, and before long there was a familiar tap on the kitchen window.
"Hello Mrs Jones," said Addison as her elderly neighbour came through the back door. Mrs Jones was seventy-five years old and wasn't shy about telling anyone, but Addison thought she could easily be ten years younger.
"Hello, my dears," said Mrs Jones as she climbed onto her favourite kitchen stool. "How was the carnival?"
Addison and Layla exchanged a glance, then Addison once again told the story of the knife thrower with a knife in his back. She was glad Mrs Jones had been sitting down; the poor woman was holding onto the bench with both hands by the time Addison was finished.
"Wow. Poor Dot," she said, accepting the drink Layla had prepared for her. Mrs Jones was partial to a shandy on a hot day. Today wasn't particularly hot, but Layla had obviously decided Mrs Jones would need a drink after hearing of Getaway Bay's third murder this year.
"Who's Dot?" Addison asked.
"Morris's wife," said Mrs Jones, taking a sip of her shandy. "Ooh, that's nice, dear. You went heavier on the beer than the lemonade, didn't you?"
"I thought you could handle it a little stronger today," said Layla with a smile.
"You thought right." Mrs Jones turned back to Addison. "Morris and Dot Hanley are the second generation of Hanley's to run that carnival," she explained. "It was Morris's father and uncle who started it, but that was back when I was a youngster."
"They've been coming here that long?" asked Addison.
"Oh, no. They've only been coming here for twenty years or so. But I got the story from Dot a few years back. We got chatting one night in the pub. She's a lovely woman. Oh, the stories she has about life on the road." Mrs Jones smiled and sipped her drink.
"Anyway, when the two original Hanley brothers retired, Morris was the only one of their children interested in taking over. I think one of his cousins helped out from time to time, but it was really all left to Morris. He and Dot built it up from a couple of sideshow games and rides into the grand show it is today."
"And they've got three sons, right?" asked Layla.
"That's right. Let me see now, what are their names?" Mrs Jones stared out the window as she tried to remember. Addison followed her gaze and saw the kids laughing and chatting out in the garden; Charlie and Mrs Jones's dog Bella running and playing next to them.
"Owen, that's the eldest. He's married to Harriet, although they all call her Harry."
"I met her today," said Addison. "She insisted I get checked out by the paramedics after being stuck at the top of the Ferris wheel."
"Yes, that sounds like Harry. Dot says Harry runs the show these days. Morris has practically retired, and Dot herself looks after the bookings and such, but most everything else is down to Harry. Well, Harry and Owen, technically, but it's mostly Harry."
"She did seem very efficient," said Addison.
"Dot absolutely adores her," said Mrs Jones. "Much more than her other daughter-in-law. Now, what's that one's name?"
There was more staring out the window, and Addison had half a mind to grab her phone and Google Hanley Brothers Carnival, but Mrs Jones finally got all the characters straight.
"Davina, that's it. She's married to the second son, Jake. I don't think carnival life suits Davina at all, but Jake loves it."
"I suppose it takes a certain kind of person," said Layla. "They're on the road all the time, aren't they?"
"For eight months of the year," said Mrs Jones. "They have a property outside of Brisbane. Dot told me they all go there for the winter. They each have a house on the property. Well, except for the youngest son, Hugh. He's not married yet, so he stays in the main house with Morris and Dot. But the other two each have their own house."
"Still, eight months a year is a long time to be living out of a caravan," said Layla.
"It would be all they've ever known," said Addison.
"The Hanley's sure. But not the wives. I can understand them getting sick of such a life."
"They knew what they were getting into when they married them," said Mrs Jones.
Addison couldn't disagree with that. Personally, she could think of nothing worse than travelling for eight months of every year. It'd be hard work, too. All those rides to set up and take down, long hours standing in the sun, staff to manage. It couldn't be easy recruiting and maintaining staff with such a lifestyle.
"Do you know anything about the knife thrower?" Addison asked Mrs Jones. "Frankie, they said his name was."
"No, not really. I know Morris found him last year sometime, because he was here with them last Easter. He was new then. I haven't caught up with Dot yet this year. I've been meaning to get down there and see her, but time gets away. I'll try and catch up with her tomorrow."
Addison finished preparing her mushrooms for the barbecue and was about to take them out to Adam when the doorbell rang. Most of the regular Friday guests went straight through the side fence to the back garden, so Addison wondered who this could be.
She answered the door and was surprised and delighted to see Holly from the carnival. Her delight quickly turned to concern when the young woman burst into tears and collapsed into Addison's arms.
6
"Holly! Whatever's the matter?" Addison led the poor girl inside and settled her on the sofa. She sat next to her, plucking tissues from a nearby box and holding them at the ready. When Holly had worked her way through half a dozen tissues, the tears started to dry up.
"I'm so sorry, Addison. I shouldn't have come here like this."
"Nonsense. What can I do to help?"
Holly blew her nose and gathered herself. "It's just awful," she began. "The carnival used to be such a wonderful place to work. But after this afternoon… I don't know if I can go back there."
"It's been quite a shock for you," said Addison. "Why don't you spend the evening here with us, and forget about it for a few hours."
"Thank you. Olivia invited me, actually. We had a chat while you were up in the Ferris wheel with that detective. She's lovely, your daughter."
Addison couldn't help but smile. "She is, isn't she? I'm glad she invited you. Let's get outside and get the barbecue
started, and you can forget all about what happened this afternoon."
They stood, but Holly hesitated. "I'm not sure I can forget about it," she said. "The police think one of the staff is a murderer. It's all going around and around in my head. I can't stop thinking about it."
"Well in that case, maybe you need to talk it through. You've come to the right place for that. My next-door neighbour has just been telling us all about the history of the carnival, and all the Hanleys."
"They're lovely people to work for. I'm so upset this has happened to them. What's it going to do to the carnival? Will it be able to continue?"
"I think it's far too early to be worrying about that. I tell you what, let's go outside, get ourselves a nice glass of wine, and you can tell us about some of your friends at the carnival. Try and get this nasty business out of your head."
Holly nodded. "I think that's a good idea."
"Right. As soon as you've had enough, though, you just give me a nod and I'll change the subject."
"Like a secret signal?" Holly asked.
"A secret signal. Yes, exactly." Addison smiled. Holly must be in her mid-twenties, but she had such an innocent face she reminded Addison of a child.
They went into the kitchen, where Layla had taken the fish out of the fridge ready to take outside. Addison had stuffed it with her special recipe and wrapped it in foil before they went to the carnival that morning.
"Hello," said Layla. "I don't think we've met."
Addison introduced the two of them, and Holly helped carry trays of food out into the back garden. Mrs Jones was already in her favourite chair in the corner, Bella on her lap. Hazel and her husband Martin had arrived, as well as Juliet and Josie Porter. They must have come through the side gate while Addison was consoling Holly.
Josie was fussing over Charlie. "He's almost ready for another haircut, Addison," she said after everyone had been introduced to Holly. Josie ran the local dog grooming salon, and had cleaned Charlie up after he'd spent a few weeks running wild. He'd been in quite a state when he'd first turned up on Addison's doorstep three months ago.
