Gauntlet of Fear

by David Cargill

  When Giles was completely settled in his South Kensington flat he made a phone call to Freddie, at his home in Evesham, to explain about the forbidden isle and the KC in the riddle. It brought an instant reaction from his ex RAF colleague. Freddie was fairy certain that Giles’ London cabbie was on the right track in his conclusion that Gatwick was the grassland in the conundrum. If only the previous owner of Kinloch Castle had somehow been connected to the Sport of Kings and had raced at Gatwick things could become clearer. It was at that point that Giles related what had occurred when he reached London.

  The services of Colin Brown, the cabbie with the enlarged hippocampus, had been enlisted by Giles on the way from the station to his flat and Giles had mentioned about the large house on the Scottish Isle. The cabbie said he’d heard about an English industrialist who’d had a large house built around the turn of the century on some island off the West Coast of Scotland and that gentleman had owned racehorses. One horse, Golden Myth, had won the Ascot Gold Cup. Another, Campanula, had won the One Thousand Guineas. But the most interesting one of all was Ballymacad, a steeplechaser which had won the Grand National during the First World War. That was in 1917 and the strange thing was, Aintree, the home of the famous steeplechase, had been out of action at that time and the race had been run at Gatwick…and the race had been denied the title of the Grand National. It was another case of something that had never existed.

  Giles couldn’t believe his ears. The pieces of the jigsaw were beginning to fit into place and a picture was starting to make sense. A visit to this island Castle could be full of interest and intrigue…but why was he coerced into this visit. Someone had an ulterior motive and that someone was the person he had to ferret out.

  There was a pleasant surprise waiting to greet Giles when he returned to the winter quarters of the Tropicana Circus.

  A note from Michael Wagner, the magician, which he found inside his trailer, asked him to get in touch when he was back as a special illusion was ready for him to watch.

  The Prof met with Mr. Wagner who intimated that the rehearsal would take place that evening in the tent in which the equestrian show had been staged.

  A short meeting with Senhor Mordomo gave Giles the chance to say that he was to sail on a cruise ship starting on the 17th March. He made no mention of the fact that a visit to Kinloch Castle, on the Isle of Rum, was on the cards. It was best to keep that information a close secret. One person knew, or suspected it might happen, and that person was the one who concocted the conundrum.

  The circus ring was well-lit when Giles took his seat in the rehearsal tent.

  Michael Wagner greeted him saying that the illusion he was about to perform had been having some small problems which he could eliminate with a few more rehearsals. It seemed that the timing of everything was of the greatest importance, and if it was not yet of the highest quality tonight it would be by the time of the North Devon public performance.

  A nod from the magician towards the tent entrance was enough to get the act started. This had to be an illusion that could be done completely surrounded by viewers. An edge-of-the-seat magic act was what Giles expected. He was especially interested because of what he’d advocated in his lecture at the St James’s Club on the night he was asked to help the circus boss.

  His gaze was riveted on what was being pushed into the ring by male assistants. It was a steel cage on wheels. It had a covered roof and the cage was empty.

  When the cage reached the centre of the ring the assistants rotated it to demonstrate that the cage was completely empty. A cloth curtain was attached to the back of the cage but the rotation allowed anyone, wherever they were, to see through the bars and be convinced that there was nobody inside.

  The magician beckoned to a girl who had taken her place at the ringside. As she moved towards the centre of the ring Giles recognised her as Allison.

  The magician made a great presentation as he met his female assistant. He opened the door of the cage and guided Allison into the empty compartment and closed the door.

  The cage was rotated once more showing that it was now occupied by the girl. Two female attendants came into the ring and, taking the ends of the drape attached to the back of the cage, pulled the cloth curtain around the other three sides until the cage, with the girl inside, was entirely hidden.

  Once the ends of the drape were closed together four steel cables descended from the ceiling and were attached to the covered roof of the cage.

  At a signal from the magician the cage was lifted off the ground and suspended in mid air. It was clear that there was no way for anyone to get in or leave the cage without being observed.

  A roll on the drums alerted the girl assistants who had retained hold of ropes attached to the cloth covering the cage; the ropes were pulled dragging the cloth curtain away at the same time.

  The suspended cage, now in full view of the onlookers, contained the Royal Bengal Tiger, Khan. The disappearance of Allison, which Giles knew was expected to take place, had somehow gone disastrously wrong: for Allison was clearly still in the cage with the enormous tiger.

  The panic that ensued was professionally handled by the male attendants. The cage was rapidly, but gently, lowered to the ground. One assistant crossed over to the cage with some meat in a bucket. As the meat was offered to Khan, to keep the animal interested, Senor Gomez, the animal trainer was instantly at the door of the cage. He speedily opened it and led a petrified Allison out to safety. Giles watched this whole tableau with alarm and, as Allison was approaching him, he could see fear in her eyes.

  With the cage securely closed again assistants wheeled it out of the ring.

  Michael Wagner came over to Giles. He was markedly embarrassed and full of apologies. ‘I’m so sorry about that, Professor Dawson,’ he said. ‘That, of course, wasn’t meant to happen. And it wasn’t one of the minor problems we were having.’

  ‘I am aware of that Mr. Wagner; Allison and the big cat were meant to change places. But that particular illusion is dependent on timing and the ability of the girl in the cage to release parts within the structure…or you could be landed with a situation that not only spells disaster as far as the illusion is concerned, but could end in death.’

  ‘Once I’ve had a talk with Allison I’ll know much more about what went wrong,’ volunteered the magician. ‘The worry is that it’s the second time my assistant has been in danger. The first being the fire in the clown act and now this. Why should Allison be a target?’

  ‘I don’t know, Mr. Wagner, but I would certainly like to find out.’

  ‘If you’ll excuse me I’ll go and see how she is.’

  ‘By all means. Please give her my best wishes. If it is at all possible perhaps I could have a word with her?’

  ‘I will arrange that. I’m sure she will have no objections. We all want to get this problem sorted out.’

  Retiring to his trailer Giles sat and gave the incident he’d just witnessed some serious thought. It was true that Allison had twice been involved in accidents and yet, on examining the facts, it was clear that she had been in a position to create each accident herself. The first one in the clowns’ fire scene she could have had complete control of the fire had she wanted to. The second, ending up in close proximity with Khan, the Bengal Tiger, might have had life-threatening consequences. But that didn’t take into consideration the possibility that Allison and Khan might have some kind of friendly relationship between them that Giles had no knowledge of. His thoughts went back to a remark Hank, the wire walker, made regarding Khan. He described the tiger as a pussycat.

  His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the trailer door.

  The door opened and in stepped Allison. She seemed perfectly calm and composed and the fear in her eyes was no longer there.

  ‘Michael said you’d like to have a word with me.’

  ‘Come in and sit down, Allison. This is the first real opportunity I’ve had to make your acquaintance.’

  ‘
I’ve wanted to meet you for some time now, Professor Dawson, but I know you are quite busy with the scary happenings that we all want stopped.’

  ‘Please call me Giles. I’ve been calling you by your first name and I’d like to continue doing that. Do you have any idea what went wrong in the illusion you were performing?

  ‘Yes I do. As you will know, being a historian in stage magic, the timing is critical. It was my job, and mine alone, to ensure that the false back panel, discreetly hidden by the drape, was released along with the floor panel to allow my escape into the bottom of the cage. When I activated the dual release the floor panel didn’t operate. That left me with Khan, the tiger. Had it happened in front of an audience I have no doubt there would have been huge applause because most spectators would not have known what to expect.’

  ‘Had that happened before?’

  ‘No! We’ve had little problems like the drape curtain not remaining secure and covering the cage sides; and the steel cables not lifting the cage without the cage tilting, but nothing as dangerous as what happened a moment ago.’

  ‘Have you ever been in the company of Khan before?’

  ‘What exactly do you mean?’

  ‘I’m trying to establish if you and the circus tiger have had a previous understanding. That neither of you would attack nor harm the other.’

  ‘Are you suggesting that I might have deliberately caused the accident to happen?’

  ‘No, I’m not suggesting that. But I do have to eliminate all possibilities.’

  ‘Am I a suspect in your investigation, Professor?’

  ‘Let me just make it clear that everyone is a suspect and will remain so until I’m convinced of the truth.’

  When Allison, the magician’s assistant, had gone, Giles decided to pay another visit to the control tower and make a phone call to Evesham and talk to Freddie.

  The upshot was that Freddie was due to make a trip to the meeting at the Devon and Exeter racecourse and he thought he might come to Winkleigh, which was a little over an hour’s drive away from the racecourse, and assess what was going on.

  That was just the ticket as far as Giles was concerned and a tête-à-tête would be like old times again. Both men could exchange views and, if Freddie could stay a few days, they could watch the first public performance of the circus together.

  On leaving the control tower Giles wandered around until he found exactly where Felix Reiser’s trailer was. Giles had not yet had an opportunity to talk to the Band Leader on his own and as Reiser was present when the barred cage illusion went so wrong, Giles believed this might be a good time to question the man.

  The band leader was going over some sheet music when Giles entered Reiser’s living quarters.

  ‘Do come in, Professor. Please be seated and make yourself comfortable.’

  ‘Thank you. I hope you don’t mind but I’d like your opinion on certain things.’

  ‘I’ll be glad to help, if I can. Can I get you something to drink?’

  ‘That’s very kind of you. I’ll have a small drop of whatever you’re having yourself.’

  ‘I’m having a Southern Comfort myself.’

  ‘I’ll join you. I’m at the stage where I need a bit of comforting.’

  ‘I know what you mean. I’m sure you are referring to the illusion that we both witnessed today.’

  ‘Yes, I am! I wonder what you made of it. You are the one person who must be present at every act in the circus.’

  ‘That’s not strictly true, I’m afraid. All members of my band are usually present and so, of course, is the ringmaster.

  The dubious smile that wreathed Giles’ face showed how he thought of the two men in the circus he’d been warned to keep an eye on; the band leader and the ringmaster.

  ‘You ask what I made of the illusion that went wrong,’ stated Felix Reiser as he poured two drinks. ‘Well, that accident plus what you told Sebastian and myself regarding Khan’s cage being unlocked leads me to accept that we have a problem at this circus that needs to be resolved as quickly as possible.’

  ‘I’m glad you see it that way. But do you have any idea regarding these calamities. Have you ever seen so many mishaps in your previous experience?’

  ‘No, not really, though I have to admit I was a member of the band that was playing when the Big Top went on fire at Hartford, in Connecticut.’

  ‘Were you? Now that is interesting.’

  ‘I’m sorry but you make it sound as if you suspect all who’ve been in the vicinity of tragedies.’

  ‘You could be right. In fact I told the unfortunate Allison, after her close encounter with Khan, that, in every case I’m involved in I suspect everybody until I have a clearer picture that leads me to a credible conclusion.’

  ‘And how many cases have you been involved in where you had to clear up a mystery?’ asked the band leader in a tone of voice that could only be described as smug.

  ‘Just the one, Mr. Reiser, just the one. That is, until I’ve finished this case, when I can double that number.’

  ‘You sound confident, Professor. I admire your conviction and I’ll give you all the assistance I can offer.’

  As Giles left the band leader’s trailer he mentally recorded Felix Reiser’s holier-than-thou attitude. The band leader was certainly one to have on the list of suspects. However there was no evidence yet to implicate him or, for that matter, anyone else on that list. Giles was looking forward to his next meeting with his pal, Freddie, and to let him know which member on that list was nagging away at his vitals; a member where Giles’ faith in his idea was a belief in which there was no evidence…as yet.

  A few days later Freddie’s arrival, after racing at Exeter, was just what the doctor ordered. After an evening meal in the diner the two best friends got down to brass tacks as they usually did when Freddie stayed at the South Kensington flat in London.

  After describing the latest fiasco with Allison and Khan, Freddie agreed that it was a distinct possibility that Allison and the Bengal Tiger might well be so placid, when together, that the cage illusion, which seemingly went wrong, might not have been as disastrous as was first thought. The problem was there was no evidence to support that theory.

  ‘You mentioned on the phone, Giles, that there was one name on that list of suspects you suspected above all others. Would you care to mention a name?’

  ‘Please don’t insist at this moment. In my subconscious this person’s name stands out, but I have no proof. Someone is going to lose his or hers life and there may be others. If that should happen, Freddie, I will have failed.’ The concern on his face, as Giles paused, changed to a look of consolation. ‘The strange thing is I may be that much closer to realising my gut instinct about the name on that list.’

  Leaving the diner after their evening meal the two ex- RAF colleagues were threading a path back to their trailer in the semi darkness when a near calamity happened.

  Rounding one of the stationary wagons Giles was suddenly felled by a heavy metal pole that struck him a glancing blow across the side of the head and shoulder.

  The soft, sensuous lips of a young female caressing his parched mouth were the first vibrant awareness of Giles’ awakening from his brief, but alarming, unconsciousness.

  He opened his eyes attempting to focus on the blurred face that observed him from above.

  A silky smooth hand was being laid on his clammy forehead as the indistinct façade gradually became clear. His immediate recollection that he was being tended by an angel, was a momentary reaction that changed to a realisation: the angel was indeed the angel on horseback he’d been privileged to see giving a heavenly display of equestrianism.

  He tried to call her name but the Lizzie he wanted to articulate died in his throat.

  ‘Lie still for a while, Professor. Your friend, Freddie has gone for some medical help and I don’t think you should move until that help arrives.’

  Yes. That was the spectacular Lizzie’s voice; his memory and vitalit
y were returning.

  When he sat up, with the assistance of Lizzie and a circus nurse, Giles looked around him. In the evening darkness, sporadically lit by occasional lamps, he could see he was not far from the Big Top where Allison and Khan had held their unscheduled meeting.

  The area around him was strewn with ropes, metal poles and steel cables. ‘What on earth happened?’ he eventually asked, putting a hand up to his head as he spoke. ‘Did anyone see what hit me?’

  ‘It was that pole,’ young Lizzie said, pointing to the heavy metal structure lying on the ground nearby. ‘You could have been killed.’

  ‘Well he wasn’t! But you certainly were pole-axed, my son,’ said a relieved Freddie.

  Chapter 11

  EVIL INTENT

  Once Giles was in bed the circus doctor came to the trailer to check his condition. He advised a rest for a day or two but not necessarily to stay in bed.

  The doctor’s words before he left were weirdly prophetic. ‘The circus is an environment where disaster and tragedy lie in wait and you and your friend should take constant care to avoid injury.’ The circus doctor uttered that advice with such profound sincerity that made Giles wonder. Were those words genuine advice, or were they uttered as a warning threat?

  Freddie made a cup of tea and settled down in a chair to keep watch over his long-time buddy.

  ‘How are you feeling now?’ he asked. ‘Is there anything I can get you to make you more comfortable?’

  ‘No, I’m fine. But there is something I meant to tell you and it seemed to slip my mind.’

  ‘Well spill the beans if you feel up to it.’

  ‘When I was at Maskelyne Hall…’

  ‘Yes…take your time,’ ventured Freddie. ‘I’m really in no hurry.’

  ‘Well, when I was with Laura at…’

  ‘Yes, you’ve already said that,’ interrupted the slightly perturbed bed-sitter. ‘Well…?’

  ‘Laura and I got engaged to be married.’