“He does not look happy,” Kade said, keeping his voice low. “What do you think is going on?”
“Something tells me he’s not here to inform us they arrested a scarecrow,” I replied, earning an appreciative chuckle from Luke and a warning look from Kade.
“Keep it up, Poet,” Kade intoned. “Once we’re alone I’m going to make you pay.”
“And possibly with photos,” Luke teased.
Now it was my turn to scowl. “We’re all going to have a big discussion about those photos before the end of the night. Mark my words.”
“I love it when you get bossy,” Luke said, wrinkling his nose. “If I was straight it would turn me on.”
“We all love it when she gets bossy,” Max said. “Let me do the talking.”
“Why do you get to do the talking?” Luke asked. He was obviously disappointed. His crush on the detective seemed to be growing.
“Because I said so,” Max replied, pushing himself to his feet. “Good morning, detective. Can we get you a mug of coffee?”
Brewer took a moment to look Max up and down before focusing on me. “Good morning, Ms. Parker. We need to have a talk.”
Uh-oh. This couldn’t be good. “Did something happen to Dakota?” I asked, hoping I sounded concerned rather than defensive. “I already wrote out my statement and emailed it to your office this morning, just like you asked.” I hate having to suck up, but sometimes it’s necessary.
“I read through your statement, and everything seems to be in order,” Brewer answered. “That’s not why I’m here.”
“Well, we’re all dying to know why you’re here,” Max said. “Why don’t you tell us? I think we’d all appreciate it.”
“Uh-huh.” Brewer furrowed his brow. “And you are?”
“I’m Maxwell Anderson. I own Mystic Caravan.”
“I thought she was the owner.” Brewer pointed at me. “She was the one I dealt with last night and when we discovered the first body.”
I stilled. The first body? Crap. That means they found a second body. That definitely wasn’t good.
“Poet is my second in command,” Max explained. “She handles the day-to-day operations while I take on more of an advisory position.”
“Does that mean she does all the work while you count the money?”
Brewer clearly had an attitude today. I had no idea why he was taking out his aggression on Max, but I had to prevent this burgeoning argument before Max lost his temper. I’d only seen that happen a few times, but it was terrifying. The last thing this situation needed was an out-of-control mage. “It means that Max is far too valuable to waste on petty disputes and the like,” I replied. “What can I do to help you, detective?”
“You can tell me where you were last night between the hours of midnight and four,” Brewer said, not missing a beat.
“And may I ask why you want to know about Ms. Parker’s whereabouts?” Max asked. He sounded calm, but I could practically feel the atmosphere sparking due to his bubbling temper.
“Because they found another body,” I answered, instantly wishing I’d had the foresight to keep my mouth shut when Brewer’s keen eyes bored in on me.
“And how did you know that?” Brewer asked.
“Because you referenced the first body,” Kade answered for me, his face somber. “We all heard it.”
“We did,” Luke agreed. “You should be more careful when you’re setting a trap, detective. And you should also wear brighter colors because that muted tan suit of yours washes you out.”
Brewer opened his mouth and then snapped it shut, Luke’s flirting obviously catching him off guard.
“Poet was with me last night,” Kade supplied.
“All night?” Brewer arched a challenging eyebrow.
“After you left, Luke and I cleaned up the dinner dishes, and then I slept in her trailer with her,” Kade replied. “She was in the bathtub when I entered. When she got out I gave her a massage and then we passed out. She was still asleep when I woke up this morning and left to get breakfast. That was long after four.”
“I see,” Brewer said. “What about the rest of the people here? Can you account for all of their whereabouts, too?”
“Obviously he can’t,” Max said, his nostrils flaring as he tugged Brewer’s attention in his direction. “No one is under lock and key here. It’s obvious you found another body, detective. Instead of interrogating us, perhaps you should tell us what you found and let us confirm or deny any suspicions you have.”
That sounded reasonable.
“I’m not at liberty to discuss the current investigation,” Brewer said. “I am at liberty to search this circus, though.”
“Not without a warrant you’re not,” Max shot back.
“I don’t need a warrant because the property is owned by the city,” Brewer countered. “You’re in charge, right? Isn’t that what you said? Shouldn’t you know that?”
Kade and I exchanged a wary look. This was going south fast.
“You can search the grounds,” Kade said. “You cannot, however, enter anyone’s private dwelling without a warrant.”
“I can search the tents, though,” Brewer said. “Those are open to the public. Surely you don’t have a problem with that.”
“Knock yourself out,” Max said, glancing at me. “You have my permission to search all public areas. If you secure permission from the owner of a private area, you may search that, too.”
“That’s very gracious of you. I’m very thankful for your cooperation.” Brewer’s tone didn’t match his words.
“We’re gracious people,” Max said. “Poet will lead you wherever you want to go.”
I considered arguing but thought better of it. I knew why Max wanted me to accompany Brewer. There really was no other choice.
“Are you okay with that?” Brewer asked, locking gazes with me.
“I look forward to it,” I lied. “Shall we get started?”
“SO, HOW does this work?” Brewer asked, falling into step with me as I led him along the main pathway that cut through the circus grounds. “Do you infiltrate minds or just do cold reads on people and let them lead you to half-truths you can exploit?”
I tried to hide my frown but failed. I was used to people doubting my talents – and even making fun of me behind my back – but Brewer’s attitude made me want to punch him somewhere. He was lucky he didn’t have boobs, because if I could get a clear shot … pow! “It really doesn’t matter, does it?”
“I’m just curious.”
“And I’m not keen on sharing trade secrets,” I said. “Where do you want to look first?”
“Your trailer.”
“We were in front of my trailer five minutes ago,” I reminded him. “You should’ve asked then.”
“Does that mean you’re not going to let me search your trailer?” Brewer asked.
It was a trap. “You can certainly search my trailer,” I replied, knowing nothing incriminating was inside. “I’m sure Kade would love to show you around.”
“He referred to it as your trailer, though,” Brewer said. “That means he doesn’t live there with you.”
“He doesn’t.”
“And why is that?”
“Because he only joined our group a few weeks ago and it seems a little sudden to start playing house,” I replied. “Do you have any other questions about my relationship that you’d like to spread around to the other students in class? Perhaps you would prefer passing a note.”
“I guess I deserved that,” Brewer said. “That part of your life is really none of my business. I thought you were dating the dark-haired guy first … and then you showed up with the blond guy … but this morning you were sitting next to the old guy while the dark-haired guy said you were with him. I’m sure you understand my confusion.”
Did he just call me a slut? “The blond guy is my best friend … and he’s gay,” I replied, although I had no idea why I was explaining the confusing chains of my per
sonal life to him. “Max is my boss and also like a father to me. He took me in when I was young and living on the street.”
“And why did he do that?”
“Because he’s a kind man and I would’ve died otherwise,” I said matter-of-factly. “I was alone and he gave me a home. I will be forever grateful. He asked for nothing but hard work from me in return. Don’t insinuate terrible things about him.”
“I’m sorry,” Brewer said, holding up his hands in a conciliatory manner. “That was rude. I read about what happened to your parents and saw your juvenile record when I ran your name through our system. You’ve kept your nose clean for a long time.”
I frowned. I’d been arrested twice during my youth. I shouldn’t have been surprised he ran a background check on me, but his words still stung. “I made mistakes when I was younger,” I said. “I was hungry and frightened. That’s not an excuse, but I like to think I’ve made up for those mistakes.”
“I’m sure you have,” Brewer said, turning toward Nixie’s craft tent. “What do we have here?”
A circus is a small community, and gossip spreads faster than ear rot at a Nickelback concert. One look at Nixie’s face told me she already knew who Brewer was – and why he was here.
“I’m Nixie.” The pixie extended her hand. “Can I offer you a voodoo doll?” Nixie held out one of her dolls, causing me to internally cringe when Brewer took it. In truth, the voodoo dolls are former people. Nixie made a special powder that allowed her to shrink evil beings down to a manageable size, and because she didn’t appreciate wastefulness she then sold the husks as voodoo dolls. What? It’s not as sick as it sounds. Okay, maybe a little.
“Why do you sell voodoo dolls?” Brewer asked, offering Nixie a charming smile. He knew I couldn’t be schmoozed, but she was another story.
“People like kitschy things and that’s why they come to the circus,” I answered for the nervous sprite. “What’s more kitschy than a voodoo doll?”
“I guess that makes sense,” Brewer acknowledged, studying the doll. “Why is this thing so … normal looking?”
“Because the truly frightening things in this world look normal,” Nixie replied. “It’s easier when you can identify a monster on sight. It’s a lot more terrifying when the real monster is the normal-looking guy next door.”
“That was almost profound,” Brewer said.
It was. That made me think she read it in a fortune cookie or something. “Do you want to search Nixie’s booth?”
“I don’t think she looks like a murderer,” Brewer said, winking at Nixie and causing her to bark out an obnoxious laugh. She’s terrible under pressure sometimes. “Besides, everything is out in the open here. Someone would have to be stupid to hide something in plain sight.”
He had a point. “Where to next?”
“What’s over there?” Brewer asked, pointing toward one of the animal tents. Crap. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. He couldn’t enter that tent, mostly because there were a bunch of signs outside warning people to stay away from the vicious animals – while inside we didn’t have any animals. We had shifters, not animals, and those shifters didn’t walk around in animal form unless they had to perform.
“That’s where we keep the tiger,” I replied, casting a furtive look in Nixie’s direction. “We can’t go in there, though.”
“Why not?”
“You have to be licensed to be around the animals.”
“Are you licensed?”
I swallowed hard. “Yes.”
“Then I’m sure you can show me the animals.”
Crud. “I would love to show you the animals.” I sent a mental order to Nixie, knowing she would understand, and then set a slow pace to give her time to scurry around the back of her tent and find Seth. We had to time this perfectly. “You don’t have any food on you, do you?”
Brewer shot me a quizzical look. “Food?”
“A tiger will attack if it smells food,” I explained, biding for time. “They don’t like certain aftershaves either. You’re not an Old Spice guy, are you?” I was playing a hunch.
“I don’t wear aftershave,” Brewer replied. “We should be okay.”
“Well, great.”
By the time we got to the tiger tent I was a nervous wreck. I pushed open the flap and blew out a relieved sigh when I saw Nellie sitting on top of a box and sharing a bagel with Seth. The shifter, in his tiger form, gingerly snapped up his half of the bagel.
“What’s up, Buttercup?” Nellie asked, reclining in his chair and giving Brewer a special gander at his hairy legs and pink underwear. I was happy he was even wearing underwear. Sometimes he likes to go commando.
“You remember Detective Brewer,” I said. “He’s searching the grounds. Apparently another body was found, but he won’t tell us anything about it.”
“He thinks we’re murderers, huh?” Nellie reached into a bag and came back with another bagel to share with Seth. “Figures.”
“I can’t remember your name from last night. Would you like to remind me?” Brewer managed to hide his discomfort with Nellie’s appearance relatively quickly.
“Nellie.”
“Nelson Adler,” I corrected. “He’s been with the circus longer than I have.”
“And yet you’re still the boss,” Nellie said, rolling his eyes. “Where’s the justice in that?”
“Are you supposed to be hanging out with a tiger like that?” Brewer asked, giving Seth a wide berth as the animal flicked its tail.
“You said you wanted to see the animal quarters,” I reminded him. “This is the tiger tent. This is … Tony.” Seth hates that name – mostly because of the cereal – but I couldn’t risk calling him by his real name in case Brewer ran searches on all of us. He wouldn’t understand a tiger and trainer/acrobat having the same moniker.
“But he’s loose,” Brewer said.
“He’s fine.” I wandered over to Seth and stroked his broad head. He’s an attractive man but he’s an absolutely beautiful animal. His fur is soft and inviting, and he purrs like … well, a really big cat. He’s breathtaking. “How’s my boy?”
Seth rubbed his forehead against my chin, giving the appearance of being a happy cat. Brewer must’ve felt brave enough to move closer, because he tentatively reached his hand out to touch Seth’s fur.
“Can I touch him?”
For the first time I saw legitimate awe on Brewer’s features. We were something to marvel instead of fear. It would be fleeting, but the emotion was clearly there. “Go ahead.”
Brewer’s hand shook as he pressed it to the back of Seth’s neck. “God, he’s … amazing.”
“He is,” I agreed, keeping my eyes trained on the jittery police detective. “We’re not hiding anything here. I know you don’t believe that, but we’re a family and we’re here to do a job. How would killing people benefit us?”
That was kind of a loaded question because we did kill people.
“I have a job to do, Ms. Parker,” Brewer said, reluctantly pulling his hand from Seth. “You’re suspects in multiple homicides. That’s not my fault.”
“It’s not our fault either,” Nellie said. “We’re not murderers, but people always point the finger at us because we’re different.”
Brewer frowned as he faced off with the dwarf. “Have you ever considered people look at you that way because you insist on drawing attention to yourselves? Perhaps if you want to be left alone you should stay out of evening gowns.”
“I like the way they make me feel,” Nellie said. “They’re soft and silky … and they make me feel pretty. I also like airing out my bits from time to time, and I can’t do that in pants.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing at the horrified expression on Brewer’s face.
Brewer took a moment to collect himself before shifting his attention to me. “Shall we continue, Ms. Parker?”
“Of course. This is the highlight of my day.”
19
Ninet
een
Brewer’s tour took longer than I thought – and he was a real jerkwad when it came to searching areas that obviously held nothing but clown costumes – so I had to rush to get dressed before the gates opened and missed out on relaying any gleaned tidbits to Luke and Kade before I had to open my attraction.
I ate a quick lunch behind a curtain in my tent, but by the time the dinner hour approached I was exhausted. I wanted to do nothing more than crawl into bed, curl up next to something warm (okay, more like smoking hot) and go to sleep. Instead I had what felt like endless hours in front of me, and I wasn’t sure I could take it.
Almost as if sensing my mental distress, Kade poked his head inside of the tent. He had two takeout containers in his hands.
“Are you my next reading?” Part of me hoped that was the case.
Kade smiled as he closed the distance between us. “I’m your dinner date,” he replied. “From the looks of it, I arrived just in time. You appear to be running on fumes.”
The gesture touched me, even as I reluctantly shot him a rueful smile. “I can’t take a dinner break. The line outside is really long. I’ll never get through it if I take a break.”
“Well, you’re taking a break,” Kade said. “I already put up a sign that says you’ll be back in thirty minutes.”
That was pretty sweet of him … and bossy. I was used to being the bossy one. “Don’t you think you should’ve asked me if that was okay before you did it?”
“Nope.” Kade rested the food containers on top of my Ouija board. “I got kebabs and rice. I figure you can never go wrong when you have meat on a stick.”
“Somewhere Luke’s head is imploding because he’s not here to make a joke about that comment.”
Kade smiled. “Somehow I think we’ll survive without him.” He leaned forward and graced me with a soft kiss. “You look tired.”
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