Through the Looking Glass (16 page)

"And make yourself a target?"

"Of course not.
I wasn't here when Merlin was killed—how could I know? Obviously, somebody told me.
Which means that someone else knows the truth.
So why would the killer want to get rid of me? It wouldn't help him."

"What if he doesn't work all that out, Maggie? He may be an impulse killer; maybe that was why Merlin was just pushed into a well instead of being done in by a method that was a little
more fancy
."

"You'll be near," she said dismissively.
"Out of sight, though.
Hell talk
to me, I think, but not if he knows anyone else is listening. I have a pocket recorder with a very good microphone, so we can get it on tape."

"We both keep saying he. At least tell me if any of the women are suspects."

"Well, none of them has been here less than seven years.
Except me, of course."

"So it's Lamont—and somebody else?"

Maggie frowned at him. "I was wondering if you'd remember that, dammit."

"I have an excellent memory. You said that Lamont had joined Wonderland a couple of years ago when it passed through his town. Which town was that, by the way?"

"Dallas. And it was three years ago, according to the account books. Would you care to guess who our other suspect is?"

Without hesitation Gideon said, "Farley."

"Why him?"

"I don't like him."

Maggie raised her head and gazed down at him. "That was a gut response, wasn't it?"

He thought about it for a moment. "I suppose so. Logically, he's a good suspect—and there aren't many. I mean, think about it. To consider Malcolm or Oswald is laughable; underneath their poses, they're two old men enjoying themselves."

"Astute of you," Maggie said, watching him.

Gideon continued to pursue suspects.
"Tom and Sarah—no way.
He'd kill to protect her, but he strikes me as a good man. She couldn't do it, period. Buster's parents seem the most sensible of the lot, but also the most content; I don't think they want any more than they've got."

"And Tina?"

"She could kill—for the right reasons. I don't think money would do it, though." Gideon was silent for a moment, then said, "Maggie, what about Jasper?"

"He's been with Wonderland more than twenty years."

"Okay. But what if that's the beauty of it? Suppose Jasper went off to visit family sometime during the past few years and committed a robbery?"

"Damn. That never occurred to me."

"You've all said he wandered off occasionally. And no one seemed surprised to find the note that said he was visiting relatives now. Suppose he lit out and took the cache?"

"I'd almost prefer that answer to the one that's been haunting me," Maggie said seriously.

"That he's dead?"

"Yes.
But Gideon, if Jasper's the killer and he's left for good—who's been watching you?"

"Maybe I imagined it. God knows this place is conducive to lunatic thoughts. In fact, this whole thing is so
bizarre,
I don't know what to think."

She smiled at him. "You're not as bewildered as you say you are; you've got the people here summed up rather neatly. In fact, you'd make a good detective."

"Perish the thought." Gideon sighed. "Tell me something. Are you often involved in this kind of thing?"

"Well, not murder, naturally. And my family doesn't get into trouble that often."

"I knew I should have worried more about your family," he murmured wryly.

"You'll love them, I promise." She reflected, then added honestly, "Once you get used to them, that is."

He lifted his head and kissed her. "I love a mad angel. I suppose there are worse fates."

"Of course there are. I love a banker." Gideon slid his hand down to one rounded hip and swatted her lightly. "Don't say nasty things about our future livelihood. Though, I must admit, the office is going to seem very dull after Wonderland."

"I'll visit every day and bring your lunch." "I’ll look forward to that." He kissed her again and murmured, "There's no lock on that door, is there?" "No one's going to disturb us unless it's an emergency." "If anyone disturbs us, there will be an emergency."

When they emerged from the wagon around ten, they found Leo sulking, the other animals snoozing peacefully, and the human inhabitants of the camp grouped near Tina's wagon apparently engaged in an acrimonious discussion.

"I think I’ll go shave," Gideon said, eyeing the group while he tried to imagine what kinds of questions he'd be confronted with after having spent the night in Maggie's wagon.

"Coward."
She grinned up at him. "But all to the good, I suppose. Ill go over there looking dreamy eyed and tell them you and I will stay here today. We want to be alone," she added soulfully.

Gideon, understanding the depths of her emotions as no one else ever would, wasn't disturbed by her mockery. "You do that," he told her politely. He tipped her chin up and kissed her.

"Wooo?"

He looked over his shoulder at the cat,
who'd
been slinking along in his shadow looking sulky and muttering to himself. "Come on, cat, and you can watch me shave. I realize that isn't entertainment of the first order, but you seemed to enjoy it yesterday."

Unrelenting, Leo snorted, but followed nonetheless as his fallen idol started across the camp.

Maggie looked after them for a moment,
then
let a few of her emotions float to the surface as she went over to the group near Tina's wagon. "Good morning," she told them.

Farley cocked an eye up at the sun. "Barely," he conceded.

"’Tis love that makes the world go round," Oswald murmured, then added a hasty, "Hush!" when the parrot on his shoulder began the first few bars of what sounded like a sailor's ditty.

Lamont, who was wearing a bright blue nose that looked rather like a bird's perch, said simply, "Well, I like him."

"The parrot?"
Maggie questioned, lost for once.

"No. Gideon. He's nice."

Tina grinned faintly.
"As long as he doesn't snore."

Maggie strove to look dignified. "If he did, I didn't notice. Now, why're you all standing here?"

"Deciding who stays," Tina told her.

"No problem. Gideon and I will." Rather to her surprise, Maggie felt herself blushing slightly. "We wouldn't mind a little time alone."

Sean looked up at her, faintly puzzled. "I thought you
was
with him in your wagon. Was somebody else in there too?"

Maggie looked somewhat helplessly at Tina, who said instantly, "Go in and put your shoes on, Sean. You're not going to town barefoot."

"Why not?" the boy demanded.

"They won't let you in the movie."

The threat effectively distracted Sean, and he darted into the wagon without delay.

"Thanks," Maggie murmured.

"Don't mention it." Tina grinned again. "Your time will come. Kids always ask the most awkward questions."

"I've noticed. Tina, the rent for the field's due; on the way to town, can you stop at Mr. Davis's and pay him?"

"Sure. Oh—and I've left some snacks in the wagon for whoever we elected to stay. In case you and Gideon get hungry. We'll eat in town."

Maggie nodded,
then
looked at the others questioningly. "Do we need any supplies I don't know about?"

"We could use fresh meat for the cats," Farley said. "That means I'd better take along the battery for the ice locker and get it recharged."

"All right, I'll get the money. You all had better hurry if you want to have time to shop, eat, and see a movie." They all scattered while Maggie went to get the money box from its hiding place in the floor of the boa's cage.

Around half an hour later, the supply wagon had been unloaded of its remaining supplies to make room for more, and it and the only other "light" wagon—not one of the huge antiques that were so cumbersome—were hitched to teams. The carnies claimed their places, and the two wagons rolled out of the field and onto the road.

Gideon, standing beside Maggie as they watched the others
depart
, couldn't help but think that the little procession looked both ridiculous and curiously charming.

"Won't they get stared at?" he asked Maggie.

"No, not really.
We had to get a special permit to drive the wagons through town, and the first couple of visits we attracted a lot of attention, but we've been here for weeks now, and everybody's pretty much used to us."

He looked down at her, smiling slightly. "You always say us when you talk about this place."

"One of the tricks to blending in is to consider
yourself
a part of what's around you."

"I see." Gideon put his arms around her and pulled her close. "So, what are you now?"

"Carny," she said innocently.

He rested his forehead against hers and sighed.

Maggie giggled, but then sobered. "You know, I've had a happy life, but I've never felt this alive before. The whole world looks different, brighter and filled with promise.
Because of you.
I love you, Gideon."

"I love you too, sweetheart." He kissed her,
then
uttered a mild oath. "The first time we've been completely alone here, and you want to go treasure hunting."

"Think of it this way," she said consolingly. "The sooner we find what we need to find, the sooner we can leave."

He brightened. "Is that a promise?"

"Cross my heart."

"All right, then, dammit. Are we going to ransack the wagons?"

"Gently ransack. We don't want anyone to know we've been searching. And the wagons are most likely; it's a little tricky to hide something in a tent."

"Okay.
Who first?"

Maggie sent a speculative glance over the encampment. "I don't know that it matters. I have a feeling that wherever the cache is, it won't be anywhere near the person who stole It. He'd be cautious, and he'd assume there was always the off chance that it might be found."

"Jasper's wagon is empty," Gideon noted, "but you searched it yesterday."

"And didn't see a thing out of place.
We'll save him for last, I think."

Gideon nodded and looked thoughtful. "All the other wagons are occupied. If I were going to hide something in someone else's wagon, I'd pick the person least observant, and least likely to explore the nooks and crannies." He frowned suddenly. "Did Merlin have a wagon?"

Maggie's eyes widened.
"How stupid of me!
He did have a wagon. When he was killed, Farley and Lamont drew straws because they both wanted a wagon. Lamont won."

"Then let's start there."

Leo accompanied them as far as the wagon, but then, apparently recalling his exclusion from Maggie's wagon before and not expecting an invitation into this one, he elected to sprawl in the shade underneath it. He was no longer sulky, but appeared resigned rather than delighted.

Since the carnies only shut their doors at night or when they wanted privacy, the door of Lamont's wagon was standing open.

"At least we don't have to pick a lock," Gideon said wryly.

"It does feel like breaking and entering, doesn't it?" Maggie climbed the steps ahead of Gideon and went inside. "I'm glad he has a window; we won't have to light the lamp to see what we're doing."

Gideon stood gazing around. As in all the wagons, there was little space. A daybed was against one wall below the single high window, and it was covered with a colorful patchwork quilt of some artistry; there was an overstuffed easy chair upholstered in scarlet velvet worn thin in a number of places; a small wooden table on which sat an oil lamp; a scarred pine bureau; and finally, a card table set up along the wall with a round mirror hanging over it. The table was covered with jars, brushes, three wigs on stands, and a tray of grease pencils, which also held the new noses Gideon had provided so recently.

In a distracted tone as she looked around thoughtfully, Maggie said, "All of Merlin's things were shipped to Uncle Cyrus. Balthazar sent them."

"Your uncle's last name Isn't Durant, is it? I mean, if Balthazar knew that—"

"No, it's Cyrus Fortune. Merlin's was Lewis."

Gideon nodded. "You realize that we don't even know what we're looking for?"

"I do realize that, yes." Maggie sat down on the bed, frowning. "If I were something valuable, where would I be?" she murmured almost to herself.

"You are something priceless."

She flashed him a quick smile. "Concentrate, please, on the matter at hand."

"If you insist.
Something valuable.
Something portable.
Something easily hidden."
He looked slowly around the wagon. "Gold is heavy. Artworks tend to be too big to be easily hidden.
Jewels, maybe.
Paper money or the equivalent."

"The equivalent?"

"Stock certificates, bonds, certificates of deposit, things like that."

Maggie nodded,
then
said slowly, "Merlin must have found something. But even if he did, how would he know who the guilty party was? If you find something hidden in your wagon, would you automatically assume it was stolen? And if so, and if you're an honest man, wouldn't you just go to the owner of the carnival and say look what I found?"

"You're sure Balthazar was clean?"

"Uncle Cyrus vouched for him. He was clean."

"Your uncle's name keeps popping up in this," Gideon observed mildly.

She smiled slightly. "He has a way of knowing things. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that he knows very well who killed Merlin."

"Then why on earth put you through this?"

"His own reasons.
Maybe because he couldn't prove it and knows I'll do my best to. Or maybe..." Her voice trailed off as she looked at Gideon, and her eyes widened.

"Maybe what?"

She started laughing. "If he did... and I never suspected a thing... of all the sneaky—"