Thoughtfully Joy shook her head. “No, I can’t. It— it sounds as if she’d intended to accuse someone. But why do you say that, if the doctor knows I was in the wardrobe, I have an alibi? An alibi for what— Do you mean that Pauline’s fall wasn’t an accident, that the lights…”
“Merlini,” Keith interrupted, “just what was wrong with the lights? I think you know.”
“I think I do,” said Merlini. “And I’ve been collecting alibis. Trouble is, I seem to have too many.”
I gave Merlini a nudge. “Prepare to repel boarders,” I whispered. “Here comes Mac. I hope your light story is good.”
J. MacAllister Wiley came toward us with a determined look in his eye.
“Another council of war, I see,” he growled. “Miss Pattison, swinging ladders are due on in a minute.”
Joy nodded. “Okay, Mac.” She gave Keith an uncertain smile and left us.
“And you, Keith,” Mac said. “It’s an eighty-mile jump to Norwalk. If you’re going over tonight, don’t you think you’d better start?”
“I hadn’t planned on it,” Keith said icily. “Don’t you remember? I don’t work here any more.”
“Nonsense, Mac replied diplomatically. “Pauline has a temper; you know that. I expect her to fire everybody regularly, now she’s running this outfit — and then get mad again if they take her seriously. Besides, your contract specifies a week’s notice. Run along and forget it.”
Keith’s expression told me that he was on the verge of telling Mac to go soak his head when he caught the warning nod Merlini gave him, and replied instead, “Okay. I’ll stay the week and think about it.” He turned and followed Joy toward the arena.
Mac said at once, “Now you listen to me, Merlini. Pauline—”
“Mac,” Merlini cut in, “where’s the Sheriff?”
“I don’t know. I think he’s left. And dammit, you’re not going to—”
“Then you didn’t give him Pauline’s message?”
“No. Luckily I didn’t. She fell just as I got to him. She can’t talk to him now. That’ll have to wait. And you’re going to mark time, too. Sheriff Weatherby is a straight-laced old busybody, and though that so-called evidence of yours is a lot of eyewash, I know that the smooth line of patter you can dish out with it is likely to make him hit the ceiling. And then the show’ll have cops all over it until she is well enough to talk.”
“You heard Pauline agree that it was murder, didn’t you?”
“Yes. She also said that when she told what she knew there wouldn’t need to be any investigation. So we’re just going to sit tight until she talks. And that’ll be that!”
“There’s a chance she’ll be able to talk, then?”
“Yes. But it won’t be tonight. And if you sick an investigation on this show that I’m going to be able to prove could have been avoided, I’m going to sue you for every penny’s worth of business the show loses.”
“Take it easy, Mac,” Merlini said. “Besides, I’ve already had words with Sheriff Weatherby.”
“You’ve WHAT?” Mac nearly did an unscheduled balloon ascension without a balloon.
“I talked to him,” Merlini repeated. “But I didn’t mention murder — just yet. I merely started him going and listened while he told me about Pauline’s fall. He said that you had just leaned over to speak to him when the lights went out. Is that right?”
“Yes,” Mac said scowling prodigiously. “But — but what — why—” He stopped, and his bushy eyebrows rose. “Saay! Are you going to stand there and tell me that Pauline’s accident—”
Merlini nodded. “I was leading up to that. Hasn’t it occurred to you that Pauline’s ‘accident’ was awfully pat? Miss Hannum as much as says that she is going to name a murderer — and then, presto — like that, she takes a tumble. Not just an ordinary tumble, mind you, but one that happened because the lights—”
“Oh, no you don’t!” Mac sputtered. “Not this time! I checked on those lights. The light plant is parked on the other side between the menagerie and the big top. The main big-top cable runs to a plug box just outside the end of the big top and branches out into feeder lines. Some idiot tripped over the cable and jerked it loose. Back-yard customer, probably. There are a lot of them around tonight.”
Merlini shook his head. “I know, Mac. I looked into that myself. Before you did. But those cables don’t come unplugged as easily as you’d unhitch a floor-lamp extension cord from a base plug. It would need a real hefty yank. It might trip someone up, but I don’t think it would jerk loose.”
“I see,” Mac said. “So that’s it. I suppose you’re going to tell me you found footprints over there. The grass is six inches high.”
“No,” Merlini said, “nothing like that. And no dropped cigarette butts or cuff links or pants buttons. I wish there were. A child could have caused Pauline’s fall without leaving a clue. It’s too simple. An acrobat balances a tall pole on his forehead, and the victim does a headstand atop that. If they can’t see, they can’t balance. Pull the light plug, and gravity does the rest. And in the ensuing darkness the culprit goes away from there fast. I tell, you, Mac, there’s a murderer on this show, and I don’t like his looks. He’s too expert. He’s simple and direct and no foolishness about it.”
“The patter’s good, Merlini. Yours always is. I still don’t believe it. If you’re so sure about it, why don’t you blow to the Sheriff? Answer me that?”
Merlini regarded him thoughtfully a moment. “I had a reason, Mac. A reason that only two people know at the moment — myself and the murderer. So if you don’t know, I don’t think I’ll broadcast it yet. He might just possibly forget himself and let it slip that he knows.”
Mac gave Merlini a steady look from level brows. “You said ‘if I don’t know.’ Are you accusing me of murder?”
“I couldn’t do that very easily, could I? You’ve got two nice shiny alibis. You were with Calamity when the Major got his, and you were talking to Sheriff Weatherby when the lights went out.”
“That’s a relief,” Mac said with some sarcasm and without smiling. “And how long can I count on this mysterious reason of yours preventing you from hollering for the police?”
“I’m not sure,” Merlini said, “that you can count on it at all. But I’ll make a deal with you. I won’t holler without tipping you off, provided you put a guard on Pauline’s trailer and keep it there until further notice.”
“Meaning?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? Just admit for a moment that maybe I’m not talking through my hat, that perhaps someone did have a try at Pauline. He has stopped her talking — for the moment. But not indefinitely. If the doctor says she’ll pull through — he might very well have another try. And she’s in no condition to defend herself.”
“The doctor wants to move her to a hospital in the morning,” Mac said doubtfully.
“That would help,” Merlini said. “But I’d suggest you have him get her there now, while she’s still unconscious. If she’s the sort of trouper her father was, she’ll object to a program like that — short of a broken neck.”
“I know, dammit. That’s what I’m afraid of, “ Mac scowled. “Okay. It’s a deal. You don’t talk and she gets a guard. Calamity says accidents on circuses come in threes. Do you think you could manage to have the next one? Murderers, bah! Good night!” Disgustedly Mac turned and stalked off, his limp more noticeable than ever because of the angry way he stumped along.
“Merlini,” I said, “don’t you think the man protests too much?”