Within just a few moments a stable lad arrived.
‘Find Mickey O’Bannon,’ said Colonel Dawlish. ‘Tell him to organize a search for Prudence Hallows. Immediately. I want reports every five minutes, and I want her found. Her life may be in danger.’
‘Yes, Colonel,’ said the lad and ran off as fast as he had arrived.
‘I’m still a step or two behind,’ said Lady Hardcastle. ‘You’re saying that the murders are forming some sort of bizarre chain of death?’
‘Something like that, my lady,’ I said. ‘I think that the apparent motives for the murders are coincidence or smokescreen or something. I think it’s the sequence that’s important.’
‘Then you’re right to be concerned, George,’ she said. ‘We must find Prudence Hallows. And we need to find out who’s responsible.’
‘More than ever,’ he said.
‘Do you trust O’Bannon?’
‘With my life,’ he said. ‘He was one of my company sergeants in Bengal.’
‘And although I ought to suspect everyone, I can’t seem to bring myself to think that it’s you, so who does that leave us? The prize fighter is a trusted NCO, the juggler, the lion tamer and the strongman are all dead. The trapeze artist might be next. The fat lady and the dwarf could be in it together, but I’m beggared if I can think why. The clown seems more interested in the equestrienne than in anyone or anything else. The equestrienne herself is obnoxious but I suspect is more inclined to wound with harsh words than heavy weights. And the contortionist... quite the most charming and delightful little thing I’ve ever met. I know that doesn’t rule the girl out, but she really is adorable. Don’t you think, Flo?’
‘She’s the one I sat next to at dinner on Sunday?’
‘That’s the one.’
‘Yes, she was very sweet. And tiny – I couldn’t see her lifting that weight and dropping it on Noakes.’
‘Quite so. But those are our suspects.’
‘Then there are the one hundred and twenty-eight other members of the circus,’ I said. ‘We can’t rule them all out. Then the people of this village. And Woodworthy. And Chipping Bevington. And strangers from anywhere the circus has ever visited who might have followed it here.’
‘True, true,’ she mused. ‘But it’s got something to do with this group, I’m sure of it.’
We sat in contemplative silence for a few more minutes and were interrupted by the arrival of the stable lad.
‘Nothing to report, Colonel,’ he said breathlessly. ‘Mr O’Bannon says he’s doing it systemagically but he’s found nothing yet. He said to tell you that Sergeant Dobson has gone, too.’
‘Thank you, Jimmy,’ said Colonel Dawlish. ‘Carry on.’
The boy disappeared again.
‘If there’s no danger of running into the sergeant and getting embroiled in official police doings,’ said Colonel Dawlish once the lad had gone, ‘we ought to join the search. You don’t really think she’s been done in, do you, Flo?’
‘I don’t think anything, sir,’ I said. ‘But if there really is a pattern, she’s the next on the list.’
‘I hope you’re wrong, dear girl, I really do.’
‘We all do, George, darling, but we’ll never find anything sitting here. Where should we start?’
‘Well,’ he said, ‘I imagine Mickey would have started from the Big Top and worked outwards, so we would probably go to one of the corners and work our way back in.’
‘Then off we go. Servant, bring brollies.’
We got up to leave with Lady Hardcastle leading the way.
‘Does she always talk to you like that?’ asked Colonel Dawlish.
‘Always, sir. Treats me awful, she does,’ I said.
‘You poor thing. Come and work for me in the prize fighting ring.’
‘I can still bally well hear you,’ said Lady Hardcastle over her shoulder.
We began our search in the corner of the camp we’d first entered on Sunday. When we’d seen it before it was just a collection of tents and caravans like any other in the circus but in the intervening days it had been transformed into a miniature, travelling Chinatown. Red banners, red ribbons, red bunting was everywhere. Golden letters embroidered on the banners proclaimed it to be the home of “Imperial China’s Greatest Acrobats” with various other pictograms for prosperity and good fortune painted on panels and fluttering flags. Having sent me to squeeze between the farthest tent and the canvas fence in case there was anything there, Lady Hardcastle rapped her umbrella handle on one of the tent poles. There was no response from within so she poked her head through the flap.
‘Storage,’ she said. ‘We’d better take a look inside.’
We duly followed and rummaged through the cases and duffels stacked neatly within. We found nothing, and as we emerged once more into the drizzle, we found ourselves face to face with the leader of the troop.
‘Is something the matter, Colonel Dawlish?’ he asked in accented English.
‘Ah, Mr Liu, splendid to see you, dear boy. Have you not heard? We’re looking for Prudence; we fear something may have happened to her.’
‘What manner of something?’ asked Mr Liu with concern.
‘Abraham is dead and we fear Prudence may be next.’
‘This is most...’ he struggled to find the word. ‘Vexing? We have been busy all morning with some new tricks, and I have heard nothing. I am saddened by the news of Mr Bernbaum. He was a kind and wise man.’
‘Thank you,’ said Colonel Dawlish.
‘We didn’t mean to intrude, Mr Liu,’ I said in Mandarin, and his eyes widened in surprise, ‘but if we’re correct then Prudence is in terrible danger.’
‘I’m sorry, my dear, but I don’t think we have been introduced,’ he replied in his own language.
‘My apologies. I am Florence Armstrong and I serve as lady’s maid to Emily, Lady Hardcastle. It is an honour to meet you.’
‘And an honour to meet you, Miss Armstrong. I am Liu Feng. It is not often that I meet English people who are civilized enough to be able to speak Mandarin.’
‘Lady Hardcastle and I spent several years in China. We first travelled there in 1895 and left in a hurry in ’99.’
‘You were there during the Boxer Rebellion?’
‘We were. It was a dangerous time, but for other reasons. We fled inland when Lady Hardcastle’s husband was killed by a European and then found ourselves having to hide from the rebels as we travelled overland to Burma and then India.’
‘You are brave women to attempt such a journey alone.’
‘We had the company of a Shaolin monk for much of the time.’
‘Ah, and so you must be the lady I have heard about who threw Mickey O’Bannon to the ground.’
‘I am,’ I said with a smile. ‘Our friend and guide taught me much on our trek.’
‘So it would appear. I would be honoured if you would join my friends and I for dinner one evening before we leave. It would be wonderful to hear the story of your journey.’
‘Thank you, it would be a pleasure.’