Read The Mystery of the Circus Clown Online
Authors: David A. Adler
The Mystery of the Circus Clown (3 page)
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Cam said,
“Click,”
and closed her eyes. “He’s wearing a white jacket, red and blue striped pants, and a tiny white hat. He has red hair and floppy shoes. And he’s carrying a big brown shopping bag.”
“Click,”
and closed her eyes. “He’s wearing a white jacket, red and blue striped pants, and a tiny white hat. He has red hair and floppy shoes. And he’s carrying a big brown shopping bag.”
While Cam was describing the clown, Eric quickly finished his ice cream. Then he looked for a place to throw the stick and wrapper. He turned and saw a clown standing just a few feet away. The clown was holding a large chalkboard.
“Look, Cam,” Eric said.
Cam turned. “That’s not him,” she said, “but maybe he saw the Bumping Clown.”
Cam and Eric quickly walked over to the clown. Cam asked him if he’d seen someone with red hair, red and blue striped pants, and floppy shoes walk past.
The clown pointed to himself and mouthed the word, “Me.”
“No, not you,” Cam said. “Another clown.”
The clown shook his head.
“He stole my aunt’s wallet,” Cam said.
The clown took a stick of chalk from his pocket and wrote on the chalkboard, “That’s terrible.”
“Well, a clown can’t just disappear,” Cam said. “We’ll find him.”
Cam and Eric started to walk off. Then Cam stopped. “But you
can
disappear,” Cam said to the clown. “You can take off your makeup and costume. Then you’ll look like everyone else. I’ll bet that’s what the Bumping Clown is doing—taking off his makeup.”
can
disappear,” Cam said to the clown. “You can take off your makeup and costume. Then you’ll look like everyone else. I’ll bet that’s what the Bumping Clown is doing—taking off his makeup.”
Cam, Eric, and the clown with the chalkboard were standing near two rest rooms—a men’s room and a women’s room.
“I’ll bet he’s in there taking his makeup off right now,” Cam said. She pointed to the men’s room and told Eric, “You check that one. I’ll check the other.”
“Stop,” the clown said. “One of you should check the lobby. Maybe he’s still out here. Or maybe he left the arena. I’ll go one way,” the clown told Cam. “You go the other way.”
Eric went into the men’s room. Cam ran to the nearest bench. She stood on it and looked around. Since the lobby circled the arena, she could see only part of it. When she didn’t see the Bumping Clown, she ran to the next group of benches.
The lights in the lobby flashed off and on. Sounds of music came from inside the arena. The second half of the circus would begin soon.
Cam got down from the bench she was standing on and ran to another one. She met Eric there.
“I didn’t find him,” Eric said.
“I didn’t find him either,” Cam said. “And now the clown with the chalkboard is gone. Let’s ask the guards if they saw the Bumping Clown.”
Cam and Eric went to one of the guards standing by the doors. He was a tall man with white hair and a mustache. Cam asked him if he’d seen a clown leave.
“It’s too early. The circus isn’t over yet,” the guard said.
“This wasn’t a circus clown,” Cam told him. “This clown is a pickpocket. He was putting his hand into women’s handbags and taking their wallets.”
“That’s some story,” the guard said, and smiled. “But I didn’t see any clown leave. Now you better hurry, or you’ll miss the rest of the circus.”
Cam and Eric walked to one of the benches. “You can go back inside,” Cam told Eric, “but I want to find that clown and those wallets.”
Cam and Eric sat down on the bench. They were quiet as people rushed past them to get back into the arena. Then Eric said, “Maybe what you told that guard was wrong. Maybe that pickpocket is one of the circus clowns. Maybe he went back inside and he’ll be in the second half of the circus.”
Cam said, “That’s easy to find out. All the clowns’ pictures are in the program.” Then she closed her eyes and said,
“Click.”
“Click.”
Chapter Five
“Oh, there you are. I lose so many things I was afraid that I’d lost you,” Aunt Molly said as she walked toward the bench. “Let’s hurry back inside.”
Cam opened her eyes and asked, “Did you find your wallet?”
“No.”
“Cam knows who took it,” Eric said. “It was one of the clowns, the one who bumped into you after you bought the tickets.”
Cam closed her eyes and said,
“Click.”
“Click.”
Eric whispered to Aunt Molly, “She’s looking at the pictures she has in her head of all the clowns in the circus program.”
“Can she really do that?” Aunt Molly asked.
Cam said,
“Click,”
again.
“Click,”
again.
Eric whispered, “Now she’s looking at another page in the program.”
“Amazing.”
Cam opened her eyes and said, “He’s not one of the circus clowns.”
“Well, he’s not a clown, I can tell you that,” Aunt Molly said as she sat down. “He’s just a man dressed as a clown. Let me tell you something. If you see a flower in a garden, it’s beautiful. If you see it in the middle of a green lawn, it’s a weed.”
“Aunt Molly, we don’t have time now to talk about flowers,” Cam said.
“I’m not talking about flowers. I’m talking about people. I’ve been to a great many places. In Scotland a man wearing a kilt wouldn’t surprise me. A kilt is like a skirt, you know. But in Chicago I would turn to look at him.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that if the clown is smart, he’ll just take off his makeup. That way he doesn’t even have to hide at all. He’ll look like everyone else.”
“But I checked the men’s room,” Eric said. “And I didn’t see anyone wearing funny clown shoes or a costume or standing in front of the mirror taking off makeup.”
Aunt Molly pointed to a man leaving the circus. He was carrying a large brown shopping bag. “Did you see him?” she asked.
“Let’s go,” Cam said, and she ran toward the man. Eric followed her.
“Why did you do it? Why did you take Aunt Molly’s wallet?” Cam yelled as she ran.
The man stopped.
“We know who you are,” Eric said. “You’re the Bumping Clown. And you’ve got your costume and Aunt Molly’s wallet in that bag.”
“I’m not a clown. I sell hot dogs.”
The man reached into the bag and took out a red and white striped apron and a hat. The sign on the hat said, “Hot Dogs.”
Cam and Eric apologized to the man. Then, as they were walking back to Aunt Molly, two other men walked toward them. They were both carrying shopping bags.
“Do you sell hot dogs?” Cam asked one of them.
“No, cotton candy.”
“And I sell popcorn.”
Cam and Eric went back to the bench. Cam sat down. Then she said,
“Click,”
and closed her eyes.
“Click,”
and closed her eyes.
“That clown had a lot of makeup on,” Cam said with her eyes closed. “It would take a long time for him to take off all that makeup and his costume.”
“Well, he didn’t take it off in the rest room,” Eric said. “Maybe he’s hiding somewhere.”
“If what Aunt Molly said about flowers and weeds and kilts is true, that clown doesn’t have to hide. He could be inside running around with the other clowns. But if he found someplace to take off his makeup, he’s probably sitting and watching the circus. Come on,” Cam said as she got up from her seat. “We have to find him now. When the circus ends, and everyone leaves he’ll get lost in the crowd.”
Chapter Six
Cam ran through the lobby and up the stairs to the doors that led into the arena. Eric followed her.
“Wait for me,” Aunt Molly called.
Cam and Eric waited. When Aunt Molly reached the top of the steps, Cam said, “First look at the clowns. If you don’t see him there, look around at all the people watching the circus.”
Cam was about to open the door to the arena when Aunt Molly told her to wait again.
“If the clown took off his makeup, how will we find him?” Aunt Molly asked.
“You’re right,” Cam said as she turned away from the door. Then she closed her eyes and said,
“Click.”
She looked at the picture of the clown she had stored in her mind.
“Click.”
She looked at the picture of the clown she had stored in her mind.
“It’s hard to tell what he looks like behind all that makeup. He may have curly red hair, or it may have been a wig. But I do know that he’s short and he was carrying a shopping bag.”
Cam opened her eyes. Then Eric opened the door and they walked inside. In the center of the arena Manny’s Monkeys were skating in a circle. As the monkeys skated faster, the circle got bigger.
The monkeys left the circus ring, and the clowns came out. Cam looked at each of them. She didn’t see the Bumping Clown.
Cam looked at the large crowd watching the circus. She saw only the backs of the people sitting near her. The people on the other side of the arena were just dots of color.
Cam saw someone with curly red hair. There was something on his lap that looked like a shopping bag. Cam ran, down the aisle. But when she got closer, Cam saw that it was a woman. A little boy was sitting on her lap.
While Cam, Eric, and Aunt Molly looked around at the crowd, Polly’s Pink Poodles rode bicycles around the center of the arena. Then the ringmaster called out, “I direct your eyes to the high wire for another look at the amazing Bailor Brothers.”
The two brothers walked slowly across the wire. They took turns riding a bicycle on the wire. Then one of the brothers sat on a chair balanced on the high wire.
Restless children were moving around in their seats. Some people were standing to get a better look at the Bailor Brothers. Cam looked up. One of the Bailors was standing on the high wire. His brother was balanced on his shoulders. The crowd stood and cheered as the Bailors walked carefully across the wire to the platform and down the ladder.
Jack Wally walked out, and the parade began. The clowns and acrobats marched out. The horses and elephants came next. People were clapping and cheering.
Cam waved to Eric and Aunt Molly. She pointed toward the lobby and signaled to them to meet her there.
People were beginning to leave their seats. Children who didn’t want the circus to end were crying. Music played. Four horses came out pulling a red, white, and blue wagon. There was a loud cheer for the Bailor Brothers. They were in the last wagon of the parade.
The lights in the arena were turned on. Cam stood still and watched as people walked past her. She saw a few short men walk by, but she had no way of knowing if one of them was the Bumping Clown. Then Cam saw a thin young man standing just ahead of her. The man was carrying a large shopping bag and a chalkboard. There was some yellow and green makeup still on his face.
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