about all this?"
Maggie shook her head slightly. "I don't know." She hesitated, then added, "But it might be a good idea if we had a very public fight and you went away for a few days."
"No," he said instantly. "I'm not leaving unless you go with me."
"Is that a proposition?" she asked in a mild tone.
"For want of a better term—yes. Come with me. I have a terrific penthouse overlooking the Bay. Maid service, cable TV, and a Jaguar that doesn't live in a cage."
"You sweet talker you," she murmured, thinking that if he were ever earnest about that offer, she'd find it impossible to turn him down.
He had to laugh, but shook his head. "I'm serious, Maggie. You have no business trying to catch a murderer."
She thought about how to explain this to him and kept her voice quiet and firm. "I have family business, Gideon. Family is very important to me. A member of my family was killed because of greed or panic, and I can't just let that go. I have a responsibility to find out what happened."
"It isn't your responsibility—"
"Yes, it is. I made it mine."
"And what if the killer's on to you?" He reached across the table and covered one of her hands with his. "You're the real threat to him. The only threat, as far as I can see. And if this maniac could push a kind old man into a well, I doubt he'd balk at killing a beautiful young woman."
"You think he should get off free?"
Gideon swore softly. "No. We can hire a private investigator to look into it."
"Who wouldn't be able to get near the carnies. Gideon, they're already nervous and suspicious. When Merlin's body was found, the police were all over the carnival. I told you some of their stories; most of them are hiding. From their pasts, if nothing else. One of the reasons none of them wanted you to know about Jasper is because they were afraid you'd call in the police; that's why everyone kept saying he was in town. If another stranger showed up now, they'd close ranks so tightly we'd never find out the truth. And what about the killer? How would he react?"
"You're in danger, don't you understand that?"
The general frustration Gideon was feeling had
| found an outlet, and it was all the stronger be-
cause he felt a chill of fear for her.
"He isn't on to me, Gideon; I'm sure he's not.
I'm carny, remember? I fit right in. Nobody knows
the connection between me and Merlin. I haven't
I asked anyone the wrong questions or ransacked
the wagons, or otherwise done anything to make myself look suspicious."
She had backed into a corner. And he didn't like it one little bit. "You seem to know everyone's history. Didn't you find out by asking them about themselves?"
"No. They felt comfortable enough to tell me. Carnies don't ask questions of each other."
"Maggie—"
"Look, there's nothing else to be done until Uncle Cyrus dredges up a few facts, something he's very good at. In the meantime, why don't we try to forget about it? We're miles from the carnival, and even if the killer rode one of the horses, he couldn't possibly be near right now."
"I'm going to do my best to change your mind about leaving the carnival," he warned.
"Fine," she said easily despite a number of misgivings; she thought that if he tried hard enough, she'd have a difficult time resisting him. "But I don't want to talk about it anymore right now. You promised me a dance."
Gideon had just pushed his chair back and was about to rise when a sudden commotion near the foyer drew their attention. The door banged, startled sounds rent the air as well as several creative curses, and a mottled-brown blur shot into the lounge, bounded over the piano, and skidded to a stop beside Gideon. The creature wore a red collar with rhinestones and a silver tag that said he belonged to the Wonderland carnival.
"Oh, hell," Gideon muttered.
Leo reared up, paws on his idol's thigh, and chattered insistently in his peculiar language.
Gideon ignored him. He looked at Maggie.
"What'd he
Maggie shook her head slightly. "I don't know." She hesitated, then added, "But it might be a good idea if we had a very public fight and you went away for a few days."
"No," he said instantly. "I'm not leaving unless you go with me."
"Is that a proposition?" she asked in a mild tone.
"For want of a better term—yes. Come with me. I have a terrific penthouse overlooking the Bay. Maid service, cable TV, and a Jaguar that doesn't live in a cage."
"You sweet talker you," she murmured, thinking that if he were ever earnest about that offer, she'd find it impossible to turn him down.
He had to laugh, but shook his head. "I'm serious, Maggie. You have no business trying to catch a murderer."
She thought about how to explain this to him and kept her voice quiet and firm. "I have family business, Gideon. Family is very important to me. A member of my family was killed because of greed or panic, and I can't just let that go. I have a responsibility to find out what happened."
"It isn't your responsibility—"
"Yes, it is. I made it mine."
"And what if the killer's on to you?" He reached across the table and covered one of her hands with his. "You're the real threat to him. The only threat, as far as I can see. And if this maniac could push a kind old man into a well, I doubt he'd balk at killing a beautiful young woman."
"You think he should get off free?"
Gideon swore softly. "No. We can hire a private investigator to look into it."
"Who wouldn't be able to get near the carnies. Gideon, they're already nervous and suspicious. When Merlin's body was found, the police were all over the carnival. I told you some of their stories; most of them are hiding. From their pasts, if nothing else. One of the reasons none of them wanted you to know about Jasper is because they were afraid you'd call in the police; that's why everyone kept saying he was in town. If another stranger showed up now, they'd close ranks so tightly we'd never find out the truth. And what about the killer? How would he react?"
"You're in danger, don't you understand that?"
The general frustration Gideon was feeling had
| found an outlet, and it was all the stronger be-
cause he felt a chill of fear for her.
"He isn't on to me, Gideon; I'm sure he's not.
I'm carny, remember? I fit right in. Nobody knows
the connection between me and Merlin. I haven't
I asked anyone the wrong questions or ransacked
the wagons, or otherwise done anything to make myself look suspicious."
She had backed into a corner. And he didn't like it one little bit. "You seem to know everyone's history. Didn't you find out by asking them about themselves?"
"No. They felt comfortable enough to tell me. Carnies don't ask questions of each other."
"Maggie—"
"Look, there's nothing else to be done until Uncle Cyrus dredges up a few facts, something he's very good at. In the meantime, why don't we try to forget about it? We're miles from the carnival, and even if the killer rode one of the horses, he couldn't possibly be near right now."
"I'm going to do my best to change your mind about leaving the carnival," he warned.
"Fine," she said easily despite a number of misgivings; she thought that if he tried hard enough, she'd have a difficult time resisting him. "But I don't want to talk about it anymore right now. You promised me a dance."
Gideon had just pushed his chair back and was about to rise when a sudden commotion near the foyer drew their attention. The door banged, startled sounds rent the air as well as several creative curses, and a mottled-brown blur shot into the lounge, bounded over the piano, and skidded to a stop beside Gideon. The creature wore a red collar with rhinestones and a silver tag that said he belonged to the Wonderland carnival.
"Oh, hell," Gideon muttered.
Leo reared up, paws on his idol's thigh, and chattered insistently in his peculiar language.
Gideon ignored him. He looked at Maggie.
"What'd he
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