A Fear of Clowns (The Greasepaint Chronicals) (10 page)

That, in and of itself, didn't
mean a lot, so Jason decided to look up other big card scams and see who was
involved in them, just in case they were on the video too. It took a bit to get
a computer connection set up, but as the thing ran, all he had to do was type
in a few names, and then look at faces closely. It didn't
really
click
until he saw her again, but all it took was looking up similar card counting
tricks for the picture to really form.

"There we go.
That
waitress
keeps coming on camera over and over, and looking at all the different people
too much, like I said. Ginger. I met her the other day. Really sweet. Anyway,
what I want to show you is... this..." Google images showed the woman,
except with brown hair and looking twenty years younger, right there on the arm
of one of the MIT cheating team, from an old newspaper photo. Her name wasn't
listed in the news piece, but it was pretty clear, on the team or not, she'd
been around. "It isn't an answer, or proof of anything, but..."

Greg rolled his eyes.

"It's a better starting
point than we had. Why didn't you tell the cops? We could have her brought in
and..." The man might not be a super-genius, but he wasn't stupid, either.
"Right, we string her along and use her to trap the rest of them. She's
what, a scout for the real brains? Is that what you're getting at?"

It made sense, but the truth was
he didn't know at all.

"Hopefully it's just
coincidence. Like I said, she seems nice. Getting the police involved... Well,
I tend not to do that. Old habits. I need to go, however. The new performers
have a rehearsal at two. Max sort of hired me on to help out with things. I
think. So you might be seeing me around?"

Looking at the screen, which had
an image of the woman they'd just been talking about, Michelson waved.

"I see everyone, eventually.
Good eyes, catching that waitress like that. I'll keep you in the loop."

Then Jay had to hurry, moving
just short of a run, to make sure he wasn't late. It was close, but other than
Max no one else beat him there.

The man grimaced a bit.

"This, my fine young clown,
is why you get top billing. Not that you really do, but show people can run hot
and cold. Always wanting to make an entrance, or needing to sleep off their
hangover. You were the one I thought would be a problem today, too. Did your
meeting go well? If Michelson is trying to steal you away for security, just
say no. You're making at least five times what those guys do."

That was news to Jay. He nearly
asked what it was, exactly that he was making, but didn't get a chance, since
Carlos and Wendy showed up, followed by everyone else. That reminded Jason that
he'd promised to ask about things for Billy, so he did it quietly, before they
all got in earshot. Max shrugged.

"If he wants an assistant
for shows they have to perform. We don't pay for the road crew. The massages,
yeah, that we can set up. Go and talk to Emma, over at the spa. She'll get it
hooked up." It was that simple. He asked and the man had an answer.

Of course it meant that he was
going to be carting dummies around for weeks, or possibly longer, but that
could work. It was just a matter of making time for things. It was good to be
busy again. For too long he'd spent most of his time trying to find work, so
having something to do that was actually useful left him happy, more or less.

He worked on his own act, and
took notes as everyone else ran over what they needed. It wasn't hard, but took
a while, since everyone was busy jockeying for the best time slots. Except for
him. He had to fill an hour, and didn't really have a proper act. Falling down
and making jokes at his own expense had worked the night before, but that
wasn't good enough for day to day things. No one had to tell him that, it was
just clear. Carlos and Wendy were given the best slots, with the Rhondettes
right after, leaving him and Billy in the others places. It was pretty clear
that their ventriloquist was about to pitch a fit over it too.

"I get it, my act can't hang
with these others, but against a clown? Everyone hates them. The only thing
that would be worse is if he dressed up as a dentist. I should at least be in
front of
him
." There was a true worry in his voice that set Jay's
teeth on edge.

This wasn't the first time that
he'd seen this kind of thing. Presentations at academic conferences went the
same way. The titles might be different, but the backbiting and undermining was
the same. It didn't really matter to him however. First, last or in the middle,
as long as it paid. No dignity. This one was for a salary.

Jason raised his narrow chin at
the man, who was sitting across the room, two tables away from the others. Jay
was next to his friends and Max. It was the clear center of power, which would
be part of the problem. The man felt like he was being frozen out.

"Which slots do you
want?" It was a simple enough thing, but Jay just agreed to what the other
man wanted, which got him to change his mind.

"No, wait, I'll go first and
do the warm up. You're on for introductions anyway, and can fill a half hour
after I go." It was clear that he thought he was being shrewd, but managed
to look freaked when Jay just agreed again.

"Not a problem. Good plan,
really. So, we should do a walk through, with lights and sound?" No one
wanted to do that, it was clear, even his friends, but they
did
it, with
only a little insisting, just indicating what they planned to do when. It took
five minutes even with the lights. Max called out the music selections, which
they had more of, including a circus theme opening for him.

They still glared at him as if
he'd stolen bits of their life, like the monster he was. Jay shrugged it off,
not smiling at anyone. They might all be old professionals, but he wasn't. That
meant that most of the people stomped off, or tried to glare at him, except for
his personal friends, Rhonda and Max. His boss seemed happy with the effort,
and Rhonda patted him on the shoulder, her loose white shirt flowing a bit over
her lean form.

"Don't let 'em get to you.
After last night we
should
have probably insisted everyone do a full
dress rehearsal. This whole thing was thrown together last minute, so no
duh
,
you know? Getting lazy doesn't help."

That was true. He knew that first
hand. Okay, he'd given up on life, not really just rested a lot, but it had
come down to the same thing. Not putting in enough work had cost him almost
everything. Lynn had done that first. Her and Carl, but the rest was all on
him. It was time to start back up, which was always harder than staying near
the top.

"Thanks Rhonda." The
women all left, but to his surprise, Carlos didn't. Wendy stayed too, looking
at Max.

The heavy guy sighed, a big gusty
thing that seemed put upon.

"Three acts should be comin'
in. They're highly recommended. Also a bit raw. I'd like you to see if they're
worth working with? I... Sort of got recommends from Sidney Hammer." He
looked away, but Carlos explained that one for Jay, knowing that he wouldn't
have the slightest clue what it meant.

"Magician. Didn't Sid
recommend most of the last lot too? You mentioned that when you called me
up."

There was a shrug then, and Max
looked at Jay, his face closed off.

"Sidney knows everyone in
the business. Near enough, at any rate. He's as old as dust, but I get most of
my recommendations from him and have for years. He'll be in tonight, I bet. He
likes to keep up with the new work people are doing. A stage clown will draw
some attention."

It wasn't a name that meant
anything to him, but that was probably just common sense. He didn't work in
theater or performing after all, or hadn't until the day before. So unless the
man was also a history professor or serious researcher there'd be no reason for
him to know about the guy.

The main problem was that of the
three recommended acts, only one showed. A girl that looked about twenty, or
just a bit older, and reminded him a little of Alex, his daughter. Enough that
he had to fight to keep tears out of his eyes. No one noticed, since they were
all distracted.

"Felicity Maine. I like her
for this. We need the help, and she's a solid performer." Max stood, so he
did too. Carlos didn't, but he looked at the young lady closely. Wendy watched
her too, as if she were a spy. That, or a plant.

"Yes sir, that's me. I was
told to come and see about a position singing?" She had music too, which
Max set up himself, and then they listened for a while. She was boring to look
at, just standing in place and belting out tunes, but her voice was as close to
perfect as Jay had ever heard.

Carlos practically glared at her,
as if she were the devil incarnate, and Wendy wasn't much better. Being that
Jason knew for a fact that they were both the kind of people to take in bums
off the street, it seemed a little out of place.

"Friend of yours?"

Carlos grunted.

"Worked with her before. At
the Pen. She managed to lift three thousand from the safe, and then ran off. No
one could
prove
it was her, or she'd be in prison right now. I'm kind of
shocked that Sid would even give her the time of day. I know that you're a bit
desperate, Max, but is it worth the risk?"

Jay snorted back, his face a
little sour.

"She was
accused
, but
no one knew for certain? That could mean anything. We should
ask
about
it, before we toss her out with the bathwater. If she did it, maybe she needs a
second chance? If she didn't, then she might just be ready for someone to give
her a break. All of you did that for me." He wasn't loud about it, but
three sets of eyes looked at him like he was a complete tool for a bit. Then
Max held up his right hand and called out.

"That's enough Felicity.
Come on down and join us." She'd been up on the stage, but hadn't used a
microphone at all. That meant good projection, since the space was decently
large. It had to be, since the front half was filled with tables.

She jogged over, here skirt
flaring a bit as she went down the stairs. She was trim and cute enough that
she fit, being up there on stage. As long as they could use her without all the
silver going missing. The girl nodded to them, each in turn, spending the most
time on Max, and then Carlos. Wendy wasn't ignored, but also didn't get a lot
of attention, as if the girl knew she was a lost cause. That left Jay, who she
didn't seem to know how to handle at all. Leaning in she put her hand out, for
him to shake. First, before Max, as if he were the important one.

"Felicity Maine, as you
probably know. Pleased to meet you?" It was a question, which was a thing
that made sense. He might just be some clown, after all.

"Jason Hadley. So, I hear
that there were some accusations of theft on your part, from a previous
position? If we hire you on here, you'll want to make sure no one has
opportunity or reason to accuse you of anything like that. It's too hard on the
reputation. To that end, you'll be required to sign a contract, stipulating to
such. Do you understand? We aren't
saying
that you did anything, simply
that you
can't
. For that matter, no one here can. I don't want you to
think that you're being singled out. Even, you understand, as we single you
out." When people signed contracts, they were slightly more likely to
follow their words with action. Of course she could also storm off angrily,
insulted by the implications. Jay didn't really want that, since there was
clearly a better than average chance that Sidney Hammer had sent the girl there
on purpose.

Probably to help with the
cheating scam, or the clean up from it. Seriously, it was kind of obvious. All
the other performers, at least ten of whom were in on the card counting scheme
had been recommended by one person? Sending her away might be the point, but
given that the man was a magician, he might well have forced the card on them.
Making it so that anyone they chose of the three that were supposed to come
would be working for him. Only one had, which made things even more certain. That
was based on hints and hunches, so he sat there as everyone else looked at the
young woman angrily.

For her part, she just nodded.

"I didn't do that. I can
sign something to that effect, or saying that I won't do it here either. I
haven't had any work in months, not since then. I'm out of money and about to
lose my place." It was a sob story, but rang true. Not that Jay cared
much. The world was full of bad people that still had compelling tales to tell
that weren't lies.

The "contract" was
written out longhand, and in plain language. It wouldn't hold up in any court,
but that wasn't the point. No one questioned it as he passed it around for everyone
to read and initial, after the girl put her name on it.

He smiled then, making it
friendly.

"I hope you really mean
this, Miss Maine. I just put my new job on the line here to set this up. I've
literally been living in a shed for nearly a year, so you can bet that I'm not going
to be happy if you ruin this for me." There was more hardness to his words
than he'd planned on, and his face felt like it had warped into a scowl. The
girl looked at him like he was going to kill her, or at least wanted to. It was
a thing that worked, with some kids. Even if they were lazy or "bad",
they tended to think that other people were going to treat them gently all the
time. Just being mean might not have gotten a good response, not from an
entitled kid her age. Telling her that he was at risk too meant that she had to
kind of suck up what he was saying. To do otherwise meant quitting, right then
and there.

"Yes sir, it won't be a
problem. I won't be. Thank you." She looked at everyone else, but the only
response from them was Carlos nodding.