Dangerous Relations (5 page)

“Engagement party! Good idea,” Eduardo said as she marched away.

Nancy turned and nearly collided with a gray-eyed man. His dark hair was close-cropped, and his pale shirt and shorts showed off his tan. He appeared to be in his late twenties. “Oh, sorry!” he said. “I was trying to get out of the way of the sand.”

A shout went up from the crowd. Nancy turned back and saw that the clowns had buried Hayden up to his neck. She grinned as Natalia got down on her knees and kissed him. Then the clowns dug him up again, and the crowd began to break up.

“Hey, Nan! They're putting up a volleyball net on the beach. Want to play?” George asked.

“In a while,” Nancy replied. “You guys go ahead. I'll catch up with you.”

As Nancy's friends sped down the beach, the man who'd bumped into her asked, “Are you with the circus?”

“No. My name's Nancy Drew.”

“The detective?”

Nancy raised her eyebrows. “Now, how does everyone know that?”

“If you know how to listen, you can learn a lot,” he said mysteriously. Then he grinned. “So how's it going? Any leads on Natalia's dad?”

Nancy laughed. “If you're so good at finding things out, I don't think I need to tell you.”

He held out a hand. “I'm Richard Smith.”

“You're not a performer, are you?” Nancy asked, thinking that with his tailored clothes and executive-style haircut, he'd look more at home in a boardroom or a businessmen's club.

“No. My father owns Sunshine Enterprises in Saint Petersburg,” he answered. “We lease transport vehicles—this season, to the circus. I came to make sure everything's in good shape before Grand Royal takes to the road.”

“I see.”

Richard stooped to pick up a shell. Nancy saw, as he turned it in his hand, that the inside glimmered like rainbows on a puddle.

“That's a pretty one,” she said.

“It's yours.” He pressed it into her hand.

“Thanks. I'll take it home to add to our housekeeper's collection.”

“Just one shell?” he said, as if she were suggesting giving someone just one glove. “Take her a bunch. To get the best ones, you have to look right after the tide has gone out. But we can try our luck now, if you'd like.”

“Yes, I would,” Nancy said. As they headed toward the beach, Richard said, “I've always liked shells. I've been collecting them since I was little. My mother used to say everyone ought to collect something.”

There was a poignancy in his tone that told Nancy his mother was no longer living. But she didn't feel she knew him nearly well enough to ask about it.

Suddenly the roar of a motorcycle pulling into the parking lot caused them both to turn.

Marshall Keiser parked his motorcycle, climbed off, took off his helmet, and lit up a cigar. He settled it loosely to the side of his mouth and walked over to them. “Evening, Richard. Nancy. How's the party?”

“Nice. And the food smells great. I'm hungry enough to eat a horse,” Richard said as Nancy nodded a greeting to Keiser.

“Then what are you doing hanging around here? Go get yourself a plate,” Keiser said amiably. He started toward the area where the food had been set out.

“Would you excuse me, Richard?” Nancy asked.

“Of course,” Richard said, sounding slightly disappointed. “See you later.”

Nancy hurried to catch Keiser. “Mr. Keiser!”

He glanced back and stopped. “What is it?”

“I was wondering how long you've known Vera.”

“Almost eighteen years,” he replied. “She needed help, and I needed a wardrobe mistress.”

“Is she a naturalized citizen?” Nancy asked.

Keiser scowled. “Ask her yourself.” He resumed walking.

Nancy hurried to keep up. “One more thing. Do you carry life insurance on your employees? Especially ones with high-risk acts, like the flyers?”

Nancy steeled herself as he scowled at her. He jerked the cigar out of his mouth. “If you're thinking I had something to do with Natalia's fall this morning, you hold that thought right where it is. Because if you go putting it into words, I'm liable to get mighty angry. Understand me?”

Nancy met his narrowed gaze without flinching. “I wasn't accusing you of anything. All I'm trying to do is find out what caused Natalia's fall.”

“And I'm trying to put a show on the road with fifty-odd kinkers who are edgy enough without your questions and insinuations!” he shot back.

“But it wasn't an acci—” Nancy began.

He cut her short, jabbing the air with his cigar as he thundered, “This is the last time I'm warning you! No more questions!”

He jammed the cigar between his front teeth, then pushed past Nancy. She watched him march away, his angry strides leaving deep prints in the sand.

Now, what is he so mad about? she wondered. What am I missing—or what's he hiding?

H
EARING A
shell crunch, Nancy spun around. Katrina was standing there. “Marshall's not going to let you disrupt things,” she said. “He loves this circus.”

“Then why isn't he more concerned over the oiled bar?” Nancy demanded.

“He doesn't believe you. Neither do I,” Katrina added with a tight smile.

“Katrina, if Natalia had been hurt, there'd be no act. You must know that.”

Katrina shrugged. “It's as good as dead anyway. Natalia is leaving for Ringling when her contract expires in midsummer.”

Nancy was taken aback. No one had said anything to her about this!

“It's a big secret,” Katrina went on, seeming to
take pleasure in Nancy's surprise. “But I saw the letter myself. I went straight to Marshall and told him. I figured he had a right to know.”

Nancy realized Hayden must have been speaking of the Ringling Brothers when he mentioned they'd received an offer from another circus. Mulling it over, she watched Tim the clown lighting lanterns in the twilight. He waved and came over.

“Burgers are done. Who wants to escort me to the table?” he asked with a big grin.

“I will,” Katrina said.

Tim flushed with pleasure as Katrina slipped her arm through his. “You'd better come, too, before the food disappears,” he called to Nancy as they started away.

“I'm coming,” Nancy said. She trailed behind, thinking, Ringling Brothers! Wow! That explained Keiser's anger with Natalia. He didn't want to lose her. But why didn't he seem angry with Hayden, too?

Hayden and Natalia were filling their plates at the food-laden table. However, there were too many people around for Nancy to ask about the Ringling offer. She decided to wait until later.

But Nancy never did get a chance to speak privately with Natalia and Hayden. Just then George, Bonnie, and Eduardo led a sopping Bess up to the food table. “A wave got her,” George told Nancy. “I think we ought to get her back to the motel—the night air is pretty chilly.”

“I'm okay, really,” Bess protested. But she was shivering.

“Don't be ridiculous,” Nancy scolded gently. “You look like you're about to freeze solid,”

“Go home before you catch a cold. We've still got tomorrow night,” Eduardo said.

“T-t-tomorrow n-night?” Bess echoed, teeth chattering.

“Sure. We've decided to throw an engagement party for Natalia and Hayden. You're all invited, too,” Eduardo said.

“We're there,” Bess said promptly. Nancy saw Eduardo's delighted grin. Obviously, he had a crush on Bess.

Bonnie, Joseph, and Eduardo waved as the three girls drove away. On the ride back to the motel, Nancy told Bess and George about Keiser's warning as well as what Katrina had said about Natalia's plans to leave the circus.

“Well, that explains why Keiser is mad at Natalia. He won't like losing her.” George echoed Nancy's earlier thoughts.

Nancy nodded agreement, wondering just how much he would hate it. Enough to see Natalia injured rather than go to a rival circus?

• • •

Back at the motel, there was a message for Nancy from Stephanie and a fax from her librarian friend. In their room Nancy read the message. “Stephanie says immigration has no record of a Vera Petronov.”

“How can that be?” Bess asked, peeling off her wet clothes.

“It's not so surprising, really,” Nancy said, thinking. “Vera probably changed her name when she defected. I'll ask Natalia.”

As Bess went to shower, Nancy scanned the fax. The old
Washington Post
article naming cities where Irina's troupe had already toured had proved helpful. Her friend listed twenty newspapers as well as phone numbers, all of them in the East, where the tour had begun.

“We should be able to track down some articles with this—and maybe some clue to Natalia's father's identity,” Nancy added. “I'll start calling first thing in the morning.”

But the next morning, Lieutenant Green phoned with the results of the lab test and gave Nancy something else to think about. The smudges on the towel as well as the tissue had turned out to be medicated petroleum jelly.

“I'm going to see if Katrina has any petroleum jelly in her trailer,” Nancy said as they waited for Bess to finish drying her hair.

“What if she catches you?” Bess asked.

Nancy glanced at her watch. “It's almost eight now. I'll make sure she's busy practicing with Tom Luttrelli before I let myself in. I also need to start phoning these newspapers,” she added, fax list in hand.

“Why don't we split up?” Bess suggested. “I'll make those calls. I'm good on the phone.”

“You've had lots of practice, that's for sure,” George said, and they all laughed.

Twenty minutes later, Nancy and George were at the circus grounds, leaning on the low fence that encircled the outdoor ring. There were eight horses, galloping in pairs, with four riders standing on the backs of each pair.

George watched intently, admiring the skill of one young Luttrelli as he did a backward flip and landed on the next pair of horses, right in front of his brother. “Think of the balance that takes! Tumbling skills seem to be part of nearly every act at the circus,” she marveled.

Nancy nodded. The beating of the horses' hooves alone was enough to get the adrenaline flowing! She would have liked to watch longer, but the case was her first priority.

“Katrina's not here. Let's check the arena,” she said. They set off past the barn with its animal medley of camel grunts, elephant trumpeting, and the growls and roars of lions and tigers.

Hayden and Natalia were in the arena warming up. “Where's Katrina?” Nancy asked, after greeting them both.

“We're a little early,” Hayden pointed out. “She's working with the Luttrellis until nine.”

“We were just there, but we didn't see her,” George said.

Hayden shrugged. “Maybe she overslept.”

Nancy told them about the lab results. They
had no idea how the medicated petroleum jelly could have gotten on the bar.

“Have there been other accidents? Anything suspicious at all?” Nancy asked.

They both thought it over. “No,” Hayden said finally, and Natalia agreed.

Nancy moved to her next question. “Natalia, did Vera change her name after defecting?”

Natalia said, “Not that I know of. Why?”

Nancy shared her theory that Vera's strong opposition to the search for her father might be a result of a secret she was trying to hide, such as staying in the country illegally.

“No, that can't be. She told me that after her defection, Marshall helped her seek asylum with the U.S. government. She's a citizen.” Natalia said confidently. “I'm sure of it.”

“Immigration has no record of her,” Nancy said. “Not under that name, anyway.”

“That's strange,” Natalia said. “Or maybe it isn't,” she added, after a moment's thought. “She wouldn't tell me if she had changed her name. She's very secretive about a lot of things.”

“Has she always been that way?” asked Nancy.

“Always.” Natalia added softly, “I think it's because she grew up in a country where people had to be so careful of what they said.”

“Because of communism, you mean?” George asked, and Natalia nodded.

Nancy decided not to press it. Natalia was clearly hurt by her mother's secretiveness. Instead,
she asked, “Is it true that Ringling Brothers has offered you a contract?”

Natalia exchanged a startled glance with Hayden. “Yes,” she said after a moment. “Hayden and I both received letters.”

“Six months ago, when Vera was trying to keep us apart, we videotaped an aerial performance and sent it to Ringling,” Hayden told Nancy and George. “This past week we both got letters offering us positions.”

“Are you planning to accept?” asked Nancy.

“It's a great opportunity,” Hayden said. “But Natalia's spent her life with Grand Royal. She needs time to think it over.”