Read Foul Play at the Fair for Free Online

Anton finished by throwing the pins high in the air and catching them one by one.
    They bowed to the smattering of applause and the third brother, dressed in a clown’s outfit, a white face, and a pointed red hat, replaced the other two and began juggling three brightly colored scarves. Though his face was painted, Liv recognized him right away. It was the same juggling Zoldosky who had somersaulted out of the trailer and scared the crap out of her. And those had to be the same scarves he’d been juggling as he watched her drive away from the Miller farm. He caught Liv’s eye and winked as he snatched the pink, orange, and green scarves from the air and tossed them up again.
    Liv gave him a perfunctory smile and started to move on, but Ted was staring as if it were the most entertaining thing he’d ever seen. The juggler turned his back and, still juggling, walked behind the flats while Anton once again took the stage.
    “Ready to go?”
    Ted shook himself. “What? Oh, yeah. I think we shouldget by the farmers’ market. There was a little bickering about sites this morning, though I’m sure Fred took care of it.”
    “Still, I should check it out. You can stay and watch the jugglers if you’d rather,” she teased.
    “No. I thought…No. I’m done.”
    But as they reached the street, Ted stopped. “Do you mind going by yourself? I just remembered something I should take care of.”
    “No problem. I’ll catch you later.” Liv started across the street, then realized Ted still had her clipboard.
    She turned to stop him, but he was already gone. Then she caught sight of him backtracking his way across the green.
    “Ted,” she called, but he didn’t hear her. She sprinted after him.
    She was only a few yards behind him and was about to call out again, when he ducked behind the Zoldoskys’ stage. Odd. She’d told him she’d taken care of the panhandling problem. But what else could have sent him back?
    She was into delegating responsibility, but she needed her clipboard. She followed him behind the stage set just as Ted grabbed the arm of the tumbling Zoldosky.
    The tumbler tried to knock his hand away, but instead of letting go, Ted pulled him closer, until the man was raised on his toes, and they were almost nose to nose.
    Liv stared. This was her mild-mannered, gentlemanly assistant? She couldn’t imagine what was going on, but she knew better than to interrupt. This was no panhandling altercation. This, whatever it was, was personal.
    The balloon-making brother came around the far end of the proscenium and stopped. Ted dropped his hands, the tumbler stumbled backward, the brother ducked out of sight, and Ted strode off across the grass and was swallowed up by the crowd.
    Astounded, Liv looked back at the tumbler; he was starring straight at her. Then he, too, turned and walked away.
    On her way to the farmers’ market, Liv tried to erase whatshe’d just witnessed. At least Ted hadn’t seen her. No one liked to have their less-than-stellar moments witnessed by their boss. But she couldn’t help wondering what it was all about.
    Later, when she saw Ted long enough to retrieve her clipboard, he didn’t mention the Zoldoskys and neither did she. She didn’t see him again until ten o’clock, when the last booths closed down. Most of the entertainers had long ago departed, along with most of the tourists. Only the Zoldosky brothers had remained to collect their stage and equipment when vehicles were allowed into the park for the vendors to pack up for the night. The permanent stores were dark; only the restaurants were still open, catering to the die-hards.
    “Great work,” Ted told her.
    Liv yawned. “Sorry. You, too.”
    “See you bright and early. Eight o’clock?”
    “Barring any disasters.”
    “God forbid. Good night.”
    “Night,” Liv said and walked across the empty green toward home, wondering if she’d imagined the whole confrontation.
    Whiskey was waiting for her by the door. Bits