Send in the Clowns, a Detective Mike Bridger novel Read Online Free Page B

the suspicion that she could see in the fat woman’s
eyes.
    “ Its blood
from my nose, you nosey slag, from when I fell last night. I
haven’t been able to clean myself up yet…” She turned and walked
away before the fat woman could say anything in reply, but she
could feel her eyes on her back as she closed the door on her small
metal quarters. The space was small and comfortable, but it did not
block a lot of noise from outside. She could hear the sound of
sobbing, angry voices, disbelief… and a clown’s laugh.
    “ What the
hell have I done?” Maria screamed at the wall, her fingers running
down the front of her bloodied top.
    Mick is dead. The
realisation hit her and she sank down on her small bed and fought
back the tears. Had he actually come for her last night? Did he
really care that much…? She did not think so. All he was interested
in was the bottom line. He was always playing everyone off against
the other, who made more money for the show, who did not. Comparing
the Clowns with the artists like her and Ant…, Jesus, even a
bearded lady would be funnier than those dreary mime artists. No
one found Clowns funny anymore. It was danger and excitement they
craved, and that was what she and Ant provided.
    Ant… he would be taking
it hard, she thought about going too him, he would need comfort,
but then again it might be a bit difficult… A knocking on the thin
metal door made her jump.
    “ Who’s
there?” She did not want any more well meaning Carnies offering her
comfort or sympathy.
    “ Police”
    Shit, she looked down at
her costume with the specks of blood clearly visible against the
white of the material. An unnerving feeling of guilt washed over
her… bloody pills messing with her emotions again. Grabbing her
silk gown from the side of her bed, she covered herself before
opening the door.
    “ Can I help
you?”
    “ Police, can
I have a word Miss…?”
    The police officer in
front of her was wearing plain clothes; he was holding his
identification out in front of him. It looked like he had not slept
recently and there was a dark growth starting on his cheeks. It
made him look quite sexy; she liked that sort of thing, even though
he may have been a little older than she was. Standing aside, Maria
tried to breathe in his essence as he stepped inside the door. He
felt fatherly, strong, and confident. She liked this man, she felt
safe. Wrapping the gown tighter around herself, she tried for a
smile.
     
     
     

Chapter Five
     
    Detective Sergeant Mike
Bridger stood in front of the restless group; he was dressed in the
cleanest shirt and tie he could find in his fast depleting clothing
closet. Living alone for the last few months had taken a toll on
his appearance, and with last night’s interruption, it looked like
it may stay that way for the near future. Looking at the young and
snappily dressed gaggle of reporters, he realised he hated this
part of the job. The vultures in front of him were just waiting to
pick at any dead piece of information he tripped over, bugger the
facts, and just make the Police look incompetent. They had all been
at the scene this morning as well, when he had returned in the cold
light. Thankfully, the night shift Constables had put the cordon in
the right place, obscuring any view of even the longest telephoto
lenses. Press photographers had a habit of taking the most gruesome
photos they could these days. They fed on the worst of human
endeavour, mashing it up and reproducing it in an even more
gruesome light. They fed this concoction to the public, but instead
of nourishing them with informative life and death stories, they
only created more anaesthetic for the perverse that needed a harder
and harder fix of the gruesome. It was a vicious circle.
    At the scene, the
deceased was still dead and had looked even worse than the night
before. The blood had become even more thick and sticky, and
Bridger had noticed a couple of brave flies hanging around, waiting
for a