Wrestling the Kraken

Bridgett

Bridgett

City of Fox Hollow

March 23, 1971

Bridgett sat in a café, drinking a cup of coffee. The waiter came over to refill her cup. Setting down her scone, she thanked him and picked up a file she had brought with her. She grabbed a red pen and began making notes and scribblings over some photos she had taken the other day.

Different buildings, different locations, all offering something she needed...privacy. She stopped and stared at a particular photo. This one she was on the fence about. The building itself offered privacy, but not the surrounding area. Deciding to leave it in as an option, she labeled it with a number seven, closed the file and picked up the newspaper she had grabbed earlier.

Dante and his father were on the front cover. The headline from the Fox Hollow Gazette read: The Circus is Coming! Great News or Trouble?

She skimmed the article. The steam of the coffee, rising to her face, as she brought it up to take a sip. She read: The petition to keep the circus away from our city had been declined. Petitioners are ready to try again.

Turning the page, she read another headline: Karras and Rossini Circus Auditions! Who Will Be the Lucky Few?

Finally! They never hold auditions. This is it.

Reading the article through, she made sure she caught every detail. She set the paper down. Did he think she was ready?

Across the street at The Glen Hotel, Dante was walking in. Another sip of coffee. She picked up the paper again, wondering.

The auditions were being held today. She checked the date again to make sure. Tuesday, March 23, 1971. She looked at her watch. There was still plenty of time before auditions started. Having no routine prepared meant she would have to improvise. Could she do it? There was only one way to find out.

♦

Having left the cafe, Bridgett stopped by the theater where auditions were being held. Behind the building, tents were being set up. Walking off to the side, she watched the tents getting pitched from behind the fence. She leaned in closer, peering through the slits.

Trunks were being hauled, booths were being filled, and in the middle of it all was Vivianne. Watching the work go on around her, Vivianne turned around, exposing Armand Rossini standing beside her. He leaned in close, whispering something to her ear. His hand on her back slid down slowly, until he found meat he could grab.

Bridgett took her camera out and snapped a picture. Vito already had the ones he needed. These were just in case. Checking the time, she figured she better get ready for the auditions. She hailed a taxi and headed to her latest apartment. Different cities meant different apartments and she needed ones that were easily disposable.

Every city had a slum. This city, this slum, though, had something more. An ease into the shadows, especially for folks who preferred it there. She was one of those folks.

Through her window, she saw the buildings deteriorate. A gradual change from the clean and family friendly parts of Johnson's Park to the soiled, wild moral zoo of Paramore Hills. It was the kind of place that made a woman clutch her purse and avoid going out at night. This is where the taxi stopped, when Bridgett gave the address of home.

Stepping out, she could see Vito's restaurant was full. It was conveniently housed on the ground level of her building. Looking through the large glass window, she saw Vinny, his son, heading out the front door. He had an A-frame chalk street sign and placed it out front on the walkway, then headed back inside. Bridgett read the sign, before heading upstairs:

Specials Today

Stuffed Green Olives .35¢

She smiled. Good, she thought. The plan was in motion.