Circus of Shadows: A Deadly Performance

Chapter 13: Mr Harrison and Fonseca's Fairground Circus

As Detective Black was leaving the the bookshop to head back to her office to collect her case notes, before making the now, very familiar walk along the river to the Circus, she received an intriguing call before she left. It was Mr Oscar Harrison, from Harrison & Hyde Solicitors. Mr Harrison was requesting an urgent meeting with Detective Connie Black to discuss a matter related to Bella the Brave, who recently enlisted their services.

This was all Detective Black needed to hear to instantly clear her plans and turn back and head straight to Harrison & Hyde, which was just set back from the towns main square.

Upon a speedy arrival at Oscar Harrison's office, he ushered her inside, his expression grave. "Detective Black, I'm glad you could make it here so promptly. The matter I'm about to discuss is both sensitive and troubling."

Connie nodded, ready to listen to what he had to say. Mr Harrison continued, "A week or so ago, Bella the Brave, legally known as Miss Bella Fonseca, came here to our office seeking legal assistance. She was deeply distressed and revealed some dark concerns about her employer, Mr Ortiz. It appears that there were some significant disagreements and tensions between them," Mr Oscar Harrison was showing great concern for his client. "Miss Fonseca had been subjected to unfair treatment and threats, she had reached the end."

Connie's eyes widened hearing this and her thoughts narrowed as she continued to listen to Oscar's account. Bella's past, it seemed, held a story that went beyond the circus ring.

Mr Harrison continued, "Miss Bella Fonseca confided in me about her family background, which had been a source of conflict between her and Mr Ortiz. She hails from a family of circus performers with a long history in the industry. They run a hugely successful Circus show back in their home of Portugal called 'The Fonseca's Fairground Circus'.

"Is this why Bella wanted to break free from her contract to return home?" Connie enquired.

"I believe this was a factor in her decision, but she mentioned that since Mr Ralph Ortiz, took over the training and choreography of 'The Carnival of Curiosity Circus' from Ms Delights his methods were causing concerns throughout the big top. His desire for excellence, demanding more riskier stunts, a stricter environment were her main reasons, and she was worried if she didn't break free then something really bad was going to happen sooner or later."

"Had Mr Ortiz showed any signs of wrong doing or were there any indications of past conflicts between the pair!" Detective Black enquired trying to piece together the back story to Miss Fonseca's claim.

"No evidence to suggest Mr Ortiz had broke any laws or had asked anything of his performers that were outside the boundaries of their contracts."Mr Harrison replied. "I will of course with the shocking recent events delve a little deeper and see what I can find." Oscar went on reassuring the detective he would investigate all scenarios.

Detective Black was unaware that Ms Jessica Delights was originally the circus trainer and choreographer, but it was the announcement of "something really bad that was going to happen sooner or later" that she locked her mind on.

Connie couldn't help but connect the dots on this revelation, did this mean Bella the Brave, was going to take matters into her own hands to break free from her contract due to the stricter training regime, or desperation to return home to be with her family. Or that a performer would get seriously hurt in a live performance trying to reach new heights. These were questions she needed to present to Miss Fonseca herself.

"Thank you for calling me Mr Harrison," Connie said. "This information is extremely valuable. Keep me posted if you are to unearth anything more sinister."

She left Harrison and Hyde Solicitor's Office with the mysteries of the circus slowly vanishing, to identify the murderer. It was however, becoming increasingly complex, but with each new revelation she was getting closer to pulling that rabbit out of the hat, and identifying Ralph Ortiz's sinister killer.