The baron asked if they could talk somewhere in private, but Grimaldi shook his head. "Not before the show. What do you want?"
"It is very important. I need to speak to you about my wife."
"Your wife?" Grimaldi held his hand up to shield his face from the rain.
"Yes. This is Dr. Helen Masters, my wife's doctor. Have you seen Baroness Marechal? We think there may be some connection between her and Ruda Kellerman."
Grimaldi hesitated.
Helen moved closer. "Please help us. She is very sick. We think she may have tried to see Ruda Kellerman."
"Is the woman called Rebecca?"
"Yes!" The baron stepped closer, but Grimaldi moved back sharply. "Is she here? Have you seen her?"
Grimaldi had to shout above the noise of the circus orchestra.
"She came here. She was with Ruda, but I don't know where she is now. Come to the trailer after the show."
"Did you speak to her?" asked Helen.
"Yes, yes I did. She's sick, you say?"
The baron gripped his hands tightly. "This is very important. Please, we must talk to her."
Grimaldi looked back to the tent. "I can't talk to you now, the show's starting. Your wife says she is Ruda's sister; they were together earlier. They said they're twins."
Helen grabbed hold of Grimaldi's rain cape. "Is Ruda Kellerman here?"
"She is about to go into the ring. Look, I don't know what you can do now. I'll try and find her, tell her you're here. Wait at the trailer, the big silver one over there — but after the show. I have to go!"
"Please, please wait — your wife, Ruda—"
Grimaldi backed away, pointed again to his trailer. "Meet me here, after the show."
The baron and Helen watched him hurry away, then stop and turn. He shouted for them to mention his name at the box office, if they wanted to go into the big tent.
Helen and the baron crossed to the box office.
"Louis, we'll do as he said, just wait until the end of the show. We'll buy two standing room tickets, please."
"You will have a very good view, it'll be worth it," said the cashier, and pointed toward the tent. "I'd hurry, the parade's already started."
The artists were lined up, waiting for their cues by the entrance to the ring: red for standby, green for go. The music blared from massive speakers as the orchestra gave each act an introduction. The ringmaster, with his red frock coat, his black silk top hat and whip, was in the spotlight.
Ruda Kellerman waited for her turn to enter. The hectic events both frightened and exhilarated Rebecca; her whole body trembled. Ruda kept tight hold of her twin's hand, describing some of the acts. Anyone close was proudly introduced. "This is my sister!"
Ruda was dressed in a tailored black evening suit, a white silk shirt with heavy ruffles at her neck, and a flowing black cloak lined in white satin. The trousers were skintight, and she wore black polished Russian riding boots. She carried a pair of white gloves and a top hat and smiled broadly, joking with friends as they passed her to enter the ring. Her red warning light flickered. The loudspeaker warned: "Stand by, Ruda Kellerman."
Ruda whispered to Rebecca that any moment it would be her cue. But Rebecca continued to cling to her. Ruda cupped Rebecca's face in her strong hands.
"Just for a moment... watch me!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, the most daring, the most famous, the most audacious, fearless female wild animal trainer in the world... please welcome to Berlin the star of our show. Welcome to Berlin, Ruda Kellerman!.. Ruda Kellerman, ladies and gentlemen!"
Ruda stood with arms raised above her head, her cloak swirling around her. She stood motionless, held in the brilliant spotlight, then strode to the center of the ring. She turned to the right, to the left, bowing low, taking her applause. The cheers had never felt so sweet.
Torsen stared at the confident figure. Having met Ruda, he found it fascinating to see her now. Rieckert turned to Torsen. "She's something else isn't she? I can't wait to see her with the big cats."
Helen and the baron were five rows behind, in the standing room section. Helen could not even see the ring. Louis looked at her.
"I told you. This is a waste of time, we can't see."
Helen beckoned to Louis to follow as she pushed and shoved her way through the crowd.
"Look, Louis, there's four vacant seats in the second row. Why don't we just take a seat — if the ticket holders arrive, then we'll move. Come on."
"From Florida, America's Arabian Nights — the finest Arab horses in the world... the finest horsemen... the Franklynn Brothers!!"
No one stopped them. Louis and Helen now had a perfect view of the center ring. They took their seats. Helen leaned across to the couple sitting next to them and asked if she could borrow their program. Helen looked at it and passed it to Louis.
"Ruda Kellerman is on last, just before the intermission."
Louis held the program at a slight angle so he could read it in the semidarkness. The half-light accentuated his high cheekbones.
"The Bellinis! Please welcome — from Italy — Didi and Barbara Bellini... and their team of dogs!"
Ruda was hurrying around the back of the tent when she saw Luis. She called out to him with a broad smile. "What a house, can you hear them?"
He nodded. As they drew close, he could see her eyes were shining. "I can't wait... I can't wait, Luis! Tonight... I will be the most magnificent, the best..."
She was walking so fast he almost had to jog to keep up with her. She pulled off her white gloves and flicked them at him.
"You know what it means for me to have her here? For her to see me? You know, Luis, we used to make up stories and always, always, Luis, I would say: I am the lion tamer!"
She hurried back to the artists' enclosure, talking nonstop, unbuttoning her cuffs and the buttons on her shirt. Then she stopped and turned to him.
"You made my dreams come true, Luis. Did you know that?"
He had never seen her so happy. She seemed to dance as she hurried on, tossing the cloak to him. "You made my dream come true. I am here, Luis, and my sister is here. My heart, Luis, my heart is bursting!"
"I love you, Ruda."
But she had moved on. With his arms weighed down by her heavy cloak, hat, and gloves, he couldn't keep up with her. He trailed behind like a lackey, tripping, stumbling, and then he watched as Rebecca ran to Ruda. They embraced, Rebecca giving Ruda frantic childlike kisses.
"Rebecca! Wait! Your husband was here looking for you with a woman, a doctor!"
Rebecca stared wide-eyed at Grimaldi. She seemed terrified, but Ruda, impatient to change for the act, drew Rebecca toward the exit.
"Did you hear what I said? I told them to meet us at the trailer... Ruda?"
They ignored Grimaldi and ran out. He saw the attendant stop Ruda and point at Rebecca. No one was allowed to bring guests to the back of the arena unless they had a special pass. Ruda flung a protective arm around Rebecca's shoulders and pushed the attendant out of her way. "She is not anybody, she is my sister!" she said.
Torsen flicked through the program and turned to Rieckert, pointing out when Ruda Kellerman was on. He then put his arm around Freda's shoulders. She was laughing at the clowns who rushed around with a bucket filled with soap suds. The small clown, with his short legs and funny bowler hat, reminded Torsen of Kellerman. It could have been Kellerman — except he was dead and buried. As Torsen watched the diminutive figure tumble around the ring, all the facts he had been gathering began to gnaw at him. He was sure it was Ruda who had walked away from Kellerman's hotel, Ruda who had worn his hat as a disguise. She had lied to him, not once, but many times. She was strong enough to have killed Kellerman. The question was, how in God's name could he prove it?