Everything going on in the ring became blurred as Torsen started to piece together the evidence he had accumulated to date against Ruda.
"The wonders of the animal kingdom... Rahji the Elephant Man!"
Grimaldi had provided Ruda with an alibi, but the young boy, Vernon, had said Grimaldi had been on one of his binges. What if he had been drunk on the evening of the murder? Would he have known what time she came or went? Had Grimaldi lied? And where were the boots?"
"It's the elephants next!" Rieckert shouted, his tie loose, his face flushed.
Torsen grimaced to himself. They did not sleep in the same room. How could Grimaldi give his wife an alibi if he was drunk? Torsen remembered Ruda saying Grimaldi was snoring, that he had kept her awake! So obviously he had been sleeping. Could she — did she — leave the trailer, return... while Grimaldi slept?
Freda clutched his arm as the elephants started to enter the ring. They were within touching distance. Rieckert shouted excitedly to Torsen: "I hope they don't let the lions this close, eh?"
An elephant's trunk swung dangerously close to Torsen, and he pressed back in his seat — much to the delight of Rieckert, who shrieked with laughter. The animal gently placed his front feet on the ring rim: then swirled his massive trunk above their heads. They screeched and cowered as the elephant slowly turned back, and all eight elephants began to waltz.
Freda suddenly sighed.
"You okay? You weren't afraid, were you?" Torsen asked.
"It's sad in a way, isn't it? They are so wonderfully huge, and I don't like to see them looking foolish, dancing. It's not right."
At that moment a baby elephant began to perform what could possibly have been termed a pirouette. The crowd roared its delight. But Freda did not approve. Torsen liked her more and more. He leaned closer.
"If I get rid of Rieckert, would you have dinner with me? Tonight, after the show?"
She nodded, and his grip tightened. She rested her head on his shoulder and he didn't think of Ruda anymore.
Helen was laughing, amused by the antics of the baby elephant. Louis turned to watch her. Her face was lovely, it was as if he had never really noticed it before this evening. He reached over and held her hand.
"You know, I don't think I have ever really said how much I appreciate your kindness, the way you have cared for Vebekka. You must think me a very..."
Helen withdrew her hand. "I think you have been under tremendous stress. I understand, and I hope..."
"I love her, Helen, I always have... I always will."
"Yes, I know." Helen knew no one could take Vebekka's place. He was a weak, delightful man. A charming man who had always found solace in women. Louis had turned to other women to survive. All Louis's infidelities were really substitutions. His weakness was his inability to face reality; instead of seriously trying to help Vebekka, he had others assume that responsibility for him.
"The fearless daredevil Dupres — from Paris, France... no safety net, ladies and gentlemen! The Flying Dupres defy death!"
The main ring darkened as slim, white-clad figures climbed the ropes to the roof of the big tent. Louis watched a young beautiful boy expertly swing the trapeze backward and forward, his eyes on the catcher who dropped down, his arms free, his legs hooked over the bar of the swing. The swing picked up momentum. The boy sprang forward, flying through the air. The swings passed each other, high above the audience's heads, and the crowd gasped as the boy performed a perfect triple somersault, the catcher reaching out with split-second timing to clasp his hands.
Louis looked at Helen. "You know... that is how she makes me feel — that it's up to me to catch her. I almost touch her hands, almost save her, but she slips away, she falls, each time. Helen...?"
Helen put her hand on his. "We'll find her. You'll hold her, and maybe next time she won't tall, if she feels you are strong enough."
"Do you think this Ruda Kellerman is really her sister: It would be an extraordinary coincidence, wouldn't it? That she should be here in Berlin?"
Helen edged closer, whispering: "You know. Rebecca kept on saving. 'It's close, it's very close.' What if 'it' meant her sister was close? I mean if they are twins, then maybe it is likely there is some kind of telepathy between them. She sensed her sister was nearby, but because of what had been done to her, she couldn't bring to the conscious level the fact that she had a sister, and that she might be alive."
Louis gasped along with the crowd as a trapeze artist slipped. But it was a very carefully rehearsed mistake. The tent was silent as the artists prepared for a dangerous jump: springing from the swing onto a high wire in the darkness, a wire not visible to the audience. The man seemed to fly downward and then swung his body around the taut high wire, twelve feet below.
While watching the high-wire act. Helen tried to remember something Rebecca had said. Suddenly she felt her palms begin to sweat. She recalled the incident at the circus in Monaco. Rebecca had attempted to get into the ring — could she have done this because of a telepathic connection to her sister: Helen leaned against Louis.
"Louis, the time Rebecca attacked the circus clown... maybe Ruda Kellerman was with the circus then. Louis?"
But Louis was lost in his own thoughts.
"I wasn't there for her. Helen. I should have found out more about her past, cared more. Now I feel as if I have a second chance.
I hope I am not too late."
Rebecca helped Ruda into her costume, and then changed into trousers and boots herself, and put on one of the boys' red jackets
"Now you don't have to stay by the entrance, you can come right into the ring! Stand outside the cages. Luis will look after you, won't you?"
Luis was not happy about it. He said that Rebecca would be in the way and besides it was dangerous; she might distract Ruda. Ruda dismissed his fears with a wave of her hand. "Nonsense. You take her in, she'll stand by you and then you take care of her."
He shrugged reluctantly.
"But you must go now. I'll take care of Rebecca. Please, you haven't been near the cages."
Ruda nodded, then took Rebecca's hand. "We're ready!"
Grimaldi stood beside Rebecca as Ruda went over to the boys. At last she seemed to be concentrating as she checked the props and cages. She gave a signal for the boys to start stacking the tunnel sections to the entrance. Two more acts and they were on.
Ruda moved from cage to cage. She had changed into tight white trousers, black shiny boots, and a white frilled Russian-style shirt. The simplicity of her costume made her look smaller and more vulnerable. She carried only a short stick. Rebecca stepped forward to follow Ruda, but Grimaldi held her back firmly. "No, no, you must leave her alone now. This is very important, she must get ready."
"Yes, of course!"
Ruda started pacing. Twice she stopped and looked over at Rebecca. She smiled, then asked the boys if the fire hoop was set up, the pedestals stacked. Back to her old self, she went over every detail. Grimaldi felt relieved.
Mike stood by the mass of stacked railings; four circus hands waited for the signal to spring into action. There would be two sets of clowns and jugglers covering the mounting of the cages in the central ring. The main ring would be in darkness as the safety barrier was erected.
Red light on. Mike looked to Vernon. "Stand by... Okay boys, stand by, we got the red light. Red light, Mr. Grimaldi."
"Two minutes for Kellerman's act. Stand by, you have red light... GO GREEN, MISS KELLERMAN, PLEASE STAND BY."
Luis looked at Rebecca. She was shaking; he patted her shoulder.
"When the red light comes on over there, that is our cue to go into the ring. We go in first, then Ruda will get her own red and green light."