Philip ran his fingers through his close-cropped hair as his car sped across town. He left a cacaphony of squealing tires and blastign horns in his wake as he blasted through stop signs and traffic lights on his way back towards the fairgrounds. His mind flashed back to the day before when he'd visited the owner of the circus.

The air had stunk with the smell of animal feces, stale popcorn and grease paint. He knocked on the door to the garishly colored wagon and it was only a moment before the owner of the circus swung the door wide to welcome him in.

H. G. Brackenmoore was an imposing man. He was dressed in a well tailored suit of gaudy red and gold, typical of a circus ringmaster, and had a cigarette in a holder clenched tight in his yellowed teeth. Tall and thin to an almost skeletal degree with piercing blue eyes that seemed to stare not into your eyes but a few inches behind them. Just looking into those eyes had left the detective feeling like his own life had been laid bare.

"Ah, detective Hall. I had been informed of your imminent arrival. Please, come in."

Rolling his eyes a bit at the theatrics, Phil stepped into the wagon and looked around as Brackenmoore took a seat at a small desk on the far end. He gestured towards a chair in front of him as he took another drag on his smoke. The plume he exhaled was oddly sweet smelling, clove cigarettes, perhaps. He shuffled through a few papers before putting them into a desk drawer and leaning back.

"Well, shall we get to it then? We're both very busy men."

Detective Hall nodded and pulled a manila envelope from under his jacket. Rattling the paper, he reached inside before spreading several photographs on the desk. All children from the ages of eight to ten years, all gone missing in the past two weeks.

"I just wanted to know if you've seen any of these kids. Each one of them's disappeared and the parents are going nuts trying to find out what's going on."

The ringmaster chuckled, a thick, wet sound. Those smokes weren't doing the man any favors. "So they think what, exactly? They ran off to join the circus? Look, detective, we both know that old trope hasn't been a thing since the 1940's."

"Yeah, I know, and I'm sorry. It's just some of the parents are linking the start of the disappearances with the circus coming to town and.."

"And being the outsiders, we're a convenient scapegoat."

"Hey, I never said.."

His brow clouding with anger, Brackenmoore slammed a hand down on the table suddenly, scattering the pictures. "Every town we go to we end up talking to someone like you. Being subtly accused of some monstrous crime! You have no proof. No proof of anything, and I think that we're done here, sir!"

Detective Hall was a bit taken aback by the sudden outburst. He raised his own voice in return, wanting to bring the situation back under control. "Hey! I never accused you of anything! I just wanted you to maybe help keep an eye out for these kids. With your crew going to town for supplies every day or so I figured you have more eyes around town than I do at the moment."

"Oh..." The ringmaster almost seemed to deflate as he sunk back in his chair. "My.. sincerest apologies, detective Hall. It's been a difficult few days. With the rumors you've just mentioned ticket sales have taken a bit of a hit. I'm afraid we'll have to be moving on sooner than we originally thought. While we are still here I will tell my people to keep an eye out. May I keep these photographs to distribute to my people?"

Hall nodded and sighed, standing up an offering his hand. "Thank you, Mr. Brackenmoore. I appreciate all of the help I can get."

Brackenmoore's hand looked almost brittle, the fingers so painfully thin, but as he shook Philip's hand the grip was cold, sure and strong. "You are most welcome. However, as I said we are both busy men and I must get back to work, just as I am sure you must as well."

Philip nodded, smiling, "Yeah, just a few more hours and I can head home for a bit."

"It must be nice, Detective. Ah well, such is the life of an entertainer."

"Well, goodbye, Mr. Brackenmoore."

"And good day to you as well, detective Hall. Oh, one last thing before you go?"

Hall could still see that leering smile burned into his memory, exhaled smoke curling from the corners of his nicotine stained grin as he murmured softly, "If you see her, be sure to say hello to your little girl Susie for me."