"Oh no. I shake. I shudder. " Grace gave an exaggerated wriggle of fear. "Now pick up your toy and go home. "
"What about him?" Balthazar jerked his head toward Cartwright.
"What about him?"
"Aren't you going to make an arrest?"
"For what?"
"Assault. "
"You took a swing at him. "
"He broke my camera. "
"Then I guess you're even. "
Balthazar cursed, kicked the camera, and stalked away.
Grace holstered her weapon. "Nothing to see here, folks. Y'all move along now. "
Leaning over, she scooped the ruined camera into her hands and tossed it into the trash, then turned to Cartwright. "You probably want to stay out of his way while you're here. "
"Perhaps he should stay out of mine. "
"I doubt that'll happen. He seems the kind of guy to hold a grudge. "
Cartwright shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first. "
"Well, watch your back. " Grace's gaze met mine. "I'm off. "
Time for her to head into the woods and look for our missing tourist. I only hoped she found him - alive and well and eager to begin treatment for rabies.
Sabina inched closer, in her hands a sheaf of papers. A quick glance revealed the Gypsies' showtimes for the week.
"You're putting those up?" She nodded. "Left your snake at home, I see. Good idea. Less trouble that way. "
"It didn't seem like less trouble to me," Malachi murmured, his gaze on Balthazar as the other man skirted the offices of the Gazette, heading for the large warehouse at the back.
"You didn't have to get involved," I said.
"He needed a lesson in manners. "
"I doubt he'll learn any from your breaking his camera. "
"And I'm betting he will. "
"He could have killed you. "
"Me?" Cartwright's smile was far from friendly. "I dinna think I would have been the one who wound up dead. "
Chapter 15
By evening, dozens of discarded flyers tumbled down the sidewalk and dozens more blew up against the buildings. On my way home I snatched one and read:
Come one, come all, to the greatest performance
in the world. Live animal acts! Different show