Biohazard:‘On it.’
Off to the left, Biohazard hopped out of his seat and hurried to the end of the row, then disappeared down the side.
Doreen and Barrett, Tufty and Kate scrambled out of their stalls too, all at the same sodding time.
‘Try not to make it too obvious, people!’
Luckily, the clowns were in the middle of staging some sort of road traffic accident: where a granny clown tried to get across the zebra crossing with her tartan shopping trolley, only to shy back at the last minute as a life-size puppet Zebra thundered across it on inline skates. Which meant the whole Orphan Crew were laughing atthat, rather than spotting Logan’s merry gang of idiots.
Logan strolled down the steps to ground level, acting all casual as the Zebra made another pass and Granny got a second fright. ‘I need someone on the entrance.’
The clown car filled up on ‘petrol’ and the patrol car filled up on doughnuts, momentarily abandoning their hot-pursuit.
Barrett:‘Entrance secured.’
And there he was, standing just outside the fairy-lit foyer, pretending to stretch his legs.
The Lion puppet reappeared, also on skates this time, and set off after the Zebra. And after a bit of bumbling and running about, the police piled into their patrol car, pedalling furiously to catch up. Blues-and-twos going.
Tufty and Kate disappeared behind their seating block.
The patrol car almost ran over one of the clown-clowns, leaving him spinning round and around on one leg, so for some inexplicable reason, the clown car wheeched after the patrol car.
Kind of got the feeling logic wasn’t really a priority here.
Logan ducked behind the stands.
A heavy curtain of black fabric concealed whatever structure held the seats up. Which had the added bonus of hiding what was going on outherefrom anyone inthere.
He paused for a moment, letting Tufty, Kate, Doreen, and Biohazard catch up.
Keeping his voice low, just in case. ‘OK, they’re in the second last block of seating. Kate, Biohazard: you take this side. Doreen: you’re in the middle. Tufty: with me.’
A wave of laughter roared through the big top, followed by honking and animal noises and sirens, as the clowns got on with the show. Meaning there was no chance anyone would notice Logan and the wee loon sneaking their way around the back of the stands.
More laughter, and a clatter of applause.
Logan checked Doreen, Biohazard, and Kate were in the right place, then tapped Tufty on the shoulder. Pointing at the heavy fabric blocking off the supports.
Tufty eased the curtain back, exposing a forest of scaffolding poles, with clips and pins and bits wrapped around in yellow-and-black warning tape. The whole structure resting on wooden boards and mud mats – liberally sprinkled with fallen popcorn and spilled peanuts.
Bingo.
A figure lurked near the front of the bleachers, leaning on a post, staring through a gap in the seating and out between someone’s legs, watching the performance.
Charles MacGarioch.
A tin of lager dangled from the fingers of one hand as he laughed along with the crowd.
Right: the bastard wasn’t getting awaythistime.
Logan eased his way into the scaffold jungle, creepingcloser, the seats above his head getting lower with every tier as he advanced on Clueless Charlie.
Tufty snuck in, staying off to one side.
A quick glance left, and there was Doreen, while Kate tiptoed in from the far corner. And just in case, Biohazard guarded the far edge.
Whatever was going on out there, someone must’ve been directing the crowd, because they all stamped their feet and clapped in rhythm. Sending dust and yet more popcorn pattering down onto Logan and his team.