FUNFAIR FERRET FIASCO (HARDCOVER)

Chapter 1

“Angela, over here!” Angela, David and Ruff weaved through the bustling carnival parking lot and made their way toward the entrance. The scent of popcorn and cotton candy mingled in the air, mixed with strains of laughter and lively calliope music. The towering Ferris wheel with bright lights and screeching roller coasters stretched out in front of them, surrounded by several colorful circus tents housing unique attractions and stands selling everything from beads to handcrafted art to face painting sessions. Angela smiled as they climbed out of the car and she took in the familiar sights and sounds. She hadn’t been to the carnival since she was a kid, and she was thrilled to see it back in town.

Her face brightened as she saw her father, Charlie, waving them over from across the parking lot. He was helping her mother, Abigail, onto the pavement.
“Hey, Dad!” Angela greeted as they made their way to him. Ruff wagged his tail and tried to jump onto Charlie’s legs, but the man dodged skillfully as he laughed and patted the over-enthusiastic border collie on the head. “Easy boy! And how are my two favorite detectives today?”

“Ready to enjoy the carnival, aren’t we, Ruff?” Angela replied, glancing down at Ruff, who barked in agreement and allowed his tongue to loll out of his mouth. I will be once I get some of whatever that smell is.

Just then, Caroline, Angela’s older sister, and William, her younger brother, strode toward them with Caroline’s daughter Megan in tow. William waved first, his hands grease-stained.

“I’m so excited I’m still in town for this,” Megan said as they made their way beneath the flashing Hummings Hollow Carnival sign.

Angela grinned. “Yeah, lucky they came before your winter break ended.” She nudged Megan’s shoulder and smiled. “What are you most excited about? David and I have been looking forward to the haunted house.”
“Uh,” Megan tapped her chin in thought. “I don’t know, but I heard they’ve added a circus this year. Can you believe it? I haven’t been to a circus since I was a kid.”
Angela laughed, nodding. “Yeah, I think I was your age the last time I went myself. My friend Liza sent me an email a few weeks ago. Apparently, she is working with the acrobats. Maybe she’ll be in the main show tonight.”

Ruff barked, and Angela smiled. She and Liza had been good friends and long-distance pen pals ever since the circus came to town a few years ago, and she helped Liza rescue her cat from trying to walk on the tightrope. If you thought about it, it was actually her first official case. Of course, back then, she didn’t know she was going to become a private investigator.

Megan squeezed her hand. “I hope so. The tightrope walkers always have the best tricks.”

“Really?” David asked, arching a brow. “I was always more of an escape artist fan myself. Of course,” he winked at Angela, “we don’t really need to see those now that we have three of our own back home.”

Angela chuckled and leaned into him. One of her chickens, Eggatha, had a couple of chicks over the summer. Angela had named one Christi after Agatha Christie and another Indy because she had made a reputation of becoming quite the escape artist. They were hoping her antics would just be confined to one chick, but unfortunately, Indy passed her adventurous spirit onto her sister. The three of them had spent the entire morning chasing after the two chicks to get them back into the pen before they had to meet her family at the carnival.

Megan’s eyes narrowed slightly as a satisfied smile slid onto her lips. “So, the move in is going well?” she asked casually, nudging Angela in the side as her cheeks warmed. She had given David a key to the farmhouse over Christmas as an invitation for him to move in, and she couldn’t describe how relieved and ecstatic she was when he accepted. It was a big step for them. But one Angela couldn’t be happier to have taken.

“Couldn’t be better,” David said as he wrapped an arm affectionately around Angela’s waist.

“Glad to hear it,” her mother said, beaming as she stepped up behind them. “And how are the new barn residents doing?”

David adjusted his glasses and grinned. “They’re great, but I keep having to remind Miss Animal Rescuer over here that we are not, in fact, an animal hospital. We can’t keep all six of them.”

Angela laughed. During her last case, they had discovered a litter of six kittens on the local Christmas tree farm. They had originally thought the new owner Maggie was going to keep them, but Maggie had looked for foster homes for them shortly after taking over the land, so Angela agreed to care for them. A couple of them were becoming quite apt at hunting down the rodents on her farm, but David was right in insisting that they were already a bit overcrowded.
“Not forever,” Angela retorted. “Just long enough for them to fend for themselves.”

“Keep telling yourself that, honey,” her father grinned. They passed under the entrance to the carnival, and Angela took in the bustling sights that greeted her. Stalls lined the cobbled street, selling everything from handmade jewelry to local artwork. Ruff sniffed the air, then veered to the right and yanked Angela and her family toward the sugary sweet scent tickling his nose.
Something smells nice.

“Ruff!” Angela stumbled forward as he yanked on the leash. “What’s gotten into you, boy?”

They ducked and dodged through the busy carnival streets, laughing all the way until Ruff finally came to a stop in front of a caramel apple cart, which was currently manned by Mrs. Abernathy, the owner of Hummings Hollow’s most sought-after sweet shop.
“Angela, darling, so good to see you again,” greeted Mrs. Abernathy. “So good to see you! It’s been far too long. How are things at that charming farmhouse of yours?”

“You too, Mrs. Abernathy.” Angela smiled as she watched the woman dipped a fresh bash of apples. “Things are going well, but they’ve been chaotic lately. I think Ruff is trying to tell me to take a break. First thing he did was bring me here.”

Ruff barked and sat down squarely in front of the cart, the tip of his nose popping out over the edge. Mrs. Abernathy laughed. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I think he’s got the right idea. Now, what can I get you?”

Each of Angela’s family ordered a caramel apple. Mrs. Abernathy casually tossed pieces of apple covered in peanut butter to Ruff on the side as she prepared each of their orders, much to the border collie’s delight.

“Thanks again for the treat, Mrs. Abernathy,” Angela said, grinning as she took a large bite of her first apple.
The older woman smiled. “Anytime, dear. I hope you enjoy them.”

As they left the caramel apple cart and explored further, Angela stopped in front of the fortuneteller’s booth and raised an eyebrow at the familiar figure of Leigh Tomlinson, the self-proclaimed paranormal enthusiast who had recently moved to town.

“Leigh, isn’t it? I don’t remember seeing you here last year,” Angela said.

Leigh nodded, her long, dark hair swaying. “You’ve got a sharp memory, Angela. This is my first year at the carnival. The owner hired me to add a little spook to the haunted house attraction.”

“Ah, I see.” Angela glanced toward the haunted house and noticed Liza Hartley, one of the talented acrobats, setting up a new aerial rig outside the attraction. “Well, I hope it goes well. People love a good scare.”

Leigh nodded eagerly and launched into a detailed explanation of her plans before Ruff barked impatiently, pulling her in the opposite direction.

Angela stifled a smile and waved goodbye to Leigh before allowing Ruff to lead her away. “Someone’s eager to continue our walk,” she remarked, glancing down at her faithful companion.

Ruff wagged his tail and gave an innocent shrug.
David’s brown eyes danced with amusement. “I think he just knows how you get, Angie. Once Leigh starts with her ghost stories, we might never make it to the other side of the carnival.”

Angela rolled her eyes as they ventured into the heart of the carnival where an array of games, from darts to the strength test to a dunk tank, lined the midway.

Megan bounced alongside Angela and David. “Liza! Over here!” She waved at the acrobat, who returned the greeting with a wide smile.

“Hey, Megan,” Liza said, giving her a quick hug. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Yeah, it’s been too long,” Megan replied, her voice filled with enthusiasm. “I heard you’re working at the haunted house this year. That’s so cool!”

Liza nodded, her eyes darting nervously between Angela and Megan. “Actually, I’m not. My sister called me back to the main show as an understudy got injured. But I’m excited to see how it turns out.”

“Speaking of performances,” Angela said, “I heard Kyle’s act as a statue performer is one of the best this year. Have you seen it yet, Liza?”

Liza’s eyes flickered. “Uh, no, I haven’t had the chance yet. But I’ve heard good things.”

Megan’s eyes widened. “Really? I can’t wait to see it. Kyle’s such a brilliant performer.”

Angela winced. She knew that Liza and Kyle had a complicated history, and she couldn’t help but wonder how their past would affect their present.

As they continued to chat, Angela noticed Liza was becoming increasingly cagey. Every time Megan mentioned Kyle, the acrobat’s eyes darted around as if she was looking for an escape.

Eventually, Megan saw the line at the Ferris wheel had shortened and scampered off while Angela stayed behind, eager to change the subject. “How are you feeling about the performance tonight?”

“Nervous, to be honest,” Liza admitted, allowing her eyes to drift to the ground. “We’ve got a big performance planned for the main show tonight, and Mariam is driving us all mad with her perfectionism.” She rolled her eyes.

Angela and David followed Liza’s gaze to where a small group of performers had gathered around in front of the haunted house. Sure enough, Mariam, Liza’s sister, was in the center of the group, gesticulating wildly as she outlined her vision for the act. Liza had often mentioned her sister’s demanding nature. “I’m sure it will be amazing,” Angela said. They crept closer to watch the ongoing rehearsal.

“It had better be,” a juggler interjected. “The entire reputation of the acrobatics team rides on this performance.”

“We’ve heard this before,” one of the other acrobats agreed, only for Mariam to bristle and cut them off. “This time is different. I won’t rest until it’s flawless.” She caught sight of Liza, and her expression softened. “Including your solo. I’ve added a new sequence that I think will really wow the crowd.”

Liza forced a tight-lipped smile. “Sounds great, sis. I’ll get practicing.”

David raised an eyebrow at Angela as the performers moved closer to the rigging. “Has she always been like that?” he asked when they were out of earshot.

Angela glanced back at the group. “Who, Miriam?”
David nodded.

“Oh yeah,” Angela said with a grin. She craned her neck to see Liza straddling a pair of colorful silks. “Liza may be nervous, but she sure knows how to command the stage.” Angela motioned toward the act, and they stopped to watch. Her mouth dropped open as Liza performed a complex series of elegant spins and tumbles nearly six feet off the ground.

When it was over, David whistled as the small crowd that had gathered around them broke into applause. “I have a feeling this new act will be the talk of the night.”
Angela nodded, returning Liza’s wave. It was one thing she loved most about the carnival—the way, for a few brief weeks, the performers became regulars in Hummings Hollow.

The scent of kettle corn and cotton candy hung in the air. Angela and David passed a group of children riding the carousel.

“Looks like fun, doesn’t it, Ruff?” she mused, scratching behind the border collie’s ears as they made their way through the crowd. Ruff rolled his eyes but wagged his tail. Maybe for a pup.

“It’s always amazing how they make this place feel so alive,” David said as he glanced behind them at the parade of circus performers.

Just as they were about to turn down a narrow pathway that led toward the circus tent lined with twinkling string lights, two raised voices caught Angela’s attention.

“Did you hear that?” she murmured. Near the entrance of the haunted house attraction, two figures—performers clad in tattered, ghoulish costumes—were engaged in a heated argument.

Angela and David exchanged looks as Ruff steered them closer to the looming facade of the haunted house. What was that about?