The Great Circus Train Robbery by Nancy Means Wright Read Free Book Online Page B

shall we say? And the wardrobe woman is always busy with the aerial girls.” She shrugged. “It’s all those chocolate-coated almonds I’ve been eating—though good for my health, you know—those antioxidants? What would you expect as payment, hon?”
    “I’d never ask to be paid!” Zoe cried. “I just want to volunteer. Do you really need help? I’m a good zipper. I zip my mom up in the back whenever she wears her black silk dress to a party.”
    “Is that so? And I’ve even trouble with side zippers. So if you don’t mind volunteering, I’d love to have your help. To tell the truth, I was getting worried about making changes since I gained the last thirty pounds. I mean, I’ve started on a diet, but it takes, well, time, hon, you know.”
    She glanced at her aunt for confirmation. Ms. Delores rolled her eyes and reached for a chocolate-coated almond out of a blue porcelain dish. She offered the plate to Spence and of course he took two.
    “Now thich young man,” said Ms. Delores with her mouth full and crunching, “ish a train buff. He’s researching a paper for a contest on the history of steam trains.”
    “Is that so?” Tulip said. “My goodness. What fun!   Why, then you’ve got to meet Hackberry, one of our clowns. Hackberry’s a train lover, too. He’s worked here ever so long—he uses trains in his act. Now  how about a Piña Colada? I make a special one—without alcohol, of course, for you sweet things.” Tulip looked like an indulgent grandmother, although she couldn’t be more than thirty—well maybe forty, Zoe allowed. “The usual?” Tulip asked her aunt, with a wink.
    “Oh, I think not, dear, no I’ll be driving these children home,” said Ms. Delores.
    They each had a non-alcohol Piña Colada with lots of pineapple juice and several more chocolate-coated almonds, and then Ms. Delores said it was time to go. She was sure the Elwoods and Rileys would expect the young people home.
    “Well,  I’m good for another five hours,” Tulip cried. “Night’s my creative time, oh yes!  That’s why if I mess up at all, it’s in the afternoon shows when my blood sugar’s low. Nights, I don’t need that painted smile.  My whole body grins and dances!”  She did a quick soft shoe shuffle; her eyes lit up into green pea pods.
    “Well, you’re an artist, dear,” said Ms. Delores. “Ordinary folks like me have to get to bed. Now can you tell this young lady when to meet you next? Where to go, all that? She’ll need some kind of pass, won’t she?”
    “Can’t tell you exactly, can I? But I’ll call you. We’ve two shows each day, Saturday and Sunday. At three and again at six. And you, young man, I suppose you’d like to help, too?”
    “Yes, ma’am,” said Spencer, to Zoe’s surprise. “But I don’t zip or juggle.”
    Tulip tossed her head, laughing. Her front teeth looked like a double row of piano keys.
    “And I’d like to meet that clown who has the trains,” Spence said.
    “Of course! Maybe he could use some help. It’s a chaos backstage, you can’t imagine.” She laughed her belly laugh again and ushered the three visitors out the door and down the narrow trailer steps. She slipped a pile of almonds into Spence’s pocket and gave him a fat wink.
    “How do you rate?” Zoe asked, and he winked back. She held her hand out after they’d climbed into the back seat of Ms. Delores’ blue Honda. “Share,” she said. “Remember who got you here.”
    “Too late,” he said, and grinned at her through chocolate teeth.
    Ms. Delores dropped them off in front of Zoe’s house. “I’ll be in touch,” she said. “But how will your parents feel about your helping out?”
    “Oh they won’t mind.” Though Zoe wasn’t sure about Spence’s mother. Mrs. Riley had graduated from some fancy music school—music was her whole world. She would never tolerate the honky-tonk circus tunes. Already, circus people struck Zoe as being, well, different. They broke