I parked along the side of the road and walked half a mile to the carnival. I’d dropped off Bodhi and Noah at the carnival at noon and then gone on to finish some business in Georgetown. Gideon had worked on the new truck all afternoon. He’d made plans to drive out to the carnival with a friend. With the way he’d been staring at the dancer, Rose, I was sure he’d gone straight to the burlesque show. Although, even if he hadn’t met her, he more than likely would have headed straight there. It was only two hours from closing, but people were still lined up at the ticket wagon. An elderly man was perched on a stool at the entrance. I handed him my free pass. “If you want a seat for the Death Sphere show, you’d better hurry. The benches are filling up fast,” he said. “Thanks for the tip.” Twinkling lights had been strung from tent to tent casting a wavering yellow glow over the half-deserted midway. Some of the food carts were dark with sold out signs pasted across their posters.
