Pignon Scorbion & the Barbershop Detectives by Rick Bleiweiss

Author:Rick Bleiweiss
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Published: 2022-03-24T21:06:49+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Six

Thelma, Scorbion, and Billy had a marvelous time sitting together in the stands at the circus, especially enjoying the lion tamer, the trapezists, the tightrope walker, the horseback riders, and Freddy’s antics on the stilts.

During the performance, Thelma leaned over to Scorbion and said, “There must have been an incident in my childhood that caused me to be afraid of clowns. I don’t find them comical at all, but rather frightening.”

Scorbion gently put his hand over hers. “Fear not, dear damsel. I will protect you from them should any happen to come closer than they presently are in the middle of the ring.”

Overhearing the exchange, Billy said, “My brother’s foot was stepped on by a clown the one time my parents took us to a circus when we were both small. He screamed and screamed, and my mum had to take him outside so he didn’t ruin the show for everyone else. Ever since, he’s been terrified of clowns as well.”

Scorbion turned to Billy. “I was not aware that you had any siblings.”

“He’s the only one,” Billy responded. “He’s two years younger than I am. He works as a stable boy and is still living at home with Mum and Dad in Sheffield, where we were raised.”

Thelma leaned across Scorbion to Billy. “I hope that we’ll have the opportunity to meet him.”

“I am planning to have him visit once I’m a bit more established here. Mum and Dad as well. You’ll both meet the three of them when they’re here.”

Billy remained with Thelma and Scorbion through the last act and Hopkins’s thanking everyone for attending, after which Scorbion walked Thelma home. As they were strolling to Blackberry Lane, they made arrangements to dine together twice over the course of the following five evenings.

During those meals they spent the majority of their time sharing more about their lives and likes and dislikes, truly relishing one another’s company. At the end of the first supper, Scorbion asked Thelma if she wished to accompany him to the Morgans’ dinner party, but Thelma regretfully declined, advising him that she had a prior commitment to attend a suffragette meeting, that she said she, unfortunately, could not ignore.

At the conclusion of their second dinner, after Scorbion had escorted Thelma to her home and then returned to his own abode, he was surprised to find that evening’s edition of the Gazette on his doormat. When he bent down to pick it up, he was piqued by the headline: “Haxford’s New Chief Inspector Mishandles His First Case.”

Hurrying inside, he sat down on his couch and read the full story, written by Faustin Hardcastle, the paper’s owner and editor, which fully supported Bentine’s story and accused Scorbion of incompetence, favoritism, and engaging in pure guesswork.

Scorbion resolved to meet with Hardcastle, to learn why he was besmirching him and what he hoped to gain by promulgating untrue allegations and supporting Bentine’s myth.

The following morning he strode into the Gazette’s building to meet with Hardcastle, who ushered him into his office.

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