Chapter 10 9

The scents greeted their march: lilacs, pretzels on hawker carts, roast chicken, ribs, and the smell of suntan lotion on people. Sachs and Kara walked the wet grass in Central Park toward a huge white tent at Circus of Fantastica. A couple kissing on a bench made Kara a question.She asked Sachs: So, he's not just your boss? Are you talking about Lincoln?That's right. I can see how you guys met? Because of a criminal case, a serial kidnapping and murder case a few years ago. It must be very uncomfortable for him to become like that, right? Not really.Sachs replied curtly, but telling the whole truth.

Is there no way to improve it?Doctors are helpless? He considered surgery, but it was dangerous and didn't seem to help him much.Last year he decided to give up this kind of operation, and he is still living happily so far, so the operation may still be put on hold for a while.Maybe he'll change his mind later, but let's talk about it then. Judging from your tone, you seem to be reluctant to let him undergo surgery. I really don't want to.The risk is too great and the payoff is too small.To me, it's a question of whether it's worth it.For example, let's say you're going to arrest a big bad guy, a gangster who's wanted by various agencies, and all you know now is that he's hiding out in an apartment building.Then, without knowing his current situation at all, or whether he is sleeping or pointing an MP5 submachine gun at the door, you will just kick the door and go in?Or should we wait for the supporters to come and find a chance to arrest him?Sometimes the danger is worth the risk, but sometimes it's just the opposite.I'm not sure what kind of situation his surgery is in, but if he wants to do it, I absolutely support him.It's the way we get along.

Sachs went on to say that Rhyme had undergone a battery of treatments, using electronic muscle stimulation and a full range of rehabilitation exercises.Some paralyzed patients have been treated with this technique, and their condition has been significantly improved. Moreover, since this technique does not invade the patient's body, it is not as dangerous as surgery.Maybe in a few years, he will improve a lot.As long as Rhyme makes up his mind to do something, there will be 110% results.At this point, Sachs paused; she seldom mentioned Rhyme's physical condition to strangers.However, today she felt that there seemed to be some kind of intimate connection between herself and Kara, so she said again: He doesn't want me to mention it, but sometimes he doesn't do anything, just concentrate on doing this kind of repetition. exercise.He would disappear so suddenly that I would not hear from him for a day or two.

Another form of Vanisher, right?the young girl asked. That's right.Sachs replied with a smile.They were silent for a while, and Sachs wondered if Carla wanted to know more, not sure if she wanted to hear stories about overcoming difficult obstacles, if she wanted to be inspired by some of the hard-working details of the life of the paralyzed.Perhaps, she wanted to know how others reacted when they appeared in public, or to learn something about intimacy from their interactions.But if she was just purely curious, then she would not want to say any more. However, what Sachs felt was a feeling of envy.Carla said: I haven't had as much luck with men as you have lately.

Haven't met someone you like? Not really, Carla said plaintively: our last touches were French toast and mimosas.That was where I lived and we had breakfast in bed together and enjoyed a romantic lifestyle.He said he would call me again the next day. Turns out he didn't. did not do.Hey, I have to add that the breakfast in bed mentioned just now was three weeks ago. Did you call him? I don't want it, she said forcefully: This is what he should do. Really excellent.Pride and strength are things born from the same root, and Sachs knows it well. Carla smiled.There used to be a man named William.Eversworth.Robinson's magician who performed a very popular trick called How to Get Rid of a Wife or Divorce Machine.She laughed again and again.This is my story, I can make my boyfriend disappear faster than anyone.

Hey, men always have the ability to make themselves disappear quickly, you know that. Most of the men I met in magazines or magic shops were only interested in two things.Either it's a one-night stand, or it's the complete opposite Proposal in a hurry, planning to move to the suburbs with you Has anyone ever proposed to you? Of course, Sachs said: It was a horrible feeling.However, it still depends on who the suitor is. You are right, Miss.But whether it's a one-night stand, a proposal, or a move to the suburbs, it bothers me.I don't want any of them.If you want to have a sexual relationship, then keep it longer, or talk about your relationship, let's be more realistic.

What if it is a peer? Ah, you also noticed that I left them out of the sex/relationship equation.People in this line of work are no good, I can't help it, there will definitely be conflicts due to interests.Although they always say that they like strong women, in fact, most of them will not associate with the women in their peers.Although the situation is much better now than before, the ratio of men to women in the magic world is still only about 100 to 1.By the way, you must have heard of some famous female illusionists, such as the Japanese magic queen Tiangong Empress, who is a very outstanding leader in this field.Of course, besides her, there are also some pretty good female magicians, but they all came into being in recent years.If it was twenty or thirty years ago, you would never have seen women become stars on the magic stage. Women could only be assistants at that time.Kara glanced at Sachs.It's very similar to your police world, right?

Things are much better now than before, and that era is over.The really tough ones were the '60s and '70s, when women were just starting to emerge.However, I do have a little experience to share.Before I transferred to the crime scene forensic team, I was a mobile police officer What have you been? Mobile means police officers who patrol the streets.And if you're serving in Hell's Kitchen in Midtown, they're sure to find an experienced male cop to partner with you.Occasionally, I would meet a very stubborn male cop who hated being with a female cop and didn't like the arrangement.He didn't say a word to me the whole time he was on duty.We walked down the street for eight hours and this guy didn't say a word to me.At lunch, I just sat there silently watching the diner customers, while he sat two feet away from me, looking at the sports column of the newspaper and sighing because he had to Waste of time with women.Memories of the past began to appear in her mind one by one.When I served at Seven Five House

What? Sachs explained: Refers to the branch office, we all use the home to call it.Most cops don't say 75th Precinct, just 75 or 75 for short, like we say Macy's is on 34th Street. understood. Anyway, the Captain was on leave at that time, and was replaced by a rigid-minded police officer.That was my first time at Seven Five, and I was the only woman on the team.That day, when I walked into the conference room of the bureau to attend the roll call, I saw more than a dozen pieces of reliable sanitary napkins pasted on the podium. No way! I don't lie to you.Had the captain been around, no one would have let anyone do that.But the police are sometimes like children, and when adults are away, they take the opportunity to mess up.

It's not the same as what you see in the movie. The movie was made in Hollywood, not in Seven Five House. what do you do thenWhat to do with those tampons? I went up to the front row and asked a policeman sitting at the podium if I could take his seat because I had to sit there anyway.They all laughed so wildly that I was a little surprised none of them peed their pants laughing.Anyway, I sat down and started to concentrate on taking notes from the acting captain, jotting down things like arrest warrants that needed special attention, community relations, and drug deals on street corners.After about two minutes, the acting captain stopped laughing, and everyone else stopped laughing too.The whole thing got a little embarrassing, but it wasn't me, it was them.

Do you know who did it? certainly. Did you report him? No.You know what, that's the hardest part about being a policewoman.You have to cooperate with these people, you need them to back up and cover for you.You can protest everything, but if you do, you have more to lose.The hardest part is not the courage to face the fight, but knowing when and how to fight. Pride and strength. Much like us, I guess, as well as our line of business.But if you are strong, if you can bring the audience into the theater, the manager will hire you.This is a difficult hurdle to cross.If they don't hire you, you can't prove that you can attract audiences, and if you can't prove that you can bring in ticket sales, they can't hire you. They had approached the huge tent, brightly lit.Sachs noticed the gleam in the young girl's eyes as she looked at the tent in front of her. Do you really want to work here? Work?Oh no, I'll say: this is the paradise of my dreams.Whether it's Circus of Fantasy, NBC and HBO specials, it's my dream place.She fell silent, looked around, and then said: "Mr. Balzac wants me to learn all kinds of tricks, which is very important, because you must know what was good about those people in the past."But she turned her head and pointed at the tent.What this represents is the direction of future magic.like davidCopperfield, David.Bryan likes performance art, street magic and erotic magic. You should be here to apply. I?What a joke, Carla said: "I'm not ready at all.If you want to perform on stage, you must be perfect, and you must be the best. You mean, stronger than a man? No, better than everyone, man or woman. Why? For the sake of the audience, Carla explained, Mr. Balzac repeated like a broken record: this is what you owe the audience.Everything you do on stage is for the audience.Illusion can't just be passable, it can't just be unsatisfactory, but it must be appreciated by everyone.If there is one person in the audience who sees through your actions, then you will fail; if you hesitate a little and the effect does not go smoothly for a while, then you will also fail; your failure. However, one cannot be 100% perfect forever, right? It must be so.Carla said simply, but was surprised that she would think otherwise. They have reached the door of the tent of the Fantasy Circus, where the performance that will open tonight is being rehearsed.Dozens of entertainers moved around the tent, some in costumes, others in shorts, T-shirts or jeans. Ahh, Kara let out a cry of excitement.The expression on her face was that of a little schoolgirl, wide-eyed watching everything in the bright white tent. There was a sudden snap above and behind Sachs, startling her.She looked back and saw two large flags rising more than ten meters above the ground, fluttering in the wind under the sunshine.One of the cloth flags has the words "Fantasy Circus" printed on it. On another flag was a large image of a skinny man in a black and white tartan bodysuit.He stretched his hands forward, palms up, as if beckoning the audience to come in and watch the show.The man on the flag wears a half-cover nose mask, and his facial features and expressions are very strange.This image made Sachs immediately think of the sorcerer, thinking that he is also hidden under the disguise of a mask. His motives and plans are equally shrouded in mystery. Carla caught Sachs' gaze.That was Alequino, she said: in English his name was Harrogan.Do you know improv comedy? have no idea.Sachs said. It was an Italian drama, which probably started in the sixteenth century and lasted for hundreds of years.The fantasy circus uses it as the theme of the show.She pointed to the small flags next to the tent, which also had weird masks on them.There are proboscises, bird beaks, some with raised eyebrows, some with high and curved cheekbones, all of which are imaginary images, and their shapes are quite strange.Kara continued: The improv comedy troupe has about a dozen stereotypes, and actors wear masks on stage to distinguish which character they're playing. comedy?Sachs asked.She raised her eyebrows and glanced at a demonic mask. I think it can be said that it is a black comedy.After all, Harrogan was not a hero, nor was he a noble person.The only things he cares about are food and women, and he is always elusive, sneaking up behind you.There is also a character called Puccinella, who is a sadist, always playing all kinds of dirty tricks on people, even on his lover.There is also a doctor who specializes in poisoning people.The only voice of truth is a female character, her name is Ke Lunping.Kara also said: The role of Ke Lunping is really played by a woman, which is one of the reasons why I like improv comedy.Unlike in England, they don't allow women to perform on stage at all. The flag clattered again.Harrogan's eyes squinted at her behind her back, as if a sorcerer had stalked by.The conversation from earlier in the music school reappeared in Sachs' mind like an echo. That's right, we have no clue at all of who this guy is or where he's hiding She turned and saw a guard walking towards them.The man stared at her uniform and said: Officer, is there anything wrong?Sachs asked to see the circus manager, but the man said he was away and asked if they wanted to speak to an assistant. Sachs said yes, so after a while, a short, thin, dark-skinned woman who looked like a gypsy hurried over. Is there a problem?she asked, speaking with an accent of unknown origin. After identifying himself, Sachs asked: We are investigating serial crimes in this area.What we'd like to know is if you have any illusionist or speed changer shows in your group. There was a look of concern on the woman's face.We have, of course.She said: It was the Corodoyas, Vlad and Irina. How to spell it? Kara watched Sachs copy the two names in the notebook and nodded.Yes, I know them.A few years ago they were part of the Moscow Circus. indeed so.The circus assistant corroborates Carla's account. Are they all here this morning? Yes.They had been rehearsing until 20 minutes ago before leaving, and they probably went shopping by now. Are you sure they haven't left at any time other than now? Sure.My job is to monitor them and determine where everyone is. Is there anyone else?Perhaps, Sachs asked, there were people who had also been trained in illusion or drag, even if they weren't up to the stage to do it. No, there are only these two people in our group. Well, Sachs said: Two police officers will be here to guard the door, and they'll be here in about fifteen minutes.If you encounter any abnormal behavior, if you encounter someone who is disturbing your group members or the audience, please tell the two police officers immediately.Such an approach was suggested by Rhyme. I will tell everyone.But, can I ask, what happened? A man with experience in illusion performances was involved in a murder today.We don't see any connection between this murder and your show at the moment, but it's better to do so for safety's sake. The two of them thanked the circus assistant and turned to leave.Although the assistant said goodbye, there was anxiety in his eyes, maybe he regretted that he should not have asked them why they came to visit. As soon as he stepped out of the tent, Sachs asked: What background do those two people have? Those two Ukrainians? yes.Can they be trusted? They are a husband and wife team, and they took a few children to run around the world with them.They are the two fastest cross-dressers in the world right now, and I really can't imagine any reason for them to be involved in a murder. Sachs dialed Rhyme's number, but it was Thomas who answered.She told him the names of the two Ukrainian entertainers she had just found out.Ask Mel or whoever to go to NCIC and State Department to check their background. no problem. She hung up the phone and walked out of the park with Carla, toward a cloud of blue-gray clouds to the west.Compared with the other bright areas of the sky, the dark clouds looked like streaks of bruises. There was another sound behind her, again from the flags fluttering in the wind.Harrogan, who likes to tease people, is still waving to the people passing by, as if she wants to invite them to enter another country besides this world. □□□ Have you lifted your spirits?Honorable audience? Have you all relaxed? Great, our second show is about to start. You may not have heard of P. T．Selby's name, but if you've ever seen a magic show or seen an illusionist perform on television, you're probably familiar with some of the tricks performed by the Englishman who was a smash hit in the early 1900s. Selby did not take a stage name at the beginning of her acting career, but used her real name: Patsy.Thomas.Tabes.But he soon discovered that such a gentle name was not worthy of the show he was performing. After all, his specialty was not playing cards, making pigeons disappear or floating a child.His specialty is the sadistic tactics that make all the audience in the world horrified and inexplicable, but because of this, he walks into the theater. Selbit is right, this stage name is his surname spelled backwards Let the audience think that he stuck eighty-four sharp nails in a girl.Another of his inventions is the four-dimensional space, which made all the audience watch in horror as a huge box fell on the young girl, thinking that the girl would be crushed to death.My personal favorite is the Selby trick, which he started performing in 1922, and the name of the trick says it all.Dear viewers, here it is: the cult of blood, or the destruction of a girl. Today, what I want to present to you is the most famous illusion in Searle's life.He has performed this illusion in dozens of countries, and was even invited to London to perform for the Royal Court at the Grand Theater. this illusion is called ah, no No, I can't reveal it first.Dear audience, I can't mention the name of this illusion, so that you can maintain some suspense and wait for that moment with bated breath.However, let me give you a little reminder: Before Selby performed this show, he would instruct his assistants to pour some fake blood into the gutter outside the theater to trick the audience into watching the show.Of course, his strategy was a great success.So, please enjoy our next program. Hope you all have a good time. But I also know that there is one person who definitely doesn't think so. □□□