Nataliya Bogoluibova Beak & Paw Detectives
Chapter 1 Accident in the circus
Detective Krish the peacock hadn't slept much and felt completely exhausted. The Detective Agency “Beak and Paw” was located in Jaipur, a very noisy and chaotic Indian city, where the claxons of tuk-tuks can be deafening.
“I don't like mornings, especially if they start with trouble sprinkled with circus glitter,” grumbled the peacock.
“What happened to you? Mornings are bliss! Quiet and cool, and the streets are empty. It's much easier to solve crimes. No fuss, no gawkers. I love India in the morning!” said Raja the chipmunk.
“The monkeys woke me up! They were fighting over a mango that had fallen from a tree. I had to separate the brawlers!” groaned Krish. “There's an emergency at the circus! Donut the elephant has been kidnapped!”
“We finally have a new case! It's as big as an elephant!” cried the chipmunk.
“Why is Barry the parrot late? There's no time to lose! I have a bad feeling about this,” said the peacock.
“Barry must have overslept again. Come on, we can handle this ourselves!”
“No, let’s wait for him. We need an interpreter to question the witnesses. Barry knows Hindi, the language of the locals.”
The door swung open. A disheveled parrot flew into the room.
“Hi! A thousand pardons! I went to buy some peanuts and had to wait in line for half an hour!” said Barry.
“Peanuts? I'll fire you someday!” Krish was outraged.
“Well, I didn't waste time. I talked to the meerkat acrobats in the shop and learnt something important about our case! And what did you find out?” Barry asked. “Have you questioned the clown?”
“Why should we?” asked Krish.
The parrot shook his head in confusion and disbelief.
“Have you missed the news? The whole street has been buzzing like a disturbed beehive since this morning. Friends, you are a few steps behind me in the investigation!” exclaimed the parrot.
“What?” Raja cried out. “Tell us!”
“There was a terrible quarrel between Sparky the clown and the lion cubs. The next morning, the clown's shoes were found chewed and torn. The lion cubs had disappeared from the circus. No one has seen them since. Is there any connection between these two events?”
“Of course! We have to find it out! Let's have a talk with Amita; she's the one who tells us the circus gossip,” Krish suggested.
“Shall we go to her house?” Barry asked.
“Amita must have arrived at the circus by now! Her performance is vital for the morning show. The audience loves the way the girl juggles balls and walks the tightrope!”
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO AMITA? IT'S TIME FOR BARRY THE PARROT TO FIND OUT!