She smiles warmly and giggles. “ You're a mess for a detective.” He looks her up and down, sizing her up, analyzing her. Her hair is kept up in a blonde wig, topped with a party hat with a pom-pom on the top of it. Her outfit is also off-putting to him: a basic clown jumpsuit, baggy and wild with colors and ruffles for the trimming. Her face paint was so bland looking, nothing special, white face with a painted on smile and shapes on the eyes and cheeks. 

“A mess, huh?” He said with a smirk. She nodded and smiled. “Well this ‘mess’ is the only one who will take this case, so be grateful kid.” He snapped. 

“I'm not a kid. I'm 23, silly.” She giggled. He looked at her with wide eyes and cleared his throat. “Oh, you … you look so young, or maybe I did have too many drinks.” He said while rubbing the bridge of his nose with his left hand while the other rests on his hip. She tilts her head in curiosity, “are you left-handed by any chance?” He looks at her with a raised eyebrow, but before he could ask why she would want to know that or even answer her question at that, his boss calls him over to the body. “Sorry, kid, gotta go - I mean ma'am.” He curses under his breath while walking away.

He has a look around the crime scene and sees that all the evidence is gone. “Damnit. Much like the circus itself, the evidence is also burnt to a crisp.” He says angrily. He walks to the circus members, “Alright everyone, we're gonna take you to a safe house away from the area. There I will collect your statements and other boring bullshit I get paid to do.” All the members go into the patrol cars and go to the safe house.

Hank drives three of the members, two of the clowns and the bearded woman. He looks at them then at the road. “So what's your names?” 

The girl he met earlier answers with joy, “I'm Muffin! Muffin the clown-” she gets smacked in the back of the head by the other clown. “Her name is Lucy, not Muffin. Heh Muffin, what a stupid name for a stupid clown.” He says targeting her pride, making her cave into silence and slouch into her seat. 

“And you are?” Hank asked. “My name is George but my stage name is Boo Boo the clown. Tsk stupid gig, and this hairy broad of a woman is my wife-” he gets interrupted, “I'm Amy, nice to meet-” George snaps at her. “I was talking, woman! Shut your mouth!” She looks out the window and stays silent. Lucy looks at Hank and smiles. “My name is Muffin.” She says not realizing that she was already introduced, but Hank just brushed it off and kept driving.

After a while, Lucy looks at him and smiles. He glances at her from time to time, “why is she staring at me? Oh no, don't tell me I still have vomit on my face.” He thinks to himself. He sighs and then says with a hint of annoyance, “what?” he asks.

Lucy sits up straight, “nothing, I'm just so excited and scared at the same time, I've never been anywhere else but the circus. Will there be people there? Are they nice? What if they hate clowns? What if-” 

The sound of a loud smack crashed across her face, Hank looked at her with wide eyes just to see her looking away from him. “Shut up Lucy, you talk too much!” George ordered. Without thinking, Hank slammed his foot down on the break, sending George's face flying into the back of the passenger seat. He quickly put his hand on Lucy's chest to prevent her from lunging forward as well. 

“Agh! What the hell, Detective!?” Screamed George. “You are not allowed to harm Lucy again, not as long as I'm here. I'll have you arrested for assault if you do that again. Do I make myself clear?” Hank snaps as he turns around to see George bleeding from the nose. George breaths raggedly and stays silent, which aggravates Hank. 

Swiftly grabbing George's collar and yanking him up close to his face. “Do I make myself clear?” He says in a dark threatening voice. George grunts and nods his head, “yes sir… crystal clear.” George says reluctantly. Hank shoves him back into the seat and continues to drive. Lucy glances at him and gulps not daring to talk anymore. Not for now at least.