This is one of those stories. Our family was on a national parks tour when we saw billboards advertising the Circus, Circus Hotel and Casino Resort for rooms at bargain prices and free circus acts in Las Vegas NV. “Life’s a Circus. Let’s Play.”, they said. What a wonderful playground for both adults and children, my husband and I thought. Ads that assured a safe and secure environment for all ages encouraged us to check it out. The children could visit the circus while we adults took in the adult entertainment.

Arriving at Circus, Circus was just like entering the Big Tent at Barnum and Bailey. Circus animals in their appropriate wagon cages lined the entryways, waiting for the Grand Opening Parade. Sideshow entertainers’ the tattooed lady, Siamese twins, the fire eater, and more’ lined another hallway. The Splash Zone waterpark with three slides from a 50′ water tower, a splash pad, and waterfalls also included a huge pool for adults. Of course, there was The Casino. Circus Acts included The Flying Poemas, a trapeze act; Hossein, the strong man; Naira, the aerial dancer on a rope of silk, Clowns, and Jugglers. There was so much to take in’ all in one location.

We decided on the promotional 40% discount 3-night package, checked in, and went to our adjoining rooms. Lou and I had a king bed while Michelle and Jake each had a twin bed in the other of our circus themed rooms. The fancifully colored rooms appeared freshly cleaned, with a lemony fresh scent. What a lovely arrangement for such a great price, I thought.

After dinner and an exciting circus performance, we returned to our rooms for a peaceful night’s sleep. Lou and I awoke the next morning refreshed and ready for the day, as did Michelle. Jake, however, complained that he didn’t sleep so well; something kept scratching his back, he said. Lou checked for bed bugs but found none. ‘It must have been your imagination,’ Lou told Jake. And off we went for our first full day of fun.

We returned to our rooms for our second night, tired and ready for bed after more shows and water park activities. The next morning Michelle and Jake both commented that there was an odor in their room that none of us could identify. I said I’d leave a note for housekeeping. Walking along the Vegas Strip, watching the Bellagio fountains, the pirate show at Treasure Island, and checking out the gondolas at the Venetian took up a large part of our day.

Again, we returned to rooms for a restful night’s sleep before checking out the next morning. After Lou and I had been asleep for a while, a dejected Jake padded into our room. Not only did the room still smell, he said, but something was really scratching his back. Reluctantly, Lou got up to check on Jake’s complaints. Almost simultaneously, there was a knock on our door. I answered the door and was shocked to see two police officers.

They asked to come in so they could explain the situation to us. I obliged, and when Lou reentered from the kids room, he appeared somewhat disconcerted. Detective Phillips explained that they had been investigating a murder committed by a man who had just confessed and named the location of the body. They wanted to check our rooms to verify the man’s confession. The murderer said he had put the body in a large heavy-duty plastic bag and then hidden it in a twin mattress in one of these rooms.

Now Jake’s complaints were becoming ghastly clear the odor turned out to be a decaying body, and the scratchiness on Jake’s back was, in fact, the decaying body’s teeth as they began to protrude through the plastic. The revelation of all this was too much! We immediately packed and were on our way out when the manager stopped us to profusely apologize for our ‘inconvenience’ and offer us a generous $5000 check. In order to claim the check, there was a non-disclosure clause’ whatever happens in Vegas especially at Circus, Circus stays in Vegas.