It was only nine o’clock in the morning and already the gloss had been knocked off my day. DI I’m-God-with-a-grudge Johns had taken his usual dose of perverted delight in sending me off on another dregs job, and this one surpassed all others with respect to the ugh factor.

Just for a change, I was at the circus. By now, any joy my brain had previously associated with The Greatest Show on Earth had been displaced by dread. Somehow, I didn’t think this visit was going to go down too well with the surly Terry Bennett. Madame Time Warp behind the ticket-office security grille window didn’t look that pleased to see me here again, and I was certain what I was about to ask Bennett would put him in a right shitty liver. I seemed to have become the unofficial circus liaison, yippee, and DI Johns appeared to derive a great deal of pleasure from sending me back here again. I only wished he’d sent Smithy or some other company with me. Terry Bennett was one of the few people in this world who had the knack of making me all too aware of my vertical shortcomings.

I passed some of the time fidgeting, while looking at the cheerful circus posters that adorned the ticket-office walls. They did get around. Before Dunedin, Darling Bros Circus had been to six other towns or cities in the South Island, with more to perform in yet. I bet they were all glad to get home at the end of a tour, wherever home was. There were a fair few foreigners among the travelling company, judging by the array of accents and Babelish languages. There was no question of where Mr Bennett originated from though, as his harsh, eardrumgrating accent was all Kiwi.

‘To what do we owe the pleasure of a visit this time?’ I hadn’t heard his approach and the magnitude of his voice made me jump. He certainly knew how to project.

‘Mr Bennett, yes, here again. You’ll be giving me a job here soon.’ I laughed, a thin, nervy giggle.

He gave me a kind of up-and-down look. ‘Well, you’re small,’ he said. ‘The acrobats need someone to throw.’

I didn’t know whether to say thanks, or not. There was no point in procrastinating my task, so I swallowed hard and pitched straight in. ‘I need to ask you a few questions about some motorbikes.’

‘Motorbikes? What motorbikes?’