‘I don’t know if you’ve been following the news, but three specialised miniature motorbikes were stolen from a Dunedin property earlier in the week, and we have had a witness come forward claiming to have seen one of them over the back of the circus.’ I indicated towards the rear of their set-up. I’d already been down there for a nosey and had found no trace of the bikes. I would have been tempted to leave it at that if I’d thought I could get away with it, but was obliged to followup verbally with the mercurial Mr B. I braced myself.

‘And did this person happen to mention what the hell business they had skulking around the back of my circus?’ The reaction and its volume were as anticipated.

‘They said they were passing through.’

‘They were trespassing or casing us out, and don’t think I don’t know exactly where this line of conversation is going. You people are all the same. Where the hell do you all get off treating us like we’re criminals? The circus comes to the town, so they must all be ratbags or thieves, every one of them.’ Okay, more than anticipated. I had to work hard not to openly stare at the array of death symbolism and straight-out expletives tattooed all over his arms as he mentioned the word ‘criminal’. Hard to figure out where that kind of impression might come from.

‘You come with me.’ He grabbed me by the arm and I wondered if I should be alarmed at being dragged off towards the middle of the compound. He stopped abruptly before I could make a decision on whether to panic or not.

‘See that container there.’ He pointed at a large white shipping container on the back of an equally sizable black truck and trailer. ‘There is over half a million dollars’ worth of equipment kept in there. He pulled me around the corner to the big top. ‘Do you have any idea how much that thing is worth?’ He stabbed at the air with his forefinger.

I shook my head, quite certain he was about to educate me.

‘Four hundred thousand dollars, four-hundred K. The lighting and sound systems alone are worth over two hundred grand. What about the animals?’ He pointed over to what I considered the cramped and unappealing cages of three lions and several morose-looking monkeys. ‘I paid out a small fortune for those, they’re worth a bomb. The elephant alone is worth … well, she’s irreplaceable.’ He turned me around so I was facing him. ‘So why the fuck do you think anyone at this circus would bother to steal some piddling crappy little motorbikes? Tell me that will you? Why do you think we would need to do that?’