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Back The Ringmaster Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. The Ringmaster
  3. Contents
  4. Prologue
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. Epilogue
  72. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  73. Copyright

‘So, constable, what can I do for you?’ For the sake of my career, I let that one slide too.

I passed him the poster and enjoyed the puzzled look on his face.

‘I went to the Darling Brothers Circus earlier this morning to follow up on the stolen motorbike report and while I was there noticed this.’

He unrolled it and stated the obvious. ‘It’s a poster.’ With those few words the edge had crept into his voice, along with a sizeable dollop of sarcasm.

‘Yes, but what caught my attention was the itinerary of the circus. Have a look at the towns they’ve been to so far.’ He put the poster down on his desk and anchored it with a stapler at the top and his hand at the bottom. I moved around and tapped on the word Christchurch. ‘I came back here and checked it out on the network and was stunned to find the dates match perfectly.’

He interrupted before I could explain further.

‘Match what? Look, I’m a very busy man and I don’t like having my time wasted. Is there a point to this?’

‘Yes,’ I said with deliberate calm, ‘a very important point.’ I indicated to each town and date on the itinerary as I went. Christchurch, first of March, young woman murdered, unsolved. Ashburton, sixteenth of March, man killed in what was thought to be a hunting accident, never resolved. Timaru, twenty-fourth of March, unexplained death, town bum, never resolved. Oamaru, sixth of April, young man murdered, unsolved. Dunedin, two days ago, young woman murdered. It all corresponds. The circus was in town at the time of every death. It can’t be coincidence.’

I was certain I saw the twitch and tussle in his face as he realised I was on to something and there was no way, try as he might, he could refute it. ‘Good God,’ he said. ‘If you’re right,’ which of course I was, ‘someone in that circus has been having a killing spree down the island. Okay, we’re going to have to call people in and formulate a plan of attack here. I’m going to need to talk to the area commander and these other towns, check out any patterns. He grabbed up the poster, strode out the door and left me standing there. No thank you, no well done, no nothing.

Bugger that.

I took off after him.

14

My lungs and legs were screaming at me to ease off, but I was damned if I was going to relent. The lush bush, earthy scents and birdsong of the green belt and Queens Drive had not quelled my mood in the slightest, so I’d continued to run down towards town, then headed back up the hill by assailing Stuart Street as hard out as I could go.