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out just how much he
does
know—even if we have to squeeze the truth out of his bones.’
    The balding man raised his hand. ‘What about me, boss? I’m a clown, for crying out loud. What am I supposed to do, walk in there chucking buckets of water about?’
    Quaint smiled. ‘That’s a nice idea, Jeremiah, but no. Yours is a most important role…you’re the distraction. This landlord will no doubt have a glut of scum in residence that would takeumbrage with him being roughed up. It’s your job to keep them occupied so that Ruby and I can play our parts.’
    ‘I find this unsettling, sir,’ said Yin, flicking his thick dark fringe away from his eyes. ‘It is inconceivable that this could happen to someone like Twinkle.’
    His brother Yang toyed with his neckerchief. ‘I agree with Yin, Mr Quaint. I cannot think what kind of person would wish to harm her.’
    ‘I share your sentiments, my friends, and your bewilderment. Twinkle was as close to an angel as I have ever known, and I am not going to stop until I find out who is responsible. What I
can
say with absolute certainty is that whoever this killer is, he’s as dangerous a man as I can imagine.’
    The veiled woman at the back of the office gently coughed into her hand.
    ‘Madame Destine?’ Quaint asked. ‘You have something you wish to add?’
    ‘Yes, Cornelius,’ she said, in a thick French accent. ‘But what I have to say must be for your ears alone.’

CHAPTER VIII
The Foreshadow of the Past
    A LL RIGHT, MADAME , you have my attention,’ said Quaint, once he and the veiled woman were alone. ‘What’s on your mind?’
    The circus fortune-teller known as ‘The Mystical Madame Destine’ lifted her veil and stared at Quaint. Mid-way through her seventies, she was still in immaculate shape, and the curves of her face belied her age by a good twenty years. Her high cheekbones accentuated her catlike eyes as if they were created by a master sculptor, and she batted her eyelids as she waited for Quaint to pull up a chair before she spoke. Like a thick chocolate mousse, the Frenchwoman marinated every word with smooth, rich tones and flavours and, as always, Quaint was enthralled.
    ‘Cornelius, have I not always tried to guide you away from perilous ventures in your life? Sometimes you choose to listen, most often not. But this time I beg you to take heed.’ Madame Destine breathed a heavy sigh, as if unburdening herself of a great secret. ‘There is more afoot here than simple murder. My gifts of clairvoyance are giving me conflicting thoughts at every turn. Emotion, contradiction, revenge, twisted pathways. The situation we find ourselves in is grave.’
    ‘Well, of course it is, Madame. One of our family has been murdered,and another is incarcerated at the police station,’ said Quaint, as he rose from his chair and squatted next to Destine’s own, taking her hand in his. ‘Destine, you have been my guardian since I was seven years old. You have been more akin to a mother to me than my own was. You are one of the most gifted fortunetellers in Europe, and my faith in you is unwavering. Both the circus, and myself, are glad to have you on board.’
    ‘Spare me, Cornelius,’ said Destine, with a hint of a smile. ‘When you compliment me this much it usually means you are about to tell me something that I do not wish to hear. I take it you are to continue with this folly anyway, despite my warning?’
    Quaint snatched up the woman’s hand, and kissed it gently. ‘This is too close to home for me to ignore,’ he said, his dark eyes searching for his guardian’s blessing.
    ‘No one is asking you to ignore it, Cornelius, but merely temper your response.’
    ‘Madame, you know me well enough by now. I am a creature of instinct, and I have seen far too many friends and loved ones suffer because I did not act sooner. That will not happen again, this crime
cannot
go unpunished.’
    ‘And how does involving this circus mean that it