Five

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Rake refilled his glass and held the flask out to Nicholas, but the magician declined, shaking his head and covering the glass with his hand. He'd never seen Nicholas drink much anyway. While Spinner chatted about getting a new and, presumably, important job, Rake watched Nicholas from his corner of the table.

Nicholas's relaxed stance said nothing about his thoughts as he nodded, pretending to understand Spinner's technical jargon. The magician's chameleon skills were so good, they even made Rake feel at ease in his presence. And Nicholas wasn't doing anything special to achieve that. It was a gift. Rake shook his head. That was why they needed him.

The door leading to Big Dino's bedchamber opened silently, and Cielo slipped out.

"Any change?" Spinner asked.

The girl closed the door, careful not to make any sound, and pushed a blonde lock behind her ear. "No," she whispered, her eyes downcast. "No change since yesterday. I replaced the drip because it was clotted. It should hold him until morning."

Spinner thanked her with a nod. Nicholas's dark eyes followed her while she limped around the table. People didn't usually notice the clumsy girl with sea-colored clothes and a timid, little smile. But Nicholas did, and he left his chair in time to gallantly hold the door open for her. Cielo's smile became less reserved, only to fade a moment later.

"And here is our headquarters," Jacko's voice came in from the darkness. He climbed up the steps of the car, taking them two at a time. The clown's patchy jacket brought a hint of color into the otherwise spartan room. "Come, come, Mr. Armstrong, before we all catch a cold." Jacko waved his hand at someone still waiting outside. "We circus people can't afford medical insurance." He glanced around the room. "Hey, Cielo ... Oh, Mr. Renard, you're here, too ..."

Nicholas ignored the comment and focused his attention on the visitor. "Good evening, sir. It's always a pleasure to meet one of Miss Aurore's friends."

"Dale Armstrong," the man said, entering the car.

The name didn't ring a bell. However, the visitor's leather jacket concealed a gun on the left side. No surprise there. No one in their right mind would venture into this part of town unarmed, especially this late at night. The irony was that the train station area became safe when the circus was visiting, but a stranger wouldn't trust that.

With a murmured "Goodnight," Cielo left the car without making eye contact.

"How is Miss Aurore doing?" Nicholas asked with an affable smile. The magician was one of the few people who was never unsettled by the Golden Lady's presence.

"She's ... fine," Dale said. "She recommended I see someone called Big Dino?"

"Big Dino is indisposed," Spinner said, "but you can talk to Mr. Renard over here. He's Big Dino's right-hand man."

"Nicholas Renard." Nicholas held out his hand and added, "Nicholas le Fleuriste is my stage name. You must have seen the posters in town."

They shook hands, the visitor refraining from adding his input to the conversation. Instead, he looked around the room, his eyes stopping briefly on each of the men. His cold assessment put Rake on guard. The man was either a killer, or a damned great actor. He'd make a fine match for Nicholas.

"These are my ... associates," the magician said. "Rake and Spinner."

The "associates" nodded, grunting. Neither of them offered their hands.

The awkward silence was broken by Nicholas, "I'm afraid they know more about the technical parts of the business than I do, but I'll do my best to accommodate you. What seems to be the problem?"

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