Chapter Seventy

Daisy rents a discreet countryside studio and leaves without telling Stuart, taking Hugo. She attends the circus, identifies the small clown as Jasper, and feels pity watching him be mistreated onstage. Over the next days she follows him, observing his isolated routine, then spies on him preparing makeup and senses a disturbing darkness.

Daisy confronts Jasper at his trailer, leveraging the threat of police interest to secure a meeting. The next morning Jasper texts coordinates to woodland near Waterfowl Park. Daisy posts a brief alert to her subreddit, brings Hugo, and meets Jasper, who remarks she looks like Claire.

When Daisy asks directly, Jasper confirms Claire is her mother. He says the family home was “all wrong,” that he ran away to the circus, and that when he left Claire was likely still in the house. He insists there was a big fight and that Annie knows what happened; he claims not to know the outcome.

Daisy presses for specifics, describing the abuse and neglect in her household to persuade Jasper to talk. Jasper grows agitated, repeating that only “Mummy” (Annie) knows. When Daisy tries to stop him fleeing, they grapple; Jasper pins Daisy and throttles her, kicking Hugo away. Daisy knees him, breaks his hold, and runs, escaping the attack.