“What happened when you found him?” I said.
Malwin blinked wide eyed a few times as if trying to manifest the event from his memory. “We were following the river from the Hearts district since about four this morning. Didn’t find anything worth our time and effort. So, if nothing is found at one part of it, you gotta keep walking along until you do. Took some two hours before we ended up here. I was telling Gescha that maybe we should just turn back or we’ll be stuck out in the woods at night fall.”
“He gives up so easily,” Gescha said.
Malwin glared at her. “Do not!”
Gescha frowned shaking her head, then said, “Put a drink in his hand and he’ll be in the cups all day and night. But try to make him earn the money for those drinks, even for a little while, and he collapses like wet parchment.”
“That’s not true at all, and you know it!”
I interjected before things got out of hand. “So what time was it when you arrived at this bridge.”
“Probably six, I’d say. Not much later than that.”
“And what happened?”
Again, Malwin’s eyes fluttered. “We found him is what happened. Under the bridge there. At first I thought it was a bandit skulking in the shadows looking to rob fine folks, such as ourselves. I called out to him not to try anything funny or he’d regret it!”
“No you didn’t,” Gescha said. “You told me to go and look under the bridge. See who was there. Brave man that you are.”
Quick to cut off Malwin’s anger I asked, “Was there anyone else around, besides you two?”
“Nah,” Malwin said. “No one. Just us two. Strangest thing, ain’t it? Man like that now all stone like. I was telling Gescha here that it could only be great magic which could do that to a person. Didn’t I?”
Gescha nodded. “Great magic. Very special. Thought something as special as a stone man should be noted to the police.”
This was what had me wondering since the moment I saw them. These types of folk did their utmost to avoid authorities.
“Now why did you two feel compelled to report it?”
Gescha regarded me with surprise at the question. “Well, for the reward, of course.”
“Reward?”
“Yeah, reward. There has to be one when a stone man is found.”
I heard Fairfax grinding his teeth.
“There is no reward, Miss Amata. There never was.”
The two of them looked horrified.
“No reward?” Malwin said. “It’s special, ain’t it? You can’t fool me that it isn’t. A stone man has gotta be worth something to someone. Maybe we should sell it.”
Fairfax had reached the end of his rope and said, “There is no reward, and that stone man is not yours to claim.”
“I doubt that,” Malwin said, giving a shrewd look. “We found him. We should be able to keep him. Sell him to the highest bidder. Scavenger’s rights!”
Now I sighed. “When you two found him, you thought you could sell him. But when you tried to move him, to haul him away to one of the black markets, you found he was too heavy. Correct?”
“Well, yeah,” Gescha said.
“And since he was too heavy to move you figured you might get a reward which is why you flagged down a police buggy. Correct?”
“Yeah,” Malwin said. He looked as confused as his sister. They both realized now they could never claim Oswall’s stone body.
I then pulled out the paper with the etching on it and presented to them. “This was on the wall next to the body. Did either of you make this?”
They both looked at it, bewildered.
“No, we didn’t,” Gescha said. “What’s that supposed to be anyway? A fish?”
“Nah, it’s a dog,” Malwin said. “See the tail there.”
I frowned and put the paper back into my satchel. There was nothing more to ask.
“I would like to thank you for informing us of the stone man,” I said. “The constable has your details and we will be in touch if we have further questions. Good day to you.”
I turned and walked away. Fairfax stepped in front of the siblings before they could say any more, shooing them off.
I found my temper had been rising throughout the conversation. Not a trait a detective should possess if an investigation was to proceed. When did I get this way? I had always been professional during my time at work. But now?
Standing on the embankment and watching the river, I placed my hand into my satchel and caressed the knitting bag. Its texture soothed me.
A constable stood near the underside of the bridge, guarding poor Oswall’s stone corpse. The detective deserved better than this. At least he died by a river. I wondered how I would die and if there would be a river nearby.
Fairfax appeared at my side. “What do you think?”
“Of those two? I think I’d eat my purse if they had the wherewithal to perform greater magic on Oswall, and then be dumb enough to inform the police about it.”
Fairfax chuckled. A pleasant noise. “True. But could they have been involved?”
I shook my head. “They gave me no indication of anything like that. All they really did was sully the crime scene trying to move him. That explains the flattened mud at Oswall’s feet. And good luck having them not mentioning this to anyone. They’re off to spread the word of their grand discovery.”
“Doubt anyone would believe them. Anyways, we can now cross off our only prime suspects,” he said with mild humor.
I looked at him. Intelligent and duty bound he would solve this case on his own and without an old woman’s aid.
Might as well get this over with. I cleared my throat. “My assessment, Constable, is that this case is dangerous. Too dangerous, to be honest. Someone is out there right now with the ability to turn people to stone. A horrible magic if I ever heard of one. And catching the culprit will be very risky.”
Fairfax frowned.
I continued, ignoring his disappointment. “I would start with whatever is on his desk at the moment. That might give you a lead or two. But I believe you will find additional support is required.”
“Not from a retired detective.” Fairfax said it as a statement.
I sighed. “Get help from the Capital Constabulary. They may find this warrants a larger investigation than our local one can manage. That would be my recommendation. I’m sorry, but that is all I can offer you.”
I looked away, not wanting to see his eyes. Home called for me. My only duties for the remainder of the day were crawling into bed and having a nice long nap. But would I dream of cats or stone men?
Fairfax nodded. “I understand. And I appreciate you coming here. Shall I take you home now?”
I was about to answer when a brilliant white car pulled off the road and parked next to where we stood. It lurched to a stop, kicking up dust and dirt into our eyes. This was one of the more expensive model of buggies, and usually could only be found in the Capital. The gaudy thing looked like a beached whale on wheels.
“It’s the Mayor,” Fairfax coughed out, swiping dust away from his face.
A fat little man jumped out of the passenger’s side. He was bald, save for a pathetic wisp of a comb-over, and had a razor thin line of a mustache that edged his upper lip. Looking about with beady eyes he settled on me and scowled.
As the fat man marched over to us another man, this one tall and thin, emerged from the driver’s side and hurried to catch up with his shorter companion.
“What is going on here?” the little fat man said.
“Oh, Sigwald,” I said with maudlin tones. “Always a pleasure.”
“That is Mayor Archambault to you, Mayra,” Sigwald said. “What are you doing here?” He looked to Fairfax. “Why is she here? She is no longer a part of the force.”