"Are you suggesting my son would just leave the city without a word?"
The question came from a stout, middle-aged man sitting on the near side of the room in front of a large, dark-wood table. Dressed modestly in a short burgundy cloak with cap to match, he had an ample and sculpted beard dropping to a point from his chin.
"Captain, my son and his wife have been missing for days," he continued shouting. "Will you do nothing?"
Behind the table sat a hefty man in ring mail armor with a broad nose. A mass of dark brown curls hung from his head, trimmed off around his face as if his helmet had been used as a shearing guide. Among the table's clutter of scrolls and parchment was a helmet similar to those of the Strazhy but with more ridges and one plume of feathers arcing back over the crests from the noseguard. This, Magiere assumed, would be Captain Chetnik.
"What else would you have me do?" the captain asked, too quietly for his stature.
Magiere expected him to be bored by merchant's outburst, or at best, in a hurry to take the man's statement and shove him out the door. That had been her previous experience with constables and guards, but this captain appeared patiently sad.
"According to your statement," he went on with equal softness, "your son, Simask, and his wife, Luiza, were here with you on business. They went out to seek patronage for your vineyard from local innkeepers but didn't return. Guards have made inquiries, and I've notified the district constables in the area and the two local districts where they'd likely have gone. But there are no witnesses and no evidence of foul play. What more would you have me do?"
"Look for them!" the merchant answered in frustration.
"Where? In which part of the city should I search? Where were they last seen? We've had to guess at best."
The merchant collapsed in his chair under a sudden weight of fatigue.
"We separated to work different sides of the city," he continued more quietly. "I didn't even realize they were missing for a full day. I don't know where they might have gone, but my son is dependable. He wouldn't have missed our meeting day."
It was then that the captain noticed Magiere and Leesil standing in the doorway, and he stood up. The girth of his belly was wide, but appeared more muscle than the bulk of a sedentary man.
"Go back to your inn and rest," he told the merchant. "We'll do what we can. If there is any news, I'll send word without hesitation. Now you must excuse me, as there is another matter that needs my attention."
The merchant's face was drawn and hopeless as he stood. Magiere pitied him, but she didn't know what to say. When he turned to leave, he spotted her in the doorway and looked back at the captain.
"Luiza is fair, almost like that," he said, pointing at Magiere. "And black hair, but she is shorter, smaller."
The captain nodded. "I will make a note of it."
With nothing else to say, the merchant shuffled out past Magiere and down the corridor.
"Can I help you?" the captain asked, looking her up and down. He picked up a leather-bound sheaf of parchment and flipped the loose cover open. "I don't have any other appointments this morning, but I'm due to meet with the local constabulary in a short while."
"This won't take long," she said. "I'm Magiere. The council hired me to investigate the death of Councilman Lanjov's daughter."
At her words, Chetnik scowled and shook his head as he dropped the sheaf on the table. He studied her a moment, with only a brief appraisal of Leesil and Chap. A slightly amused smile bent his mouth up as he folded his arms.
"You're the hunter. Who's he?"
"My partner, Leesil."
Chap was sniffing the air about the room, but he looked over at Chetnik intently.
"That's our tracker," Magiere added. "But the trail is cold, and we need to limit our search. Lanjov said there are reports of attacks by a night assailant. We'd like to talk with some of these people. Can you give us a list of names and where to find them?"
Chetnik stood there, still smiling faintly. "You aren't what I expected."
If there was one phrase Magiere was most tired of hearing, this was certainly it.
"Indeed," she responded.
Chetnik laughed aloud, and the last of the sad strain vanished from his eyes.
"No, no," he added. "I expected some pompous mystic or aspiring alchemist throwing potions and powders about. I was none too pleased when the council took this case out of our hands. But our hands are full, and the district constabularies are hired locals not always suited to the task. You at least look like you can handle a fight."
His goading good humor proved mildly settling, and Magiere relaxed a little. Although Chetnik's continually eyeing her was more than a little puzzling. In fact, it made her rather uncomfortable.
"Can you give us a list?" she asked more politely.
"Hmmm… perhaps you've time for an exchange." His thick eyebrows arched. "I don't care who catches this murderer, but I want it done with."
Leesil stepped closer. Magiere noticed that he appeared to be strangely put out by this conversation.
"What do you mean, ‘exchange'?" he asked.
Chetnik acknowledged him briefly and turned his full attention back to Magiere.
"No matter how good you are, you may need help sooner or later. I've spoken with all of Count Lanjov's neighbors. I'd be willing to share their statements, if you'll tell me what you've come up with so far or what you discover along the way."
Magiere suppressed the urge to immediately agree. Chetnik was more than a soldier. As captain, he might know the city as well as any of the local constables assigned to its separate districts. Anything the constabularies heard would likely be passed to Chetnik. She and Leesil were working blind. On the other hand, she didn't want to appear too eager. If Miiska was to be saved, she and Leesil-not the Strazhy-shlyahketne-had to produce the remains of an undead.
Chetnik's warm eyes watched her expectantly. She returned him a shallow nod of agreement, though she wouldn't necessarily share everything.
"Have you found any bodies?" she asked.
The blunt question surprised him. Likely he thought he would be the first to get some answers.
"No," he answered. "We mostly hear about disappearances. One way or another such things often get resolved, for better or worse. In the last month, there've been more reports and fewer resolved. There are now more missing people than we can possibly search for at once."
None of this made sense to Magiere. So many missing, yet Chesna had been left to die on her own front porch in plain view.
"Chesna's killer wanted her body found," she said aloud. "I think he mutilated her and left her there intentionally."
"I'd considered that, but why?" Chetnik asked thoughtfully. "It doesn't fit with any of the disappearances."
He stepped around the table and closer to Magiere, his brows knitted. As he settled on the table's edge, he leaned toward her just a bit.
"And what makes you certain it's a man?" he asked, and his gaze wandered a bit.
Leesil let out a sharp breath. "I think we've taken up enough of the captain's time. If you could give us the list, we'll be on our way."
Leesil's voice was icy, and Magiere could tell he wanted out of here for some reason. The tone wasn't lost on Chetnik, who grunted and walked to a short chest of drawers against the wall.
"There isn't any list," he said. "I can get you started with a few statements, but I expect them back." He dug through parchments in the top drawer and pulled out a stack as thick as his thumb. "Names and addresses are all written out. Can you read?"
"He can," she answered without embarrassment, giving a nod in Leesil's direction. "But that's quite a few statements."