Patrol 2: Lost & Found

Chapter 13

"The doll was her favorite?"

"No. That frog. She named him Sir Hops."

Rand'din nodded and walked away, all the wizards following after. They filed back up the stairs and disappeared.

Vania sighed, rubbing her temples.

"So, what to do now, hm?" Jezora asked. "Is there more to today's happenings we need to discuss?" She looked back and forth between Vania and Eddin, grinning.

"No. You heard the facts," Eddin replied. "Once they've traced Laria, we'll all go rescue her; we'll send the wizards to her home to gather what they can from the blood left behind—most of it is Adar's—the girl's father," he quickly added as Bergin and Jezora looked at him in confusion, "but his knuckles were split and bloody, so he may have got a few good hits. If he broke the wizard's nose, the wizard's own blood might be there somewhere. Then we'll really have him, even if he's hiding Laria."

Bergin grinned slightly; "I notice you refrained from calling the killer a wizard in front of our wizard colleagues."

"You know how touchy wizards can be about defining magic users. It's best not to step on toes when you're asking a favor."

"A favor? The captains of two different stations ordered this case become priority. This isn't a favor; it's a necessity!"

"Enforcers Bucktin, Nahalora, Nahlstrom, and Kahlin. My office, please." All four of them hurried down the corridor after the captain.

"Update me on the slum murders case," Captain Murrick demanded after they'd all gathered in a line in front of his desk.

"A little girl was abducted overnight; her father died trying to save her. Our wizards are at this moment attempting a trace spell, using essence from the girl's toys we took from her bedroom," Eddin said.

"Is this the same fellow who attacked Enforcer Nahalora yesterday outside this very station?"

"We believe so, sir."

"And the one responsible for the murder of at least three Marked tydring from the slums?"

"We believe so, sir."

"And we have not found any victims to be from anywhere else?"

"Not that we have found, sir."

"But that could be because the stations don't always communicate," Bergin added. "You saw the jumbled mess the Du l'Tagne case was. There could be victims we don't know about."

Captain Murrick looked at all four of the assembled enforcers, then said, "I just received word from Upper Quarter Station. Three bodies were found this morning in Averton Park. Two were from noble families, one was from a wealthy merchant family. All lived in the area of the Upper Quarter Station and had no ties to the slums. I need the four of you to go there and investigate, since you're the ones working this case.

"Our comrades from Upper Quarter Station are keeping watch on the scene and keeping the public away, but it's already becoming a spectacle and a scandal for the victims' families. It would be best for all involved if you get up there quickly."

"We can go as soon as we've captured the killer and rescued the girl," Eddin said.

"The families of the victims wish to... undo the desecration... their loved ones received, which cannot happen until you go investigate. Go, see about the bodies, check the scene. I'm sure the trace spell won't even be finished by the time you come back."

"Undo the desecration?" Bergin asked. "I'm sure these new victims aren't Marked, as all the others have been, so there was nothing for the killer to steal from them, aside from their guts, which we won't be able to return."