The Chronicle of the Worthy Son

Violations

Tanner put his palm up too close to Able's face. "Do me a favor and don't ask me any questions."

"Very well, Senior Deputy."

"What did you know about this? Tell me everything." Tanner let his hand fall so he could stare Able hard in the eyes.

"I've only just been told that some of your men were found locked in the treasury vault," Able replied evenly. "I've not heard what, if anything, is missing. I'm not even sure if I could point to you where on these grounds the Treasury is. I've spent most of my time here in the Records." This building he did point out.

Tanner snorted. "Fine, you just stay here for now."

"Senior Deputy," interrupted the clerk Able had spoken with earlier, "all of us have been questioned and have now been left standing here for hours. How long do we have to wait to be debriefed? Or at least dismissed?"

"As long as it takes." Tanner redirected his scowl to the clerk. "This whole area is on lock-down until we get to the bottom of things. So none of you move."

Able looked from the dark circles under Tanner's eyes and the tightness in his jaw to the uncertain and frustrated clerks who shuffled about. This was a brew for trouble. He pulled out his notebook.

"Has anyone had lunch?" He raised his pencil with the query.

None of them had, and one even added that they needed to relieve themselves prompting two others to also admit to this.

Tanner cut through the hubbub into Able's space, standing close enough that he had to turn his chin up to glower at Able. "What are you playing at?"

Careful now. "Sir, I respect your request that I not ask questions about your investigation, but that these people have already been questioned but are still being detained when they have not been charged with any crime has me worried what you think the culprit—still at large—is still capable of."

"Oh, that's a good point!" The sole woman scrivener had caught on then turned on Tanner with sadly unconvincing terror. "Are they roaming the streets? Are my children safe out there?"

Tanner had no business being confused by Able's statement, but it was somewhat more understandable that he was confused now. The rest of the workers started demanding to know why he thought they were in danger, and Tanner grew ever more combustible as he looked wide-eyed from one face to the other.

Could he really not know he had no legal reason to hold these Larbant citizens? Method had warned Able that knowing his rights might not be enough. But Able hadn't considered that territory enforcers might be, most charitably, unfamiliar with the law when the populaces they police are largely not citizens.

"Enough!" Tanner shouted them down then turned, livid, to call some of the guards over. "Escort these people out of the walls. You will all report back in the morning."

Just as Able breathed a sigh of relief, Tanner whirled on him.

"Not you."

Able looked down at the white-knuckled hand on his shoulder then back up into the red face of its owner. Whether he was too astute or simply too tired, he did not bat an eyelash. While the employees were led away, he stared unflinchingly back into Tanner's seething glare.

"You think you're smart, don't you?" the Senior Deputy growled.

"What I thought was those people were having their rights violated." Were his own about to be?

"I don't need you in here putting on airs and playing at being an oversight agent. In fact, I don't need you here at all, do I? Don't come up here again."

"These are public access buildings," Able sighed before he could stop himself. Not that it mattered if he did at this point.

"And I've closed them," Tanner sneered. "So take your nosey smart ass elsewhere." And he gave Able an "encouraging" push towards the gate.

"Sir." Able nodded respectfully after regaining his balance and proceeded the rest of the way out. He was surprised to find Faith and a couple of the others still waiting in the street outside.

She stepped forward cautiously and touched his shoulder as though to be sure he was real. "You're all right?"

"Yes, I am fine." He surveyed the rattled faces. "The senior deputy isn't usually stationed here, is he? Who is the super?"

"Sapper," the clerk from earlier replied then shook his head, "and he'll be hearing a complaint from me about all this, mark my word."

"For all the good it would do," sighed the records secretary. "Tanner leads rapid response and is the sheriff's second to boot."

Able had suspected as much but was glad for the confirmation. "The super should still pass any complaints on to the sheriff...have there been problems like this before?"

"No." The secretary chuckled nervously. "No, there haven't. I simply don't expect they'll pay us much mind in light of the vault being broken into."

"How was it locked?" Able looked to the clerk again.

"Iron door, three different locks on it." The man shrugged. "All above my pay-grade, so I am going home now."

"Have a...well, better day." Able nodded and continued to pass farewells to the others before moving down the street himself, not yet sure where he was going other than away from the walls.

Ferret might have unlocked the vault for the Resistance, but at this point, he couldn't rule out a double agent working in municipal or another party entirely for that matter. He couldn't get back into the municipal to learn what the investigation had uncovered until Tanner cleared out—well, he could, but it did not seem wise. Nor did it seem wise to knock on Heedful Fairweather's door to ask what she knew. He'd already antagonized Tanner too easily.

In fact, as he walked, he noticed he was still feeling weak in the knees. The confrontation with Tanner had left him just as shaken as following those strangers in the dark had. The bright sun was no longer clearing the fog encroaching behind his eyes. He needed sleep. He pulled his purse from his pocket and winced at how light it was. He no longer had a roommate...or did he?

He rallied his step and returned to the inn. But his last hope of a lead had in fact cleared out all his belongings and left no word with the innkeeper. Able's body did not seem to have another surge of adrenaline left for him as he sat in the late day common room. Sure, he could stay and maybe catch gossip from the evening crowd and perhaps another person to split costs with.

God's eyes, but that would be so loud and draining. No, he didn't need more leads, he needed someplace safe. Someplace to recuperate himself and take a closer look at what he had already learned...and maybe recuperate some of his lost funds too. So he gathered his things and set out west in search of a way back to Fairbanks.