Darragh knelt, his face almost touching the grimy floor.

  “He appears to have been stabbed in the back of the head while pissing,” he said, then he sniffed the head wound. The stench drifting out of the urinal was potent, so Darragh had to lean in close, a few bloody hairs tickling his nose. “This happened a short while ago.”

  Darragh got up with some cracking joints and groans at his age.

  Brother Winchester Emote, Win for short, stood nearby with an imperiously raised eyebrow. Win was shorter than Darragh, but his proud posture and attitude made him seem larger. He had a handsome face, thick sandy blonde hair, and an enviable body. A bluish-grey cat familiar perched sphinx-like on Win’s shoulder; her tail wrapped around his neck and swayed across his broad chest, leaving lustrous silvery fur on his black keeper robes.

  Darragh had never worked alongside Brother Win before this case, but knew him by reputation. Everyone knew the pureblood families. The youngest members were like celebrities. Winchester Emote was young, eligible, and groomed for excellence.

  Elder Titus gave Darragh this assignment due to his familiarity with the Vulpen Islands. He was honored by the selection, though he disliked any thoughts of home. Too many memories full of shame and regret.

  Darragh assumed Win was given this assignment because he needed more field experience, and this could be a valuable learning case. That meant Darragh was effectively babysitting one of his social betters. In a few years, Win would probably go on to lead sacerdotal negotiations and interface direction with Godfather. Such an honor Darragh could never hope for. To kiss the Holy Father’s feet was a dream Darragh could only cling to at night in the dark.

  Darragh pulled his eyes away from the silvery fur sullying Win’s perfect chest. “What’s your initial assessment, Brother Emote?”

  “Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just wondering, how many dead bodies have you sniffed?”

  Darragh’s eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. “Enough to recognize the smell of decay. Assessment, Brother Emote.”

  Win nodded. “Yes, uh. We should lock down the boat and interrogate the crew… right?”

  “That seems a good start.” Darragh turned to the captain of the vessel and the first mate, both observing from a respectful distance. “Please inform the crew they’re not to disembark until they’ve been cleared. Form a line. We’ll want to interview everyone. Has anyone left the ship already?”

  The first mate responded, “I think only two passengers, a mother and daughter. The father stayed on board to offer testimony.”

  Darragh nodded. “Alright, send him down first. Is there a room we can question people, one at a time?”

  The captain offered, “The galley. Back the way we came, first room on the left.”

  “Excellent. Thank you for your assistance. We’ll want to speak with you again before we close the case. Until then, please wait with the crew on deck, and ensure no one leaves. If anyone tries to leave, stop them. If they escape, inform me at once. Pier Keepers will detain them.”

  “Understood,” said the captain. Then he and the first mate went upstairs.

  Once they were out of earshot, Darragh turned to Win.

  “So what did you detect?” he asked.

  Win shrugged. “They felt genuine. They were feeling all the things you’d expect an innocent person to be feeling: sadness, worry, a mix of fear and gratitude toward us. They want us to succeed, I felt that much.”

  “Okay.” Darragh nodded. “Let’s check out that galley. Maybe we can get something to eat.”

  The galley was spacious, well-lit, and well-stocked. Darragh found a barrel of honeyed hibiscus tea and poured two mugs. Then they took a seat on a wide bench and waited for their first interview. Darragh’s familiar, an old setter named Red, sat on the floor nearby, a silent sentinel.

  The father/passenger walked in looking conspicuously calm, as if a man hadn’t just been murdered. He had a lot of dark hair, but Darragh couldn’t tell precisely how much, because the man’s hair was braided up and under a loose cap. He was a big man, muscular and tall, with a full belly. But when he spoke, his voice was buttery and gentle.

  “Hello, I’m Plenty.”

  “Good to meet you, Plenty. Can you tell us what you know about the victim?”

  Plenty answered, “Not much, I’m afraid. My family and I mostly stayed in our cabin during the voyage. We didn’t interact much with any of the crew.”

  “Did you see or hear anything unusual tonight?”

  “I’m sorry, no. I didn’t see or hear anything. I didn’t know the man. I wish I could be more helpful.”

  “That’s alright. I understand your wife and daughter also accompanied you, and they’re currently off the ship. Is that correct?”

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  For the first time, the man’s composure cracked. He blinked and gulped and spoke quickly, “That is correct. My daughter is very young. I didn’t want to involve her or have her see any of this.”

  “Perfectly understandable. Thank you for your time. Please wait upstairs on deck until we’ve concluded our investigation. And send down the next person.”

  Plenty blinked, then got up and left.

  Darragh turned to Win. “What about that one?”

  Win hesitated, his expression alternating between bewildered and excited. He said, “I’m not sure. He feels… weird. I don’t know how else to describe it. He’s not like anybody I’ve ever felt before. I couldn’t get a clear read on him. I don’t think he was lying, but there was some anxiety when you mentioned his family.”

  Darragh mulled this information over. He sensed Win wasn’t disclosing everything. “Hm. Interesting. Let’s circle back around to him. He could be guilty of something else. Or maybe he’s just a weirdo. Island folk aren’t like anyone you’ve ever known.”

  The first crewmate walked in, looking appropriately uncomfortable and a little fearful. He was thin, dark, and short, with an athletic build. He sat down, and before Darragh could ask a question or make an introduction, the man began a spiel.

  “Okay, so the first thing you need to understand about Kevan is that he was a mean sonofabitch. He didn’t like nobody, and nobody liked him. But he was tolerated. At least, he was tolerated before tonight. But I’m telling you, you’re not gonna find any mourners. I’m glad he’s gone. Everyone I know is glad he’s gone. You might as well close this case as a victimless incident.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Darragh answered. “So you would consider yourself among Kevan’s list of enemies, then?”

  The man raised his hands defensively. “Hey now, enemies is a strong word. We weren’t enemies, but nor were we friends. Kevan had no friends. He had marks. Kevan was a grifter. He was tolerated because he could climb fast and generally knew not to start shit on the boat, but no one liked him. Any one of these bastards could have killed ‘em, and no one would care. That’s just who the man was.”

  “Do you know who killed him?” Darragh asked.

  The man learned forward and said, “No. But if I ever find out who did it, I’ll buy the man a drink.”

  Darragh sighed. “And your name was?”

  “Jonny,” he said.

  “Thank you for your candor, Jonny. Wait upstairs with the rest of the crew until we’ve closed the case. And send down the crewmate who found the body. I’d like to speak with him next.”

  The man got up and left. Again, Darragh turned to Win. “Yikes. How about that one?”

  Win chuckled. “He wasn’t lying, but he wasn’t being truthful, either. I sensed a lot of passionate emotions. I think he’s grieving.”

  “So, killer or not the killer?”

  “I don’t think so. I felt a lot of his mixed emotions around Kevan, but Jonny wasn’t all that worried by us. He was comforting himself by lying to us.”

  Darragh furrowed his brows.

  Win shrugged. “It doesn’t have to make sense. Grief makes people act in weird ways. I felt his anxiety, but it wasn’t acute. More than anything, Jonny felt sad. He was lashing out."

  The next man walked into the galley. He looked and smelled like a heavy drinker. His belly fell over his belt, and he wobbled when he walked. He was dark as well, like Jonny, the captain, and first mate.

  Darragh wondered if the entire crew were Exiled. He knew little about the continent of Exile, and even less about its people. Doubts arose, but Darragh pushed those aside. He couldn’t indulge weakness in front of an Emote.

  “I understand you’re the man who found the body. Is that correct?” Darragh began.

  The man said, “Yes, I found him.”

  “And your name is?”

  “Vinny.”

  “Alright, Vinny. Can you walk us through what happened?”

  “Sure. We was watching the city get close as the ship comes in. You know, it’s a real pretty sight at a distance. But I had to shit, right? So down I go to use the head, and there he was. Big puddle of blood. I damn near shit myself there and then, but I ran up and told the captain. Then I shat over the side.”

  That last part was unnecessary, Darragh thought. “When was the last time you’d seen Kevan alive?”

  “Oh, hours ago. Around sundown, I think.”

  “What was he doing?”

  “He was here in the gally, hitting on Laura again.”

  “Laura’s another crewmate?”

  “Aye.”

  Darragh made a sour expression. “How many women are in the crew?”

  “Just Laura and Danielle, the first mate. But Dani’s married to the captain. And Laura, well, no one fucks Laura, and no one fucks with Laura. Rumor is, her kitty has razor-sharp teeth. Vagina Dentata.”

  “Hm. How does that affect the crew?” Darragh asked.

  “Well, it doesn’t. A bunch of men alone at sea. No women available. You figure it out.”

  Darragh wasn’t sure what the man was slurring, but decided not to delve where he didn’t want answers. Nonetheless, a seed of dread started to grow in Darragh’s mind. He tried to push it down and focus on the interrogation. “So Kevan and Laura never…?”

  “Oh, who knows? You’d have to ask her. I doubt it, though. Kevan could climb, but it’s hard to picture him scaling Mount Laura.”

  “Did Kevan have any enemies that you knew of?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. He wasn’t very highly regarded, let’s put it that way.”

  “Could you be more specific?”

  “I’d rather not.”

  “Perhaps you’d rather spend a few nights in a cell reconsidering your answer.”

  “Uh, that won’t be necessary.”

  “Then, continue, please.”

  “Okay, fine! Look, everybody hated the guy. He was a rat-faced prick, and he owed me poker money. And I’m not even mad about it. I would have paid ten times that amount to never see that rude dumb fucker ever again. Him and his weakass two pair.”

  Darragh sighed. “Do you have any idea who might have killed him?”

  “None whatsoever. I was on deck the whole night, except that one time when I wasn’t, but I already told you about that.”

  “Thank you, Vinny. Please wait on deck until we’ve closed our investigation. And send Laura down after you. I’d like to speak to her next.”

  Darragh shook his head. Wow. He looked at Win, who just shrugged and chuckled.