Chapter Five

  Part Five

  She was back in the training grounds, a new day caused for more early morning training. But hopefully this time it will go uninterrupted. As she worked her mind tended to wander, and this time it wandered to her previous cases. She still had that unscented green powder she had found when she had first met Ali a few months ago. She knew what it was, and it still bothered her that The Sect had gotten hold of it somehow. But the only way they could have it... no that’s impossible. They can’t possibly be working together.

  But... if they were, then that would stir up more trouble. It could make The Sect grow stronger, more formidable than they already are. But why would he even team up with The Sect in the first place? What would he have to gain from this? Another thought is who is actually in control of The Sect? It would have to be someone powerful enough to even be able to make such a deal with him. Is that why he is doing this?

  She lost control of her strength, and her fist smashed into a wooden panel causing it to splinter around her. She winced slightly as splits of wood cut into her hand. It had been a while since he had accidentally broken a wooden panel like this, she had forgotten the feeling of this kind of pain.

  “Line!?”

  She turned, and once again found Vax’dian siting on the roof of the veranda. He was leaning forward with a concerned look about him, next to him as always was Hyde. Slightly startled “h-how long have you been sitting there?”

  Vax’dian jumped down and landed by Line “a while”

  Line raised an eyebrow “a while?”

  He took Line’s hand, looking at the blood wounds and small pieces of wood still sticking in her hand “you have to be more careful”

  Her head tilted “everyone told me that last time I did this. I’m fine” she smiled “also, you called me by my name. I didn’t think you remembered it”

  “of course I remembered it” he pulled a long piece of wood from Line’s hand “I remember everything you say”

  Her smile faltered, caught off guard by the sincerity she heard in his voice. She believed him. When all the pieces of wood had been pulled from her hand, she pulled the piece of light pastel blue fabric from her arm and began to wrap it around her hand. Vax’dian then gently tied it completely into place.

  “you need to have it treated properly”

  “I’m fine. Really”

  He sighed “anyway. The reason I came here was to tell you that my father agreed to let you take this case. Your free to investigate as you will”

  “Thank you. I hope he wasn’t too hard on you”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “it’s fine. My mother convinced him. I also need to tell you that in a few days I will be leaving the city for a while”

  “Oh? Where are you going?”

  “me and my mother are visiting her family outside the city for a few weeks. So before I left, I wanted to take you out somewhere. To thank you”

  “thank me for what?”

  He smiled “for nothing in particular”

  She gave a nod “alright. I’ll let you take me”

  Vax’dian cleared his throat “so, now that you have permission to work on this case, what is it you’re going to be doing next?”

  “I think I should start looking into the city’s butchers”

  *

  When Line had left the monastery, Ali had followed closed behind her. Moaning the entire way that she didn’t eat meat and didn’t want to be involved with interviewing any butchers. Line had told her that she could take the day to herself, but Ali refused to spend her time alone. So each time Line would enter a butcher’s shop, Ali would just fume outside with an annoyed look on her face.

  Line had been interviewing different butchers for most of the day now, but still hadn’t come up with anything useful. The more she interviewed, the more she began thinking of other possible murderers.

  They came to the last butchers shop in this part of the city, Ali once again stood outside while Line entered alone. Behind a long counter was an older gentleman, currently cutting into pieces of meat on a wooden cutting board. This place was fairly clean, but it didn’t stop the smell of various meats that came through the door behind the counter.

  As the door closed behind her, a small bell sounded out. The man looked up at her “what can I help you with?”

  Line pulled out her monastery token and showed it to him “I just have a few questions for you, if you’re willing to answer them”

  “of course, ask away”

  “thank you. Where were you two nights ago?”

  The man frowned “I was upstairs, sleeping. Just like any other night”

  A part of Line already knew what he was going to say there, everyone she had already talked to said something similar “did you know of a man called Sinn Usell?”

  The man thought for a moment before shaking his head “no sorry, I don’t”

  “were you alone two nights ago?”

  “No. I was with my wife”

  Line nodded “do you have any children?”

  “no, no. It’s just me and my wife here. We did always try though, broke her poor heart it did”

  “did you hear anything unusual that night?”

  “can’t say that I did. I’m a deep sleeper, mind you. My wife always says so”

  “What about your wife? Is she here?”

  “no. She went to visit her sister yesterday”

  “Do you know when she will be back?”

  “a few days later”

  Line doubted there was going to be anything useful this man could tell her, so instead she said “alright... Thank you for your time. I won’t bother you anymore” as she turned to leave, she noticed on the slab meat the man was cutting into, there was an ink stamp that held a farmer’s mark. Tilley’s Farm.

  “I’m sorry sir, but I have to ask. Do you know Adel Tilley?”

  “I do. She works at her family’s farm. It’s where we supply our meat from”

  It’s an animal farm. Line had always assumed it was for crops, the personal records didn’t specify. She would have to figure out who wrote those ones so she could vent out the slight anger she was feeling now.

  “Thank you” she didn’t wait for a response, she just turned on her heel and left the butcher’s shop.

  Waiting outside was Ali, but standing next to her was a city guard “Inspector Line, there’s another body”