by I H Laking
The detectives wasted no time in grabbing Ethan and Pritchard, who offered no further resistance. There was a final, wistful glance from Ethan back to Felicity, who responded with a pout and a wave.
“Another suitor bites the dust,” she said to Ambrose as Ethan was led away.
Ambrose chuckled and handed the sword over to one of the detectives. With the heavy sword gone and the threat from the Unseen Hand finally over, the effects of the night were catching up with Ambrose; his head swam as Percy and the commissioner wandered over. Behind them, more detectives were arriving, along with a pack of Mechs who started work on clearing the mess while the crowd was shooed away empty-handed.
“Well, you’ve done it!” Commissioner Caldwell declared, waving a hand in Ethan's general direction. “A master thief caught at last by the great Inspector Ambrose and Detective Percy. Can’t say I approve of your methods, but the carriage crash certainly slowed him down!”
“Actually sir, it was the Unseen Hand who ambushed us,” Ambrose said as the decimated carriage was righted with a thud, revealing a splintered front left wheel with a spear hanging out of it. “He almost got the better of us tonight.”
The commissioner waved Ambrose’s comment away. “Regardless, you showed that the men of the Citizens Protection Force aren’t to be trifled with, Ambrose.”
“That… isn’t the case either,” said Ambrose, “It was Percy who did most of the detective work to-”
“Organise whole operation? Yes, the idea of drawing this unscrupulous thief out by setting an elaborate trap with the Sword of Barnabas as bait - brilliant!” Commissioner Caldwell slapped Ambrose on the back, sending a shock of pain through his shoulder and arm. Percy held his hand up.
“Actually, commissioner, we-”
The deadly stare Ambrose shot his partner appeared to have the desired effect, as he pulled up mid-sentence. But the damage was done.
“What is it, Portland?”
“Nothing, sir.”
“Oh come now, don’t be shy, you silly sausage!”
Ambrose felt like his eyes were about to pop out of his head as he wished Percy would melt away before he said something to set Commissioner Caldwell off once more.
“I… well, that is to say, we… we couldn’t have done this without Felicity’s help, sir.” Percy looked hopefully at Ambrose as he stammered away.
“Really?” said Commissioner Caldwell, raising an eyebrow. “Do go on, Portland.”
And so the story tumbled out; of the mansion, and the mayhem - the crawfish, and the dungeon, and the Plinth Mechs all at once. Percy reached the end of his tale with a sigh after what felt like an eternity.
“So you see commissioner, Felicity solved the dungeon’s puzzles before us. Not only that, but she showed bravery under extreme duress and took charge when we faltered. She’s an outstanding young woman who deserves more than to simply be viewed as a target for suitors. She caught this thief; we merely assisted her.”
The commissioner looked between Ambrose, Percy, and Felicity, a ponderous look on his face. He scowled, as though something had changed in his world, and he was struggling to accept it. Perhaps it was the early hour, or the fresh sunlight on his face, but the commissioner broke out into a wide grin. “Now that is quite a tale!” he thundered, walking over to Felicity and almost delivering another boisterous slap to her back, before realising what he was about to do and thinking better of it. “Tell me young lady,” he said instead, “have you ever considered a career with the Citizens Protection Force? We’ve a dearth of female detectives, and if you’re interested…”
Ambrose saw something strange in Felicity as Commissioner Caldwell continued his offer. Her face lit up in a way Ambrose had never seen before. As the commissioner carried on with his spiel, Ambrose realised the full potential of his sister had never been apparent to him; he had always assumed she wanted nothing more than a quiet life with a wealthy husband and a house to look after.
How wrong he was, and how good it felt to be wrong. Felicity and Commissioner Caldwell chatted away, as Percy and Ambrose waited by the side of the road.
“What do you think, Inspector?” asked Percy.
“I think,” said Ambrose, as Felicity shook the commissioner’s hand, “that the detective business is about to become a family affair.”
Felicity skipped over to Ambrose and Percy, belying her lack of sleep.
“Well?” Ambrose asked. “Are you going to be joining us?”
“Of course, Amby!” Felicity gave a grin that filled Ambrose’s heart to overflowing. “There’s enough room in the Empire for two Inspector Aramises, don’t you think?”
“Absolutely,” said Ambrose.
“But now’s not the time for all that,” said Felicity, “we’d better get our injuries seen to. And I do believe a cup of herbal tea is in order - extra hot, of course.” She shuffled in between Ambrose and Percy, taking each of them by the arm. They walked together up the hill, talking about their adventure in tones equal parts excited and exhausted.
“I’m sorry things didn’t work out with your suitor, Felicity,” said Percy as they passed under the main gate to the city. “And that your night was such a long one.”
“It’s fine.” Felicity let out her usual airy laugh.
“Besides, It’s not the worst date I’ve had,” she said.
“But it’d be a close second.”
So it was that morning came to Traville once more, and Ambrose, Percy, and Felicity passed through the city to see to their wounds, winding up streets and around corners, unaware of the eyes watching from the rooftops as they went. And as they entered the infirmary, Ambrose cast a final look to the city around him, feeling a slight pressure building in his mind, and seeing a flash of black ducking behind a nearby corner.
And Inspector Ambrose knew in his heart there was only one group that could engender the fear he had seen in Ethan’s eyes. A group that tolerated neither failure nor resistance. Out in the dark places of Traville, The Assassins Guild would be fuming - and Ambrose and his associates would be the object of their ire. The threatened storm Ambrose had felt so long ago was no longer coming.
It was here.
###
A short note from the Author.
Thank you for reading this Inspector Ambrose story! If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave a review at your favourite retailer – reviews really help independent authors like myself. Or you can make my day by sharing this story with a friend so they can discover the magic of the Empire.
Thanks!
I H Laking
Other Inspector Ambrose stories you may enjoy:
What Went Wrong With Mrs Milliard’s Mech?
The Vanishing Villa
&
The Murder at Mansfield Manor
You can also find out more about the Eastern Empire in:
Qan’s Adventure
&
The Last Lesson
