The Imposters of Aventil

by Marshall Ryan Maresca

“And that’s Phadre and Jiarna. They helped stop Jensett’s plan.”

  “Oh, they’re the ones?” Colin asked. “I thought it was your other girl.”

  “I stopped him.” Kaiana had come in through the main door, latching it behind her. “They stopped his creation.”

  “So, we’re all met,” Colin said. “I didn’t know you had this much of a crew in here. Thought it was just you and the . . . girl.”

  “Things evolved,” Veranix said.

  “Something drove you to come out here,” Kaiana said. “You said you didn’t have time to waste.”

  “Right,” Colin said. “So, last night this imposter showed up again.”

  “I know,” Veranix said.

  “You heard about it?”

  “I saw him.”

  “You did?” Just about everyone asked this at once.

  “Yes,” Veranix said cautiously. “A lot of things happened last night.”

  “Evident on your face,” Delmin said.

  “His face is fine,” Colin said.

  Veranix sighed. “This isn’t really my face right now.” He relaxed the magic. Kaiana and Phadre both visibly recoiled.

  “Saints, old boy, that’s quite a rollicking,” Phadre said. “Is this all really worth it?”

  “If it were just about the effitte right now, I’d gladly take a few days off to rest up,” Veranix said. “But as it stands—”

  “Who the blazes did that to you?” Colin asked.

  “Fenmere’s men.”

  “How many?”

  “About twenty or so. I didn’t exactly count.”

  “Twenty?” Phadre sputtered. “And you’re still standing?”

  “How did you manage that?” Jiarna asked.

  “I . . . I got away, and holed up somewhere to rest. But then that place was the middle of a thing between the Dogs and the Kickers, so—”

  Colin nodded. “You’re talking about the Tower Tenement. I heard it fell down.”

  “It did. I was barely able to keep the rubble from crushing folks on the street. So I couldn’t chase the imposter.”

  “I feel like this narrative is missing key elements,” Jiarna said. “You were out on the east side of campus, in Dentonhill, and then you end up holing up somewhere in the southern part of Aventil. How’d you get there, and why didn’t you just come back to campus?”

  “I—” Veranix wasn’t sure how to explain this, not without bringing up Emilia. He glanced nervously at Kaiana, then back to Jiarna. “Someone saved me from the effitte dealers. And then she—”

  “She?” Delmin asked, eyes going wide.

  “She brought me to her safe place, which was in the Tower. But the imposter—”

  “Wait,” Colin said. “Was this that bird you mentioned?”

  “Bird you mentioned?” Kaiana repeated, her eyebrow raised.

  “I didn’t call her that,” Veranix said defensively. “Except, she is, because—”

  “She’s a Deadly Bird!” Colin half shouted, half laughed. “Wait, wait, the Deadly Bird who tried to kill you a month ago is the one who saved you?”

  “It’s a bit more complicated than that.”

  “Is her name Emilia?” Jiarna asked.

  “What, how did you—” was all Veranix got out.

  “Am I the only one completely confused?” Delmin asked.

  “Oh, cousin,” Colin said, putting his arm around Veranix. “You must have really done well with her.”

  “She was very interested in finding you,” Jiarna said. “I had no idea . . .”

  “What are you all talking about?” Kaiana asked.

  Veranix sighed. “I met a girl named Emilia the other night, out with the tetch squad. Turns out she was the Deadly Bird named Blackbird.”

  “An assassin,” Kaiana said coldly.

  “She’s the one who helped save the family on the carriage. Not one of the ones in the brewery.”

  “So a nice assassin.”

  “She saved me, dressed my wounds, and got killed for the trouble!” Veranix shouted. “The imposter. He . . . he killed her right in front of me.”

  No one spoke for a moment, until Colin patted his shoulder. “He had a busy night. Around nine bells he attacked my flop, killed half my crew.”

  “Nine bells?” Veranix asked. That didn’t sound right. “That was about when he killed Emilia.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Relatively. I’m sure there were several dozen witnesses on Clover when the building came down. They certainly were shouting ‘Thorn! Murderer!’”

  “I know when my business went down,” Colin said.

  “Here’s a crazy idea,” Phadre said. “Perhaps there are two imposters.”

  “Two different imposters?” Delmin said. “That seems unlikely.”

  “Yes, but consider. What do we know about the imposter?”

  “He killed a gang member the other night,” Kaiana said.

  “Keckin, of the Red Rabbits. And last night he came for Sotch. My people were just in the way, though he enjoyed taking us out.”

  “So, logically, one of the imposters is settling a vendetta against these Red Rabbits,” Phadre said. “What else do we know?”

  “He killed a constable, injured two others,” Delmin said.

  “And he killed Emilia,” Veranix said.

  “Three events, and three witnesses,” Jiarna said, pointing at Veranix, Colin, and Delmin. “This is good observational data.”

  “This sounds like Uni stuff,” Colin said.

  “No, no, this is good principle,” Phadre said. “By comparing the accounts the three of you have about the imposter—or imposters—”

  “If your theory holds water—” Jiarna injected.

  “It is just a theory, but I’m trusting that they are being accurate about the time—”

  “Both incidents had other witnesses; the timing of the events is verifiable.”

  “Phadre, Jiarna, you’re doing it again,” Kaiana said.

  “Sorry,” they said in unison.

  Jiarna picked up. “Let’s get every detail we can about each of your incidents. Compare and contrast.”

  “Sorry, Delmin, old chap,” Phadre said. “I know you don’t want to hash it out again—”

  “No, it’s fine,” Delmin said. “If it’ll help.”

  “I can’t really stick around the Uni,” Colin said.

  “It’s fine, sit,” Jiarna said, taking out a leather journal from her bags.

  “I need to get back to work,” Kaiana said. “But I’m sure you’ll be able to handle things.”

  “Kai—” Veranix started.

  “Go on,” she said. “I really don’t need to hear all the details about what you did last night.”

  She went out, and Phadre latched the door behind her. Jiarna set up her journal, pen, and ink out on the table.

  “Now, Delmin,” she said coolly. “Start from the beginning.”

  Minox was on his fourth cresh roll when they reached the Aventil Stationhouse. Inspector Rainey was waiting on the steps with a sergeant from the Grand Inspectors’ Unit at her side. The sergeant was, of course, Minox’s sister, Corrie. Neither of them looked pleased.

  Inspector Rainey started speaking as soon as Minox noted her. “I went home last night thinking, what are the odds that Welling will actually sign out and go home? Or will he concoct some excuse to stay in Aventil all night?”

  “I did not—” Minox managed to say before his sister launched onto Jace.

  “And you, you little rutter,” Corrie snarled. “You blazing well know better. Mother was in a state.”

  “I sent a page,” Jace said while keeping his attention down at his feet.

  “You sent a page,” Corrie said. “You hear this sewage? The boy sen
t a rutting page. You’re supposed to head home. And you!” This was at Minox.

  “As I attempted to say—”

  “The part that shocks me,” Rainey said, “is how you employed your brother to be your blametaker.”

  “He did nothing of the sort,” Jace said. “I swear on my coat, Inspector. Last night we legitimately had a crisis here.”

  “Almost always a crisis in Aventil,” Corrie said.

  “Damn right there is,” Jace said.

  Corrie cuffed him across the head. “Watch your rutting language.”

  “Truth, Corr. A full-on brannigan between the Toothless Dogs and the Kemper Street Kickers, which actually brought down a building.”

  “A building?” Rainey asked.

  “The Tower Tenement. Burned and collapsed,” Jace said. “The whole thing came down like Uncle Timm on his sixth beer.”

  “Decorum, Jace,” Minox said.

  “Were you hurt?” Rainey asked. She looked pointedly at Minox. “Something like that would have covered the street in brick, wood—”

  “Would have,” Jace said, pointing at Minox. “Except this one right here stopped it all. Just put his hand up and whoosh. Everyone safe.”

  “I was quite incapacitated from the events,” Minox said pointedly. “Admonish me if you must, Inspector Rainey, but Jace made the best choices possible given my condition.”

  Both Corrie and Rainey raised their eyebrows at him.

  “Condition how?” Corrie asked. “You having another rutting change like before?”

  “No, nothing of the sort. I merely exerted myself beyond my endurance.”

  “Well, that was rutting stupid, Mine.”

  “Circumstances were dire.”

  “Building fall on us dire,” Jace added.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Inspector Rainey said. “Since you’ve spent extra time here, what have you learned?”

  “I don’t know if I’ve learned anything new. But we encountered the Thorn—the real one—however tangentially.”

  “The real one?” Rainey asked. “You’re certain.”

  “Pretty sure,” Jace said.

  Minox lowered his voice, leaning into Rainey. “The magic to protect the people on the street. I didn’t do it alone.”

  “The Thorn helped?” Rainey’s face was full of incredulity.

  “But there was the imposter as well,” Jace added.

  “There was?” Minox asked. “I didn’t see that.”

  Jace nodded. “The girl fell out of the building, and the Thorn was on the ground. And people were screaming ‘murderer.’ Half of them were pointing at him, and the other half were pointing to the opposite roof. When I looked up, I only caught a glimpse of a cloak, but—I definitely saw it.”

  “And the Thorn then went up there.” Minox finished the last bite of his cresh roll. “We should determine what official reports there are of the incidents last night. Namely, identify the dead girl. Corrie, I presume you aren’t here simply for escort?”

  “Captain wanted to ensure you were facilitating communication between the stationhouses, or some rutting sewage like that,” Corrie said. “He knows the two of you can be garbage about sending pages and reports, so I get to make sure that word gets back to the house, and his messages get back to you.”

  “Did we get messages yesterday?”

  Rainey shrugged. “We might have. Who knows in that house?”

  “I’ll rutting find out. Shouldn’t you be signing in?” Corrie asked Jace.

  “Blazes,” he said, and then blocked another swat from Corrie. “Don’t you be making trouble for me, Cor. I’ve got to stick to this house.”

  “You tell Minox that?”

  “He didn’t embarrass me.”

  “Let’s go,” Minox said.

  The stationhouse was filled with activity when they entered. Officers and patrolmen were shouting across the work floor, some of them concerned with statements or reports or getting the people in the lockup properly charged and filed. Several dusty, dirty people were sitting around the place, huddled under blankets. Most likely residents of the Tower and surrounding buildings who were displaced in the events of last night.

  “Jace!” Sergeant Tripper shouted. He was talking to a couple patrolmen in one corner of the work floor. “Go sign in and get to the squad room. Specs, come hear this.”

  Jace nodded and ran off. Minox and Rainey approached Sergeant Tripper, Corrie at their side.

  “What’s going on, Sergeant?” Rainey asked.

  “Boys, tell him what you saw,” Tripper said.

  One of the patrolmen cleared his throat—the two of them both looked red-eyed and exhausted. “Last night, the brawl over on Orchid.”

  “There was a brawl on Orchid?” Minox asked. “I wasn’t aware of that.”

  “Why would you be?” Tripper said. “Go on, boys.”

  “Yeah, this brawl, it was a bunch of Rose Street Princes, all crazy in the street, and they were fighting the Thorn. Right there, and the Thorn shot at us.”

  “Were you injured?” Minox asked. “And when was this?”

  “No, we were all right,” the second patrolman said. “But there was a lot of smoke.”

  “Smoke?”

  “Yeah, his magic smoke, you know?”

  “Smoke,” Tripper said pointedly. “Like when the Left was attacked.”

  “Let him continue, Sergeant,” Minox said. “Officer, when was this?”

  “About nine bells.”

  “Nine bells?” Minox asked. “You are certain of this?”

  “Yeah, pretty certain,” the first patrolman said. “We had both come on at eight bells, and right when it happened, we wanted to grab the one Prince that was still around, but there were more whistles calling everyone to Clover and the Tower.”

  Tripper nodded enthusiastically. “So what do you think of that?”

  “This is excellent, Sergeant,” Minox said. “Gentlemen, I presume you’re off shift at this point?”

  They both nodded.

  “Then go and rest. I appreciate your assistance.”

  They left, and Tripper looked triumphant. “The Thorn, attacking Princes on Orchid. Same way he attacked Benvin. I told you.” Minox glanced at Rainey. She had the look in her eyes that told him she had reached the same conclusion as he had.

  “You did indeed, Sergeant. If these gentlemen are giving accurate testimony—”

  “Hey, now—”

  “Which we think they are,” Rainey supplied.

  “Indeed,” Minox said. “Then it proves it was a pretender, not the real Thorn, who attacked Lieutenant Benvin.”

  “What?” Tripper shouted so loud much of the work floor turned to them. He looked like he was about to throw a punch at Minox.

  Rainey held up a hand and stepped in front of him. “You have to understand, Sergeant, that the Thorn was also seen at the Tower right when it was collapsing.”

  “Two of them,” Corrie added.

  “Who the blazes are you?” Tripper asked.

  “Sergeant Corrie bloody Welling, tosser,” she said. “Name’s on my blasted badge.”

  “So how do you know that one was the real one?”

  Minox decided delving into the details of the magic of it—especially his own—would be counterproductive. “That isn’t relevant at this juncture. Right now we need to move forward with our assigned investigation. Finding Lieutenant Benvin’s attacker.”

  Tripper calmed a bit at that. “All right, so. What’re you going to do for that?”

  “I’ll need all the reports of both incidents last night,” Minox said. “Including the examinarium’s reports on all the dead. Have all of that sent to the squad room immediately.”

  “Reports? Really?”

  “In addition,” Rainey said, poi
ntedly, “we’re going to need to interview witnesses. I presume you know where we can find Rose Street Princes?”

  “Oh, I know, specs,” Tripper said. “That I can take you to straightaway.”

  This Uni girl was all business, but Colin had to admit, she handled the damn business well. Annoying as all blazes. It was a right proper interrogation, but she never sounded like a constable once.

  She sounded like how Colin imagined a Uni professor would.

  But she would have done well with a Constabulary interrogation, he could tell that. Each time he, Veranix, or the other kid told her something, she asked a probing question that opened up new details. Colin didn’t even realize how much he had really seen in the fight with the imposter.

  “Well,” Jiarna said as she closed her journal. “This is quite illuminating. I do think we’re on point with the idea of two different imposters.” She pointed to Colin and Delmin. “You two saw the same one, I’m nearly certain, but Veranix saw a different person.”

  “What do you base that on?” Veranix asked.

  “The man Colin and Delmin saw made a point of showmanship. He wanted to be noticed, he wanted to be recognized. He wanted to engage.”

  “Damn right he did,” Colin said.

  “But yours?” Jiarna continued. “He was focused on a purpose. He killed Miss Quope—”

  “Wait, was that the girl we—” Phadre started.

  “Yes, the same. I’m glad you’ve caught up,” Jiarna said.

  “Well, that’s a blasted shame.”

  Jiarna gave him a look, the kind that Colin knew meant the guy was in trouble.

  “I mean that she was front placed in her category. And, you know, waste of human life.”

  “Certainly, darling,” Jiarna said. “But if I may continue. He killed her with intent, based on your account. Three arrows for her, no one else engaged. He didn’t bother coming back for you.”

  “Right, so?”

  “So whoever he was, his mission was to kill Emilia. Nothing else.”

  “Why would—” Veranix started, but then he shut his trap. He was probably about to ask a stupid question, when the answer was pretty blazing clear. There were surely dozens of folks with scores to settle with a Deadly Bird.

  “So you have two problems. I’m designating them the Jester and the Hunter.”