Three Charms for Murder (The Case Files of Henri Davenforth Book 5)

by Honor Raconteur

  A different problem for a different day. I set it aside, coming back to the bed and sitting down for a minute. After all the rushing about today, sitting felt good. I watched my cats nose at things, the kittens’ tails twitching in a happy rhythm. Jules really had miscalculated on these two. He’d given them too much wanderlust and curiosity. They were not the type to be pampered housecats.

  He’d shown me the designs for the Felixes quite a few times, not that I was able to wrap my head around most of it. Creation of a magical creature required the blending of many elements, in specific rations, to form the overall picture. It was really no wonder he’d weighed more heavily in some directions than others, as it was definitely a delicate balancing act to create a Felix. Even the information he implanted in them was all listed out, taking up volumes.

  I never respected the power and intelligence of a Royal Mage more than when I saw their design for something. I knew computer programmers that couldn’t plan things down to that level of detail. It was insane everything they had to know, plan for, and list out to get the end product. And just creating a single Felix took quite a bit of power. I think Jules was only able to create two at once this time because they were so much smaller than the adult version.

  Tasha popped up on the bed and came over to plant herself directly in front of me. She regarded me with serious eyes. “Work more tomorrow?”

  “That’s the plan, kiddo,” I answered, amused. “We keep working until we solve the case. Then we take a little break and wait for the next case to come in, and we work that one.”

  That pleased her, I could tell. She settled into a semi-perch, the tip of her tail twitching.

  “Is work that much fun?”

  “Yes.” She thought about it for a moment. “Sitting in sunbeams nice but boring.”

  Clint hopped up to join the conversation, stretching out across my lap in a sprawl. “Wait until you chase mice. Mice loads of fun.”

  I gave it a week after we got home—maybe less—before they tackled the rats. After these guys got done, you wouldn’t be able to find a rodent within a square block in any direction. These three would hunt them to extinction given the chance.

  Phil came in to join us and crawled right up over Clint’s belly. Then proceeded to sit on him because personal space? What’s that? Clint didn’t even mind, just purred at him.

  “Jamie,” my too-serious tuxedo informed me gravely. “I like Henri.”

  “I’ve noticed. Do you want to focus on helping Henri?”

  “Yes. I can?”

  “You can,” I answered seriously and had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

  Henri. You charming devil, you’ve won over a kitten.

  Calling Captain Gregson’s office did me no good, as the man was not to be found there. Since that was the case, I went up to my own hotel room and tried again via the pad. I felt we must report the situation properly to someone, and since Gregson was point of contact with the police commissioner, he seemed the most apt choice.

  “Davenforth,” Gregson greeted, sounding slightly out of breath. “Tell me something good.”

  “I do wish I could, believe me. Are you free to talk?”

  “I am. It might be a bit noisy out here, I’m walking back from dinner. Can you hear me fine?”

  Ah, that explained the background noise I heard of traffic and random spots of chatter. The sound quality was infinitely superior to a modern telephone, despite the background noise. “Yes, just fine. Then allow me to update you. Quite frankly, this whole investigation has been botched. Utterly botched. They didn’t even try to determine the true culprit.”

  Gregson groaned. “Walk me through from the beginning.”

  I did, the words leaving a bitter, acrid taste in the back of my throat. But he needed to know, so I told him as concisely and clearly as I knew how. He listened—my captain was an exceptional listener—and only interjected twice with questions.

  “Davenforth, I expected something of a torrid time, but what you’ve just recounted to me is insane. Perfectly insane. Are you absolutely certain they didn’t kill the Atwoods or are somehow complicit with their murder?”

  “It does raise the question, doesn’t it? But if you’d been in that station, I think you’d see it’s rather a different problem altogether. They’re apathetic in the extreme. The morgue alone spoke of nothing but neglect. It’s as if they joined the police force to draw a steady paycheck, not to make a career of it.” I rubbed at my head, changing my position in the room’s chair so I could slump against the back. Just speaking of this wearied me. Jamie had said once no one hated a bad cop more than a good cop. In this moment, I truly empathized with the sentiment. “Captain, I want to formally request an evaluation of the Deems PD.”

  “That’s happening whether or not you request it. This is making incredible waves even over here. They’re forming up a review committee right now. I’m not sure if you’ll be done by the time they get over there. You know how slowly these things sometimes move.”

  “I do. But I’m relieved to hear it.”

  “Do you have enough evidence to sort through? Can you even work this case after they’ve trampled through it?”

  “We’ll do our best. It’s…irritating, honestly. So much of the evidence is simply not there when it should be. But we’ll try.”

  “I suppose that’s all you can do. Alright, keep me updated.”

  “I will, sir. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight.”

  I ended the call and sat a moment, feeling rather exhausted. And peckish. Come to think of it, I hadn’t eaten dinner yet. A hearty meal was definitely in order, to revive my spirits if nothing else.

  The room’s phone rang. Curious, I answered it. “Hello?”

  “Dr. Davenforth, you have a guest waiting for you in the lobby,” a female voice informed me.

  “Thank you, I’ll be down presently.” Now, what was this about? Tucking the pad back into my suitcoat, I exited my room to find out.

  A surprise waited for me in the lobby of the hotel. And by surprise, I meant a very surly Royal Mage.

  “How dare you come out to play without me?” Seaton crossed his arms over his majestic red coat, a trembling pout on his lips. “Really, Davenforth, I thought we were friends.”

  I came toward him with bemusement, not sure what to make of his arrival. It was an odd season for vacations, so the hotel lobby was sparse with guests. With his red coat and dramatic presence, Seaton dominated the room.

  “Seaton, we’re hardly here for the pleasure of it. We’re working a case.”

  “I’m aware. That’s why I’m mad. It’s always more interesting working with you, and how dare you spoil that for me.” Seaton’s pout grew impossibly deeper. “Don’t you realize how bored I’ve been?”

  “Even with our secret project?” I stopped in front of him, noting he had no luggage nearby. Had he already booked a room here and sent it ahead, or was some other plan at play?

  “Well, I can hardly work on that without you. Although I think I’ve made the final bit of adjustments. I want you to look over them, see if I’ve missed anything.”

  In other words, he was bored, antsy for me to review what he’d done, and happy to take any excuse to escape Kingston for a while. I could read in between the lines well enough. “I was about to step out for dinner. Most chose to stay here and eat in the dining room. Why don’t you join me, so we can talk without fear of Jamie overhearing us?”

  “Splendid. I could use some food myself.”

  I’d spied a small restaurant on the way in that had delicious aromas wafting from it. Since it was across the street from the hotel, we walked to it, the collars of our great coats turned up to ward off the growing chill of the evening. I hoped for a break in the weather soon. This unseasonable chill was growing tiresome in the extreme. It was the beginning of spring, for deities’ sake!

  As we crossed the hotel’s front yard, Seaton spoke, his hands gesturing freely in the air
. “I went over our plan, and double-checked the coordinates from Burton’s notes, and there’s no question in my mind we’ve found the right point in space.”

  The (now deceased) RM Burton had been working through Belladonna’s very scattered notes before his death and had solved about half of it, helping us pinpoint Jamie’s home planet. We’d found his research while investigating his rather interesting murder. Seaton and I had taken over where he’d left off in studying the insane witch’s notes. It had taken even more research on our part and a few trial runs to narrow the possibilities, but I had faith we were correct as well. I’d just also like to have proof before we embarrassed ourselves.

  “I think I’ve also solved the power problem. We’re not going to be able to push it past two hours, and really, I think we should stick to an hour and a half conversation. It won’t do to magically exhaust all three of us.”

  “I agree that is poor planning, but what do you mean three?”

  He stopped at the edge of the street, looking both ways for cars, then shot me a grimace. “There’s no way around it. We’ll need to draw in another magician, a powerful one to boot. You and I will not suffice.”

  “I can’t say I’m surprised, but who do you plan on pulling in?”

  “Jules Felix.”

  I almost stumbled to a stop dead in the middle of the street. “You’re jesting!”

  Seaton caught me by the elbow and tugged me back into motion before a motorcar could run me over. “I’m not.”

  “You detest the man!”

  “I do not. I find him slow and tedious. He drives me up the wall, as Jamie would put it. But I believe he will help us.”

  I stopped on the sidewalk outside the restaurant, using the streetlamp’s illumination in order to study his expression. He did look pained, and I knew if it wasn’t for Jamie’s sake, he would have chewed off his tongue before even considering requesting help from Jules Felix.

  Seaton shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot under my regard. “You think I’m wrong?”

  “I’m quite sure you’re right. I’m just surprised you’re willing to accept his aid.”

  “I’ll not fail in this because my ego got in the way.”

  Well, that was sensible of him. Sometimes I did forget he could be sensible. “Wise of you. Come, let’s eat. I’ll need sustenance if I’m to work through your notes.”

  We were seated promptly at a corner table. I almost couldn’t think because of the delicious smell of roasting meat, baked pastries, and something that spoke of spices. I ordered perhaps a touch too much and relished the possibility of eating it all. As we waited, I reviewed his notes carefully, double-checking the math several times, but found nothing wrong. In theory, this should work perfectly.

  In theory.

  The food arrived and I put the notes to the side to avoid spills. We ate companionably in silence for nearly a full minute before Seaton’s patience abandoned him.

  “But what are you doing out here anyway?” he demanded. “I only heard there was a case involving the Atwoods, that it looked quite bad, and you were handed jurisdiction of the case from the police commissioner.”

  “You only knew that, but you came anyway?”

  “What are you saying, man, of course I did! The Atwoods have done me many a good turn in the past. I’d be happy to return the favor, given the chance.” He put his fork down to stare at me in challenge. “Just what happened?”

  I told him the full grisly tale, and it was such that it turned my stomach. I had to shove the emotions aside and compartmentalize them before it killed my appetite completely. Seaton grew increasingly outraged by the time I finished, and I think he was ready to leap up and defend justice by the end of it. At least, the way he held his knife indicated he was ready to use it with prejudice.

  “Suspects?” Seaton demanded, knuckles going white around the knife.

  “None yet, and will you cease holding your knife in such a manner? You’re alarming me.”

  He put it down with a huff, letting it clatter to the table. “And how did they get through the wards, these murderers?”

  “We don’t know that yet either, but I think there’s something very underhanded going on with the ward. I mentioned the burglaries? The neighborhood has been hit with so many of them that the Atwoods renewed and upgraded their ward twice. When we interviewed the staff, they were full of tales about it.”

  Seaton’s brows compressed. “But if that’s the case, the ward should have been top of the line, well able to keep anyone with nefarious intentions out.”

  “Quite so.”

  “This isn’t anything like the case with that thrice-cursed boy and the palace, is it?”

  “Perish the thought and no. Things are being stolen, so the thieves entering clearly have ill intent. Not to mention the murderer.”

  Seaton huffed an obvious breath of relief. One I shared. “Thank all deities for that. Are all the other properties in the neighborhood stolen from like this as well?”

  “I haven’t had a chance to look into it properly, but I suspect so. The Deems PD is apathetic to this situation in the extreme.” Leaning in, I lowered my tone to something that wouldn’t carry past our table. “My dear chap, I think there’s monkey business afoot. I will lay odds the thief has somehow acquired either a policeman’s badge or a fireman’s badge and is using it to circumvent the wards.”

  Seaton’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You think policeman.”

  “I do. If you were at the station with us earlier, you’d suspect the same. They are extremely sloppy and slapdash in their methods. The report for the Atwood murder was a handwritten page. Half-page, I should say. They completely ignored protocol when conducting the investigation.”

  Seaton sat back with a huff, color rising in his cheeks from anger. “Oh, I do not like the sound of this at all. Davenforth, I insist on helping on this case.”

  I wanted to point out that the man was higher in rank than any of us and, as such, could bull in when and where he chose. But that would be uncharitable. He was here because he was angry, too, that someone of his acquaintance had been murdered. He sincerely wished to help and made an excellent work partner. “By all means. I need a second set of eyes on the wards anyway. As a corroborative witness, if nothing else.”

  “Yes, quite so.” Happy he was getting his way, his expression cleared. He returned to his plate but cast me a sideways glance. “Bit of a change in subject, but how are the Felixes doing, by the by? Have they been helpful?”

  “Quite helpful. Clint’s teaching them the ropes, as is Jamie. Phil has found a clue for us already that we’re eager to explore.”

  “I’m still amused Jules ended up losing both kittens to her. He was moping about the palace, whining to anyone who would listen.”

  I doubt it was that bad. Then again, maybe not. Jules was the sensitive sort. “It’s not as if he’s completely abandoned. The man has six of his own. The kittens adamantly refused to be left behind. They want to work and see the world. Jamie didn’t anticipate taking both either, but…here we are.”

  Seaton cackled again. “He’s so confident in his creation skills. And his creations deserted him. Ah, it’s too rich. I’m going to laugh about it for a good year, at least.”

  Shaking my head, I left him to his own amusement.

  We finished our meal and paid. I tucked the notes into a pocket as we walked back, ruminating on several points. But truly, I didn’t think it a good practice to just assume we had the right planet. If we were incorrect, not only would it be embarrassing, but heart-breaking for Jamie. She longed so to speak with her family. To assure them she was alright. To make sure they were as well. To dangle that possibility in front of her only to have it fail…no, I didn’t even want to contemplate the possibility.

  “Seaton.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Why don’t we test this properly. If we do a scrying spell, it should take a fraction of the power. We should be able to establish a connection and
use it for at least five minutes before forced to retreat. Wouldn’t you think?”

  Seaton’s eyes narrowed, and I could see him doing the mental calculations. “The two of us, you mean?”

  “Indeed. I want to establish we’ve made the correct leaps in logic before we carry this any further. I don’t wish to disappoint Jamie, and wouldn’t you prefer to have it established before we approach Jules Felix?”

  “That I would.” Seaton gave a decisive nod. “Let’s do that. Not tonight.”

  “Deities, no, we’re not set up for this in the least.” I had more to say on the topic, but I spied Weber ahead of us, a bag in hand and heading into the hotel. “I say, that’s Weber. He’s a bit later coming in than I expected. Ho, Weber!”

  Our coroner turned, looking a bit rumpled after so much travelling, his mahogany skin darker in the mellow lighting of the lamps. His white suit was creased with what looked like an oil stain on one cuff. He’d not had an easy time of it, getting here. Unfortunately, I didn’t see how his future would improve. On seeing the two of us, he lifted a hand in greeting and waited just outside the door for us to catch up with him.

  “Davenforth, RM Seaton, hello.” Weber was an amiable chap, always had been. Incredibly intelligent as well, and one of the most observant men I knew. It was why, whenever I needed a coroner’s expertise, I went to him first. “I know I’m deucedly late,” he continued in his mild tenor voice. “The first train I was on broke down on the tracks, if you can believe it. They had to shuffle us off and onto another. Took hours longer than it should to get here.”

  Seaton tsked. “Bad luck, it sounds like. Have you eaten?”

  “On the way in. They fed us all a complimentary dinner to make up for the delay.”

  “Would you like to hear about the case now or later?” I inquired, studying him. He looked exhausted and not in the right frame of mind to absorb any information.

  “Later, if you don’t mind.” Weber passed a hand over his forehead, looking utterly done in. “I want nothing more than a welcoming bed at the moment. Just tell me one thing. Has any sort of examination been done?”