by Lyra Evans
“Does the ocean not accomplish a similar task?” Cobalt asked, glancing out the wall of windows to the private beach that lay at the bottom of the yard.
“But the ocean is outside,” Niko said. “And other people swim in it. Poor people.”
Cobalt rolled his eyes, a smile quirking his lips at Niko’s jest. A flare of warmth filled Niko’s heart, but he pushed it aside. Turning to the windows again, Niko studied them closer. They were definitely new. The etched runemarks were fresh enough to cut, the edges sanded down in a hurry. As though they were applied in a rush.
“Look,” Cobalt whispered, appearing closely behind Niko. Niko’s breath caught in his chest, his body reacting with increased sensitivity around the Selkie. Cobalt gestured to the terrace beyond the windows. There was an irregular spot on the bricked terrace that shone brighter than the rest, cleaner and newer to the light.
Without answering, Niko moved to the glass door that exited onto the terrace. Stepping outside so abruptly was like dropping unceremoniously into the ocean. The air was so humid and hot, he felt as though he was swimming and doing a poor job of it. Gasping somewhat, Niko pressed through the discomfort to study the area on the ground. He crouched down close to the tan and terracotta stone, holding his hand over the spot. He needn’t have been so careful doing it, as though he might wipe away the small trace of magic left there. The trace wasn’t small at all.
Immediately, he was assaulted with sensation. There was the same idea of cleaning solution as there had been in the bathroom, but more than that was the feeling of being run over by a bullet train. Niko nearly fell back from the sheer force of the magical residue. His lungs compressed, all the air leaving him, his chest burning like his organs were on fire. There was shock and pain and the scream that tears from your throat during the worst nightmares, silent and debilitating. It was terror and destruction, and it was hotter than the surface of the sun. And then, at the end, it felt like drowning in a boiling pool. Niko felt the very heat of the water bubbling up under his skin, separating his skin from his muscle and flaying him.
He pulled back sharply, wiping his other hand over the enhanced one. He made the trade to get his regular senses back, needing to escape the overwhelming sensations of the magical residue. Cobalt reached for him, his hand on Niko’s shoulder as Niko straightened. It grounded Niko instantly, feeling cool and comforting in the blazing heat of what he had just experienced. Without thinking, Niko leaned into the touch.
“It was here, wasn’t it?” Cobalt asked. Niko met his gaze, seeing the pupils of Cobalt’s crystal eyes narrow to a point. Niko nodded. “Indy was murdered here?”
Niko looked back down at the spot on the ground. It seemed to shimmer before his eyes, boasting of its mark, its claim to history. “I’m certain,” Niko said, raising a hand to touch his chest. There was a hollow ache there, as though his skin was bruising at the exact point where Indigo’s chest had been blown open. “We need to get a forensics team down here—”
“Ah, there you are!” Niko spun to find Mr. Oak emerging from the solarium, his salesman’s smile still stuck to his face. “I was worried I’d lost you somewhere in the manor!”
Niko plastered a friendly smile on his face as well, chuckling politely at the joke. Cobalt tensed next to him, but when Niko chanced a look at him, he found Cobalt’s face schooled into a placating mask.
“It is quite the property, isn’t it?” Niko said in response, crossing his arms over his chest, one hand to his mouth as though he’d been admiring it from outside. The house loomed over them now, heavier against the sky than it had been on their way in. Whatever the beautiful façade suggested, this house held some number of horrors.
“Indeed it is,” Oak agreed, crossing his hands behind his back. “How have you been getting on in my absence? Any questions for me? Have you seen the formal dining room? What a sight that is, isn’t it? Seats up to seventy-six, which of course is the perfect number for significant but intimate gatherings.”
Niko hummed in answer, biting back his instinctive comments. He nodded to the solarium. “We were quite taken by the sunroom here, actually. Did we hear the other couple correctly? The windows were all replaced?”
Oak nodded, glancing back at the wall of glass that reflected the sun. When he squinted, the lines around his eyes became more prominent, cut through the skin like deep sea trenches. “They were. Installation and warding was completed yesterday, in fact, so they are guaranteed for at least a century. Only the best runeworkers.”
Niko stepped up to the windows, making as if to study them more closely. “Why were they replaced so quickly?” If he was fazed by the question, Oak didn’t show it. Instead, he merely tilted his head slightly, curious. “I noticed the rune edges are still sharp. A tiny detail, but it did make me wonder…”
Oak brushed off the concern. “Not at all! You’ve a keen eye, there,” he said. His eyes never left Niko’s face. “The seller is simply very motivated. The current owners of the manor didn’t want the renovations drawn out at all, and they’ve the money to pay for quick work. Simple as that.” He smiled in what Niko thought was meant to be a conspiratorial way and leaned in to half-whisper, “And frankly, they’re so motivated to sell they even listed it for slightly under market value. This place won’t be on the market long, no, Sir.”
Niko raised his eyebrows, glancing briefly in Cobalt’s direction. The Selkie was stone-faced now Oak wasn’t looking at him. He seemed incredibly uncomfortable, and some small part of Niko took satisfaction in that.
“Quite frankly, I’m surprised they want to leave this place,” Niko said, stepping away from the windows and toward the edge of the terrace. He looked out over the sprawling grounds, his eyes settling on a guesthouse surrounded by trees to the left. “Why are they so eager to leave if this house is so great?”
Oak made a strange noise, a soft humming that almost rang like a bell. It played over in Niko’s head, and he found himself turning to face Oak again. “That’s the question, isn’t it? Afraid I can’t answer that. As I understand it, they found somewhere new to live and don’t like to linger, but as to any other motives, I couldn’t say. But their loss is your gain, certainly.”
Niko nodded thoughtfully. He gestured to the guesthouse, noting the open windows. A shadow passed beyond the frame of the windows, and Niko squinted slightly to see. “Do the owners currently employ staff? A butler, cook, maid?” Niko asked.
“Of course,” Oak answered. “Hard to maintain a house like this without help!”
Niko moved to Cobalt and wrapped his arms around him, as though in a pleading gesture. Cobalt’s arms fastened around Niko’s waist with ease, Cobalt’s eyes softening as he looked down at Niko. Heartbeat skipping and a myriad of images flooding Niko’s mind, he tried not to let himself get aroused by the proximity. But Cobalt’s entire being was already suffusing into Niko’s skin, his blood, his mind.
“You see? Servants are a necessity in a house like this,” he said, as though rehashing an old discussion. Cobalt closed his eyes and heaved a long-suffering sigh. Niko turned his head back to Oak. “Is it possible to speak with any of the staff? I’d love to get their thoughts on the place and how to work it. We’d also love to keep on whoever wants to stay. We’ll be needing some help, as you said.”
Oak seemed briefly sheepish. “Ah, I’m afraid the staff aren’t for sale,” he said, and the wording was enough to rankle both Niko and Cobalt. Niko felt the surge of tension in Cobalt’s arms as his hands moved over Cobalt’s biceps. He was solid and strong beneath Niko’s touch, and Niko tried to pretend he wasn’t taking advantage of the situation to feel him up. “They will be moving with the owners. But I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding suitable people to work here, given the environment. Does that mean you’ll be making an offer?”
Niko decided it was about time to give up the charade. He shook his head and pulled his badge out of his pocket. “I’m afraid not, Mr. Oak. But I am going to have to talk to the staff, rega
rdless.”
Oak’s expression faltered, his smile waning. He stared for a long moment at the badge in Niko’s hand, then did a double-take. Niko extricated himself from Cobalt, who cooperatively removed his hands from Niko’s waist. But the weight of them there, the heat of them through his jeans, was still present. Clinging to his focus, Niko stood to his full height and weight, an authoritative stance he’d used in the past on witnesses to get them to realize he was not joking. Cobalt mirrored him, but given his added height and bulk, his imposing stance was considerably more intimidating than Niko’s. Niko tried not to be miffed by that.
“Police?” Oak asked, as though finally catching up to the present. His head turned between Niko and Cobalt, as though noticing Cobalt in full for the first time, and he stepped back. His hands came together in front of him, fingers fiddling with each other. “I don’t understand. I’m just overseeing the sale of this property. How does that constitute a police matter?”
He seemed concerned, uncomfortable, confused. They were reasonable responses to police presence. But given what had happened here, Niko wondered if he hadn’t been prepped for the possibility of dealing with police.
“We have reason to believe this site is a crime scene,” Niko said. Oak blinked at him, his mouth slack; he had not expected his day to take this turn.
“Crime scene? What crime?” Oak shook his head, one hand coming up to brush at his red hair. “Wait, don’t you need a warrant to search a home?”
Niko offered a minute smile, meant to cut the intimidation factor slightly. Cobalt made no such gesture, his expression stony, implacable. “Your open house allowed us legal entry. We collected no evidence that was not apparent in a superficial search.” Oak nodded along, apparently satisfied. Perhaps he was only concerned with his legal responsibility to his client and needed assurance. “As for the crime, we are here investigating a homicide.”
That did little to calm Oak’s alarm. “Homic—you mean murder?” he asked, stepping backward until he hit the short stone wall that lined the perimeter of the terrace. He leaned against it. “Ash and Fir, that’s insane. Who died? What happened?”
Cobalt moved smoothly, without sound, to close the distance between them and Oak. Niko followed at a leisurely pace, not wanting to spook him. Even innocent people reacted strangely sometimes when confronted by police on such a serious matter.
“I’m afraid I cannot share the details of the case with you,” Niko said. “But you can still help us. When was the last time anyone was staying in this house?”
Oak gripped the edge of the stone wall, his eyes somewhat unfocussed as he stared ahead of himself. “Stayed here?” He shook his head again. “I’m not certain. I’d say likely two days ago, but I can’t be sure. Only the owners could tell you that, I’d imagine.”
“And who are the owners, precisely?” Niko asked. That information had not been included in Uri’s morning report.
Oak looked up at him, his eyes slowly focusing on Niko’s face. “I can’t say,” he said.
“May I remind you this is a police investigation and in refusing to answer you are obstructing the investigation of a homicide?"
Oak motioned no, implying Niko was wrong. “It’s not that I won’t help you. It’s that I can’t. I don’t know the names of the owners,” he said. “This property was referred to me via a security firm who provided all the necessary information I needed. The deed to the house listed only a corporation. I honestly don’t know who actually lived here or owned this place.”
Niko swore inwardly, the muscles in his hands itching and tight. He wanted to punch something. Or himself. They needed this lead. “How is that possible? You sell properties belonging to no one?” Niko held himself back from snapping full out. “How can you guarantee the property is not the product of ill-gotten gains? Or other criminal activity? How can you assure new buyers you’re disclosing all necessary information regarding the property if you yourself don’t have all the information?”
Oak seemed somewhat affronted by Niko’s questions, his expression shifting to a more defensive one. He stood straight, no longer leaning against the stone wall, and tried to puff up his chest. “My agents are the best in the Three Courts. We do our due diligence for every property to ensure legal and fair transactions.” He sagged slightly when he noticed Niko’s expression remained unchanged. That and Cobalt took a half-step forward. His dark eyes flitted to Cobalt for only a moment. “It’s not that uncommon, all right? The very wealthy, very powerful of Maeve’s Court do this sometimes to stop reporters and others from ‘sightseeing’ in their homes. If they keep their names from the listing, then no one knows it’s a famous house on sale. Keeps the visits to only prospective buyers and affords them an extra layer of privacy.” He shrugged. “Like I said, the information I was given was thorough and detailed.”
“Did it mention a violent magical event occurring on the terrace?” Niko asked pointedly.
Oak grimaced. “Well, no.” Then gathering himself, he added, “But I cannot be certain there even was a violent magical event here. I’ve only got your word for it.” Niko’s eyebrows shot up, his expression hard. Cobalt crossed his arms over his chest.
“The word of a Maeve’s Court Police Detective is not enough for you?” Cobalt asked smoothly.
“Well, of course that’s not it,” Oak said, his ears turning nearly as red as his hair. He made several half-gestures with his arms, as though he couldn’t decide what to say or do. Then, dropping them, he pleaded with them, “I’ve got a responsibility to my client to ensure their privacy and protect their rights. I’m afraid without a warrant I can’t provide anything else. Not even the name of the corporation.”
Niko nodded, trying to hold back his frustration. “Fine. I understand.” He pulled out his cellphone and tapped in the number for the precinct. “Spruce here. I need to be transferred to the Captain. Yes, immediately.” He waited a moment, Oak watching him with curiosity. “Yes, hello, Captain. Yes. We’re at the property now. The realtor has informed us we will need a warrant for further search. Yes, there is significant evidence of a violent magical event. We also found blood evidence beneath layers of magical cleaning solutions. No, that’s not all. We will need a forensics team on site. Closing the property off and halting the sale is definitely required. Thank you.”
Niko tapped to hang up and slipped his phone back into his pocket. Oak’s eyes were wide and round now, like pebbles in a stream.
“Blood evidence?” he repeated weakly.
Niko ignored him. “If you and your client cannot and will not cooperate without a warrant, that’s fine. But the servants who work the estate are separate entities. They can decide for themselves whether they want to help or not.” Niko made his way down to the edge of the terrace and out toward the wooded guesthouse.
“W-wait!” Oak said, rushing after them. “The servants all signed strict non-disclosure agreements upon hiring. They can’t talk any more than I can!”
Niko walked on with determination. The grass beneath his feet started lush and soft, but as he approached the guesthouse, the ground grew harder, drier. Off to one side, further down the grounds, the grass turned to sand and beach. Just behind the guesthouse, as they approached, was a light shimmering against the sky. It was only visible in the periphery of Niko’s vision, as most warding spells were. It marked the edge of the property.
“A non-disclosure agreement cannot stand in the way of a criminal investigation,” Niko answered, nonplussed by this revelation. The heat sapped at him, leaving his mouth dry. Part of him wondered if it was anger, however, that made him struggle to get words out. “No civil contract can stop a witness testifying in regards to the commission of a crime. Not in Maeve’s Court, anyway.”
Oak fell back, stopping in his tracks to watch Niko and Cobalt go. With a glance behind him, Niko saw Oak wringing his hands and pulling out his own cellphone as he turned back to the main manor. Niko wasn’t terribly concerned about that, just yet. His eyes flew bac
k to the windows of the guesthouse, where he saw flashes of people peering out then disappearing.
The house was much smaller than the manor but still large enough to eat the usual middle-class homes of Maeve’s Court. The outside of the house had a similar décor to the main manor, with the same colours and architecture, but the front door was painted a soothing blue, rather than red. There were a couple steps up to the front door, but nothing grand or as opulent as the entrance through the main gate. And as he stopped before the front door, raising a hand to knock, he caught the warm scent of fresh baking coming from within.
Cobalt softened his stony expression considerably as Niko knocked on the door. They waited only a moment before a woman wearing a simple blue dress opened up for them. She had skin the colour of iron ore and eyes dark as the woods of Connor’s Court. Her deep purple hair was pulled back into a simple braid.
“I’m sorry, this part of the property isn’t up for viewing at the moment,” she began, but Niko shook his head and held out his badge. Her eyes widened to the size of oranges.
“I’m Detective Spruce,” he said, then gesturing to Cobalt, “and this is my associate, Mr. Sincloud. May we come in?”
The woman stood in frozen shock. “I—” she began, looking increasingly afraid. “I don’t know. I don’t know what the Masters of the Manor would—”
Niko was getting quite tired of the ‘Masters of the Manor’ at this point. “Are you the primary resident of this establishment?”
She blinked at him. “Me and the other servants, yes.”
Nodding, Niko said, “Then it is your right to allow us admittance. Or not. Whatever you choose.”
A quick glance over her shoulder, and she nodded solemnly to them. Niko followed her eyes and found several other Fae lingering down the hall, in a doorway, watching the proceedings. She moved out of the way and allowed Niko and Cobalt in. As they entered, the others shied away behind the frame of the door. From the quick look Niko got, he gathered that most of them were young and not all of them were Fae. Dealing with police was probably not high on their list of comfortable situations.