Staying on Top

by Elizabeth Corrigan

  “Not exactly.” I’m treading on thin ice. “I have reason to believe Philindra Dixie’s murder is unrelated, or at least only tangentially related, to Coelis Crest’s.”

  “Yet the only reason you know about this second murder is that you were collecting information from Miss Dixie about the case you were explicitly forbidden to investigate.” Fellows’s voice rose with every word. “May I ask why you did not immediately refer her to me, the lead investigator on this case?”

  Kadin swallowed. “Well, sir, she was very upset. It seemed rude to hang up on her. And of course, once I heard ject fire, I had to intervene.”

  “Miss Stone, there is no room for politeness in a murder investigation. Nor is there room for disregarding one’s superiors.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You are excused for the day, Miss Stone,” said Fellows. “Disobey me again, and we will see if we need to make the excusal permanent. Are we clear?”

  Kadin squeezed her eyes shut. “Yes, sir.”

  Kadin headed for the autobus stop, her heels clack-clacking on the pavement in time with her beating heart. I need to keep this job, especially if I’m going to break up with Dahran, which means I can’t go find Baurus and get my purse back because he’s going to ask about the case. She was somewhat concerned about Xanidova, but if the revolver’s behavior with Kadin was any evidence, Xanidova knew how to keep her silence.

  I’ll go home. It’s Octavira’s birthday, anyway. I’ll give her some time off.

  When Kadin got home, the house smelled even more delicious than usual. Most people’s cooking put Kadin’s to shame, but Octavira was in a class by herself. The scent of buttercream frosting permeated the air, and it was all Kadin could do not to seek out the source of the aroma and hopefully eat it.

  As she turned the corner to the kitchen, Octavira was putting the finishing touches on the frosting of an elaborate three-layer cake. Kadin’s sister-in-law started when she heard someone in the doorway, leaving a line of pink frosting where it clearly didn’t belong down the side of the cake.

  “What are you doing here?” asked Octavira. “Don’t you have big important detective things to be doing? Or is it your new joy in life to ruin other people’s birthday cakes?”

  Kadin cringed. “I’m really sorry about that. Can you fix it?”

  “Of course I can fix it,” said Octavira. “I’m not completely useless in the kitchen. I just shouldn’t have to.”

  “I’m sorry,” Kadin said again. “I got out of work early, and I thought you might want to have some time off today.”

  “Some time off?” Octavira snorted. “How do you expect me to have time off? Your brother went to all the trouble to get a roast for my birthday, which means I have to prepare it, along with my own birthday cake, as you see.”

  “Maybe I could help?” Kadin’s offer sounded feeble to her own ears.

  “You? Help in the kitchen?” Octavira shook her head. “Your brother went through a lot of effort to get this meal. We want it to be edible.”

  “Well, maybe you could teach me—”

  “As if that’s what I want to spend my birthday doing: giving you hopeless tips on a life you don’t appreciate and are just throwing away.”

  She’s clearly still mad about me breaking up with Dahran. “Okay. I just thought—”

  “Go away, Kadin. Go play with the children or do whatever lofty, important things you do on your own time. No one wants you here.”

  Kadin steered clear of Octavira the rest of the day. She didn’t have any lofty, important things to do or really anything to do at all. She decided to play with the children so she didn’t spend the afternoon wondering if she even existed outside of work and her quest to find a husband.

  By the time Tobin got home, Octavira had a veritable feast laid out for the family, consisting of perfectly pink roast, mashed potatoes, honeyed carrots, and homemade bread. Tobin heaped praises upon Octavira, and she gave him smiles of gratitude throughout the meal. Octavira even took her children’s stories of the amusing things “Auntie Kay” had done that day in stride.

  After the meal was complete and the children had devoured as much of the cake as Octavira would let them have, Kadin realized the time had arrived to give Octavira gifts. She found herself grinning as she went to retrieve the package from her room. For once, she felt she’d picked out something that her sister-in-law would like.

  The children offered their gifts of hand-drawn pictures and plastic-beaded jewelry, which Octavira accepted as the most beautiful things she had ever seen. She doled an equal amount of praise on them as the chandelier earrings that Tobin presented her with. Then it was Kadin’s turn.

  Kadin handed over a rectangular package, and she ignored Octavira’s sniff at the less-than-even wrapping job.

  After Octavira opened the package, she gaped at the two books in her hands. “What are these?”

  Uh-oh. She doesn’t sound pleased. “They’re biographies of famous surgeons. I thought—”

  Octavira slammed the books down on the table. “Why would you think I would want something like that?”

  “W-Well, I saw that you had checked that textbook out from the library—”

  “Who gave you permission to go through my things?” Octavira’s voice roared loud enough that the children cowered in wide-eyed fear. “Why would someone like me be interested in the lives of surgeons?”

  Kadin had never heard her sister-in-law so upset. “I just… I thought…”

  “Clearly, you didn’t.” Octavira spat her words. “Think, that is. I don’t know why I put up with you in this house at all, Kadin Stone.” By the time she was done speaking, tears had welled up in Octavira’s eyes. She reached up and touched the wetness on her cheeks then turned and stormed out of the room and up the stairs.

  For a moment, the rest of the family sat in stunned silence. Then Tobin cleared his throat. “I… um… I’ll go talk to her. Kadin, can you…?”

  “I’ll clean up and put the children to bed,” said Kadin.

  “Thank you.” Tobin breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry, Kay. I don’t know what came over her.”

  “It’s fine.” But it wasn’t fine, and Kadin wasn’t sure what she had done wrong or what she could possibly do to fix it.

  Chapter 13

  The next day, when Kadin got to the office, she found a package on her desk. She checked the return address and recognized Philindra Dixie’s apartment number. In all the scuffle over Philindra’s death, she had forgotten the starlet had said she’d sent a package.

  I should just hand it over to Fellows. And I will, just as soon as I find out what’s inside. She picked it up and was surprised at the weight of the small package. Feeling around the edges led her to believe there was a book inside.

  Because packages containing books have led to such great things in my life lately.

  Kadin pulled the brown paper off and discovered a pink diary with embossed ballet shoes and swirly, foil lettering. Kadin opened to the cover page, where it read “The Diary of Coelis Crest” with a pair of dates that placed the diary around the time that Coelis left home.

  This is it. This book has the evidence we need to figure out who killed Coelis Crest and, presumably, Philindra Dixie as well. She wanted nothing more in the world than to sit down and start reading the journal, but she knew she couldn’t. Opening the package skirted the line already. She needed to go to Fellows and let him handle the evidence, or she would lose her job.

  When Fellows got in—ten nerve-wracking minutes later than usual—Kadin stood up and, hands shaking, thrust the diary in his direction. “Philindra Dixie sent me this before she died. I didn’t ask her to, and I didn’t read it. I’m staying out of the case.”

  Fellows looked her up and down, as if trying to decide whether to be disappointed or pleased. He eyed the brown paper in the trash can. �
��You opened the package.”

  “It was addressed to me,” she said. “I didn’t read it. I’m staying out of the case.”

  “Very well, Miss Stone.” Fellows took the book from her. “I have some urgent business to attend to for a new case. I’ll have work for you tomorrow. For today, finish up the Mook and Tiara cases and have them to me by the end of the day.”

  “Yes, sir.” Kadin wished she hadn’t left only a few Ts to cross on the two cases because she realized she was in for an incredibly boring morning.

  I could go find Dahran and break up with him. It’s probably better to do that in a public place like work. He can’t get too angry here.

  Her breathing shallow, she headed over to Dahran’s office. She raised a shaking hand to his doorframe to get his attention before she realized he wasn’t in there.

  Oh. He’s probably out on a case or avoiding me the way I was avoiding him.

  Kadin went back to her office and watched her hands shake for about fifteen minutes before she had calmed down. You’re going to have to break up with him eventually, she told herself. You can’t stay with him because you’re scared of how he’ll react.

  She spent the rest of the morning in a manner reminiscent of her first days on the job, back before Fellows let her do anything. She was about to leave for lunch when Olivan appeared in her doorway.

  “Have you heard the news?” he asked. “CrimeSolve caught Coelis and Philindra’s killer!”

  Kadin froze, her coat in her hand inches above the rack. “What? They’ve publicized that they think it’s Mandrick Pane? Did he confess?”

  “Ugh, no, that’s yesterday’s news,” said Olivan. “Come to lunch, and I will tell you everything.”

  I’m supposed to stay out of the case. But I suppose if Ollie knows anything, it must be almost common knowledge by now. “Okay. I was headed out for lunch anyhow.”

  Olivan refused to say anything until they were sitting in a relatively private booth in his current favorite restaurant, but as soon as they had their food, the floodgates opened. “So apparently Coelis Crest once had an abortion.”

  “Wait, what?” Of all the things Kadin expected Olivan to say, that was last on the list. In reality, it didn’t even make the list. Society frowned on women having sex outside of marriage and taking birth control pills, but abortion was unheard of.

  Olivan looked way too entertained for someone delivering such terrible news. “Apparently, when she was a teenager, her stepfather assaulted her, and she got pregnant and had to have an abortion.”

  “Ollie, that’s terrible! The poor girl!”

  Olivan’s face fell. “You’re right, of course. It’s just so scandalous, and you know I love a good scandal.”

  Kadin gave Olivan a reproachful look, and he straightened up. “Right, empathy in check. Anyway, after Coelis died, Philindra was about the make the whole thing public, so the stepfather shot her to keep his secret. But CrimeSolve found the gun used to kill Philindra in his house, and it still had her blood on it.”

  Kadin took a bite of her salad, pondering. “How did CrimeSolve find out about all this?”

  “Apparently, Coelis had a diary and shared it with Philindra. Somehow, CrimeSolve got ahold of it, and it was sufficient evidence for an arrest.”

  “What?” But Philindra sent the diary to me, and I gave it to Fellows. How did CrimeSolve get their hands on it? I guess… I guess there had to have been more than one diary? And Philindra sent it to both of us to make sure the evidence made it to light? Somehow, that didn’t ring true, but Kadin couldn’t think of any other option.

  “I said—”

  “No, I heard you.” Kadin sat back on the bench. “So Dove confessed to both murders?”

  “Not yet,” said Olivan. “He denied both at first but fessed up about Philindra’s murder once they found the gun. It’s only a matter of time until he caves about Coelis too.”

  Kadin took a bite of her salad and chewed, considering. “But what motive would he have for killing Coelis?”

  “Uh, duh! He assaulted her!”

  “No, I know. But Coelis wasn’t about to make any of that public. It would ruin her career, if not her life. Abortion is extremely illegal, no matter the extenuating circumstances. Philindra was only going to make it public after her friend died because she thought it was relevant to the case.”

  “Exactly,” said Olivan. “It was relevant to the case.”

  “I don’t know, Ollie. Something seems fishy about the whole thing. Two totally different methods of death, two totally different motivations. It sounds like two killers to me.”

  “Oh, Deity, you’re not back on the “M” word, are you? There is no such thing as—” Olivan glanced around to make sure no one could hear him. “Magic.”

  “I’ve talked to a magic expert!” Kadin kept her voice low as well. “He seems to think the Society of Mages has their own motives for killing people.”

  Olivan rolled his eyes. “Kay, if magic existed, people would have better uses for it than murder. Whatever kook you talked to was pulling your leg.”

  “He helped me catch Herrick Strand.”

  “And look how well that turned out. Can we please get back to the topic at hand? CrimeSolve found the scandalous killer, and you’re just disappointed they got to him before you did.”

  “Maybe.” But I don’t think so.

  Neither Fellows nor Dahran had returned to the office by the end of the day, and Kadin was mostly relieved. She didn’t want to confront Fellows about how the journal she had given to Fellows that morning had ended up in CrimeSolve’s hands, and she was terrified of breaking up with Dahran.

  As she unchained her paper clips for the last time and put them away, her phone rang.

  “Valeriel Investigations. Detective Fellows’s office. Kadin Stone speaking.”

  “I thought I told you in no uncertain terms that you were supposed to solve that crime,” came Baurus’s voice from the other end of the line.

  Kadin twisted the cord of her phone around her finger and thanked the Deity Baurus couldn’t see her cringe. “I know. I tried. Really, I did. But Fellows wanted me to stay out of it, and CrimeSolve got to it before I could.”

  “It’s fine,” said Baurus. “Bay will never let me forget that the detectives she called in were the ones to solve the case, but it’s fine.”

  “I’m really sorry—”

  “Kay, it’s fine, really. Murderer caught. Everyone is happy.”

  Somehow, the certainty in Baurus’s voice made her feel like her fears about two murderers must be ridiculous. After all, if the duke was satisfied, who was she to gainsay him? “If you’re not calling to yell at me, I can only assume you want to return my purse.”

  “I do indeed. Sorry I didn’t get it back to you yesterday. The Assembly had a meeting about some nonsense, and I was tied up all day.”

  Kadin shook her head at the idea that the major governing body of Valeriel was engaged in nonsense, but she decided not to dwell on it. “No problem. Do you want me to come by and pick it up?” She hoped not. The Imperial district was short on autobus stops.

  “Well, I was thinking that I didn’t get the chance to properly appreciate the alleged best club in my city, what with you disappearing and all.”

  “I guess that’s true, though I’m pretty sure my frequent visits are not what make it the best. And if I’m being completely honest, Ollie disagrees with my assessment.”

  “Your friend Ollie is insane.”

  Kadin didn’t know whether to cringe or laugh as she imagined some of the things Olivan might have asked Baurus. “Again, I’m really sorry. Ollie is kind of an Imperial fanboy.”

  “I did pick up on that, thought I wouldn’t use the ‘kind of’ qualifier.” Kadin heard the smile in Baurus’s voice. “What about you, Kadin Stone? Are you an Imperial fangirl?” />
  Kadin wasn’t sure how to answer that. “Not really.” She hated how her voice squeaked on the words.

  “Fair enough. I’ll see you at Divinity in an hour.”

  “Wait, I didn’t say—” She heard a click on the other end of the line. “That I was going to go with you.”

  It’s not a date, right? Dukes don’t go on dates. They have arranged marriages and formal courting and stuff, right?

  I’d better go see if Dahran’s in one last time.

  Dahran had not been in his office, and no one seemed to know where he was. She might have worried if playing hooky from work weren’t exactly like him.

  I should just go home, she thought as she stepped off the autobus at Divinity. I don’t need my purse that badly, and there are so many ways this could go wrong. But she did need to get Xanidova back, and the truth was, she wanted to spend the evening with Baurus.

  Stupid Ralvin DeValeriel. He had to get me thinking about things I want to do instead of things I’m supposed to do.

  As much as Baurus infuriated her, she liked him. He was shameless, privileged, and any number of things that should have made her dislike him, but he challenged her, he listened to her—sometimes—and he made her feel like she was a real person instead of a woman whose only purpose was getting married and having babies.

  Before she could decide that none of these, not even Xanidova, was a good enough reason for sticking around, a tall, broad figure made its way through the crowd toward her. “Kadin!”

  She expected to get nothing more than a wan, queasy smile out of her face, but she found a broad grin stretching her lips. “You thought I wasn’t coming.”

  “What? Of course you were coming.” He held up a brown bag. “I have your purse.” He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “And your very interesting pearl-handled revolver.”

  Oh, Deity, did Xanidova talk to him? She decided to play it dumb for as long as she could. “You went through my bag?”