The sun had set just as Master Shen landed the chariot, and now glow lamps twinkled on every street corner. Captain Tosh’s office sat on the top floor in the northeast corner of watch headquarters. It took up a quarter of the floor all by itself, though she couldn’t pin that one on him. The office hadn’t changed in two hundred years.
Behind the garish desk Captain Tosh reclined in a soft leather chair and looked at them through half-closed eyes. A short, barrel-chested man, with an oiled goatee and polished fingernails, the captain considered himself the angels’ gift to women. Whether the women agreed or not concerned him little.
He leaned forward and smiled. “I can’t tell you what a pleasant surprise it was to hear my favorite former subordinate was leading the investigation into Dominic’s disappearance. Jennifer, you’re looking as beautiful as ever.”
Tosh’s oily grin turned Jen’s stomach in a way the flight hadn’t. The less time she had to spend in the pig’s presence the better for both of them. “Have you made the arrangements for us to speak with the family?”
He heaved a dramatic sigh. “Always right to business with you. Same old Jennifer. The family has agreed to see you at ten tomorrow morning. Dominic’s widow…ahem…wife, have to stay optimistic, is too distraught to talk, but the eldest son, Mikhail, has agreed to meet with you.”
Good of him considering they had a royal charter to investigate this matter that gave them the authority to go anywhere and talk to anyone they wanted, whenever they wanted. “I appreciate that. I won’t take up any more of their time than necessary.”
“Go easy, Jennifer. The boy’s lost a father after all. I trust you’ll keep me informed of anything you discover.”
Jen nodded, intending to tell him as little as possible. “As time permits. I assume you’ll inform your men to provide whatever help we need.”
“As long as it doesn’t interfere with their duties. I still have a city to keep safe.”
So, they understood each other. Jen would offer him as little information as she could and he would offer her as little help as he could. She and her squad were basically on their own, which she’d expected.
“Best of luck with your investigation, Jennifer.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
Jen led her team out of Tosh’s office, into the hall, and past his assistant, a pretty blond girl about half Tosh’s age. How many bruises did she have from the captain’s pinches? They left the bored girl behind and headed toward the stairwell.
“Talk about sleazy,” Talon said.
Jen held a finger to her lips. They needed to stay quiet until they left headquarters. They arrived on the first floor and, luckily for them, avoided the main processing area where the watch brought in criminals, handled interrogations, and basically took care of business. A back door by the staircase led to the street. Jen took a deep breath of cool night air.
“Can we talk now?” Alec asked.
“No.” Jen turned north toward their inn. She wouldn’t feel comfortable until they had locked the doors behind them and checked for spies.
Chapter 10
Princess Karrie marched away from Damien’s room, a frown creasing her forehead. What had Daddy been thinking, sending Damien off on a mission so soon? She’d only just begun working on him and it would take weeks to wear him down enough that he’d accept the inevitable. She would marry him, and that was that.
A servant scurried out of her way, but Karrie paid her no more attention than she did the paintings that decorated the walls every few feet. It would have been ideal if Damien wanted to marry her as much as she did him, but it didn’t look like that would happen. If she knew who she was up against it would make it much easier to turn him to her way of thinking.
Maybe he preferred older girls, like Lane. Karrie chewed her lip. That didn’t seem likely. He hadn’t shown any great interest in her when Karrie had said something. Damien clearly regarded Lane as a job and nothing more. Maybe someone from The Tower? It made sense that he might have another sorcerer for a girlfriend. How could she find out?
She barged through the door to the royal quarters, eager to take her father to task over sending Damien away. The kitchen and dining room sat empty and spotless, no doubt thanks to the efforts of the servant she’d seen earlier. She took a couple of steps and peeked into the sitting room. Empty, though a small fire burned in the hearth. Daddy must have had a meeting.
“Mom!”
“In the sewing room, dear.” Her mother’s faint voice came from the back of their quarters.
Karrie rushed down the carpeted hall, past their bedrooms, to her mother’s sewing room. The small room had a pair of windows that let in the morning sun. Her mother sat at her square embroidery hoop, her delicate stitches creating a scene of dragons flying through a clear sky.
Mom set her needle down and looked up at her. “What’s wrong, dear?”
Karrie plopped down on the floor facing her mother. “Dad sent Damien on a mission. I just started working on him. How can I convince Damien to do what I want if he’s not here?”
“My dear girl, badgering the boy won’t convince him to do what you want. You need to tease him and seduce him. It takes time. When he comes back try playing hard to get. Maybe invite one of those boys that’s always chasing after you to visit the castle. Make him jealous. Ideally you want him to come to you.”
“It’s bad enough I have to deal with those idiot boys at the stupid balls the nobles and merchants are constantly throwing. The last thing I want is to have them hanging around the castle
