'I didn't think you would lose heart so fast, do you do so often?'
'I don't, this.....I didn't expect that I'd give up either. Were you disappointed?'
Doran looked at Alexus with a dusty blush on his nose, his eyes apologetic, his hands in his pocket, body in a relaxed pose waiting. Irritation tickled Alexus and he didn't know why he was displeased, he had just seen him flatter embarrassingly so, yet like this he still seemed mature and composed, there was a two years gap between them there should barely be any difference but Alexus could feel the pettiness rise within him. Bratty and defiant.
'I couldn't care less.' Doran felt stung but appreciated the clipped reply, he didn't need to feel too guilty about it and Alexus wasn't interested in capitalising on his moment of weakness.
'If you would, stay here I'll call the station and have things properly investigated.'
Alexus shook his head, 'No, I'll knock him out and have a look around the place.'
He looked towards the secretary who had started to rise trying to get away. Without trying Alexus short spell held him in place, with precision he found the carotid artery and pressed on them, his tapping foot counted, on the seventh number the man was unconscious. Doran felt he should say something about the unconventional methods the sorcerer has displayed to him so far but held his tongue, he wasn't hurting anybody? And it was efficient.
They walked back in silence to the manor and found a few servants shivering at their approach gathered at the door to the garden. Doran managed to get one of them to fetch the head of staff who listened with rapt attention and his eyes gleamed with the announcement of the death of his master. They were shown to his office and asked if they needed anything, they refused.
The investigator got to talking on the telephone, the detective looked around the office of a man proclaimed to be meant for greatness. Simple furnishings with the ripeness of red shades everywhere, the carpet intrigued him, baroque patterns were no longer the taste of many. He went to the table near the window that overlooked the front of the house, he could see the path they walked from, he turned the papers around and began to read, looking for nothing and anything at the same time.
He found a lot of data regarding the queen, so he decided he'd take those along. Then checked the drawers and forced some open, a journal of business transactions and another with just lists of names, one cupboard held the box of wedding bands. Both bride and groom now cold in blood.
There were jewels in another and he looked through to find anything extraordinary, some of them he felt faint pulses of change to his pneuma, magic items. Not uncommon for jewellers to sell them even to non sorcerers some who made a collection of them, which will never go to use under the sun.
Then he found a map and journal of the excavation the secretary talked about. He placed these into his coat and caught the eye of the investigator who had taken to silently observing his movements again. He could hear the police motors and carriages arriving and he stood up and adjusted his clothing. He was done for today.
The investigator rose languidly, green eyes sparkling with life. 'Would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow? There are some things I think we should still talk about.'
He looked meaningfully at Alexus who understood that was his condition to letting him take anything out of there.
'I heard the bakery in front of your home upgraded their menu. I'll come around by two.'
Alexus eyed the man like he would set him on fire, huffed and left without farewell.
In the study of his home, Alexus had taken out his own journal and jotted down all the information he could assimilate from the papers he found and he could feel rising apprehension from what he kept reading. Alexus thought about what the secretary said of Ernold, he insisted it was for the queen.
What did anyone have to offer a dead queen?
It came to him in a flash but shook his head in denial yet he slowly opened his mind up to it. There were fanatics of the queen everywhere and cults even the bureau couldn't cut down, it was a very strong hypothesis.
His stomach rumbled, all his thought processes fed on energy yet he didn't move an inch and continued. He checked the clock, 10:34 at 4 am he should be able to squeeze in an hour of sleep.
He braced up for the long night when she floated in without knocking, her nightgown gave an ethereal feel, she found his secret room again. With one hand she placed a long tray with an array of food on the stack of papers he was reading. 'Eat.'
She sounded cross but without complaining he dug in and saw her place a jug of water on the side with a glass cup.
The governess left with a quiet drift in her wake.