'Although there is something in the journal that might have to do with me this morning.
Around four of the clock this morning, an intruder made their way into my home but as I've been told it wasn't a person and what it is is yet to be determined. He had aimed to make his way to me and I had a dream, with quite a sinister theme and towards the end of it I picked up a brooch. I've never in my life seen such a brooch.'
Something heavy floated in the silence. Doran couldn't help but frown, elders would talk about the stage in development when the colourful blinds are drawn up and the spotlight cage the person in place to face life and see the ugly. He was under no illusion that Alexus didn't know the gravity of his lifestyle both in career and family background but he had had enough moments together to know him, the youthful detective he knew had a sense of self awareness and superficial indifference, there wasn't a strive for greater purpose or ambition for the future just living day to day doing what was needed from him by circumstances and he did it the best he could. What this single incident had given the detective was the fear taken leisurely roots in the revelation of an undiscovered vulnerability, men with guns or worse were no mind but what is a man left with if he is no safer in his head?
'You were not attacked?' He wasn't too sure how to approach and comfort the youth without him taking it as sounding patronizing. Alexus' morale dwindled by bringing up the topic and wasn't energetic enough for anything extraordinary.
'No, my governess called it a "divine warning" , some kind of precognition. Danger approached and my soul was given guidance but the only thing I saw was the brooch.'
'That means in time our lead will eventually fall into our hands and it won't be a pleasant find.'
The detective's eyes widened, 'You believe that?'
'I presume your governess is a witch? You don't doubt her wisdom, I have no reason why I shouldn't concur.'
'Shr does work hard on her charms and she did teach me all I know so far.....' Yet Alexus remembered her admittance to having never seen the supernatural, then how was she sure her practice actually worked!?
Doran's ears heard something curious. 'You had no sorcerer teacher?'
Alexus didn't want to divulge so much of his personal life. 'No I didn't, never.' Then continued.
'The invader never reached me thanks to my governess who had sensed him. He fled and got away but what had me thinking was something I had to check again in the journal the way Ernold had found the brooch. He also had a dream.
He had dreamt of talking with the queen. He stated, he had never seen the queen or heard her voice but he was sure it was her.'
Doran wasn't sure where things were headed. 'He talked with the queen?'
'Allegedly. He didn't say what they converse because he forgot the context of the dream. It was after he woke up that he saw the brooch had been placed on his pillow.
Ah.... and I should mention Sarah was with him, it was two days after he arrived from the unfruitful expenditure. She was there to console him.'
Doran dipped his hand into thick white hair to scratch an itchy spot. 'He saw the brooch right after the dream. No reason to doubt the fortune and destiny mysteriously bestowed, but what is so rosey about hell that he let Sarah just take it?'
'He loved her.'
The reply was curt with no betrayed expression, the investigator corked his head curiously and smiled to see the lashes fall and the cloudy eyes relaxed.
'An affinity?'
'Huh?'
'Nothing. What did your governess say about Ernolds dream?'
'Oh.' Alexus realised. 'I haven't told her about it yet.'
Doran, always quick to the beat of opportunity couldn't resist. 'Is it possible to ask her about it now?'
Alexus made a face, he knew the investigator was asking to be invited to snoop around his abode but he couldn't turn him down either he needed all the trusted senses together in a room to work on the case. Before that, Alexus' temperament flared back to life.
'By the way Investigator Doran—' Stressing each syllable of his title, Doran felt the back of his neck become a bit wet.
'—I read you were quite busy from last night to early hours today. I wasn't informed that you would be doing a follow up on Mowe.' The detective didn't hold back the dirty look he pointed at him.
'And that was a mistake I admit but to my plea, it was an impromptu decision. I left soon after you did and went to the police division. I could have called it a day, gone home and left the rest to the analysis team but I couldn't rest easy if I just let that criminal think he wouldn't face any repercussions.
The Chief is a careful man, of course he refused my application to arrest Mowe but as luck would have it, someone from Ernolds family called in and demanded proper investigation. We can't have the media point fingers at the police, that we cover up for criminals.'
Alexus did not like the image he pictured of the police chief. 'The Chief wouldn't have done anything unless threatened?'
Doran looked out the window and thought 'Something like that. His job is to keep his head off the chopping block and guide his men to do the same. "Picturesque of society codification espoused by a man, assiduity unmatched and once more Hagford has rekindle in the hands of a pioneer of amity."— FlySky, 17th 1.9Qy82*, page 3.
*1.9Qy82, is this world dating system. Translated as Queening year 1,982. There are
That's what the chieftaincy is for. I can not recall a time I've seen him concern himself with state of affairs in Hagford, he didn't ask where Mowe could be, he didn't give instructions how to go about the capture strategy, he just sat there, his eyes counting over and over again and when it was over, no pat on the back, no morale, I was given a break if that makes up for anything.'
Alexus listened intently because Dorans words didn't clear up anything, the image was now muddy, when his mind caught up to the last words he exclaimed. 'You were laid off?'
''Lay low', enough to dodge a bullet. I was advised to shave my hair to increase chances.'
'You meet Mowe face to face and your picture is in the paper and named the representative of the raid. Your head might as well be rolling on the floor already. It's only a matter of time even if you hide from Mowe.' The detective said like he was speaking to an idiot.
Doran smiled on but his eyes sharpened and Alexus became uncomfortable in his seat. 'Now why would I hide from a cold body still walking on the miracle of drugs? That isn't my reason for a makeshift day off.
You see, up until a few months ago I've enjoyed my work environment an awful lot and you see flexibility and adaptation are not my strong suit. After all, now I hate stepping foot in that place if I'm going to have to face a bureau rat. You don't need to see it all the time, just knowing its presence exists and in your space will make your mind ill at ease.
Today I saw the rat, in fact it's responsible for the hole in my hood, just as destructive as they come. I thought of getting rid of the rat instantly on the spot but the chief has unfortunately gotten too familiar with it.'
Alexus squints trying to understand the analogy. 'So you....are....hiding from this rat?'
'Not the rat singularly, unfortunately those things come in groups you know? Pests. The lot of them. I'm not in total support of the bureau rule, they force themselves upon people and when they've had enough of your resistance they try to squash the problem.
I'm not going to make it very far with this mindset, my days are numbered especially if I keep gaining favour of the public and gain hero status. It's compromising having a famous person be so open about opposing them although I don't lift a finger but my words which I'll always say will lift the mind of many.'
The detective shook his head in resignation, Doran had an amused smirk spread on his face as if purposefully waiting for the world to do its worst.
'How callous. Don't drag me into your nonsense, the Silths family is registered into the bureau. I can't be into that kind of thing with you.'
'Of course, of course. I don't like to cause you trouble, believe me, and you shouldn't worry about anyone coming after me. The chief's best skill is persuasion, he has gotten quite fluent in pest language since the rat arrived.'
Oh, so we are talking about a person? The detective has been feeling like he was losing ground in the conversation, and he almost felt bad for whoever was the target of Dorans distaste. The investigator being someone who held grudges was surprising to him, they've encountered a few times but now was when he felt so exposed to his character.
For the first time in a long time, Alexus was getting to know someone personally. A spark from cells in the brain and the detective had his curiosity bubbling, he wanted to know more and finally understood the questions Doran asked that his closed off behaviour found evasive, he had the same questions at the tip of his tongue.
The internal environment shifted and stirred but the outside held steady, his face unmoved and posture adjusted straight. He'd start easy.
'How did you meet—this rat?'
'Well it came in the second phase of spring. The bureau had just managed to make a dent in our door to let themselves in, they made sure to leave a mark, the men in uniform had to change a small compromise, the chief had believed but that's not the end of them we'll be getting.
The hole in the door had let all manner of things in and we haven't been able to seal it, under 'special support' and generosity the bureau had released a rat nest onto us. I didn't think much about it at first since I naively believed they won't be my problem but on the first day, the worst of them set its eyes on me and tried to bite me, poor looks, terrible manners and just all around unpleasant.
I didn't think the bureau flaunting superiority would have sent such terrible spies or did they think Hagford wasn't worth the discretion? Anyway, these rats do a poor job and just make their presence unbearable.'
Doran sighed softly after airing his frustrations, his eyes back to a serene state. 'When I said a hole in my hood, it was a bullet hole. The worst rat had stormed to my still form enjoying breakfast and loudly complained that my insistence for the raid had bypassed some of the bureau laws. I told it not to get involved in my case and the words exchanged got very ugly and my hands started to itch so I stood up to leave, while my back was turned it had pulled out its gun and shot at me.
I felt hot air close to my neck Alexus, I had almost been killed this morning and I'm the one on a break.'
The voice was too calm for the context of the words. Alexus kept mute and observant.
'I thought it was unfair but outside the station when I could finally breathe and unblock my ringing ears to listen to the world move like it had always done and continue to do, I realised what I had to do too. I'll go back in this evening and collect the reports I have requested, I'm still included in this case, and you and I are going to move forward on it.'