***
Old Town was the seedy side of Hammertown, A place that the rest of the citizens here would like to forget existed. Sometimes I think they actually did forget. I knew something was wrong when I pulled up at the coffee shop we had agreed to meet at. There was a Civil Watch patrol wagon sitting at the corner, and a lot of Civil Guards rushing around like they had business that should have been done yesterday. I tried to rationalize it. After all, I didn’t know this had anything to do with the Artifact, but the sinking feeling just wouldn’t go away.
“You working this case, Locke?” one of the Watch Soldiers asked me as I approached. I was having trouble recalling his name, but I had seen him around. Working as a P.I. you tend to rub elbows with the Guards. It was just one of the hazards of the job. Fendleton, that was his name.
“I hope not, Fen. What’s the scoop?”
“Dwarven girl got wasted. That’s about all I know.” My stomach dropped a little more, but there was still a chance that this was unrelated. Dwarven girls were always getting wasted down here. It didn’t mean it was our dwarven girl.
“You guys have a label for her yet?”
“I’m not sure,” Fendleton replied. He called over his shoulder to another one of the Guard. “Hey, Mac? Did we find out who the stiff is?”
“Yeah.” Mac looked over his notebook and confirmed what I had been afraid of since seeing the patrol wagon. “One Elsa Davenritch. Some of the locals knew her. The clerk at the coffee shop said she was out with her boyfriend, Kenson W. Jerrit. Said they were acting kind of suspicious. The clerk thought the boyfriend might’ve been carrying. He said Mr. Jerrit kept sticking his hand in his overcoat pocket. That tends to make store keepers nervous in this part of town. According to both the clerk and the one witness that was in the shop, Mr. Jerrit yelped like something had bit him, then this Jerrit fella had hurried out and Ms. Davenritch wasn’t far behind. The witnesses didn’t see anything after the two left the shop. We haven’t located Mr. Jerrit for questioning, yet.”
“That help you any?” Fendleton asked turning back to me.
“Yeah. Thanks, Fen,” I nodded gravely. “Can I…?” I indicated the body.
“I dunno, Locke. The new Captain is over there. I don’t know how he’ll react to a P.I. on his beat.”
“What’s his name?” I asked.
“VanDarn. Orin VanDarn.”
“He’ll like me,.” I said confidently. “Everybody likes me.”
I thought it kind of strange that both Mac and Fendleton snorted. Did they know something that I didn’t? Brushing it off, I headed over to the corpse.
“Humans!” Captain Orin VanDarn glared at me with one eye. I guess he didn’t think enough of humans to use both of ‘em. I can’t says as I really blame him. Being new to the Hammertown Watch and all, he didn’t know me. Most of the humans you find living in a dwarven city aren’t the upstanding kind. They’re usually thieves and ruffians. “Why don’tcha take yer ugly carcass somewhere that isn’t stinking up my crime-scene.”
“Relax, Cap,.” I said paying more attention to the surroundings than to Mr. VanDarn, “we’re on the same team.”
“What!? This be a crime scene not a tourist attraction, and that’s Captain to you, you over sized poke of bat guano! The nerve of…I’ll take you around back of this building an’ pound some manners into that gimlet li’l butt o’ yorn. Then we’ll see who yer callin’ ‘Cap’.”
“I might just take you up on that…” I started but Yon touched the inside of my elbow. I glanced at him and he gave a barely noticeable shake of his head. It was just about then that another one of the Civil Watch approached.
“Captain,” He said, saluting. “We found a witness. An old dwarf was lying behind the bench over there. Said he was bedding down for the night when it happened...”
“What?” I whispered to Yon.
“Rumor has it he used to be in the Phoenix Guard, Boss,” Yon whispered back.
“Oh.” The Phoenix Guard was an elite group of the Dwarven Military. They were the ones you called when the guano got too deep. The best trained, best equipped and toughest outfit there was. Phoenix Guards were the ones that piloted the steam-operated Power Armor on the Front Lines. I wasn’t quite sure what a dwarf with Mr. VanDarn’s qualifications was doing running the Civil Watch in a town like ours, but I’m kind of glad Yon was there to stop me from making a mistake that might’ve cost me some teeth.
“…said the flash of light vanished and there was a tall person in a cloak standing there. I don’t know how much to believe of his story, Captain. He had to have been hopped up on something. He claims it was an Elf Warrior. The fella said he doesn’t know what happened after that, he was too busy hiding. We brought in one of the ‘Magic Sniffers’. The Handler said she couldn’t find a trace of the spell, sir.” The Civil Watch Soldier was saying to the Captain,. “Magic trail’s gone cold.”
“Look, Captain” I cut in. “My name is Sebastion Locke. I’m a Private Detective. I think we got off on the wrong foot here. If you tell me what you’re looking for, maybe I can help.”
“You’re the Sebastion Locke?” Captain VanDarn said. “Well now, that changes everything.”
“Really?” I was a little surprised that it could be that easy.
“No,” He promptly replied crushing my ego under his booted heel as he turned back towards the victim’s corpse. “And what makes you think you can help anyway?” Captain VanDarn asked me over his shoulder.
“Maybe because this woman was my client. Maybe I might have some information you don’t.”
“Do you?” the Captain asked, becoming interested again.
“Probably not.” I smiled at the glare he shot my way. “It is possible, but I doubt it. But maybe, just maybe I might have access to a Scrying Machine that could help you out.” I said indicating the black case that Yon had been holding.
“Just because…” he started, then paused and looked up sharply. “ A Scrying Machine you say? Like the one that was a bein’ proofed at the HQ last month? I seen the reports on that.”
“Yeah. It’s just a prototype, but it has been tested and comes out accurate almost eighty percent of the time.” See, I had been paying attention to Yon as he spouted all of that technical stuff at me on the way over.
“Just where did you come by an expensive gadget like that?” the Captain asked suspiciously. “And why were you bringing it down here?”
“Hold on. Hold on. The gadget belongs to Yon here. As for why I brought it here, the Lady there asked me too. She said she had some sort of artifact that she wanted to check out. That’s why Yon is here. He knows how to operate it.”
“So you were coming ta meet her then? So how do I know you didn’t off her and take this alleged ‘artifact’?”
“My dear Captain, if I had robbed and murdered her, would I be here now offering to help?”
“You might be,” He growled back. “Just to throw me off. You humans are a sneaky lot. But if’n ye have a Scryin’ Machine that might just be yer only redeeming quality. Seein’ as ta how the City Council was breathin’ down my neck before I even started this bloody job, this could soothe the dragon a bit, so to speak.”
“Is that Captain of the Watch speak for ‘Would you please use your magnificent machine to help me solve this murder’? “I asked with an angel’s smile. The Captain glared at me. He remained silent for a long two heartbeats before finally nodding ever so slightly. “Well, I and my companion would be delighted to assist you, Captain. Could you give us a few moments to set up?”
“I’ll see to it yer not any more disturbed than you already ar’,” He replied and stalked off.
“Thank you, my good dwarf.” I know, I know. I should have just let it go, but I have trouble in that area. And I just couldn’t resist.