Total pages in book: 207
Estimated words: 196971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 985(@200wpm)___ 788(@250wpm)___ 657(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 196971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 985(@200wpm)___ 788(@250wpm)___ 657(@300wpm)
After bowing to them in greeting, the officer wasted no time in escorting them straight to the mortuary, where the chief coroner was already busy dissecting the corpse.
"Come forward, milord..." The coroner's bushy brows shot up when he saw Rhapsody. "Milady."
Mihail's pet curtsied in answer to the greeting, and the marquis could very well relate when the coroner started coughing. Here they were, surrounded by dead bodies, and yet his pet acted no different from how she usually was when being introduced in balls and such.
Seeing that the coroner was still in a laughing coughing fit, the marquis took over introductions and simply presented his pet as Lady Rhapsody Norwood.
"I am Sir Rudolph Mulligan, a baronet from one of Lunare's bear packs." The coroner, now recovered, responded in a gruff tone.
"Thank you for making time for us," Mihail said, knowing that the man had yet to rest from his journey.
"It is of no trouble. I enjoy my job—-" Rudolph paused, realizing only at that moment how strange and suspicious this would sound, considering his line of work. But when he glanced at the marquis' companion, the young lady was actually nodding in seeming assent.
How eccentric, Rudolph thought, but delightfully so, and it was nice to see a man such as the marquis appreciating a girl like her. Might be an interesting story there, too, he pondered, but that was something to think about for another day. For now, work beckoned.
"As you can see here..." The coroner used his scalpel to point at where the victim's throat had been slit open. "I can say with absolute certainty that this isn't self-inflicted. The slice is too clean, almost delicate in its precision, and such a manner requires time. If this were self-inflicted, you would not even reach the halfway mark before your hand starts shaking and the wound starts becoming a little jagged."
Rudolph placed the scalpel back on the tray. "I have examined the rest of the victim's body thoroughly but have found nothing of note. No bite marks from a shapeshifter, no puncture wounds to indicate the involvement of vampires..."
"A human killer then?" Mihail asked.
"It's possible. That's all I can say."
Rhapsody, not in the habit of voicing her opinions unless asked, kept her thoughts to herself as the marquis thanked the coroner for his time. Once inside the carriage, however, she was startled when her Master indeed asked for her thoughts on the coroner's diagnosis.
"It was unexpected, milord," Rhapsody answered honestly. "I do not think he is incorrect in any way in his diagnosis, but I also know how stringent the kingdom's procedures are for granting visas to tourists."
"I was thinking the same thing myself," Mihail acknowledged grimly. Chalys had embassies all over the world, and in those places their people employed the most advanced technologies to eradicate any threats to the kingdom. In worst case scenario, this meant killing spies and terrorists thinking to come into their land. But in most other days, this simply meant rejecting visa applications of individuals with even the smallest potential to cause the kingdom unnecessary trouble. It was not uncommon, for instance, for a foreigner to have his application rejected merely because he had been given a speeding ticket.
"Another possibility is for a local to be the murderer," Rhapsody thought out loud, "but does this not seem improbable as well?"
"Extremely so," the marquis said with a deepening frown. "The people of Asphodel have their own dark sides, I'm sure, but I'd imagine that if a local were to kill someone for reasons outside the usual, it would be more ritualistic, owing to the influences of the other territories..."
In other words, Rhapsody interpreted silently, the children of Asphodel grew up hearing whispers about ghosts and demons, werewolves and vampires, and all things that went bump in the night. Such stories would never be discussed in the light of day and within the drawing rooms of Polite Society, but deep in their hearts, they knew that the unspoken was true.
"Quite the conundrum," Mihail heard his pet seemingly murmur to herself, and the way her lips pursed afterwards almost had him smiling...until he remembered how she used to occasionally involve herself in investigations of murders and hauntings.
Shit.
For as long as she stayed within school walls she remained safe, and he would have nothing to worry about. But outside it?
"Milady?"
"Yes, milord?"
"Just to be clear," he warned, "you are not to involve yourself in this investigation in any way, understood?"
"Yes, milord."
Her unquestioning obedience was refreshing, but at the same time, he couldn't help thinking it was too good to be true. Where his pet was concerned, things were rarely as simple and straightforward as she made them seem to be.
"Master?"
He jerked in his seat, caught off guard by the sound of her voice making sweet love to those sinful syllables. "What is it?"