finished here. I want to get this down while it’s fresh in my mind.”
A moment of indecision flashed across Lenoir’s face. Then, to Kody’s relief, he said, “Be quick about it.”
Kody cleared his throat, then hesitated uncertainly.
“An Adali male was spotted,” the scribe supplied helpfully.
“Right. An Adali male was spotted in Brackensvale some days ago by the blacksmith, who lodged a complaint with the constabulary claiming that this Adal had stolen a horse and most of his tools. Constable Sownes visited the village, but was unable to locate the suspect, and no one else in town reported seeing anyone matching the suspect’s description. Referring to Constable Sownes’s own report on the matter, quote, ‘It is possible that an Adali male was in fact in Brackensvale. However, there is no evidence that the individual was involved in the theft of Mr. Estes’s horse or his tools,’ end quote.”
Kody glanced at Lenoir to see if the inspector had caught the significance of this. But it didn’t look as though Lenoir was even listening; he stared fixedly at the floor, his eyebrows knotted as though he was deep in thought.
Pursing his lips in irritation, Kody waited until the scribe’s quill stopped bobbing. Then he raised his voice a little and said, “I would like to refer here to my previous report, in which I noted that a witness in North Haven claimed to have seen a strange Adal in town on or about the night the Jymes boy’s corpse disappeared. To have a witness in Brackensvale also claim to have seen a strange Adal on or about the day the Habberd boy disappeared is quite a coincidence.”
Still Lenoir didn’t look up. Was the man stone deaf? Or was he feigning indifference purely out of spite?
To the below with him,
Kody thought sourly; if the inspector could ignore him, he could ignore the inspector.
“Lastly, I was informed that Constable Crears of Berryvine reported a boy missing yesterday. A live one, that is. His parents haven’t seen him in two days.”
It was as though Lenoir had been startled from slumber. His head shot up. “What did you say?”
At last.
“A boy has gone missing in Berryvine, Inspector,” Kody repeated gravely. “A
nine-year-old boy
.”
Lenoir swore quietly in Arrènais, his gaze abstracted. Then he said, “Get up, Sergeant. You have finished your report. We must ride to Berryvine immediately.”
Kody was momentarily stunned. He’d never seen Lenoir react so vigorously, not even for a murder. Wary but hopeful, he grabbed his cloak and followed Lenoir to the police livery.
As the stable boy fetched their mounts, Lenoir said, “The boy I am looking for is also in Berryvine. But he was taken there from Kennian.”
Of course.
Kody should have known better than to think Lenoir gave a damn about some merchant’s boy in Berryvine. “Whose son is it?”
Lenoir frowned. “Pardon?”
“I assume he’s a nobleman’s son? Or did his family offer money to find him?”
He knew he’d gone too far as soon as he said it. Lenoir turned to him slowly, his face a cold mask, and when he spoke, his voice was low and dangerous. “That is the last time I will tolerate your impudence, Kody. If there were another sergeant I could count on to assist me, I would relieve you of your duty here and now. Fortunately for you, your colleagues are buffoons and imbeciles. But if I hear so much as a single word out of your mouth between here and Berryvine, I will have you thrown in Fort Hald for insubordination. I do hope I have been clear.”
He snatched his horse’s lead out of the hands of the startled stable boy and heaved himself into the saddle. Kody followed suit, his face burning. Lenoir had never spoken to him like that before, but he didn’t doubt for a moment that the inspector would follow through on his threat. Whatever questions Kody had, he’d have to swallow them. It would be a long ride to Berryvine.
CHAPTER 9
T he rag in his mouth was sour with someone’s
A moment of indecision flashed across Lenoir’s face. Then, to Kody’s relief, he said, “Be quick about it.”
Kody cleared his throat, then hesitated uncertainly.
“An Adali male was spotted,” the scribe supplied helpfully.
“Right. An Adali male was spotted in Brackensvale some days ago by the blacksmith, who lodged a complaint with the constabulary claiming that this Adal had stolen a horse and most of his tools. Constable Sownes visited the village, but was unable to locate the suspect, and no one else in town reported seeing anyone matching the suspect’s description. Referring to Constable Sownes’s own report on the matter, quote, ‘It is possible that an Adali male was in fact in Brackensvale. However, there is no evidence that the individual was involved in the theft of Mr. Estes’s horse or his tools,’ end quote.”
Kody glanced at Lenoir to see if the inspector had caught the significance of this. But it didn’t look as though Lenoir was even listening; he stared fixedly at the floor, his eyebrows knotted as though he was deep in thought.
Pursing his lips in irritation, Kody waited until the scribe’s quill stopped bobbing. Then he raised his voice a little and said, “I would like to refer here to my previous report, in which I noted that a witness in North Haven claimed to have seen a strange Adal in town on or about the night the Jymes boy’s corpse disappeared. To have a witness in Brackensvale also claim to have seen a strange Adal on or about the day the Habberd boy disappeared is quite a coincidence.”
Still Lenoir didn’t look up. Was the man stone deaf? Or was he feigning indifference purely out of spite?
To the below with him,
Kody thought sourly; if the inspector could ignore him, he could ignore the inspector.
“Lastly, I was informed that Constable Crears of Berryvine reported a boy missing yesterday. A live one, that is. His parents haven’t seen him in two days.”
It was as though Lenoir had been startled from slumber. His head shot up. “What did you say?”
At last.
“A boy has gone missing in Berryvine, Inspector,” Kody repeated gravely. “A
nine-year-old boy
.”
Lenoir swore quietly in Arrènais, his gaze abstracted. Then he said, “Get up, Sergeant. You have finished your report. We must ride to Berryvine immediately.”
Kody was momentarily stunned. He’d never seen Lenoir react so vigorously, not even for a murder. Wary but hopeful, he grabbed his cloak and followed Lenoir to the police livery.
As the stable boy fetched their mounts, Lenoir said, “The boy I am looking for is also in Berryvine. But he was taken there from Kennian.”
Of course.
Kody should have known better than to think Lenoir gave a damn about some merchant’s boy in Berryvine. “Whose son is it?”
Lenoir frowned. “Pardon?”
“I assume he’s a nobleman’s son? Or did his family offer money to find him?”
He knew he’d gone too far as soon as he said it. Lenoir turned to him slowly, his face a cold mask, and when he spoke, his voice was low and dangerous. “That is the last time I will tolerate your impudence, Kody. If there were another sergeant I could count on to assist me, I would relieve you of your duty here and now. Fortunately for you, your colleagues are buffoons and imbeciles. But if I hear so much as a single word out of your mouth between here and Berryvine, I will have you thrown in Fort Hald for insubordination. I do hope I have been clear.”
He snatched his horse’s lead out of the hands of the startled stable boy and heaved himself into the saddle. Kody followed suit, his face burning. Lenoir had never spoken to him like that before, but he didn’t doubt for a moment that the inspector would follow through on his threat. Whatever questions Kody had, he’d have to swallow them. It would be a long ride to Berryvine.
CHAPTER 9
T he rag in his mouth was sour with someone’s
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