Darkwalker by E. L. Tettensor Page B

captive like himself. So he wasn’t alone here.
    He listened for a long time, but he couldn’t make out what was going on. Then after a while something strange happened to the voices. The men—they all sounded like men—started chanting, or so it seemed to Zach. Their voices dropped into a low monotone, and they all uttered the same unfamiliar words. This went on for a minute or so, and Zach wondered if they might be praying. And then the boy cried out, a single word that Zach understood perfectly even through the gag.
    “No!”
    The boy started screaming. The chanting grew louder, and there came a strange, frantic thumping noise, maybe from the boy trying to escape. Then more screaming, the boy’s voice ripped open by terror. Somehow it was even scarier for being muted by the gag, as though it trapped the horror in the boy’s throat.
    Zach wanted to cover his ears, but he couldn’t move his hands. He hunched up his shoulders, but it didn’t help. The screaming went on and on, it wouldn’t stop, and now sobbing, and Zach was sobbing too because he couldn’t shut it out. It filled him up, drowning his insides; it was all he could hear, he could even taste it in his mouth. And when finally the boy’s voice died away and the house fell silent, Zach was still sobbing, his body trembling like an aftershock.

CHAPTER 10
    L enoir was still stewing when they arrived in Berryvine. He could not afford to let his anger get in the way of the investigation, however, so when Kody cleared his throat uncertainly, Lenoir said, “Speak, Sergeant.”
    “Will we be checking in with the constabulary, sir?”
    “Naturally. Crears might have information we need. Why—is there a problem?”
    “No, sir, of course not. I only ask because we don’t usually involve the constables.”
    “And why should we? Most of them are incompetent fools. Crears is different.”
    “I have nothing but respect for Constable Crears, sir,” Kody said stiffly.
    “As well you should. He is the best officer I have ever worked with, present company included.”
    Kody held his tongue.
    They found Crears just outside his office, apparently organizing a search party. There were about twenty people gathered, most of them wearing uniforms. The constable was handing out maps and giving instructions. When he spotted Lenoir, he paused as though slightly taken aback. Then he cocked his head toward the hitching post in a gesture that said,
I’ll be with you in a minute
.
    Crears was a small man with flaming red hair and keen blue eyes. He had aged since Lenoir had seen him last; gray had started to overtake his beard, and his face was lined and worn. But he remained fit as ever, striding toward them with the lively gait of a man half his age.
    “Inspector,” he said, shaking Lenoir’s hand. He and Kody exchanged handshakes as well, Crears seeming almost as a child next to the burly sergeant.
    “Surprised to see you two. Wouldn’t have thought a case like this would earn a visit from the Metropolitan Police. Not yet, anyway.”
    Not until the child turned up dead, was what he meant.
    “Normally not, perhaps,” admitted Lenoir, “but there are two boys missing in this village, it would seem.” When Crears raised his eyebrows, Lenoir said, “Another boy was taken from the poor district of Kennian last night, an orphan called Zach.”
    The astonishment on Kody’s face brought Lenoir’s anger to a boil again, but he put a lid on it. “According to the coachman I questioned this morning, Zach was brought here last night, in a green and gold carriage. Has anyone mentioned it?”
    Crears shook his head. “But I haven’t been asking. Maybe someone saw a carriage like that. I can have some watchmen ask around if you like.”
    “If you can spare the men.” Lenoir glanced around at the small crowd. “And it seems as though you can. How many watchmen do you have working for you?”
    “A little less than fifty.”
    Kody whistled softly, impressed. “How do