hold a grudge. She’s moved on and is doing well. She just started a new Overseer position in fact. She’s enjoying the work and it keeps her busy.”
“Sidebar,” he says. The secretary spider stops recording. “Your…your mother is now an Overseer for a demon lord? How…how does that work?”
“An Overseer is someone that keeps lesser demons from rebelling against the demon lord of the fief and roots out spies from rival demons.”
“I know what an Overseer is. Or at least, I thought I knew. I just…I mean…she was a warlock, too. And now she works for a demon?”
“It’s an executive management position.”
“Right. End Sidebar.” The secretary spider begins to record again. “Madame Warlock, according to the police reports, there was no alcohol in Mr.Williams system and there was no mechanical failure with his car. Mrs. Williams accused your mother of returning from the grave to kill her husband by causing the accident. You would say that was untrue?”
“Yes. It’s ridiculous.”
“And your mother never gave you any indication that she wanted revenge against the man who was responsible for her death?”
“No, of course not. As I said, she’s moved on.”
“So you have no idea why we found astral residue at the crash site?”
“What?”
“You have no idea why we found astral residue at the crash site?”
“This is the first I’ve heard of this. No, I have no idea. When did you people actually open this case?”
“Madame Warlock—”
“Is this actually about the attack on me or is this an investigation into my mother? What’s going on?”
“As part of the investigation we went to the initial crash site. We were obligated to look into the matter because of the public nature of the accusation.”
“ Public nature ? It was a grieving widow that snapped and made crazy statements to the police. That is hardly what the Council normally considers public.”
“We’ve found some social media posts from Mrs. Williams that have received undo attention since her death.”
“I thought that was what the Technomancers were for?”
“Madame Warlock—”
“Were you able to determine the plane of origin from the residue?”
“It was too degraded by the time we found it to identity anything helpful. If we had examined the accident scene immediately, we might have been able to get better samples.”
“So it could have been anything.”
“It doesn’t strike you as a strange coincidence?”
“I realize you are a Mesmer, Justicar, but you do know we are only a few days away from Samhain?”
“I’m aware of the date on the calendar, Madame Warlock.”
“Then you understand how thin the Veil is right now and how saturated this area is with spirits and all sorts of astral beings? Not to mention the ongoing investigation into the deaths of several witches that my mother AND grandmother have been assisting with by binding imps to animals to serve as eyes for the Justicars.”
“I’m well aware of that, Madame Warlock. I’m also aware that some people might consider that a convenient cover.”
“Some people might consider a lot of things.”
He holds up his hands defensively. “As part of the official record of this investigation, interviewee is referencing existing Case Files A-194-237-B and A-194-941-D in regard to explanation for unusual presence of astral residue throughout the region. Let the records note that both Wanda Werlock and Morrigan Magus, former Magus of the School of Demonology, have been providing assistance to the Justicars on said cases. An Addendum 42-V will be filed with this report to provide additional clarification.” He then shrugs and mouths “Happy?” without saying it out loud.
“Sorry,” I mouth back to avoid the secretary spider recording it.
“Madame Warlock, did you send a demon to kill Shaun Williams?”
“No, of course not.”
“Did you send a demon to kill LeAnne Williams?”
“No. I…did…not. I didn’t even want them
“Sidebar,” he says. The secretary spider stops recording. “Your…your mother is now an Overseer for a demon lord? How…how does that work?”
“An Overseer is someone that keeps lesser demons from rebelling against the demon lord of the fief and roots out spies from rival demons.”
“I know what an Overseer is. Or at least, I thought I knew. I just…I mean…she was a warlock, too. And now she works for a demon?”
“It’s an executive management position.”
“Right. End Sidebar.” The secretary spider begins to record again. “Madame Warlock, according to the police reports, there was no alcohol in Mr.Williams system and there was no mechanical failure with his car. Mrs. Williams accused your mother of returning from the grave to kill her husband by causing the accident. You would say that was untrue?”
“Yes. It’s ridiculous.”
“And your mother never gave you any indication that she wanted revenge against the man who was responsible for her death?”
“No, of course not. As I said, she’s moved on.”
“So you have no idea why we found astral residue at the crash site?”
“What?”
“You have no idea why we found astral residue at the crash site?”
“This is the first I’ve heard of this. No, I have no idea. When did you people actually open this case?”
“Madame Warlock—”
“Is this actually about the attack on me or is this an investigation into my mother? What’s going on?”
“As part of the investigation we went to the initial crash site. We were obligated to look into the matter because of the public nature of the accusation.”
“ Public nature ? It was a grieving widow that snapped and made crazy statements to the police. That is hardly what the Council normally considers public.”
“We’ve found some social media posts from Mrs. Williams that have received undo attention since her death.”
“I thought that was what the Technomancers were for?”
“Madame Warlock—”
“Were you able to determine the plane of origin from the residue?”
“It was too degraded by the time we found it to identity anything helpful. If we had examined the accident scene immediately, we might have been able to get better samples.”
“So it could have been anything.”
“It doesn’t strike you as a strange coincidence?”
“I realize you are a Mesmer, Justicar, but you do know we are only a few days away from Samhain?”
“I’m aware of the date on the calendar, Madame Warlock.”
“Then you understand how thin the Veil is right now and how saturated this area is with spirits and all sorts of astral beings? Not to mention the ongoing investigation into the deaths of several witches that my mother AND grandmother have been assisting with by binding imps to animals to serve as eyes for the Justicars.”
“I’m well aware of that, Madame Warlock. I’m also aware that some people might consider that a convenient cover.”
“Some people might consider a lot of things.”
He holds up his hands defensively. “As part of the official record of this investigation, interviewee is referencing existing Case Files A-194-237-B and A-194-941-D in regard to explanation for unusual presence of astral residue throughout the region. Let the records note that both Wanda Werlock and Morrigan Magus, former Magus of the School of Demonology, have been providing assistance to the Justicars on said cases. An Addendum 42-V will be filed with this report to provide additional clarification.” He then shrugs and mouths “Happy?” without saying it out loud.
“Sorry,” I mouth back to avoid the secretary spider recording it.
“Madame Warlock, did you send a demon to kill Shaun Williams?”
“No, of course not.”
“Did you send a demon to kill LeAnne Williams?”
“No. I…did…not. I didn’t even want them
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