Chapter Five

  Part Six

  The dismembered body was in the same positing as the previous one Line had looked at. Even the potato sack had the same bloody smiling face on it. But the blood was dry, it seemed like this man was killed before Sinn Usell. The smell emanating from the slightly decaying body was intense, the only reason someone found this body was because of this smell.

  They were in a wide back alley, not many people would pass through this place. There was no reason too. Dried blood caked the ground, Line knew the body would’ve been here for at least a week just by looking at this blood. She also knew, the same weapon used to dismember this man was the same one used to dismember Sinn Usell.

  She turned to Vax’dian “who found this one?”

  He quietly gestured towards a group of small children.

  “Line” Ali spoke up “let me talk to them. I think I’m gentler than you”

  Line gave a nod, and let Ali move past her towards the children.

  Ali knelt down in front of the four children, there were two girls and two boys. They all looked around eight or ten, so hopefully they didn’t fully understand the situation. Line turned back to look at the body parts, right now she needed to find out who this person is.

  “Vax’dian”

  “Yes?”

  “come here”

  Vax’dian did as he was told and knelt down beside Line, and watched her slowly remove the potato sack “Inspector?” he warned.

  “It’s fine” a few bugs and worms fell from underneath the sack as it was removed. Line did her best to not let anybody of them to fall onto her bandaged hand. When the sack had been fully removed “do you recognise him?”

  Vax’dian looked over the face for a moment “I think I recognise the face, but I don’t know the name”

  “he is also noble?”

  “he is. Another Baron”

  “Why is she killing nobles?”

  “you know who the murder is?”

  “I think so”

  “Then let’s arrest them”

  Line shook her head “we can’t. There’s not enough evidence yet”

  Vax’dian frowned at her “but we should still arrest them, we might be able to save someone’s life doing that”

  “what’s the point in that? Without evidence we can only hold her for forty-eight hours. After that we would have to release her”

  “Maybe forty-eight hours is all we need to find evidence”

  She looked up at Vax’dian “no... you’re right... We should go find her now”

  Ali re-joined the group by this point, but was doing here best to not look at the corpse “Line. The kids did see something weird a week ago, but it was too dark to make out the person’s face. One of them saw it from there” she pointed to a second-floor window of a building on the opposite side of the street.

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  “Thank you, Ali” Line stood “let’s go”

  “where are we going?”

  Line looked at her “to a farm”

  *

  They were once again inside Vax’dian’s carriage, moving through the city gates and out onto a main road. They stayed on this road for a short time, before changing onto a smaller road.

  When Line could see Tilley’s Farm approaching ahead of them through the carriage window, she turned to Ali “Ali, I need you to do something for me”

  “What is it?”

  “I need you to sneak into the farm and take a look around” Line handed her a piece of paper “look for something that looks likes this”

  Ali looked at a perfectly drawn butcher’s knife “the blade is longer than a regular knife. Is this the murder weapon?”

  Line gave a nod “last night I drew this based on the cuts made to the body of Sinn Usell. Can you find it for me?”

  Ali smiled “of course I can”

  “but also, keep a look out for any other dismembered bodies”

  Ali frowned “why?”

  “Because, the two victims so far have nothing to do with this farm. So I’m hoping there will be another body, one that was killed before the two we have now. That body might tell us more about the killings”

  “But this is just a guess though? I might not find anything?”

  Line nodded “when you’ve searched the place, meet us back there” Line pointed out a small patch of trees they just passed by.

  “Hyde. Go with her” Vax’dian spoke up “she could do with an extra hand”

  “My lord?”

  “I’ll be fine. No need to worry”

  Ali sighed and glanced at Line, before swiftly climbing out the window. Hyde followed close behind.

  “My good Inspector, you’re quite the artist”

  “oh, I drew that quickly. My other drawings are much better than that”

  The carriage slowed to a stop, stopping just within the boundary wooden fence of the farm. Already within the carriage, Line could already smell the thick sent of manure. But as she stood outside the smell was certainly stronger now.

  Vax’dian turned to the other guards he had brought “arrest Adel Tilley. Don’t do anything else, were just here for her”

  The guards bowed and moved in the direction of the main building. Which was a sweet looking cottage.

  It wasn’t long before the guards came back out with Adel Tilley in their arms “wait! Wait! I-I didn’t do anything, why are you taking me!? Father! Father help!”

  Closely following them was an older man and woman, both of them had similar builds to Adel Tilley. The man spoke up “where are you taking my daughter! I will not just stand by and watch another daughter be taken from me!”

  The woman grabbed hold of the man’s arm “Geoffrey! Geoffrey, calm down. I’m sure it’s nothing”

  “nothing!? It’s nothing? There are royal guards taking away my daughter. How could it be nothing!?”

  Line came forward, it was probably best to calm the situation “Mr Tilley I assume?”

  “what of it!?”

  “I know you are quite worried, but you don’t have to be. I promise you that your daughter will be left unharmed. I will personally oversee her”

  He fumed “where are you taking her!?”

  “We are arresting her, we won’t hold her for long-“

  “Arresting her! What could she have possibly done to warrant such treatment!?”

  “dear” the woman tightened her grip.

  “Right now she is the prime suspect in two murders that have occurred recently-“

  “no! Father, I didn’t kill anyone!”

  “you hear that!? She never killed anyone! Now let my daughter go!”

  “Sir, I-“

  “Let her go!”

  “Sir” Vax’dian had stood beside Line, the golden flecks of gold in his eyes seemed more vibrant, more prominent even “Sir, you don’t need to worry about your daughter. I promise you, she is safe hands”

  Mr Tilley nodded, seemingly calm now “I understand, I understand. I know she won’t be harmed in your care”

  Line slowly tilted her head at Vax’dian, but remained quiet.

  “It’s just that since we’ve lost our eldest daughter, I have been overly protective of her”

  “oh? What happened?”

  Anger flashed across Mr Tilley’s face, but it immediately vanished thanks to Vax’dian’s gaze “I don’t feel the need to tell you such things”

  Vax’dian smiled “of course. Well then, we shall be taking our leave” he turned to the guards “continue”

  “wait! father!?”

  Mr Tilley just stood and watched her daughter be taken away.