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.“Not as a representative of the cabal.”White’s nostril’s flared, but she remained silent.Their wait, it turned out, was only about fifteen minutes.Walis Kemptin turned out to be a man in his mid-thirties.He was well kept, freshly shaven with short black hair clinging to the sides of his head while the center of his skull shone baldly.His skin was darker than most you’d find in Adro—a Deliv mother, perhaps—and his manner was easy, giving Adamat and White a friendly smile as he entered.“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said.“By Kresimir, it’s cold in here.Let’s make this quick, shall we? I don’t want to keep you officers any longer than needed.”Adamat glanced at White.Walis acted as if it was he that made the appointment.Despite his friendly demeanor, Walis didn’t offer them a chair or summon a maid to relight the fire.Why would he? He was a busy man and to most nobility the police were nothing more than a nuisance to be paid off or ignored.A superior at the academy had always told Adamat not to antagonize the nobility.It was the quickest way to end your career.Smile, bow, defer to them in all things, even if they were the most vile human being you’d ever had the misfortune to meet.Adamat bowed.“Lord Walis,” he said, “I’m Special Detective Constable Adamat.This is Constable White.I’ll make this very quick indeed.” He paused to laugh, as if what he said were of little consequence.“I don’t want to alarm you, my lord.This is more of a courtesy visit than anything else.”Walis raised his eyebrows.“Oh? What would possibly alarm me?”“There’s been a row going about the city involving a powder mage.You may have heard about it?”“That thing from the Yellow Caller? I thought that was some kind of joke.”Adamat chuckled into his hand.“Sorry to say, it’s not a joke.The investigation leaked to the Caller somehow, but that’s not important.What’s important is that there’s a small—a very small, I assure you—chance that you’re in danger.”“How could I possibly be in danger?” Walis’s easy stance had changed.His body had stiffened, his eyes become more cautious.He was listening carefully now.“We’ve reason to believe that this assassin—this powder mage—is a former pitrunner.He used to work in your mines up north.I’m sorry to be so blunt, sir, but the conditions of the northern coalmines are well known and, to be honest, we’re worried that he may target you or your family for assassination next.He already tried to kill a local businessman and barely missed, killing his mistress instead.”“I see,” Walis said slowly.His breathing had tightened up.He wasn’t showing it, not much, but he was nervous now.Adamat had him.Now just to lay out the trap.“We just recommend staying away from any open windows or public places over the next forty-eight hours.”“Forty-eight hours?” Walis echoed.“Yes, sir.We’re closing in on the bloke,” Adamat said.“We should have him captured and taken in for questioning within a day or two.Once we do we’ll send someone around to give you the all clear.” Adamat ducked his head.“That’s all we needed.Thank you so much for your time, my lord.”“Of course.Thank you for the … warning.”Adamat bowed his way out of the room and took his hat and coat from the butler.White followed him out to the front of the house where he stopped and took a long, shaky breath.“That,” White said, “was not quite what I was expecting.”“It was a bit spur of the moment I must admit,” Adamat said.His palms were sweaty, and he dried them on his pant legs.“I’m not entirely sure what you accomplished there,” White said.“If he’s truly connected to the powder mage, Walis will make the man disappear.”“I think not,” Adamat answered.He searched his pocket for his pipe before remembering it was back home on the windowsill where he always left it.“And I’m certain he’s connected.Did you see the way we had his attention the moment the powder mage was mentioned?”“I did,” White admitted.“Good.Glad I didn’t imagine it.”White made a vexed sound in the back of her throat.“And why won’t Walis make his pet powder mage go into hiding or just have him killed?”“Because you don’t up and kill an asset like that.And he’s probably already in hiding.No,” Adamat said, “there are far easier options available to a man like Walis.”“Like?”“Well, he’ll check with his second cousin, the commissioner, and find out that we’re on a special assignment for the crown.He’ll panic when he thinks you’re on his trail, and then he’ll do the logical thing.”White was growing impatient.“Which is?” she demanded.Adamat adjusted his hat and gripped his cane by the head, walking toward their cab.“He’ll have me killed.”Adamat and White were together in the Public Archives later that day when four constables arrived with a warrant for Adamat’s arrest.Adamat noted that a reporter from the Adopest Daily was hanging around the front of the Archives when he was trundled out the door in irons and into the back of a police wagon.He was joined a moment later by one of the constables.He heard an interchange between White and one of the men outside.“I’m going with him,” White said.“This isn’t your arrest, love,” the officer said.“He’s my partner.”“Not my problem.You can visit him in Sablethorn if you want.”The arresting constables had not, it seemed, been informed of White’s status.He could practically see the coldness seeping into her eyes as the man spoke just outside the wagon.“Give me a ride back to the precinct building, then,” White said.“Fine, fine.But you’ll have to ride inside.Nothing funny from you, hear?”The door opened and White climbed in to sit beside Adamat.“Interesting plan of yours,” she said as they began to move.Adamat glanced at the arresting constable.Someone from the First that he didn’t recognize.Likely someone chosen by the commissioner.“Honestly,” Adamat said, “I’m surprised by their restraint.I expected someone to come and try to stick a knife in my back.Someone who doesn’t know about you.We’d capture them, find out who hired them, then … “ he trailed off with a shrug.The arrest would complicate things
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