Page 12 of The Dragon King’s Claw (The Dragons of Serai #17)

The Dragon King was true to his word and stood just inside the doorway after Rulli let us into his shop. His knights blocked the door in case a customer tried to enter.

“The last time I saw Lan, he was over here.” Rulli headed into the shop.

“Wait!” I called after him.

He froze.

“Please, allow me to go first.” I waved him back to me. “You could disturb evidence. Oh! No, please.” I held up a hand. “Retrace your steps as much as possible.”

With wide eyes, Rulli backed up, trying to place his feet where he'd already walked.

“Thank you.” I crouched and angled my head to stare across the floor.

I could feel everyone, especially the King, watching me.

But I didn't care. Feelings got severed from my mind when I slipped into my investigative mode.

Finding nothing beneath me, I lay on the wooden floor and peered in all directions.

Then I took out my light tube and turned it on.

Its beam crossed the wood, illuminating dust motes and other debris.

I ran it over the area I had already searched.

Then I did another search with my trace glasses. I found nothing.

So, I moved forward.

With painstaking care, I cleared the floor. I was nearly at the back counter when I found something at last. Taking my collection kit from my inner coat pocket while keeping my sight on the evidence, I prepared a paper bag. With tiny pincers, I reached for the scale.

“What have you found?” the King demanded.

I flinched. Eyes narrowing, I turned to glare at him over my shoulder and found him crouched, his expression wincing.

“Sorry,” he said.

Taking a calming breath, I refocused on the scale. Using the pincers, I extracted it from between the floorboards and slipped it into the little bag. Then I tucked everything into my coat. Only then did I stand and motion Rulli over to me. And yes, I ignored the King.

“How often do you clean the floors?”

“Every day after we close.”

“And do you sweep or use a suction canister?”

“Suction. It's quicker and more thorough.”

“I agree. And I'm also relieved. It means that what I found could only have been shed after you left here last night.”

“What did you find?”

I ignored his question. “Do not go past this area that I've cleared. Now, where was Lansho when you left?”

“Right there.” Rulli came over and pointed at the counter right in front of me. “You see? There is our order book. It's still out.”

I inspected the floor behind the counter and then, finding it clear, I moved upward, peering at every shelf inside the counter.

They contained things like registers of sale, receipt books, boxes, and other wrappings.

The paper wrappers were rustled, but there was no evidence to be found on them.

At last, I lifted my head over the rim of the counter, staring across it.

Two blurry bodies were in the background of my sight.

I ignored them. I had to maintain focus.

And it paid off. Another scale. I retrieved the scale and placed it in a separate paper bag.

After folding the bag shut, I put it with the other and stood up.

The order book was the obvious place to start.

I opened it and made a sound. I often make soft sounds when I investigate.

They are automatic reactions. This particular sound was in response to finding something expected. I was so rarely surprised.

Except, it seemed, where the Dragon King was concerned.

But I couldn't think about him while investigating. Not even with him hovering nearby. I wouldn't. Except I made that sound.

“What is it?” the King leaned over the counter to peer at the book.

I lifted my head to stare at him.

He met my stare.

Neither of us backed down.

Rulli cleared his throat.

I glanced at him and relented. “There is a page torn out of the book.” I showed Rulli the jagged edges of separation.

“Then it's of no help,” the King concluded.

I went back to ignoring him as I pulled out a different kit from my inner coat pocket.

This one was inside a slim box. I set the box on the counter while the two men went still, watching me.

Inside the box were several items, but I only extracted two—a bottle of black powder and a short-handled brush.

After opening the powder, I tapped a little on the order book, capped the bottle, and then ran the brush over the page.

The black powder went into the tiny indentations pushed through from the missing page.

Indentations that were not visible otherwise.

Writing emerged.

“Well done,” the King murmured.

“It's a common technique,” I murmured and then read the page. There were several entries for special orders, but only one wasn't a piece of jewelry. It was for a tube. No further description, but there was a reference number.

“What's this number?” I asked Rulli.

“Oh, that's for our design records.” Rulli peered at the number and then looked up at me. “Uh, they're in the back.”

“All right. Let me clear the floor, and then you can direct me to the files.”

I went through the same tedious procedure in the back room of the shop.

It was a large space, divided into storage and work areas, so it took a while to inspect, but I never rushed.

After that, I turned my attention upward, moving over shelves, countertops, and even the walls.

The ceiling got a quick look as well. Even after all of that, I was reluctant to let Rulli in, so I had him stand in the doorway and point me toward the records.

Rulli and Lansho kept their designs in wooden file boxes, each one numbered and contained within a paper packet. I located the correct file and extracted the packet. Relishing the space between the King and me, I remained there, emptying the contents of the packet onto the top of the storage box.

This time, I was conscious of alerting my watchers, and I held back my confirmation grunt.

It was as I expected—a tube made of henershen to contain Fire crystals.

Henershen was a metal that could withstand high temperatures.

Lansho and Rulli had unknowingly made a weapon that could mimic Dragon fire.

Mimic but not replicate. Poor Lansho had paid the ultimate price for creating such an effective weapon.

I set the file down on a table and inspected the backdoor. There was no evidence of a break-in. Done with the scene, I collected the file and headed for the front door. The King and Rulli, who were watching me from the doorway into the shop, stepped back to let me pass.

“Thank you for your help, Rulli.” I lifted the design packet. “I'm taking this with me as evidence.”

“Oh. All right.” Rulli hurried after me. “Have you discovered anything?”

I stopped and turned to face him. This was personal for him. He needed something. Anything. “I can't conclude anything yet, but I suspect your customer was a Brujai who commissioned a weapon.”

“A weapon? No, we wouldn't—”

“You wouldn't have known its purpose. Or maybe you knew, but the enchantment made you forget. Whatever the case, this is not your fault, Rulli. Don't blame yourself.”

“Oh,” Rulli murmured, his stare on the packet. “A weapon.”

“Yes. I can't tell you more than that. Information about this weapon cannot be released to the public. It's too dangerous. So, I'm sorry, but I'll be destroying this design after I conclude the investigation.”

“Do it.” Rulli's expression went hard. “I don't want anything to do with a weapon connected to Lansho's death.”

I nodded and laid my free hand on his shoulder. “Good man. Please, keep what I've told you to yourself. Tell Lansho's widow that I found evidence but wouldn't share it with you.”

“I understand. And thank you. I didn't expect such thorough claw work.”

“You can thank me when I catch the killer.”

Rulli nodded. “I'm going to close up for the day.”

“I think that's best. In fact, don't come here alone again. Not even during the day. Have your Ricarri employee meet you somewhere nearby and enter the shop together.”

Rulli swallowed visibly but nodded.

We left the shop together, and I waited beside him as he locked up. Then I watched him walk away until he was out of sight. Because of this, I noticed the man. The Brujai man.

The Dragon King stepped up beside me and opened his mouth to speak. I slapped the design packet against his chest, forcing him to grab it, and then ran across the street, veering between carriages. Carriage drivers shouted at me, but I was focused on the Brujai. Too focused.

The Brujai saw me coming. He turned and fled down an alley.

Skirting pedestrians, I wove and spun, slamming into a wall before I skidded around the corner. The alley was empty. It ended in a T-intersection. I paused at the crossroads, scanned left and right, and found what I needed.

“Tekhan!” the Dragon King called.

I ran down the left lane. My mind sped up as well, processing little details. An overturned bottle. A footprint. The scent of smoke. Wait. Smoke? I came to a stop just before I reached another intersection.

Fire whooshed into the space I should have occupied had I not halted.

The heat forced me back. The King shouted.

So much was happening, but I focused on the flames.

Long, thin flames that burned white at the tips.

A horizontal column of fire. It was all the proof I needed.

The Brujai I was chasing was the murderer.

I had already set his image in my mind, but I hoped I wouldn't need to remember his face. Because I intended to end this right now. He was close. So close.