A Cat's Nose for Murder by Diamond Jacqueline

Author:Diamond, Jacqueline
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: K. Loren Wilson
Published: 2024-10-05T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The printing and publishing building was sited at a distance from the town center. In the months since my return, I’d developed into a rapid walker, but at times like this, I missed my car.

At a near-run, I hurried past houses, small offices and artisan workshops, as well as a school. On the street, red-coated messengers zoomed by, inches above the pavement. Some veered onto side streets, but a few continued toward the print shop.

I hoped they weren’t bringing more rumors for publication. Granted, Lev had attempted to reach me for confirmation, but in a land without cell phones, I couldn’t be expected to be perpetually available.

Ahead stretched the block-long Pizar Publishing House & Print Shop, a sand-colored, single-story building. A multi-paned bow window displayed the latest edition of the newspaper, assorted books, and a copy of A Guide to Over There: Revised Edition.

Kafka and I whisked through the door, where a small bell produced an outsized clang. Around us, tables displayed framed prints, more books, and trade magazines.

At the counter, Baj Fletis handed a slip of paper to a black-haired young man in a red jacket. Seeing me, Jaron’s son muttered something in the messenger’s ear and sent him skimming on his way.

“Yeah?” the youngest member of the Fletis family grumbled to me. “What do you want?”

“Rude snotface,” snarled Kafka from my shoulders. Good thing the clerk couldn’t understand Meechi.

“What did it say?” Anger flashed across Baj’s thin face. He must have noted the disdainful twitch of Kafka’s nose.

“He was commenting on how you must miss Dalva Teta,” I lied.

“That pain in the neck?” As the pale-haired fellow spoke, I spotted a faint shimmer around him. It wouldn’t have seemed important unless one connected it to the family’s suppressed zmona. “She lorded it over everyone, worse than when she used to be Koncil liaison.”

“I’ll bet she didn’t do her share of the work, either,” I sympathized.

“Her? Always late and leaving early. Insisted on delivering the Journal, which was the most interesting part of the....” He broke off. “What’re you doing here, anyway? Snooping and causing trouble, as usual?”

Kafka’s haunches tightened as if for a leap. I tapped my cat’s head with one hand, signaling him to stay put. At best, he was likely to mess up the papers in front of Baj.

“We’re looking for Levy Novinar. I’ll show myself back.” Without waiting for permission, or for Kafka to spring, I marched into the warehouse-sized main area.

Here, my nostrils pinched at the lingering stench. In the old days, before magick was widely distributed by the Great Treseni, leather bindings had been tanned and processed using urine, while animal grease had lubricated the heavy printing equipment. This was what I’d smelled when someone dropped off Dalva’s body in the graveyard.

Light through large windows bathed the wall cabinets and shelves of paper and inks. Old wooden hand presses served as a reminder of how noisy this place must have been centuries ago.

At a large table, a fiftyish fellow with thick eyebrows stood duplicating an old etching, with careful waves of his hand, onto an antiqued sheet of paper.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.