Fantasies Collide, Volume 4 by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Author:Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: WMG Publishing

I remain crouched even though my thighs ache. “The children?” I say.

“They’re all right,” Robert says. He stands off the walk, just near the gate, watching me. He wants my job, he does, and someday, he can have it. “They’re inside with one of the men.”

“They know what happened?”

“No.”

“They hear anything?”

“I don’t think so.”

I sigh. Too messy for me. Much too messy. I get up slowly, and my knees creak. I’m getting too old for these kinds of jobs.

I hold my torch over the walk. It tilts down. The blood from the Princess ran down the walk toward the street. Behind her, though, near where I stood, is one great smear, and then small drops and several footprints. Man-sized, bigger than mine. I follow the prints. They lead to the back gate. It’s smeared too: a single handprint, large. Then the steps disappear in the dirt.

I sigh and close my eyes. There’s no way out of this one for me. The Princess is dead, and the King will want to know why. And how.

And by whom.

Then I have an idea.

“Robert,” I say as I come back through the gate. “Who’s seen the bodies?”

“Us, sir,” he says.

“Anyone else?”

“Not up close.”

“Good.” I rub a hand over my scalp. I hate this, but I will do it anyway. It will be the best for all of us. “Find the knife.”

“Sir?”

“Find the knife.” I make my tone fierce.

“And if I can’t?”

“You will,” I say. He’ll understand. Robert is one of my very best. If he finds no knife, he’ll provide one. And if he provides one, I can always say that I had no knowledge of it. Such things will make all of our jobs easier.

I add, “Take care of the bodies personally.”

That way no one else will see the defensive wounds on the publican. If we can, if we’re quick enough, we can blame him, and close the case, no questions asked.

“Yes, sir,” Robert says.

“And Robert?”

“Yes?”

“Make sure no one talks. About any of it.” And with that, I go into the house.

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