A Matter of Secrets and Spies by Honor Raconteur

Author:Honor Raconteur [Raconteur, Honor]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-12-19T00:00:00+00:00

There were many avenues to explore this morning. I broke them down by logistics. As Jamie handled the interviews, I took the camera from Ginger and set about processing the film. Ginger offered to help, but I had to do it alone to preserve evidence. If any was to be found. Fortunately, Ginger carried about the right chemicals for film development, and I made a makeshift darkroom out of another storage room.

It took the work of an hour, nothing more, and while the pictures dried and developed, I set about my second task. Namely, doing the toxicology on Lady Ellsworth. I was not Weber, naturally, but after years of working as a magical examiner, I did have a few tricks up my sleeve.

Before I’d retired to bed the night before, Lady Ellsworth had been put on ice. Quite literally, in the walk-in freezer off the kitchens. I chose, for various reasons, not to mention that fact to any of the guests. Coupled with my preservation spells, it had maintained her death state. Well, as much as possible, at any rate.

I examined her once again but this time on the side of medical science and not magic. Mostly, I did an analysis of her stomach’s contents. I didn’t cut her open but was able to do a diagnostic scan of the contents while recording it on a blank page of my notebook. I did this quickly because standing in the cold of the freezer made my teeth chatter. As soon as the results filled in the page, I closed up and immediately vacated.

The results were best reviewed elsewhere. Before my lips turned blue.

Becker waited for me in the “evidence” room, or at least where we did our examinations. The storage room was becoming quite homey, I’d been in here so many times.

Sitting at the table, I set the journal between us so he could read it too.

“So, here are the contents of Lady Ellsworth’s stomach. Let’s see, nothing too fantastical.”

Becker read through my list aloud. “Bread, passionflower tea—”

“I assumed that to be tea,” I said, somewhat apologetically. Without all my usual equipment, I couldn’t verify it beyond a certain extent. “There was passionflower, water, and a great deal of sugar and milk in her stomach, which usually equates to tea.”

He gave a nod of understanding and continued, brow furrowing as he tried to work through a word. “Lozenge, benzo—uh, benzo—”

“Benzodiazepines.” I gave him a quick smile. “It is a mouthful. More commonly known as a sleeping pill. Paired with the lozenge, it’s a common enough remedy if one is suffering from allergies in the area.”

“Right, right.” Becker frowned and pointed to the numbers nearby. “But what about those?”

“Ah, those are the percentage of each item. The bread, as you can imagine, was the largest thing she ingested—” I answered while scanning the numbers and then cut myself off with a frown. “Huh.”

Becker eyed me sideways. “I know that reaction. Whenever the coroner at the station says that, he always says something crazy right after.

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