Notorious: the Vespertine Mysteries, #1 by Dooley

Author:Dooley [Mark Dooley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dancing With Words Publishing
Published: 2022-10-24T00:00:00+00:00

Vespertine strode down the hall. The Niantic had been built from the hulk of a ship pulled up on shore. The second floor was higher than a normal building and the stairs steeper. She didn’t allow them to slow her pace. Cuinn caught up with her in the lobby by the entrance to the dining room. He yanked at her elbow and spun her to face him.

“You could have scalded her.” He delivered his words hard and fast. “Tempting her with a meal was a good idea. A little kindness can loosen the tongue of the roughest cur. Then, you decide to throw a teapot at her. She was in tears and ready to trust you. If you’d only reached out to her, she’d have answered your questions.”

“Told us more lies?” Herr Ottendorfer’s coffee threatened permanent damage to her digestive tract. “Simple reason should tell you her tears were no more real than her hysteria. I had a higher opinion of you. She’s a common prostitute, not an actress.”

The plain language hit home. Anger tightened the muscles of his jaw.

“See here lass, you tried to bleed answers out of her. That stunt with the hot tea. Y-Y-You—” He bit off his sentence. “You might as well take the poker from the fire and burn her. If I wanted to beat answers out of her, I’d use Olsen. Even one handed, he makes a better batterer than you.”

“How many answers did Olsen get out of the horse?” She didn’t even try to keep the disgust out of her voice.

“He got one answer from the rider. He told us where to find the body of the man murdered over a claim. Trust me, my girl, your insults and tea come a distant second to Olsen’s baton.”

“Why not let Olsen club her then? We don’t know how many crimes she’s witnessed. She won’t speak because she’d have to admit her guilt. Let him beat it out of her.”

“What would she tell us?”

“Eventually,” Vespertine said, “Irena would tell Olsen the truth.”

“No, she’d tell Olsen what he wants to hear.”

“She would tell Olsen what happened.”

“No.” His speech slowed and his voice lowered. “She’d tell him what he wanted to hear. If I sent Olsen in to see her, she’d confess to murdering the man. If I sent you and your teapot in, she’d tell you she only witnessed the murder. She’d tell you what you want to hear. Maybe lies, maybe not. Olsen’s method worked on the rider because we could check. We found a body where he said it was. Tell me, what measure will you use to check Irena’s story?”

He was going to lecture her. Irena made a fool of him for days and he was going to lecture her.

“We’re different from Olsen,” Cuinn said. “His way works with simple matters. Our way is different. Some questions to start ‘em talking. A bit of banter like we’re friends.” He leaned in close. “We can tell when the bastards lie to us. Perjuries go on and on while truths are simple and short.

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