Broomstick - Inspector Wolfe Tales, #1 - Part Two

“Peacelock Tom Thumb, Grade Three,” said the short man in the black coat. “What’s your name?”

“Wolfe,” I replied ominously. “James Wolfe.”

“When’d you find him?” asked Thumb, squatting down and looking over Aleck’s body.

“This morning,” I replied. “Early. You’re awfully short.”

“I know that. Got any manners?” Thumb said, rising up to full length (which was about four and a half feet). He balled his fists, and his face flushed red. “I’ve got to investigate the scene. I could file you for obstruction of the law.”

“And I could gobble you up like a cheeseburger,” I replied haughtily. “Get on with it.”

Thumb made a bad face and leaned over to look at Aleck. “Aleck Shipton, eh? Brother of the Alice Shipton, mirror spelunker and scout?”

I nodded. “That’s the one. What killed him?”

“I don’t know,” snapped Thumb. He turned away and motioned to the other people in the squad carriage. “Tweedle Dee! Tweedle Dum! Get out here!” he shouted in his annoying voice. “And turn off the stupid werelights!”

I turned and looked at the squad carriage, putting a hand over my eyes to shield myself from the blinding rainbow strobe lights on top of the vehicle.

The lights suddenly shut off with a clanking noise, and the door to the squad carriage opened. Out came two men, exactly the same in every respect except for one dissimilarity. Each was average height, wearing the standard black button-up shirt, pants, boots, and jacket of the Peacelock Department; and each had dark hair and skin; but one of them had a pink livid scar across his right cheek.

“What is it?” asked the one with the scar, whose stitched-in nametag on his jacket said “Tweedle Dum”.

“Yeah,” piped up Dee. “What’s the matter?”

Thumb gestured to the dead body. “Him. He’s in perfect condition, except for the fact that his heart’s not beating. What happened to him? Poison?”

Dum got out a notepad and pencil, and Dee started talking. I watched as the twins did their work in profiling and analyzing the body. Dee said, “Six foot, white, blond, blue eyes, husky.” Dum’s pencil scratched quickly. Dee continued. “Uninjured, muscular, wearing black unmarked jacket.” Dee got down and gently turned over each of Aleck’s hands, looking closely. I watched in fascination. “Left-handed.” Dee checked all his pockets and said, “Pockets empty—oh, wait.” He pulled a folded piece of paper out of Aleck’s back pocket. “One document in left back pocket.” He unfolded it. “White new paper, folded into eighths and tucked into pocket; typed message, some sort of recipe. It says, ‘One teaspoon gremlin ash, quarter pound wolfsbane, three tablespoons flour, one cup spider blood, two drops mandrake sap.’” Dee went over the rest of the body, but found nothing else of interest.

I nodded in approval as Dum finished up. “All right, Dee. Got it all.”

“You betcha,” replied Dee. “Now let’s get this body in a bag and take it back to HQ for more in-depth analysis.”

Thumb nodded. “All right. You two bag him up. I’ll get the suspect ready for his official statement back at HQ.”

I felt my fur bristle when he called me a suspect. I really disliked this Thumb character. “I already said what happened when I scried the Peacelocks. And what’s this about me being a suspect?”

Thumb smirked. “Well, the Peacelock Department likes to interview people in person. With truth potion. Just a precaution. If you resist, I will have to take you forcefully.”

“Thumb, I’ve got better things to do,” I growled. “Let me go.” I took a step towards him.

He backed away and pulled out a stunbow, a miniature crossbow with a pixie-enchanted bolt. He cocked it. “Not one more step, Wolfe,” he warned. “Or you drool in the grass.”

The Tweedle twins returned from inside the carriage lugging a body bag, but both stopped short at the scene unfolding before their eyes.

“On your knees!” barked Thumb. “Hands behind your head.”

I snarled but complied, getting down on my knees and placing my paws behind my canine head. Thumb motioned for Dee to cuff me, and the scarred twin swiftly moved round behind me and locked some enchanted cuffs around my wrists. “Clear,” he announced when he was done.

Thumb escorted me into the back of the squad carriage while Dee and Dum bagged Aleck’s body. A question occurred to me right as Thumb was listing my rights. “You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to have counsel present during questioning. Anything you say can and will be used against—”

“Uh, Thumb,” I said. The short guy looked at me angrily, cheeks flushing red. I forged on, knowing that by making this guy angry I must be doing something right. “Why did only one squad carriage come to the scene? I reported a murder. There should have been at least two more Peacelock carriages and an ambulance.”

“National holiday for Peacelocks. Half staff today, and the rest get a day off tomorrow. Now shut your mouth.”

“What holiday?”

“It’s Broomstick Day. Where we remember the 47 Peacelocks who were killed or injured during the arrest of Hilda Boomstick, famous outlaw witch.”

I should have remembered that one, having read tons about criminal justice and its history. But I guess I was just flustered about what had taken place. I couldn’t really blame myself. There was a dead man being loaded into a body bag, a dead man I had discovered. Plus, just that morning I had been contacted from the Mirror Realm by Alice Shipton, one of the most prestigious people of all Faeraway.

Murder and Namenapping. If it weren’t for these idiot policemen, I should be following the only lead I had. Alice had mentioned the King’s Men. I knew it must be important, and it all had something to do with Aleck Shipton, my client’s brother. There was death in the air, no question. And on a day when the police force of Faeraway, the Peacelocks, was halved; this was rather suspicious to me.

But who knew? Until I knew otherwise, these things could be absolutely coincidental. But either way, something fishy was going on.

Then there was the matter of the list in Aleck’s pocket. That was no mere shopping list. Sounded like some death brew, to me.

Dum and Dee hoisted the body in back of the carriage and got in, Thumb went up to the driver’s seat, and the unicorns started galloping. Thumb switched on the sirens.