Name: shadowsong26
Story: Fourth Victim
'Verse: Feredar
Colors: Glitter #7. Another suitcase in another hall. - Evita, Fake Blood Red #13. Don't give me the evil eye! Now I know why some animals eat their young., Transparent #10. Flight
Supplies and Materials: eraser (Arrest AU), brush (exact), acrylic, seed beads, glitter (visit)
Word Count: 359
Rating: R
Characters: Deshell, Captain Ves Artwick
Warnings: Discussion of murder
Notes: Constructive criticism welcome, as always. I'll do the interrogation that comes before this eventually, I promise, this just hit me now.


"Inspector Deshell?"

Deshell looked up. Keshir--Inspector Netor's assistant)--was waiting, accompanied by a petite Islander with silver chains braided into her hair. "Can I help you?"

"I'm here to see Kit Artwick," she said bluntly.

Deshell winced. "That's not my call," he said. "Inspector Netor is running this investigation."

"In theory," she muttered. "I ain't here to worry about extraditin' or anythin' like that. The Lady'll send someone. We take care of our own."

"She won't get it," Keshir interrupted.

The Islander waved a hand dismissively. "Not my problem, like I said."

"Then what do you want, Captain...?" Deshell asked. It was a guess, but given the quality of her silver and the way she carried herself, and how she split her focus between him and Keshir, indicated she had rank.

"Ves Artwick," she supplied. "Private Clan business."

"I'm not going to talk to Netor for you until you tell me what you want."

Captain Ves eyed him for a minute. "Four years back, a powerful mage of ours disappeared from his ship."

Deshell blinked. Everything he knew about Islanders said they were less-than-kind to non-water mages born to them. Certainly they wouldn't risk screwing over the extradition of a mass murderer for a metal-mage. "I didn't realize you kept metal-mages on your ships," he said.

The Captain shook her head. "He ain't Unthreaded."

"Kit only kills metal-mages," he said. "And men like him..."

She smiled slightly. "The boy was his little brother."

...that would be a reason to change. Something struck him. Four years ago... "When exactly did he disappear? Was he on Kit's ship?"

Captain Ves made a sour face. "More detail'n I like sharin'."

"You want me to get you access, you'll tell me," Deshell said flatly.

"Lester," she said. "I don't recall the exact date off-hand, but it would've been in spring."

My town... They had never found an Islander body, not under those circumstances, but if Kit had gone so far out of his way, he would've handled the body differently than his other kills.

Deshell ran a hand through his hair. "All right. I'll talk to Netor."