CHAPTER FIVE: The Agreement

The steam gently wafting from the coffee in the center console of the car barely registered in the dim glow of the sun that was just beginning to rise. Sylvain blinked, blearily clearing his eyes, and looked over at his partner, who was tapping the bagged notebook from Ubert's apartment on his knee and staring out the windshield. "See anything yet?" He asked, partially out of curiosity but mostly to wake himself up.

Felix put a small pair of binoculars up to his eyes and peered through them, sweeping the town square over beside which they were parked. "Nothing but teenagers glued to their phones. What in Sothis' name are they doing out here at five in the morning?"

Sylvain shrugged, picking up his coffee and taking a swig. "They should be in bed. I wish I was in bed."

"Stop saying that," Felix instructed irritably, handing him the binoculars. "Look and see if you see anything unusual."

Sylvain took the binoculars and squinted through them. Felix was right; the square was empty, save for a group of three teenagers with their phones out, walking around and sweeping their phones as if looking for treasure. Every now and again one of them would exclaim, showing the screen to the others. "Are they playing some sort of game?"

Felix only grunted in response, and Sylvain lowered the binoculars, wishing the sun would rise faster so his partner could open that goddess-forsaken notebook and continue reading as much as he clearly wanted to. For a moment he considered pulling out his own phone and turning on the flashlight so Felix could see the writing, but swallowed the urge. Stakeouts only worked if the observers blended in like scenery.

The two sat in silence for another half hour, passing the binoculars back and forth. Finally Sylvain showed Felix the time on his phone screen. "It's six-thirty now and nothing happened. Can we go get breakfast?" When he got no response, he clicked his phone screen off and sighed. "Will you at least tell me what you found in that notebook? There should be enough light to read it now."

Felix twitched, like he'd been waiting for this moment for hours. Trying hard not to seem too eager, he lazily reached into his pocket and pulled out two pairs of gloves, one of which he threw at Sylvain and one he put on himself. "I found this under the cushion of the chair in Ubert's bedroom."

"Under a cushion?"

"Dominic-without-a-k-at-the-end mentioned Ubert likes to hide things under cushions," Felix explained, opening the notebook. "The GMPD did a good job, but clearly not a perfect one. I haven't read through it in depth, but I found some interesting oddments stuck between the pages. There's a dried sunflower, some more receipts, and this."

A little irked that Felix's efforts at befriending Annette hadn't crashed and burned in a spectacularly amusing way, Sylvain leaned over the center console to watch his partner pluck something from between two pages. "What the...is that hair?"

Holding aloft a snipped lock of purple hair held together with a paperclip, Felix nodded. "Looks human, or at least too long and not the right color for any animal I've ever come across." He handed the lock to Sylvain, who ran a finger through the little bundle. "Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to whose it is, but I have suspicions."

"Could be from a family member," Sylvain offered.

"Possibly. Ashe Ubert's hair is silver, however, which is a recessive gene, and if you look at his pictures, it appears to be fine and straight in texture. This hair is thick, with some curl to it. Ubert may straighten his hair artificially, but no straightening iron was found in his apartment and, considering he left his comb behind when he left I doubt he would take an appliance like that with him wherever he is. He also doesn't seem like the type to have his hair permanently relaxed, though I could be wrong. All of this taken into account, I wouldn't expect someone with hair like this to be in his immediate family."

Sylvain nodded, then snapped his fingers. "Ashe is adopted, though. It could be from his adopted family."

A look of irritation mixed with superiority settled on Felix's face, and his lip curled. "If you'd read the case files in their entirety like instructed, you'd know that there is a picture of Ubert's adopted father as well as his adopted brother, as well as one of the blood sister who made the initial missing report. "

Busted, Sylvain thought, mentally kicking himself. "R-right," he replied. "I'll, erm, have another go through the files tonight. How about his adopted mother? I know she's deceased," he added quickly, before he could be reprimanded again for his ignorance. "But he could have saved a lock of hair as a memory."

"Again, unlikely. Mr. Lonato's hair is white with age, but his son Christophe's hair is also light in color. If Mrs. Lonato had this sort of hair, it would have more than likely shown in her son."

"Someone important enough to Ashe to keep their hair...this could be our mystery lover!" Sylvain held the hair up again, squinting at it. "It seems to have come from a woman, judging by the length. A girlfriend?"

Felix nodded. "Not just any girlfriend, either. Someone we've already heard about." When Sylvain only balked in confusion, Felix pointed to the hair. "What color would you call that?"

The sun was now almost fully up, so Sylvain had no trouble identifying its color. "Purple...with a tint of red."

"Be more precise."

"I dunno. Wine? Plum?"

"Would you call it 'orchid'?"

"Yeah, that's-wait…" Sylvain nearly dropped the lock of hair as the pieces clicked into place in his mind. "Lorenz Gloucester! He said the woman Ashe saved from being harassed had orchid-colored hair!"

"His precise words were that she had 'long, orchid-colored hair' that she kept in a braid."

Sylvain squinted at the hair lock again. "Back in college, some of the girls would braid their hair at night to make curls the next day. This woman's hair may not be naturally curly-this lock could just look that way because it was in a braid prior to being cut." The two looked at each other, barely daring to breathe lest they break the flow of revelation. After a moment, Sylvain tilted his head ever so slightly to the side. "But that would mean that our mystery lover…"

Felix picked up his sentence, finishing it for him. "Our mystery lover-seemingly the last person who saw Ubert alive-used to work at The Merrow."

"Oh shit," Sylvain said, handing the hair back to his partner. "This is big. But this woman wasn't on the roster Ms. Casagranda gave us. You went to The Merrow on Saturday, when all the staff is supposed to be there. Did you see anyone matching her description?"

Shaking his head, Felix took the lock of hair and placed it back in the book pages. "No. We've personally interviewed everyone on the roster except Ingrid Galatea and Mercedes von Martritz, and both of them are blonde."

"Maybe she quit, or was fired," Sylvain said, shrugging. "We have to find out. Maybe Ms. Casagranda has her address or phone number. If nothing else, they can at least tell us her name."

"There's more," Felix said, flipping the pages in the notebook back until he reached a folded loose leaf of paper, which he liberated and held out to his partner. "Read this."

Sylvain took the paper, unfolding it gently and reading aloud:

Ashe Ubert:

Garbage is collected and taken away because it belongs with other garbage, not with valuables. Garbage is an eyesore. A nuisance. Disgusting.

The same applies to trash humans like you: a thief who poisons whatever well you are thrown into.

I KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE.

You have one week to leave Garreg Mach. If you ignore this warning, the consequences will be...painful.

We are watching.

"Well," he said when he'd finished, his eyebrows raised nearly into his hairline. "That wasn't very friendly, was it?"

"It wasn't signed, but it does appear to be handwritten," Felix said. "That gives us hope that we could possibly match it to writing samples of potential suspects."

Sylvain flipped the paper over, looking for any stray marks or anything that could be used to identify the writer. The rest of the paper was blank, though there were smudges where it had rubbed against the lead of the pencil Ashe had used to write in his notebook. "'A thief who poisons whatever well you are thrown into'...does Ubert have a criminal record? Also, are there any wells in Garreg Mach and have we checked the bottom of them? This was oddly specific."

"Excellent questions. I need you to start finding the answers to those questions today while I go back to The Merrow and deal with that teleconference with Captains Edelgard and Blaiddyd." Felix held his hand out, motioning for the note to be returned. "Also...if you happen to run into Captain Edelgard today, don't mention this notebook."

Sylvain's hand hovered in the air. "Why?" When Felix didn't answer, he frowned. "You told the GMPD about the notebook and logged it as evidence, didn't you?"

"...no."

"Why the hell not?"

Felix clenched his teeth, trying to find a way to verbalize his reasoning without sounding like a head case, which was especially hard when he didn't even fully know himself why he'd done it. "It didn't seem like the right thing to do," he said finally.

"Pretty sure the right thing to do is follow our orders, which include turning over all found evidence to the GMPD like we agreed we would."

"I'll worry about my own decisions," Felix growled, snatching the letter from Sylvain's fingers. "You have your assignment for today. We'll meet back at the hotel tonight and compare notes." He tossed the car keys into Sylvain's lap. "All yours; I'll walk."

Sylvain watched him exit the car, then slid over into the driver's seat. "Whatever," he muttered to himself, cranking the engine. "Breakfast time."

—

Instead of cheerful greetings, Felix was met with a head-rending shriek as soon as he entered The Merrow. Bernadetta, the shrieker, dropped the mango she was holding and dashed to the bathroom, knocking Lysithea into the counter and scattering a stack of paper menus. "He's back!" Annette called towards Manuela's office, then sighed and came around the counter to pick up the menus.

"It's you," Lysithea said bitterly, rubbing the spot on her abdomen where she'd slammed into the counter. "Couldn't you warn us before you just show up and set everything on proverbial fire?"

Felix bit back a sour reply with great effort. "My apologies. If I may ask, though, what have I done to give Miss Varley cause to behave like a rabid squirrel just from seeing my face?"

"Don't mind Bernie," Manuela said lightly, emerging from her office. "It's nothing you've done, I assure you. She's...well. She's just herself. What can I do for you today? I think you've already interviewed everyone who's working today. Ingrid will be in tomorrow, and Mercedes will be back on Tuesday."

"I'm actually here for food," Felix said, adding with great discomfort, "and I'm here to see Dom-er, Annette."

All eyes turned to Annette, who looked up from where she was crouched on the ground and not paying attention. "What?" She clutched the menus to her chest, confused.

Dorothea's eyes sparkled, and she leaned on the counter beside Lysithea, chin in her hand. "Oh? You're here for Annie? Caught your eye, has she?"

Annette squawked, shooting up from the ground like a firework. "What? No! Dorothea! It's not like that!"

"Don't be shy," Dorothea said, winking. "If I were him, I'd fall for you too, Annie."

Heat was building under Felix's bun, and he cleared his throat, looking pointedly at a blank space on the wall beside the cash register. Annette slammed the menus on the counter, redder than her hair. "It's about a job offer! A side hustle! That's all!"

"A second job?" Manuela asked, sounding wounded. "Am I not working you hard enough? I can give you more hours."

"No! I'm here too much as it is! Just…" Annette sighed. "Don't worry about it! You can order your food, Detective, and I'll come meet you at your table when it's ready."

She scuttled away into the kitchen, leaving Felix under the appraising eyes of her coworkers. Manuela, smirking, reminded him that she'd be out at the beach bar if he needed her, then she also disappeared behind a door. There was nothing to be done save to follow Annette's instructions, so Felix reluctantly stepped up to the counter. Dorothea, who had stepped behind the cash register, smiled at him like an indulgent cat. "Yes, Detective, I would be glad to take your order."

The wicked gleam in her eyes perturbed Felix's thoughts, shaking them about like seeds in a rattle-gourd. He stared at the menu in vain, unable to focus on the words, and finally threw it back on the counter. "There was a waffle we had the other day that had eggs and bacon…"

"The breakfast waffle? Of course. Anything to drink?"

"Coffee. Black." He'd had a lot of coffee already, but this day was shaping up to be a six-cup sort of day.

Dorothea tapped on the register screen. Her nails were long and immaculate, but it seemed she'd filed them into little points. Felix snorted softly; people came up with the most absurd fashion trends. The low sound attracted Dorothea's attention and she paused, hand hovering over the register. "Anything else?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Her hand was still hovering. "Would you like to put in a little something for Annie? She's giving up part of her lunch to sit with you. And, after all, it's uncomfortable to eat in front of someone who isn't eating themselves, isn't it?" She winked, looking very much like Manuela in the moment. "I'll put hers on the house."

Friends. Friendly.

Let me know when she realizes you have no soul and I'll try to salvage the mess.

"Sure," Felix said, putting a hand in his pocket uncomfortably. "Whatever she likes."

"Oh, she loves all sweets. Not a big fan of meat, which is helpful to keep in mind." Dorothea scanned the menu, then tapped on the register again. "There. Good choice, Detective." She beamed at him as she handed him his receipt.

Felix couldn't think of a situation in which he'd need or want to know Dominic's dietary preferences, but the information was involuntarily tucked away into the same place in his brain where he stored case trivia. He wandered back to Ashe's bench and sat, looking out the window to avoid any more eye contact with Dorothea or Lysithea. After a few minutes, Bernadetta called from the bathroom: "Is he gone?"

"No," Lysithea called back, irritably rattling what sounded like the blender. "But you will be if you don't come back out and do your job." As he was turned away, Felix couldn't see if Lysithea's threats had persuaded Bernadetta to come back to work, but when the next customer came through the door, her 'welcome' sounded like it still came from behind the bathroom door.

The chatter of customers came and went, then footsteps approached the table and Felix turned to see Annette bearing a tray. "Alright, I have your food right here. Here's the breakfast waffle, here's the coffee, and then here's a jam and cream waffle!" She leaned the tray against the bench seat, then slid into the seat across from him. "So, about that offer-"

"This one's for you," Felix said, pushing the jam waffle at her.

She blinked at it, then looked back up at Felix, shocked. "For me?"

"Yeah."

"That's…" She floundered for words. "That's really nice of you! Are you sure?"

"Just eat it," Felix said, awkwardly leaning back against the bench cushion and crossing his arms.

Annette paused, then picked the waffle up. "Well, don't mind if I do! Thank you!" She bit into it and hummed a little in enjoyment. "These are my favorite. I could eat thirty of them."

Felix bit into his own waffle, remembering how hungry he was, and was begrudgingly impressed. The waffle was crispy on the outside, but tender on the inside, and the mild sweetness was pleasantly overruled by the salt from the bacon. "So. The offer."

"Right!" Annette startled, swallowing her current bite hard. "The offer!" Her face was smudged with jam, and she took a moment to swipe at it before speaking again. "I thought it over last night and...I accept. I'll be your tour guide if that's what you really want. I've never been a guide before, but I'll do my best and make sure you get your money's worth!"

Her eager, determined face still had a blob of jam on it, and Felix found himself oddly charmed. She was earnest, if not discerning. Guilt at his lie nudged his conscience, but he only nodded. "Good. I can pay in installments, or I can pay a higher lump sum at once; whichever you prefer."

"I think I'd prefer all at once so we don't have to keep up with payments."

"That's fair." He fished out his wallet and reached into it, pulling out a number of bills. "How does this sound?"

Annette took the money, her eyes as wide as eggs. "Th-this is a lot!"

It was the average going rate for a personal tour guide, or so the internet had said when Felix had researched the subject. He wondered how much Manuela was paying her employees for Annette to be acting like he'd just handed her a small fortune. "I expect quality tours."

"Of course!" Annette folded the money and gently put it into the fanny pack she wore as part of her uniform. "They're gonna be the best tours you've ever been on! They'll knock your socks off! Just you wait! We can-uh oh," She paused, interrupted by raised voices from across the restaurant.

"Like I said last week and the week before," Dorothea's voice sounded irritated. "I'm not interested. If you want food, just order it and go."

A male voice spoke. "I can't understand why you insist on playing hard-to-get. How many times do I have to show my interest before you agree? Do I have to beg? Is that what you want?"

"No, that's not what I want at all. I'm not playing games with you; I'm being serious."

Annette slid out of the bench and crept closer, peering around the ocean mural half-wall that served as a divider in the little cafe. Felix followed, putting a hand on the extendable baton in his belt. A man with light orange hair was standing at the counter, arguing with Dorothea, who had backed away and was scowling fiercely. Lysithea stood to the side, tense but unmoving. "I know you can't be serious because I know that you know who I am," the man said. His clothes were casual, but Felix could tell by the labels and tailoring that they were expensive.

"I don't care who you are," Dorothea shot back. "Men like you are abundant and low in value."

"Low in value? Now I know you jest." The man laughed, shaking his head. "I can take you to the finest restaurants in all of Adrestia. I could buy the finest restaurants in all of Adrestia-today, if you asked me to. I just want one date, Dorothea. Give me a chance."

Dorothea threw her hands up in the air. "No! Each and every time you ask the answer will be the same!"

"Do you really want to stay here in this homely beach town? You're beautiful. You could be a model." He paced the length of the counter. "I know the CEOs of modeling agencies. I could call them right now and get you a contract. You're a fool if you don't see the opportunity here."

"Go away, Ferdinand." Dorothea's voice was a little shaky now. "A no is a no, and this no will always be a no. I don't want what you have, and I don't want you. Your behavior and not listening to me is exactly-"

"I am listening to you," Ferdinand interrupted her. "But what you're saying is not logical. If you'd go out with me, you'd realize that, and you'd thank me later."

Annette growled low in her throat beside Felix, then stepped around him and into the open. She marched up to the counter with heavy steps and a heavier scowl. "Get lost, Ferdinand," she instructed, standing tall despite being a head shorter than him. "Get lost and don't come back, or I'll call the police."

Ferdinand snorted. "My family has the police commissioner over every year for the holidays, and we dine with the heads of the GMPD at least once a month. I don't think that call would go the way you think it would."

Such blatant implications of corruption were too much for Felix, and he calmly strode over to stand beside Annette, moving his hands so Ferdinand could see his holstered weapon. "Are you suggesting the Garreg Mach Police regularly allow men to harass women as long as the harasser is wealthy? I'd be very interested to see what Chief Charon has to say on the matter. Should I call her now?"

Paling, Ferdinand took a step back. "Who are you?"

"Detective Fraldarius of the Faerghus Provincial Police." Felix put on his best grumpy expression, which was actually the same as his normal expression.

"He'll arrest you if you don't leave," Annette said, her hands on her hips. That wasn't strictly true, but after a moment of consideration, Felix decided to let her threat stand. Perhaps it would make this man pay more attention to what she said in the future.

Ferdinand's shoulders, which had been raised defensively, dropped a little in defeat, and his mouth quirked into a sneer. "Ridiculous. If you insist on making a scene, I suppose I have no choice but to take my leave." He turned his head to look at Dorothea again, his confidence backlit with anger. "My patience won't last forever. One day you might regret what happened here."

"Is that a threat?" Felix asked, stepping forward and pushing Annette out of his way.

"Please. I don't make threats." Backing away, Ferdinand looked Felix over once more, lip curled, then turned and retreated through the front door.

Once the door had closed, Dorothea dropped onto a stool near the kitchen door with a shuddering sigh. Lysithea stepped to her side while Annette trotted to the door to peek out and ensure their unwelcome guest had truly departed. A door hinge squeaked, and Bernadette poked her head around the corner. She bit her lip when she saw Felix, but her worry for Dorothea overtook her anxiety, and she crossed the restaurant to put a hand on Dorothea's head, eyeing Felix the entire way as if he were a crocodile that might strike without warning. "Did he leave?" She asked, petting Dorothea's head gently.

"He's gone," Annette called, giving them a thumbs up.

"I'm...I'm so tired of dealing with him…!" Dorothea's voice was heavy with tears that wouldn't fall. "He's such a-" She let out a string of expletives the police academy trainees would have been proud of.

Lysithea bit her lip. "Dorothea…"

"He…" Dorothea's husky voice dropped. "He scares me."

"A piece of trash like him couldn't do anything to you," Annette said fiercely, kneeling beside her. "If he tried, you know-ah...I mean...well, he'd get, uh, in trouble. Big trouble. Right, Detective?" She looked over at Felix, her eyes begging for help.

Felix gritted his molars. This wasn't something he should get further involved in. He was here to find Ashe Ubert-nothing else. They should be talking with someone in the GMPD. "Yeah. I'll pass the word along to the Captain and…" Annette looked unconvinced. "...I'll keep an eye out for him, too."

"See?" Annette shook Dorothea's arm. "The detective is gonna help. It's okay."

Lysithea stole a glance at Felix, then lowered her voice and whispered something to the other girls, who paused before nodding. "Bernie, you do it," she said, her voice louder now. "It's slow today anyway. Do you want me to call Claude in?"

Dorothea shook her head, standing and putting on a brave face. "No. I'm okay now. I just needed a little moment, that's all. Thanks, girls." She turned a dazzling smile towards Felix. "And thank you, Detective."

Damn it. "Does he have a history of violence?" Felix asked.

"Not that we know of," Dorothea answered. "Honestly, it's fine. I was just being overdramatic."

"No, you weren't. Anyone would be upset after what he said. Anyway," Annette turned to Felix. "I'll see you tonight."

"Tonight?"

"For our first tour excursion?"

"Oh," Felix blinked. "I hadn't expected it to start today."

Annette frowned. "Is that too soon?"

"No. It's fine."

"Great! Then drop by tonight at closing and we'll go from here."

Felix nodded, keenly aware of the way the other waitresses were looking from him to Annette and trying to figure out what was going on. "I'm going to finish my breakfast now," he informed them as a group of teenagers noisily entered the shop. "I'll be over here if you need me." He walked away, silently cursing himself. Why did I say that? I'm not their personal rent-a-cop. "But don't!" He called over his shoulder.

Annette tilted her head. "Don't what?"

"Need me!"

"Oh. Uh...right!"

—

"These seem to be promising leads. Hunt them down as quickly as you can." Captain Blaiddyd's voice was as composed as always, but it had an edge of almost child-like eagerness. "I don't need to remind you how important time is in a case like this."

"I'm aware," Felix replied through his teeth, gripping his phone so hard in annoyance it made a small popping sound. "Officer Gautier and I will meet back up tonight to go over the new information in detail. If he comes up with anything important, I'll let you know."

"Be sure you do."

Felix paused, taking a deep breath. The only thing that annoyed him more than Dimitri Blaiddyd was explaining himself to Dimitri Blaiddyd. "There's one more thing." The line was silent as the Captain waited for him to continue. "I found a piece of evidence that I believe could be a breakthrough in this case."

"And?"

"I haven't turned it in to Captain Edelgard yet. I know we agreed to work cooperatively, but I believe they will take it away for processing before I get to personally examine it, which could cripple my investigation."

"What manner of evidence?"

"A notebook, written by the missing. Officer Gautier had nothing to do with this decision. You can be angry with me if you choose, but I stand strong in my conviction that it is vital that I am allowed to read through it uninterrupted as long as I am taking the proper precautions not to contaminate it."

Captain Blaiddyd was silent again, and worry tightened Felix's shoulders. Finally the captain spoke again, his voice still calm. "Good."

Felix exhaled sharply in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Take as long as you need to examine the evidence. You can turn it over to the Garreg Mach Police when you're finished."

This wasn't the response Felix had expected; Captain Blaiddyd was usually a man of rules and formalities. "And what of our agreement with Captain Edelgard's team?"

"I think they would agree that it is more important to find Ashe Ubert than to toe the line on cumbersome protocols. Wouldn't you?"

Felix pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it, incredulous. The screen blinked on, showing 'CAPTAIN BOAR' as the caller ID. "Of course I agree. I'm just surprised you do."

The captain laughed, and Felix flinched. "Do what you need to do, Detective. I have full faith in you."

"...Understood...Sir." Felix pushed the button to end the call, his face still wrinkled in a mask of bafflement. He held his phone up a little longer, as if trying to convince himself that he hadn't hallucinated what had just happened. He was too valuable to be fired, but he had expected a drawn-out admonishment and possibly a call later from Captain Edelgard herself, just so she could unhinge her jaw and chew on his sorry carcass as well. Instead, Captain Blaiddyd had sounded...pleased.

Felix shoved his phone in his pocket and pulled out his carton of cigarettes, shaking one out. As he exhaled, smoke blooming out like a dragon's morning breath, he squinted, becoming more and more suspicious. "What game is that boar playing," he muttered, his words making little curls in the smoke.

—

"That's what you're going to wear on a date?" Dorothea asked, frowning at Felix's weapon belt and badge.

"It's not a date," Felix and Annette said simultaneously. Felix crossed his arms, uncomfortable, and Annette glared at her coworker. "I'm taking him on tours of Garreg Mach, or at least I will if you don't scare him away!"

Dorothea rolled her eyes, though her mouth was quirked in amusement. "Alright, alright. My point still stands, though. You can't expect to have a normal night out on the town when you look like you're still on duty."

"I…" Felix, who'd been about to retort that technically he was still on duty since this was all in the name of the investigation, caught himself and closed his mouth. "I never expect a normal night. That's the life of a cop."

Dorothea looked pointedly at Annette, who pressed her lips together before speaking. "She does have a point, Detective. You'll make everyone uncomfortable. You can't write a good article when all the locals you meet are scared of you." She smiled apologetically. "How about we drop off your weapon belt in a safe place, and you can put your badge in your pocket?"

"And what am I supposed to do if a fight breaks out downtown and I don't have any of my tools?"

"You call the GMPD like everyone else," Dorothea said. "And that doesn't happen often in Garreg Mach, anyway."

"Besides, don't all cops know...I dunno...martial arts or something?" Annette asked.

Dorothea nodded. "You could take someone down without weapons-I'm sure of it. Just look at you."

Felix's face was getting hot. She was flattering him, the minx, and it was working. "Fine! Fine. I'll leave the belt off."

"Great!" Dorothea clapped. "Much better!"

"Let me go grab my wallet and we can leave," Annette said as Felix unclipped his badge.

Lysithea caught her as she came out of the break room a few minutes later, pulling her to the wall and looking around furtively. "Why are you doing this?"

"I need the money," Annette replied simply.

"Money? What do you need topside money for?"

Annette peeked around the corner, making sure Felix was out of earshot. "I'm going to find him, and I need money for that."

Lysithea's suspicion melted into pity. "Annie…" She sighed deeply. "Well. Manuela said she thinks this police officer asking you to be his guide is a lucky break anyway."

"Really? Why?" Annette wrinkled her nose, confused.

"Because." Lysithea also peeked, reassuring herself of Felix's distance. "It's a good idea to play nice with the detectives-get them on our side. Make friends with him and see if you can find out what sort of evidence they have. I don't think we were sloppy, but that officer's constant presence here may not just be because he likes our waffles."

Annette frowned, a worry line appearing between her brows. "He said he didn't want to talk about the case, though."

"Bring it up casually, as an aside. Charm it out of him."

"Right," Annette agreed, nodding. "I'll do my best."

"And be careful!" Lysithea added as Annette walked away.

—

Sylvain checked the clock and groaned. Ten o'clock. He'd been here for six hours watching this town square, but all he had seen were joggers, cute couples, and packs of teenagers playing on their phones. Some of the teenagers he recognized from that morning when he and Felix were parked at five in the morning, and some were new. What were they playing? At this point Sylvain was so bored he'd play whatever it was with them just to have something to do besides sit in the car that smelled like fast food fries.

"This sucks," he mumbled, sinking deeper into his seat. What was Ubert on about, writing cat breeds on the map? The only cat he'd seen all day was one battered old tomcat napping atop a harbor rampart.

Maybe he should go back to the flat and have another look at the map to see if they'd missed any details that might help this all make sense. Now that he'd mentally chewed on it all day, running his eyes over the map again might spark an idea. Even better, it would give him an excuse to leave this spot. He truly felt that if he stared at the bricks in the square any longer, they might start speaking to him.

Before he could reach for his seatbelt, his phone buzzed in his pocket. For a second Sylvain thought that Felix could sense that he was about to leave his post and had called to yell at him, but the caller ID on the screen was unfamiliar. "Officer Gautier speaking," he said, putting the phone up to his ear.

The voice that answered was low and brusque. "Officer, this is Lieutenant von Vestra with the Garreg Mach Police Department. Your presence is required urgently at the station. We've tried to contact Detective Fraldarius, but he isn't picking up his phone."

"What's the situation?"

"We've found a body."

Hello all! It's been a bit harder to find big chunks of time to write around the holidays but I hope quality makes up for the time in between chapters...Meanwhile Felix is about to go on his first date and he is NOT READY.
Enjoy and have a wonderful holiday season!

soojinah: YOU ARE MY NEW FAVORITE PERSON THAT HAS EVER EXISTED HOLY CATS. I can't thank you enough for taking time out of your day and writing me freaking BEAUTIFUL NOVELS every chapter about what you thought! You made my heart so happy! I hope you continue to read and enjoy the story as it progresses! Also you and I seem to be on so many of the same brain waves like whaaaaaaaat? Anyway, stay safe out there and thank you again!