Bad Influence- Chapter 6- Murders Most Beastly

Rozi

** Ta da! The eagerly *yeah RIGHT!* awaited new chapter of Bad Influence! Man did it take me a while… the plot thickens™. So, sit back, relax, stock up on Dried Frog Pills, scumble and a little touch of DEATH, ladies, gentlemen, wizards, esteemed guild members, undead, dogs, rats, small bacteria, Corporal Nobbs and members of the Guild of Lawyers. I give you…. Chapter 6... Now I'm off to take my pills. **

Elsa sat outside the Watch house, Rex and Sam listened to her account of what she just heard.

Rex shook his head "Mother would never kill someone!"

"She wouldn't, but her wolf side might," said Elsa mournfully, "now we'll have to leave."

"But they can't arrest her for just being there! She was probably framed," Sam said loyally.

Elsa nodded, "But as soon as other people find out, then…" She trailed off.

Rex sighed, he understood, Sam bit his lip and said "Dad won't let anyone know and your Dad! They'll get to the bottom of this!"

"Yeah, this will be sorted out Elsa," Rex said earnestly "we know mother would never kill anybody!"

Elsa just hoped he was right.

Angua opened her eyes, her head hurt; her stomach ached and burned at the same time. She could barely think, she could hear voices, distorted voices which nonetheless sounded familiar.

The world seemed dull.

Dull to her senses, she couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't-

"Angua?"

"Huh?"

An arm propped her up, wiped back her tangled hair and pressed something thankfully cold against her forehead. She gasped and said dryly "Wa… drink…"

A glass of water was pressed to her lips and she sipped it carefully.

"How're you feeling sergeant?" that sounded like Vimes.

"Like a troll tap danced on my head and stuck silver cocktail sticks my nose," She replied croakily.

She blinked and tried to focus, "I can't smell a bloody thing."

"What?"

That sounded like Carrot.

"I- can't- smell- anything!"

"How?"

"How the hell should I know? All I know is; my sense of smell is almost gone!"

Angua rubbed her eyes, "it feels like my nose is burnt out."

"Oh Gods…" Vimes lay a kind hand on her shoulder "Sergeant, how did this happen?"

"Sir, we should let her rest-"

"Carrot," Angua snapped and turned to Vimes "I can't remember sir."

There was a long silence.

"What?" Vimes said.

"I can't remember, nothing, all I remember is that I was attacked… and…. A smell of burning…then nothing."

Vimes buried his head in his hands and groaned.

"What happened last night?" Angua asked, noticing the looks on both of their faces. She wished more than ever that she could smell what was going on.

"Carrot? Mr Vimes?"

Vimes coughed and said "A man named Miles D'mitre was… attacked, he was found, well, eventually found… uh… torn to shreds, under Brass bridge by the side of the river."

Another long silence, Angua stared at the opposite wall, her eyes wide open and her mouth open.

"…Ye… Gods…" She muttered.

"Sergeant, we know you would never kill a man without a motive, but-" Vimes begun.

"But if I had a motive?"

Carrot stared at her in horror.

"What?!"

Angua hugged her knees and swallowed "I don't remember what happened, but I know I was on my way to see him."

"Angua, why would you want to kill him?!" Carrot cried.

"Please Carrot! Listen to me; I don't know what I did… I don't remember… they say when it happens to a werewolf… you don't remember what you did."

"Oh no…" Vimes muttered.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions!" Carrot said desperately.

"Let me explain please, D'mitre is- WAS a local Anti-Undead activist. I had heard in Biers that he was convinced that the rumours of werewolves in the Watch were true. He was heavily involved in illegal trades in all sorts of things, he had secret warehouses and things in the docks and he was going to blackmail the Watch by finding out who was the werewolf so that he could carry on his dealings. At first I thought 'What possible harm could he do?' you had met him before Mr Vimes, a bigoted old fart I believe you once called him sir?"

Vimes nodded, okay so he didn't like the undead that much either, but at least he didn't do stupid speeches in Sator Square and stick up posters.

"Anyway, he had contacted me before a message reached me two days ago. He said his kid would get Elsa to change in front of a crowd and then he would have his evidence."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Carrot said.

"I wanted to handle this by myself Carrot, I didn't want you and the children involved to. Imagine what would have happened if he found out if you Carrot, of all people, were the father of werewolf children? Perfect excuse to run us all out! I thought I could talk to him, persuade him as it were. But on my way, I was attacked."

"What by?" Asked Vimes.

"I don't know," Angua said coldly, "but it was… something I hated, I don't know how… it's… hard to explain… but I had an instinct loathing of it. I don't know…."

Carrot looked despondent; he stared at the floor and shook his head.

"Oh no…"

Angua shut her eyes and said "I don't know what to do…."

"As long as no one finds out," Vimes said, "we could-"

"They'll accuse you of cover up, special treatment for an officer of the Watch," Angua said grimly, "your job will be at risk to."

"They can't just make you leave your job just because you're a werewolf!" Vimes cried.

"No, but what about the mob?"

"The what?!"

"The one that almost always gathers for this kind of thing, the pitchfork and torch bearing variety," said Angua bitterly, a voice of experience.

"Mobs?! But this is Ankh Morpork- oh… yes… I see," Vimes shook his head.

Angua launched into a coughing fit, Carrot patted her on the back until she stopped. Vimes called out into the hallway "Igor! Get here now!"

The collage man shambled in hurriedly and reached into a cupboard for a jar of strange looking gloop.

"Igor what's-" Vimes began, as Igor watered it down.

"Its a little remedy I mixed up thur, it soothes the burning in her throat and nose."

"Burning?!" Carrot cried.

"I'm afraid so thur, it seems that who ever did this used a special silver nitrate gas."

Angua swallowed painfully "Is it permanent?" She asked "the burns I mean."

"Nope, luckily we got to them before they could cause any real damage to your lungs, mouth or nose."

"I felt burning… that would have been the silver. It can't have been very strong concentrate of silver otherwise… I would be dead."

"But you might not be quite a hundred per cent ever again, I'm thorry."

Angua nodded.

There was a long silence as Angua tried to swallow the horrible stuff without gagging, Carrot kept his arm around her and Vimes respectfully looked away.

"We'll… have to keep a lid on this until we can figure out what has happened, as Angua said, we don't need a mob right now. You sergeant get some rest, Carrot come with me-" Vimes hesitated.

"Its okay sir, he can go, I need some time to think any way."

It was quite some time later, outside the Watch house Nobby and Colon had been put on "dispel all rumours" duty, which basically meant "stand outside and keep the nosy bastards from coming into the Watch house". Nobby's favourite kick was particularly effective at doing this.

"'ere Sarge, what d'you think's gonna happen about Miss Angua?" Nobby asked, taking a minute fag end from behind his ear.

Colon shrugged "Dunno, but I feel sorry for her kids, imagine what would happen if they kicked her out of the city?"

"But, there are loadsa were-"

"Shussshh!"

"Sorry, but there's a lotta 'em about in't there? I mean look at the shades, gotta be hundreds of the buggers hangin' around there."

The sergeant lowered his voice "Yeah, but none o' them are charged with violent murder."

Nobby bit his cigarette "Oh yeah, I forgot."

Colon shifted "Well, not yet at any rate."

Nobby gave him a look.

"Um, excuse me sergeant, corporal?"

They turned to see the face of the man, in particular, that they were supposed to keep out.

"Ah, good evenin' to you, Mr De Worde."

Ankh Morpork's top reporter for the Times stood nervously, knowing that it was highly unlikely that he would be let in.

But a good journalist had to be ready to persevere.

Even though this could add up to the said correspondent becoming a dead journalist.

He coughed "Uh… I would like to report on the alleged dead body of Mr Miles D'mitre that was found in- or rather on* the river, and the rumours that one of your officers was found in," here he consulted his ever trustworthy notebook; "the tattered remains of their uniform and covered in blood."

He gazed at the faces of Nobby and Colon, knowing that he could read their faces like the kind of open book that has big pictures and words no more than three letters long.

Nobby growled "You'd better skedaddle Mr De Worde, unless you'll be wanting a kick in the nads, 'cos that information ain't any o' your bus'ness."

William swallowed "Isn't this police brutality?"

"Not yet, but it could be," the little corporal replied, with that gleam in his eye.

Mr De Worde took a step back and said "Look, I think the people have the right to know the truth, everyone's been talking about it ever since you discovered it this morning."

"But," said sergeant Colon stepping forward, "you should respect the privacy of our officers Mr De Worde, she's very badly traumatized-"

"Sarge!" Hissed Nobby.

"Ah," Mr De Worde said, "so it's one of your female officers is it? Since you only have one or two, as far as I can tell, that would be sergeant Angua?"

Colon went into mental panic "Ur… No… Um…"

"I'm not trying to invade anyone's privacy; I just want to know what happened and who your suspects are."

"Um…"

"I won't mention any names."

"Ur… We ain't divulging any information Mr De Worde."

"But surely sergeant, Angua is a suspect? She was found in very suspicious circumstances."

Colon had gone red; Nobby was burying his face in his hands in despair.

"Ur… We ain't tellin' you anything," he said desperately.

"So you're covering up what happened to protect one of your officers? Isn't that a little unfair and, if you don't mind me saying so, a little hypocritical?"

Colon was not sure what that meant.

"Um… bugger off," he said weakly.

"I think I ought to talk to a senior officer, is Captain Carrot around?"

"No," said a menacing voice from behind the panicking sergeant, "but I am."

De Worde cursed inwardly as Commander Vimes stood between Colon and Nobby. He has that look, William thought, but he can't scare me like this…

"If you want the truth so badly Mr De Worde, I am quite happy to talk to you. Step inside."

De Worde swallowed, Oh Gods…

"Uh… right then."

He walked into the Watch house behind Vimes; like a condemned man to the gallows and it didn't help to have Nobby cruelly hummed the funeral march as he walked.

"Prying bugger," Nobby muttered, "never thinks 'bout the kids involved."

Colon removed his helmet and wiped his brow "I don't think he knows Nobby."

"He might 'ave done if he'd talked to you a little more," Nobby said unkindly.

"I panicked!"

"Yeah," Nobby lit his cigarette "I can see that."

Mr De Worde tried to ignore the gazes of the Watch men as he walked past. They reached Vimes' office and De Worde stepped in after Vimes.

The door closed with an ominous and strangely terminal air.

"Right," Vimes sat on the edge of his desk and took a cigar out of his pocket "please can you explain to me why you think the privacy of one of my officers should be splashed over the front page of the times."

"But… if she is a murder suspect-"

"Why do you think she is a murder suspect De Worde? She was found next to the body, I'd expect you know that, but that does not mean she is a suspect."

"But surely she witnessed it?"

Vimes' face was blank, he said nothing.

"Ah," De Worde said "she couldn't remember? Or something like that."

Vimes struck a match and lit his cigar.

"You're very sharp De Worde," Vimes said forebodingly, "so sharp you'd probably cut yourself."

De Worde felt as if the room was shrinking.

"So," William began, "the rumour was that Mr D'mitre's murder was rather messy, like he had been torn apart by a wild animal."

"And?"

"Well… that's rather unusual don't you think?"

"I don't know, there are some pretty nasty people in Ankh Morpork," Vimes said, mentally wincing at the memories of all the fights he had got into with the aforementioned pretty nasty people.

"But no man, nasty or not, would have been able to rip someone up like that with his just his bare hands?"

"Maybe."

"But… those reports about a werewolf in the Watch…"

Vimes glared at him; there wasn't any point though because the penny had dropped long ago. William was clever, sharp and good at putting two and two together and getting a little more than four.

"Ah… I… uh… see," William said.

Vimes nodded "You going to put that in your paper?"

"Well… it is relevant to the story I should think."

"Yes, but what about her kids?"

There was a pause.

"…Kids?"

"Yes."

William looked at the floor in embarrassment "I had no ide-"

"You had no idea? Well, now there's a turn up for the books! William De Worde didn't know something!"

De Worde looked hurt and put his note book away "But she's still a suspect in the murder case Mr Vimes and Ankh Morpork wants to know what's happening! Especially when a potentially dangerous individual is still at large-"

Vimes blew out a smoke ring with a dangerously calm air "Mr De Worde, she is not at large; she is in a rather critical condition in our medical room."

"Oh… I'm terribly sorry…" William had a feeling he wasn't going to see the next edition of The Times.

"Whoever, or whatever, attacked Mr D'mitre used a silver nitrate bomb. It could have killed her if we hadn't got to her in time. It also did some pretty physical damage to," Vimes added.

"But doesn't silver kill a werewolf?"

"Yes, like I said, she was lucky that we got to her before it did, but it did her lungs in a treat and her nose may never be quite the same again."

William nodded "Hmm… Right… Are they okay? The children I mean."

Vimes sniffed "Mr De Worde, their mother has been seriously hurt, possibly permanently and they have to face the prospect of having to flee from the angry mob."

"What angry mo-"

"The one that will gather together to kill both the sergeant and her daughter once you print all that we have discussed, so how do you think they feel?" Vimes said angrily.

William knew Vimes was right, when most Ankh Morpork citizens found that there was not just one, but a whole group to blame then that usually meant a mass hunt for the aforementioned group.

"I… didn't know… I'm terribly sorry."

"But you'll still going to publish it."

De Worde looked at the floor "I… won't mention names…"

"You won't need to."

"But I have to say something!"

"Why?! Is the truth always so damn important?!"

William stepped back from Vimes' rising wrath "I'll think of something… please, Mr Vimes-"

"She has a family Mr De Worde! Does this not matter to you?!"

"Yes Mr Vimes it does but-"

"Then don't you dare publish anything! I doubt that neither Angua nor her kids will be too kindly disposed towards you..."

Nor me, Vimes added mentally, why the bloody hell did I just tell him?

Vimes stood close to De Worde and glared "And neither will I and believe me, you won't like to piss me off."

De Worde knew alright.

Vimes let him go and he staggered back, "I'll…be going…then," he said darkly.

"Good."

"Tell sergeant Angua I send my regards."

He quickly left before he could see Vimes' face.

Sam said he would stay over; Elsa wanted to sleep in wolf shape so she could sleep in her basket.

Nobody complained.

Rex was going to be kicking in his sleep anyway; he always did when he had something on his mind. So did she, according to her father.

Carrot wasn't sleeping well; she laid her muzzle over the side the basket and saw his eyes move in his sleep.

She knew she had made matters worse today, Little Mike would tell people and they would believe him. Then they'd make the connections and…

She got up, trotted to the door and clawed it open. She quietly made her way down the corridor to the stairs; there was still the buzz of activity in the Watch house so she sneaked in between peoples feet and carefully avoiding being kicked.

She followed her mother's scent to the medical room; she poked her head around the door and saw Igor, Cheri and her mother, who lay on the bed and was breathing awkwardly.

Cheri sighed "Igor, I'll stay over here tonight and keep an eye on her."

"But she said she wanted to be left alone, she sent Carrot away earlier," Igor pointed out.

Cheri looked down at her feet "Yes…"

Igor nodded "I think you should stay, you are her friend."

Cheri smiled "She's asleep, she won't know."

"Yes she will."

They turned; Angua shifted and turned over "Please, go away. I can't sleep with you both there."

Cheri winced, "Um… sorry Angua we just-"

"Leave me alone."

The dwarf and Igor departed awkwardly, not noticing Elsa crouching behind the door.

She slunk in, careful to stay out of her mother's expert field of vision, but it seemed to her that she wasn't even paying attention.

"Mother?" She whimpered.

No reply.

She leapt over to the bed, leapt up and crawled under her arm. Still her mother did not say anything or even move.

"Mother?" Elsa looked at Angua's despondent face "What's the matter?"

"Go back to bed Elsa," was all that Angua said.

Elsa lay down and shut her eyes "I… have to tell you something."

No reply.

"Um… I'm really sorry mother… it's my fault…"

"I heard what happened at school today Elsa."

Elsa looked up, "Oh…"

Angua still didn't move.

"Mother? ... It was Mr D'mitre's son wasn't it?" Elsa said.

"Yes."

"He knows about me."

"Yes."

"And now…"

Elsa pressed her nose against her mother's hand "I'm so sorry! We'll have to go because of me!"

Angua still didn't move, "Go to bed Elsa," she said icily.

"Mother…"

"Now."

The little pup jumped down from the bed, looking back only for a moment and walked quickly away.

To be continued

*** ARGGGGHHHH! It's horrible! I'm written such garbage… *smacks head hard* Ho well, at least it's actually done. Now to catch up on Sibling Rivalry… *groan* See y'all later folks! ***

* The river Ankh, as many people who are reading this will know, it hard enough to skateboard across, if it wasn't so knobbly.