Jon led them to a far corner of the Aurors' Headquarters to a big steel door, which he opened with a complicated flick of his wand.

The room they entered was brilliantly lit, spotlessly clean, and tiled completely in white. There were several metal tables, on one of them a body was lying, a white sheet spread over it. A wizard in a white coat was standing in front of it. He turned around and hastened to meet them.

"I'm Pluto Beckford," he introduced himself, before he expressed his condolences. He led them to the table, and drew the sheet down a bit to reveal the deceased's face. Archibald Dusk's eyes were wide open.

Eleanor gave a shriek and fainted. Gwen caught her around the waist, and tried to drag her away from the table. Jon was at her side immediately and together they sat her on a squashy chair Beckford conjured adroitly out of thin air. She came to after some seconds. Beckford had covered the dead entirely and pulled a screen in front of the table.

"I'm so sorry," Eleanor whimpered, but all of them calmed her. "I feel like I'm just having a bad dream, a nightmare, from which I want to wake up…"

Pluto Beckford offered her a glass of water, which she accepted gratefully. Jon and Gwen soothed her.

Eleanor rubbed her already red eyes: "Do you know how he died? I mean … did he suffer? Was it…? What was it?"

Beckford cleared his throat: "I have not completed all the necessary examinations. So it's still too early to issue a definite statement."

"To me it looks like a … well… you know, an Unforgivable Curse," said Jon.

"I… I assume it was," replied Beckford hesitantly. "Everything points to that direction. But, as I said, I have to carry out all the required examinations."

~ooOOooOOoo~

When they returned to Jon's cubicle they found Marilyn Beresford talking to a tall witch in her early fifties, with very short brown hair. The latter looked around as they approached, and suddenly her intelligent brown eyes turned angry. Eleanor grabbed Gwen's arm.

"What's the matter," asked Gwen, bewildered.

"This is Mabel Tancock," Mrs Beresford introduced the tall witch to Jon. "She told me that she works in the Hall of Prophecies, and was Archibald Dusk's first wife. Could you please ascertain her personal data, Jon, while I ask Mrs Dusk some questions?"

Jon accompanied Mabel Tancock, who threw a murderous look at Eleanor, away from the cubicle.

~ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo~

"What are you doing here, Miss Bale?" Marilyn Beresford asked in her deep voice, sitting down at her desk and reaching for a package of cigarillos.

"Eleanor asked me to come with her," Gwen replied defiantly.

"Are you friends?"

"We're… colleagues," Gwen explained, and Eleanor nodded.

"I… I needed a support," she said in a low voice. "Mr Mayfield, my husband's colleague, wasn't able to come with me, but told me that Gwen had been there in the Death Chamber this morning, and as I know her…," her voice trailed off.

"Now, Mrs Dusk, you won't mind me asking you some questions?"

Eleanor shook her blonde long hair, biting back her tears: "Of course not."

"Do you want Miss Bale to leave now?"

"No, no, I am glad she's here."

Mrs Beresford looked at her curiously. Then she took up her wand and cast a spell.

"Now no one can listen in," she explained. "All right then, please sit down." She conjured an additional chair. From a drawer in her desk she drew out a form and an emerald-coloured magic quill, which floated in the air.

Gwen wondered for a moment whether she would use Legilimency, but supposed she knew by now that it wouldn't work with the Unspeakables.

"Your name is…?"

"Eleanor Dusk." The quill scribbled hurriedly.

"And you are Mr Dusk's wife?"

She nodded, blinking back some tears. The quill seemed to tick off something.

"You've been married how long?"

"Since last December," she whispered. "Fourth of December." The quill continued writing.

"Oh, I am sorry, Mrs Dusk. Where do you live?"

Eleanor gave her address, somewhere in the suburbs of London.

"Now, where have you been this morning?"

Eleanor looked at her aghast, her big blue eyes round with shock: "Why do you… Do you think that I … I myself could have …" She clapped her hand over her mouth.

"These are just some routine questions we have to ask all those involved," Mrs Beresford explained stony-faced. "Now would you please tell me where you've been?"

Eleanor tried to collect herself. "We got up very early, at about half past five, had breakfast together and apparated at the Ministry at about …let me think … seven o'clock? Then I went to the Planet Room."

"You went there directly?" Mrs Beresford extracted a cigarillo from the package.

"Yes, of course." Eleanor's hands shivered slightly.

"And you never left the Planet Room later on?"

"No."

"There is certainly someone who can confirm your statement?"

"Feodora was there. Cleaning Jupiter. But she was the only one. It was very early."

"When did your other colleagues enter the Planet Room?"

Eleanor shrugged. "I don't now, I didn't look at the watch. Mary might have arrived half an hour later. The Research team usually turns up much later."

The quill scribbled madly.

"We'll find out. And when was the last time you saw your husband?" Mrs Beresford turned her cigarillo in her right hand, but did not light it.

"I … as I said, I saw him in the Circular Room, when we both entered the Department of Mysteries. I went to the Planet Room and he went to the … to the Death Chamber." She gave a sudden sob.

"You two always went together to work?"

"Yes, nearly always. We always tried to start as early as possible to enjoy the afternoon together," she said wiping her eyes. "To get some sunlight, or … or at least fresh air, you know. Or to see some people."

"And you didn't notice anything unusual on your way to the Department, or later to the Planet Room?"

"No."

"You didn't see anyone?"

"N…no." She hesitated. "Or… wait, I might have seen the robes of somebody in the Death Chamber when Archie opened the door. But I am not sure."

"What kind of robes?"

"I … no, I really don't remember. Black robes? I'm not sure about it."

"All right, when exactly did you start working in the Planet Room?"

Eleanor wiped her brow. "On 1 January 1994," her answer came now mechanically.

"And what are your responsibilities?"

"I am still familiarising with the different projects they are realising in this section," Eleanor replied hesitantly. "And I am not allowed to talk about our work. I am afraid I must refer you to Lilian Scantlebury, my superior, or even to Agatha Hill, our Head of Department."

Mrs Beresford lighted her cigarillo. Gwen was sure that this was not allowed.

"Do you know whether your husband had any enemies?"

Eleanor considered for a while: "Not as far as I know."

"Has your husband behaved differently recently?"

Eleanor just shook her head. She seemed a bit tired by now. "No. We've been very happy."

"Did he know any Death Eaters?"

By now Gwen was feeling a bit dizzy in the face of all the questions Mrs Beresford shot at Eleanor. Apart from that the air in the cubicle got thicker. But now she sat up straight and gaped at the Auror. What a question? she thought. What is the point? Does she want to catch her off her guard or what?

"Death Eaters? Wha… What…?" Eleanor looked shocked.

"We have reason to believe that Death Eater activity might be involved," Mrs Beresford answered cryptically, and Gwen had an inkling that they hadn't told Eleanor about the Dark Mark hovering over the victim.

"But how can you think that I, or Archie knew one of them?" For the first time Gwen saw Eleanor getting angry.

"I see," Mrs Beresford replied drily. "Could you please draw up a list of your husband's friends and acquaintances for us?"

"Yes, of course. Is that everything you need from me?"

"Yes, Mrs Dusk, that's everything for the moment. I'll come back to you later if you don't mind."

~ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo~

On their way back to the DoM Eleanor looked Gwen into the eyes. "I am so glad you came with me, I couldn't have done it alone."

Gwen murmured something that sounded like "no problem at all, really."

Eleanor whispered: "I know that you said in there we were just colleagues, but today you've been like a real friend to me, and I will never forget it, thank you."

Gwen nodded. "That's all right. You would have done the same, wouldn't you?"

"I've just one question…," she eyed Gwen shyly and hesitated.

"Go ahead."

"I'm sorry, what … what were you doing in the Death Chamber?" .

"I am working with Mr Crow at the moment." Gwen didn't elaborate.

They left the lift and went to the Circular Room.

"What will you do now?" Gwen asked Eleanor.

"I don't know. I think I'll go to Lilian and tell her that I have to leave for today. Or even some more days… I have to …arrange things, I guess…" Her voice trailed off.

Lilian Scantlebury was the Manager of the Planet Room.

"I'm so sorry for you. You go home and get in touch with your family. If you need me again, just let me know," Gwen heard herself say.

They hugged for a brief moment, then Eleanor returned to her workplace, while Gwen entered the Brain Room.

~ooOOoo~

The rest of the morning went by like a heavy but fast dream. Gwen worked mechanically, throwing an occasional glance at Isabelle, whose lips were pressed together grimly.

When they went to the Cenaculum they noticed that groups of Unspeakables were standing together, speaking under their breaths. Gwen and Isabelle looked at each other, knowing that sooner or later everyone in the Department of Mysteries would know about the murder of Archibald Dusk. A sudden whiff of perfume made Gwen turn around.

"What's happened here?" Vivi Gregorius had suddenly appeared behind them, looking shrewdly at all the buzzing and talking.

"You'll learn it anyway," Gwen said darkly. "Archibald Dusk has been murdered in the Death Chamber this morning."

Vivi looked at her aghast. "What? I can't believe it!" She nearly dropped her dragonhide briefcase.

"It's true," Isabelle confirmed, and the three of them went to the counter to get their meals, talking in low whispers.

~ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo~