Zana had no idea how to conduct a police investigation; she didn't even have Felga's background in snooping for purposes other than exposing murderers. She did have a vague notion that it involved asking people where they had been at the time of the murder... but what if they lied?

"I'm really surprised that you are asking me out, after being miffed at me over that dinner the other day," Rogan said. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

They were at the same tavern again, sitting in the garden this time. Zana kept her gaze on the green shadows dancing over the tablecloth. A soft breeze was ruffling her fur. The air was mild, just cool enough to not be suffocating anymore. It was a fine day to sit in the sun with one's eyes closed, thinking about nothing.

"It's lunch, not dinner," she murmured, "and I'm not asking you out. Each of us will pay for their own meal."

Rogan reached for his cider and flicked her a lopsided smile. "Understood. It's just another business meeting... but you have to help me out there, Alta: what kind of business?"

Zana drew a deep breath and finally looked up to meet his gaze. "Felga's murder."

Rogan raised his brows at that. He took a sip from cider. "Again? The case is closed."

"Did you know about Levar's and Felga's relationship?"

Rogan closed his eyes and scratched his brow. "I see Halda found you."

"Did you know?"

The guard sighed. "No, I didn't know. Nobody knew, apparently, except Halda, which makes her claim a bit hard to prove, you know? And even if it was true, it wouldn't change a lick about the evidence. You'd just have to amend his motive a bit."

Zana frowned. "Why would Halda make a false claim about Levar?"

"Maybe she'd set her eyes on him herself, who knows? If she saves his life, he'd be very, very grateful." Rogan grinned, and Zana felt suddenly too hot in her fur.

"He owns racing humans," she pointed out. "He's everything she despises."

Rogan hummed. "But it's the forbidden fruit that tastes the sweetest, Alta."

"You would know," Zana said weakly, "being an officer of the law, and all."

It had been a mistake to ask Rogan for another meeting. She had hoped to tease out some advice on how to proceed with her own secret mission, but the guard was sprawled in his seat, one arm behind the backrest, watching her with half-lidded eyes and a smile that told Zana that he wasn't concerned with investigating Halda, or Levar, or their motives any longer.

"Well," she said, furiously determined to ignore the shift in their conversation, "I'd like to talk to Levar, if you don't mind. To... to put my mind at ease. Halda's idea that he could be innocent is robbing me of my sleep, and, and I need to see for myself that it's just a delusion of hers. Please?"

Rogan frowned. Well, at least he wasn't piercing her with those smoldering eyes anymore. "That's against regulations, actually," he said slowly.

She didn't want to do this. But he gave her no choice. "Maybe he'll tell me why he didn't move Felga's body from his premises," Zana offered. "I'm just a friend of Felga's, not a guard, he'll see me as harmless." She drew a deep breath. "And then I could tell you what he let slip... over dinner."

Rogan propped his chin in his hand and watched her for a long, uncomfortable moment. "You, my dear Alta," he said finally, "are anything but harmless. Alright, you'll get a permit to visit Levar. Don't be disappointed when he just curses you. And no matter if he tells you anything or not," and the rakish smile was back, "you'll report to me over dinner tonight."

Galen won't like this.

Galen will probably be at his favorite pub again tonight.

Zana raised her glass, and forced herself to smile. "It's a deal."

Junior led Zana to the interrogation room, had her sit down at the table, and vanished to get Levar. The room was small, the only window tiny and high up at the ceiling, and barred - although only a squirrel monkey would have fit through it, anyway. Zana assumed the bars were there to remind whoever was sitting at that table that they were no longer a free ape now. It certainly made her feel that way.

She rubbed her sweaty palms on her robe under the tabletop, and fervently wished to have kept her mouth shut towards Halda, or at least Rogan. She didn't want to be here - didn't want to look into the face of the ape that most probably had strangled Felga. Rogan's caution that all she had for Halda's claim of secret love between Levar and Felga was Halda's claim, had lodged into her mind and wouldn't go away.

The door opened and jerked her out of her musings. Junior appeared, leading another Chimp into the room. The prisoner's hands and feet were shackled; that was the first thing that Zana noticed about him.

That, and his scowl, as he looked her up and down.

"Do I know you?" he asked as he clumsily sat down across from her. Junior retreated to the door where he took up his post. Zana suppressed a little sigh. They wouldn't have that conversation in private. Her deal with Rogan began to look more and more like what it was - a snare to rope her into more scandalous behavior. Rogan probably thought he'd get away with it, because she was a stranger.

She forced her thoughts away from her own stupidity and focused on the man who was still staring at her. "No, we haven't met before. I'm Alta, I'm... I was a friend of Felga."

"Cesar!" Levar murmured and raised his eyes to the ceiling. "Rogan had promised me not to put me in the pillory! Instead he's parading the town through his watch house!"

"I'm not here to throw rotten fruit at you," Zana said dryly. "I just want to ask you a few questions."

Levar narrowed his eyes. "Did Rogan swear you in as auxiliary? Because I don't see a badge on your robe."

This time, Zana didn't suppress her sigh. This was more difficult than she had expected. "Halda told me about the... special relationship you and Felga had," she said.

He gaped at her. Then he buried his head in his arms with a groan. "Women!"

"Excuse me?" Zana had expected him to be glad that someone was speaking up for him. "Halda swears you didn't kill Felga..."

"That's nice of her." Levar lifted his head from his arms. "But she's not the police, or the judge, or the executioner, and none of them gives a damn about what Halda swears."

"That's why I'm here," Zana pointed out. "The police dismissed her out of hand, but I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I'm willing to believe that you didn't kill your lover, and to try to find out who was the real murderer. So maybe you should give me the benefit of the doubt, too - because I can assure you that no one else will step through that door to help you."

He stared at her, his jaw working. "And why would you want to help me?" he asked finally. "You're not even from Sapan."

"No, I'm not from around here," Zana confirmed. "Maybe that's to your advantage - I don't have any preconceived opinions about you or your business. But I knew Felga, if only for a short time, and she deserves justice... and that means that I don't want to have a shred of doubt about the identity of her murderer."

Levar drew a long, measured breath, and leaned back in his seat. "What do you want to know?"

"They didn't let me read your file," Zana said, "so you may already have answered some questions. Where were you when Felga was killed?"

Levar sighed. "At home. And no, I don't have any witnesses. I was alone."

"Were you expecting her?"

Levar shrugged. "Not exactly, but I wouldn't have been surprised if she had turned up - Felga preferred to decide when she'd come visit me. It depended on whether she could sneak out to Blue Lightning Kennels undetected."

The name reminded Zana of something. "They found blue threads in her fur... they think it's from one of the bandages for the humans..."

"Yeah, I strangled her with our own racing silks, and then I dragged her over to the kennel section and then I painted a sign on my chest that read 'I killed Elapa Felga'," Levar sneered. "If I was so damn stupid, I'd never have made it out of the woods and onto the racing track."

His words echoed her own thoughts; but maybe Rogan had come across some really stupid criminals during his career, and didn't give people as much credit as Zana did. "So you're saying that someone set you up?"

"Damn right that's what I'm saying!" Levar scowled fiercely at her, although Zana assumed it wasn't directed against her, personally.

"Could someone else have had access to those blue bandages?" Zana thought it might be more useful to focus on the means instead of the motive. As she had learned, almost everyone had had a motive to kill Felga in this town, which hadn't impressed Felga in any way. Zana didn't know if she should admire the woman for her courage, or despair over her arrogance.

"Sure." Levar shrugged. "During the main season, all racers are down at the big stadion, in their kennels, and all their equipment is down there, too - anyone can snatch a roll of bandages, or some leftovers that've been trampled into the dirt."

Zana frowned. "But as far as I understood it, the racing season hasn't begun yet - all the humans are still with their owners. Could someone have stolen it from your kennels?"

"It'd be more difficult," Levar said hesitantly, "and more dangerous. I had to hire security for my racers. But it wouldn't be impossible."

Zana leaned back in her seat herself, trying not to feel discouraged. So everyone had a motive, and anyone could have gotten access to the murder weapon. And with Felga's habit of sneaking around town after dark, anyone would have had ample opportunity, too. This was getting her nowhere.

Levar regarded her with a grim little smile. "Now you understand why the good constable prefers to think it was me... much simpler case, that way."

Zana silently agreed with him. Felga had made too many enemies for herself, just like Levar must have made them, too...

She sat up straighter, as a new thought struck her. "Well, let's forget about Felga for a moment. Do you have any idea who would've wanted to set you up, you specifically? Anyone, who, who'd be interested to get Felga and you out of the picture at the same time?"

Levar chewed on the inside of his lip and grinned. It looked as if he was suffering from toothache. "Yep, ma'am. I do."