Chapter 3

"You catch on quick," I remarked.

"It was obvious what you wanted over the phone. I don't know what you're cautious about. This isn't a deep conspiracy, just a murder of a Dante."

"Habits," I said. "Jie Long is really cutthroat and oftentimes, you had outsiders butting into your investigation just for their claim of fame."

"I didn't know you were from Jie Long," Sylvia said. She had placed an elbow on the table, resting the side of her face against her hand to look at me.

It was a slip-up and I was embarrassed that it happened. I never made a mistake like that but despite Dirk's warnings, I couldn't help but feel at ease around Sylvia.

It was like being wrapped in a heated blanket or keeping a lucky charm on you. You knew you were safe.

"I was. Long story."

Sylvia smirked, "You said that twice now. You need to tell me what happened."

"I'll tell you when you need to know," I said, brushing her away. I started with, "Did you bring your notes?"

She took her face off her hand to look at the employee. I said, "You can trust her."

Sylvia gave me a skeptical look and I called out, "Hey, Elena, can you put on some music?"

"Loud?"

"Loud, please," I said. She nodded and plugged her phone into a cable. Elena scrolled through a list and began playing music from a popular pop band. Sylvia watched Elena walk over, "Are you ready to order?"

"The usual," I said.

"Do you have passion fruit tea?" Sylvia asked.

"We do."

"I'll take a medium and fruit salad," she said. The employee walked away and Sylvia turned to me, "Where are we, exactly? Can I trust you?"

"She's a friend of mine who had her admission to Seidoukan rescinded after she arrived on the island. It left her very bitter and stricken. We happened to run into each other by chance. A friend of mine helped her out by giving her this place."

Sylvia shook her head with a slight smile, clearly not believing the story. I didn't care if she believed it or not. "It's a much better use of her talents and she loves her job. She wouldn't be running this place for seven years if she didn't."

I watched Elena work as she danced slightly to the music. "I frequented this place when I was still studying. It's usually just to tell her stories when there's no customers. She helps me by providing a safe location to exchange information."

Sylvia nodded while watching Elena. "Must be nice to have that relationship."

"Purely professional," I said, "and respectful."

Sylvia studied me with her electrifying purple eyes. I couldn't help but be lost in them and wondered how many boys and men pursued her. It was easy to like her. She was good-looking, friendly, and approachable.

Our food arrived and Elena gave us the privacy we needed. All three of us had been watching the windows and we all decided it was safe to discuss the murder. Elena turned up the music more, but not so loud where Sylvia and I couldn't hear each other.

I started the discussion, "Dirk said you can help. Told me you'd be a pain in my ass if I didn't let you investigate."

Sylvia laughed, a melodious sound that seemed to drown out the music even if she wasn't trying to be loud. "He is not wrong, you know."

"I figured as much when I met you," I said before reaching into my pocket to pull out pages where I transcribed my notes. "I got all this from my conversation with Mrs. Montif this morning. Take a look."

Sylvia unfolded the pages and read my notes. She eventually said, "Are we working with the assumption that Dawlkin is a model student?"

"That's where this comes in," I said, reaching behind my back to pull out the manila folder holding her copy of Dawlkin's records.

Sylvia stared at the folder and tried to look around me, "Where'd you get that?"

"I stuck it in my waistband."

"You're-" she realized I wasn't kidding.

"Do you want the one touching my balls?"

"No thank you," she said with a wrinkle of her nose. "I'll take the one that was stuck to your ass."

I took out the second folder while Sylvia opened hers, "Still a role model student . . . in academic standing. Not so great as a Genestella."

I said nothing. I left my folder open while I reached for the cup of black coffee and took a sip. It was still hot. I put the cup down andI grabbed my BLT sandwich. I took a large bite out of it while Sylvia continued to read the file, ignoring her food and drink.

"He's a good student. Why would he come here?" Sylvia asked.

"Rewolf graduates usually work for governments in the intelligence sector after graduation. Maybe that's why he picked us and focused on his academics."

Sylvia looked down to check his course transcripts before saying, "Yeah, I was getting there."

"Sure you were," I said with a smile, taking another bite out of my sandwich. I felt her kick foot and said, "Ouch."

She kicked me again but I said nothing this time. Only smiling as I drank my coffee. Eventually, Sylvia said, "This proves nothing about his extracurricular activities."

I nodded my agreement, "You're right. Just because he's a great student doesn't mean he's doing anything shady on the side. That's why I wanted you to talk to Penelope."

Sylvia seemed resigned, "She seemed to know why I was asking her my questions and was offended. I hope you have a good reason for that."

"Tell me what you found out," I said while finishing my BLT sandwich. I started on my tuna sandwich and savored each bite while listening to Sylvia.

She said, "They were going to have sex at her dorm. That's why she was expecting him that night. She even showed me the condoms she bought. . ."

Sylvia looked at me then flushed a little, "And also her toys and the lube. They were going to get dinner, watch a movie, and get their bang on."

She waited for me to reply, clearly having second-hand embarrassment telling me about Penelope's plans. I relieved some of the discomfort by continuing the discussion rather than drive home that the two students were breaking every rule in the rulebook.

"So when he didn't show up, because he's a great boyfriend, that's when she got worried." Sylvia nodded.

"They always communicated. If he was going to be late, he'd have told her why. Helped an old lady cross the street? Train got stuck. Bird got into the food? He would have told her, so she feared the worst after the first two texts."

"So it was a healthy relationship."

"She loves him. He is her world. I think he felt the same. No reason for her to find a way out of it."

Unless that's what she wants us to think, I thought. I wondered if an affair was going on, but even an affair wouldn't warrant sending a killer after a Dante. The possibility was too low, but I kept it in mind anyway.

"Did you ask her if she had any ex-boyfriends?" I asked.

"She had one when she was still in Queenvale High. It wasn't a pretty breakup."

"So we have a person of interest."

"Yes. Asterisk police have already arrested him, actually."

"Who?" I asked.

"Craig Nelfor of Seidoukan Academy. He claims his innocence. He claims he was nowhere near the murder scene." Of course he would. Why would anyone confess to a murder? Nobody would if they want to avoid prison. "Could you be there to help me question him? I have no authority to do so. You do, since it's an official assignment from the Grimalkin."

I told her I would, which relieved her. I asked, "Does Penelope know if Dawlkin works?"

"I asked her that too. I wanted to know if he was doing anything that would have someone go after him."

"I'm wondering that too," I said, "that's why I'm asking."

"You don't need to be an asshole about it," Sylvia said with a smile.

"Sorry," I said, backtracking. "You were just stating the obvious."

She put her hands up in surrender, "You're right. That's on me."

Sylvia reached into her purse to bring out a small notepad, "She said he works for a company called Heldigras Solutions Group."

"Never heard of them before," I said.

"Me neither," Sylvia admitted. "I looked them up and they appear to be an investigation service."

"How do you spell that?" I asked. Sylvia handed me a pen from her purse and her notes. I wrote down the name. "I'll have Dirk look into it. Maybe he knows something."

Sylvia nodded, once again studying me. I let her memorize my face just for the sake of it. Attention from her is good attention.

I said, "It's strange because there's a lot of government agencies that would kill-excuse my poor choice of words-to get talent into their departments. I'm not sure why Dawlkin would choose a company like Heldigras."

"Maybe they have something that the government agencies don't offer." I shrugged helplessly at her response. I wouldn't know.

Sylvia tore the page out of the notepad and slid it over to me. "For your reference. I gave you the jist of my conversation with Penelope. Maybe you can glean something out of my notes."

I pulled out my digital recorder and handed it to Sylvia, "This is my conversation with Mrs. Montif. See if you can find anything from it."

She narrowed her eyes at me, "Really trying to one-up me at every turn, huh?"

"If you want to look at it that way, sure. I'm just thorough."

She smirked and took the recorder, placing it into her purse. She rummaged through it for a bit before looking up at me. "I'm grateful for your help, I want you to know that."

"I'm doing my job."

"There's no reason for you to include me in your investigation."

"Dirk said you'd butt in."

Sylvia tore her eyes away from me, "If I was six years younger, yes. I'm older now and I can't be doing anything brash that would reflect badly on me or the Benetnasch. I'm always walking on a thin line, you know? I know Dirk can end my career in a heartbeat if he chose so. Revealing that a Benetnasch officer, specially Sylvia Lyyneheym, used her reputation to insert herself in an investigation she has no business with?"

She shook her head, "He can still do that, ruin my life with a word. So the only thing standing between me and hot water is your word."

I gave her a long look before saying, "Do you know what he told me?"

"Tell me."

"He said-well, more implied that as long as you aren't involved in the murder, he doesn't care about you."

"Me? Involved-" her eyes widened and she began shaking her head, "who does he think he is accusing me of-"

She glared at me then asked, "Did he really think I had a hand in this murder?"

"He only asked me if I thought you were involved."

"What do you think?"

"Do you really want to hear me talk? He cut me off when I tried to explain everything."

Sylvia narrowed her eyes then muttered, "I cannot tell if you're mocking me." Before I could answer that rhetorical question, she said, "I am not involved in the murder. I hope you get that inane idea out of your head."

I nodded. "He said if you were and wanted me dead, I would be dead."

"Gosh, maybe he's right. Maybe it's my elaborate plan to honeytrap you just so I can kill you if you get too close," she said icily, but the coldness was melting away. She gave a bitter smile with a shake of her head, "I'm not involved. Believe me."

"I do."

Sylvia leaned back with her arms crossed, clearly lost in her thoughts. I said, "He's past the school-age rivalry and is focused on more important work."

"I know, I know," Sylvia said with a wave of her hand. "He's Chief of Station in Japan now, isn't he? Of course he has important work to do."

"Uh, that is a few months outdated. He's Director of Grimalkin now."

Sylvia turned her head slowly, her eyes wide and face twisted with concern and fear. "He's what?"

"Director of Grimalkin."

She shook her head, rubbing her temples with one hand as if to get rid of a headache, "Oh lord, I really have to watch my step now, don't I?"