Chapter 2 #3
He smiled and appeared relieved that I wasn’t running for the hills and screaming.
Perhaps I had carried my prim cat-lady persona a touch too far; after all, this was Coldstream.
Then again, he must have realised that I was more than I appeared.
He knew that I’d been to the Understream and he likely knew the reason why.
I wondered if he also knew that I’d killed Brassick, the vampire involved with the Umbra cult that had kidnapped Nick MacTire. Probably.
‘So.’ He ripped the corner of the bag neatly and swallowed a mouthful of blood. ‘Tell me about your case.’
‘It’s your case now,’ I said. I folded my arms and told him what I knew of the graffiti. ‘Obviously it’s a low-level crime but the graffiti is detracting from the neighbourhood aesthetics.’
To his credit, Alan maintained a straight face. While I loved Danksville with all my heart, it wasn’t the prettiest part of Coldstream and its aesthetics tended towards ramshackle buildings and rundown streets. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘The broken-window theory.’
He was referring to the idea that visible signs of minor crime and disorder, and neglect of one’s environment such as broken windows and graffiti, encouraged more serious crime. As far as I was aware that theory had been strongly contested but this wasn’t the time to mention it.
‘Anyway, judging by the style and tags, I think there are three main culprits. I want to identify all three and,’ I said firmly in a bid to avoid an over-zealous approach on Alan’s part, ‘encourage them to put their skills to use elsewhere.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Vandalise other suburbs instead?’
Careful, Kit, I warned myself. ‘No. I wanted to seek out areas where such artwork would be welcome. Create designated walls for graffiti, speak to business owners who want to individualise their properties, that kind of thing.’ I smiled earnestly.
I had only proposed investigating the Danksville graffiti because I knew it was the sort of issue that would keep Montgomery calm and would avoid most situations where I’d need to use violence; this wasn’t the time or place to flex my ex-assassin muscles.
I certainly didn’t want Alan to charge in gung-ho and create problems in Danksville where there were none.
‘Okay,’ he said. ‘I think I have enough to go on for now.’
I eyed him. For a vampire, he was remarkably mild-mannered. ‘Your turn,’ I said cheerfully. ‘What’s your case?’
He lifted his head and glanced around to check that nobody was in earshot. ‘We have some … pack animals within our community who help us move around.’
Pack animals? That was quite the euphemism for the giant blind worms that conveyed the vamps through the various sections of the Understream. I nodded to indicate that I knew what he was referring to.
‘Their numbers are carefully controlled and breeding is very selective.’ Alan smiled faintly. ‘We do not wish to be over-run.’
I shuddered as I had a sudden mental image of hordes of gigantic brown worms swarming through Coldstream. ‘Indeed.’
‘Usually there are twenty such animals in total – occasionally one or two more or one or two less, depending on their natural cycle.’ He grimaced. ‘But now their numbers have dwindled to sixteen, which is unheard of.’
‘Four worms have died?’
‘Four worms have vanished. We don’t know where they have gone or what has happened to them.’ He gestured helplessly. ‘The Understream is vast and they may simply have wandered off, but it’s highly unusual.’
‘Uh-huh.’ My brow furrowed as I considered his words. It was the first time he’d mentioned the Understream by name but that wasn’t what gave me pause. ‘Surely you could use a tracking spell and…’
‘We’ve tried but so far we’ve had no luck.’
‘Do you suspect something sinister? Do you think someone might be killing these creatures and disposing of their bodies?’
Alan sighed heavily. ‘Every possible theory has been mooted but as yet we have no evidence.’
As yet. I appreciated his optimism. ‘So it’s been approved?’ I asked. ‘I have permission to enter the Understream and investigate?’
He nodded. ‘Yes.’ He reached into his rucksack again and pulled out a slim envelope. ‘You will find directions inside. I’ve taken the liberty of arranging for you to meet one of our representatives before you first go in. She will ensure you have everything you need, including a visitor’s pass.’
Good. I looked up and my eyes met Captain Montgomery’s on the other side of the room. I offered him an approving bob of my head; he’d done well to give Alan advanced warning of the swap because that meant that I wouldn’t have to delay my investigation while I waited for the appropriate permissions.
‘Seven days isn’t long,’ Alan said. ‘You might not have enough time to find out what has happened to the worms. Don’t feel bad if you don’t get results.’
I suppressed a snort. I had confidence in my abilities and I’d do whatever I could to get to the bottom of this matter. It would be incredibly satisfying to achieve what the vampires hadn’t accomplished on their own. ‘I’ll do whatever I can to find out what’s happened,’ I told him.
Something odd flashed across his red eyes. ‘I am glad to hear it,’ he murmured.