“……You really mean that?” he asked.
He didn’t buy it. She never meant anything.
But Miseria’s face was hidden in shadow.
“I know exactly why you don’t believe me, but I do mean it.”
“You’re a hard lady to trust. What brought this on? Are you up to something?”
“Even I regret my choices sometimes. I went too far this time. Crossed a line.”
Miseria closed her eyes.
“More than one,” Rogue growled.
“Enough, Detective,” Catherine said. “It’s all my fault anyway. Miseria said nothing wrong.”
“But…”
“I am a witch. I don’t require the comfort of some ordinary man.”
Catherine’s tone was final. Any trace of her usual insecurity was gone. A strong-willed light shone in those jade eyes.
She’s capable of this?
“……In that case, fine,” Rogue said.
The mood in the car was heavy. Miseria alone was her usual self, obviously unrepentant.
“Oh, right. I got bored while you were escaping, so I found something.”
Miseria pulled out her phone and showed them the screen. Rogue glanced at it over his shoulder.
It showed a Jump sigil—a gate. A basketball-sized mark beneath a tree lining the street. The effects of a spell varied by the size of the sigil for all spells, not just Jump. At this size, only a little kid would be able to fit through. But…
The Lifetaker could pull that off.
They’d probably escaped through the tunnel, then used this gate.
“They must have had Zack Knoll putting gates all over the city for months now,” Miseria said, putting away her phone. “Back to that file room?”
Rogue shook his head.
A counterattack trap, gates to escape… There were only so many gates Zack Knoll could have his buyers set. This wasn’t a spell just any average layman could use. Most of those buyers would have been decoys.
In other words, they’d been buying time until the Lifetaker could set their own network of gates. Now that they had what they needed, following that lead would not get them to the real criminal.
They had reached a stalemate.
Or a form of one anyway.
The more they chased, the more the crook would run.
Do we ask for backup? No, we can’t. The Sixth Precinct is top secret.
He felt like there were gates scrawled all over the view streaming past the windows. Every tree and wall seemed like a likely suspect.
What they needed wasn’t inspiration or clues but manpower.
If they had three hundred officers searching the town, that alone would corner this crook. But with witches on the case, that approach was not an option.
So what do I do?
“Rogue.”
“What?” he snapped. Despite himself.
Miseria didn’t bat an eye. “About my demand…”
He’d forgotten all about that—or wanted to. How did one go about destroying a mind?
If that ran afoul of the collar, that would help him, but Miseria had already taken out any number of predecessors, so there was no use getting his hopes up. His stomach hurt.
“We’ll discuss that back at the station,” Miseria said. “You don’t mind, do you, Rogue?”
“……Fine.”
That was the best he could manage.
At the Sixth Precinct, the mood had changed. Witches who’d shown no interest in him were now studying his face intently. Pointing and whispering.
What now? he wondered but didn’t stop.
His mind filled with worst-case scenarios. When would Miseria come for him? What spell would she cast?
“Hey, everyone! We’re baaack!” Miseria said.
All eyes turned to her.
“Hmm? Is there something on my face? Whatever. I have a surprise announcement!”
I’m doomed. She’s gonna tell them all.
Rogue braced himself.
“I’ve decided to fully back this detective. My wits and powers are at his disposal.”
______She’s pulled the rug out from under me.
As if on cue, every witch fell silent. An ominous hush. What did Miseria just say? She was backing him? How did that work? Before he knew it, he was yelling.
“Wh-what the hell is wrong with you? I’m so lost! You’ve done nothing but get in the way!”
“My, here I am, offering to help, and you spurn it? Did you want me to destroy your mind? I mean, I do aim to please. Won’t even charge you for it.”
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about!”
“Yo, Detective. I’m up for working tomorrow, too. If I’m in the mood,” Humafu said. She was lounging in a chair, reading a magazine, and didn’t even glance his way.
“H-huh?!”
The rest of the witches began chiming in.
“Okay, then I’m in, too.”
“Fork over the files. I’ll be done in five.”
And more.
Rogue’s head was spinning. Feeling like he was being punked, he searched for a camera—and found Angene grinning from ear to ear, holding up a square device. Is that…a receiver?
She pressed a switch on it, and he heard his own voice blurting, “Wh-what the hell is wrong with you?”
Sh-she bugged me?
Rogue quickly patted himself down and found something hard tucked inside his collar. It was shaped like a fly and very small. He yanked it off his shirt.
When did she…? Well, she only had the one shot.
When she’d popped up right behind him. He hadn’t noticed her come in at all, so she could have planted it with no issue.
“Tee-hee-hee-hee-hee. You’re an easy mark. Hee. We all thoroughly enjoyed the escape drama. Hee-hee-hee. Hee-hee.”
“Y-you knew about this?”
“Of course,” Miseria said. “I just didn’t feel the need to tell you.”
Everyone but him had been in on it. Catherine alone was waffling around, at a loss.
“We all agree you ain’t half bad,” Humafu said, pushing her sunglasses up and shooting Rogue a bleary look. “So we’re down to play. Keep it fun, or you won’t last long. Ugh…I’m so sleepy… Someone lend me a lap…”
“So…it was all an act?”
Miseria shook her head. “Not all of it. Some of that was just for my own entertainment. We test every detective sent here, and I’m the examiner. Congratulations, Rogue. You’re the only one who has ever passed.”
Then she pointed at Catherine.
“She wasn’t told anything. I mean, she can’t keep a secret.”
“Y-you’re so mean!” Catherine wailed. “Ganging up on me!”
“Aw, there’s nothing mean about it,” Miseria said. “We’re actually grateful!”
“You don’t sound grateful!”
“Listen to the voice in my heart. It’s applauding!”
“That’s not true! You can’t fool me!”
“Right, you’re no fool. Maybe a little slow on the uptake, but no reason to put yourself down.”
“……You’re lucky it was me. I’ll let you off with a lecture.”
“Hmm, what a privilege. But let’s leave that for later. Do you have anything to say, Rogue?”
She turned to him, and his mouth opened—but no words came out. Things were moving too fast, and his mind couldn’t keep up. Should he be relieved to have avoided that dire fate? Or pissed at her for tricking him?
“Yeah, I dunno. What good did this do anyone?”
“Like I said, all we’re after is entertainment. Best not to overthink it.”
“So if it’s fun, you don’t care if one of you nearly dies?”
“Hmm, I feel like you still don’t get witches,” Miseria said, putting a hand to her chin. “We’ve melded with magic and no longer age. We’re very hard to kill. Not nearly as fragile as we might look.”
“But…you can be killed. If you’re burned to a crisp, you’re not surviving that!”
“Likely not. But I haven’t actually tried.”