Velladonna was poking Rogue’s cheek, sickly sweet perfume wafting with every move. Rogue stayed put in his chair, letting her have her way with him.
“You’re sure?”
“Yep, no issues here.”
“Such a waste. I had that seat in management all set up for you, you ungrateful man.”
There was an official document on her desk, formally requesting that he remain posted to the Sixth Precinct.
“How many times did you almost get yourself killed?”
“Quite a few.”
“No guarantee you’ll survive the next. This is your last chance to take it back.”
The syrupy tone had vanished, and her eyes were boring right through him. For once, she was acting like a bureau chief.
“Fine with me. Post anyone there but me, and it’ll just be a waste of human resources.”
Velladonna raised a brow.
“You sure are confident.”
Rogue only shrugged.
She picked up the document next to his letter.
“This one’s been approved as well.”
“Yeah, they’re letting her stay on.”
“Hmph. She’d have been exiled, but it was a chance to get away. Tensions are mounting between the Two Great Noble Houses, and they’re not likely to make this offer again.”
The Chronos incident had escalated the feud between the houses. To the point where even the rank-and-file officers were gossiping about it.
“I don’t get how witches think,” Velladonna murmured.
Rogue entirely agreed.
They finished the paperwork, and Rogue left the chief’s office.
On the elevator, he hit the button for the ground floor and leaned against the wall. There was no one but him there. The glass walls offered a grand view of the bustling streets of Elayl. Cars streamed down the roads like red blood cells, and high-rise buildings loomed like a pincushion in the noon sun, glittering like they were craving attention.
The light hurt his eyes, so he shielded them with his hand. His sleeve fell away, revealing the black choker on his left wrist.
A collar.
It had been two weeks since the climax of the Lifetaker case.
They’d scoured Chronos’s warehouse but found only Miseria’s collar and some scraps of her clothes. Everything else had been burned to a crisp.
Once Forensics was done with it, Rogue had pulled some strings and obtained the collar. Even he wasn’t sure why he’d wanted it; perhaps he was just being sentimental. He wasn’t planning on flaunting it, so he normally kept it inside his sleeve.
He had no clue what became of Chronos after the Reading. The Two Great Noble Houses were keeping a tight lid on it. But from what he had seen, the man was hardly in sound condition.
……Karmic payback.
The punishment fit the crime. He wondered if that applied to everyone.
He reached the first floor and left the building, shaking off those foolish thoughts. He knew full well plenty of crooks never paid the price.
In the parking lot, he found a girl waiting at the car. When she spotted Rogue, her eyes lit up.
“Welcome home, Detective!” Catherine cried.
“It’s hardly that.”
“But there was still a chance you’d leave the Sixth Precinct behind! I mean…”
Catherine didn’t finish, acting shifty.
“If you’re aware, then restrain yourself.”
“Ah-ha-ha…” She chuckled awkwardly.
This is like carrying a bomb around, Rogue thought. But it was his decision not to report Catherine’s treachery to Velladonna.
They got in the car. Catherine’s driving was deeply worrying, so he took the wheel.
She settled in next to him, twiddling her thumbs.
Likely remembering the night of the fire.
They’d just escaped the flaming warehouse.
Catherine woke up to find herself in his arms, coughing blood.
“D-Detective…”
“Just you wait, we’ll get you to the hospital!”
“L-leave me here! No hospitals… I deserve to die!” she pleaded. “As long as I still live, I’ll be compelled to betray people. B-but I don’t want to be a traitor anymore! Please…just let me die.”
“Hell no,” Rogue snapped.
“Why…why not? Why won’t you let me perish?”
“I ain’t offering assisted suicide. You’re gonna live and repent. We’ve got crimes to solve. Don’t think you’re getting off the hook that easy.”
“That’s…so not fair!” Catherine wailed, her face crumpling. “Now I have to live!”
She grabbed his shoulders.
“I betrayed you!”
“Yeah, and I suffered for it.”
“……I’m sure I’ll do it again. I’ll try not to, but I can’t promise anything.”