Snatching her own dagger from a hidden sheath on her thigh, Des leveled it at his throat before his dagger escaped its sheath.
He slowly released the pommel. “I should have known.”
“That you’re so easy to tail?” Her eyes flicked to his belt as he pushed his coat over the dagger. “Now, what could possibly bring a merchant to a rough part of town like this?”
Talon tapped his fingers on his paper, doubtless toiling to conjure a suitable explanation. “I-”
Des stepped closer, backing him against the wall. “I thought you were perusing the market for souvenirs?”
Talon sighed. “You’re much less oblivious than Janus.”
“You just noticed that?”
His eyes dropped to the blade at his neck. “Is that necessary?”
“Until I’m sure you’re not my enemy.”
“Fine.” Talon rolled up his paper agitatedly and then unrolled it again. “What are you hoping to find by following me?”
Des paced around him. “I want to know who you are.” She noticed a few names listed on the paper before Talon managed to hide it. “A traveling merchant has no need to come here, but a songbird might. What’s that list of names you have?”
A contentious silence lingered, broken only by the sound of her steps. Talon studied her, the same gaze Des was undoubtedly giving him. Eventually, he answered. “I think a murderer is loose in the city.”
A murderer? Des immediately perked up, intrigued, and attempted to hide her reaction. “Is that his list of victims?”
“Not quite.” Talon hesitated, then offered her the sheet. “It’s a list of disappearances here.”
Unrolling the parchment, Des scoured the contents. Talon spoke true. This was a guard report listing names, residences, and dates. All missing persons, none of which had been found. Quite the staggering number as well. Fifty, in total.
Figuring this sufficient, Des reluctantly lowered her blade. She couldn’t deny the sight of him at her mercy had been appealing.
“He’s successful. Fifty?” Des looked up from the paper. “And he hasn’t been caught?”
“We’re in the mountains, in an ancient city. There’s any number of places to hide a body.”
“True, but that still begs the question.” Des closed the gap between them, placing her nose a hair from his. She made him uncomfortable, and in Des’s experience, making a man uncomfortable was advantageous for a woman. “Why are you looking into it?”
Talon shifted and averted his eyes before smirking. “I’m a songbird.”
He admitted it so casually. Did that mean he wasn’t? Des’s confidence wavered, but she attempted to restore her seductive pout before he noticed.
“And if you’re going to follow me.” He plucked the paper from her hands. “Then you might as well aid my investigation.”
“Where do you intend to start?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Talon wandered away, tapping the paper on his hand. “Do you have any ideas?”
He had wrested control of the encounter, his earlier fluster gone. And Des wanted the lead back. Pursuing him, Des snatched the report from his loose grip. “We should question the families. Search for a connecting line between the victims.”
“Not a bad idea.” Talon folded his arms and nodded at the report. “Who should we start with?”
Scanning the list of names, Des found one with an address, avoiding the names without. Hertwig of the Esseg clan lived two streets down from the entrance. Rolling up the paper, Des strode off. “Follow me.”
Talon placed his hand on his dagger hilt as they walked, though not for his protection this time. “Are you planning to knock and say you have a few questions?”
“Why not?” Des said. “If the guard hasn’t found them, don’t you think the families would hear out anyone willing to try?”
“Maybe. I prefer to have a cover story.”
