After finishing with her, I quizzed Mary.
“Tell me exactly what the king said to you during his visit,” I said after she’d taken a seat.
Mary straightened in the chair, her expressionearnest. “He spent nearly three hours observing the luminooks. He seemed concerned about their stress levels, the way they were clustering in the far corners of their enclosures. When I mentioned my background in xenobiology, his whole demeanor changed.”
“How so?”
“He was interested in my suggestions for habitat modification. Surface conditions are challenging for creatures adapted to deep caverns. The light cycles are different, the mineral content of the soil, even the air pressure.” Mary’s professional knowledge came through in every word. “The king asked if I’d be willing to help develop transition protocols and add more features from the orc kingdom to help them acclimate better.”
I continued writing, each detail she provided matching what I knew about luminook physiology. “And he mentioned sending official documentation?”
“He was very specific about it. He said he’d send formal authorization through your mail system prior to the boxes’ arrival. That you’d coordinate with your brothers about timing and implementation.” Mary frowned. “I don’t know why he didn’t send the letter.”
Every piece of her story fits with the king’s known concerns about surface adaptation. Every protocol she described matched orc administrative procedures. Yet I’d received no official communication.
Mary’s xenobiology degree was real, her academic papers on interspecies habitat modification impressive.
“Why work in maintenance with your xenobiology background?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I needed a break. I grew up helping my dad during summer vacations. He was a high school janitor. And I’ll be honest.” Her chin rose. “I wanted to see the creatures you were bringing to the surface. I’ve been fascinated with them all. When the opportunity came up to work here, I jumped at the chance.”
When I’d finished, I released all three with instructions to remain in town. By then, my carefully ordered world felt like it was tilting on its axis.
“Something’s wrong with my system,” I told Riley as the front door closed behind them. I stared at my phone where I’d documented every detail, every piece of evidence that supported their innocence. “I don’t miss official communications. Ever.”
“Maybe the king forgot to send the letter?” Riley moved to stand beside me, her hand settling on my forearm. “I don’t believe you’re to blame. Your systems are thorough, Dungar. If you didn’t receive that documentation, there’s a reason.”
With a sigh, I sat behind my desk.
I aligned my pen precisely parallel to my phone’s edge, but the small ritual only provided minimal comfort. “Weeks of investigation. Surveillance operations. Mobilizing my brothers. All based on the wrong assumption.”
“We were protecting the luminooks based on genuine evidence of tampering,” she said gently. “The fence cuts were real. The specialized equipment was real. Someone may still be targeting them.”
“But not these women.” I rubbed my temples, tryingto reconcile the facts with my failure to receive crucial information. “I’ve documented every piece of mail that’s come to this office for the past year. Color-coded by sender, priority level, response requirements. Nothing gets missed.”
Riley was quiet for a moment, before her spine tightened. “Wait. Billy.”
“What?”
“He locked us in the jail cell. Remember the day after when she brought him to apologize and return the key? After they left, he was playing with the mailbox. She told him to stop, that it might contain real mail you’d need. He raced down the boardwalk with his grandmother chasing him. I noted that the box was open and shut the lid.”
Ah.
I reached for my phone, dialing Ruugar’s number, hoping he’d still be awake. He answered on the second ring.
“Are Cara Winslow and Billy still in town?” I asked.
“Yes, they booked a room through the weekend. Why?”
I explained our suspicion to my brother.
“You should ask Aunt Inla about it,” Ruugar said, yawning. “She sorts the mail when it comes in. I’m sure she’ll remember if you received anything official.”
“Thanks. Back to bed.”
His low laugh rang out. “I didn’t even get up.”
I could hear Beth mumbling in the background, probably telling me to let Ruugar get some sleep.
