“You believe she will come up with the information?” he asked Hallie.
“I do, yes. She’s an accomplished liar, and a criminal, but her reaction to Manju’s death was genuine. I do think she wants Findo Trask caught and punished, and is happy to use us to get that done.”
“Makes sense. Show me the phone she gave you,” the director ordered.
Hallie hesitated. “She did make it clear this is the only means of communication.”
“Understood,” the director said, softening his tone a little. “We might be able to track its purchase, though.”
“Alright.” Hallie dug the phone out of her pocket and handed it over.
“Unregistered, I assume?” the director said.
“I assume so, yes,” Hallie said, and was proud of how steady her voice was. There was a knot in her stomach at the admission. Having the phone was still making her deeply uneasy.
“We’ll get you a waiver for its possession,” the director said, and glanced at Girard, who had his own tablet out and was taking notes with a stylus.
“Already on it, sir.” Girard didn’t even look up from the screen.
“A waiver, sir?” Hallie asked.
“We aren’t exempt from the registration requirements, much as some of the younger members of the houses might like it,” the director said, an acid edge to his voice suggesting there was more than one story there. “However, law enforcement does get some special dispensations when getting information from criminals. Having an unregistered phone as a means of contact is pretty common. And although I can’t pretend I’m happy with the deal you made, I will be if it pays off and gives us results.”
“Yes, sir,” Hallie said, relief washing over her. After Mel’s fury and accusations earlier, when Peredur had aimed his anger at them both, she’d been worried about what the director might think. Although she had technically been working with theinvestigators for a few weeks now, she and Girard had been out of Daydawn for most of that time, working independently. So she wasn’t sure where or how she fit into the team overall. She was far more used to working on her own, and while she very much enjoyed and valued working with Girard, she thought that had more to do with the fact it was Girard. There were definite advantages to having backup available. But she was quite sure she wasn’t going to fit into thehochlenway of doing things.
Then again, the director had specifically asked for her to join the investigators because she wasn’t going to think like everyone else. He had seen value in her different perspective. And she trusted him and his judgement. It was going to take time for her to find her place and work out where she fit in. After all, she hadn’t developed all her skills and knowledge as a skip tracer in just two weeks. That had taken time, too.
The director pulled out his own phone and took some photographs of the unregistered phone before handing it back to Hallie. “You’ll let us know as soon as she makes contact?”
“Of course, sir,” Hallie said. She tucked the device away, feeling marginally more comfortable about having it.
“Waiver’s in place,” Girard said, looking up and giving Hallie a slight smile. “You’ll need to hand the phone in as evidence when you’re done with it, but you’re cleared to have it just now.”
“Good. Thank you,” Hallie said. She cradled the mug of coffee in her hands, abruptly nervous. She’d given them all the information she had about Zurine and couldn’t help but think that the director may have a few things to say about her encounter with Mel earlier. But when he spoke, it had nothing to do with the other investigator.
“I’d like you to make a start on reviewing what we’ve gathered so far. You’ve got a bit of time before you need to get ready for Lady Cotovatre’s event,” he said.
“Of course,” Hallie said. She got to her feet, and hesitated. “Are you joining us?”
“It’s been suggested my presence is expected,” Peredur answered, a dry tone in his voice letting Hallie know thatsuggestedwas a mild word. But he smiled as he got to his feet. “It will be an interesting change of pace from going around in circles with the papers.” He glanced at the wall in what Hallie thought was the direction of the conference room, and another wave of tiredness crossed his face. “I think I’ve memorised almost everything in that room to the point where nothing is making sense. Fresh eyes are definitely needed. Anything that occurs to you, no matter how small, I want to hear it.”
“Yes, sir,” Hallie said, pushing aside her instinctive response which was to tell him she wasn’t sure what she could add. She wasn’t used to an investigation of the size and complexity of the one laid out in the conference room and, in many ways, she’d rather be chasing down an angry and violent skip through the streets of low city. But she was here. She’d been given a position of respect with people who treated her as their equal. The very least she could do was to play her part in the team effort.
Chapter twenty
Cotovatre’shouseinhighcity was as beautiful in its own way as Vertiger. The city house was two-storeys high, although the storeys were tall by low city standards, made of dark grey stone that was not a uniform, dull colour but rather veined with paler and darker shades, and also partially concealed by thick trails of plants growing up the walls. From what Hallie could see of the gardens, they were crammed full of different plants, accessed by winding paths, and shaded by a few mature trees with wide, spreading branches, in contrast to the wide open expanse of perfectly smooth, velvet grass that she’d seen outside the investigators’ offices. The different scents - sweet and fresh along with deep and dark - carried by the evening air invited her to take a walk and get lost among the plants and the trees. However, she had not been asked here to wander through the gardens. Instead, she turned back to the house. There were tall, wide windows on the ground floor whichgave an excellent view of the soft candlelight inside, inviting guests into the warmth.
As soon as Hallie set foot inside the house she knew it was going to be a far different occasion than any she’d experienced so far inhochlencity residences. The entryway was grand enough for anyhochlen, with a marble floor and a great staircase made of dark, polished wood. The staircase started off with one flight on either side of the entry hall, which turned inward to join at a landing halfway up before continuing as one set of stairs into the shadows above. Despite the size, the space did not feel intimidating. The air was scented with soft herbs and filled with gentle music from a quartet of musicians who had been stationed on the landing of the staircase. Underneath the music was the murmur of voices and laughter from the rooms on either side of the entrance.
Cotovatre herself was in the entryway, with Emmet beside her, in hishochlendisguise. Emmet was wearing a similar outfit to the night before, understated and elegant. The lady was poised and regal in a midnight blue velvet gown that brushed the floor around her, pinpoints of light shining in its folds, echoing the diamond-bright string of stars in her hair and the single diamond that gleamed above the dipped neckline of the dress, suspended from a slender silver chain. She fitted beautifully into her setting, and looked exactly as Hallie would have imagined a living legend among thehochlento appear.
Knowing that she was here in large part because she was Cotovatre’s heir, and therefore her conduct and appearance would reflect back on the lady, Hallie was even more grateful for Alys’ earlier visit and assistance not only in bringing a suitable outfit for Hallie to wear but also helping her into it and styling her hair by pulling it back into a deceptively simple twist that left some strands falling in loose curls around her head and neck. Hallie might not feel that she fit into this grand house, but shelooked like she did. The gown Alys had brought was long-sleeved and floor-length, in a much lighter shade of blue to Cotovatre’s, made from a soft, weighted fabric that flowed from a fitted bodice to slightly wider skirts. Alys had also provided flat, soft shoes rather than heels, for which Hallie was extremely grateful. She couldn’t remember the last time she had worn an actual dress and managing the extra fabric around her legs was proving tricky enough without the addition of heels. Seeing Cotovatre now, Hallie guessed that either she or Alys, or possibly both, had decided that Hallie should tone with but not match the lady’s own dress. The lady seemed particularly fond of blue shades, and they seemed to like her back.
The lady herself did not appear to care about her dignity or legendary status, giving a little sound of happiness and coming forward to give Hallie a warm hug.
“I am so glad you could come. And you, too, Girard,” Cotovatre said, putting a hand on each of their faces as she took a small step back. “Welcome, both of you.”
“Thank you, my lady,” Girard said, a touch of colour in his face. Hallie found it endearing that he seemed flustered by the lady’s warm welcome. Apart from the flush, Girard looked as if he belonged in this place with his dark, formal suit and shirt, his hair brushed and gleaming.
