Shadow Gambit (22 page)

I laughed. “Well, I had help.”

“Let me guess. Your animal circus made an appearance.”

“You have no idea. I'm now of the firm belief that there is no such thing as too many cats! Let's get out of here and fix you up.”

“There is no real fix for me, Mayra,” he said. “I am who I am after all.”

“I wouldn't have you any other way,” I said. And we hobbled back to the sewer tunnels.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I regarded the statues of Elicia Ipthorn and Radley Oswall beneath the awning of the back lot of the Constabulary. Elicia sitting on her stone chair drinking from her stone teacup. Oswall with one hand outstretched, the other reaching for his pistol. A sense of excitement I had not felt for a long time filled my heart. In my hand I held the Stone Talon. Bound to me now with the help of the multicolored cat, or whatever that being was.

“You're going to have to rename that now,” Fairfax said from beside me. One arm was in a sling and a mottled bruise on one side of his face. I found him to be as handsome as ever.

“How do you figure that?”

“Well, first it was Gunther's Stone Talon. Then it was Blythe's Stone Talon. Then it was Archambault's Stone Talon. So, Beeweather's Stone Talon? Does that have a good ring to it?”

I chuckled. “It is none of those, I'm happy to say. Once done we'll give it back to the Capital Museum. They can name it whatever they like.”

Constables crowded about the parking lot anxious to see what was about to happen.

Chief Constable Kyrill approached us. “Trying to decide which one should have the honor of going first?”

“Not at all,” I said. “Ladies always go first.”

I pointed the Talon at Elicia and, from a secret place within my soul, called forth the magical incantation.

And like a rock light being touched on, Elicia went from completely stone to completely real. She slurped at her tea for a moment before she realized where she was. Her eyes went wide and sputtered out her tea.

“What?” Elicia said. “What is this? Where am I?” She nearly fell out of her chair. “By the Gods!”

A pair of constables hurried to her side and gently guided her toward the Constabulary's back door. “What happened?” she said before she disappeared inside.

“It will take her time to adjust. From her point of view she hasn't missed a few days. Only moments,” Fairfax said.

I asked Chief Kyrill, “So Rousset will not press charges for the book's theft?”

The Chief shook his head. “No, he thought being turned to stone was punishment enough. As for the book, it will be sent to the Capital Museum along with all the other items the mayor and Blythe had hoarded in their sewer lair.”

“That was kind of him,” I said and turned my attention to Oswall.

Fairfax asked, “You are certain this will work again so soon? Doesn't it need hours to recharge its magic?”

I grinned. “For this task the Talon has been given a brief reprieve. Once Oswall is transformed it will go inert again.” I thought of the Ancient cat and the unfathomable knowledge behind its glowing white eyes.

“It appears a lot of rules were broken for you,” Fairfax said with a grin.

“Who else should the rules be broken for?” I said and pointed the Talon at Oswall.

As with Elicia it was instantaneous. One moment solid stone, the next a real man again.

Oswall was shouting, “No! Don't!” He pulled out his pistol.

“Stop Detective!” Chief Kyrill said. “Hold your fire! You are safe now!”

The detective, bewildered, was looking about in utter confusion. But he had the mind to holster his pistol much to everyone's relief.

“What the devil is going on?” Detective Oswall said.

“Allow me to explain inside, Detective,” Chief Kyrill said as he led the confused man into the Constabulary.

My heart thumped with joy at the sight of him whole again.

Fairfax was smiling from ear to ear which stretched out his walrus mustache to comical proportions. “Now that business is taken care of.” He held out a narrow little box, its lid open.

I frowned and glanced at the Talon. So much harm had been done with it. I hoped it would finally be put in a safe place back at the Capital.

With a thunk, I dropped it into the box which Fairfax snapped shut.

I said, “I just realized something. Remember when I put the case files on the ground and asked the cat to point out the one that led to Oswall's killer?”

“Yes,” Fairfax said.

“Well, Oswall wasn't dead. Just transformed. So the cat did not move until I changed my wording from killer to attacker.”

“Ah, very good,” Fairfax said with a smile. “So, what now, Miss Beeweather? Another case, perhaps?” There was a glint in his eye.

I chuckled. “Not at all, Constable. Now I will take my leave. There are newspapers to be read and I am behind on them.”

“Would you like me to drive you?”

I looked up at the morning sky, bright and happy. “No. I think I will walk, thank you. Spent too much time in dark, dank places. I need the light to help with my complexion.”

I turned and walked toward the road.

Fairfax called after me, “What if we need your help on a case? Can I call on you?”

I turned and gave Fairfax my most mischievous grin. “You can call on me any time, Fairfax. But only on one condition.”

“Name it.”

“Next time,” I said “bring biscuits.” And with the satchel over my shoulder I walked off into the morning sunshine.

END.