I flagged down a young girl who really shouldn't have been out as late as this and sent her to fetch the sheriff. Sheriff Hurley arrived with several deputies, thankfully not Violetta, and established a crime scene with remarkable efficiency. I explained that I had been following up on a long shot lead for Harbinger's other case when I had been jumped by several assailants. I concluded by explaining that after I had driven off the assailants, I had found the body and called for Hurley.
Hurley confirmed the lack of powder burns on the hand and confirmed my conclusion that the woman had been shot.
"ballistic path of the gun is reminiscent of the suicides. It looks as though the shot was made using a smooth bore weapon, but that isn't certain to me. What do you have?"
I had examined the body as I waited, and so I related what I had discovered, "I don't see any blood spatter. I don't think she was killed here. The woman died recently, but the window I can give you would have allowed somebody to move her here. I couldn't find any dynamic transfer from her body to the crime scene, blood or skin or anything else, only slow pooling blood seeping out from a body without a functioning central pump. My guess is that, if you look up the details, you'll find that this woman owns or runs or works at this bar. My guess, with Harbinger not here to give you his, is that she was killed- possibly as punishment for something- and dropped here to send a message."
Hurley nodded, "And this other case of Harbinger's, you still can't tell me about it?"
"I doubt it." I answered, "I don't know how Harbinger's agreement with his sister works, but I wouldn't want to cross her or the people to whom she answers."
"I have to ask," Hurley said, "I know you carry a pistol. Has it been fired recently? You were the first one to find the body you know."
I suppressed a flinch and then produced my pistol and handed it over. I had reloaded it after the altercation in the ring, but I hadn't cleaned it since firing. As Hurley looked at the gun, I said, "This is only a 9mm pistol Sheriff, the rounds used here are much bigger, hence why you and I are both assuming this is another of the flintlock suicides- only without the suicide part."
She looked the gun over and then handed it back, "I prefer revolvers," She said, "I don't like a gun that's so easy to fire so quickly. Every round could potentially end a life. I like that the revolver makes that a little more work."
I nodded, "That's because you're a peace keeper. That's a good perspective to keep."
"You're clean as far as I can tell. But there's nobody else around, so you and Harbinger better give me somebody else sooner rather than later.'
I nodded, after all what was a little more pressure?
We wrapped up at the crime scene and I began to make my way back to the Baker's District to bring Harbinger up to speed. As i got close to Harbinger's office, I saw a man waiting for me wearing a blue pinstripe suit, many rings, and sporting a large handlebar mustache. He waved at me from the distance. I could see a large highland Broadsword held in hand and leaning against his shoulder.
"You are Harbinger's new attack dog, I assume?" He said as I approached. I noticed the runic tattoos on his hands as I considered my answer.
"I'm his assistant. And let's see. Runic tattoos mean Sons of Perun. Well dressed, fancy Broadsword. I'm guessing it's a Halstatt and not a Shanzai or an Eccelston. Would it be safe to say that you're Perun and not one of his so called sons?"
"You wouldn't be wrong in that guess. So it would appear that mere attack dog would be to understate your capabilities."
"Is this where you tell me to lay off or you'll hurt me or harbinger? You have already tried that." I said.
"I am going to recommend that you find other jobs, but for entirely different reasons. Mrs. Li Jing is evidence of what happens to those who refuse to work in my interests, but do not think I need to threaten you like that. I also think that it won't help. But as it happens I have information that could damage the job security of Harbinger's sister, and I know for a fact that your continued digging will expose those unpleasant pieces of information. So, to put it more bluntly, if you actually succeed in cracking this case, you will destroy the career of your partner's sister. I am not threatening you. This is simply what will result if you succeed in exposing the truth. So, now, I bid you good night. Do what you like with the information."
He strode off out of the district. I debated shooting him in the back as I left. But knowing a man runs a crime organization, and proving he's done something illegal are very different things. I checked on Harbinger, who was thankfully finished smoking, and explained the situation to him. Harbinger shook his head.
"Well, then I guess I have to bring Cassie up to speed. Let's get to the Sun Yat Sen Club." Harbinger said.
"It's not open this late," I pointed out.
"No, but Cassie will almost certainly be there."
Harbinger dragged me out to the Arab District in the pre-dawn hours. upon arrival, we found he door locked and on a single light burning in the dining area of the building. Harbinger knocked on the window, and made rude expressions by pressing his face against the glass. I snorted out loud trying not to laugh at the image of a fifty year old man playing like an eight year old. ninety Three seconds later though, The front door clicked open and Cassandra Harbinger ushered us into the building.
"What brings you out so earl little brother?" She asked as we sat down.
"Well in short, there is a smuggling ring. Dahlia found the woman with the red tattoo, but she's dead. Apparently killed by the Sons of Perun for not agreeing to work with them, the likely subject of Mr. Zhang's conversation. Mr. Zhang lied to us, by the way, he had been employed at their translator, not because he could speak Chinese, but because his husband has been blackmailed into working with Li Jing in the smuggling ring and the Sons of Perun apparently wanted to put pressure on Mr. Zhang's husband. There seems to be a gang war between Los Hijos de la Guerra and the Sons of Perun. The battle seems to be for control of the human smuggling and black market medical operations: blood banking and organ sales. Many of the immigrants smuggled in are paying by giving blood, some are paying with organs that they can afford to lose, others are paying rather more. Further, the wave of suicides that are paying the Newsboys' salaries seems to be related to all of this in some way, because the organs of the healthy bodies have been harvested. Further the Sons of Perun have hinted obliquely that it would be for our health and your career for us to forget both our case with you and the case with Sheriff Hurley, so again- connections."
"They mentioned me?" Cassandra asked.
"By name," I said, "I was told that your career would be destroyed if the truth of the events came to light."
"By whom were you told?"
"The gang leader of the Sons of Perun. I don't know his real name."
"Gunter Albrecht," Cassandra answered, "We had him under surveillance, but need something we can show to the press before we move."
"You might have told us," Harbigner said, "You might also have told us that the docks where Zhang was interrogated had actually remained open. Those might have helped."
"Albrecht is under surveillance as a matter of course, not in relation to your case. Obviously that will change now. As for the docks, my understanding was that they were locked down. I will investigate this. No do you have any evidence to support what you know?"
"A few photos that will serve as circumstantial evidence at best."
"So, little brother, in short, “Cassandra said drawing out the pauses between each word, “You can prove that humans are being smuggled, you know several mid level people involved, but none of major players can be directly tied. None of the names you have would likely be for people whom we could destroy or cripple the operations by removing. And Harbinger has one of his trademark 'weird feelings' that something big and dangerous is looming in the background. Does that sound about right?”
"Pretty much."
"Well the clock is running out. Chop Chop Freeman, it's only the Queen that you're keeping waiting."
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