Part 32 (1/2)

Hewi examined Adamat for a moment and then turned back to Claremonte, asking him a series of standard questions. Adamat was pleased to hear her go a little harder on him than she would have before Manhouch's removal. He had heard from his friends still with the police that investigations were so incredibly easier now that kowtowing to the n.o.bility wasn't a standard part of the job.

Adamat listened to the questions for several minutes before slipping out the front of the room and into the grand hallway of the north wing of Skyline Palace. He needed to clear his head. Something in that room bothered him. It lurked on the edge of his awareness, tantalizingly out of reach.

He strolled down the hallway, listening to the click of his cane and the heavy footfalls of SouSmith following along behind him. Aside from those sounds, the hall was absolutely silent. Strange, what with most of Claremonte's five thousand men stationed on the grounds. He would have thought there to be more activity.

A small sound caught his attention. He followed it, head turned, past three empty sitting rooms and into a fourth, where a series of small scratching noises proved to come from fifty pens all writing at once. A salon had been turned into a clerks' office. Several dozen men sat at desks set up in the room, working studiously while a monitor moved up and down the aisles, occasionally bending to whisper to one of the clerks.

Adamat continued to explore the wing of the palace. He found two more rooms filled with Claremonte's employees and another with printing equipment. The presses were all cold and empty, but they must have been used recently, as the room had been lined with cotton batting to keep down the sound. Thousands of newspapers were hung to dry on lines up in the vaulted ceiling.

Printing his own paper, in addition to the presses he'd bought from Ricard's compet.i.tors. Smart. ”Claremonte seems very confident,” Adamat commented, his words echoing down the hall.

”Yeah,” SouSmith rumbled. ”Too confident.”

”I don't like it. Have you heard anything about this endors.e.m.e.nt?”

SouSmith shook his head. ”People talk. Some like him. Some hate him. Nothing certain.”

Well, that wasn't much help. Adamat drummed his fingers on the head of his cane. ”Did anything seem strange about Claremonte himself?”

SouSmith shrugged. ”Seems nice enough.” He cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing down the hallway, and a dark look pa.s.sed over his face. Lord Vetas had killed SouSmith's nephew, and SouSmith wasn't ever going to let that go. Adamat realized suddenly that bringing the big boxer here may not have been the best idea.

Of course, if he put Claremonte's head through a wall, it would certainly make life a lot easier for everyone.

”There's just something...” Adamat trailed off as they returned to the silver sitting room. Claremonte's manservant eyed him and SouSmith suspiciously, but didn't ask where they had been.

”Ah, there you are,” Hewi said. ”We were just leaving, Inspector.” She made an impatient gesture toward the door with her hat.

”Pardon me, Commissioner,” Claremonte said, ”but could I speak with Adamat alone?”

Hewi gave a nod and stepped outside. Adamat felt his heart suddenly beat a little faster. Alone? With Claremonte? The temptation to brain him over the head with his cane might prove too much. He nodded to SouSmith, and a moment later he was alone with Lord Claremonte.

”Inspector,” Claremonte said. ”I hope that any past unpleasantness that you may think occurred between us can remain in the past.”

Adamat bit his tongue. Your man kidnapped my wife and family! Abused them in unspeakable ways, and caused the death of my son! I'll see you dead. ”As you say,” he said, remembering one of the phrases he used to use when caught in an awkward conversation with a n.o.bleman.

”Don't waste your time with me, Inspector. I didn't try to kill Mr. Tumblar. I don't know who did. I would offer my help with the investigation, but I don't think you'd accept it.”

”We'll see,” Adamat said, matching Claremonte's condescending tone. ”Thank you for the advice.”

Claremonte quickly rose from his seat and crossed the room to stand beside Adamat. The sun shone just behind him, surrounding Claremonte with a glowing halo and forcing Adamat to look away. ”If I wanted Mr. Tumblar dead, Adamat,” Claremonte said, his voice barely above a whisper, ”then he'd be dead.”

”Or else your men c.o.c.ked up the job.”

Claremonte snorted. ”Indeed. You're a very suspicious man, Inspector. Be sure it doesn't put you in an early grave.” Claremonte turned away, his back to Adamat, and Adamat was sorely tempted to take a swing at him. One well-placed strike with his cane could paralyze the man-Adamat was sure he'd then be able to strangle him before anyone returned to the room.

Instead, he tried to come up with some witty retort. When none was forthcoming, he joined Hewi, SouSmith, and Hewi's officers in the servants' halls.

”What did he want?” Hewi asked.

”Nothing important,” Adamat murmured.

They were led back out through the maze of corridors and servants' doors to the side of the palace and Adamat got inside his carriage. It rocked heavily when SouSmith climbed in beside him. Adamat rapped on the ceiling with his cane, but the carriage didn't move.

”Inspector,” Hewi said, coming to the window. ”You should steer clear of Claremonte.”

I should. But I won't. ”I have work to do, Commissioner. With all due respect.”

”And with all due respect, steer clear. Claremonte isn't the man we want.”

”How do you know?”

Hewi tipped her hat back and leaned into the carriage. She glanced at SouSmith, then gestured for Adamat to step outside. He followed her a dozen paces from the carriage. ”One of the officers I had with me is a Knacked,” she said in a low voice. ”We keep it quiet, because he's very hard to see in the Else if you have the third eye.”

”What is his Knack?” Adamat asked.

”Swear to keep this quiet?”

Adamat nodded.

”He can hear lies. He knows when a man is telling the truth or a fib. It's one of our secret weapons, and if it ever got out, the Proprietor would doubtless have him killed.”

Adamat whistled. ”With good reason.” He'd heard of Knackeds like that. One of the most valuable Knacks in the world, and very rare. Adamat wanted to ask what the man was doing working for a police force in Adopest when he could be some king's truthsayer and living like, well, a king. But that would have to wait.

”And you're saying that Claremonte didn't lie?”

”Not a word of it. Fudged a little bit when he said we could have access to all his employees, but that's no surprise. A man like that has secrets. But he didn't order Ricard killed.”

Adamat bid farewell to the commissioner and returned to his carriage, dropping into his seat with a sigh.

”Somethin' important?” SouSmith asked.

”Claremonte isn't our man.”

”Hmm.”

”My thought exactly. I don't even b.l.o.o.d.y well know where to start if it's not Claremonte.” The carriage was soon rolling, and Adamat slowly went through the list of Ricard's known enemies in his head. ”We'll have to go see Ricard. I have to find out if Claremonte has as good a chance at winning as he seems to think. Maybe we'll have a...” Adamat trailed off, a thought entering his mind.

”What?”

”We need to go to the library, too. It'll have to wait until tomorrow, but... Pit!”

SouSmith c.o.c.ked an eyebrow at him. ”Yeah?”

”I just figured out what was bothering me so much about that room. Claremonte was sitting in the window, with the morning sun at his back.”