669 had returned to headquarters in the evening where he found 789, Violet and Indio talking over one of her test results for a new pill. He filled them in on his run in with the women and Maud’s assistance.

“So, we just go to this address?” 789 said she chewed on a sandwich.

They looked at the address that was within the Border City outskirts, and forest region.

“I know that area. Like, it’s where we get the meat that Spartacus likes. The forest has lots of stupid Tri-boar and Sherlock-lamb game.” Violet informed them.

“Let’s call up Constable Rice and Detective Morse.” 669 said and did a wolf whistle and trill sound to call a Thunderbird into the room.

A tiny, blue, sparrow soared through a window opening and hovered before him.

“Message?” It chirped.

669 gave it a short message to alert the Royal Guards that they were on their way with evidence for the murder case.

The bird gave a short trill to acknowledge that the message was captured and flew out the window to deliver it to the destined party.

“Let’s go,” he said to the girls.

789, Violet and Indigo followed him out to the courtyard and stable grounds where Spartacus was sleeping in the shade on a fresh straw bed.

“Milord,” Spartacus said when he saw 669.

“We need to go to the Royal Guard.” 669 fondly patted the harse’s snout.

“Roger that. I’ll get the litter ready.”

Spartacus trotted to the nearby litter box and made a neighing sound to call upon his magic. A harness wrapped his body and connected to the litter box’s reigns.

When it was ready for them, they all ambled into the box-like carriage and relaxed on the seats as Spartacus trotted out of the grounds and made his way along Cross Road Village’s dirt roads to the Royal Guard’s headquarters.

“Hey, Stinky. Do you think this job is going a beyond our scope?” Violet said with genuine concern to her voice.

“Stupid. Is it a henchman’s prerogative to question our assignments?”

“Oh come on. When has there been a time you’ve never questioned orders? I mean, like, our Uppers wouldn’t have made you an Operation Henchman if you didn’t question what you were told.” Violet huffed as she folded her arms across her chest and looked out the litter’s window.

She had made a fair point and 669 had a lot of questions surrounding the reasoning for their involvement with a murder case that was slowly spiraling into a bigger mess. But there was also the dangerous mishap of his memory leak, which was stubbornly not going away from his mind.

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“Look. While we follow our orders to expectation, no one will question us. But I sense your concern Violet,” 789 soberly commented.

“True.” Violet sighed.

They eventually arrived out the front of the Royal Guard’s stable entrance, where Spartacus greeted the gate guards, and when they were given clearance to enter, parked himself and litter at a stable stall. He allowed the Royal Guard’s stablehands to tend to his needs while his passengers ambled out of the litter and made their way to the nearby building’s entrance gates.

789 led the way into the main office’s lavish white marble foyer, and to the redwood door at the far end of them. The way opened into a floor of office cubicles that were sectioned off by partition panels. Detective Morse rose from the far-right desk and went to greet them.

Other officers gave them fleeting glances and looks of interest, but seeing that they were being attended to by a senior, continued with their own work.

Indigo stared at the white wall covered with an enormous silver clover insignia with the Royal Guard justice motto written beneath it.

“Here. This came from Maud Risk. It seems they’ve been busy doing their own research on the matter.” The crossbow and note, Maud had given 669, materialized in 669’s hands. He handed it to Detective Morse.

Morse looked over the items and nodded with thanks. He grabbed his overcoat from a nearby coat stand and gestured for them to follow him. “Let’s go see what’s at this address.”

“Where’s the constable?” Violet asked.

“Busy.”

They followed Detective Morse back to the stables and Spartacus who was enjoying a decent meal of Tri-boar stew in a trough.

“Please take us to this address.” Detective Morse politely asked the beast who sniffed at the paper and closed his eyes to activate his inbuilt virya energy and magic. The scent allowed him to translate the words from the ink’s structure and form an image of location and building in his mind.

“Are you sure you want to go there?” Spartacus looked nervous.

“Is the place dangerous?” 669 asked.

“I’ve taken Reddy to that area to hunt game for dinners. But lately the game has been little and a lot of nests haven’t been lived in. Something has scared the game away.”

“All the more reason we need to go there.” Detective Morse patted the harse.

“Of course, please make yourselves comfortable.” Spartacus nodded and stepped out into the clearing to prepare themselves for the journey.

They travelled the less populated and more natural roads out of the village life and into the wild growing forest areas of Cross Road’s zone that eventually connected to the Border City boundaries. One of the forest areas was known for wild game due to the dense clumping of elm, oak and other lush green and wild growing bushes. But it was also a perfect place where bandits ambushed unsuspecting travelings making a short-cut journey to Border City.

“It’s a perfect place for someone to hide and wait out any potential dangers.” Detective Morse confirmed.

“I’m surprised you didn’t send a squad here earlier to investigate.” 789 offhandedly said.

“We did, but didn’t turn up anything.” Detective Morse leaned close to 669 from the opposite litter box seat. “So, how is it, that your good friend at the Peony Soap House found this location?”

669 shrugged his shoulders. “The man has a grudge for this Fairy Blossom.” He leaned in close to the good detective. “You shouldn’t underestimate the efficiency of a decent henchman scout.”

“I see.”

The ride was fortunately uneventful as they traveled deep into a dense part of the forest, where the trees grew taller than buildings that formed a canopy over their heads, so the sunlight was struggling to break through their branches. An eerie quiet surrounded them as Spartacus stepped along moist grounds.

He eventually stopped before a narrow path between a wide growth of wild growing thorn bushes.