Varyna woke up to the buzzing alarm on her communicator. It had been a late night. First, she and her fellow Officers had joined the Peacekeepers at another popular restaurant, where they shared their suspect list (exempting Peacekeeper Ershel).

Then the Peacekeepers took the COPS to see the Haunted Cave, insisting that they couldn’t properly investigate the case if they didn’t first take time to see what had drawn the victims to the planet in the first place.

The Haunted Cave was a natural series of large caverns with strange formations along the walls. With the flickering light of fake torches casting moving shadows among the rocks, the cave held an eerie feeling. That, combined with the dripping water and other strange sounds that apparently occurred naturally in the cave, created an atmosphere that was indeed haunting.

Because they’d gone in the evening, they had found huge crowds waiting to get in. Thankfully, because the employees running the Cave recognized Ershel and Benou-Alf, they let the Peacekeepers and their friends cut ahead of the line.

After their jaunt through the cave, they had all returned to a bar among the downtown businesses. Varyna had hoped that Ershel would drink enough to loosen his tongue and dull his memory, but he kept a tight rein on his consumption, stopping after only two small drinks.

Though he wasn’t drunk, she took advantage of the casual atmosphere to ask about others who shared his sentiments regarding tourism. Hxlt overheard and joined the conversation, clearly not trusting her to keep it subtle, which she didn’t appreciate.

Still, it was effective. They managed to get a list of names of people to talk to who shared his sentiments, expanding their suspect list. Now they just had to narrow it back down.

They had plenty of people with motive, but the only person with the information to choose the victims that had been targeted didn’t have a motive. Wrestu-Zat also showed no signs of being a source of demonic energy, though Varyna wasn’t really sure how to figure out something like that.

Well, she thought, I’ll tackle that today. She had decided last night that she would chat with Wrestu-Zat and see if anyone else had access to his records. If she could find a connection between his records and someone with motive, that would give her and her fellow Officers a stronger lead to work with.

With that in mind, she quickly dressed and met Hxlt and Opun at the small breakfast bar off the lobby of the hotel. She enjoyed a warm bowl of simanin oratmeal with chunks of sweet darre mixed in to add some texture and sweetness.

After eating, they split up. Opun wanted to continue going over the crime scene holograms while Hxlt wanted to start finding and interviewing some of the names they’d gotten from Peacekeeper Ershel the night before.

Varyna made her way back to Wrestu-Zat’s business, hoping to find him there in spite of the early hour.

She got her wish. The business was closed and locked, but when she knocked at the door, she heard footsteps inside. She knocked again, not stopping until the door swung open.

“We’re not ope- oh.” Wrestu-Zat stepped aside to let her in. “I apologize, Officer. I thought you were an overzealous tourist.”

“I assumed as much,” she answered, stepping into the empty waiting room. He closed the door and faced her, running a hand over his fins.

“How can I help you?”

“I was wondering who has access to your files. Who else might have seen the release forms that you have your clients sign?”

He sighed and motioned for her to follow him back to his office. Instead of the neat space from the previous day, it was a bit of a mess, with papers and pens scattered about.

“Pardon my mess. I do a round of organizing every day before I open. Now let’s see, you want to know who else has access to the documents?” He sank into his chair behind the desk and motioned for Varyna to take one of the open chairs across from him.

“Reshla-Ursil, of course. My secretary,” he added at Varyna’s blank look.

“Ah, of course.” She pulled out her holopen and quickly took notes.

“Uh, I send them all to a legal representative from Urith. He takes care of me if I ever have someone file a legal complaint.”

“And what’s his name?”

Varyna quickly copied it down, though she didn’t expect much from that direction.

“Okay, is there anyone else at all that might have access? Even just someone who spends time in your office when you’re not around?”

He tilted his head thoughtfully. “Well, my niece occasionally hangs out here after closing. I gave her a key so she can come here when she needs some space. My sister, her mother, is… difficult at times.”

“And what’s your niece’s name?”

“Eurlin-Opel. I can give you her address as well, though I’m sure she has nothing to do with all of this mess. She’s a good girl.”

“I’m sure you’re right, but she may still be able to help me with this,” Varyna answered, taking down the girl’s information.

When further pressing failed to reveal more names, she bid Wrestu-Zat a good day and headed out of his office. She found Reshla-Ursil at the reception desk, setting down her stuff and getting settled in for her workday.

“Good morning,” Varyna said.

Reshla-Ursil jumped and spun around, a hand over her heart.

“Officer! You startled me! I didn’t expect anyone except Mr. Zat here this morning.”

“I apologize,” Varyna answered. “I just came to follow up with him about some information that he shared yesterday. Speaking of which, I need to ask you as well. Have you ever let anyone into his office when he wasn’t around or shared any of his documents with anyone?”

“Oh no! I would never!” she answered vehemently. “Mr. Zat has been far too good to me for me to betray his trust like that.”

Varyna nodded. “Of course. I didn’t think you would do anything to harm him intentionally, but perhaps you might know of any unusual visitors or circumstances.” Catching sight of the receptionist’s nervous expression, Varyna sighed and handed her a small chip. “If you think of anything, just contact me and let me know. I would hate for your boss to get in trouble for someone else’s crime just because they took advantage of his business.”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Reshla-Ursil’s eyes widened in understanding and she nodded. “Of course. If I think of anything, I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you.”

Varyna left, feeling like she hadn’t found what she was looking for but unsure what else she could do. I’ll follow up with the niece, she decided, checking the address Wrestu-Zat had given her.

She checked her watch as well and decided first to check in with Opun so her fellow Officers would know where to find her.

Her squadmate was bent over a hologram, just like she and Hxlt had found him the previous evening. He looked up at her entrance.

“Come tell me what you think about this,” he said, motioning her forward.

She stood next to him, leaning in as he pointed out some marks next to one of the bodies.

“They look like… footprints?” she said thoughtfully. “Not very clear prints,though.”

“Just smudges but… well… they’re a little small, aren’t they?”

She squinted. “If those were left by the killer, I think we can safely rule out all the Kremel over the age of four,” she answered.

Opun chuckled briefly. “I think they were left by the killer. I just can’t figure out why they left smudged prints like that.”

“Well, if they killed the victims somewhere else, they’d obviously have to move them to get them in front of the business. Perhaps the footprints are tracking something from where the murders took place?”

Opun nodded. “We should talk to Hxlt, and maybe bring in the Peacekeepers. They might recognize the material.”

“That’s a good idea,” Varyna answered. “I’ve got another lead to follow up on. Apparently the owner of the climbing business gave his niece a key to the building, so if she’s brought in any of her friends, that expands our list of people who had access to the documents.”

He gave her a brief nod. “You go do that. I’ll let Hxlt know and perhaps we can discuss everything over lunch in-” He glanced at a clock. “Two hours.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she agreed.

She left the clinic behind and waved down a passing Crawler for Hire. She directed the driver to the address Wrestu-Zat had provided.

The small house sat in the middle of a large field, on a very low-traffic street, far from any neighbors. She felt a jolt of understanding for why Wrestu-Zat would want his niece to have a refuge from a place that provided no other safe haven if one were to need a break from their family.

Varyna’s knock at the door was answered by a Nemarian female who looked to be no older than Varyna.

“Are you Eurlin-Opel?” she asked.

The Nemarian nodded, glancing shyly away. “Wh-who are you?” she stammered, dragging her gaze back up to Varyna’s.

“I’m Officer Varyna Rhine with the COPS, here to investigate the murder victims that have been found downtown.” Varyna kept her voice even and gentle. “I think you might be able to help me.”

“M-m-me?” Eurlin asked in surprise.

“Yes. Your uncle keeps records of his clients and I believe the killer may have seen those records. He told me that you have a key and I was just wondering if you ever take any of your friends or any visitors with you when you visit your Uncle’s business?”

“Y-you think it-t was one of my f-f-friends?” Eurlin’s face reflected the panic she seemed to be feeling.

“Not necessarily,” Varyna answered quickly. But it might be someone that your friends are connected to. Information can travel much further than you think. If one of your friends saw those documents and told one of their friends, who shared it with someone else, it could be someone you don’t even know. But I have to retrace where that information has gone.”

Eurlin nodded and bit her lip. “I oc-casionally take friends there to hang out, esp-pecially the friends my mom doesn’t get along with,” she admitted.

“Could you give me some of those names?” Varyna asked.

“You promise I’m not g-going to get them in tr-trouble?”

“They’ll only be in trouble if they did something wrong. And you wouldn’t want your friends to get away with doing something that might hurt your Uncle, would you?”

Eurlin’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “Of c-c-c-course not. I-I’ll tell you everyone I r-remember.”

“Thank you.”

Varyna quickly pulled out her holopen and began copying down names as fast as Eurlin stemmered them out. The fourth name was one that she recognized from Ershel’s list and she was just gloating over the new lead when she heard a name she hadn’t expected.

“What was that last one?” she asked, looking back up at Eurlin.

“Oh, it w-was B-Benou-Alf.”

“The Peacekeeper?” Varyna asked.

Eurlin nodded with a bright smile. “Yeah. She’s b-been helping me g-get applications written to leave Im-madrin. M-Mom doesn’t ap-prove of leaving, b-but I want to see wh-wh-what’s out there.”

Varyna nodded. “She does seem very kind. And she helps you at your Uncle’s business?”

“Y-yeah. He lets me use his holoscreen for it so M-Mom doesn’t f-find out.”

“Okay. Well, thank you for all your help.” Varyna ended the conversation and said goodbye to the girl, then turned and looked at the empty road. She needed to contact someone to pick her up, but first she needed somewhere to think. She made her way down the road a bit and sat on a rock tucked under some large trees.

Why is Benou-Alf spending time with Eurlin-Opel? Varyna wondered. The Peacekeeper wasn’t ancient, by any means, but she had to have at least a decade on the younger Nemarian. It seemed an unlikely friendship.

And why didn’t she tell me that Wrestu-Zat’s niece brings people to his office? That sat bitterly on Varyna’s mind. She tried to reason that the Peacekeeper just didn’t want to throw her young friend under the bus, but if she had truly been trying to protect the shy Nemarian, she would have told the Officers what she knew and acted as the go-between to keep Eurlin safe.

Varyna pulled up her list and looked at the last two names. She finally had a solid lead, someone who had access to the records and she already knew shared Ershel’s dislike of the tourists that had flooded Imadrin.

But the name below it kept nagging at her.

“I need to talk to her, get her side,” Varyna decided.

Almost as if summoned by her thoughts, a familiar Crawler appeared. It jolted to a stop at her side and the driver’s window opened.

“Need a ride?” Benou-Alf asked.

Varyna nodded and went around, climbing in the other front seat. “Thank you,” she said, trying to shake the ominous feeling hanging over her.

“Something on your mind?” Benou-Alf asked in her usual warm, friendly tone.

“Just thinking over some new leads,” Varyna answered. “Why didn’t you tell me that your friend was letting other people into Wrestu-Zat’s office?”

“Oh, I guess I just didn’t think about it,” she answered casually.

“Mm-hmm.” It was a weak excuse, and it set alarm bells ringing even louder in Varyna’s mind. “Has anyone ever asked where you were on the nights of the murders?” she asked, going for the attack and hoping that Benou-Alf would have a solid alibi.

“I was at home asleep, like any sane person.”

So no alibi, then.

Varyna let out a slow breath, deciding to let it wait until she could consult with Hxlt and Opun when she noticed something.

“Where are we going?” she asked. They had turned onto an unfamiliar road that definitely wasn’t headed back towards town.

“I just wanted to show you something.” The Peacekeeper was as warm and friendly as ever, but Varyna couldn’t ignore the signs any longer. She waited for a rocky stretch of road and, using the clankings of the Crawler as cover, she quietly undid her buckles.

The moment they got over the rocks and into a flat, wooded area, Varyna threw open the door and jumped out, rolling to her feet and darting into the trees.

Branches whipped past her face as she ran. She didn’t know which direction she was headed, she just knew that she needed to get away from Benou-Alf.

Behind her, she heard a crash and glanced back, nearly stumbling as she caught sight of the Crawler bowling over and through the trees.

“Blast and boil,” she muttered. She needed to get somewhere that the Crawler couldn’t reach, but where? Crawlers were made to handle the roughest terrain.

Before she could decide, she felt a small prick in her neck. Her vision began to spin and she staggered, trying to keep her footing as her legs began to give out.

“What-” she started to ask and then the world went black.