“Vile woman.” Radcek pulled the ruffles on his white satin shirt straight. “That freakish look? It’s quetzal TriNA, you know. She’s infected with it. They say it’s an intelligent molecule and it talks to her. That’s what’s wrong with her eyes and face.”

“Ah.” Clarice seemed to have found an epiphany. “The same with that wretch and his sister yesterday. That’s why they look so much like Perez.”

Falise nodded, feeling the pieces slip into place. Probably explained how their weapons appeared as if by magic. Holstered one second, drawn in the blink of an eye.

Falise asked, “You’ve had a visit from the lovely Officer Perez already?”

“First thing. She had the audacity to think I might have strangled Chad.”

“Strangled?”

“You didn’t know?” Bartolome’s inquiring yellow gaze, like always, seemed slightly unfocused. But that was one of his ploys. The man never let an opponent think he was paying attention.

“No more than you knew he was discovered behind the foundry.” She paused, well aware that either disclaimer might be misdirection.

Three cups of coffee arrived, and the youth shot a measuring look at Bartolome, asking, “He on your tab?”

“He’s on a bench,” Ednund said cautiously. “And it belongs to the tavern.”

The kid looked confused, then burst out laughing. “Yeah, that’s a good one. So, you picking up his breakfast?”

“I think he’s asking if we’re using our SDRs to pay for Bart’s food.” Clarice had those little worry lines deep in her forehead.

“I’ll buy my own, thank you. And bring me exactly what these people are having.” Bart turned his attention to the young man. Smiled indulgently.

The kid looked puzzled again, shrugged his shoulders, and left mumbling something about “Hey, what do I care? It’s their money.”

Bartolome turned wistful. “I will miss Chad. There was something delicious in baiting him. He always took any kind of offense seriously.”

“The day will come when the Grunnels are going to want answers,” Falise told him. “That’s assuming that the good Officer Perez can find the culprit.”

Bart smiled as if in subtle amusement. “Indeed. Would it interest you to know that Officer Perez spent part of last night giving Cinque a tour of the town? Spent nearly three hours escorting our old friend around the various attractions Port Authority has to offer. While there’s no telling what they might have been exploring in the darker parts of this benighted village, the lighting being as poor as it is, Cinque would have most assuredly been shown the better places to divest himself of an unwanted body.”