“It’s possible they have some connection to government, or to part of the city’s infrastructure,” Tristan said. “They knew the servers they were working with, the library, the library terminals, and they came prepared. Dragon said she didn’t see any signs of attempted and failed intrusion that had the same signatures or style. Either they jumped from amateur hour to professional or they got it right the first time. Getting it right the first time requires powers or foreknowledge and familiarity.”

“You’re ignoring the obvious clue,” Moonsong said.

“The power they used?” I asked.

“How many powers are there that fit that crime scene, with the victims left alive?” she challenged.

“The Graeae Twins, under March. Bitter Pill is a theoretical possibility. Bonesaw would be a possibility.”

“Your sister,” Lark said. “Sorry to bring it up, but if we’re covering all the bases…”

“She’s being monitored carefully,” Cinereal said. “For now she’s playing nice and organizing a balance with Shin’s governments, to get food to Gimel to help us get through the winter. For now.”

“She can manipulate biology. She could create a body double with identical DNA to her,” Lark said.

“She could make something close, but not identical,” I said. In trying to sound controlled I might have sounded pissed. I tried to dial it back, explaining, “Manton rule. If she gave something her own DNA or something close enough to it, she wouldn’t be able to affect what she was creating.”

“My point stands,” Lark said. “She could create something that looks like her and then slip through.”

Swansong snorted. Her tone was all venom as she told him, “She could make pigs fly, but I’m not going to start carrying an umbrella yet. Baseless speculation doesn’t get us anywhere.”

“Conceded,” Lark said, folding one leg over the other, placing his hands together on one knee. He wore a heavier suit than he had for our last meeting, but the expense of it was clear in how neat the creases were. His open-book-slash-bird mask with the bookspine beak dipped.

“We’re sure we have an eye on her,” Cinereal said.

Had she said it like she was saying it to me? Huh.

“Thank you,” I said.

“There’s one more possibility,” Tristan said. “But I don’t think it narrows anything down. The power fits perfectly for what we’re dealing with.”

“Who?” Danger Ranger asked.

“Barcode,” Tristan said. “They have someone who can take you to pieces without risking death.”

“That sounds pretty fucking narrowed down to me,” Danger Ranger said. “You didn’t bring this up before?”

“They’re mercenaries,” Tristan said. “If we want to figure out their reasoning, it starts and stops with the money. We’d have to get them, then get them to tell us who hired them, and they don’t do that. They set up contingencies.”

“Barcode, March’s Graeae twins, or…”

“Tinkers,” I said.

“Broad,” she said.