chapter 13

Lin knew severe consequences were waiting for them when the Head of Magical Law Enforcement found time in his busy schedule to summon the four Aurors in charge of Inwood's case to his office. He had not personally checked any other investigation in the entire organisation, although there were plenty of significant cases to trouble the authorities.

Currently, Shacklebolt was up, measuring the room with deliberate, long strides. The Aurors might have banded together, pressured by his newfound scepticism in their abilities, but it only caused a deeper rift between them. McLee and Ardall were openly at war with each other. More attuned to trouble, Colby pressed deeply into his chair and craned away from the fight, but didn't resist the urge to contribute inflammatory comments to fuel the fight.

Lin wished she could follow Colby's example and melt into the woodwork. Only pride urged her to observe with false calmness as her colleagues tested Shacklebolt's nerves. Those nerves were made of steel, but dangerously at the breaking point. If he did snap, Lin hoped he'd reprimand the loudest first.

"I will not allow you to blame Declan Nogent for the murder and close this case," Shacklebolt warned them. "Three corpses, not counting Inwood, and a couple of arrested accomplices in the aftermath. This is not how the Ministry must operate to re-establish the respect we deserve. Finding out how the murder took place is not our primary objective; we are to use this knowledge to deal with the responsible group."

"Everything is not as grave as it seems," Colby muttered from his corner. "We have new suspects. We hope to find some clues from the offender Mr McLee arrested, even if we can no longer question him."

"I swear, I have no idea how he got hold of the knife," McLee repeated for the hundredth time. "The Body Bind was strong, and I searched him myself before turning him over to the prison guards."

"You were in a hurry to get back," Ardall reasoned. "Maybe you missed something."

"I would never..."

Lin tried to block out their voices. When she and McLee had returned to the Ministry, leading Mrs Strant along, unpleasant news had been waiting for them. The man who had been arrested by McLee was dead. The attention of his guards had been diverted only for a moment, but it was long enough for the prisoner to end his life. Lin had no doubt he belonged to the group's inner circle. Whatever they are after must be of enormous importance if the group members prefer death to betraying the secret.

The circumstances of Ansel's death had seemed clear. The group must have been tracking Inwood at the same time that he had been looking for them. Nogent had recognised the Auror visiting his brothel. From the journal at the front desk he had determined Inwood's visiting hours and had developed a plan to kill the man the group could not risk attacking openly.

Speaking to the manager, Lin had learned that all bottles set aside on order for the rooms were marked accordingly. Nogent had come to the brothel one day, early, supposedly to collect the pay. He had poisoned the wine and removed the accounting journal from its usual place. He had created a reason to stay longer and watch his plan executed. Nogent had waited at the front desk, where he could see everything, while the attendant was away looking for the journal. When the right time came, Nogent had sent Mrs Strant to the second floor, intercepting her as she returned and feigning innocence. He had threatened Arpina and Gilda to keep quiet before carrying the body outside where Mrs Selwyn's nephew had been waiting. They'd walked it along the street, pretending to support a heavily drunk friend, then hid the body in the shop where they'd pierced Ansel's heart with the stiletto. The poison had served only to paralyze the system temporarily, creating the appearance of death, but it had not killed the victim. It was a precaution in case they have been caught before they could hide Inwood in the shop. The potion would eventually wear off without lasting harm to Inwood, so they could claim ignorance.

Another unique property of the potion was, after several hours in the body, it dissolved without a trace. It was simply bad luck that Mrs Selwyn had discovered the corpse too early at 3:00 p.m. By 8:00 p.m. the poison would have been gone, and the murder could have been passed off as the consequence of a common street brawl.

Had that been the case, Lin and the Heads of the various Ministry departments would not be sitting in Shacklebolt's office, locked in a fight none of them could win. Their voices were rising in volume, and Lin was forced to pay attention to her colleagues again.

"Who knows what else Ms Belsmock told you that you are concealing," Ardall said loudly.

"I wasn't even the last one to talk to her," McLee retorted.

Lin felt everyone's attention suddenly turn to her. She pointedly looked back at Ardall, daring him to accuse her. They continued to stare at each other, as if looking away was tantamount to a confession of guilt.

Shacklebolt interrupted their silent showdown. "I did not gather you here to listen to your childish accusations at each other! Detectives operate with facts: he went, he stole, he passed to, and that is all. You cannot put someone in Azkaban based on suspicions. You are counted among our best operatives; it should not be for me to remind you what we must do, much less how you should behave. You are dismissed. Next time I want a better insight into why Ansel was killed."

His four subordinates rose and headed for the door, thoroughly scolded.

"Lin," Shacklebolt stopped her, "I want a word with you. Stay five more minutes."

Lin closed the door behind the last person to leave the room and faced her superior. She remained standing, feeling more comfortable on her feet than looking up at him from the chair, and instinctively crossed her arms over her chest.

"I would like to know whether Ardall is right."

Although the key was small, Lin suddenly felt its weight. She resisted the urge to place her hand in her pocket. Still, she was reluctant to confess, worried that the key would be taken from her and given to the curse-breaking department for a check up; then she would never see it again. She settled for a half truth. "There is something; I am not sure whether or not it is important. Arpina told me that Ansel had a pet name for her: the Trinovantes Queen. It could be just an endearment, but it is worth checking."

"You are planning on looking for this queen; meanwhile, everyone else is looking for Mrs Selwyn's nephew," Shacklebolt guessed. "I will not force you to tell others about it, yet, but I might in the near future if you are not successful."

Lin bit down her contradictions. She was sorely tempted to tell Shacklebolt how Ardall had concealed Inwood's full file from her. But she was confident she could deal with Ardall on her own, and it was not a good moment to present her boss with another problem. He had plenty to be displeased with, and unfortunately he was able to see that Lin was not at all remorseful about her own actions.

"I cannot say that I'm pleased with how loosely you are interpreting my orders," he told her when she voiced no objections. "To be honest, I have had doubts whether you are the most suitable candidate for the job and nearly chose someone else, precisely because you are not a team player."

"I work well on the teams that care more for the results than personal interests," Lin parried. "I find it odd that anyone would force different people to work together when they clearly show no interest in doing so."

"What I find odd is that McLee would neglect the job of searching his prisoners thoroughly. Most people do not choose their co-workers, and those co-workers don't always make a wonderful match, personality-wise, so this is not strange at all. Still, they find ways to co-exist."

"You believe that someone helped McLee's prisoner end his life?"

"Don't change the subject! It is your turn to listen to criticism, Lin, not mine. Please do so carefully, especially when it is deserved. I would hate to have to remove you from this case, but you must have realized by now how important it is."

"I am not the one changing the subject."

"Lin!"

There was so much menace in his voice that she involuntarily gripped her wand tight, looking into his eyes attentively.

Sharply, he turned away and went to the window. She didn't dare move an inch as he gathered his thoughts. His tone was no longer menacing but rough and unforgiving.

"Many dishonest individuals poured into the Ministry when Voldemort was a threat. They have jobs here, they have power, and they don't care about the laws. We are trying to root them out, but we cannot do it in a day or even in a month. However, this is too broad an observation to make any concrete accusations. You must realise how weak our current position is. Imagine if journalists, just like Rita Skeeter, were to get even the slightest hint that someone at the Ministry took part in a murder of a high-ranking member of law enforcement. Not only would this discredit us but if there really is a guilty party among us, they would hide so well that we would never catch them. This requires a lot of discretion and sensitivity. I know you can keep a secret, but you place your task above diplomacy and sensitivity towards our political position."

"Then why did you choose me?"

He didn't answer. As the minutes ticked into eternity, she realised that he didn't know what to do. Meanwhile, his pride didn't allow him to confess that. He hadn't intended to let her know his suspicions just yet. His accidental slip was a testament to how angry he was. Once, she had watched a TV program about martial arts where the master was showing his students how to fight blindfolded. Shacklebolt reminded her of that master. He couldn't see his opponent, but he felt the blows coming and defended against them. He must have chosen Lin as his defence based on his feelings, even though he could not justify them rationally.

"Your intuition has long earned a lot of credibility," she said as peacefully as she could to calm him. "It does seem overly convenient for the group that as soon as we catch one of them, he dies before we have a chance to question him."

Tension didn't leave his shoulders, but she guessed right. He had thought of the same thing.

"I am not convinced, but you may continue as you see fit, Lin, since you have not let me down before. At your own risk."

It was as good an explanation as she was going to get as to why he chose her. Realising this was her time to leave, Lin slipped out of his office.

On the other side of the door, Lin put her hand into her pocket. Her fingers gripped the cool metal strip that was the key. The touch of the small but tough piece was reassuring. Her will had to be just as strong if she hoped to solve this mystery.

Lin wasn't afraid to speak her mind, but she valued her job. She didn't want to be fired. She could take steps towards a compromise, but this requirement to please others would restrict her movements; meanwhile, the delay could cost lives. Somehow, she had to uncover the threat without getting too close. She was too deeply involved now to retreat. Most importantly, she had learned vital information from Shacklebolt. Someone at the Ministry was helping the group.