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  “It’s gold you say?”

  “Solid gold.”

  “Yes that does mean something to me,” Miss Kensington said closing her fist around it.

  “What exactly?”

  “Where is that pamphlet about the U.R.R.K?” she asked looking around Red’s desk.

  Red opened a drawer and pulled the pamphlet out. He handed it to Miss Kensington who immediately began looking through it.

  “It says here Anna and Prince Havel’s wife both went into labor the same night,” she said pointing at the pamphlet.

  “Go on.”

  “I think someone means to kill Princess Alexi.”

  “I know that already,” Red said. “Krakov went to kill her when he couldn’t get at Prince Marko.”

  “No,” Miss Kensington said. “The princess must have been his target all along. The reason why is right here,” she said opening her hand to show him the gold bullet.

  “Why don’t you clue me in,” Red said. “I do happen to be the chief detective inspector in this city.”

  “How can you kill a witch?” Miss Kensington asked “A real witch of the original order. Not some human that’s decided to learn a few tricks.”

  “Burning, drowning, severing her head,” Red answered quickly.

  “And a few more unusual methods. Now if one of these orders of witch was to have a child with a human, a girl child. She would be half-witch.”

  “Okay.”

  “Besides those causes of death, they are only a few more means of killing a half-witch.”

  “I assume one of those is a gold bullet?”

  “Precisely. It would take half a dozen lead bullets before she suffered enough loss of blood.”

  “So you are saying Princess Alexi is a half witch?”

  “Apparently someone seems to think so.”

  “Okay so her mom was a witch,” Red said. “Doesn’t really change anything.”

  “It does if her mother is Anna,” Miss Kensington said tapping on the pamphlet. “Supposedly Anna’s child did not live that night and Diana’s did.”

  “Somebody switched them?”

  “I believe Anna did,” Miss Kensington said. “Earlier that night her husband was murdered,” she explained. “Anna must have had some reason why she would want them to think it was her child that had died.”

  Red stood there rubbing his mustache. “Thank you dear,” he said. “I need to be going.”

  “Where?”

  “To talk to Count Vasili,” he said opening the door. He turned back to his wife then. “Don’t mention this to anyone, okay?”

  “I won’t.”

  “Not even Inspector Flynn,” Red said.

  “If you say so.”

  Red hurried up to the fifth floor and ordered the constable guarding Count Vasili out the cell area. He closed the door behind him.

  “Did you know that Pandora and Anna are one and the same?”

  “Yes I knew that.”

  “Is Princess Alexi Anna’s child?”

  “That is what I am starting to think,” Count Vasili said. “She must have switched the two infants that terrible night. And then she kidnapped her now to save her life.”

  “From who?”

  “King Havel.”

  “You’re telling me King Havel discovered Princess Alexi is not his child and now he wants to murder her? That seems a little cruel even for the U.R.R.K.”

  “He must have a reason. She must be some kind of threat to him. If Prince Yuri had had his right to succeed King Nikola as king restored to him, then with Prince Yuri’s death that right would fall to Princess Alexi.”

  “But Prince Yuri never had that right restored to him?”

  “No not officially, but my father, the last time I ever spoke to him, said King Nikola intended to do so.”

  “What would King Nikola have needed to do to make that official?”

  “He would have signed a decree in front of my father and in front of someone from the Administration, and then sealed it with his ring.”

  “Even if that had happened and this decree was found now, so what?” Red asked. “King Havel probably would not step down as king anyway.”

  “It is the job of the Protector of the Realm to see the rightful king or queen rules the country. They would remove King Havel by force if necessary.”

  “Who is this Protector of the Realm?”

  “Colonel Popov.”

  Red stared at Count Vasili a moment and then he turned and banged on the steel door to be let out. He went downstairs then to his office. He sat in his chair thinking for a while and then he put on his hat and coat and went out.

  Chapter 24

  There was another tavern just across Horseshoe Road from The Wolf’s Fang and a diner also, so Tom told Fixx to visit them also and then he headed back to town. As he was coming down Appian Way, passing by The Fountain Hotel, he spotted Red coming out of the hotel. His car was parked right out in front.

  Tom saw him head for the call box and he swung around the block thinking he’d stop and talk to him, but by the time he got back there, Red was pulling away from the curb.

  He followed him to the TCPD building, but Red parked out front while he drove down to the garage. When he came into the inspectors’ offices Red was not in his office. Miss Kensington told him, that Red had just gone up to the fifth floor again.

  Jones, Dunne and McElroy were there so Tom went over and shot the breeze with them and then, a few minutes later Red returned. He called Jones, Dunne and McElroy into his office and Tom thought he wanted him too, so he followed the three detectives toward there.

  “I just need to talk with these three,” Red said as Tom approached his office.

  “Oh,” Tom said. “Okay.”

  Red shut the door to his office.

  Chapter 25

  “I’m gonna ask you three to do some things for me that you might not understand. At least not for a while yet,” Red told Inspectors Jones, Dunne, and McElroy as soon as he’s closed the door.

  The three men looked at each other.

  “Chief you know we trust you,” Dunne said. “Whatever you need.”

  “Good,” Red said. “First thing I need for you to do is head over to the morgue.”

  “Okay.”

  “Sergeant Hightower and Constable Andrews are standing guard there now. Tell them you’ve come for the bundle.”

  “Okay.”

  “I want you to take that bundle and sneak it into the room that overlooks Judge Hopkins courtroom. Make sure no one sees you bringing it there and then have Sergeant Hightower and Constable Andrews stand guard over the room. No one goes in there. And make sure that bundle does not slip away from you.”

  “Are we talking about a corpse? How could a corpse slip away from us?” Inspector Jones asked.

  “You’ll understand as soon as you slide the slab out,” Red said. “And one last thing, don’t let Inspector Flynn in on this.”

  The three men glanced at one another again.

  “I’m sure you got your reasons,” Inspector Dunne said placing his bowler on his head and opening the door as Red’s phone rang.

  Red picked up the phone. It was Fixx telling him that Stone had just come in The Wolf’s Fang.

  “I’ll have forty officers surrounding the place in twenty minutes,” Red said. “If he goes to leave before then, you find a way to keep him there.”

  “How am I …” Fixx started to say,

  “Buy him a beer,” Red said hanging up.

  Red picked the phone right back up then and asked for the desk sergeant. While he waited to be connected, Red thought about everything he learned thus far and then he changed his mind. He hung the phone up, put his coat and hat on and headed out the office, but then Tom stopped him.

  “Where ya headed?” Tom asked.

  “I just got some errands to run. I’ll see ya later.”

  Red went down to the garage and checked out his car. He drove straight to The Wolf’s Fang
. He’d decided to make his opponent, if there really was any, to make a move.

  As he pulled into the parking lot, Fixx stepped out from the shadows.

  “He still in there?”

  “Yeah,” Fixx said, “where’s all the coppers?”

  “Change of plans. I’m just going to talk to him alone.”

  “Are you serious? He’ll throw you out the window. After he’s broken your neck I mean.”

  “I’ll be alright. Come in with me.”

  “I don’t care to.”

  “You’re coming along,” Red said grabbing hold of Fixx by his collar and dragging him up to the door.

  Red figured he was taking a calculated risk. Stone was capable of rash, impulsive actions, not thinking before acting. He was capable of seriously hurting a person, even killing someone if he felt cornered, but Red figured going inside The Wolf’s Fang alone, Fixx excepted, shouldn’t cause Stone any heartburn.

  As they entered the tavern, Red saw Stone standing by the counter with his back to the door. Red and Fixx went and sat in a booth.

  “Go tell him the guy in the booth over here wants to buy him a beer and talk a moment.”

  “Are you serious?” Fixx asked.

  “Nothing’s gonna happen. He won’t even recognize you, it’s so dark in here.”

  “I don’t want just money now,” Fixx said. “I would like a medal too,” he said starting over to Stone.

  Red watched him go over and politely tap Stone on the back. Fixx pointed toward the booth before he even spoke a word. Stone jerked his head toward where Fixx was pointing. Fixx began delivering the message then and Red was encouraged when Stone turned and ordered a couple of beers and asked them to be sent over to Red’s table. Stone started toward him then.

  The place was dark, but there was an unlit candle on the table, so as Stone was coming toward him, Red took a match of his pocket and lit it. When the light shone on Red’s face, he smiled at Stone. Stone stopped. He looked around behind him.

  “I’m here alone,” Red said before Stone did something stupid.

  Stone hesitated, but then came and sat down across from him. Red blew out the candle. Fixx remained by the counter.

  “How’d you know I was here?” Stone asked.

  “You used a pad of paper with this place’s emblem on it to write the ransom note.”

  “It was dark in here,” Stone said. The bartender approached then and set their beers down. “My friend here’s paying,” Stone said.

  Red pulled a couple of bills out his wallet and handed them to the bartender. “I can do better than some beers,” he told Stone.

  “I hope so, for your sake. What’d you have in mind?”

  “You help me see to it that the princess is safely returned to the U.R.R.K. and I think I can arrange it so you don’t go to prison the rest of your life.”

  “I ain’t looking at any time at all in the U.R.R.K.”

  “Okay,” Red said. “I’ll just lay all my cards on the table. I’ll see to it that you do no time at all. Even get the paper to make you out like you wanted to do the right thing.”

  Stone shrugged his shoulders like he still wasn’t too impressed. “Pandora made me a better offer than that.”

  “Has she? 10 to 1 you don’t even make it out of the valley. The TCPD ain’t the only ones out to see you don’t make it there,” Red said. They both sipped from their beers then.

  “Okay,” Stone said smiling then. “Go call for a paddy wagon full of your boys and I’ll lead you to where Pandora’s hiding right now.”

  “You’re gonna have to do a lot more than that.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Let’s just say Pandora should have told you a few more things before you agreed to have her break you out of prison.”

  “Like what?’

  “It’s not important,” Red said taking his notebook out of his pocket. He wrote a telephone number down then, ripped the sheet out and handed it to Stone.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s the number for the Hotel Triumph. Just leave a message for Colonel Popov with the phone number here and your name. That’s all you’ll need to do for now.”

  “Who’s he?”

  “Head of the King’s Guard, but I got a feeling someone else will get back to you, but that’s where we have to start.”

  “What if I decide I like their deal, better?” Stone asked, grinning at Red.

  “Like twenty below zero do you? What do you think they’ll do with you once you are back in Mother Rusha. By the time you get there they’ll have decided you know too much. You’ll end up encased in a block of ice under a glacier like some wooly mammoth.”

  “You really think so?’

  “If I am, they’ll reject your offer to lead them to Pandora right away, and instead tell you they have something else planned for her.”

  “Like what?”

  “That’s what I want to find out,” Red said. He took a sip of his beer then. “You might want to order another beer,” Red told Stone. “We’ve got some planning to do and I need to make sure you’ve got everything down pat before you make your call.”

  “Okay,” Stone said.

  “Whatever happens after they get back to you,” Red said. “Don’t contact me. Fixx will get in touch with you,” he said pointing at him by the counter.

  “That’s Fixx?” Stone said looking at him. “Boy its dark in here.”

  Chapter 26

  Mr. Slang slipped into the packed courtroom and stood along the wall since there were no seats left. He slipped the press pass, identifying him as Mr. Carroll with the Londonium Reaper, (the most read paper in Londonium) inside the pocket of his shirt so no one could read it now. Mr. Carroll spoke to no one and something about him discouraged others from speaking to him.

  It was the largest courtroom in the building, the ceiling was twenty feet high and there were twenty rows of benches on either side of an aisle that ran up the middle of the courtroom toward the judge’s raised desk. Every few seconds a camera bulb flashed as all the major papers had rushed reporters and photographers to Transylvania City over night.

  Above the judge’s stand was a painting that took up nearly the entire wall. It showed Moses extending an arm out toward the Pharaoh of Egypt, sitting on his throne, warning him he would suffer God’s wrath if he did not let his people go.

  Mr. Slang looked around and spotted Inspector Flynn. He was sitting on one of the benches behind the prosecutor’s table along with a woman that must be his wife and then next her was Inspector Meriwether.

  “Let’s begin,” Judge Hopkins announced to the packed courthouse with a bang of his gavel. “This is not a trial, only a hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to grant the U.R.R.K’s request to have Count Vasili extradited to the U.R.R.K. to face charges of attempted murder. While other charges may be brought against Count Vasili, today’s hearing is related only to the charge of the attempted assignation of Prince Marko of the U.R.R.K. Mr. Campbell, our esteemed District Attorney will represent the interests of the U.R.R.K. Call your first witness.”

  “I call Colonel Arcady Popov to the stand,” D.A. Campbell stood and announced then.

  Mr. Slang watched as Colonel Popov marched up the aisle towards the witness stand. He placed his hand on the bible, was sworn in and then he took a seat in the wood chair just to the left of the judge. Colonel Popov stared coldly at Count Vasili, who was dressed in a sharp black suit. Count Vasili looked impeccable despite having taken two bullets the night before. The only signs that he had been injured were a slight limp, and a cane, with silver handle, that rested next to his chair.

  “Colonel Popov,” asked D.A. Campbell, “Did you ask Count Vasili if he had provided a witch by the name of Pandora a ticket to last night’s ball at the Hotel Triumph?”

  “I did.”

  “And how did Count Vasili answer?”

  “He said that he had not invited Pandora to the ball.”

&n
bsp; “Did anyone else hear you ask Count Vasili this?”

  “Chief Inspector Meriwether and Inspector Flynn both heard Count Vasili say this.”

  “There were several Flying Squad detectives in attendance at the ball last night, is that correct colonel?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you request that your men have some way of identifying them?”

  “I did.”

  “And how were your men, stationed just outside the ballroom doors, able to identify the Flying Squad detectives.”

  “They were to wear black arm bands.”

  “I see,” D.A. Campbell said, rapping his ring on the wood railing of the witness stand. “Did the man, later identified as the Vampire Krakov, have on one of these arm-bands when he gained access to the ballroom?”

  “He did. That was how he was able to smuggle a weapon into the ballroom.”

  “Because he was not frisked by your men?”

  “That’s correct.”

  “Because they believed him to be a Flying Squad detective?”

  “Yes, because of the arm-band.”

  “Whose idea was it that the detectives there last night wear black arm bands?”

  “Chief Inspector Meriwether’s.”

  “And how did this decision come about?”

  “I asked Inspector Meriwether for some means to identify his men inside the ballroom and that was his suggestion.”

  “I see. And you asked that this information be kept secret?”

  “I did”

  “So who else was present when you asked this favor of Inspector Meriwether?”

  “Myself, Inspector Flynn, Chief Rogers, Captain Gates, Fire Brigade Captain and….”

  “And who else?” D.A Campbell interrupted, for effect.

  “Count Vasili,” the colonel said causing the crowd to begin murmuring.

  “Thank you colonel,” D.A Campbell said, “you may step down. The U.R.R.K. would now like to call Chief Inspector Redwood Meriwether.”

  Mr. Slang watched the esteemed chief inspector of Transylvania City stand and approach the witness stand.