Sheridan Bell & the Vanishing Beast: Chapter Twelve

Taise followed Henry downstairs just as several officers appeared in the doorway, dragging a struggling figure — bound in a chain Henry could only assume must be iron — into the house. The figure froze when she saw Taise, her face going pale and her knees buckling.

“No,” she moaned, dragging her feet even more. “No, no, no. How did you know?”

“Are you so surprised?” Taise asked cheerfully, his grin ill-suited for the occasion. “You didn’t actually think this plan of yours would work, did you?”

“Who the fuck is this?” Saoirse asked. Mrs. Raptis gasped at her foul language and glared at her, but everyone else watched Henry, hungry for their answers.

But it was Taise who answered, his lip curled in distaste. “This is my assistant, Brona Anghau.”

Brona struggled against the chains. Helena and Mrs. Raptis took wary steps away, but with the cold iron wrapped around her, restricting her magic, Brona was as helpless as Ioanna. Henry eyed her distastefully and waved the group on. “Take her to the living room,” he said. “I have several questions for her.”

When the officers hesitated, looking to Inspector Zhou, the Inspector snapped, “You heard him. I’ll join you in a minute.”

Around them, extra faces lingered in doorways — those of sleepy servants woken by the commotion. Mrs. Raptis spurred into motion at the sight of them, sending some after the officers to drag more chairs into the living room, routing others to turn on the lights or boil tea for her daughter.

Inspector Zhou rejoined Henry, Taise, and Saoirse, his gaze catching on Etta at Henry’s heels and his face pulling down into a frown. “When did that one get here?”

“Where have you been, Inspector? She’s been here the whole time,” Saoirse teased, patting Inspector Zhou on the shoulder as she passed into the living room.

Henry laughed. “You missed a few things, Inspector,” he said, quickly filling Inspector Zhou in.

Five minutes later found them gathered in the newly lit living room, the mismatched group somewhat cramped in the small space. Henry took one of the armchairs, and Taise — for some indeterminable reason — lounged at the ground by his feet, a hound perched and alert on either side of him. Brona sat across from them, in a dining room chair that had been dragged in, still bound in iron. Mirroring the hounds, Inspector Zhou had taken position to Brona’s right, an officer to her left. Saoirse perched on the window frame, and Helena and her mother took the couch, both glaring suspiciously between Brona and Taise’s hounds.

“Those things are harmless, now, right?” Inspector Zhou asked Taise. “Ms. Anghau can’t suddenly tell them to bite our heads off?”

“She can try, but they won’t listen as long as I’m around,” Taise said, absently scratching Furze’s head.

“And we’re positive he won’t suddenly order them to bite our heads off?” the Inspector asked Henry.

“Would it help if I gave you my word?” Taise asked.

“No offense, but I don’t care about that. I care about Henry’s opinion.”

Taise shrugged, but Henry saw the corner of his lip curl in displease. “You have my word, then, Inspector,” Henry said.

Visibly relieved at this, Inspector Zhou nodded. “Explain everything, then. Now.”

Henry glanced at Helena and her mother. As if sensing the unasked question, Helena shook her head. “I’m not leaving. I want to know why my husband died.”

Henry nodded and sat back in his seat. “I’ll start from the beginning, then. As most of you know, Ms. Evans came to me as soon as she learned about Mr. Hathaway’s death, knowing that suspicion would fall on her, and told me everything. From the start, then, I had an advantage the police didn’t: I knew Ms. Evans was innocent. And from that perspective, I was able to see things that the police were not.

“It didn’t take me long to realize that Arthur Hathaway wasn’t the intended target of the attack: Ioanna was. First, there was the location of the crime. Ms. Evans’ charm had nothing to do with it, so why did the murder take place in the nursery? Second, there was Mr. Hathaway’s paranoia, which seemed to revolve entirely around his child. It all started around the time of Ioanna’s birth — he’d had the nursery moved somewhere closer, safer. He’d barred the nursery windows, fired the sídhe nursemaid. This is why I asked about the baptism, Mrs. Hathaway. Clearly, your husband had been expecting someone — or something — to come for Ioanna. Something that involved the aes sídhe.

“Paired with the manner of death, all it took was one more clue to point me in the right direction: your husband’s sudden accumulation of wealth and his mysterious patron. Are you familiar at all with the Uí Anghau, Mrs. Hathaway?”

Helena shook her head.

“They’re an old sídhe family, known for making any kind of deal you could think of. I suspected your husband had made a deal with them, especially when Inspector Zhou checked the Customs records and confirmed Arthur Hathaway had visited the other city on the day of his death. The mystery of the beast was explained when I came across stories of the cú sídhe — magical hounds that served under the Uí Anghau. I just hadn’t understood, yet, where Ioanna fit in. It was Taise who told me of the Uí Anghau’s history, of people trading away their own offspring in desperate bargains.”

Helena shook her head. “Arthur would never do anything to hurt Ioanna. His success was important to him, but he loved his daughter.”

“You’d be surprised how often something like this happens,” Taise said, not sounding particularly sympathetic. “People will trade away something they don’t yet have and will even be happy to do so. Your husband probably made this deal months, years ago, not realizing how much the child would mean to him until she was born.”

Quietly, Henry said, “I’m very sorry, Mrs. Hathaway. While the Uí Anghau no longer authorize deals of this kind, it’s quite clear your husband tried to make one. This is where I’ll need Ms. Anghau to fill in the missing pieces.”

“Did you know Brona was the one behind this, Henry?” Taise asked, looking back at Henry.

“Yes, as soon as I saw her,” Henry admitted. “It was her boots that first roused my suspicion — I came across some prints on the grounds outside Camberley Hall, and while the shape wasn’t a perfect match, the size was. There was also the smell of tobacco that clung to her, same as the brand she left in your ashtray and at the scene of the crime, and the fact that you had left Etta with her on the night of the crime. Finally, there was the forged contract — Hathaway’s signature was messy, but yours, Taise, was nearly perfect. Whoever made it was familiar with your signature — and who would be more familiar than a personal assistant? I think she must’ve had help writing the contract, though…if I had to guess, I would say Furze’s master had a hand in it, is that right?”

Brona looked stubbornly away.

“Cooperation can lead to a lighter sentence,” Inspector Zhou said to Brona, casually. “If you tell us what happened, we may be able to reward you for it.”

“Can you promise to keep him away from me?” Brona asked, watching Taise with something between hatred and horror in her eyes. “That’s all I want. Say yes, and I’ll tell you everything.”

Inspector Zhou narrowed his eyes at Taise, but answered, “Of course we can. For as long as you’re under our custody, at least.”

Taise smiled sweetly.

“I just need you to tell me whether I’m right or wrong,” Henry said. “Sometime within the last year, Arthur Hathaway came to the House Anghau to make a deal, but because he had made another within the last six months, Lord Anghau rejected his application. It’s your job to pass those rejections along to the front desk; instead of doing so, you made a deal with Hathaway yourself.”

Brona sighed. “He only wanted money. I may not be as powerful as the negotiators, but I’m still one of the Uí Anghau. The amount he was asking for was nothing to me.”

Henry shook his head. “It wasn’t so plain as that. You saw his last deal was for healthy conception with his wife. You knew how much power sacrificing a child would give you and you decided breaking the rules was worth it.”

Taise’s lip curled in disgust. For a moment, he looked remarkably like the snarling hounds on either side of him.

“I’ve been working for the family for decades and have never been given my dues. That brat before you stole power that was never meant to be his, so why shouldn’t I?” Brona hissed, no longer looking at Taise as she spoke. “Cian was supposed to be the next lord of the house. I was supposed to be a negotiator. The previous lord promised us everything, before his demon of a son killed him and took it all!”

All eyes turned to Taise, who only shrugged. “He was of sound mind when he made the contract with me.  It was valid, enforceable, and perfectly legal.”

Henry eyed the back of Taise’s head, fitting that into what he already knew about Taise. After a moment, he shook his head and turned his attention back to Brona. “Where was I? Ah — Brona, you waited patiently for the end of Hathaway’s contract, but when Ioanna was born, Hathaway changed his mind. On Friday, he came to try to terminate early. Luckily for you, Lord Anghau wasn’t working that afternoon — you took Hathaway up to his office and spoke to him yourself, and you pretended to consider his request. He returned home happy and hopeful for the first time in months, but you were never really going to let go.”

“He offered to buy it out for a pittance,” Brona snapped, looking more frenzied the more Henry pulled out of her. She strained against her bonds. “I risked everything for this contract, for that baby. It belongs to me! I deserve to have it!”

Helena shrank back against the couch, and Inspector Zhou’s hand fell to his gun. But Taise had only to raise an eyebrow for the hounds on either side of him to stand, their fangs bared, their growls rattling low in their throats. Brona froze.

Henry continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “You knew Lord Anghau had a party that evening, and that you’d have Etta — and what luck, it was a holy night, as well! You crossed between the cities easily with Etta by your side, but when you sent her in to kill the child, Hathaway got in the way. Finding herself shot at, Etta retaliated in self-defense. Did you call her back when you heard the gunshots?”

Brona nodded, sullen.

“After that, you panicked. Not knowing about Ms. Evans’ arrest, you believed the crime scene would lead to the cú sídhe. You asked for help from one of the other negotiators — you forged the contract and borrowed his hound for the evening, and then Lord Anghau surprised you by leaving you Etta, as well. You were certain you’d succeed.”

Taise blinked, surprised. “You had me leave Etta with Brona on purpose.”

“Yes,” Henry said. “That’s why I was surprised when I saw Furze, earlier. I had been expecting Etta.”

Brona glanced between Henry and Taise, then slumped in her seat. “Cian and I had been close under the previous Lord’s tenure. I also knew he shared my opinion on the current Lord. When I explained what happened, he promised to help me.”

“And you both fell right into Henry’s little trap,” Saoirse said, delighted. “Well done, Detective Bell.”

“Yes, you did well, Henry,” Inspector Zhou said. “But there’s one thing I still don’t understand: how did the dog get into the nursery to kill Hathaway in the first place? It couldn’t have left down the hallway, and the window was barred with iron.”

Henry shivered, remembering Etta’s ghostly form and shifting limbs. “They can change size, I think,” he said, then asking Taise, “Right?”

Taise shrugged. “They can do whatever’s needed to reach their targets, changing size included.”

Henry nodded. “I saw paw prints outside Camberley Hall — they were clearly from one creature, but grew bigger and bigger as the dog walked away. I told you, Inspector — the bars on the window were wide enough for something small to squeeze through.”

“I guess you did say something like that,” Inspector Zhou admitted. He sighed and shook his head. “Fine. If that’s all, then, I think it’s time we took Ms. Anghau away. Mrs. Hathaway, you and Ioanna should be safe now, but we’ll keep a guard with you until Cian has been apprehended, just to be sure.”

Inspector Zhou nodded at his constable, who hauled Brona out of her seat.

“Actually, Inspector,” Taise said, climbing to his feet, “I believe you’ll find that per Section IV, Article ii of The 1810 Treaty of Tamar, the Uí Anghau have exclusive jurisdiction over our own descendants. And as Ard Tigerna Anghau, I get to choose the punishment for any member of the family who violates the laws of the house.”

Inspector Zhou frowned. Beside him, Brona began to struggle with her bindings again, the constable only just managing to grab her before she tried to run.

“No!” she cried. “You promised to keep him away from me!”

Taise didn’t react to the woman’s protests, only pulled a book out of his inner coat pocket. “I thought this might come up, so I brought a copy of the Treaty with me.”

He passed the small cloth-bound book to Inspector Zhou, who checked the first few pages for their authenticity before flipping to the statute Taise cited. He read for a minute, then frowned at Taise. “You could have told me this before I made my promise.”

“I could have,” Taise conceded with a wicked smile, “But then she wouldn’t have answered Henry’s questions.”

“What are you going to do to me?” Brona asked.

Taise’s smile fell when he looked at her. “You’ve broken the gravest laws of the Ui Anghau. You’ve solicited deals without the rights and title of the negotiators, you contracted for an infant’s life, and you commanded the cú sídhe to kill outside of a contract. I think you’ll find that, per the terms of your own employment contract, violating any one of these rules forfeits your life.”

While Brona begged and pleaded, Taise turned to Helena Hathaway and bowed. “I apologize for the suffering you’ve experienced at the hands of my former employee. We are in your debt. If you ever need anything at all from the Ui Anghau, if we can give it, it shall be yours.”

Helena’s eyes widened. Any sídhe declaring a debt owed was no small matter, and that was even more true when it came from the Ui Anghau.

Inspector Zhou sighed. “We’ll have to go to the station first and get the custody change documented. From there, we can escort you both to Customs.”

“Much appreciated, Inspector Zhou,” Taise said. At a gesture from Taise, the two cú sídhe rose and ushered Brona out of the house, Taise, Inspector Zhou, and the constable following. Taise hesitated and gave Henry a quick, searching look. “I’ll see you around, then, Henry?”

“Of course,” Henry said. “Don’t forget, we have a deal.”

The crease between Taise’s brows smoothed as he smiled. “I never forget my deals,” he promised, waving once before following the procession out of the house.

With final goodbyes to Mrs. Hathaway and Mrs. Raptis, Henry and Saoirse excused themselves as well, emerging into the cool night.

“That was a lot,” Saoirse said as they walked.

“That’s certainly one way of putting it,” Henry agreed.

“I can’t say I’m upset about Ms. Anghau’s punishment,” Saoirse announced. “Sorry if that makes me a bad person, but she almost ruined a lot of lives. I mean, she did ruin a lot of lives. I’m sure Helena and Ioanna will never be the same. But if she’d succeeded, it would’ve been even worse.”

“No, I’m inclined to agree with you,” Henry began, then hesitating. “Perhaps that makes me a bad person as well. So many times, I reach the ends of these cases pitying the criminal I was supposed to hunt. Our world is unforgiving and our circumstances inform our behavior in ways we often don’t even realize, but when people let jealousy and bitterness and greed build to the point where they’re okay harming other humans, then I think…I think that’s unforgivable.”

Saoirse nodded. “Right, right. That’s all true, and all, but I’m mostly just mad Brona got me in trouble.” They neared Henry’s street, and Saoirse slowed at a crossroads, nodding down a side street. “My place is this way. I don’t wan tot disturb Alice this late, so I’ll come around to get her tomorrow morning. Thank you for all of your help, Henry. I really don’t have words to say how much it means to me.”

Henry smiled at her, warm and gentle. “I’m glad I was able to help. Of course, there is still the matter of my fee.”

Saoirse’s eyes widened. She pulled her watch from her pocket and glanced at it only briefly, exclaiming, “Oh, look at the time! I really must be going if I want any of my usual beauty rest. Even powerful sídhe like me don’t wake up looking this way, you know. I’m sure you understand. Goodbye, Henry! Goodnight!”

Henry laughed as she left, taking a moment to appreciate the cool night before turning and heading home.

The following morning, Henry celebrated by sleeping in. He woke to the sun streaming in through the windows, his hair falling all into his face, and…an insistent knocking at his door. As soon as he registered the sound for what it was, he scrambled out of bed, grabbed his dressing gown, and nearly tripped in his haste to go answer it.

When he did, he found two familiar faces smiling at him. Saoirse and Taise stood side by side, Saoirse with a badly-repaired Sherrie tucked under her arm and a basket of her questionably effective shop goods in her hand, Taise with a strange duffel bag on his shoulder, something small and white and fluffy wriggling inside it through the mesh fabric.

“What’s going on? What’s wrong?” Henry asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Nothing, nothing!” Saoirse said. “I was just coming to visit and say thanks again for last night, and I ran into Taise on the street. I guess he had the same idea.”

Taise smiled at Henry. “Can we come in?”

Lost for words, Henry stepped aside to let them both in. Taise passed close by him, and Saoirse shoved her basket in his arms, saying, “Just a little thank you gift!” While Saoirse headed over to prop Sherrie up on Henry’s cluttered desk, Taise set his bag down, unbuttoning the front flap enough for a small white pomeranian to jump out.

Henry stared at it, even as it ran over excitedly to lick his foot. “Is this…?”

“The Customs people won’t let dogs bigger than this through the fixed points,” Taise said. With a whistle from Taise, the pomeranian grew in size, the tiny paw that had been standing on Henry’s bare toes turning suddenly heavy enough to crush them. He gasped and pulled his foot out from under her. Once Etta was back to her usual size, she set about exploring the apartment, returning occasionally for pets from Saoirse or Henry.

Seeing Henry's dumbfounded expression, Saoirse asked, "You didn't think you were done with us, did you? Henry, the first rule of business is that if you want people to stop coming to you, you have to do a bad job of helping them. You're never going to be rid of us, now."

Henry looked to Taise, waiting to hear his thoughts. Taise smiled sweetly at him. "We still have a deal. I can't leave you alone until it's settled."

"And after it's settled?" Henry asked.

"Maybe we can make another deal?"

Henry huffed a laugh, rolling with it. He shut the door.

“I was hoping for a private audience with Henry, but since we’re all gathered here together, how about you buy us breakfast, rich boy? It was your puppy that caused all this trouble, after all,” Saoirse said to Taise. “We can even stop by the station and drag Inspector Zhou out with us.”

Taise's eyebrow twitched at his cu sidhe being referred to as a puppy, but he smiled. "I would be happy to. Are you going out in that, Henry?"

Henry tugged his dressing gown tighter around himself, self-consciously. "Give me a minute to get dressed."

"We'll be waiting."

Henry returned to his room in a daze and dressed quickly. They left together a few minutes later, Etta at their heels and Saoirse talking animatedly as they ventured off into Tamarley.