themselves in the citadel commander’s office.
The large room, with its narrow windows set high up, could hardly be called opulent, though it had surely been so in the past. A few simple pieces of furniture, filing cabinets and a staff table with a map spread out on it were all that was to be found here.
‘I apologize for the mess.’ It was clear the officer was a little embarrassed. He certainly hadn’t planned on inviting anyone into his office, so he hadn’t really bothered about its state. ‘Please take a seat, Colonel,’ he said in a slightly faltering voice and gestured towards one of the two armchairs in the room.
Darius accepted the offer, but Rex tactfully stepped back towards the door and listened quietly to the conversation. It was good to have someone to ensure discretion, although the Ruby Guards on the other side were surely a deterrent to any misdeeds.
‘Don't be nervous, Lieutenant.’ Bleist was finally able to take off his helmet and wipe his forehead. ‘I just have a few questions.’
‘I’ll explain everything you need to know.’ The soldier refrained from standing to attention and cautiously sat down opposite the earl.
‘I'm here regarding the murder.’ There was no point in beating about the bush. Darius didn’t really have anything to gain here. All he needed was to meet the medic who had examined Rocha’s body and to examine the evidence secured at the scene. As for the other tasks, he could keep quiet about them for now. ‘A week ago, a soldier, a former City Watchman, was murdered in a village to the north of here.’
The officer blinked a few times and took a deep breath. It seemed he had expected a lot, but not this. Al-Satar pondered something for a moment.
‘Yes, something like that did happen, though I must admit I didn’t pay it much attention,’ he said in a rather apologetic tone. ‘Was he… an acquaintance of yours, Colonel? I don’t mean to pry…’ he added quickly, as soon as he realised that asking questions wasn’t exactly welcome
