and doesn’t add up.’
‘In that case, it’s just as well that someone else is dealing with it.’
‘I have a feeling this will come back to haunt us.’ It wasn’t a particularly positive statement, but Darius felt he had to say it. He had a hunch, and lately his hunches hadn’t been letting him down.
‘Don’t be a pessimist, Bleist.’ Leigher gave him a sidelong glance, his eyes having lost some of their earlier sparkle. ‘What else has happened apart from that?’
‘Caim Rocha was murdered on the night of 20th to 21st August.’ A look of surprise and slight resignation crossed the general’s face. ‘No witnesses, hardly any evidence at the scene. Nobody saw anything or knows anything. Except that the report which reached the capital was falsified. Apart from that, I’ve managed to ascertain that the man who was murdered wasn’t who he claimed to be at all.’ Leigher narrowed his eyes, as if trying to keep his nerves in check. ‘A person by that name did indeed once live in the northern village, but they died of the plague twenty-five years ago.’
‘And the testimonies of the three friends of this… Rocha?’
‘Two,’ corrected Darius. So much had been going on that he hadn’t actually noticed it before, but the original report had mentioned three City Watchmen accompanying the victim. This time, the earl wasn’t even surprised. At this point, he would have been more surprised if everything had been normal. ‘According to all the statements taken at the scene, there were three of them travelling together. This needs to be verified with the Watch, but I don’t think it’s any different.’
‘Has anything gone well in your investigations?’ Leigher sat up straight in his armchair and scrutinised his subordinate more closely.
‘I returned without any problems,’ the colonel stated after a moment’s thought.
‘Sit down.’ The general pointed to the chair opposite him, then stood up and walked over to a tall cupboard. He took out two glasses and a slightly dusty, dark bottle. ‘Now, from the very beginning and in detail…’ Leigher said grimly,
