Chapter 6
The atmosphere in the garden was definitely more serene compared to that of the station. A tall woman with purple hair was currently walking down the marble pathway of the garden, going deeper. She was in a black police uniform, signifying her affiliation. The golden shiny button on her uniform was similar to Reginald's; she was also an Inspector. Her eyes were deeply furrowed as if lost in thought.
Her heels were clicking on the marble floors.
In her hands were folders she held close to her chest as she walked gracefully on. Soon she came to a clearing and saw her objectives.
A few paces away were two women, seated around a table. Both were slowly sipping tea.
One of them also had a black police uniform on, but her button was more intricately made, with a pattern that symbolized her status. She was a Superintendent. She was middle-aged, and on her neck and the visible parts of her hands were scars. The scars on her face looked similar to burn marks. This was a woman who had seen conflicts.
The tea for the Superintendent had a minty scent to it while Eleanor's was chocolate. The teacup was elegant with Phoenix relief on it.
Opposite her was a beautiful woman dressed in a purple bejeweled gown; everything about her screamed luxury, even her mannerisms as she raised the cup of tea to her lips. Eleanor's clothing was a mixture of both velvet and silk, with an elegant belt around her waist.
Soon the Inspector was before them, and saluted the Superintendent, but didn't elicit any reaction from them as if she didn't exist.
"Milady, your daughter is here with Inspector Reginald Fletcher."
Both the Superintendent and the bejeweled lady stopped at the same time. They both looked at the Inspector with suspicion.
"Speak, Veronica," the Superintendent ordered.
Veronica had worked for the Superintendent for a long time, and this was one of the very few times she had seen her surprised about anything.
"Inspector Reginald clocked in a few minutes ago. He met with Miss Nancy at the lobby, and she is currently leading the way here," Veronica explained.
"You know what I mean," the Superintendent chastised.
Taking a deep breath to calculate or think about her next reply, Veronica spoke.
"According to our calculations, every Unscorched that was involved in that incident should all be dead. And most of them were usually by suicide. Even though I confirmed Miss Nancy rushing to his house, I'm sure she couldn't have gotten there in time."
She finished her report, still tightly holding on to her folder.
"This is very interesting, so very interesting," the bejeweled woman said with delight on her face.
The Superintendent's aged face was focused, thinking about how this development would affect her and her plans.
"However, it seems that Inspector Reginald doesn't remember anything from that incident, not even his daughter," Veronica explained.
"It seems you are in a little predicament. So what are you going to do with him? He is something you call a... a," the jeweled lady said, feigning recollection, "Yes, a threat to national security."
Eleanor's face was plastered with an amusing smile, showing her pearly teeth, but anyone could see she wasn't particularly happy Reginald was alive.
"There has to be a reason he is still alive; he was exposed to serious Miasma poisoning that night. It's not something an Unscorched can survive through sheer will. Until we are sure we know what happened, it would be unwise to try to kill him again," the Superintendent clarified.
"Not that you could do anything about him; all your Scorched were..., preoccupied, right?" the jeweled lady pushed.
"You don't have to goad me to reveal such vital information, Eleanor."
Eleanor pouted as she sank into her seat in resignation.
"Poor little Nancy, mummy is conspiring to kill her little girly crush."
"Our guests were close," Veronica announced.
Pitter-patter of footsteps grew louder, and soon Reginald and Nancy were before them.
Reginald saluted by raising his right hand in a fist over his heart and his left hand over his back. In police or other forces, this was a courtesy. Raising your hand over your heart was a sign of respect, and the left over your back was a sign you were willing to carry out their orders, a sign of loyalty. By default, a subordinate was only required to place their left hand over their back.
Little Nancy, however, didn't share in Reginald's performance; she merely offered a 'humph' with the grace of a spoiled child.
"At ease, officer. Good to see you."
"Inspector Reginald reporting for duty."
"Oh, I see. Right in time, we are preparing for a mission and we will need your help?"
Reginald felt his blood pressure rise slightly from that remark. Usually, when an officer took a leave due to traumatizing events and they reported for duty, they were usually left to their own devices for a few weeks, or at least a few days, before getting an official assignment.
Reginald wondered if this abrupt mission had something to do with the fact that half the Constables weren't around.
"Understood, Milady."
"Good, you are dismissed."
The Superintendent looked at her daughter, but Nancy did nothing but 'hmphed' once again.
"I'll be taking my leave." Reginald turned and walked away. Then he stopped before proceeding, his back now drenched in sweat as he felt something slither into his skin.
"So interesting, I'd like to play with him," Eleanor said.
"I didn't mind as long as it ended up with him dead."
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Reginald hurriedly put some distance between him and his boss. As he was leaving, he felt his body being invaded by Miasma. This Miasma was very invasive, yet burning and itchy. It was different from the one he'd felt previously; it was more controlled and concentrated.
He was sure it came from the woman opposite the Superintendent. It was all thanks to the Book of Blood, he felt the Miasma flow to his head as soon as it entered his body. So he was of the opinion that whatever she planned to do has failed. From his experience, he is sure that she would try again only he won't know when or where.
The fact that the Superintendent did nothing after the attack showed her attitude toward him. This filled him with unease. He had to get strong and fast.
He couldn't help but wonder if all of this had anything to do with his daughter's death and his suicide attempt.
"Slow down, Inspector," Nancy called out.
Reginald stopped and looked at her, not knowing how to feel.
"You are dismissed."
Nancy was definitely expecting something more, but she still obeyed his orders and left, dejected. Even though she didn't notice the attack from Eleanor, she could feel the tension in the air between Reginald and her mother together with Eleanor.
Reginald could only sigh as he watched her walk away. He had decided to keep her at arm's length till he was sure about the current situation.
Reginald continued his journey to the west wing of the station to Acquisitions, the most corrupt department in the force. The department was very opulent and clean and serene. Even more so than the rest of the station. They were known to sell anything to anyone, even criminals. How they could pull it off, he didn't know, and he had never had any dealings with them before. But now he had no choice.
He walked into the department, and the first thing he saw was the receptionist.
"Well, isn't this quite the surprise? Welcome, Inspector Fletcher. We definitely weren't expecting you, haha."
Reginald couldn't help but feel he was about to make a deal with the devil.