Free Goblin Precinct (Dragon Precinct) by Keith R. A. Decandido Page A

more Bliss to Elko because he didn’t want Brindy to get none, and Brindy got all pissed, and that was that. So you gonna arrest Brindy, or what?”
    Unable to help himself, Grovis once again said, “I’m sorry. I’m afraid I lost track a bit—is Jhef the one who sold the Bliss to Urgoth, which forced him to kill Brindy?”
    Iaian just stared at Grovis. “All right, that’s it. Get your ass back to the castle.”
    “I’m s—”
    Holding up a hand, Iaian said, “If you say ‘I’m sorry’ one more time, I’m gonna run you through with my sword. Your mind ain’t on the case, and you’re a crappy enough detective when you’re payin’ attention. You ain’t worth shit to me like this. So go back to the castle and see if you can find out what happened to Daddy’s bank. I’ll take care’a this.”
    Grovis hesitated. “Are you sure? Regulations are that two detectives are supposed to deal with—”
    Iaian rolled his eyes the way he seemed to at least twelve or thirteen times daily. “Please. We know who did it—just have to find Brindy and stick him in the hole. I think I can handle that. Get outta here.”
    At that moment, Grovis felt an emotion he’d never felt regarding his partner before. “Thank you,” he said emphatically. He wasn’t even too perturbed that Iaian had insulted him while letting him do what he preferred to do.
    Without another word, he turned and left the hovel with its dead body and its annoying woman and her ridiculous story about people taking too much Bliss.
    As he worked his way down Orphan’s Lane back toward Meerka Way, the main thoroughfare of the city-state that would lead him back to the castle, he regretted his thoughts. Brindy—or was it Elko?—was a victim, someone whose life was unfairly taken from him.
    And for what? For this ridiculous drug? Grovis had no comprehension, none, of why anyone would use a drug to substitute for happiness. Why, all one needed to do was find solace in Ghandurha and his noble teaching, and a happy life was guaranteed!
    Although he didn’t do anything quite so ridiculous as turn back, he did regret leaving Iaian with this case. Still, his partner was, in all likelihood, correct in that he could handle this alone. After all, he’d been in the Castle Guard for more than two decades—as he never tired of reminding Grovis—so surely he could handle a simple dispute-turned-murder.
    When he reached the tree-lined pathway to the castle entrance, Grovis saw the familiar Cloaks of Dru and Hawk. In truth, what he recognized were Hawk’s dreadlocks, which extended down past the gryphon emblem on his cloak.
    “Ahoy, Dru! Hawk!”
    The lieutenants stopped walking and turned around. “Oh, hey, Grovis,” Dru said unenthusiastically.
    “So, what news?” Grovis asked as he jogged to catch up with the pair of them. “Are you close to finding the malefactors who have soiled my family name?”
    Dru and Hawk exchanged quick glances. “Er, well, we ain’t got nothin’ yet,” Hawk finally said. “Witnesses weren’t all that helpful, and far as we can tell, the robbers used glamours, so can’t nobody identify them.”
    “What about the security?”
    Again, Dru and Hawk exchanged glances. “What security?” Dru asked.
    Grovis stared open-mouthed at the detectives. “Didn’t Than tell you about the security?”
    Dru grunted. “All Mr. Martel told us was how worried your Daddy was gonna be.”
    “Yeah, when he wasn’t bitchin’ that we wasn’t bringin’ the M.E. along.”
    “And hey,” Dru said with a sudden smile, inexplicably slapping Grovis on the back, “why didn’t you tell us about your dad?”
    Grovis blinked. “I’m sorry?” He was saying that far too often today.
    “Martel told us about the big news!”
    Now Grovis was completely confused. “Dru, what in Ghandurha’s name are you talking about?”
    “Your dad,” Hawk said slowly, “gettin’ on the rolls.”
    His eyes widening, Grovis said, “What!? Daddy’s going