Free Undead Chaos by Joshua Roots Page B

extremely thin line,” the Wizard said. His face remained neutral despite the hint of accusation in his tone. “And you have to admit that it may not have been the best choice. Especially considering that he and his daughter are now missing.”
    Bennett had a point. Simeon Fawkes might be a free man, forgiven for his past sins, but the truth was no one trusted him. Taking him to the hospital had placed him in an unfair situation. Too many important people were already speculating on why he and Quinn had vanished during the incident.
    “I should have seen that angle,” I admitted, “but at the time I was too excited at the thought of finding answers.”
    “That’s understandable.” Bennett’s voice relaxed once again. “And it’s easy for us to judge the situation in hindsight. Maybe there were some poor decisions, but there were plenty of good ones as well. I, for one, am impressed with how you handled the hostage situation. A lot of witnesses gave testimony to how calmly you dealt with everything. From the sounds of it, you saved that little girl’s life.”
    “Thank you,” I said, genuinely pleased. I thought of the cute redhead in the purple cotton dress. Would the incident scar her, or would it be lost in the memories of early childhood? I scratched absently at the line down my neck and hoped that it was the latter.
    “Did anyone interview her?” I asked.
    “I did,” Cerrus replied. “Why?”
    “Things were so chaotic that I never had the chance to talk to her. I wanted to make sure she was okay.”
    Cerrus made a nonchalant wave of her hand. “The Normal is none the worse for wear.”
    “I’m also curious about what Banks said to her.”
    Bennett and Cerrus exchanged glances. Bennett was the one who answered.
    “He said he was sorry.”
    I blinked in surprise. “Come again?”
    “She claims that the zombie told her he was sorry.”
    “Yes,” Cerrus added, “but obviously she was mistaken.”
    “Why do you say that?” Mom asked coldly. She could have killed Cerrus with her glare, but thankfully even the Skilled didn’t have that power.
    Surprisingly, the Witch didn’t seem to notice. “Because the coroner’s report listed that the creature died a month ago. There’s no way it still had the ability to speak. The deterioration of the vocal chords alone would ensure that, not to mention the decomposition of the brain itself.”
    “Seems a little early to make assumptions,” I said.
    “They are not assumptions,” Cerrus snapped. “Even the Skilled are subject to the laws of science. A little girl’s statement holds no water against generations of magical and medicinal facts.”
    Heat rose in my chest. “Well, I know for a fact that I blew some major holes in Banks before decapitating him, yet he seemed perfectly fit to storm through the hospital like an untamed bull. Medical fact or not, that shouldn’t have happened, so it’s equally probable that he was able to talk.”
    “We’re still conducting our investigation,” Bennett said quickly, cutting Cerrus off. “There are many things about the incident that seem...odd. We will do everything in our power to make sure that they are recorded and analyzed by the experts. Now if you’ll excuse us.” He stood. “Candace and I have our reports to compile.”
    He offered his hand to me. “Thank you for your time, Marcus. Witch Cerrus and I will take your statement back to the inquiry board for their review. I doubt there is much they will have to say on the matter. It sounds as if you were nothing more than an indirect catalyst.”
    “We shall see,” Cerrus muttered as she heaved herself out of the chair. She offered a wet, clammy hand to me, then nodded to my father.
    “Christopher,” she said flatly.
    “Good to see you again, Candace,” Dad replied with equal sincerity. “Tell Rudolpho I say hello.”
    Cerrus blinked. “Yes. I shall.”
    Rudolpho Isetti was a close friend of the family and someone who had worked with Dad