Necrology: Ab Initio.

[Cinnabar]

There is a sharp glance at the woman's first reply, a narrowing of eyes at the familiar tone. "What one considers help another might consider interference." An even more suspicious glance is cast towards that roll of tools and implements, but he makes no comment as the girl carefully strips away the box's lining. Satisfied for the moment that she is not making a mess of it, he looks back to the object dislodged from the flower's heart. There may be a touch of relief about his features, as if he had been expecting a more grisly thing to be revealed.

"I think the point is that he has not hidden the clue; he quite certainly intended it to be found, else he would not have carved words into the tree to draw attention to it. He plays games, and evidently expects any pursuers to be such dullards that they will obligingly follow his little trail of hints and riddles like chickens pecking at a line of grain. Perhaps he considers himself cleverer than any who might try to follow his trail, so clever that the only way he might be chased after is by the clues he leaves; it is a conceit that I intend to be his undoing. I do not think he is as clever as he supposes."

He holds out his palm to show the tiny button, then with his free hand reaches into a pocket to retrieve a clean handkerchief, onto which the button is laid before he passes it to the girl. Meanwhile he turns his attention to the box, examining that which lay beneath the lining. Eventually he sighs, hauling himself to his feet and neatly packing rose, letter and loose lining inside the box before holding a hand out to reclaim the handkerchief and button.

"Can you tell one particular knife from another by the marks it leaves? Or one set of shears from another? Because blades and shears are scarcely in short supply; anyone might avail themselves of such with ease, so it doesn't narrow down our search very much." He glances to the woman still sat waiting on the cart, then back at the hawkish girl.

"I will be returning to the Yard presently. If you wish to discuss the matter further, you are welcome to join me there. And your teacher, if she is amenable to it."

[Daphne-Kyle]

"We meant no interference."

She stated quietly, if Daphne-Kyle was here, she would tell him to brush up on his manners, but she is not and Mary isn't that abrupt, or gutsy. As she takes the cloth in hand, she opens it carefully to take a peak at the button, her first thought..

"Why would he put a button in a rose?"

Spoken aloud, but more to herself...She thought her companion might have found such a thought silly.

"You are right, he is conceited, and thinks he is intelligent...But I still believe he challenges you. The reason is this, you have well respected and fine men in your Constabutory. But you have gained a reputation since your arrival as being more cerebrial, then brute, more brain then brawn. I do not mean this as any mark against you, infact it is something I admire, and I think, has been lacking in the past organizations..

The others found the words on the tree, true.....Perhaps they waited, for you instruction. but you saw upturned earth, and did not think animal, or past incident, you thought to dig below....Yes the clue was found easily enough...but you sought it. I think perhaps, he finds your own skills and intelligence not so much a challenge, but a threat to his own. And to prove to himself, that he is as good as he believes he is, he must defeat his greatest oposition. It is a sick line of thinking....But the next move unfortunately is now yours...

She paused as he was examining now the inside of the box, it made her feel somewhat better, that he cared to look, she too tried to gaze a glimpse inside, thought she saw something, but then he was placing everything back inside, and she was passing him back the button....Though she still had a funny feeling in her gut..

"I do not think he is anymore clever then you believe, unless these are clues left open purposely to pull our...I mean your mind away from something else.

She gathered her things quickly as he invited her to join him to the yard.

"I would like that very much, and I do think Daphne-Kyle would aswell, she has a lot more expereince in these dealings....Sir I must this, I have no strength, no skill with weaponry, but I am willing to take whatever oath, or promise you have to help you with this and many matters. When I arrived I was scared of this land, so I hid away in the safety of the Waystation, When the childern fell, I was afraid. But I am not afraid anymore, I lost one home to tragedy, and I could do nothing. I Can do something now...If you will let me..

Then she stopped, courage gathered, and that naggy will not stop...

Could I see the box one more time?..

[Cinnabar]

The High Constable listens to the young lady's words, listening quietly for a time; eventually he shakes his head, gaze moving to that outbuilding, door now closed upon the remains of the horrific scene.

"I must disagree: I do not think he perceives us as a threat. One does not toy with that which is frightening or dangerous; one moves to end it, to destroy it or prevent it from remaining as a threat. One certainly does not taunt it." A glance back to the hawkish girl, and he holds out the box for her to take.

"I do not believe this to be a matter of a man working to overcome a challenger; more a matter of a man taunting those he perceives as inferior, for his own enjoyment and satisfaction. He plays a game with us, confident that we are so dull-witted that even with his hints and clues and pointers we cannot find him or capture him. This despite the fact that his clues offered so far are at best incomplete, and at worst deliberately cryptic and obtuse. He delights in proving us to be impotent, incompetent, incapable." His attention wanders to the cart where the girl's tutor sits, considering her presence for a time.

"If you wish to apply to join the Constabulary you are most welcome to do so. There are certain duties and obligations involved, however. It is not something to be entered into lightly."

[Daphne-Kyle]

She took the box in earnest....opening it carefully, carefully removing the contents she gives the inside a more clinical look, finger gliding along the surface, those large hawkish eyes, which see more then the human eye...Take closer looks till then she finds, what she thought she saw..

"You see Constable, I do not think is challenge is in the physical, but the mental....Your intelligence is what he is challenging, and not to find the obvious clues....He wants you to find the ones hidden within them...

She point now to that corner in the box, to the faint imprint there...
Feel that something is there, not carved though....A mark of some kind. I will need closer inspection to be sure of what put it there, But somthing is there. Letters, or perhaps a Symbol of some kind?

She turns it so he could look himself...

I can somewhat make out a "B". Though it could be an "E", or an "R". Though I'm sure the second one is an "A".

Then she was racing for the wagon....Her heart beating a rapidly, in anticipation of a new discovery, prehaps a clue...

Ms. Daphne-Kyle, did you brings the "take a closer look" specticles?..

She hoped the Constable would follow....she hopes he would see...She could be of help, and as the older woman watches as her student is moving towards her she smiles...Perhaps offering a slight nod to the Constable once he too arrives...

"High-Constable Cinnabar Calomel..I presume?

[Cinnabar]

"Mm. Yes, I see." A short time to consider the box's interior, then the girl is moving off, and the High Constable moves to follow. His detectives are about their tasks, and all seems to be proceeding in as orderly a manner as can be managed. A polite nod to the girl's tutor, though he fails to summon a smile with which to greet her.

"Indeed." A few moments of quiet scrutiny follow as he regards the woman, perhaps waiting for her to introduce herself more properly; in any case, his attention returns to the box in the hawkish girl's hands, and he folds his hands behind his back as he watches her examine the casket more closely.

"Your... student informs me that you have some expertise in investigations." A glance to the woman, perhaps some sort of evaluation or weighing-up of options. "May I ask what experience you have in such matters?" It's good to get some idea of someone's abilities before inviting them onboard, after all. Calomel's manner makes it quite clear he has no time for ghoulish curiosity, gawking or charlatanry; some sort of credentials would probably be welcome at this point.

[Daphne-Kyle]

"You are exactly what she said you'd be..."Was the next thing the elderly woman would say. If he knew who the she was, he might have thought for a moment it was knock. But the tone of her voice, and the look upon her face gives hint that she meant it in some form of compliment.

Meanwhile as they spoke, Mary had made her way to the back of the wagon, unhitching the back the tail end folded down. setting the box down carefully, she pulled over another satchel, this one was made of a sturdier leather, more of a travel case then a tradional bag. opening it carefully she pulls out a even small case, opening it up,s he pulled out a pair of specticles, fitted with a third smaller lens. She would be elbow deep in the box till ever inch was examined...

"My Name is Daphne-Kyle" Came a response from the woman now. as she looked down upon the Constable."As for my experiences in this line of work. They are extensive. My father worked in medicine, as did his before him. Both aided the local law enforcement in my home town. I since a very young age was their pupil, and as I grew older, I also performed in an offical capcity. I am not sure if you have any such arrangement in this land, but where i came from the law enforcment and those of other medical and scientic backgrounds work in concert to solve crimes of all varieties. We do not mean to step on anyones toes or act out of the standard procedures of this land. but if either of us can be of service. We, Mary and Myself, would like to help you if we can..

She looked down upon the man who by age alone, could be her son. but age difference aside, she still had her wits and her mind. The knowledge her years have gained, and the information she holds in books upon books upon books. And of course there are also her father journals, which Mary has read dog eared. She woundered about his thoughts...Then mary spoke..

"Yeah, they're letters alright...Would you like to take a closer look Constable?...

She looked up the specticles resting upon that hawkish nose, made her eyes seems even larger then they were...in other curcumstance, it might have almost looked comical...

[Cinnabar]

It must be said that Cinnabar does not greatly enjoy being at a disadvantage, and it would appear that this lady has heard somewhat more about him than he has about her. That greeting certainly prompts a quirk of a brow, a moment's thought as the Constable mentally runs through his list of suspects for this mysterious "she". Hm. He considers the information thus far, what he knows of this pair from the brief time they've been in contact... ah. The hawk-featured girl's words provide the connection necessary, and at last the young man offers a thin smile as he makes a calculated guess.

"Mm. You are acquaintances of Miss Quiller's, perhaps?" His tone is kept politely neutral, declining to reveal his view on the lady in question for now. Still, Dahpne-Kyle's explanation of her credentials has him intrigued, and he can't help but ponder the advantages of having such experience and knowledge at the Constabulary's disposal.

"Indeed, such expertise would undoubtedly be of value. I will confess that my own skills are not always up to the task, as I do not have the relevant training in matters medical or such." He tilts his head slightly, glancing to the girl as she examines the box, then back to her tutor. "I'd like to see further demonstrations of your abilities, of course. But if you are interested and prove capable I may be able to offer you a place as consultant, perhaps? Some appropriate stipend would be arranged for your services, obviously."

Daphne-Kyle's apprentice reclaims his attention at this point, and he steps over to the tailgate of the cart to peer at the box once more; he disdains the peculiar-looking spectacles, instead taking a while to hold the box to the light, tilting it this way and that to better inspect the small markings inside the lid. Hm.

"As you say. What do you make of the letters as a whole, then, including the one inside the flower? Do they spell anything, to your mind?"

[Daphne-Kyle]

Yes, we have been close to family for nearly 20 years now. So you could say I have had to deal with her personality defects for some time now.. A Light chuckle as she thinks of her friend and all the things they have done for eachother over the years...But that story would take to long to tell...

A look back to Mary, breifly..." We offer our service to you Constable, in whatever way you feel they may help. My expertise though i think maybe at best use in examining the body, there is much Alyce Pangbourn may still be able to tell us.

But before she could illaberate, Mary was squealing, and the Constable was at her. But when he spoke of a third letter in the rose..those large eyes just blinked behind the specticles...

"A third letter?..Where? was it imprinted upon one of the petals?..The button?"