"Of course knowledge is power! What do you think the evidence is used for? I sure as hell don't examine crime scenes for shits and giggles."

~Jackal Smorotori, former criminal investigator, inventor, and a vampire; 
an answer in one of the interviews

V.

The duo went to find and inspect the scene of the crime. Nicole wondered out loud how they would find the exact alley for the nth time during their walk over there because the Cammadirie Street was gigantic.

After practically ignoring her most of the way there, Adrian finally opened his mouth to explain in a gruff, serious tone.

"Fenrye tried to report the crime at the Monroe station, the officer on the duty was aware of the threat of this crime and immediately called me. I went to see them. That was when Fenrye told me some other things." He shot a meaningful look at Nicole which she couldn't really interpret. "He was sound enough to leave a scratch at the entrance. Xavier has just reported in that he found those claw marks."

"You could have told me you were waiting for confirmation." Nicole was slightly mad at her boss for not sharing info except when he found it convenient.

"I didn't want you to think we would have an easy time finding it."

She didn't even dignify that explanation with a response, just shot him a frown, sighing and rubbing her forehead for a few terse steps forward.

They entered Cammadirie Street from the west. The street was full of old sizeable buildings, smaller-type abandoned factories and bulky warehouses of which some were still in use and some not. This was an industrial part of the town, located very close to Shark's office which she'd visited just the other week.

After walking a few minutes, they saw Xavier walking out of one of the side streets. Coming closer, Nicole realized it wasn't a side street like those they passed while walking, but a smaller one - an alley between two buildings. Those buildings consisted of an abandoned one with broken store windows that someone tried to fix with wooden boards while the other one was obviously relatively functional and had a nightclub entrance on the furthest part of the building thus the furthest from the back street in question.

Xavier was frowning while shifting his eyes from them to the alley and back. The man looked to be confused and angered by something.

"I can assume by your ugly expression that you didn't find anything substantial." Adrian stated without emotion, coming closer to the 'crime scene'.

Xavier frowned even harder, seemed hard enough that his face could permanently stick in that expression. "No shit. It's like all the other kidnappings, except this time we have time and place. From which I can't find out even the smallest detail," he pointed out. Some of his frustration leaked into his voice. Nicole noted it was different than his usual I-am-pretending-to-be-annoyed voice.

"What the hell is that bastard using? It's like nothing happened here. And I used the most sensitive sensing technique I can do to see if there are any traces of magic left. For fuck's sake, how can someone open a portal and not leave anything behind?" Xavier added, visibly exasperated. "Even better, since it was the weekday, the club," he pointed to the entrance she noticed, "wasn't working. No one had seen anything."

Nicole knew that Xavier was the best choice for investigation of crime scenes besides Adrian. His ability to use the so-called sensing technique was among the best, not just among them, but in the whole SIB, and because of that, sometimes he would be called to help in investigations in other towns and cities. He should have been able to detect any residing magic left after what transpired here, especially since it hadn't passed much time since it happened. Then he said something Adrian found very interesting.

"It's like someone wiped it clean."

If Nicole hadn't been staring at Adrian, she would have missed a flicker of curiosity going through his eyes. She had learned the meaning of most of Adrian's facial expressions, no matter how small they were or how fast those expressions vanished from his face. By default, Adrian wasn't as easy to read as others - for example as Xavier was - and mostly expressed feelings ranging from annoyance to anger rather openly, but after a few years spent working with him, Nicole could recognize some other too.

"We're going back to the office. Report back after finishing checking it out again," Adrian ordered and Xavier immediately complained in a whining tone.

"Aww, boss. There's nothing here. Do I have to?"

Adrian glared. "Stand by duty."

Xavier's eyes widened in horror. Not even a second later, the sight of him speeding back into the alley like hounds of the Underworld were chasing him was rather comical.

***

When Adrian and Nicole came back in the office, they encountered the sound of keyboard getting used, then the sight of Ann furiously typing on three different sets of keyboards. The main computer was a state of art magically enhanced mainframe with several data processors and many functions, and Ann was the one who knew how to use it.

"You received the report, right?"

"Yeah, boss," Ann answered. "I did as you instructed. The report wasn't put in the database. I'm keeping it under wraps."

"Good. Send the reports to everyone," he said. "And tell them not to answer any questions from headquarters or other branch members. There could be a breach or a mole." 

That heavily redacted file sat weighty on his mind. Why would anyone try to sweep some easily solved crimes under the rug?

During their conversation, Ann hadn't even once raised her eyes from the screen. "I already did that."

Adrian didn't react at her almost psychic actions, but Nicole sent her a funny look, not that Ann noticed, still engrossed in whatever was shown on the computer screen. Nicole followed Adrian to his office, closing the door behind her.

"It's sometimes really creepy how she knows exactly what to do without any orders," she pointed out absentmindedly, sitting on the couch while Adrian dropped his jacket on one of the hangers.

"After all this time, you still get weirded out by other people's abilities." A dry comment, almost admonition, left his mouth.

"Don't tell me you find it normal." She eyed him suspiciously.

"Normal for Ann. Her mind processing ability is why I employed her. Just because she can predict the course of action with 99% accuracy doesn't mean she is creepy."

Nicole sighed in defeat. "You don't understand."

"No, I don't. Let's focus on the case and the facts we know." Adrian changed the subject before they could get into that argument.

"Before that, I have questions," Nicole started, leaning to the front and fingering the opposite sleeve of her shirt with the left hand. "That guy was a gargoyle, right?"

Adrian began mixing the documents on the table and opening files on his laptop. He his attention was on the redacted file from the headquarters, trying to make sense of the few words that weren't blackened with heavy tint as he answered, "That's correct. Fenrye have just relocated to the temple in town. Something about his girlfriend living here." 

"Huh? Relocated?" Nicole asked when he raised his gaze from documents just to see confused look seeping into her face.

"Yes," he replied. "You've seen the pedestal. If he wants to move somewhere, he has to move the pedestal to that location. Otherwise, every full moon...actually, the day after the full moon or the 'moon zenith' as they call it, he would be compelled to go back to where ever the pedestal is for their monthly petrification." He paused, scrunching his dark blond eyebrows in thought. "I guess you don't know much about gargoyles. Ask away anything you're wondering about."

He continued shuffling through papers and clicking over the desktop every now and then, slowly but surely opening files he needed for work. The redacted file could wait until he managed to contact the headquarters.

She took that suggestion to the heart, curious as she was. "Ok, then. He mentioned not having much presence because of the moon zenith thing. What was that about?" she asked.

Adrian was glad she noticed small details and smirked into the laptop screen. That was how investigators should act.

"Before moon zenith, gargoyles lose their powers and with that their presence which is considered as a type of defensive measure." She should understand that no power equals no way to defend. For an opponent not to be aware of their presence seemed like a brilliant countermeasure.

"So strictly speaking, he was saved from that man just because he is what he is...?" She trailed off.

Adrian gave her one of his best annoyed glares. "Could be. But, do you really think that is the only possibility? Think of the bigger picture here. We can't assume that based on the evidence or the lack of it. The kidnapper could have easily burned through his power and be at disadvantage after the attack. We have to be open for all the possibilities," he finished, continuing to dig holes with his stare.

"Fine, possibilities," she quipped, raising her hands up in a universal sign of defeat. "That means we can't use that info for arrest when it comes to that." She paused as if she thought of something. "Fenrye mentioned he couldn't feel any magic coming from the guy. A concealment type of spell? Or could it be something else?"

Adrian paused what he was doing, feeling his face scrunching up into a grimace. Here, in the office, he didn't need to conceal his expressions and loved every minute of it.

"I don't know," he said carefully. "Nothing indicates he used something like that, and having the concealment spell on for that long without any kind of magic circle or at least aid-script written is possible but highly unlikely. And since this happened just before the dawn, I don't think anyone managed to get there and erase it before Xavier arrived. Also, that would leave a trace and besides no magic residues there was no tangible evidence either." He stopped, straightening his spine, thinking and contemplating how that masked figure managed to do it.

How did he erase his presence...?

That's it!

His eyes swiveled right back to his desk. A second later he was throwing papers back and forth, making an even bigger mess on the desk. Currently, a chaotic arrangement of documentation was the last thing on his mind, he needed the damn phone. Finally! He grabbed the small black contraption from where he'd tossed it when they'd come back. Not even second later it rang loudly through the silence in the room a few times, courtesy of the call being put on the speaker.

"Yo, my man! What's up?" a vampire Adrian knew pretty well answered the phone pretty cheerfully, rising hairs on Adrian's nape.

"Tucker, I need you to tell me again about that situation with a guy who could erase the magic signature of everything in the radius of 10 meters along with his own." Adrian didn't beat around the bush just like he usually didn't and hoped Tucker would be amenable and wouldn't start the nonsense conversation pattern. No such luck.

"What? No hello? Business immediately. Damn, man. Aren't you a slave driver—"

"Tucker! Start speaking. Like. right. now." Adrian knew where this conversation would swivel, not something he had the patience for at the moment.

"Fine. Fine. Master Decker."

Nicole glanced at Adrian with raised eyebrows just as he started grinding his teeth hard enough to bend steel, stopping herself from shooting a question that obviously wanted to escape from her open mouth. It seemed his anger was good enough to stop at least someone from displeasing him even more.

What seemed like hours passed was finally broken with his few words through the clenched teeth. "Just get on with it."

"Sure. I assume I'm explaining this not just to you, so I'll include the details," the man on the other side of the call spoke as if he hadn't heard Adrian's annoyance and Adrian was pretty sure he did but skillfully ignored him.

"Seven years ago, I came across a guy that could destroy magic around him. Mostly, he could cancel out his signature and already existing lower-level spells. One of the best thieves in the last decade, if you ask me."

"I didn't ask. I don't care so keep talking!"

"Geez, Adrian, don't get your panties in a twist. Anyway, SIB had been chasing him for quite some time when I came into the picture. I was hired by some bigshot to find some expensive vase the thief had stolen from his residence. Well, since I use unsanctioned channels I managed to get more data on the guy than SIB branch there ever could. Just the side note, they are all so goodie-goodie they make me barf every time I work with them."

Just as Adrian would interrupt him again to announce his lack of interest in Tucker's opinions that have no relation to the case, the man hurried with his explanation, like he predicted that could happen, and probably did. Adrian almost sighed.

"Where was I?" Tucker asked in mocking voice. Bastard probably knew how irritating Adrian found it.

"Oh, yeah. So, the guy could disarm most of alarms and sensors. But there was one time when he made a mistake. The thing was the main body of the alarm system was not in the vicinity of the place where sensors were located. I decided to exploit that, we set a trap that was very much like the place he had made his first blunder and caught him. That was when I found out his secret. Since most of the alarm systems are based on warding spells, the guy could silence it if he appeared where the spell originated from, applying his ability and erasing the spell. Also, he wouldn't leave any traces since he would cancel out his own magic and signature after he finished the job."

"That seems similar, but still rather different than what our guy does. What do you think boss?" Nicole asked.

"Oooh, Adrian, you didn't tell me there's such beautiful voice among your group. Hey sweetie, if you're up for it, next time I visit we could go on a date."

Both Adrian and Nicole sent a look full of incredulity toward the phone. Adrian composed himself first.

"Stop flirting with everything female," he told Tucker. "I don't care what you do in your free time, but don't waste mine!" Adrian was aware Tucker couldn't feel it; however, rather childishly he let his power seep from him in thick, cold rivulets to substantiate his threat. "If you visit just to bother my team, I'll break both of your legs."

Tucker actually whined. "Buuuut, Adrian. You never call; you never visit, except when you need something. And you hide those beautiful women you work with from me. A social call here and there would be nice. Aren't we friends? Poor me—"

He interrupted before Tucker could get on with his complaining.

"Of course not. A social call would be pointless since all you talk about are women."

There was a long silence on the other end of the call.

"Sometimes I get this feeling we don't play for the same team."

Nicole's brows jumped almost to her hairline at the insinuation as she pointedly glanced to Adrian.

Adrian sighed, knowing that a reserved expression entered his face and stopped lashing his power before Nicole felt it. There would be questions.

"I don't really care what you or anyone else thinks about me." He gave a meaningful glare to the phone as if Tucker could see him. "If it doesn't interfere with work, does it really matter what people do with their free time? Oh, by the way, unlike you, I had a date just the other day," he finished with mock taunting, though the date wasn't a real date, more of an information gathering.

"No fair!" Tucker erupted from the other end of the phone.

Feeling like making more fun of Tucker, Adrian added, "Also, even if what you implied was the truth, you needn't worry, I would never pursue someone annoying like you."

Click – the call ended just with a swipe of his hand.

Adrian picked up his phone, stalking to the joint offices, and told Ann to redirect all phone calls from the number on the screen to voice mail in an attempt to avoid Tucker's calls. Tucker knew him pretty well. Too well. But Adrian knew him too; the guy was like a bloodhound sniffing its prey once you give him enough ammo.

Nicole, on the other hand, had a certain way of dealing with suspects and interrogations, face staying pleasant but showing teeth like cats when stalking their prey. On the way back, he saw that her face acquired that strong quality when she prepared for interrogation. Lovely. He'd known there were going to be consequences for others finding out about Tucker.

Nicole didn't wait long before smiling demurely.

"Who was that?"

Adrian shuffled the mess on his desk, sighing and trying to make some order after blasting papers everywhere when he was retrieving his phone.

"He's a private investigator, specializing in vampire and advanced magic cases. We collaborated on a few investigations." Not a lie, though more of a half-truth if you asked anyone. He didn't want to explain the truth, it would take too much time, and Adrian didn't really want others to know, so no point in mentioning it anyway.

"Once he told me a story about that guy, though I didn't listen much because he was drunk as a skunk, so I wanted to hear it again," Adrian said and sighed again, dragging a hand through his hair, slicking the strands falling in his eyes and then glaring irritably as the blond strands slipped back to obscure his vision. "I just knew this conversation would stray to some absurdity. Just like always."

Nicole watched him thoughtfully for a few long moments, but obviously decided against pursuing more tidbits. The less they know, the better.