A Dark and Starless Night

Chapter Nineteen

"Your Honour, please," Eve breathed, barely keeping her anger and frustration in check.

"Evelyn, be quiet," the lawyer said, giving her an admonishing look.

"If you would just listen," she insisted, gripping the wooden bannister and ignoring the useless man, "I can explain why Don is not the killer."

"Duchess Mintarryl has no right-"

"Don't you attempt to tell me my rights," she snapped, interrupting Ned. His eyes flashed and his cheeks reddened.

"Both of you had better check your tempers," the judge said, unimpressed. "Duchess Mintarryl has every right to petition the courts on behalf of another," he continued, but he didn't sound pleased. "But if you wish to do so, Your Grace, you will keep your hysteria in check."

She ground her teeth but nodded. The judge was a traditionalist, and he was renowned for his old-fashioned views on women. It was only the law surrounding her noble position that stopped him having her tossed out.

"Thank you, Your Honour," she managed, standing straight. "As I was saying, this murder is uncannily similar to two others that have recently occurred in the city. The cause of death and the ethnicity of the victims all match."

"Ridiculous," Ned sneered. "A coincidence and nothing else. Donatyn was witnessed threatening Eli. And when he was arrested this morning, his shirt was covered in blood."

"He... he was in a fight yesterday evening, but not with Eli. He was in a completely different corner of the city."

"Eli was last seen before sun fall the day before yesterday," the judge said, slowly. "And found this morning. Can you account for your uncle's movements for all of that time?"

She wanted to say yes. She wanted to lie so that he would be safe and free. But she knew that if the lie was caught – something that would not be hard – she would be jailed as well. And if she was in jail she had no way to help Don.

"Your Grace?"

"No, Your Honour," she said, slowly. "I cannot."

"I am interested in what you mentioned about these other murders," the old man said, running a hand across the file in front of him. She felt her heart jump with excitement as he asked a porter to collect the files of the cases once Eve had provided the names.

"They're common whores," Ned said, looking to the judge. "Killed by clients, most likely."

"Courtesans, Lord Svaunnall," the judge said, voice steely, "are legal citizens of this country. Their deaths should be treated with no less care than Eli Hudderson's."

Eve suppressed a smile, surprised at what might be considered a liberal view. Ned muttered an apology, cheeks purpling. They remained silent while the judge ran his eyes over Nadia and Queenie's files, a frown forming on his face. He looked up, placing the files down gently.

"I fail to see how these cases are related."

"All three were killed with the same method," Eve said, hands behind her back to hide how they shook. Her stomach twisted as she remembered Eli's throat, but she continued. "The strength and direction of the wound likely matches almost exactly in each. They each have Islan heritage, and a talisman connects each of them."

"There's only mention of a talisman in Eli's file," the judge said, sounding unimpressed.

Eve's cheeks flushed. "I... I found the other talismans at the crime scenes."

"And turned them over to the city guard, I hope."

"I-"

"The very fact that the duchess didn't speaks to her uncle's guilt."