Dracoelum

Chapter 13

A/N:  Hi everyone!  I hope all of you are safe, happy and healthy. Please read the Author's note at the end. Took quite long but here you go:

Investigations and burial

Ambrose used dragon magic to open the cabinet doors wider. His vision showed no fingermarks either.

A medication vial had been tipped down and some of its contents spilled. The medication was something taken for head pains. The vial had fingermarks, Caeser's to be exact. It was confusing; the vial had fingermarks but the cabinet doors did not. If Caeser used the medication then he did open the cabinet. But why were his fingermarks inexistant ? Inexistant or made to dissappear?

Something had to be there, something mysterious. Ambrose lifted the mattress and found nothing beneath it. If there were blood spills there had to be a knife of sorts. He looked under the rugs, behind the drapes and even inside the wardrobe but there were none.

When the third door of the wardrobe was opened, there was another wooden door behind it. It was Caeser's safe room but it was locked.

King Adolphus was right; the murder was deviously committed. No footsteps, no fingermarks and no mysterious objects.

Ambrose sat on the edge of the bed and wondered how the murderer managed to do it all alone. If many people were involved, covering up would be difficult but one person could...

The bathroom was untouched,  even Caeser's footsteps weren't there. The safe door's lock was custom made and there was only one key to unlock it and it was missing. Where could Caeser hide the key?

Ambrose summoned a guard to fetch the healer who was preparing Caeser to be buried. After a while, a neat couple of knocks sounded.

Outside, the healer bowed timidly at the prince.
"My prince, how can I be of service to you?"

"Listen, I want to know if Cae- the royal advisor had worn any kind of accessory? Like chains or wristlets?"

"Yes Sire, the royal advisor had a chain around his neck. The chain had many pendants."

"A chain with many pendants? I want it. Now."

"Of course Sire, I will bring it to you now."

Ambrose followed the healer to the mortuary where Caeser's body was kept.

Caeser was washed and draped in white sheets. It was sad to see him like that. Tears pooled in the Prince's eyes but he did not let them fall.

"Here it is Sire." The healer placed a bronze spiral chain in his hand.

The chain had four, no five pendants. The fifth pendant was missing from the ring.

"Was this the only belonging present?" Asked the Prince.

"Yes Sire, the chain was the only belonging I extracted from the royal advisor. As you had commanded, the royal advisor was taken care of by myself only. Sire?"

"Yes?"

"Perhaps you might want to hear this....while cleaning, I noticed some writings inked on the royal advisor's body..." the healer croaked.

"Fresh markings?"

"No Sire, they seem to be old."

"Show them to be."

"The cloth will have to be removed. If it is acceptable by you, I will proceed."

It was disrespectful to mess with the body of  a desceased but Ambrose had to.