Dirty Thief

I stand and walk to the tall window. It’s the one my father used to stand before when he was facing a difficult situation, and now I understand why. Looking down from this height, I can see two things. I see the nation-state of Monagasco to the left, but I see the courtyard of the palace and farther down the ocean rolling onto the shore. It’s a visual reminder of the three things I’m concerned about most in my position here.

“Who are they?” I ask, studying the scene before me.

Freddie gives their names, but quickly notes, “Neither of them were from Monagasco. One was a resident of Gorbio. The other was Italian.”

“What were they doing here?” Cal asks, and the guard makes a few clicks.

“The latest victim is believed to have been a prostitute. The first was simply a tourist.”

“Is there anything linking them to each other?” I glance over my shoulder, and Freddie shakes his head.

“As far as police know, they’re random strangers. The only thing they have in common is their appearance.”

Cal walks to the table again and asks, “Did they determine the time of death for the first victim?”

Freddie is in front of his laptop as always. I hear his fingers clicking across the keys as he hacks into the police database to find the answer. If anything, it will tell us whether the murderer is still in the city or if it was something that happened days ago.

He clears his throat and stares at the screen.

“Tell me,” I say, mentally preparing myself for what I know is coming.

“Two nights ago. The victim was strangled here in Monagasco.”

“That’s it,” I say, looking from my brother to André to Freddie. “He’s attacking women who look like the queen.”

Cal pulls out the chair and sits across from me. “What do you want to do?”

Staring at my hands, I think about where we are and what we’re facing. “I thought I would be dealing with a different kind of threat.”

“You’ve known from the start we were going to have to deal with this guy.” My brother watches my face, and I glance up.

Our eyes meet, and I concede he’s right. “If we catch him in the act, we can take him out entirely. The police will be able to establish a connection, and that will be the end of it.”

Cal nods. “You and I are too visible for something like this, but Freddie and André should be able to handle it.”

He looks over at the two men, but I interrupt him before he can give the order. “I will handle this.”

“Ro—” My brother starts to argue, but my mind is made up.

“You’ve been in this position. You’ve faced someone threatening your family. Did you allow Logan to handle it or did you?”

“That was completely different,” he argues. “That was thousands of miles away, not on the streets of Monagasco where everyone knows me on sight.”

“Then I’ll wear a disguise.”

For a little while, he is quiet, searching for an argument. Freddie and André only watch, waiting to see how this will play out. Freddie probably already knows.

“Zelda will never forgive you if something happens, and I’m forced to take your place as king.”

A rueful smile crosses my face. “Nothing is going to happen. You’re going to be my backup.”

“I figured as much.”

Freddie is on his computer typing and reading. “The first thing we have to do is establish a pattern. We won’t catch anyone if we don’t know where he’s going or what his time of attack seems to be.”

“Can you detect a pattern after only two incidents?” André is leaning over Freddie’s shoulder.

“Not in this case,” Freddie quickly replies. “The first victim appears to have been killed sometime in the early afternoon… just based on the coroner’s guess. The second woman was killed sometime after ten p.m. Possibly a little earlier, but it’s hard to pinpoint time of death that close.”