Page 29 of Love & Heart Braking

I picked my way across the wide path after Devereaux. Only the moonlight guided us now that we’d left the carriage lantern behind, and I tried not to twitch at every tiny splash in the surrounding murky water. Tentacles could be just under the surface, and we’d never know until a kraken swiped us into their underwater home.

The Cinereses may have their cypress tunnel as a defense, but the Dethnels’ entire home was their defense.

Soon, the path opened onto an enormous and uneven stone terrace that had to be the size of a baseball pitch. A towering pillar sat at each of the four corners.

I picked my way to the center, careful not to trip on any jutting edges or slip in the lichen and slime.

No sooner had I stopped beside Devereaux than pouring water thundered from each direction. Four kraken exited the murky depths, one at each corner. The torrent was deafening as they climbed to each rest atop one of the four massive pillars.

“Good evening,” Devereaux called. “Who am I speaking with?”

“Master Dethnel,” one boomed.

Shoot, the top man in the joint was here. Mistress Hucs and Mistress Cineres hadn’t bothered to greet us personally.

We were moving up in the world.

Master Dethnel lifted one of his tentacles. He had more than the other krakens, and his sucker things were purple. “This is my daughter, Mistress Dethnel. And her two sons, Imosae Dethnel and Develin Dethnel.”

The daughter had more tentacles than her sons, and a quick count told me Develin had two more tentacles than Imosae. That had to be a sign of their power or age—or maybe a status thing?

“Thank you for meeting with me regarding the break-in at Yearning Hearts,” Devereaux said.

Master Dethnel clicked his beak. “Quite the effort you have gone to investigating this break-in, Detective.” His beak chopped up the words.

I snorted. “You think law enforcement would’ve gone to all this effort without encouragement?”

Four sets of pitch-black eyes fixed on me as if they’d waited for the opportunity to do so.

“Even with encouragement his effort is unprecedented,” the eldest kraken replied.

He totally knew we were here for other reasons. I made sure to keep my expression smooth of any nervousness. Krakens wouldn’t be able to hear my heartbeat. No point incriminating myself before he revealed what he alluded to.

“Ask your questions,” Develin hissed.

“Of course.” Devereaux extracted his notebook. “You are one of the three financial backers of Pick Up. The direct competitor of Yearning Hearts. We have recently had a witness come forward who said he was paid a visit while in jail. He was asked to compare the dating matches between a Pick Up computer and one he recognized from Yearning Hearts. A computer that was stolen during the break-in.”

None of the krakens leaped up and down to point the tentacle as the Hucses and Cinereses had done before them. Which was a shame, because that was how Devereaux and I had gotten all our information until now.

Devereaux continued, “The witness says these people were representatives of the Ventrams but were present on behalf of the three financial backers of Pick Up who had teamed with the Cinereses regarding business interest in the dating industry.”

Whoa. Had Fenton agreed to this coming out? Because if he wasn’t on the twelve’s radar before, then he would be now.

And this was drawing very close to the reason behind my deal with the twelve, which I didn’t want Devereaux openly involved with.

Careful.

Mistress Dethnel dragged her tentacles through the water surrounding the terrace. “What proof is there that the computer was from Pick Up?”

Devereaux tilted his head. “That’s an interesting response. Are you worried about the presence of proof?”

Her father twitched a tentacle in her direction, and Mama Tentacles didn’t answer.

The patriarch took over. “Mr. Fenton Icktus is currently rather angry at another of the partners. Specifically, the Hucses. He believes they threw him under the carriage, though they had irrefutable proof he was in possession of a keyboard from Yearning Hearts. You have your perpetrator, Detective. This investigation should already be closed. I suggest you cast blame where blame is due, instead of at innocent bystanders.”

“Law enforcement can never be too careful when sirens are involved.” Devereaux tucked his notebook away. “A summons will be sent for each of you to give a statement regarding your whereabouts on the night of the crime.”

Imosae was yet to speak, but he did so now. “We have had trouble contacting Mr. Icktus regarding our business partnership. This is obviously concerning for us. Do you know where he is?”

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