Best Left in the Shadows Read Online Free PDF Page A

out two
pressed gold sovereigns. She held them up and then made them dance across her
knuckles. “Two,” she said.
    “Four,” the Tigress countered. She rolled her eyes at Dax. “You
know he can afford it, dear.”
    Gritting her teeth hard enough to feel them grinding in to
dust, Alys pulled out two more of the valuable coins. The Tigress extended her
hand and Alys dropped them into her palm. She was careful not to let her skin
touch the Tigress’s. The river water and ocean smell of the Sumpworks would
wash off, but the taint of the Tigress was more than Alys was willing to deal
with tonight.
    Adjusting her fur robe, the Tigress sighed heavily. “Young
Lydia came to my door looking for employment, actually. She claimed she needed
money. Desperately and urgently.” She shook her head with an almost-convincing
air of sympathy. “She must have been running from something dark, the poor
girl.”
    “Dark enough to turn to whoring?” Alys asked.
    The Tigress regarded her with heavily lined eyes. “It is
not an uncommon tale.”
    “What was she running from?” Dax asked.
    “I am sure I do not know, but I am not the person you
should be directing your questions to regarding young Lydia’s dilemmas. You
would be best served finding a young man named Calder. He is an inkman in this
district.”
    “Inkman?” Dax asked. “A tattooist? Who is he? Where can we
find him?”
    Inwardly, Alys groaned. Too eager. Much too eager.
    “The district is so busy these days, my lovely man. So many
names and faces to be expected to keep track of one individual.”
    Even before the Tigress had finished her words, Dax pulled
forth a stack of gleaming coins. “I want to know about Calder,” he said, his
voice hard.
    A wrinkled hand snatched the coins and made them into the
folds of the Tigress’s dressing gown with such smooth ease that even Alys had a
hard time following the motion.
    The Tigress sighed theatrically. “Alas, poor Calder’s
talent was not as great as his capacity for misfortune. A degenerate gambler
from what I have known. His predilection has cost him a place in a number of
crews. It is this young man who Lydia has been sharing time with for the last
few months.” The Tigress shook her head. “Such a naive little girl, falling for
such a one as him. Calder owed many things to many people. Find him, and
perhaps he will have your answers.”
    Alys had a sour taste in her mouth, though whether it was
from her proximity to the Tigress or from the picture beginning to form she did
not know. Calder the inkman seemed like one of a thousand Lowside shits and he
had likely seen Little Miss Highside coming like a torch in the night.
    Dax spoke again. “Where is he?”
    The Tigress slowly opened her dressing gown and one of the
gold coins appeared back in her hand. She slid the gold coin down across the
wrinkled skin of her cleavage till it was out of sight. Then, she cast her eyes
in Dax’s direction. “My part is done, Inspector. Finding him is your task.”
    Alys moved over to Dax’s side and took his arm in a firm
grip. “We should go. Miserable experience as always, Tigress,” she said,
nodding in the older woman’s direction.
    The Tigress drew her fur mantle closer around her. “Truly,”
she said back. “It is so memorable when you show up at my door. It is like a
dose of the pox.” She batted her eyes at Dax, and let a bit of the mantle fall,
exposing a bare shoulder. “Best of luck to you, Inspector,” she said. “And
should you see your father, send him my regards.”
    Squinting Raff escorted them back onto the street. Alys
could still smell the sickly sweet scent of the Tigress’s perfume on her
clothes and in her hair. It made her want to jump into the Prion’s dark waters.
She glanced over to Dax. His brow was creased with thought.
    When they were out of sight of the Tigress’s domain, Dax
frowned, but in his eyes gleamed renewed determination. “Well,” he said. “We
have some