The road to Frost! A path towards destruction?

[Tetsuya]

Despite her uncertainty, Jen managed to look angrily at Mobius, and was about to retort giving him a name. But then, after recounting what she knew, visible doubt spread over her face as she looked away. It was obvious the idea her partner had apparently betrayed her warred heavily on her mind as tears started to appear in the corner of her eyes.

This did not escape Casey as he watched her, and he wondered why she seemed to have such faith in this partner of hers if his seeming betrayal tore her up so much. "Jen, if you really believe he's not the killer, then give us his name. Right now, even if it feels correct, and while this new evidence points to him, I'll do what I can to find out the truth behind all of this, even if that leads us to discovering something horrible. You have to be brave, and face whatever the truth is, even if it means someone you care for is responsible for what has happened," he said, hoping to encourage her into helping them.

She looked at him, obviously torn between her loyalty to her partner, and wanting to know what really happened. Her eyes soon were hidden by her bangs as she looked to the floor, a tear rolling down her cheek as she sat on the other side of the table. J-Jack Knife. His name is Jack Knife," she finally said, If you run into whoever you met again, tell them that you need Jack to talk to you."

Casey nodded while writing the details of her answer, including the name she gave. "Thank you Jen. I'll do what I can to help, but if Jack is responsible for the Governess' death, I'm afraid my hands are going to be tied," he said. He then motioned for Mobius to walk with him out of the interrogation room. Before the door shut behind them they could soft sobs come from her. "I don't like this, not one bit," he muttered as he walked away.

[Lance]

Mobius followed Casey out of the interrogation room, staying silent until the doors shut...upon which he looked at the two guards overlooking the room. "If anything happens to her, or if anyone tries to get in there, even that damn nobleman who's arrived. And I find out that either of you let them in, you will wish that the Namahage got to you, am I understood?"

Mobius' normally level baritone was replaced with a rumbling growl and a flaring of magic that made the hallway drop in temperature by a good 30 degrees, his commanding glare only breaking after he was sure that his message had gotten across. He turned on his heel and followed Casey, his cloak billowing with the movement as he followed the young lawyer.

"You are not the only one...go find that man you were speaking to in the Bazaar." He looked down at Casey upon mentioning the thief in question, his eyes narrowing behind his helmet. "You were not very subtle, I heard enough to discern who you were speaking to, and if he's as well connected as he acts, he likely will find you upon our leave."

[Tetsuya]

Casey looked up at Mobius, knowing he hadn't been as subtle as he should have been. It seemed he wasn't going to hold it against him for now at least. "I know, Lieutenant. I'm aware that this is very thin ice I'm walking on right now. My first case is likely going to be a very rocky start for a career as a lawyer, considering if I win then some less than savory people will try to employ my services. Still, I'm not the kind of person to turn my back on someone in real need. Only thing to do now is press forward," he said, mostly to himself rather than Mobius.

He bade farewell for now, knowing that if he was going to find anyone related to the thieving guild, he was going to have to be alone. From another person's point of view, this plan was all sorts of bad, wrong, and completely dumb. The only promise of this path, as he stepped outside, was the promise of more information. Then, as he put his finger and thumb to his chin, he thought maybe he wouldn't need to be alone for this part. He recognized the street enough to find his way back to the inn. Maybe Kaen or Daemira would up to accompanying him, if only that there was safety in numbers. As he made his way to the inn, he did hope Daemira was awake by now. It had been a few hours since he left her in their room.

[Lance]

Mobius looked at Casey when he asked to be left alone for the time being, his eyes, which were barely visible behind his helmet, narrowed slightly as he studied the young man, before nodding at him. "Just don't get lost or killed, alright?" With that, he turned and walked off towards the Guard's HQ, intent on sharing his new information with Julianne.

Mira was awake and well at the inn, drinking a warmed glass of hard cider and eating a sandwich. She did feed on Mana, but for some reason whenever she and Casey fed her other "hunger", she ended up being ravenous for solid food afterwards. 'I just hope he's alright...if something happens to him I'll burn this goddamned Icicle down.'

[Tetsuya]

Casey walked down the streets for a time as he made his way towards the inn, thoughts and questions blurring by in his mind while paying attention to his surroundings. Despite how many possibilities had cropped up in his head at the start of his investigation, just a few now stuck out in his head. The few that he ran through his head that benefit Jen's faith seemed rather impossible to him. He shook, wondering if maybe he was missing something. He needed to talk to this Jack Knife person. Things would be much clearer if he could find and talk to the man.

Absent minded as he was, he didn't realize he had entered the inn until he was walking up the stairs to the floor they had rented rooms on. Smiling, he walked towards the room he was sharing with Mira, knocking a couple, and calling through the door before entering. "Well you certainly look a lot better," he said with a smile as he sat next to her.

[Lance]

Daemira looked up when Casey knocked on the door, a wide smile spreading across her face when Casey walked in. "I feel a lot better, my head feels clearer and my body is just...unf." Mira stretched and popped her neck, the tattoos across her body flaring softly with energy as she exhaled. "Now I just need some food to fill my stomach as much as your mana filled my body as a whole. What did you find on your end?"

[Tetsuya]

Casey smiled as he wrapped an arm around Daemira, and landed a kiss on her cheek before she finished stretching. "Well, if want to come with me, we can get something to eat while I try to think of how to meet this thieves guild my client is a part of. Someone in their ranks has a few things to answer for, and he might be the my prime suspect for what happened. Even if she doesn't want to believe it," he explained, "Of course, there's still a few things that don't add up yet. I'm hoping for a clearer picture before tomorrow's trial starts. So, want to come and keep me from being completely reckless?"

[Lance]

Daemira blushed a bit when Casey kissed her, "Heh, well sure. I just about finished up actually." Mira popped the last of her sandwich into her mouth and downed her cider, swallowing her meal and standing up, flashing her lover a playful grin. "And hey, I'm a living lie detector, so I think things might go smoother now than before.~"

The succubus grabbed her jacket and threw it on, clipping it closed at her waist and giving Casey a small kiss on the cheek. "Let's go catch some crooks babe.~"

[Tetsuya]

Casey chuckled as he stood up, and walked to the door. "Well then, after you my lady~" he said. When she exited the room he followed behind her while shutting the door. "Catching a guild member will be great, but with how tensions are I'd like to try talking to them. At first at least, see if someone is willing to listen."

[Lance]

Daemira nodded, adjusting her gloves as she and Casey walked out of the Inn, the biting cold of the night time air making the succubus' skin tingle. "Gods. I will never understand how people can live in this...as for letting you take the lead, gladly. But I'm going to be hanging back and making sure they can't lie, regardless."

[Tetsuya]

Casey nodded in agreement to Daemira as he led her along the streets. He was glad to have her along with him this time. The Captain and Mobius were fine, but he didn't know them quite the well yet. Plus, they seemed very tense around the criminal element which for what he was planning to do did not mix well. He needed to talk to these people without an officer breathing down his neck, and he really couldn't do that if either of the two were tempted to make an arrest.

With Mira, he was more worried if he got hurt in any way, so all he had to do was worry about himself. "Let's head for the Governor's Manor. I didn't really finish my investigation there yet. If we're lucky, we'll find someone on the way." he said.

[Lance]

Daemira nodded, pulling her hood up and walking alongside Casey. "Just don't go picking up anything weird this time, okay? I nearly had a heart attack when I saw you getting carried out of that damn house." The succubus tried to sound teasing, but the look on her face betrayed a bit of anxiety. 'At least this time you're there with him...and if someone hurts him I'll beat their ass into a greasy stain on the ice, guards be damned.'

[Tetsuya]

"I was careful picking up the needle, but I understand your concern. I'll make sure to use a tool next time rather than my fingers if I need to pick something up," Casey said while leading the way.

It took a while to get to their destination, having to stop and ask for direction once, but the pair soon arrived at the manor. As they approached Casey showed the guards out front his badge before entering the Governor's home.

[Lance]

Daemira eyed the guards for a moment before following her lover in, her eyes scanning the rather lavish home as she walked the halls. "What are we looking for exactly? Anything specific?"

[Tetsuya]

"Once we get to the room we'll be looking for anything that could explain what happened. A drugged needle only helps so much, but it could also mean the prosecution could use it to incriminate Jen even worse than she is already. Once we finish here, we'll go around sightseeing for a little bit before we head back to the inn," Casey said. Mentally his thoughts were different. 'And by sightseeing I mean hunt down some thieves. Call me paranoid or even a conspiracy nut, but something about this case feels off.'

He lead the way upstairs, and to the room where the murder happened. Flashing his badge again to the single guard keeping watch outside, he stepped into the room and found himself glad that everything looked untouched like before. He had been worried he knocked over something earlier with his blunder. "Here we are. First thing about crime scenes: Don't touch anything. If you think you found something, just let me know and I'll see if it's something new," he instructed. He then moved over to the ice statue of the Governess, taking a closer look at the stab wound that killed her.