86th of Dusk, 102
After visiting the Stitch and Saddle and consulting with Daren Amsat, Cara Amsat's husband, Marcus and Kael entered the Central Church. People were trickling out as they entered following the conclusion of the sunset prayer. They passed by the Sentinels, glancing at them in shock as they pulled over their hoods and stepped out into the rain. The nave of the church was empty, except for a few elderly people making their way out, and one woman. Her head was buried in her hands as she slumped over in her seat.
They approached her aisle and spoke. "Are you Cara Amsat?" asked Marcus.
She lifted her head from her hands, looking at the two men. Dark crescents hung under her eyes, her face pale. "Can I help you?" she said dismissively.
Marcus frowned. "We are Sentinels." He motioned to the golden eye on the mantle of his cloak. Her eyes followed his hands, and she snapped back into focus. "We would like to speak to you."
"Oh, um, of course," she muttered. "Pardon my disrespect. Where would you like to talk?"
Marcus scanned the room. "Let's go to the library." He looked at the unkept woman with pity. "Here." He extended his arm forward, she looked up at him in surprise.
"You are kind, Sentinel." She smiled, accepting his help and rising to her feet. Marcus nodded, then looked at Kael. The taller Sentinel didn't seem to notice. Marcus led the way with Cara and Kael following behind.
The librarian put his reading lens down as they entered the room, rising to greet them. He was an elderly man with thinning gray hair. He smiled at them tenderly. "Can I assist you three with anything?"
"Librarian," Marcus said, "may we have the room?"
"Oh?" The librarian squinted at them before reaching for his lens. "For what reasons?"
Marcus sighed. "We are Sentinels, librarian."
The old man observed them through the lens. "I see, my apologies." He rose from his chair. "Please, take the room for as long as you would like." He started towards the door.
"Thank you."
"My honor," the librarian said, exiting the room.
Marcus waited for the door to shut behind them. "Please, have a seat." He motioned to a table by a bookshelf.
Kael waited as Cara took a seat, then Marcus sat opposite her. He sat next to his fellow Sentinel, reached into his satchel, pulled out a parchment with a quill and inkwell, and got ready to write. Marcus waited for his partner to be ready, then began. "So, Cara, I take it you were Archbishop Heron's secretary, right?"
She paused. "Yes, that's right."
"And when was the last time you saw him?"
"It was… it was the night before he went missing. I had finished filling out his ledgers and was going to head home."
Marcus scooted closer in his seat. "Was he acting strangely? Did he seem out of sorts?"
"Well, yes, he said…he said he might be leaving town." Cara wiped her forehead with her sleeve. "He said he might be leaving for a long time."
"Did he say where?"
"No…I…no. Only that he was leaving."
"I see. You and Archbishop Heron, how was your relationship with him?"
"With Father Heron? Oh, well, I…he…he…" her voice cracked as she spoke, as if she was trying to force words out of her mouth, but she couldn't. She sunk her head in her hands, like she was doing earlier.
"He what?" asked Marcus.
Cara took a deep breath, then spoke. "One night, he…he forced himself." Her voice broke.
Marcus frowned. "What do you mean he forced himself?" Cara began to cry. "You can tell us, whatever happened is safe with us."
"He forced himself…on me."
Kael stopped writing and looked up.
"He forced himself on you…" Marcus was just as shocked. "When?"
Cara was crying profusely at this point. Why does it take you this long to speak? Tell us what happened. "A…A couple of days before he went missing."
Marcus sighed. "I'm sorry that this happened." He stood up, walked over to her, and gave her a pat on the back. "Don't let us hold you any longer. You can leave."
The Archbishop's secretary silently rose, muttered a few words of respect, and exited the room. Something about her behavior struck Kael. He did not understand her inability to speak. She halted their investigation for what, to cry and squeal? What an inconsiderate woman.
"If that's true," Marcus said, sitting back in his chair, "maybe it's good the Archbishop is missing."
If it is true. "Yes, maybe. Though I don't feel we learned much from that woman. You let her go before we could even start."
Marcus raised an eyebrow. "I think we got just what we needed. Now we can suspect that the archbishop could have had some skeletons in his closet." He rose. "What do you say we check out his home?"