Duplicity

By Rose Q. Addams

“D’Aulnoy. Jacobs. Now.”

I enter Grimm’s office with my partner, Nero Jacobs, at my side. He shoots me a quizzical glance. I shrug back.

The lieutenant, never one for words, gestures to the chairs opposite his desk, then thuds into his own wingback chair as I sit and cross my legs. “There’s a problem with the Charmings.”

My scar prickles beneath the silk scarf around my neck. Blast. Of course it would be me he picked.

Nero snorts. “Delightful. And you need us to handle the royalty because…?”

“D’Aulnoy here has experience with them. We’re going to need every angle we can get on this one.”

“Oh, yeah.” Nero gives me a crooked grin, his elongated canines glinting. “You escaped from all the pomp. Sure you’re all right going back?”

Only Grimm knows why I’ve been picked for this assignment. My Gifting means damage control. No, I’m not all right.

“Yeah,” I lie. “I’ll be fine.”

Thankfully, being a member of the Langtvaek Police Department has taught me running isn’t the only option. Not when someone’s got my back, anyway. Especially in the case of Nero, my six-foot-five partner with a bad case of lycanthropy. He was bitten quite young and has a perpetual chip on his shoulder. But he’s a ringer in a bar fight and as fiercely loyal as the night is long. Besides, the meds keep his erratic transformations in check… mostly.

What will he think when he finds out? The question rings in my mind again.

“Glad you’re both on board,” Grimm says, reeking of sarcasm. “Prince Gareth, the fourth son, is missing.”

My palms grow damp, and the floor drops out beneath me. “P-prince Gareth? Missing? When? How?”

“Don’t tell me you’re lovestruck with him, too,” growls Nero.

I frown. “Really? Shut up.”

Nero narrows his eyes but complies. I don’t blame him; I, unlike most of the sheep in our city, am not enamored with the Charming dynasty. Their magical Gifting, a powerful mental and emotional manipulation called Charm, doesn’t work on someone else who possesses the Gift. In fact, I despise them as much as Nero does. Under their policies, he and other citizens who are resistant to Charm are labeled “dangerous” and have to register with a special Bureau.

Prince Gareth, my closest brother, is the only exception to my hostility. He never approved of our family’s actions, either. Unlike me, though, he thinks he can change it from inside.

You’d better not be dead, Gareth. You promised me you’d be careful.

“I think full disclosure might help,” prompts the lieutenant.

I chew my thumbnail in a most unladylike fashion.

Nero’s head cocks. “Disclosure? Something I should know, D’Aulnoy?”

Now I’m in for it. He went for the last name. “I… haven’t told you much about my life before the force. Mostly because I don’t like to recall it.”

And because I’m afraid you won’t trust me anymore.

I scratch my wrist, trying to work up the courage. “I…”

I can’t.

I finally have a partner who trusts me, no questions asked. “Prince Gareth and I were good friends when we were young.” That isn’t a lie. “I know things about the royals that aren’t well-known and… can get cooperation where others might not.” I hope.

“Aha. That’s it?”

Relieved that he’s bought it, I nod. “I just… didn’t want you to think less of me.”

“You’ll have to interview his family ASAP,” interrupts Grimm. He shuffles through his drawer, pulling out a sealed summons, which he gives to Nero. “You’ll need this to enter the grounds.”

Nero grabs the envelope. “Anything else we should know?”

“Apparently, Prince Gareth was a bit of a rebel; had a habit of forsaking his royal duties. They think he had a gambling problem he never talked about. Never returned after his last on-the-sly excursion.” Grimm looks me in the eye. “But maybe you two can find out more.”

“Right,” Nero says. “I’ll get the car.”

As I follow, the lieutenant adds, “Grab a coffee first, Jacobs. I need a word with D’Aulnoy.”

As the door closes, I grip the end of my scarf, glaring at my superior. My stomach twists with a mixture of anger and guilt.

“Out with it,” he says.

“He doesn’t forsake his royal duties.”

“I figured. From what you’ve told me, he was the one who inspired you to strike out on your own. Helped you find a place in my force.”

“He volunteers in soup kitchens, Lieutenant! He picks up litter. And he does it undercover because he wants to be free to help people, not take advantage of them.” I’m near tears, remembering his passion. “That’s why he believes in private law enforcement. It can’t be swayed by our family politics.”

“First, I only repeated what I was told. Second, you’re the one who insists on keeping up the charade, Detective. I invited you to tell the truth.”

I scowl. “Goading me isn’t fair.”

“Neither is one of my best hiding the truth from her partner.”

My scar throbs, painfully reminding me of the lie I’m perpetuating. I remove the scarf that conceals it and rub the elaborate “C” that identifies me as the sole daughter of the Charming family. The memory of my father, Crown Prince Charming, holding my braid in one hand and a glowing iron rod in another, hurts more than the constant burning sensation left over from his branding.

“Show him, Princess,” Grimm rumbles.

“Don’t call me that.”

“You’re right. The pedigree, the brand, the Gift… None are you. You’re not a manipulator. You’re a detective. A damn good one, too. Frankly, you and Nero are my favorites. And I don’t play favorites.” He pats my shoulder, massive hand dwarfing me. “Just think about it.”

“Yes, sir.” I sigh, relieved he isn’t pushing it further. Replacing my scarf, I head out to find two things—my brother and a way to break the truth about my lineage to my partner.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rose Q. Addams loves cheesecake, wears many hats, and blames her expansive, loving family for her love of reading. Some of her earliest memories are hearing stories of Heidi, Winnie the Pooh, Paul Bunyan, and the prophet Ehud who stabbed King Eglon— which explains how her taste runs wildly throughout genres. She can be found searching her hometown for a rumored giant bird (or pterodactyl, stories differ), or scribbling madly on any paper she gets.

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