"In the kitchen, preparing dessert and washing dishes. I stayed in the kitchen until Dame Venetti returned, then I served orange cakes and pineapple."
Everyone knew that a homonculus was incapable of lying. By law of their existence, the ash-skinned creatures created in dark rituals known only to mummies and vampires had only truth or silence at their disposal. Picked from a hat, the chance of finding one of the ancient species still capable of performing the ritual for creating a homonculus were in the high-lottery percentile. Most homonculi were the few descendants of the rare pair of homonculus mates, and the process was not understood, as they were such an effeminate race that nobody could pick out any two as a gender pair. Purposed as a tool of the ends of justice, they were a boon if you asked the right questions, but there was a single snag. A homonculus, believing something to be true, would speak the perceived truth as long as doubt did not exist anywhere in its mind.
Did you see anything unusual?
"Sometimes people run across the yard. Children. It was a little unusual to see someone run across the back lawn."
"Who was it?" Lily asked, almost knocking herself out with the force of the question escaping her lungs. The word of a homonculus was good enough for a warrant, and nobody wanted to be up all night with an investigation. Not even a nocturnal half-wolf like Lily. Happigo had to drag her back into her seat.
The ash-skinned servant adjusted his robe, which he wore because homonculi were mostly androgynous, and vampires, being a classy class of people, dressed them to be inoffensive to the eye, for the sake of guests. There was little to be done about Golucki's emotionless face, however. Happigo imagined he had a nice smile
"I didn't see who. I thought I saw a tail, like on a wolf, but it was dark. Whoever it was moved real fast. I didn't see any ears, so maybe it wasn't a wolf. And I saw the face all bandaged up."
Happigo bit her lip. A child was unlikely to play on the back lawn of a vampire's mansion, running around in bandages. Highly unlikely.
"Do you think someone like Corund could run that fast?" she asked.
"I do not think so at all, no. Not his kind. I have never seen them run."
"Thank you, Golucki. Could you please send in...Let's see...Honduras?"
"As you wish."
When he left, Happigo stood and stretched. The fire was going out, so she threw on another log, hoping Venetti wouldn't mind the liberty taken. The back of her legs were red from sitting, and her tight, vinyl skirt was starting to chafe. Midnight was closing in. She wanted to question the Whitetails together, but prudence wouldn't allow it.
"Why did you drop that name? Why Corund? Do you think it was him?"
"I haven't made up my mind as to anyone yet, Lily. I asked because of what he is, and what Golucki saw. The appearance of someone outside is something. Bandages are complicating, because I agree with Mr. Ponent that a mummy cannot move fast. What role does a bandage play? Something here is more complicated than it should be for a murder. Can you think of any reason someone might be running across the lawn of a vampire's estate, wearing something to mask their identity?"
"Nothing reasonable if it isn't related to our murder."
"So a suspicious coincidence, right?"
"Does this mean someone from outside could be the murderer?"
"Yes. But not necessarily so."
"With no windows in Venetti's room and no way in without being noticed?"
Happigo rubbed her chin, then touched her patched eye softly, which she did habitually when considering a problem. "Without being noticed, yes. But I wouldn't say there was no way in."