In the High Court, investigators and judges worked in cooperation, yet the divide between them was as stark as that between officers and soldiers. Judges issued orders, often scolding the investigators for their perceived inadequacies. For an investigator to see a judge suddenly show interest in their casual chatter was unusual.

Damn, if I’d known, I would’ve kept my mouth shut and pretended to be out investigating.

But what’s said cannot be unsaid. Whatever happens, happens.

“Baron Olbia’s household has been spending suspicious amounts of money recently,” the investigator remarked, omitting the unspoken implication: Judging by the circumstances, they’re likely …