Chapter 90

90 Connecting the Dots

“You saw her a few days ago?” Zenon was now a little skeptical that the woman he was looking for and the woman that Vincent was talking about was the same.

Vincent, on the other hand, was even surer that something was definitely up with that woman. “Yes. I saw her on the day the Queen almost got poisoned. She was covered in wounds and blood, and her clothes and hair looked as if she was attacked and dragged by something.”

“Attacked and dragged by something?” Zenon’s interest in that woman peaked again. “Attacked by what exactly? Do you recall what that bite mark looked like? I mean... if it had any distinct puncture marks like how vampires leave on their prey?”

Vincent knitted his brows together and thought for a while. But he couldn’t remember much.

So, he shook his head and replied, “I only took a glance of her and the rest is all blurry. I was trying hard not to feed on her when she gave off that sweet scent of blood. But I do remember thinking how she survived because her stomach was bleeding profusely.”

“Hmm...” Zenon stared at the broken piece of the heel that was still in his hand. And he tried to join the dots with whatever information he had until now.

But Vincent wasn’t done giving out the information. “And you know what’s interesting now that I remember that?”

“What?” Zenon curiously raised his brows.

Vincent’s facial expression looked like he had just achieved enlightenment. Carl was checking her stomach today as well. And I-”

.....

“I have been meaning to ask you...” Vincent had the attention span of a puppy. So he got distracted from what he was actually trying to say.

He looked at that filthy thing on Zenon’s hand and asked, “What’s that? Have you picked up a new hobby of collecting trash and playing with them?”

Zenon frowned at that remark from Vincent. “This isn’t trash! It’s a clue. We found this in the woods. It’s the broken heel of a woman’s shoe that I was talking about earlier. This is what led us to search specifically for a woman.”

And another important detail clicked in Vincent’s mind. His smirk deepened now that the theory in his mind seemed to be headed in the right direction.

He puffed his chest a little and boastfully said to Zenon, “You still owe me an apology for earlier. And I guarantee that I will get it from you after you hear me out.”

“You know something. Tell me what it is,” Zenon demanded.

Vincent took that piece of the heel from Zenon’s hand. He looked at it and gladly revealed his theory without wasting any time, “That red-headed woman was limping when she ran out of the clinic... almost as if one of her heels was missing.”

“That’s got to be her then!” Zenon clapped his hands and his jaw almost dropped when Vincent revealed the most important detail.

But Zenon was surprised even more when Vincent had more to say. “And... what I was about to say earlier is that I am almost a hundred percent sure that she didn’t have those deep wounds on her anymore. Such deep wounds cannot vanish in a few days unless...”

“Unless she has superior healing ability than normal humans!” Zenon completed Vincent’s sentence.

“Exactly!” Vincent snapped his fingers and winked. “I know for sure that she isn’t a vampire. Her blood was too enticing. So, I think we found your little werewolf who killed that poor dog.”

Zenon was high on cloud nine after finally cracking the case of the dead dog. He was so happy that he didn’t even realize he was hugging Vincent.

“Okay, I will take this hug as an apology. You can get off me now,” Vincent teasingly said and patted Zenon’s back.

Zenon pulled away from the hug. He was smiling ear to ear thinking that he wouldn’t need to stay away from the castle now. He could proudly go back. But before that, he needed to capture that red-headed woman that Vincent was talking about.

“Give me a detailed description of that woman. What did she look like? Did she have any other distinct characteristics apart from her red hair?” Zenon asked with haste. He didn’t want that woman to go out of his hands.

Vincent went through his memories from today and replied, “She has an average look and an average height. I wouldn’t bat an eye at her if I had met her outside of that clinic. She wears shabby clothes. Maybe she’s from a poor family or maybe she stole the clothes from some poor household. And... yeah, that’s it.”

“Okay.” Zenon turned to look at one of the Royal Guards and gestured him to come over.

“Oh! Oh!” Vincent suddenly shouted and tapped on Zenon’s shoulder. “I remember something more! That doctor knew her name. And she also knew his name. I think they know each other.”

At this point, Zenon wanted to give Vincent a kiss. “That’s even better. Do you remember what her name was?”

Vincent said after giving a nod, “Ruby.”

Zenon quickly gathered all the Royal Guards and briefed them on what he had learned from Vincent.

And after that, he ordered them, “Rupert, Clint, and Isaac, you all go and find the Commander. Whoever finds him can pass Jasper my message. Ask him to spread out his men along the border of the town. Ask them not to let any red-headed woman escape the town.”

The three of them bowed and instantly rushed away.

Zenon turned to look at the remaining two of the guards and said, “John and Henry, you two are coming with me. We need to ask Carl who this Ruby is and where we can find her.”

“Follow me, gentlemen,” Vincent merrily smiled and pretended to be the one who was in charge of everyone.

And he ran in the direction of Carl’s residence.

Zenon rolled his eyes but didn’t mind Vincent’s words since Vincent had helped him a lot tonight.

The three of them also ran after Vincent. And in no time, they were already at their destination.

By the time Zenon and the guards reached there, Vincent had already barged inside the clinic like always.

Zenon signed at John and Henry to stand guard outside. And he went inside and stood by Vincent’s side.

Carl was looking after a patient at the moment. So he didn’t mind the intrusion from the Vampire Lords even though it was already late at night. He gave a respectful bow to Vincent and Zenon.

He assumed that they were there to take him to the castle again. So he asked them, “Did the Queen’s fever get worse? Do I need to come right away?”

Vincent made himself comfortable on a chair inside the room. He then said while staring deep into Carl’s soul, “No. We are here with a different matter.”

“Ah!” Carl instantly felt a chill shiver running down his spine. Both Vampire Lords were giving off this bone-chilling aura that made him feel that something bad was coming his way.

And he asked while stuttering, “How m-may I help you, M-Milords?”

Zenon crossed his legs and asked in a bone-chilling voice, “You can start by revealing everything that you are hiding.”