Iron Quill - Can You Keep A Secret [Deadly Ledger]

[mephiston]

The wail of a bone saw reverberated through the walls of the office he’d been put in. It was most distracting. He sat back, hoping the noise would cease, allow him to concentrate on the task at hand. He surveyed the piles of open books, his eyes narrowing, veins on his temple pulsing in time with the noise, cheeks red, muscles in his arm tensing. All this data, no formal practices, how could anyone run an organisation this way?

He’d been warned this was a delicate task. The governor’s chief auditor had been precise with his instructions. Go to the city morgue, collate their records and prove they were the source of the discrepancies. He’d bragged to his colleagues that he would be done in an hour. How hard can it be? What a fool he’d been to utter those words.

The saw continued to drown out his capacity to think, its pitch changing as it bit into something tougher. How had he ended up here? He removed his spectacles, balancing them carefully on the jumble on the desk. Eyes closed, he massaged the bridge of his nose, the drone of the saw fuelling his headache. The lure of Malifaux had been too seductive, promise of rapid advancement through the guild bureaucracy. A stay of six months would secure him a promotion that would take years of effort earth side. How different the reality seemed one long month later.

The door opened, increasing pressure in his head “I said no interruptions.” His words barked out between gritted teeth.

“I’m sorry Mr Percival, but Dr McMourning said you had questions for me?” A timed voice barely carried over the noise of the saw.

He looked up, the fuzzy image peaking round the door appeared female, he hastily donned his glasses once more “I do apologise. Please come in Nurse?” His hand absently smoothed his slicked back hair as she bustled into the office.

“Matthews, Sara Matthews Mr Percival.” She walked up to stand before the desk; hands clasped, fingers trembling slightly.

“Sit, please.” Her cheeks flushed, a thin smile appearing. “I understand you recently took over the task of maintaining the mortuary ledgers?”

“Yes sir, after the unfortunate incident with Nurse Andrews.” She looked down, breaking eye contact.

“Ah yes, a most unfortunate accident from what I’ve read.” Death by misadventure was the cause of death in the ledgers. His brief time in Malifaux had taught him such misadventure lurked round every corner, now he rarely ventured from his meagre quarters within the guild compound. His one trip to the The Star had been a real eye opener, but not even lure of the tarts on the stage had enticed him out after dark again.

The saw finally stopped its wailing, a faint sobbing brought him back to the here and now. He stood, walking round the desk, placing his hand on the nurse’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to bring back such unpleasant memories.” He removed his handkerchief from his top pocket and handed it to the girl.

“I’m sorry Mr Percival; I can’t seem to shake the image of her body down there in the coolers.” She mopped her eyes, returning the damp cloth to him.

“Call me Stanley, Mr Percival is far too stuffy. Now can you help me make some sense of these books?” He stood back, indicating she should take the seat he had vacated.

“I’ll try Mr... Stanley.” Sara smiled weakly, the blush returning to her cheeks, she moved around the desk. The musky sweetness of her perfume replaced the more toxic smells that permeated the mortuary. She seated herself and picked up the top book form the pile.

“I understand this is the master ledger, detailing each body received and dispatched form this establishment.” He moved behind her, leaning over her shoulder, allowing her perfume to envelope him.

“That’s correct, we take the information off the chit attached to each body your men deliver and enter it here.” She put the large ledger down and picked up another stack of paper, “Once the Doctor has examined the body he completes a report form and we put the cause of death into the ledger.”

“I see. What happens when the body is ready for collection for burial?” Stanley leaned in closer, enjoying being the in company of a lady for the first time since he travelled through the breach.

“Well we update the ledger to show the body has left the morgue, and the grave diggers sign this book,” she pointed to another set of books in the pile, “when they have taken the body from our cold room.” Sara turned her head to look at Stanley.

“This happens for each body brought in?” Stanley stepped back slightly; he was losing focus, distracted from the task at hand.

“No, some bodies arrive with special tags from the guild aren’t entered in the ledger. The doctor handles those records himself, guild orders I’m told” Sara looked away, skin paling slightly.

“What kind of bodies?” Stanley felt his blood pressure rise again, six hours wasted; the missing entries he required were never here in the first place.

“I don’t ask.” She turned to face him, eyes wide and hands trembling, “I mean some of the bit’s I’ve seen hanging from under the sheets didn’t look… human.”

“Not Human? Well you do here all sort of stories here through the breach.” Stanley pondered. Maybe there were standing orders not to document all the bodies examined here, though why guardsmen would be on that list puzzled him. “Where are those ledgers stored Sara?”

“They are kept in the Doctors study, I’m sorry, I should have brought them when you asked for all the documents, you’re part of the guild after all.” Her face turned to the floor once more, hands wringing in her lap.

“Is there something more?” Stanley sensed a shift in Sara, as if a sudden chill had taken hold.

“Well…” She looked up, briefly making eye contact before she glanced at the closed door, “I really shouldn’t say anything…”

“As you said I’m the guild Sara, you can tell me anything concerning the wellbeing of Malifaux.” He stood tall, shoulders square, almost believing the line himself.

“I could get into trouble…” He took her chin in his hand, raised her eyes to his.

“Tell me what you fear, and I’ll promise you nothing will happen to you.” He smiled, heart thumping in his chest. This secret might mean promotion and a ticket earthside?

“You won’t tell anyone about this? Only what you find in the books?” Her eyes wide, imploring.

“I promise, I will never do anything to hurt you.” He watched as she continued to scan the room, biting her lower lip as she considered her options. “Tell me what you know, I can collect the ledgers and take whatever action is necessary.”

“..I… I think the doctor has something evil locked up in his office. I never go in there alone, but whenever I’m in there I always feel… uncomfortable… and you know all the stories about things in Malifaux?” The words rushed out in a tumble.

“Oh I think you’ll find that’s rumour and nonsense. “ He licked his lips, documentary proof of bodies being taken, and possible resurrectionist activity, a ticket home for sure. “Where is the Doctor’s office? I think it’s time I found those books.”

“But, you can’t go alone! It’s far too dangerous.” She stood, gripping Stanley in a warm embrace.

The heat of her body fanned his bravado. “I must, now tell me where his office is?”

“Down two levels and it’s at the end of the corridor.” She broke the contact, tears welling in her eyes, “Perhaps I should go with you?”

“Don’t you worry Sara, I wouldn’t want to involve you further.” He strode to the door, opening it and checking the corridor was clear. The bone saw began to wail again. Excellent, the noise would cover his movement to the stairs. He looked back and nodded to Sara; leaving the room in search of his future.

***

The screaming had finally ceased to reverberate through the morgue. McMourning looked up from the cadaver he was dissecting, “Ah Nurse Matthews, I hear our intrepid auditor found my special ledgers?”

“Yes doctor, he was most keen to go unaccompanied,” She smiled wickedly, “with a little prompting.”

“Excellent. Now be a dear Sara, send a message to the guild offices asking when they expect the auditor to arrive. Then ask Sebastian to pop down to my office, there may be some bits we can salvage. I do hope his brain is intact, he appeared to be an intelligent sort. That kind of mind deserves a fitting home.”

“Yes Doctor, right away”. She turned and left the room, McMourning already humming tunelessly digging into the body’s guts once more.

Ingredients - Theme, character and line. Word count 1482.