Bad Blood

Chapter 1 - Orange Flower and Rosemary

The Yard was always busy with the rushing policemen and the noise of the ringing telephones and rolling typewriters. It was hard to find a quiet spot to clear his mind and to gather his thoughts. Alistair sat at his desk, staring at the case file before him as he did for hours. Something was off and he hoped his long-awaited guest could provide some answers.

He heard high heels knocking on the cheap tile floor outside and saw a silhouette stopping at the door, concealed by the drapes he pulled down earlier. He heard the muffled chat before the door opened with a loud creak.

Solona Amell entered the dimly lit room, escorted by a police officer. The ginger-haired woman ran her eyes across the policeman before Alistair dismissed him. But as if he was petrified he just stared at the lady before him. An alluring glint in her green eyes, reflecting the neon lights shining through the shutter slats, rooted the police officer in one place.

"I said, dismissed," he pressed his words firmly this time. The subordinate blinked as if has woken from a trance, shook his head, and left, shutting the door behind him.

Solona Amell removed the fennec fur shawl around her neck and with casual elegance and dropped it on the back of the seat. She sat down. Her stockings sighed as she crossed her legs. She leaned back and raised her eyes to him. There was something vaguely threatening in that glance mixing with the unreadable half-smile.

Alistair had heard rumors of her. The mysterious butterfly of the Denerim nights. The exotic beauty from the Free Marches. The dame of the nightclubs and casinos. The shooting star of Fereldan's high society. She had numerous patrons among the aristocracy, who always sought her favors, overwhelming her with luxurious gifts. Like that fennec fur. He was sure that a piece of pelt cost three months' worth of salary.

There was even a classy name for her kind. What did Cullen call them? Luxury whore? No, he was too sophisticated for such vulgarism. Courtesan, maybe.

She pulled her gloves off and tucked them into her bag, before drawing out a golden cigarette case. Her every move was deliberate and considered as he observed. Her eyes never moved from him.

"Smoking is not allowed here," Alistair declared. She raised the cigarette to her lips with an insolent smile on her face and lit it. She inhaled a deep drag from her cigarette, blowing the smoke right into the detective's face. He flinched when the smoke entered his face

"What will you do? Arrest me?" she mocked, her cadence was melodious and provocative. Alistair measured her in the dim, brushed light as the white and cold neon glare painted her fiery locks pale where it touched. He wondered if she was a natural redhead. Girls often dyed their hair red in her profession to make themselves more erotic than they were. He idly wondered if they dyed anywhere else.

"It only violates the house rules of the Yard, so the prosecutor cannot issue a warrant," he replied. She smoked one of those flavored ones. Alistair could smell the scent of raspberry mixing with tobacco. Sacrilege to good tobacco, in his opinion. But even this nauseating reek couldn't conceal the scent of her perfume. Orange flower and rosemary. Everything on her was luxurious, delicate, a piece of epicureanism that half of the aristocracy had tasted. The other half... well they sought different enjoyments.

"Shame, I would have loved to see you manhandling me. It must have been a magnificent sight," she purred. "Then why did you drag me to this-" she looked around his austere office, filled with cabinets and case files. "dreadful place?"

"A simple inquiry, the Yard is always appreciative when you assist with our inquiries," Alistair shrugged. He placed a brown folder across his table, her name artfully exposed from the untidily tucked papers within. "I understand that you spent yesterday night with Lord Teagan Guerrin at the Black Pearl. An institution near the Harbor?" She let his words sink in as she inhaled another drag from her cigarette, exhaling the smoke in his face again. He managed to not flinch this time, although the smoke and burned his eyes.