'Qui: The Fall of Ottawa' Part 2, Chapter 18

Previously: After spending the night in Sam's apartment, Qui arrived at work and discussed the mission complications over the phone with Eleanor Cranston, his Nosferatu employer. Sam arrived at the police station shortly thereafter and she explained that she's been craving Qui's Blood since being 'ghouled.' Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Arundel, who immediately pieced together the details of Qui's misadventures--all except for his empowering Sam with his Blood.

Chapter 18:

"It's a perfect fit," Arundel said. "Case closed. I'll make my report to the commissioner later tonight."

Qui raised an eyebrow. The man didn't sound as convinced as his words suggested. "You're not telling me something," he said.

"That's why I like you, James," Arundel said. "You're not afraid to get to the point. And the point is that things in our world are rarely so simple. We Kindred delight in our messes and I'm quite certain that there is more scandal to uncover."

"And?"

Arundel shrugged. "I see no reason to over complicate matters," he said. "Your report fits the bill and it will satisfy Eleanor. I'm content to allow you some minor indiscretions so long as you speak plainly that you do not plan to harm me or any of our other co-conspirators."

"Nothing of the sort," Qui said, grateful that Arundel didn't plan to dig any further. Like everything he'd said so far, that wasn't a lie. Attacking Cranston would serve no purpose whatsoever.

"Excellent." Arundel reached out to shake Qui's hand. "I think the commissioner will be quite relieved when I report back to her. You're safe, the plan is on schedule, and the world is rid of one more Fiend." He sniffed. Personally, I detest the things–studied them quite a bit before coming to North America. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and I'll do my best to answer them."

"Actually…" Qui stepped over to the coat rack and reached into his coat's front pocket, removing the strange quill he'd found close to the Tzimisce's corpse. He handed it to Arundel. "Have you seen anything like this, before?"

Arundel turned the strange object in his hands, looking it over with his usual exacting precision. "Where did you find this?" he asked.

"Close to the Fiend's corpse–it may have been dislodged during the fight. When it attacked me at the mechanic's shop, I noticed several of these attached around its hips. This one didn't decay along with the rest of its body when it was destroyed."

"I've seen something like this before," Arundel muttered as he held the quill up to the light like he was trying to peer through it. "There's an aura of blood sorcery to it. Difficult to detect…may I borrow this?" He flicked his eyes up to meet Qui's. "I have an associate in the chantry who may be able to give us a better idea what it is. Henrick Lang is quite knowledgeable about such things. As Magi go, he's surprisingly useful."

Qui thought for a moment. Ottawa's chantry was one of the few locations he hadn't visited since his arrival in the city. Such places were the domain of the Tremere–blood sorcerers and Warlocks. He wasn't overly fond of dabbling in things he didn't understand so he typically left them well enough alone. That being said, he was curious, and it couldn't hurt to familiarize himself with more players in the city's elite circles before removing their Prince by force. The reclusive Henrick Lang was an unknown and knowledge often meant the difference between success and abject failure, after all. Arundel could provide a proper introduction and their mutual interest in the quill would be reason enough to explain his unannounced presence in the chantry. Now that he'd dealt with Cranston's questions and spoken to Sam about her addiction to vitae, he had a spare moment to use as he pleased. 

"Do you think Henrick would mind if I wanted to come with you?" Qui asked.

Arundel laughed, and it felt genuine. "You really are a curious one!" he said. "I think you may have missed your calling as a detective, James–uncovering hidden truths is so much more satisfying than mere killing."

"I think there's probably more overlap in those professions than you realize," Qui said as he reached for his jacket. "If assassination were simple blood-work, then anyone could do it. The art is in the moments leading up to the end, learning about your target and the people they surround themselves with–avenues of betrayal and the allies needed to help you be in the right place at the right time." He slipped his coat on and checked its pocket for his keys. "When dealing with a dangerous target, even the smallest overlooked detail could result in a fatal slip up–and there's nothing more dangerous than an unstable Prince."

"Bravo," Arundel said. "I do believe that in another life we could have been friends, you and I."

The two of them stepped out of the office and Qui locked up behind them. "My car?" he asked. "Driving helps me think."

"The Celica?" Arundel replied as they made their way through the bullpen toward the exit. As usual, the rank and file mortals kept their distance from Qui–the Nosferatu curse worked well when he wanted to avoid being pulled into awkward social situations. Arundel noticed the effect immediately and shot Qui a grin. "I can't believe I forgot to tell you! Do you remember the investor I mentioned while we were on our way to meet Jonah?"

Qui took a moment to think. It hadn't really been an important part of that rather pivotal day, but the comment had been about his car, so he remembered it quite well once prompted. "He's the one who called it the 'Japanese Mustang?'"

"That's the one!" Arundel said. "I mentioned our conversation to him a few weeks ago and he seemed quite chuffed that I was talking about him to my associates. Imagine how surprised I was when I received a gift from him three days ago." He held the front door for Qui and ushered him out onto the sidewalk.

Qui saw it immediately. "You're kidding?" It was the latest model Toyota Celica, a '78 with a modern silver paint job. The liftback he liked so much was still intact; it must have been a hit on the previous year's model. "He just…sent this to you?"

"I'll be honest with you, James," Arundel said. "The man is an eccentric, but it pays to indulge him from time to time. If he wants to send me a foreign Pony Car, then I won't tell him no. We're trending away from American dominance in the market, and this served as the perfect reminder for me to buy into a few Japanese companies I'd intended to invest in. Would you believe that I made almost fifty thousand in the three days since? It pays to have well-positioned allies." He tossed the keys to Qui and gestured toward the driver's side door. "Take her for a spin with me. If you like her, she's yours."

 Qui stared at the keys. He was utterly unaccustomed to such generosity from fellow Kindred and he knew it should make him uncomfortable. For whatever reason, it didn't. Still, though…he had to ask. "Not that I don't appreciate the gesture, but why?"

"Your recommendation directly resulted in a lucrative surge to my finances," Arundel said as he slipped into the passenger seat. "And a rising tide lifts all boats as that one American president said. Besides–it was worth seeing the look on your face."