"Any ID?" I asked Phissure, who'd been rummaging through the victim's pockets.

"No wallet or anything else in his pockets, not even loose change. The only thing I've found so far is this clasp from the neck of his cloak." He pointed at a leaf-shaped silver broach. "He's got a tattoo, though." He pulled the victim's left sleeve up a bit to show a pattern of elvish letters on the inside of the forearm. "Mean anything?"

The tattoo was four characters arranged in a diamond, not a word, but initials. "It's a fellowship mark. This was one clueless young man."

"How so?"

"It's one thing to pretend to be an elf. It's another to pretend to be part of a fellowship. I suspect the actual members wouldn't find it all that amusing."

"Amusing enough to throw him off a roof?" Chopper asked.

I shrugged. An ambulance arrived, and the paramedics started putting the body into a bag for the trip to the morgue. With the star of the show leaving, it was time to focus on the scene. Davy and Phissure were going over the alley pretty thoroughly, so I turned my attention to the building across the way from the restaurant. It was four stories tall, with brick walls and a few plywood covered windows. I craned my neck back, looking up the wall towards the roof. "I don't suppose he could've just fallen?" I said, mostly to myself.

"He's a bit too far from the wall for that, I'm thinking," said Chopper.

"He could've jumped."

"Sure, or perhaps a near-sighted eagle mistook him for a tortoise, then plucked him off the street and dropped him from high in the sky to break his shell open. It could've been any number of things. That's why the Captain called in a high-paid consultant to figure it out. That'd be you, in case you're wondering."

"Just laying out all the options."

Chopper's radio activated. "Sarge, we found something on the roof."

"On our way."

The most direct route up to the roof involved climbing up a rickety old fire escape. Now on the whole I prefer to keep my feet firmly affixed to good old terra firma. It's not heights that bother me so much as the thought that somehow the universe in its infinite perversity will find some way to convert all that gravitational energy from potential to kinetic. It didn't help that I'd so recently seen the result of just such a conversion. Despite that I decided to lead the way, figuring that if the combined weight of Chopper and Phissure did cause the sorry construction of rusty wrought iron to collapse, it'd be better to be above them than below. The vampire chose the better part of valor and stayed down in the shadows of the alley.

Once we got to the top things got better. The roof seemed solid enough. Typical for an industrial space, it was flat and covered with gravel and pigeon droppings. Standpipes poked up through it here and there, along with some larger pieces of ductwork and machinery. Best of all, there was a door which gave every indication of being the upper end of a much safer way down to the ground than how we'd come up.

The two constables that Chopper had sent off earlier were standing near the knee-high wall at edge of the roof overlooking the alley. The orc was animatedly waving us over. He was very young, probably no more than 13 or 14. Orcs reach adulthood a lot faster than humans do. "Eager, isn't he?" I said to Chopper under my breath.

"Aye, Wolfhunter's eager, all right, but don't misjudge him. Sharp as a tack, that lad."

"And the woman?" The human constable was tall and willowy, with auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"That's Probationary Constable Miranda. A genuine wizard with computers, she is, but still a bit raw around the edges when it comes to policing, if you take my meaning." Chopper grinned. "Those two are your team, by the way."

"My team?" I had a bad feeling about this.

"Your partners." The grin had become a smile. An orc's smile looks a lot like a shark's.

"I don't need partners. I've always worked alone."

"Captain's orders. Part of your commission is to train Watch personnel as detectives." He pointed to the youngsters. "Sure, and there's your class."

Bother.

"It's time sir." Says my assistant as he sets the thick briefcase on my desk.

I lean forward and place my hand on the supple black leather. It feels warm, almost alive. "Are all of the preparations done?"

"Yes sir." He says.

I take my hand off the briefcase and lean back in my chair. "So satisfying to see all of the planning finally come together."

"I expect it will be quite a boost for the local economy."

They never understand, "It's not about benefiting the community, it's about me, about the people who will come to know me, and fear me. I expect hosting Evilcon 08 to give me a substantial bump in my fear polls." I spin the numbers on the briefcase latches to 666 and pop them open to reveal a sickly green glow from within. I open the case all the way and pull the green orb from inside, it feels heavy and warm as it pulsates like a heart."

My assistant stands transfixed by the orb. "What is it?"

"Public transportation." I reply not taking my eyes off the orb. I feel the heartbeat of the orb match my own and flames appear in the orb, the room is bathed in flickering red light. My assistant gasps as he sees out the window that the very sky has turned blood red.

"Open" I say to the orb.

In a small park in the middle of the Tangley Mews a cat stalks through a clump of grass, creeping up on a small bird. Closer, closer, so very close, but unfortunately the ground starts to shake beneath the park and the bird flies off. The cat would be very depressed about her very poor luck if she wasn't running from the two black stones thrusting themselves up from the ground. The two, slightly curved, pointy, black stones stopped moving and stood there, trying to look as menacing as inanimate objects can pull off. A few moments later the sky in the immediate area turned to red and liquid fire sprang to life in the maw between the two stones. All across the city more of the gateways pushed their way up from the ground roughly forming a series of rings around the convention hall. From the gateways Evilcon attendees began to come through the gates. Necromancers, monsters, demons, supervillains, evil aliens, and evil creatures of all types along with a much larger contingent of regular people who are just fans of evil. None are evil genius scientists though, they always prefer to show off by arriving in impressive and evil looking vehicles of their own invention.

Evilcon 08, much to the delight of local bar owners and leather retailers, is finally starting.

08:00 - Role Call and Morning Briefing

Sergeant Reeves laid the clipboard with his notes for the morning assembly down on the desk at the front of the dayroom, and rapped the desk three times with his knuckles, as was his usual routine. "Good morning, constables. Today marks the beginning of a very auspicious event in our fair metropolis. I am referring, of course, to Evilcon 08. The convention staff are expecting a substantial number of attendees, and we want to ensure that their stay in Sang Sacre is a pleasant one. Corporal Harrass?"

"Yes, Sarge?"

"Your team will patrol the area around the Convention Center and the affiliated hotels. Speaking of which, Constable Knobsmasher?"

"Yeah, Sarge?"

"How did our mechanical friend make out in his endeavours?"

"Endeavours, Sarge?" A look of perplexion came over Knobby's face as he tried to recall is he'd ever heard the word before, but then he brightened. "Not sure, Sarge. I mean I don't think it's right to pry into a person's private functions, if you know what I mean, even if 'e is a robot."

"I meant his assignment, Constable."

"Oh, right. 'E did 'is endeavours right proper, 'e did. The area 'round the Convention Center is clean as a whistle. You could eat off'n some of them streets. Never looked better, Sarge."

"Very good, Constable." Reeves made a little check mark next to one of the items on his sheet. "Constable Ragman, your team will patrol the Mews and the Quarter. Be especially on the look out for confidence men. I don't want any of our guests returning to their homes in the nether reaches telling tales of how they were separated from their last Jewel of Elysia by a sharpie with three cards and a reluctant queen."

Ragman raised his hand. "Sarge, what about these guests? I hear some of these here conventioneers get a little wild after hours."

"Yes, I'm afraid that some conference goers do seem to get the impression that being away from home at a convention is the perfect excuse to let down their horns and, as the younger set might say, party down to the extreme. While that may be perfectly understandable, we shall have to be firm with them should they step too far past the line of sensibility. To that end Captain Charpe arranged to bring in some visiting constables to augment our staff for the duration."

The assembled constables looked around. "Um, Sarge?"

"Yes, Constable Dobler?"

"When are they getting here?"

Reeves hand was wrapped over the top of his clipboard, and he merely straightened his index finger and pointed it in the general direction of the large window at the back of the room that overlooked the street and Weiler Square. Dobler turned around to look, and being an above average noticer of all things unusual, he couldn't help but notice that two pair of enormous eyes were staring in through the window. Each pair of eyes, in turn, was part of an even larger face. In addition, two enormous right hands each gave a brief wave in the direction of the assembly.

"Gentlemen, I would like you to welcome troopers Leslie and Shirley McCovey of the Coogan's Bluff barracks of the Frontier Patrol."

"Bloody 'ell," muttered Knobby, "they's grolls".

"But we're on the second floor," said Dobler, as if trying to reassure himself.

"Grolls is big," Knobby went on in a whisper. "They's a cross between a giant and a troll."

"Knobby, I think they're bending down to look in the window."

"On their knees, more like," said Knobsmasher.

Reeves rapped for order. "All right then, you all have your assignments. Let's be extra careful out there, shall we."

Thanks DX

[Psst, Gud, I think you posted under the wrong user name.]

"Excellent" I declare after looking over the convention reports.

"Everything is running smoothly sir" says my assistant.

"Good. Has my speechwriter finished my keynote address?" I ask.

"Um......" says my assistant while showing a keen interest in the ceiling.

"Yes?" I ask.

"Um.......You see, the thing is....."

"Yes!?" I demand.

"You were....um....bumped" he says while showing a keen interest in the floor.

"Bumped!? By who!?" I demand.

"They've booked Death."

"Death!? Death!? That guy with the robe and the sickle? He isn't even evil, he's just, you know, inevitable." Being a firm believer in killing the messenger, I reach for my sword. Then I reconsider, it takes forever to fill the assistant job opening.

"I agree sir, it isn't right and you are much much more evil, but you know how many Death fanboys there are in the evil community." He explains in a soothing sort of manner.

I sigh. "Yeah. When am I speaking?"

My assistant looks over his clipboard. "1:00am in the 7th circle conference room, second day".

I nod, 1:00am is a good time slot for Evilcon. "Very well, are there any other events at that time?"

"Um....." says my assistant while showing a keen interest in the window.

"What now?" I demand.

"The thing is...."

Overheard in Sang Sacré:

"Lenny!"

"Phil! Long time no see. Buy you a beer?"

"Sure thing. Here for the con?"

"Yup. Pulling booth duty as usual."

"Still with Angmar Alchemicals?"

"Haven't you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"They're in liquidation."

"No kidding? What happened?"

"It was the crash. After those two midget terrorists took out the Dark Lord, sales went into the privy. The high mucky-mucks panicked. They started adding new product lines helter skelter while cutting staff and raw material spending to the bone at the same time. And I do mean bone. We lost a lot of good sales staff to the cauldrons. Didn't work, of course. You can't grow your sales numbers when half your sales force is in the stuff you're trying to move. When they sacrificed three junior VPs just to make the payroll, I could see the handwriting on the wall."

"So who're you with now?"

"Tartarus Neutraceuticals. We're a new firm, but growing fast. Our CEO just got written up in Dunwich Business News."

"Sounds like you made the right move. How's the floor traffic?"

"Slow. Way down from last year. We're hoping it picks up some tomorrow after the keynote, but I have my doubts. Seems like a lot of folks are saying it's the recession, that companies are cutting way back on travel."

"Hey, it's a tough economy."

"Thing is, it's not really our best show. We'll do a lot better at Transdimensicon over in Lhasa, maybe pick up a couple of distributors on some other planes. We're here mostly to show the flag, you know, get our name out there."

"Well, it sounds like you're doing well... Damn, it's getting late. I'm moderating a panel on alternative materials use in ancient rituals at 8. Stop by if you can."

"Wish I could. I have to put in an appearance at our hospitality suite. Plus, I'm hoping some of Ruddygore Publishing's booth succubi will drop by."

"Okay then, buddy, don't do anything I wouldn't do. Thanks for the beer."

"Any time. Hey, drop by the booth if you get a chance. We're giving away coffee mugs shaped like Urns of Amarvia, and there's a raffle for an iPod Touch. It's number 1236, just down the aisle from Halliburton."

sporfle.

Good show, fellas.

"I'm opposite of who?!" I ask in outrage.

My assistant shuffles his feet and responds quietly. "The four horsemen sir."

"Oh, that's just perfect. I've heard that they are hinting that they'll finally release the apocalypse in 2012, so everyone will be at their panel. Bunch of publicity hounds, they've been hinting for a couple of millennium." I complain.

"Hey, remember how they had that Miller guy going?" Asks my assistant, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Never heard of him." I reply.

"Oh then, never min..."

"Who the hell comes up with these schedules anyway?!" I demand.

My assistant consults his clipboard. "This year it was Sauron in charge of the planning committee. He's had a lot of time on his hands recently."

Understanding comes to me at last. "Of course, he's still angry about my letter to Evil Weekly. I called him the most incompetent evil overload in the history of evilness."

"It was a good call sir. I mean look what..."

"Yes, yes, I'm a genius, nothing new there. Ah well, next year I shall have my revenge. Who is slated for the planning committee for 09?"

Another consultation of the clipboard. "It says Voldemort sir."

"Who's he?"

"Another has-been sir."