Page 44 of Any More Questions for the Corpse?

“The woman Murray saw?” Walters said. Mal nodded. “They have a lot to answer for those—”

“He was just the weapon,” Mal said sternly. “I know who the real killer is, but you’re not gonna like it.”

“How bad can it be?”

Mal gave him a hard look that said, Worse than what just happened to you. Walters seemed to understand.

“We can deal with the killer later. I have to sort this out.” He gestured to the carnage. “Head back to the safe house and get ready. I’m going to need one hell of an explanation.” Walters scanned the wreckage of the room one last time, gave them both a nod, then left.

Mal and Des stared at each for a moment, ignoring the horror that surrounded them. Mal had no words: he’d failed these people; failed Walters; then out of weakness, given in to the evil inside of him—and she’d witnessed it all. Whatever was happening between them, whatever trauma bond was joining them, Mal was sure it was over.

“How much did you see?” Mal said, reflexively taking a small step back.

“Everything …” As Des spoke she brought herself closer, filling the space Mal had made. “It was … a lot.”

“I know,” Mal said, trying to avoid Des’s eye. “I’m … a monster.”

“No,” Des said, taking a stand before Mal. “A monster wouldn’t have tried to save all these people. A monster wouldn’t have brought Walters back. A monster wouldn’t offer his own life to save a woman who had stalked him on her evening off. If that’s the kind of monster you are, then we’ll be monsters together.” She took his hand in hers and held it defiantly. “Let’s go. Walters isn’t the only one who needs an explanation for all this.”

19An Explanation

The group sat dead-faced around the kitchen table of the safe house. A mood had set in that seemed to poison the world. No one wanted to eat, no one wanted to talk, no one wanted much of anything. They had been waiting in silence for Walters to return; they’d decided the only “living” victim of the crime should probably be the first to know who’d done it. The wait was agonizing. Fortunately, Walters returned only a few hours after they did, looking worse for wear, but pretty good for a walking corpse. It’s surprising how easy mortal wounds are to cover up once they’ve stopped bleeding. All Walters had needed was a new set of clothes and he seemed mostly all there, if a bit pale. He joined them at the table and waited for Mal to begin.

“Okay, I need to explain a few things for this to make sense. First—”

“Just tell us …”

“Oh my god, who did it?”

“Say the name …”

“Kosh,” Mal said, surrendering to the chorus of demands. “It’s Kosh, he’s the killer.” Mal looked to Walters—the only one who had stayed silent—and could see that he already knew.

“What, that doesn’t make sense?”

“But he’s dead?”

“Explain how that works …”

Mal silenced the cacophony of complaints by producing a pink, plasticky device that looked like an egg timer had sex with an hourglass.

“I told you I needed to explain, so will you shut up and let me? … Thank you. He used this.” Mal set the device down on the table between them. “Walters gave it to me to help with my parental issues. It’s a spell timer.”

“Not a normal one, though,” Yu said, picking up the device.

“Nope,” Mal said. “A modified one, powerful enough to hold necro magic.”

“He used that to bring himself back?” Hala said, taking it from Yu.

“He stored his magic in that and it went off forty-eight hours later.”

“To avoid the spikes,” Des said.

“Exactly,” Mal took back the device and placed it down between them again. “Kosh must have discovered Taran’s secret while investigating the first three murders. Then he used Taran as a kind of makeshift bomb. Teleporting him in to wreak destruction where he wanted. Yu was right about a change in motive. Murray’s death was when Kosh took over.”

“But why?” Hala said. “Why kill so many? Why fake his death? Well, he died for real, but you get my drift.”

Mal felt Walters’s eyes on him. Mal remained silent so that he could explain.