“Or waded in from a boat.”

“Not this time of year. It’d be suicide.”

It would be dangerous for ordinary thieves. But what if one of them used magic to navigate the seas? He recalled Opal’s description of how the Stormdancers harvested energy from the storms. They kept a bubble of calm around them as they worked to avoid being swept out to sea. Valek wondered what the Stormdancers did during their off-season. Kade and Heli helped with the blizzards in Ixia, but one of the others might be helping these thieves.

Valek tucked the thought away to investigate later and returned to the break-in. “Forced entry?”

“Yeah, crowbar on the back door and on the weapon lockers.”

Not professionals, or they would’ve used lock picks. Valek considered. “Do you have a complete list of what’s been stolen?”

“Yes, sir.” Endre hunted through papers lying on a desk and pulled one from the pile. “I copied this from all the reports. After the weapons were stolen, the Gandrel office took the lead on the investigation. All the other offices have sent their incident reports to us.”

Interesting. “Where are these reports being kept?”

“In a conference room. The captain formed a team of investigators and we’ve been working in there, poring over all the information.”

“You don’t sound too impressed.”

Endre grinned. “They’re not us, sir. I can only do so much with these guys. Now, if you were on the team with Annika, then...”

Nice to know Endre had such confidence in him. “Then when can I get in there to take a look at those reports?”

“You can get in there anytime, sir.”

“I’d prefer to remain incognito if possible.” And as long as the news of his arrival hadn’t already spread to the Storm Thieves. While he’d been following Private Idiot slash Gannon to Hedda’s school, another mole could have sent a message to them.

“Oh, then late at night would be best. I’m on the graveyard shift tonight. If you can get into the conference room without being seen, I can make sure no one bothers you. You’ll have to leave before the morning shift arrives at dawn.”

“All right, then expect me after midnight.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you have any more information?”

The big man gestured to the desk. “Annika and I have been writing down what we’ve heard and other bits of news.” He brandished the list of stolen goods.

“May I?” Valek held out his hand.

“Of course, sir. Here.” Endre handed the list to Valek.

Valek scanned the items. Missing money and jewelry were expected, but others like wood, saws, nails, paint and teacups were not. He sat at the desk and read through the other papers. Endre and Annika had collected a nice variety of facts, including ruling out the initial suspects—a gang of teen troublemakers. Five young men and three young women had had run-ins with the local security for fighting, drinking and vandalism. However, they all had alibis for the storm thefts.

After an hour, Valek rejected the idea of bored teens as the culprits. No. The Storm Thieves were organized and had a precise plan. The building supplies meant their hideout either needed major repairs or they’d built a place. But any new building would have been found during the search.

Repairs? The salt air was corrosive. Each structure in a coastal town needed a new coat of paint every couple of years, and replacing rotted wood was a typical renovation. But why this much wood? Unless both the exterior and interiors had been rebuilt. Would the guards notice this during the inspections? He asked Endre.

“It depends on the person. Some of the officers are more observant than others, sir. The reports on the searches might mention something like that.”

Guess he’d have to wait until later. In the meantime, what else needed repairs? Fishing boats. Just like the buildings, each boat needed extensive upkeep, and they’d been searched. Unless the boat was out to sea at that time. Suicide, unless magic was involved. Assuming a magician was on board, Valek mulled it over and found a flaw in his logic. The fishermen would notice if a boat sailed away during the storm season. They’d think the captain was insane and talk about that “damn fool” at all the local taverns.

No. The Storm Thieves couldn’t risk such odd behavior. Unless... Valek straightened. Unless they left before the storm season and never returned! They’d be considered lost at sea. No one would suspect them because they were all dead. A perfect alibi.

Valek asked Endre if any boats had disappeared during the fishing season.

“There are always a few that don’t come back. The Port Master in each town would have those records. Also Annika might know. When a ship is lost at sea, everyone gathers at the inn.” Endre paused. “Why is that important?”

He explained his theory.

“That would be a right smart trick. But why go to all the trouble? Living on a ship ain’t fun.”

“Are there places along the coast only accessible by boat?” Valek asked.

“Yeah. There’s a few. Up north there’s a couple coves hidden in those cliffs. Do you think they could be there?”

“It’s possible. Or they could be stocking up for a journey to Sitia.” Which would be a safer place for the magician to live.

“That’s too dangerous. Out of dozens of ships, only one has crossed the Rattles intact.”

But would a boat with a Stormdancer aboard be able to? Valek considered. The Rattles extended over a hundred miles into the Sunset Ocean from the knob of land jutting from the southern coast of MD-1, which was also the western edge of the Snake Forest. It twisted over underwater rocks, contained pockets of shallow water and created unpredictable riptides and strong currents. The sound of the turbulent water reminded sailors of rattlesnakes when they shook their tails in warning. And it fit perfectly with its location at the end of the Snake Forest.