Shannon let his head tilt in subtle acquiescence, the end of his tail beginning to swish in interest. The longer he spoke with this Mr. Delacroix, the younger his voice sounded. Not that young was a particular deterrent against skill, but for someone young to be on the murder track so soon... There was no way he had been sent here on the pretense of it being a simple mugging.

"That's never ruled out," Shannon said. "Unlikely though it may be, the victim deserves our due diligence in following every line of inquiry until we arrive at the truth of the matter and see his attacker behind bars serving the proper sentence for his crime. Someone killed this man, and we will bring him to justice no matter the complications we may face."