“And you? What were you doing during the period in question?”

Yaeno Khonoronezeni stared at the small, scraggly man seated before her. She kept her gaze steady, her gray eyes cutting their form beneath a line of black bangs. The man glanced twitchily around the train cabin, uncomfortable at all the attention everyone in the train cabin was putting on him.

“I didn’t do nuffin’, nuffin’ at all, miss!”

The man was telling the truth. Yaeno already knew that. Not from some sixth sense—he’d been in her line of sight for most of the train ride, sneaking sips from a flask hidden in his jacket. He was nothing more than a harmless, if noxious, drunk.

Which made him the perfect bait to fess out the real culprit.

Ignoring the stench of alcohol, Yaeno placed a hand right beside the drunk’s head and leaned in closer. He shrank back.

“Then why don’t you show us what’s inside your pockets, sir?”

“I’d v-very much prefer not to, miss.”

“And why not?”

“That’sa my personal business, I thinks.”

The drunk drew himself up with as much clumsy dignity as he could, not realizing that by refusing her request, he was all but indicting himself in the eyes of everyone else in the cabin. The train had been locked down for a while now, so everyone was eager to see the thief get caught. Even the security officers at the door stepped forward, hands on their batons, ready to take him down.

Yaeno didn’t let her focus waver. She kept her eyes on the drunk, but her attention was on the periphery. The real thief would make their move soon, before the police could arrive.

So she ramped up the pressure. It was in her interest to avoid them as well.

“Let’s be clear, sir. We are not interested in your little drinking habit.”

“My wha—?”

Yaeno slammed the headrest, making the drunk jump.

“Stop playing the fool! We can all smell it on you. And everyone knows a drunk will do anything to keep the liquor flowing. It would be nothing for someone like you to lift a few wallets, wouldn’t it?”

“But I’ve never stolen anythin’ in my life! You can’t jus’ keep accusin’ me like this just because I likes my drinks a bit too much!”

Indignant, the drunk looked around for support. And found none. Genuine fear crossed his face as he realized everyone was eying him with suspicion.

“I didn’t steal nothin!” he insisted again, “I didn’t…”

The man’s protests quickly weakened in the face of a cold room that didn’t believe a single word that came out of his mouth. Too quickly, Yaeno felt. He shrank, already resigned, like someone used to taking beatings and blame.

She killed the guilty feeling in her stomach. The hard part was almost over. He would be vindicated soon enough.

She touched a hand to his.

“Look,” she whispered, “We’re all just anxious to get out of here. If you didn’t steal the wallets, why don’t you just turn out your pockets and prove it to us? I promise you won’t get in trouble for anything else. All right?”

“…You promise?”

“Yes. On my word.”

The drunk nodded slowly. Then, with shaking fingers that Yaeno had to guide, he began tugging open his pockets one by one. Everyone leaned in, hoping to catch—

“There!”

Yaeno pointed across the shuttle at a young woman surreptitiously getting up from her seat. She froze like a deer in headlights, backpack straps in her hands.

With a snarl, the young thief bull-rushed the nearest exit—but it was too late. A nearby security officer, a burly man in his thirties, grabbed her by the arm. In the ensuing struggle, her backpack broke open and a treasure trove of stolen wallets and purses spilled out.

“Would you look at that!” said the guard with a breathless grin as he sat atop the struggling thief. “Miss bounty hunter actually got ‘em!”

A smattering of applause filled the cabin, but Yaeno ignored it and turned back to the drunk. He sniffled at her.

“Awfully cruel to use a man like that, I says.”

“I am sorry. But for what it’s worth, it was necessary.”

“Says you. Man’s dignity ain’t supposed to be cheaper than a couple of wallets.”

The man resentfully took a long draw from his flask, then turned away, preferring to look at the faded pattern on the seat cushions over her face. Yaeno bowed her head thankfully to him. Then she drew a breath and brusquely marched up to the guard who was locking a pair of zip ties around the thief’s wrists. The young woman paused her struggle from the ground to scowl at her, but Yaeno didn’t give her a second glance.

“If you don’t mind,” she said, ignoring the guard’s efforts to keep the thief still, “but now that the situation is resolved, I hope this means we can all leave without any further delay? You have your culprit, your missing goods, and plenty of eye-witnesses to corroborate.”

The zip-tie clicked securely. The young woman on the ground groaned and slumped in defeat. Wiping his hands on his pants, the guard raised an eyebrow at her.

“You sure you don’t want to stick around? I’m sure lots of people would want to shake your hand for what you’ve done. Seems like a rare networking opportunity for someone in your line of work, wouldn’t you say?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? I realize it’s not my place, but—“

“You’re right. It’s not.”

The guard blinked, not sure whether to be surprised or offended by her curt attitude. Yaeno didn’t back down. She calmly met his eyes and waited for a response. After a moment, the guard shook his head in dismay and waved for his partner to open the shuttle doors.

“Fine. You’re free to go. But just so you know, miss, it’s my duty to inform the police of everything that occurred here today. Including that you were here.”

The guard held up the business card Yaeno had given him before she had talked him into letting her try to capture the thief. The logo of the Bounty Hunter’s Guild, which was a B turned into a pair of cuffs, was printed neatly on one of the corners. And her name, on the other side. Standard issue.

She tilted her head with a bemused expression.

“And why would I care if you did that?”

The guard gave her a knowing look.

“Look, I’m not accusing you of anything specific, but bounty hunters don’t exactly have the cleanest reputation, do they? Some even work… let’s say beyond the scope of law?”

Despite herself, the insinuating tone in the guard’s voice made a small smile cross Yaeno’s lips. She shook her head.

“You imagine too dramatic a story for me, sir. It’s just that the police work slowly…”

She calmly stepped through the shuttle doors. Beyond them, the stations bustled with activity. She strode confidently into the swarming crowds without a glance back.

“…and I have an appointment to keep.”