The vice-dean with blue glasses held a thick dossier in his hands, flipping through it and mumbling, "I've reviewed Ogarev's case, I must say, it's a strange one, quite confounding. But, well..."
"This is the Special Authorization Order from the High Criminal Court of St. Petersburg." The vice-dean retrieved a document sealed with the double-headed eagle from the drawer, "According to Article 47 of the Preventive Detention Regulations, cases involving threats to state security fall under the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Guard Headquarters."
Arthur's index finger gently tapped on the armrest of the carved chair, a habit he had developed in the interrogation rooms of Scotland Yard. The firelight from the fireplace dyed the vice-dean's graying temples a dark red, reminding him of the old judge he often dealt with at London's Old Bailey.
