Ivy wasn't sure that Viola would agree to this. She had not decided if she would tell the truth, either, but if she lied and got caught in it then it would probably get back to Prewett. Prewett wouldn't enjoy that, so maybe she should play nice — even if solving her case was far more important than the public knowing things.

So she was not sure how she would play it. She did not particularly enjoy working with other departments, but she was sure she would talk to Viola — she was the only one of the Information Services people that Ivy knew even vaguely.

"Sinistra," Ivy said, leaning against the desk. She wasn't sure they got along, but Ivy was happy to be flippant when they were away from the auror office."I need some information to go public." Ivy did not take the public particularly seriously — but on this case, getting out some misinformation would help her.

Ivy tapped her fingertips against the surface of Sinistra's desk. "I've been investigating a series of cursed object trades," she said. "I need you to say in a release that it's solved." If she was lucky, Sinistra would not ask if they really were solved — Ivy did not anticipate that she would be lucky, but maybe she could be surprised.

Ivy's mouth twisted in a wry sort-of-smile. ''No,'' she answered briefly.

Some details. A beat passed. "Vases," she answered, "From Amsterdam. They unload them in the Port of London and sell them to interested parties in Knockturn Alley. Mr. Nealy was arrested because his son touched the object and the healers alerted us to their suspicions of dark magic — that part is real, I just want them to think we've given up finding his source."

Ivy grinned, sharklike. "No," she said, "I'm almost there."

Ivy was pleased with Sinistra's response, but did not want to come across as too pleased — she nodded. "Thank you," she said, although she did not want to be too flowery about it. "You'll let me know when it's to go public?"