Chapter 2: It Was Not About the Spices

I began moving around the city, mostly at night. It was three days later that I caught the two men robbing a young noble. I slipped out of the shadows and crossed to them as they clubbed him and then kicked him on the ground. My first strike was to the back of one’s head and then I used my other club to back hand a blow across the forehead of the other.

I secured both and took the purse they had taken from the noble. I helped him up and then pulled the two thieves up. I pushed and pulled the two while helping the young man. When I entered the guard building the commander looked up and opened his mouth before closing it. The men were taken away while I wrote up the account. I held the purse out to the young noble but he waved it away.

I shrugged, the king’s court would pay me two silvers for each man anyway but extra money was always nice. Three days later I woke to banging on my front door. When I opened it, it was to see the young noble with another older man that was plainly a noble and a man that was plainly an officer of the guard. I looked at them and the young noble gestured into the house, “may we come in?”

I opened the door wider as I stepped back and they came in. I closed the door and then led them to the parlor. I gestured to the old cushioned chairs by the fireplace and waited before sitting. The young man cleared his throat, “This is Baron Trindal. Someone broke into his warehouse and stole several crates of spice.”

I looked at the guard officer and he did not look happy. I sat back and looked at the nobles, “And what did you want me to do?”

The baron leaned forward, “The thieves killed one of my men, I want them caught. If you find the spices you can keep them.”

I looked at the guard officer, “Do I have your permission?”

He looked at the old noble before nodding. I looked at the old noble, “Tell me everything about it. When, where, how, who ... everything you know.”

He hesitated and then started talking. I listened closely and knew right away someone inside the warehouse had been part of the theft. When he stopped talking I sat back, “First, this is going to cost more than the king’s court is going to pay. Second, what I find may be something you did not want to know. Third, I doubt the spices were what they were really after so I need information.”

The old man looked at me as the officer and the young noble looked at each other, “What do you want to know?”

I smiled, “As valuable as the spices are, that was something they used as an excuse to make you think that was what they were after. What else do you have that would make killing a worker worth what they were doing?”

He shook his head and shrugged, “Nothing. I have bolts of silk and other valuable cloth as well as rare spices but that is it.”

I looked at him and sat back to think. I finally stood, “I need to see where the worker was killed.”

As I walked through the warehouse several workers glared at me but remain quiet. As Baron Trindal gestured to the smeared blood stain I slowly started walking around the area. I knew what or I should say where the thieves had been from marks I saw. I ignored it and continued walking around the area.

When we walked back outside I nodded to the guard officer, “They will probably try again tonight. If you can have your guards continue their normal patrols I should be able to catch them.”

I looked at Baron Trindal, “They were not after anything in your warehouse my lord. They were in your office.”

He started and opened his mouth but I held my hand up, “I imagine you have a strong box. Do not do anything like removing your money. Do business like normal and I will catch those responsible.”

I turned and walked away before they could say anything. I made a stop on the way home for some stout cordage. I relaxed when I got home and closed my eyes, it was going to be a long night. When I opened my eyes the light from the window was just starting to dim so I knew the sun was going down. I quickly bathed and dressed before leaving the house.