"So... What is this about Tane?"
Coatleque shifted slightly in her chair. Her expression almost fell to a pout at the change from distraction to business. She caught herself, however, and decided against being overly dramatic in this case. She sighed and thought for a moment before continuing.
"Oh yes, Al... you had asked me to find his murderer before. One of our exchanges of favors, if you recall."
"Aye, Tane was one of my employees."
"Yes, Miss Callae told me. Or rather she gave me enough hints that I could figure that bit out on my own. I placed a bounty on her head in hopes of finding a lead. Someone has finally contacted me in that regards."
"Oh? Do tell.", he said flatly.
"A woman approached me and offered to hand the target over to me. She was not herself interested in the reward."
"Why would she do this?"
"She seemed to think the woman would be safer in my hands than she is now.", Coatleque continued with some hint of amazement. "I was hoping you would tell me if your interest in this was more than simple justice."
Jameson leaned back in his chair with a shrug. This change of conversation had brought her into her inspector's mindset. She watched him with the usual quizzical expression she typically had in his presence. It was only a matter of time now before someone was bound to interrupt them, such was her luck.
"I know nothing about this woman, but she did kill an employee of mine. I want to know why, and Tane... knew certain sensitive things. It is a matter of security that she is caught and questioned."
Coatleque found herself swirling her glass slowly as he spoke, not lifting it from the table.
"What is this woman's predicament? Who is she? Where this is concerned, Lady Crofte, I only need to make show of the fact that one does not kill a man under my employ and simply roam free. I am still not sure why she would be safer in your hands rather than..."
She cut him off with an abrupt sigh.
"No ulterior motives? No hidden agendas? I hope you do trust me enough in this matter."
"Ahhh..." Jameson tapped his gloved fingers on his wine glass in thought.
"I had not put out any particular orders regarding the woman."
She nodded slowly, still watching him.
"Then I shall do what I must to bring her in. In a related matter, do you know the name Anduron?"
Jameson looked up just then as the server had returned carrying two plates of eft steak. One was placed before each of them and after a slight bow the man left them again. Neither of them would say it, but the interruption was quite welcome at this point. Coatleque took up her napkin and unfolded it, placing it across her lap as she uncrossed her legs to assume a more rigid posture.
"I do know the name. A Royalist noble family. Why that name?"
"Royalist?"
Her fork held in her left hand, she slowly cut a piece of the steak and ate one small bite rather slowly, properly.
"As far as I know, the family is. Now, their eldest son... is a Blade Captain."
"Ah, yes. Captain Anden Anduron."
"Ah. Yes. He. Have you crossed paths with him before?"
"I have never met the man, though his name has crossed my desk. I believe there were three Sworn assigned to his command at one point?"
She phrased the last bit as a question as if to invoke the memories back for Taeros regardless of his attempt to ignore them. His voice had become clipped, short even. A change she had picked up on. It was obvious she might now be privy to things that perhaps he did not know himself.
"Come now, do you still think me so ill-informed? It has been many months since we've met. I am not so... amateur... as I was.", she declared with a slightly prideful grin.
Jameson took on as patient a look as he could muster, exhaling slowly through is nose again as before.
"It is not your lack of information. That affair... it had gone not as I had intended."
With that he took up his glass once more to drink.
"It is past.", she continued with a shrug. "And how would you have intended it?"
Jameson set his glass down again, one gloved finger tapping at the edge of the glass. He thought for a few moments before taking up his utensils. All the while, Coatleque continued to eat slowly, watching him. He was choosing his words carefully. She had come to know this familiar pause in their dialogues. This game of how much she can coax from him while he considered exactly what he could trust her with. He finally broke the silence.
"Some things that happened were... unforeseen."
"Only good things I hope.", she replied in an attempt to lighten the mood.
His gaze was broken now as he attended to his meal. His smile fading.
"Some good. Others not so."
"Mmm, yes. Dealing with me must have been so trying for you. But what are the good things you speak of?"
He glanced back up to her with a smirk.
"The relationships developed with the Sworns, I consider the good things. I got to know Natalie well through all of it. And now here you are."
"I take it someone else was none to pleased though. But yes, here I am. Sitting in the same place where we had our very first conversation."
Jameson set his utensils aside and leaned back, taking up his wine.
"What acquaintances I make should please and displease no one else but me. As long as I do what I do, and well."
"As you say. Though if we are to continue this, I may be more inclined to care about who displeases you."
There was a pause after her last statement. Jameson was clearly dodging the issue, though his voice had returned to its usual pleasant tone. His eyes darted back to the wine in hand as he thought once more. She stopped eating herself and sipped at her own wine, slowly, eyes not leaving his the whole time. It was he who once again broke the silence before it became awkward.
"I speak no ill of those I work with, nor many acquaintances, no matter what my true opinion of them may be. That would not bode well for me in the end. Considering the life I lead, and the job I do. So... Lady Crofte? You ask me for my confidence when you ask such things. Can I trust you?"
"I would agree, if I was only here to do business. But I thought tonight was to be a distraction. Even you should be allowed to speak your mind now and again, to an impartial ear.", she replied with as much understanding in her voice as she could. In a way this was a similarity they shared. Knowing too much for their own good and not able to share such burdens with anyone else.
"I told you once. I keep our... affairs private. I still wonder if you do as well. I know you have told me so, and I would naught ever want to doubt your honor. But I have confessed to you my suspicions."
She smiled slightly with a tilt of her head. A familiar line she had used many times in her career. "I am, if nothing else, honorable."
"I have many enemies. I count you not as one among them. But I do believe you are acquainted... and allied with many. Many whom would like to see my head on a platter."
"They would. I, however, prefer to avoid such bloodshed."
"I confided in Natalie and she took my words to her grave. Should I share this with you, as I did with her...
Would you do the same?"
Coatleque shifted slightly in her chair. Her expression almost fell to a pout at the change from distraction to business. She caught herself, however, and decided against being overly dramatic in this case. She sighed and thought for a moment before continuing.
"Oh yes, Al... you had asked me to find his murderer before. One of our exchanges of favors, if you recall."
"Aye, Tane was one of my employees."
"Yes, Miss Callae told me. Or rather she gave me enough hints that I could figure that bit out on my own. I placed a bounty on her head in hopes of finding a lead. Someone has finally contacted me in that regards."
"Oh? Do tell.", he said flatly.
"A woman approached me and offered to hand the target over to me. She was not herself interested in the reward."
"Why would she do this?"
"She seemed to think the woman would be safer in my hands than she is now.", Coatleque continued with some hint of amazement. "I was hoping you would tell me if your interest in this was more than simple justice."
Jameson leaned back in his chair with a shrug. This change of conversation had brought her into her inspector's mindset. She watched him with the usual quizzical expression she typically had in his presence. It was only a matter of time now before someone was bound to interrupt them, such was her luck.
"I know nothing about this woman, but she did kill an employee of mine. I want to know why, and Tane... knew certain sensitive things. It is a matter of security that she is caught and questioned."
Coatleque found herself swirling her glass slowly as he spoke, not lifting it from the table.
"What is this woman's predicament? Who is she? Where this is concerned, Lady Crofte, I only need to make show of the fact that one does not kill a man under my employ and simply roam free. I am still not sure why she would be safer in your hands rather than..."
She cut him off with an abrupt sigh.
"No ulterior motives? No hidden agendas? I hope you do trust me enough in this matter."
"Ahhh..." Jameson tapped his gloved fingers on his wine glass in thought.
"I had not put out any particular orders regarding the woman."
She nodded slowly, still watching him.
"Then I shall do what I must to bring her in. In a related matter, do you know the name Anduron?"
Jameson looked up just then as the server had returned carrying two plates of eft steak. One was placed before each of them and after a slight bow the man left them again. Neither of them would say it, but the interruption was quite welcome at this point. Coatleque took up her napkin and unfolded it, placing it across her lap as she uncrossed her legs to assume a more rigid posture.
"I do know the name. A Royalist noble family. Why that name?"
"Royalist?"
Her fork held in her left hand, she slowly cut a piece of the steak and ate one small bite rather slowly, properly.
"As far as I know, the family is. Now, their eldest son... is a Blade Captain."
"Ah, yes. Captain Anden Anduron."
"Ah. Yes. He. Have you crossed paths with him before?"
"I have never met the man, though his name has crossed my desk. I believe there were three Sworn assigned to his command at one point?"
She phrased the last bit as a question as if to invoke the memories back for Taeros regardless of his attempt to ignore them. His voice had become clipped, short even. A change she had picked up on. It was obvious she might now be privy to things that perhaps he did not know himself.
"Come now, do you still think me so ill-informed? It has been many months since we've met. I am not so... amateur... as I was.", she declared with a slightly prideful grin.
Jameson took on as patient a look as he could muster, exhaling slowly through is nose again as before.
"It is not your lack of information. That affair... it had gone not as I had intended."
With that he took up his glass once more to drink.
"It is past.", she continued with a shrug. "And how would you have intended it?"
Jameson set his glass down again, one gloved finger tapping at the edge of the glass. He thought for a few moments before taking up his utensils. All the while, Coatleque continued to eat slowly, watching him. He was choosing his words carefully. She had come to know this familiar pause in their dialogues. This game of how much she can coax from him while he considered exactly what he could trust her with. He finally broke the silence.
"Some things that happened were... unforeseen."
"Only good things I hope.", she replied in an attempt to lighten the mood.
His gaze was broken now as he attended to his meal. His smile fading.
"Some good. Others not so."
"Mmm, yes. Dealing with me must have been so trying for you. But what are the good things you speak of?"
He glanced back up to her with a smirk.
"The relationships developed with the Sworns, I consider the good things. I got to know Natalie well through all of it. And now here you are."
"I take it someone else was none to pleased though. But yes, here I am. Sitting in the same place where we had our very first conversation."
Jameson set his utensils aside and leaned back, taking up his wine.
"What acquaintances I make should please and displease no one else but me. As long as I do what I do, and well."
"As you say. Though if we are to continue this, I may be more inclined to care about who displeases you."
There was a pause after her last statement. Jameson was clearly dodging the issue, though his voice had returned to its usual pleasant tone. His eyes darted back to the wine in hand as he thought once more. She stopped eating herself and sipped at her own wine, slowly, eyes not leaving his the whole time. It was he who once again broke the silence before it became awkward.
"I speak no ill of those I work with, nor many acquaintances, no matter what my true opinion of them may be. That would not bode well for me in the end. Considering the life I lead, and the job I do. So... Lady Crofte? You ask me for my confidence when you ask such things. Can I trust you?"
"I would agree, if I was only here to do business. But I thought tonight was to be a distraction. Even you should be allowed to speak your mind now and again, to an impartial ear.", she replied with as much understanding in her voice as she could. In a way this was a similarity they shared. Knowing too much for their own good and not able to share such burdens with anyone else.
"I told you once. I keep our... affairs private. I still wonder if you do as well. I know you have told me so, and I would naught ever want to doubt your honor. But I have confessed to you my suspicions."
She smiled slightly with a tilt of her head. A familiar line she had used many times in her career. "I am, if nothing else, honorable."
"I have many enemies. I count you not as one among them. But I do believe you are acquainted... and allied with many. Many whom would like to see my head on a platter."
"They would. I, however, prefer to avoid such bloodshed."
"I confided in Natalie and she took my words to her grave. Should I share this with you, as I did with her...
Would you do the same?"