Warren read the nonchalance on her face and kept his own demeanor calm, though he couldn't help but glance over her shoulder to see if there was anyone suspect in the vicinity. Following the services for the departed, there was no one except the elezen and the highlander.
"I'm not sure I follow." There was little Warren felt he could say in response, but he was aware she had the upper hand in their exchange for the time being.
"I need to talk to you. I'm sure you'll have the same to say to me, so I suggest we go and have a chat someplace. I know a bar that's cozy for these sorts of things." Valeria's words came quickly, but not rushed.
Practiced. She knew what she wanted to say before she got here. She was waiting for you to show up. Ignore the feeling in your gut - for now - because this woman hasn't done anything wrong. Don't jump to any conclusions.
"I don't normally take up requests to go drinking, you know. I've got a reputation." He kept his tone light and casual, glancing off again to scout the walls of the city.
"I know you do, Warren. That's why I sought you out." She led the knight away with a gesture of her hand and a nod of her head, carefully-styled hair flowing with the movement. Warren tucked away that she spent time getting herself together before finding him, wondering what urgency she could possibly have before quietly reprimanding himself for again looking for shadows where there might only be a victim.
The Broken Sundial was indeed cozy, if such a word could be used to describe an enlarged broom closet. The bar appeared to be run by a roegadyn so large he looked as if the place had been built around him. He was stuffed into a corner, a series of unlabeled bottles adorning the rack behind him. The elezen exchanged a small nod and the roe set his sights on Warren, who looked back as disinterested as possible. Valeria led him to a table, more of a booth than anything, and slid herself daintily into the seating. Warren took his place opposite herself and tried to not feel as if he'd break the bench.
"It's part of the draw. Tiny place, cramped seating. Keeps a lot of folks only looking to get a drink away." Verene's tone spoke of familiarity and Warren kept his expression soft. There was a gentle tap of her leg on his knee and he wondered how intentional everything might have been.
"Vigilant Idol makes a great scarecrow, too." She smiled and waved a finger at the roe. "Got his tongue bit out in a bar fight a decade ago. It's to make sure that nothing in here gets talked about by anyone else." Warren could feel the penetrating glare of the roe on the side of his head and the knight turned, holding up a hand.
"I get the feeling he doesn't like me being here." The roe just stared.
"Of course not!" The elezen laughed quietly and looked at the highlander as if he was stating the obvious. "You're one of the good ones. People like you are the reason places like this even exist."
The elezen folded her hands in front of her, sitting straight up and raising a carefully plucked eyebrow. Her leg tapped Warren's again as she spoke. "It's alright. I need your help. Did you notice anything strange about the official statement regarding the deaths of Winthrop Higgenbottom and Bertus Bockenbower?"
Seeing what you know. She's been missing, knows there was a statement. She's checking out what you think.
Warren frowned slightly, shaking his head. "Official statements came from the Blades investigating. Ruled a suicide in both counts. Only thing that stood out to me is that the lady in their lives managed to disappear right after each time. From the first victim to the second, then from the second into thin air."
"We're not discussing me right now, Warren. I wanted to know-"
"We are. You're the only connection I've got between the two, and now you've suddenly sought me out. Brought me to a front. You're giving me lots of information, Miss Verene, but none of it is integral to anything I may or may not be looking into."
"And what you may or may not be looking into has already been declared closed by the Brass Blades. You think I don't know how it looks? I'll admit it here and nowhere else that my role in Figgenbottom's life was simply to discover channels, and my relationship with Bert wasn't a secret." She took a breath with vulnerable eyes watching the paladin, waiting to see if he would jump on again. When he didn't, she continued.
"There's a lot of things that happen behind closed doors, Warren. Figgenbottom was as legitimate a trader as you can get in this city, and he was clean; All of his sales and customs were one hundred percent authentic. What you saw was what you got. That's not where the money is, though... Bert knew that. He was looking for new ways to traffic in drugs - and I'm only even telling you this now because he's dead, and it doesn't do him any harm in confessing it! - and in these times, can you blame him? He had a connection that was going to bring in something new from Limsa, Bert figured he would be able to undercut the current values on Somnus and Brittleback and establish himself as a new mover and shaker."
Warren listened carefully, making sure to keep his expressions solid. The elezen was confirming not only his suspicions but those of likely a score of rival traders.
"Word must have gotten out. Unless Bockenbower had other reasons for just turning up dead one day."
"Oh, so you don't think it was suicide either, then?" The elezen smiled, following the thought to it's logical conclusion. "You think it was murder."
Warren cursed himself inwardly as he shrugged outwardly. "Reports say no foul play. Why would the Brass Blades have a reason to lie?"
"Why indeed, Warren. I can't answer that for right now, but I'm worried that I might end up dead over this, too. You saw me the night before Bertus was killed. I left that night, by carriage to Vesper and from Vesper to Costa. I've still got the ticket stubs to prove it."
The two sat in icy silence for a moment, though for different reasons. Warren was parsing everything Valeria was submitting, and she seemed frustrated that her gamble in talking to the paladin seemed to be backfiring.
"What is it you're thinking I can do? You don't have a name. You don't have a lead. You've got accusations at Brass Blades of either killing a man in cold blood and making it look like a murder or interfering for someone who wanted that. You're jumping at shadows thinking you're next. If the Blades wanted you out, they would have fingered you as suspect number one."
"They don't want this to look like anything suspicious. But I think I can get you a name, or at least a lead. I know where Bert kept his books, even if I never went looking through them. He would have killed me if he even thought I was peeking at his business."
"Those books are due property of whomever's acquiring his assets."
"And those assets aren't set to move until the day after his interment with Nald'Thal."
Warren didn't bring up that there wouldn't be any long-term interment. "That was this afternoon."
"So we've got until morning, Warren." The elezen smiled luridly.
"I'm not breaking into anyone's home on a wild goose chase," Warren lied.
"And I'm not asking you to." The elezen reached into her shirt and dug out a gold chain with a worn key at the end of it. She let it dangle, her eyebrow raising.
"I'm not sure I follow." There was little Warren felt he could say in response, but he was aware she had the upper hand in their exchange for the time being.
"I need to talk to you. I'm sure you'll have the same to say to me, so I suggest we go and have a chat someplace. I know a bar that's cozy for these sorts of things." Valeria's words came quickly, but not rushed.
Practiced. She knew what she wanted to say before she got here. She was waiting for you to show up. Ignore the feeling in your gut - for now - because this woman hasn't done anything wrong. Don't jump to any conclusions.
"I don't normally take up requests to go drinking, you know. I've got a reputation." He kept his tone light and casual, glancing off again to scout the walls of the city.
"I know you do, Warren. That's why I sought you out." She led the knight away with a gesture of her hand and a nod of her head, carefully-styled hair flowing with the movement. Warren tucked away that she spent time getting herself together before finding him, wondering what urgency she could possibly have before quietly reprimanding himself for again looking for shadows where there might only be a victim.
The Broken Sundial was indeed cozy, if such a word could be used to describe an enlarged broom closet. The bar appeared to be run by a roegadyn so large he looked as if the place had been built around him. He was stuffed into a corner, a series of unlabeled bottles adorning the rack behind him. The elezen exchanged a small nod and the roe set his sights on Warren, who looked back as disinterested as possible. Valeria led him to a table, more of a booth than anything, and slid herself daintily into the seating. Warren took his place opposite herself and tried to not feel as if he'd break the bench.
"It's part of the draw. Tiny place, cramped seating. Keeps a lot of folks only looking to get a drink away." Verene's tone spoke of familiarity and Warren kept his expression soft. There was a gentle tap of her leg on his knee and he wondered how intentional everything might have been.
"Vigilant Idol makes a great scarecrow, too." She smiled and waved a finger at the roe. "Got his tongue bit out in a bar fight a decade ago. It's to make sure that nothing in here gets talked about by anyone else." Warren could feel the penetrating glare of the roe on the side of his head and the knight turned, holding up a hand.
"I get the feeling he doesn't like me being here." The roe just stared.
"Of course not!" The elezen laughed quietly and looked at the highlander as if he was stating the obvious. "You're one of the good ones. People like you are the reason places like this even exist."
The elezen folded her hands in front of her, sitting straight up and raising a carefully plucked eyebrow. Her leg tapped Warren's again as she spoke. "It's alright. I need your help. Did you notice anything strange about the official statement regarding the deaths of Winthrop Higgenbottom and Bertus Bockenbower?"
Seeing what you know. She's been missing, knows there was a statement. She's checking out what you think.
Warren frowned slightly, shaking his head. "Official statements came from the Blades investigating. Ruled a suicide in both counts. Only thing that stood out to me is that the lady in their lives managed to disappear right after each time. From the first victim to the second, then from the second into thin air."
"We're not discussing me right now, Warren. I wanted to know-"
"We are. You're the only connection I've got between the two, and now you've suddenly sought me out. Brought me to a front. You're giving me lots of information, Miss Verene, but none of it is integral to anything I may or may not be looking into."
"And what you may or may not be looking into has already been declared closed by the Brass Blades. You think I don't know how it looks? I'll admit it here and nowhere else that my role in Figgenbottom's life was simply to discover channels, and my relationship with Bert wasn't a secret." She took a breath with vulnerable eyes watching the paladin, waiting to see if he would jump on again. When he didn't, she continued.
"There's a lot of things that happen behind closed doors, Warren. Figgenbottom was as legitimate a trader as you can get in this city, and he was clean; All of his sales and customs were one hundred percent authentic. What you saw was what you got. That's not where the money is, though... Bert knew that. He was looking for new ways to traffic in drugs - and I'm only even telling you this now because he's dead, and it doesn't do him any harm in confessing it! - and in these times, can you blame him? He had a connection that was going to bring in something new from Limsa, Bert figured he would be able to undercut the current values on Somnus and Brittleback and establish himself as a new mover and shaker."
Warren listened carefully, making sure to keep his expressions solid. The elezen was confirming not only his suspicions but those of likely a score of rival traders.
"Word must have gotten out. Unless Bockenbower had other reasons for just turning up dead one day."
"Oh, so you don't think it was suicide either, then?" The elezen smiled, following the thought to it's logical conclusion. "You think it was murder."
Warren cursed himself inwardly as he shrugged outwardly. "Reports say no foul play. Why would the Brass Blades have a reason to lie?"
"Why indeed, Warren. I can't answer that for right now, but I'm worried that I might end up dead over this, too. You saw me the night before Bertus was killed. I left that night, by carriage to Vesper and from Vesper to Costa. I've still got the ticket stubs to prove it."
The two sat in icy silence for a moment, though for different reasons. Warren was parsing everything Valeria was submitting, and she seemed frustrated that her gamble in talking to the paladin seemed to be backfiring.
"What is it you're thinking I can do? You don't have a name. You don't have a lead. You've got accusations at Brass Blades of either killing a man in cold blood and making it look like a murder or interfering for someone who wanted that. You're jumping at shadows thinking you're next. If the Blades wanted you out, they would have fingered you as suspect number one."
"They don't want this to look like anything suspicious. But I think I can get you a name, or at least a lead. I know where Bert kept his books, even if I never went looking through them. He would have killed me if he even thought I was peeking at his business."
"Those books are due property of whomever's acquiring his assets."
"And those assets aren't set to move until the day after his interment with Nald'Thal."
Warren didn't bring up that there wouldn't be any long-term interment. "That was this afternoon."
"So we've got until morning, Warren." The elezen smiled luridly.
"I'm not breaking into anyone's home on a wild goose chase," Warren lied.
"And I'm not asking you to." The elezen reached into her shirt and dug out a gold chain with a worn key at the end of it. She let it dangle, her eyebrow raising.
![[Image: yEROfKO.png]](http://i.imgur.com/yEROfKO.png)
