Gabe could hear a jaunty jig being played on the fiddle as they approached the door. The air near the entrance smelled of stale beer and the sound of a roomful of different conversations could be heard over the music. Gabe opened the door and held it for his companions. As they walked in, he got a better look at the room. In one end of the tavern there was a large bar being manned by a female dwarf with wild, curly red hair pulled into a loose ponytail. In the corner of the room there was a small stage that was currently occupied by a halfling dancing and playing the fiddle. The room was filled with many long tables surrounded by people eating and drinking. The three of them looked around and then at each other. With a shrug, Gabe headed in and went straight to the bar. 

            The Dwarf eyed them as they approached and her eyes fell on the insignia that graced the breast plate of their armor. “I can’t say you lot look like any lawmen I’ve ever seen. How can I help you lad.” Her voice was full feminine and held a hint of an accent that sounded very similar to an Irish accent to Gabe’s ears.

            Gabe sat down on one of the basic well-worn stools and said “We are here investigating a murder that happened last night.”

            “Ah yes Grace. The poor lass. She was a good one.” The dwarf sat down the glass she was polishing and gave them her full attention.

            Kat was all but bouncing she was so excited. “Wait, you knew her. I can’t believe our luck. You are the first person we asked.” Then seeing the sad look on the dwarven woman’s face she added quickly “Sorry for your loss.”

            “Ay, I can’t say that I was too close to her, but I’ll be missing the poor girl all the same.”

            “What can you tell us about her?” Gabe asked with a sympathetic voice, while studying the look on the Dwarf’s sad face.

            “Well, she was a good lass that fell on hard times. She used to work at the textile plant down the road till one day she was fired. After that she had trouble finding a job and ended up having to sell herself to make enough money to live. I never saw who her suitors were, but I let her rent the small apartment out back. She was never late on rent.” The dwarf started to tear up but instead poured herself a strong drink.

            “Can we get the key to her apartment?” Sinclair interjected, oblivious of the emotional turn this conversation had taken.

            Gabe and Kat both shot him a dirty look, but the barkeep said” Ay, you may.” And she handed him a large metal key.

            “May I ask your name before we leave. I’m Gabriel but everyone calls me Gabe.” He didn’t want to leave without getting her name.

            “Ay, my name is Helga. Nice to meet you Gabe. When you catch this monster, the drinks are on me.” With that they turned away from Helga and headed for the door.

###

            Kat watched as Sinclair opened the door to the small apartment built onto the back of the tavern. The Dwarf hadn’t given them much to work with, but hey, maybe there is more to find in the apartment. It was just about noon and already they were getting somewhere with their search, and Kat thanked her lucky stars that they had gotten this far. She kept shifting her weight from foot to foot, the unfamiliar weight of the sword on her hip was making her uncomfortable. When Sinclair stopped fumbling with the lock, he opened the door and walked inside. Gabe seemed to hesitate on the door step, torn between going in and not wanting to enter a woman’s room without permission. That was always her favorite thing about Gabe he was such a chivalrous guy. She headed through the door while he decided what to do.

            The apartment was pretty small. There was a bed on one side of the apartment with what looked like a thread bare quilt and plain linen sheets upon it. A small set of drawers and a plain flat top writing desk sat on the wall near the bed. On top of the desk there were small knickknacks, a bottle of what Kat assumed was cheap perfume. Some powders that appeared to be what they used for makeup around here and a jewelry box.

            Toward the other side of the room there was a wardrobe and a coat rack. A small basin filled with water sat on a stand and there was what appeared to be some kind of old timey wood heater. Kat approached the writing desk and glanced over the things there. Her eye kept getting drawn to the jewelry box. It was very pretty, much prettier than she thought someone living in these circumstances should be able to afford. It had on it a painting of birds sitting in a tree. The edges had gold trim, and if she wasn’t mistaken the latch had a piece of pearl inlaid in it. Kat studied the box for a few more moments before she opened the latch and lifted the lid.

            There was a small mirror in the center of the lid and it was surrounded by red velvet lining. She looked through the contents of the box and there was some nice but basic jewelry. A ring with a small piece of ruby set in it. A necklace with a metal butterfly medallion, and a bracelet. Nothing to fancy, but as before, it was nicer than she thought someone who was so down on her luck would have. She examined them further when she noticed a hole in the bottom of the box near the back right corner. Hooking the tip of her finger in it she pulled a false bottom up and out of the box.

            “Holy crap, this is so cool” she thought as she looked at the hidden contents of the box. “It’s like I’m in one of those spy movies.” She heard Sinclair Gabe start chatting in the back ground as she pulled out a bundle of letters. “Hey guys I found something.” She called. Gabe and Sinclair stopped looking through the wardrobe to see what she had. Kat pulled one out and read the first letter. What she read made her tear up.

            Gabe put his hand on Kat’s shoulder “What is it? What’s wrong?”

            Kat looked at him “She had a daughter.”

            “Oh” Gabe sat down on the bed saddened and shocked by the news.

            Kat picked the letter back up. “It says in here. Her daughter is growing into a beautiful young girl. That she plays with the doll that she had sent her and asks when mommy will come to see her again. It is simply signed Lorrie. She must be a friend of hers.”

           Kat sat down next to Gabe to let this new information sink in. She watched as Sinclair went over to the letters and picked one up. He opened his letter and began to read. He smiled and said in his best British accent “Ah, a clue.”

           Gabe and Kat both looked up at him. “What?” they both asked in unison.

            “This letter” he responded “is a love letter from one Mr. Cotton. It speaks all about how he yearned for her. How his heart sings songs of her and her golden hair. Cheesy stuff like that.” Then Sinclair stopped talking and gave both of them a funny look. “What are you doing?”

            Kat and Gabe looked at each other. “Sitting.”

            “On her bed?” Sinclair was giving them a dubious look.

           “Yes?” Kat looked at Sinclair now thoroughly puzzled.

            Sinclair raised his eyebrow “And what was her job?”

           “Eww!” Kat and Gabe exclaimed in synch as they jumped up.

Next Chapter: Chapter 5