Having noticed a certain lackadaisical attitude among the staff, Cameron waits till his first break and heads to the staff 'canteen'. The goblin didn't have a canteen, but people often gathered in a pantry adjoining the kitchen because that's where the coffee urn was. Putting his head quietly around the door he spots a couple of slackers and asks, "What's up today? Has there been news?"
A young woman , probably one of the waitresses, answers Cameron
Yes, we haven't seen Larur yet.. Maybe he's just late, but that's not his style. Usually, everyone knows what there is to do... But today, we're , well, waiting.
Therric looks down at his feet. "Y'know... I did." He steps outside of Alayna's room.
Where's Nessa? I need to apologize to her. He starts wandering around the Gold Goblin with a bit of a guilty look on his face.
"Ugh," Nessa growled out as she was told of Saul being out at the moment. Therric arrived just in time to see her stomp her foot in anger and glare around before she saw him. She gave him a rather wicked smile as the guards looked uneasy, word of her temper had gotten around as had the destruction that could follow in her wake.
"Er... Nessa?" Therric shifts awkwardly from foot to foot. "I, uh... I didn't mean to make you storm off like that. What I said was uncalled for, and it was because I was still hurting from that fight last night. I'm sorry."
Nessa considered Therric's apology and reached out to take uis hand as she said, "Come with me." As she led him into a private room Therric could feel that her skin wasn't skin but actually very tiny and delicate scales.
"Er..." His cheeks turn red. "...well, I can't really guarantee much. I mean, I've never done this sorta thing before. If you're comfortable with it, then..."
Blissfully unaware of the shenanigans going on in the closet, and probably with Alayna on his mind, Cameron asked the staff, "That's not like him at all. Who saw Larur last? Maybe he's ill, I'd better go check. Oh and for today just do what ever Larur would normally tell you to do ok?" Cameron smiles in an attempt to motivate them but he can't help thinking, 'My brother would find this so easy, he'd have them all wrapped round his little finger... Silas what happened to you?It's been years, are you even alive?'
Larur gives us orders, tell us if there's something specific to do, or if someone must be payed attention to.That kind of day to day things
Cameron sighs, "I'll try and find out what's happened to him, hope he's OK. Best pretend you're busy with something, in case Saul notices..."
As soon as he'd said it, Cameron realized, 'Saul... Yeah I get to speak to him again, great.' He marched up to Saul's door and as often happened he hesitated. There was something about the man, he couldn't put his finger on what, but Saul put him on edge. A moment passed and feeling slightly foolish, he knocked the door.
If Saul answers, Cameron enters and says, "Morning Boss. Um, the er staff are a bit concerned. Nobody has seen Larur, I've never known him to be late..."
Cameron listens intently for anything Saul might say or not say.
Therric emerges from the closet, smoothing his shirt & breeches and heading off to his room to get changed into his armour.
Right--back to work. Note to self: ask about Sylee later.
Nessa steppe out of the closet shortly before Therric and saw Cameron at Saul's door. She walked over to him looking quite satisfied and said, [v]"He isn't there Cam, he's attending to business. What's up?"[/v]
Cameron noted Therric exit the closet followed shortly after by Nessa. Shaking his had slightly he thought, 'Wow isn't he a, uh well Saranrae *is* pretty lenient come to think of it'
Nessa walked over and asked a question. "I think Ther..." realizing he was about to say something very crude, Cameron stops suddenly, takes a breath and then tells Nessa soberly, "Larur didn't turn up for work today, that never happens. I was about to ask the boss, but I'd be willing to bet Larur is where ever Saul is. Something must be up."
Therric comes back to the conversation in time to catch the tail end of it.
"Eh? What's that about Larur & Saul now?"
"I wouldn't expect that Larur and Saul both would be absent, one of them would be here to manage things. the fact neither of them is has me worried." Her agitation began to express itself, her tail twitching as she considered teh situation, "I'd say go check on Larur but someone needs to stay here at least until Saul arrives. If the rest of you want to go check on him I'll stay here and keep tab on the place."
Where does Larur live? Is worse part of town than this? Is that even possible?
You were starting to ask questions about Larur when all of a sudden, Saul barges in the GG from the street. He seems a little out of breath.
After a few minutes, he calls you to his office upstairs, and close the door after you.
Folks, we have a problem. it's about Larur.I've send a runner to his home earlier, and he told me the dwarf's home is empty,the front door hanging open and its contents burgled, with no sign of Larur at all! The dwarf had some big money -My money-to give back to a moneylender so I could pay a part of my debt. I fears that Larur might have met with some sort of trouble, and suspects that trouble might have something to do with Lymas Smeed, the moneylender Larur was going to visit. Could you check on this?
Cameron nods and replies emphatically, "Yes. Where does Larur live? Who else knew about this transaction?"
Nessa followed Saul to his office and took a seat while he explained the problem, a very worrisome problem. She let the more intellectuals ask the questions, questioning wasn't her forte, at least not this kind of questioning.
Rat. T'was you or that other bilge rat, Zilcher. Alayna says nothing until the boss is done with his words. She listens as patient as she can while Cameron questions Saul.
Therric scratches his head in confusion, but keeps quiet for the time being. It looked like Cameron had things already well in hand.
As far as I know, no one knew but Larur and me, inside the Gold Goblin. As for Larur's adress, I must check my books, I don't know it by heart. Somewhere in the poor part of the town, he was quite tight on his money.
Cameron digests this for a moment and thinks, 'Something about this doesn't feel right, why would he have to look up Larur's address if he sent a runner? What's he not telling us? Why on earth would he allow Larur to store a large sum in a particularly dodgy area of town? Best plan, toe the line and ask a few dumb questions.'
Cameron politely asks a follow up question, "OK that would be great. So about this runner, I'm assuming they already knew where Larur lived. Who was it? Is he or she a suspect?"
There is a faint smile on Saul lips, and he nods to Cameron.
You're right, I know Larur's adress. It probably just slipped my mind, due to the shock.
He writes-clumsily, being one-handed, and gives the slip of paper to Cameron
It's not too far from Leeward District, on the eastern part of the town. And I honestly think the runner isn't suspect.
Therric peeks over at the address Saul gives them.
"Well, how soon do ya think we can get a move on?"
Tak, the sooner the better. There may be things to find still before looters pick it clean.
Saul interrupts you before you go
You ask me if I suspect someone, Cameron? I think the moneylender did it, so he could get even more money from me, by pretending he never received my paiment.
Alayna stands and steps into the hall, Nothin' he says can be taken at face value; he's like reading hun'red year ol' charts! Everywhere is dangerous and his track is a lie. Still, Alayna grins, "On ta' a new shore and another 'venture. Let me get my things."
"Right, we'll find him boss, and then we'll figure out what to do from there." With that Nessa bounced up from her chair and sashayed to the door in as sex a stroll as she could manage. As she did so she cast a surreptitious look at Therric to see if he noticed.
"Right. Just let me get my armour & stuff and we can get goin' right away." Therric says as he stands up to leave.
He notices Nessa strutting to the doorway, her hips swaying about without a care in the world. However, he's not such a boor that his eyes stay on her hips for long--he glances up in time to meet her eyes.
He clears his throat and walks back to his room.
Cameron listens to Saul's reply, 'I almost think Saul is... Actually no I'm being uncharitable, he may be withholding some things but believes that. I guess we'll have to talk to this money lender and. Wait did Nessa and Therric just become an item? Wow. Uh don't stare. Oh Saul is looking at me for an answer, I should say something.'
Snapping his eyes back to Saul, Cameron stammers, "Soooo um yeah, this Lymas Smeed. Where about in town is his shop? If we go there, how much heat is he likely to be packing? Being a money lender is dangerous profession at the best of times and here in this town. Uh. Well he's got to be more than a bit paranoid, particularly if he's done a number on Larur." Of course it remained to be seen if Lymas Smeed had done anything at all, it was a big town and Saul had plenty of enemies.
It isn't long before Therric returns, decked out in his banded mail and toting his weapons & gear.
"Alright--ready. How about the rest of you?"
Lymas lives in a flat in Rat Street.. a well deserved name for this street, and a fitting place for this guy. It's between the docks and the Leeward district, that's why I asked Larur to take the money to Lymas, it ins't too far from his own house.
So, should we head directly to this Smeed's business? Maybe there's some clues at Larur's flat.
Larur's. Something sthinks an' it's got claw marks all over it."
Cameron decides to play a wild card, just to see what Saul says. With a poker face, he replies to Alayna, "I agree, lets check Larur's place first. I wonder if we should inform our favorite Gendarme. If there's been a crime he'll want to know, besides he might actually help."
"Aye an' if we turn ta him he'll likely see us as honest merchants and purveyors of pervery."
Returning just as Alayna finished her statement Nessa said, "Purveeyor of Pervery here, you called?" She laughed a little and then said, "I'm ready if you are."
Therric smiles a little and chuckles.
"Shall we?"
Saul stays silent.
Angry, but silent.
He watches you going out of his office, and his one good hand seek a bottle under his desk.