Other than the distinct smell of poison from the bloodstain, Nessa is unable to add anything more to the investigation of the flat.
Finding no further clues here, you leave the beggar to his own devices and make your way to Smeed's. Arriving to his business office/home on Rat Street, you approach the main door.
Arriving at Smeeds place on Rat street, Elek sees Larur's sable-lined cloak, blood and filth-stained, half-buried under refuse behind Smeed's house by a back door. He points to the cloak, "Does that look familiar to anyone else?"
He guestures towards the handleless back door. "Should we check the house for any other enterances? If we find any, we should park someone here to keep Smeed from fleeing."
As the group approaches, Chalkou pulls up short, and points to a pile of refuse behind Eed’s back door. He whispers ”Isn’t that Larur’s cloak there?”
"Either Larur was here, or someone wants us to think he was," Khavakra says quetly.
"Either way we need to look around. Anyone know how to get past that door without making noise?"
Nessa was relieved to leave the beggar behind and shocked to find Larur's cloak behind Smeed's place. Nessa considered the situation and said, "I think it's too convenient to find this here, even though Smeed is backed by someone he wouldn't be this sloppy he only lives if help arrives in time after all." After considering how to get inside and talk to Smeed Nessa said, "Let me see what I can do he might not let all of us in but maybe he'll let me in at least." Walking around to the door to Smeed's place Nessa knocked and said in a sultry voice, "Master Smeed? I've been sent to entertain you this evening for your excellent work lately."
Elek looks from Khavakra to Nessa, "I might be able to tease the door open. Nessa's idea may work, why don't I wait here by the back door to see if Smeed just tries to escape instead." When Nessa goes around the front to knock on the door, Elek, club in hand, waits by the rear door.
As Nessa approaches the door, the rest of you take cover just out of sight, Elek covering the back. The sliding panel on the door opens and the tiefling is greeted with a pair of piggish eyes, the right one sporting a painful-looking sty. Smeed's face is covered in sweat and a puff of cigar smoke blows out of the panel.
"Dafuq? I didn't order any ... wait, ain't you one of the Sting's girls?" He grumbles, "Boss didn't say anything about an alliance with Pamodae."
Nessa giggled at the man through his door, "Well of course I'm one of Mistress Pamodae's girls silly, all of us are." She smiled winsomely through the door panel, "And I said nothing about an alliance, you know we stay away from those. Your boss simply wanted the best for you so he came to us directly is all." She looked at him more directly, "Of course I can't fulfill my role if I can't come in, or you don't come out." Her tone was much more suggestive as she continued, "And I ever so much want to do my part Master Smeed."
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Khavakra frowns, and looks at the others.
"Who is this 'Dafuq?'" she whispers. "And did Smeed mistake Nessa for this Dafuq? Or is that someone within the house that he is calling on?"
Smeed is silent for a moment, staring through Nessa as his thoughts churn. Finally, he lets out a quiet whine before slowly sliding the panel shut and Nessa hears the rapid unlocking of an elaborate lock. The thick door opens just enough for her to slide in.
"Quickly, before anyone cares to notice."
Nessa slipped inside the door as it opened and turned to watch as he closed it behind him. When he was finished she smiled mischievously at him and asked, "And how would you like me Master Smeed," She looked around the room nervously, Nessa was alone in here with someone who mighthave killed Larur after all, "I am your's for the night."
"Really, now?" Smeed's eyebrow cocks as he closes the door, not locking it. "Well, I'd like you to try something difficult for you: honest."
He places a sweaty hand on the hilt of his short sword, curved and of Keleshite origins, but does not draw it. He is a full foot shorter than Nessa, but his eyes glare into hers. "I don't know what game you Veil girls are up to lately, but you should know better than to lie to someone in my line of work. I'd have told you to piss off, but I've learned the hard way not to piss off you Stingers. So, in interest of being diplomatic, I'm going to ask you one question. What happens next is reliant on your answer."
"Who is my boss?"
Nessa knew that she was in hot water having been caught out, but she also knew from Smeed's own admission that he didn't want to anger the temple, so she decided to do something different, honesty. She paid no attention to his sword as he threatened and asked his question and said, "Truthfully I don't know who your boss is. The important question you should be asking is what do you know about the missing dwarf Larur who worked for Saul Vankaskerkin?" She gave him an arch look, "We were trying to find him when he didn't show up and we were pointed to you." She kept calm as she talked and maintained eye contact, "I don't think that you would kill him, have him killed if he whelched a debt sure but not murdered for no reason, and you wouldn't have left his bloody cloak in the alley outside your home." Nessa gave him a friendly smile, "i think someone wants you dead and tried to make us kill you," her smile turned into a frown, "I don't like being used like that."
"I should have known Saul'd be behind this." Smeed sighs and leans against the wall in the antichamber you two are standing in, wiping his brow. "I don't know who wouldn't be after my blood in this town, but I have had nothing to do with that dwarf. Sure he opened a loan with me, but he had just paid it off two nights ago. I haven't seen him since."
"I'm glad you seem to have a brain to match your beauty, missie. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to get a glass for this fine red wine before me, but I've sworn off Pamodae and her ladies. Now, unless you desire a loan," he gestures to the door, "get out. We have nothing further to discuss."
He then relights his cigar as he waits for Nessa to leave.
Nessa nodded and said, "Thanks Smeed, I'll tell the others what you told me, the the stuff they need to know anyway." She started towards the door and, just before she left, she asked back over her shoulder, "Any idea who might want Larur killed?" She gave him a moment to answer and then slipped out the door.
The little man draws deeply of his cigar before letting it out in a nasal sigh. "Larur Feldin was a proud, honest dwarf, too good for this rat's nest of a town. He wasted his life being Saul's partner, literally if he is dead in some gutter." He gives you a sidelong glance as you slip away. "Be careful you don't do the same."
As you leave, you hear him lock the door behind you. You regroup and inform the others of what you learned.
Nessa slipped out of the door without further comment and met up with her companions. When she had them all together she said, "He didn't do it, he had no clue about any of this and no reason. Larur paid off the debt already and wouldn't have been coming here." She looked at the group as she folded down her wings and hooked the forclaws together at her throat, "Surely Saul knew this, Larur didn't seem the type to not tell his boss. So why would Saul send us here if the debt was already paid off?"
Having waited near the back until the others come get him, he looks from Nessa to Chalkou and Khavakra, "If you three think Sneed isn't involved, I won't insist on questioning him myself, what did he know about and 'darkland poison'?"
He turns back to Nessa when she starts to imply Saul has something to do with. "Before I question our employer, I would like to speak to Sneed's financier, who is it?"
"Perhaps Saul has some grudge against Smeed he thought he could manipulate us into settling for him? Or maybe he wants us chasing wild geese so we don't find something out?"
Khavakra returns to the area where they found the bloody evidence behind Smeed's house. She begins to examine the area thoroughly.
"I am not ready to accuse Saul of anything. Perhaps there are more clues here if we look carefully."
Khavakra finds another stark white hair on the cloak, but there are no further clues to be found here.
Nessa sighed as it seemed she was misunderstood and said, "I don't mean to say that Saul did this, or had it done, only that it's strange that he sent us here when he should have known there was no reason to be here." She frowned slightly and then continued, "I don't plan to accuse him of anything but I think we should keep our eyes open around him."
Nessa's serpentine gaze turned to focus on Elek then and said, "No, I didn't think to ask about 'darklands poison' and I don't think he knows anything. I didn't ask about his boss either cause you just don't do that."
Looking next to Chalkou Nessa replied, "He shouldn't have a reason since the loan was paid off. I guess there might be something else going on but I don't know what it would be."
"Something is afoot here that just isn't right," Khavakra says, holding up the white hair. "We found Darklands poison earlier, and bolts made from Darklands wood. Now this hair... due to the lack of sunlight many creatures of the Darklands have white hair."
"Perhaps we ought to look at places where denizens of the Darklands might gain access to this city. Sewers, tunnels, entrances to the underground. Sadly I haven't been here long and I'm not sure where such things might be found."
'So were just going to take Sneed's word and go on?' Looking at Nessa dumbfounded, "Didn't ask about poison? Even more we didn't ask about his boss, 'cause you just don't do that'?"
Tapping the 'handle' of his cane into the palm of hand. "That's exactly the type of work we were hired to do! If you don't think Smeed's involved fine, but at least tell me you saw his books proving Larur paid off his debt."
Frustrated he turns to Khavakra, "Afoot' is right, someone from the darklands is involved, But aren't' there hundreds of places the 'darklands' might gain access to the city? How do we narrow it down?"
Looking back toward Nessa, "No one I know knows who Smeed's employer is, and I know a lot of people. If their from the darklands, it would shed a lot of light on this situation."
Turning a glare on Elek Nessa's wings mantled as she said, "I didn't see you go in there to talk to him without breaking the door down and making an enemy of him and his boss Elek. You might have been able to push him a bit more or beat him down until he talked. He wouldn't have shown me the books even if I asked him to, that's not how this works, I could tell he wasn't lying to me, I'm sure of it. When it comes to his backer I'll see what I can find out, someone at the temple likely knows something and I'll see what the information costs. I'll see what I can find out about the Darklands there as well and who might sell poisons from there." Her glare was harsh as she said, "Of course if you'd rather do the investigation work yourself Elek feel free, maybe then you'll be satisfied."
Nessa seemed to be working herself up into a tizzy and looked around the place for something to break or otherwise destroy that wasn't Elek or her other companions. She finally spied a bit of rubble and started calling up globs of acid to splatter on it and slowly melt it into a puddle of goo.
'Well, I think I got her riled.' shaking his head, "I assumed that we would spook him and he would head out the back. That back door was built to be a bolt hole. If he didn't run I doubt he has much to hide. I just hate failing."
He smiles as the acid destroys the rubble, "I'm not adverse to the idea of going back and beating the truth out of him, if that's what we need to do. Or we could just wait and see who shows up or follow him if he leaves."
Shrugging "We still don't know anything about anyone from the underdark. Going and asking at the temple may work, it wouldn't take all of us. While you go inquire from the priestess someone may want to say here and watch Smeed."
He looks from Khavakra to Chalkou, asking "Any ideas where else we can inquire?"
"Let me take a look at the cloak." Chalkou says, moving closer. When allowed to examine it, he holds it up to his face and takes several long sniffs of it.
Of course the eight crime lords themselves would know about these things. Overlord Gaston Cromarcky might also know, depending on how informed the crime lords keep him. You know the crime lord Avery Slyeg handles the smuggling operations and would know about foreign tools of the trade. Crime lord Varnal "Split Face" Knocmar deals in information brokering. Boss Croat is the crime lord who organizes assassinations.
Gaston Cromarcky lives on Maskyr's Island, Avery Slyeg operates from the River Runner Inn, Split Face wanders the Rotgut District, Croat has a fortified manor at the end of Silk Street in northern Riddleport.
Shaking his head, "There are crime lords who may know more information about poisons and foreign smuggled goods, but I would rather not be in their debt if it can be avoided."
Chalkou hands the cloak back. "Well, aside from the refuse, it definitely smells like the Goblin. Mostly the basement. Did Larur spend much time in the basement?"
Chalkou hands the cloak back. "Well, aside from the refuse, it definitely smells like the Goblin. Mostly the basement. Did Larur spend much time in the basement?"
Khavakra's ears perk up when the basement is mentioned.
"The basement? I don't know, but... if there was a hidden entrance to the underground in our basement that would explain a lot. Larur may have discovered it and the Darklanders killed him for it."
"I think we should return to the Gold Goblin right away and check it out."
'It's a long shot, but better that than owing one of the crime bosses.' Nodding his head in agreement, Elek begins heading back to the 'Gold goblin.' "Yes, let's check there first, then if nothing else we can ask Nessa to use her contacts or speak to one of the crime bosses."
As you return to the Gold Goblin, you see Lixy exiting the front doors, pulling a hood over her head and ducking into the shadows of early afternoon.
Entering, you'd see the weekend crowds have started to gather. It's weird that Lixy is leaving now, this is usually her shift. Several patrons and customers catcall and whistle at Nessa or start bugging Elek and Chalkou with requests and questions. Khavakra is given a wide berth out of respect, as many cheaters have had their asses handed to them by the stoic "dwarven" woman.
'Curious, isn't it the start of Lixy's shift?' Thinking out loud, as they enter Elek remarks, "Odd, Lixy's leaving, it would have been nice to ask her about what she found at Feldin's. Oh well, we can speak to her the next time we see her."
Moving through the crowd, Elek asks, quietly "Shouldn't we inspect the basement while we can?" He continues moving that way, politely nodding to those with requests and questions, excusing himself continuing heading toward the basement.
Nessa noticed Lixy leaving but wasn't too concerned about it. Nessa took the catcalls and whistles in stride, in fact she loved them. Such things always made her feel good about herself and she occasionally would reciprocate if she felt like it. When Elek asked about checking the basement Nessa said, "I'd best stay up here if you do, your absence would likely be missed, mine wouldn't."
"We definitely shouldn't all disappear at once during business hours. One or two of us could probably slip away now, or we could wait until after closing time."
Khavakra watches Lixy leave the Gold Goblin and frowns.
She runs after her. "Hey, Lixy! Where are you going? Isn't this your shift?"
Lixy freezes as Khavakra calls out to her, the human woman giving a small grin as the shorter woman approaches her. "Ah, Miss Khavakra. Yes, normally you'd be right. But I ... I have a family matter to attend to. Mister Vancaskerkin has my shift covered."
Chalkou's feline eyes narrow. "Oh? What's that? Can we help somehow?" He asks, though it's fairly clear that he smells a rat.
Lixy avoids Chalkou's eyes, gripping her necklace tighter. "I ... no, thank you, though. This is a personal affair, and I'd rather not involve others."
She begins to back away, about ready to bolt once she is clear.
Khavakra grows to an impressive size, towering over Lixy.
"Does this have something to do with Larur? Lixy, you better tell us what is going on."
"What? Larur? No I ..." Lixy eyes widen as this isn't the first time she's seen Khavakra use this ability before, but it is still quite impressive to witness. Finally, she sighs. "Fine. You all want to know my business so badly? Follow me."
She turns curtly and begins to walk towards the Rotgut District without waiting for your response, but slow enough that following her would not be an issue. As she turns away, she tucks the necklace beneath her tunic.
Realizing they weren't headed to the basement, Elek joins the conversation with Lixy, following along with the others.