Only Darkness Lies

Chapter 18

Early in the morning Elvira hurriedly got ready to go to Zine. The hack driver who was supposed to take her was not there yet. Though she was impatient, she had no other choice but to wait for him.

Finally, around 8 in the morning the hack driver showed up with his hack. Without wasting any more time Elvira left with him for Zine.

While on their way, Elvira asked him to give her some information about that place.

He told her that it's a liquor shop where one could meet many sorts of people. While some of them show up to enjoy themselves, others, especially the 'not so good' people show up to discuss their plans. They are quite infamous among the people of the town. The bad people chose that place because they cannot come and go in any other liquor shop in the town as they wish. It may lead them to be caught in others traps. So they probably want to avoid the public's eyes as much as possible.

Then the hack driver asked Elvira her reason to be going in that place. She said she had to meet someone there.

"Are you one of them?" He asked, slowly looking back to meet her eyes.
"No" She replied.
"Then why did you want to know about those men yesterday?"
"I have some undone work with them" Elvira said in a firm voice.

The driver didn't ask anymore questions. It was about 10 in the morning when they reached Zine.

Elvira asked the hack driver to wait, saying that she will be done soon. The hack driver agreed, since he was being paid extra money for his service.

Elvira went in, there were many men in there. Most of them were sitting in groups of 4 or 6. She didn't like the smell of alcohol but had to tolerate it anyway.

She took out the portraits she bought with her and tried to find them among the people. They were not there, none of them were.

She asked the bartender about them, showing him the portraits.

His eyes lit up, he said, recognising them,"They are the owners of Cash pawn shop. They are my regular customers."
Elvira wanted to know more about them, she was sure that the bartender could give her more information. She asked him to tell her all about them but the bartender was not an easy going person. He wanted money for providing information. Sure, Tinpole was just what she had thought after listening to the man in the tea shop.

Elvira agreed to pay him, he smiled, as if he had won an argument.
He told her about them.

"As I said they are the owners of Cash Pawn shop. Even people from other places come to them for money. The three of them are friends. Ekom, Kin and Monre, pointing to their portraits. All are the same age, probably 24 or 26. No older than that. They often hang out together."

"Were can I find them?" She asked.
"Well.., I don't know their addresses but their pawn shop is in Tinpole, but I don't know exactly where." He said, smiling apologetically.
"Well, it's alright. I will find it. Thanks for helping me."

She paid him the money and left the shop. The driver was waiting for her under the hot sun.
She got on the hack, now, she would have to return to the inn. She could not ask him to take her to the Pawn Shop because she was short of money.

She asked him about Cash Pawn Shop. He said he knew the place, and could take her there. But, Elvira could not afford to go there by hack. Elvira politely refused, saying that she needs to take some rest in the inn and just wants to know the address. After they reached the inn, he gave her the address, and then left with his money. Elvira had to pay a large amount to him because of the time he had to wait for her.

After he left, Elvira went to the person behind the desk of the inn and asked him about the address. He gave her the directions. The shop was not far but she would have surely reached there sooner and more comfortably if she took the hack ride. But there was no point of thinking about it now, she had to cover the distance on foot.

It was afternoon already, so she decided to go to the shop after having lunch in a restaurant. After having lunch, she left for the shop and walked for about an hour before she finally reached there.