At Stenwulf House

Chapter 9: Dead Man

Chapter 9: Dead Man

The cool morning air hit his face anew as he alighted from the carriage. The town was quiet still, its inhabitants asleep in the safe, warm embrace of their homes. In just another two hours, the town would be buzzing with life.

Calden stifled a yawn as he walked towards his destination. He had made sure to ask his coachman to stop a few blocks away from where he was expected; it was better to keep things quiet for now.

He took a number of steps forward, then turned right when he walked past a store selling pipes. The change to the atmosphere was almost immediate. Every building stood closer. Whatever light available from the sky was blocked out, drowning the surrounding area in shadows. Stray cats slinked from shadow to shadow, and from not too far away, hostile hisses could be heard.

He strolled past the brothels, which were alight but lacking of activity; the men must have left early to rest better in the comforts of their own home. Standing on the second floor, young women clad in sheer dresses giggled when they saw him, their perfume strong enough to penetrate his nostrils.

"Only two silvers, my lord!" one of them cried.

He ignored them, but couldn't help thanking the Gods that Fayre Everild was not amongst them. Lady Red... he had never visited it before, and didn't think he ever would, even though he'd heard of its extravagant amenities. It certainly worked in a way that aimed only to exploit naive women. Miss Everild hadn't said anything, but he could tell she had earned nothing during her stay there. It was common for a business to pay the Kalri with shelter, food and clothes, and there was only this much Calden could do to help bring about justice. He might disagree with the way things worked, but the law is the law, and the laws of this country barely had anything adequate to protect the Kalri, but still he fought whenever the chances were good.

Speaking of exploitation, it was about time he did something about that pervert Mr. Ackerley...

More seductive giggles filled the air, and Calden groaned as he felt his muscles tighten. That was when he realised it had been a while since he had visited the girls at Lady's Emporium. Perhaps, if he had the time, he would go, if only to stop the dreams he'd been having.

The alleyway opened up to Lumber Street. Calden crossed it, towards White Tavern. He could see three men gathered around the side of the huge, bricked building. It was quiet apart from the gentlemen's voices; the tavern had closed for the day.

"Ah, Stenwulf. Right on time," said Kendric Lindsur, one of the head police officers. Calden had worked with him before, and though his moustache might make him seem intimidating to many, he was actually a pleasant man who took his job seriously.

Calden nodded in greeting. "I came as quickly as I could, officer. Your messenger did a wonderful job waking everyone up."

Lindsur chuckled. "I'll be sure to send your compliments to Elaiso."

He gestured to the man standing beside him. "Stenwulf, this is Alistair Pollin, my partner for this case." The young policeman nodded.

"And this is  Mr. Dayton, the main man of this tavern. He was the one who found the body." Mr. Dayton made a concomitant nod. His pallor made him look extremely ill, the shock too much from having found someone dead.

"Good to meet you, Mr. Dayton. Tell me, how did you come upon the body?" asked Calden.

Mr. Dayton gulped. "I— I was checking if the garbage had been thrown away properly. You know how easily the rats will come and make a big mess if we don't keep the place clean, so I made it a routine to check everyday. That was when I see it, the body..." He gulped again, turning green in the face.