“I had planned to set a trap for him.”
“You suspected he would follow you? Good. I see more and more evidence that Shailer and I were correct in approaching you.”
They turned down a narrow, deserted alleyway that ran up the hillside to the back of the Red Bear. The sounds of a light scuffle came from behind them, but when Gray looked, there was nothing to see.
Bear muttered, “Sloppy. I’ll speak to my men.” Then he said nothing more until they reached another alley behind the inn. “Continue walking to the main road and enter the inn as innocently as you can. I will not join you until much later. Keep an eye out for Caldor and avoid him, if possible. Go to your room with an illness if he enters.”
Gray did as told. Inside the inn, he found an empty table, after scanning the room for Caldor. The fat lady at the entrance winked at him in such a way nobody else would see. He decided Bear must have also given her instructions. He took a bowl from the stack and filled it. At the bread cabinet, he scooped butter onto a huge slice of white bread that was so puffy it was more air than bread.
A third mug of red wine and a small container of preserves sat on his table when he turned, along with a small pitcher of water. Watered wine helped the water taste better. After sitting, he filled the mug nearly to the top with water. He didn’t need a light head. Red wine stained the water, as he judged how much to prevent a bad taste in his mouth.
He ate slow, listening to the low rumble of the conversation of twenty others in the room. One mentioned a dragon, but as he turned his ears to listen to that conversation, he realized they were talking about how big they were. The few he spotted were generally far out over the Bay of Fleming, so seemed small. The conversation was innocent and harmless.
Others spoke of friends, families, business, or places they’d traveled. Gray listened for tales of ocean voyages, or the word Breslau. His ears picked out individual conversations as easily as looking at one table or another. He excluded what he didn’t want to hear.
He was sitting near the table where Bear usually did, only one table away. The room seemed to channel conversations to his table, and probably even more so at the next. Bear often sat alone with a mug of ale in front of him. People probably assumed him dazed in his drink, but Gray suspected he heard all. Rumor, business opportunities, politics, or personal, Bear listened and earned a living from it.
Finished eating, he passed by the fat woman and said softly, “I’m going up to my room for a nap.”
She nodded but kept her eyes averted as if not listening. To anyone watching, it looked as if he only walked past. He climbed the stairs and opened his door. Someone had been in his room.
The candle holder had a loop for his finger. He used his right hand, but the holder was turned as a person who favored their left would place it. The blanket on the bed was different than he’d left it. He pulled the drawer out and felt underneath. The coins were still held in place by the melted wax.
That was bad. A thief would have discovered the coins. A thief in his room was acceptable, as odd as that sounded to his ears. Someone, not a thief, had been looking for information. He checked his pack, bedroll, and sniffed his water jugs to make sure nothing had been added. He decided to wash them out before using them. Poison comes in tasteless and odorless varieties.
Nothing was missing. He glanced at the crack that concealed a gold coin, and when the patch was as he left it, he didn’t bother with the other under the shingle. He went to the far corner and began an extensive search of every wall, crack, corner, and a piece of furniture. He spent the most time on the bed, finding nothing as he tossed the blanket aside to search for spiders, snakes, or other dangers.
That convinced him that all they wanted was information about him or confirmation that he was Dragon Clan. If they had taken the coins from under the drawer, he would not be sure. He’d tell Bear about the intrusion when he saw him but suspected the man was probably busy interrogating Prater.
He laid down, intending to use the quiet time to think. He woke much later. The sun was low in the sky, and the first lamps were glowing behind windows as he looked out on the street. People hustled past, most wearing coats or cloaks to fight the chill of the sea at night. He looked to where he’d seen the watcher the night before, but the alley was still lighted, and nobody lurked there.
Downstairs, Bear sat at his usual table, nursing a mug of ale and appearing to be napping. Gray suspected he was listening to a conversation that would help him. A stray comment here, a slip of the tongue there, and Bear combined the information into a useful fact. The Inn isn’t all he owns; I’ll bet.
“Come join me, Gray. Have a good nap?”
Gray settled into a chair and kept his voice soft. “My room was searched. I left a few coins for bait, but they were not taken,” Gray said as he adjusted his chair across from Bear.
A stricken expression quickly crossed his face and then disappeared. “I’ll pay you for anything stolen or damaged.”
“I think they were after information. Nothing was taken that I can tell.”
Bear cleared his throat and motioned for the woman who sat in the alcove to approach. He explained the search and she vigorously shook her head several times.
“I’ll look for myself.” She turned to Gray and continued, “Do you mind if I enter your room?”
Gray shook his head, but he could see the anger in her eyes. Not at him, but the crime had happened on her watch. He wouldn’t want her anger directed at him. She stormed up the stairs, drawing the attention of more than a few pair of eyes.
Bear shrugged and motioned for Gray to eat. A plate of sliced pork and turnips drenched in gravy had appeared in front of him. A mug of red wine and a pitcher of water were also there. Gray glanced around and didn’t see the serving girl. He wanted bread but decided not to ask for it when she flitted passed the table again, and a plate of three kinds of bread was left. The butter and preserves, too.
Bear said, “My men have Prater in the shed out back. He refused to talk. At first. Then he told us that the two of you are close friends, and he didn’t want to interrupt us, so he hung back and waited instead of interrupting our conversation.”
Gray didn’t bother to deny it. Bear didn’t believe it, so he asked, “What else?”
“He’s never heard of Caldor.”
“Stupid.”
“Oh? Why?”
“Two reasons. First, I saw them together yesterday. Second, you’ve seen them together, too. You knew exactly who he was when I described him. There’s a third reason, too. If you mention him to Caldor tonight while he’s eating here, what will Caldor say? I’ll bet he admits to knowing Prater.”
“You are quick. Or devious. That is just what I plan to tell Prater later tonight, whether Caldor eats here or not. Prater won’t know, but he will know I’ve caught him in a lie.”
Gray paused in eating long enough to say, “I’ll bet Caldor is wondering where Prater is right now. By morning, he will be searching.”
“Nobody saw us grab Prater in the alley, and if they did, they know enough to keep quiet. Nobody living in Fleming wants me for an enemy.”
The statement left no room for modification or doubt that Bear was powerful. Gray said, “I’ll leave early in the morning.”
The fat woman returned and settled into a chair next to Bear. She said heavily, “The roof. Someone climbed up there from the building beside us. Put a ladder on that roof to ours. They entered Gray’s room from the window.”