AnUnpleasantInvestigationDerronAndNiko(Split from An Incident at Clearwater: Aerin and Derron) That was not a problem. Linnel, the plasterer turned apprentice Steward, was sitting at his desk in the small of the two offices, carefully scribing some figures into the large account book. As usual, the pen looked too small in his large hand. He looked up with relief as Derron entered, welcoming a break in the accounting routine. Derron saw the look on Linnel's face and grimaced. "No rest for us, lad. Things just got out of hand." He closed the door and beckoned Linnel into his office, the slightly larger of the two. He dropped into his chair and said, "I'll keep it brief. Lady Draupaud was just found dead in her chambers. She may have taken her own life. All the servants from that part of the manor will be coming here to be questioned. Niko, Ser Tomas and I will do that. You'll have to handle everything else as it comes up as well as keep others out. Luckily, you're rapidly becoming good enogh to replace me at this full-time." Linnel nodded. "Does Lord Draupaud know?" he asked. "What has he said to this?" "Not yet," Derron replied. "I've sent a rider to find him, and Aerin is keeping Ranulf occupied until Lord Draupaud is back. They should be told together. Niko will be bringing the servants for questioning shortly." And indeed, the servants were arriving, in small gossiping groups, surprised by the summons that drew them away from their regular work, and not altogether displeased. The last to arrive was Niko, escorting Dame Editha, who went straight to Derron. "I know the bare facts," she said. "This young man has told me. I believe everyone you need is here now. How do you wish to proceed?" Ser Tomas took up a station to one side of the room, content to let Derron take charge. Derron frowned for a moment, having thought Ser Tomas would do the questioning. Not for the forst time that morning Derron wished Merivel were in residence. He stood up and the servants all quieted down. They knew Derron as fair, but they also knew he did not suffer fools. He cleared his throat and began. "A short time ago, Lady Draupaud was found in her chambers, dead." He paused, scanning faces to see if any face betrayed previous knowledge. He then said, "Her door was locked, and there are no signs of violence. But she may have taken her own life. We need to know how Her Ladyship has...had been. Any signs of strange behaviour? Any unusual substances she might have ingested? Things of that nature." There was a gasp and a buzz of excited conjecture in the room. But it died away to a whisper, as Dame Editha rose to her feet. "Might I suggest, Steward, that we establish who saw the Lady last night, and who was merely in that part of the castle? Derron nodded at the sense of the good woman. "Aye, we'll need to learn that as well. But we'll have to ask that you can each vouch for one another's whereabouts," he added to the group. "If someone claims not to have been there, but one of you swears different, or claims to seen something but can not prove it, we'll focus on learning who is lying, and why." He paused then asked, "If you saw Her Ladyship last night, hold up your hand. I'll then ask each to tell their tale." In actual fact, only five people claimed to have seen the Lady the previous evening. From the reaction of their fellow servants, Derron guessed this was the truth; no-one looked surprised this should be so, or looked askance at anyone else. The first maid stood up, young and shy at being addressed in such company. "I took the Lady her dinner, Steward. On a tray, just like I always do. She was sitting on the window seat - she didn't look at me when I came in. The Septa was with her and she nodded to me to leave it on the table, as I always do, so I did. Then I left." Derron asked her to recall everything that was on the tray. Two further members testified that later thay went to help the Lady undress, and that the Septa had left with them. A guard had been left on the door, stationed at a discreet distance from the room. He had seen the Lady briefly, as the maids and the Septa had left. She had been walking across the room, he thought, in her nightgown, towards the window. Derron asked for a description of the gown to compare with what the Lady had been found wearing. It had been a cut from the same venison that had been served at high table (and afterwards finished up in the kitchens), with fresh bread and a stew of onions. There had been a small flagon of wine to drink, and some sweet marchpane too. The food had been for two - Septa Aloise had shared the meal (and perhaps had eaten the greater share - the lady having a notoriously fickle appetite. The last person to see her had been another man at arms, patrolling around the castle during the night. And he had not so much seen her as heard her, singing a strange, sad song to the moon. He remembered now that it had been broken off - as though something had interrupted it - although he had thought nothing of it at the time. Derron wanted to know the time, so people moving about at that time, even if it were only guards patrolling the yard, could be questioned for any other unusual occurrences. It had been some three hours before the dawn, the guard thought. He had been patrolling the outside of the castle walls, where the windows overlooked the meadow and then the lake beyond. There had been no activity in the meadow at that hour, he assured Derron. Derron frowned, since the information was of no real help. Then he looked up. "Was there a guard outside her door all night? If so, who would have been there at the time?" "It would have been Boissy or Amboise," said Ser Tomas, indicating the two who were seated towards the back of the room. "Amboise was on first duty - the one who saw the lady through the door, already in her nightgown, as the maids left. Boissy took over in the middle of the night." When questioned, neither had seen anything, although Boissy was wearing an expression of discomfort that seemed to have little to do with mental perturbation, and everything to do with stomach disorder. There was a pungent aroma in his vicinity that made others look at him askance too, aand try to shift as far away from him as they could. Niko had been silent the whole time- there was nothing really that he felt he could contribute, so he had spent the time observing everyone, looking for any discomfitted expressions. And so it was that he noticed Boissy almost before the people near him gave away his ... condition. "Did you have something that didn't agree with you, Boissy?" he asked, clearly, cutting straight to the chase. Boissy looked up at him uncomfortably and shifted on his seat. "In fact," he said, "if you'll excuse me, Sirs ... I have ... ah ... to pay a call of nature. I may be some time." He looked at them, hoping for release from the room. "A moment, Boissy." Niko mused for a moment, as others shifted uncomfortably at another apparent 'episode', seemingly paying little attention to the commotion. "When did you start having these ... problems?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what did you eat to cause them?" Derron added, "And where did you get it?" "While I was guarding the Lady's door,"said Boissy. "That's when it started." A noisy blast, followed by an increase in the foul aroma in the air, made those closest to Boissy edge further away, the women giving little cries of disgust. "Please, Sirs," said Boissy urgently, "I really must leave - now!" "Just guarding?" Niko asked pointedly. With an affirmative answer, Niko would look to Derron to excuse him. With a negative answer, he was prepared to continue, no matter how discomfitted the man was- there was something here that didn't fit. Derron glared at the guard. "Who handed you the food? Someone wanted you to leave your post, and you did, didn't you? Answer me now!" he finished almost roaring. "Just ... ourselves," said Boissy wretchedly. "We all ate the same ... and all I had later was some of the beer that Amboise left for me." "Beer?" said Amboise. "I never left no beer. I had a flagon of spring water with me on my shift." Boissy stared at him. "Then where did the tankard ... ohhhhhhhhh." A hollow groan and he doubled up, clutching at his belly. "Where is this beer now?" Niko asked, trying to get it out of the man. "It seems bad that we do not have a Maester currently- even after we find what we are looking for, we still will not know what we have," Niko said, frustration apparent now in his voice. "He waited anxiously for Boissy's reply, ready to run to find it before whoever left it cleaned up after themselves- if they hadn't already done so. "Left it," moaned the unfortunate Boissy, writhing in his seat. "Under the ... chair where .... ahhhhhhhhh .... " He twisted again in gut-agony. Derron nodded his head towards the door. "Go." As the guard bolted for the door, he then turned to Niko and said, "See if the tankard is still there." As Derron released him, Niko was off at a shot, barely making the turn as he raced out of the door, such was his speed. At that speed, he came soon to the Lady's chamber (and a Silent Sister just going into the room turned to give him a pained look). There was a chair a little way along the corridor; a chair, because the nightly guards were able to rest, but a hard chair, bevcause they were not expected to sleep. Such a guard had been mounted ever since the Lady's attempt to end her life - as it was supposed - when Niko first came. Underneath the chair, he found an overturned tankard. Most had been spilt and dried, but about three gulps remained in the bottom of the vessel. Carefully, Niko righted the tankard, to make sure that no more of the concoction spilled. He then walked at a more measured pace back to the Steward's office, looking around as he did to see if any paid undue attention to what he was doing. [Derron] then turned to the rest of those assembled. "Now we need to find out who left the beer. Does anyone recall seeing someone with a tankard in that area?" Those gathered looked at each other and shook their heads. "Whoever it was must have moved very swiftly," said Amboise, the earlier guard. "It was not but three minutes of the clock we were speaking together, away from the door." Derron pursed his lips and forwned more heavily. They still had no idea who it was. However, no one had heard Lady Draupaud call out. Whomever it was, it was probably someone she knew. The Septa? After all, most would guess she simply would try to perform such a deed before retiring for the night. But this way she would have less suspicion on her. Still, it seemed an unlikely scenario. And without a witness, they would still have no proof. He looked to Amboise, "Where did the two of you speak? Whomever set down the tankard would have come from the other direction." Then it struck him. Perhaps the Lady set it down, so someone could visit her late. He pushed that thought from his head, knowing that if you let every possibility into your head, you'd never figure it out. "We moved down half a flight of stairs," said Amboise. "We always do that - if we speak outside her room, it often wakes the Lady. She's a mortal light sleeper ... I mean, she was." He looked unhappy. "We speak a little as we hand over - if she's been restless - sobbing, calling out. Or quiet. Whether the Septa has given us any advice." Carefully, Niko righted the tankard, to make sure that no more of the concoction spilled. He then walked at a more measured pace back to the Steward's office, looking around as he did to see if any paid undue attention to what he was doing. No-one seemed to notice him, and he was soon back in the Steward's Room. Niko walked back towards Derron and the guards, waiting for the steward to get a moment to acknowledge him. Derron inclined his head when he saw Niko with the tankard. "Good work, lad. Now, if we can just figure out where it came from. Does anyone recognize the thing?" He looked at it for some sigil or engraving that might help them. He suspected it came from their own kitchen of course. Whoever was behind this had been clever so far. But perhaps they had slipped up somewhere. There was silence ... but it was an appalled silence. It was finally Editha who spoke - and her voice was shocked. "That ... that is one of the Lord's own set! That's nothing short of sacrilege!" "Also," Niko interjected, "there's some of the beer left in the bottom of the tankard." He didn't know what they could do with no maester present to analyze it, but he wanted to bring it up. Derron replied, "And who has access to that set?" "The senior kitchen staff," said Dame Editha, still stunned. Although ... the scullery maids might handle them when they are brought back. But they are generally watched to make sure they don't ddamage them ... " "Should someone see how Boissy is faring?" asked Amboise. Derron nodded, "Niko, leave the tankard and check on the man." [ Niko continues in Unpleasant Investigation subthread 1] After Niko had gone, Derron said to Dame Editha, "Come with me. We will talk to the senior kitchen staff. The rest will wait here. Amboise, make sure of that. When Niko comes back, tell him where we've gone." He held the door for Dame Editha. She gave him a nod of encouragement, and then sailed out in front of him, heading towards the kitchens. When they arrived, they discovered the kitchen staff were in the throes of preparing the mid-day meal, and probably the early preparations for finner as well. He cleared his throat, and was promptly ignored by the kitchen staff. Ever since he had taken over, they had listened to him, but only after the Chief Cook had directed them to do so. And from thereon, they would always wait for the Chief Cook to indicate they should. A stupid power move that gained them nothing but some dignity. But since Derron rarely interacted with them here, he did not mind. This time he did. He simply picked up a stack of wooden serving platters and dropped them to the floor with a resounding clatter. They all whirled to stare, and then looked to Cook for her reaction. But before she could say anything, Derron preempted her. "Thank you all. I have important questions. And no," he said looking at Cook, "they can not wait" Once more speaking to them all he said, "Late last night, someone put a tankard full of beer under the chair outside Lady Draupaud's room. I need to know who did it, and I need to know now." There was silence as they all looked at each other. Derron spoke again, and now his voice took on a lower pitch, and was softer. Those who had been around long enough knew this meant he was getting angry. He glared at Cook and said, "If no one can help me, then it will be your responsibility. And trust me, you do not wish to pay these consequences." There was an uneasy muttering - with people glancing at one another - and a lot of shaken heads. "All right," said the Cook, arms agreesively akimbo, glowering at Derron, although she was addressing the staff. "Come on, you lot. Who took the tankard?" A pallid, willowy man cleared his throat. "Actually, I took four tankards of beer to the Lord's office yesterday. When Stweard Thorne was going through the accounts with the Lord. I believe Captain Prinksett and Linnel were with them." Derron can remember this - it is not uncommon if the accounts are thorny to relieve the tedium, or to celebrate the conclusion with atankjard of good ale. The Cook frowned. "And you didn't collect them?" The willowy man shook his head. "I meant to - after breakfast." Derron frowned once more. "Count them now. Everyone remain here while I check His Lordship's office. Dame Editha, if any of them try to leave, stop them." He walked off without a further word. He was sure no one would leave, and he would only be gone a few minutes. If it was one of the tankards from the office that had been used, then he had to think of who had access to the office. Lord Draupaud of course, and he himself had a key. Which reminded him to see if it was locked when he got there. He cursed under his breath. Everytime he seemed to narrow the list of suspects, it grew again. The willowy man disappeared with another man that the Cook sent to check the silver cupboard. He returned within a short space of time. "All the tankards are there," he reported. "Apart from the four that should be in his Lordship's office." He sounded much relieved. Derron nodded. "Right. Thank you all. But if anyone saw someone late last night with one of those tankards, now is the time to speak up." There were glances and general head shakings all around the kitchen. Finally, one young boy raised his hand. "Please, Steward, I did. "It was late, and I was taking some warm victuals to Lord Draupaud, for he was working late, and had sent a message with his man at arms. And when I was going up, I saw the guard outside my Lady's room - and he was drinking from one of the tankards. I thought it ... strange. But not my place to question." He looked anxiously at Derron. "Did I do well?" Derron nodded firmly. "Indeed you did, lad. Very well." He paused, then said, "Which guard was it, do you know?" The boy considered. "I think his name is Boissy, Steward Thorne," he said. Derron said to Cook, "Sorry to have interrupted. I know you're busy. I'll check the office now." He headed for the office, trying to recall if any of the four of them had left withone of the tankards of beer. But he could remember that none of them had. The tankards had all been emptied, for the meeting had been a long and dry one, and as he recalled, he and Linnel had left together, tankardless, leaving Lord Draupaud and Ser Tomas Prinksett still in the room. He needed to check the office quickly. If he could find out who took that tankard, he would feel relieved. As he was leaving the kitchen, he saw Niko coming towards him. [Niko] arrived just as the Steward was apparently leaving. [The two continue in Unpleasant Investigation Subthread 2 ] Categories: WinterChills, WinterChillsGameLogs, Clearwater |
