L
Lord Exmortis
Guest
I couldn’t help but wonder how Farley had been killed. Was he poisoned? Knifed? I realized I had not looked closely at the body. It struck me as odd that none of the others had mentioned anything. Lord Farriot was right. We needed more evidence. Daniel had asked people to look out for anything that might help us solve this case. I hoped someone had seen something.
Thursday woke with the sound of willow warblers. They are cute little birds who sing just before the dawn, then hide in their little nests somewhere in the darkest parts of the forest. Waking to the sound always makes my day brighter. I arose and set off to join Daniel and the others.
When I arrived at the Royal Guard Hall in Serpents Hold I noticed many of the usual faces and some new students as well. Sundina and Hatshepsut were already debating about the dead jockey we had discovered the week before. Rei pointed out that we just had not gathered enough information to draw any conclusions about the death. One thing was certain. We all believed Farley was murdered. Queen Mum thought Harold the track announcer seemed a bit shady, but conceded that the bookie was always a possibility too.
It seemed odd to me. I had talked to Xarra at the tailors. She was supposedly in love with him but she seemed unperturbed. That was what Daniel said just as the thought went through my mind. The only person who seemed upset was Marrianne. We decided to find her and talk to her. Perhaps she could tell us more about the others.
When we arrived just outside the Brit Race track Marrianne was seen checking the fence. We walked around to greet her. Dipswatch was the first to say hello.
“Hello she replied. Have you come to bury Farley?”
We all looked at each other. Rei nodded and remarked that the corpse is starting to stink; a wretched smell it is, and Miri pointed out that some one should. Gimli poked the body with a stick. “He is rotting now. Look you can see his ribs.” Dance covered her nose. Rei was shocked that he still lay there and no one had given him a proper funeral.
“No one has claimed the body yet” said Marrianne. “Does anyone know if he had family? I know he was seeing Xarra but …” she trailed off and shrugged as though we all knew what she meant. We did.
Rei decided the citizens should all pitch in and bury him but Gimli had other ideas. He thought the body would make good fertilizer for the crops. Someone pointed out that with not knowing the cause of death the body might poison the field. Moxxi figure he would be better fish bait.
Marrianne wondered if they were just saying these things to ease tension. It was not working, she sniffed back a tear.
“Please do not cry” Rei said. “We will hunt down the perpetrators and bleed them all.”
Miri and Gimli were still looking at the body. “He has been moved and robbed.” someone remarked. Then Miri and Gimli rhymed off a list of missing things. “His horse, pocket money, and the sugar are all gone.”
“I do not think his horse is missing. Colt cares for it at the stable. We can go check if you like” said Marrianne.
They did want to be sure. Stealing a man’s change was one thing, but to steal a horse was unforgivable. Someone would hang.
We wandered up to the Blacksmith guild building where Marrianne claimed all her horses were shod. Then headed a bit south west to the paddock where we had met Colt before. Lil Min Rideout was chatting to him. We all wanted to hear what they were saying. I faintly heard Min say sugar.
“Look there is Farley’s horse. Come we need to talk to Colt” instructed Marrianne.
As we got closer we heard Lil min ask about the sugar. Colt looked away and claimed he knew nothing of the sugar. He grabbed his pitchfork and pushed it into the hay and threw it about. “Look I have to work. The horses need to be fed.” He said no more. He wiped some sweat from his face with the shirt he had taken off and ignored us.
Min was a little more talkative. She pointed out the sugar on the ground and showed anger. “You would never give a thoroughbred sugar. It makes them skittish and hard to calm. Colt knows that. I don't know how Farley won all those races. He was not that good a Jockey. I wonder if he was giving his horse these sugar cubes. My Da was the best Jockey. He trained most of these horses.” She continued to mumble about the sugar.
Marrianne spoke kindly to Lil Min. “Your Da was a good jockey. We always respected him. His horses were always well trained. We considered him a friend.”
“Farley's horse was nothing special. Neither was Farley.” Lil Min blurted out. Yes, I used Da’s fame to get into the inner circle. Do you wonder how Farley got in? I do!”
“He won races! He pretty much pulled the track out of debt” snapped Marrianne.
Forrest was getting tired of all the evasive answers. “Maybe we should just take them behind the barn and get some real information!”
Moxxi wanted to know more. He asked about Farley once more. Min glared at him and said that “neither Colt nor Min would give our horses sugar. Someone else must have been here. Maybe Harold or that sleaze bag bookie saw something.”
Several people nodded. He is sleazzzzy.
Harold Chancero and Cayne were standing outside of the track. Caynes’ eyes quickly fixed on the group. He put on a fake smile and began to speak.
“Hello again, I really can not say anything as I really know nothing. Look I am opinionated and unorthodox. Does not mean I killed anyone. Go talk to Harold. He had a thing for Xarra.”
Jocelyn wondered, “Why do you say killed? Do you know for sure that Farley was murdered?”
“Yes I do think he was murdered. That horse whisperer and he had a nasty argument last night. I don't know what they fought about. She said she hoped he died and he became dragon food.” Cayne retorted.
“Who is this horse whisperer that he speaks of?” Asked Miri a bit confused.
“Tara Vegan” replied Marrianne “she works for me. See Farley was a great Jockey but I noticed that his horses were always upset after a race. So I hired Tara. She is good at calming the horses. She is in Jhelom right now. I am sure you can ask her about the argument. She would not harm a bug.”
“We will”, said Glares, “but since we are here we might as well speak with Harold over there.” He waved to the announcer who smiled back.
“Hi. It would be a nice day if not for Farley. It is too quiet here without the races. All people talk about now is the murder. I still think Xarra knows more.”
“That is a nasty accusation!” Angelina pointed out.
“Well she is shopping again today. For shoes no less. I really do not see where she gets all her money.”
Forrest scratched his head. “Maybe she bets at the track?”
“Xarra is very attractive and she knows it.” Spat Harold.
Moxxi wanted to know more. It seemed that Harold was somehow jealous. After a little prodding Harold admitted, “Maybe a bit. I did ask her out once.”
Moxxi felt that we should talk to her again as well. So it was with that we all ambled to Trinsic. We tried the tailor shop but were told she had indeed left to go to the cobblers. Seems someone told her that her shoes did not match her hat.
Forrest decided to try a new approach to the investigation. He looked Xarra in the eyes and said in a stern voice, “Admit it, you killed Farley!”
Xarra yawned. “He is old news. You know Cayne might get famous now! I must have these shoes” she replied and continued to shop.
“Why would Cayne get famous?” asked Moxxi
“He was asked to play Farley in a play! I would love to see that. Oh the theater part is boring but you get to wear wonderful long gloves. They look divine” replied Xarra.
“Lordy” was all Jocelyn could say.
“Where do you get all the money to buy these things?” asked Marrianne
“Why would you ask that, Marrianne?” Inquired Miri
“Colt is always on about it. I thought I would ask.”
Xarra smiled, “Men like to give me things. And to think Lord Farriot calls me a gold digger!”
“Are you Marrianne? Are you a gold digger?” Jocelyn asked with one brow raised.
“No I loved my husband. He was sweet and he treated me right and he fell off the roof fixing the thatch!”
Rei wanted more “Did you kill him?
Marrianne began to cry hard.
Gimli not letting up stated, “You pushed him off the roof? We think you did it!”
Marrianne was in shock. “I swear by the memory of Queen Dawn that I did not kill my husband or Farley. Why would I. After my husband died Farley helped get me out of debt. He saved the track.”
People were debating many possibilities. They realized they should still meet up with old Farriot and Tara as well. They let Marrianne know she was a suspect and that she should stay in the general area where she could be found for more questions.
Cinderella was very confused. “You say you are in mourning, yet you are not wearing black?”
Marrianne sighed and suggested that Farriot was setting her up. Maybe he was framing her since he never did like her.
Hatshepsut had his own idea. “You are much younger that you husband was. You married for money then pushed him off a roof. Just say how it is.”
Jocelyn pointed out that Love is ageless.
We went to see Lord Farriot next. His pasture was empty again. I wondered why there never seemed to be any horses there. He had a lot to say. He spoke of the frivolity of Xarra and her frequent shopping in Trinsic. He felt this was typical of all women. He scratched his chin when asked about Marrianne. He did not think she killed Farley.
“Marrianne counted on him.” He scratched his chin again then said, “I guess she would be a fool to kill him. Look for more evidence. Marrianne is suspicious. She is not from a genteel family. Married to gain status I say. Of course she hired that fool Colt. Marrianne was foolish to put all her stock in Colts hands. He has ten thumbs. I think Marrianne fancies him.” Then he stopped cold and stammered, “Oh Marrianne I did not see you there but no matter as I will say again that my friend would still be alive if you had gotten Colt fix the roof.”
More accusations followed and Marrianne finally had enough. She burst into tears and ran back to her cottage. Daniel was there and led the rest of us to Jhelom to speak with Tara.
We found Tara quietly sitting in a small shack eating an apple.
“Hello again, I am just taking a break. I have been working with the sheep in the pen over there. I am a horse tender but the sheep were so very skittish today.” Tara fidgeted herself.
Daniel Ravens asked gently, “Did you have an argument with Farley the night he died?”
Tara Vegan looked down at her hands. “Oh yes I did get upset with Farley. We often do not agree. I said some very nasty things. I did say he would make good dragon food. I guess I lost my temper.
You see when Farley was around the horses were much more fidgety. I blame him. I think it is the sugar. I have seen him give those trotters sugar. The only other person who gets me riled like that is Lord Farriot. Lord Farriot does not love animals - it is all bluster. He does mean things to them. I am a vegetarian. He hunts and eats animals. Oh I dropped my apple.”
Daniel handed her another apple and she thanked him.
“Thank you I love eating apples
”We had spent our time collecting evidence but still did not seem to be any closer to solving the case. We went back to the RBG hall and decided to bury Farley next week.
Bidding each other safe journeys and vowing to contemplate the new information we decided on the date and time to meet. We will meet at the Serpents Hold RBG hall in Trammel at 5 PT, 6 MT, 7 CT, 8 ET Thursday evening April 21st.
~ Shadow Riter
