Investigation (PG-17)

Writers: Estelle
Date Posted: 9th September 2019

Characters: Collan, Giyald
Description: Collan tries to determine the identity of the murdered man
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 12, day 3 of Turn 9
Notes: PG-17 for description of murder victim. Follows "SWE: Washed Ashore"
Rating: PG-17

Collan left the Holder's office, stony faced. He'd had to bite his
tongue more than once during that conversation. Although the dead man on
the beach had probably been a smuggler or a pirate and was unlikely to
be much missed, his life had still been taken, and violently. He
deserved more than just to be thrown back into the sea where he'd come
from, like so much unwanted rubbish.

He hadn't been actually forbidden from investigating the matter, as long
as it didn't interfere with his usual duties. Such as they were.

Since the healer was unlikely to be done with the body just yet, he
decided to head over to the tavern. It was still early afternoon and it
would be quiet enough that the tavern keeper might agree to answer
questions.

The tavern was a large, two-storey stone building near the docks. After
fishing, it did the best business in the sea hold, filling up with
whichever sailors and fishermen were in the harbour at the time. Collan
was there often enough himself when not on duty; it was about the only
entertainment Fairhaven Sea Hold provided in the long hot evenings and a
drink or two eased the ache in his leg.

Giyald, the keeper, was a tall, stocky man in his fifties with a scarred
cheek, a crooked nose and a permanent scowl. Despite his appearance,
Collan knew he was as honest as could be expected, given his job. He'd
have to be; the Holder wouldn't tolerate him skimming the takings or
running gaming tables without handing over a cut. These days, he
employed heavies to keep order rather than do it himself, mostly.

Collan ordered a beer and sat at the bar so they could talk. Naturally,
Giyald had already heard that a corpse had washed up with the tide,
though he appeared only mildly curious. Such things did happen. Collan
decided not to mention the missing head, for now.

"Don't suppose you've seen anyone acting strange in here, these last few
sevendays?" he asked.

Giyald snorted. "When don't I?" He replaced the glass he'd been cleaning
on the shelf behind him and reached for another. "Any kind of strange in
particular?"

Collan thought. "I don't think the dead man's from here, there's no-one
been reported missing lately. So, a visitor. Someone looking worried?"

"That could describe a lot of people." Giyald screwed his eyes shut,
thinking back. "Bout a month ago there was a man who stayed here a few
nights. He disappeared without paying his bill, walked out one evening
and never come back. Hardly the first time that's happened, but this one
was unusual."

"How so?"

"Soon as my wife found his room empty, I went down to the docks to see
if he was trying to get on a ship. The crews know me, they'd help me get
back what I was owed. According to the dock master's assistant, he'd
booked passage on the Star of Ista, going North, but never turned up
when they were due to sail. Captain had to leave without him, he
couldn't miss the tide." He looked at the guard. "Odd, isn't it? Why
would someone pay for a voyage like that, then not show up? It's not
cheap, going North, not if you can't work your passage."

"I suppose not." Not a sailor, then, Collan thought, and not a pirate or
smuggler either, if he couldn't do that kind of work. "Do you remember
what he looked like?"

"Well, it was a while ago. Small, skinny man. Not too clean. Nervous,
like you said. Didn't have any baggage to speak of, which was odd, too,
if he was travelling so far."

"Remember him speaking to anyone in the tavern?"

Giyald shook his head. "Sorry. It was too long ago. If I recall right,
he stayed in his room most of the time, but I might have missed it. You
could try asking the barmaids."

"I'll do that." Collan would have to come back later, after the girls'
shift started but before it got too busy. "Mind coming over to the
barracks to take a look, see if you recognise him?"

The tavern keeper looked unenthusiastic, and was clearly considering
whether the captain had the authority to compel him. "I'm working. I
can't just leave this place unattended."

"It'd be a great help. The Sea Holder wants this one cleared up as soon
as possible." Close enough to the truth, Collan thought. "And there's
something unusual about the body. You've been in the Sea Hold all your
life, you know how things are better than I do. I'd like to know what
you think."

As he'd hoped, flattery and the prospect of gossip won Giyald over. "All
right. But if he's been in the sea that long, I don't expect there's
much I'll be able to tell you." He turned and called for his wife. "Let
me finish getting ready for tonight first, then I'll come on over."

***

The healer was done by the time Giyald arrived at the barracks. As
Collan had suspected, the poor condition of the body meant that he
wasn't able to tell much more than they'd already guessed. The man had
been in the water for some days, but he hadn't drowned. He'd lost his
head, and likely a few fingers, before he'd gone into the sea.

Collan led the tavern master through the main guardroom and back to the
cells, where the body was being kept for the time being. Giyald followed
him into the room and promptly gagged, raising a hand to cover his mouth.

"By the Egg, he stinks!"

"Yes, well, the heat will do that to a body," Collan said, impassive
though the smell was all but making his eyes water. He wished they could
have put the corpse somewhere cooler, but the Holder wouldn't have it in
his ice-house, contaminating the fish and meat, so they'd had to use the
prison cell. "What do you think?"

The tavern master reluctantly stepped closer. "Uh, well, it's not like
there's much left of him, is there?" He looked at the ragged clothes,
averting his eyes from the stump of the head and arm. "Could be him.
Could be almost anyone."

"Was he missing any fingers?"

"Not that I recall." Giyald glanced briefly at the remaining hand. "You
found him in the water, right? Maybe fish had 'em."

"Possibly. The stumps look clean, though. The healer thinks they were
cut, and recently enough not to heal." Deciding they'd both had enough
of the reek of rotting flesh, Collan gestured to the man to precede him
out and closed the heavy wooden door with a breath of relief.

"Phew. I don't envy the next drunk or brawler who ends up in that cell.
That stink'll hang around."

"Ever seen a body in that state before?" Collan asked. He'd been
wondering if it was the signature of a gang.

"What, headless?" Giyald shook his head. His skin had taken on a faintly
greenish pallor. "Never. I've seen throats cut, but taking a head...
Seems like someone wants to make it difficult for you."

Or someone wants proof he's dead, Collan thought. Maybe the killer had
been hired. He'd heard of it happening.

Giyald shifted, impatient. "Was there anything else?"

"I'd like you to have a look at some sketches. See if you can identify
the man you saw." Collan went to a shelf, fetched down a hide-bound
folder and laid it open on his desk at the first page. Pasted on each
sheet were sketches of a variety of men - and a few women - of dubious
character. Some were local ne'er-do-wells, while others were copies of
pictures of more serious criminals circulated by the harpers and the
Lord Holder's guard. It was a long shot, but if the tavern keeper could
identify one of them as his guest, they'd at least have some sort of
background for the dead man. Maybe even a name.

Giyald sighed, perhaps regretting the time lost from his work, but he
sat down opposite Collan and began to leaf through the pictures, looking
at each in turn conscientiously. Occasionally, he turned over the corner
of a page, as if to remember it.

Last updated on the October 26th 2019

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Investigation (PG-17)