The bartender knew him, even called him by name. “Aldo, what can I do for you today?”
“Just a quick drink. Anything I should know about?”
“Maybe.”
“Save it then. No time right now, but I’ll be back before you lock up for the night.”
That was Leonard’s cue to leave the tavern immediately. He barely had time to step into the recessed entryway of the shop next door before Aldo came outside and hurried down the street, then down a narrow side street. Leonard followed. He wanted privacy for his confrontation with Aldo, but it looked as if that would have to wait. The old warehouse Aldo entered would have been suitable and no one else appeared to be there, but Leonard was cautious enough not to approach the man yet. Aldo’s rush to get there implied that someone else would soon be showing up to meet him.
Not until Aldo lit a lantern in the open area at the front of the warehouse could Leonard actually see him. Until then, the old building had been too dark for him to locate Aldo other than by the sound of his footsteps. The lantern must already have been on the floor because Leonard hadn’t seen Aldo carrying it. This was looking more and more like a secret meeting place Aldo might regularly be using. Leonard might not need to confront him after all, if he learned something pertinent tonight.
He had time to squeeze between two crates fronting the open area where Aldo waited. It was a perfect spot, not close enough for the lantern light to reach him so he was in blackest shadow, but close enough to see and hear whatever transpired.
The first man to arrive was bundled up due to the cold and, unfortunately, didn’t shed any of his clothing as he joined Aldo. Hooded, as Leonard usually was, and standing with his back to the crates, the identity of the first man remained hidden. But his voice was distinctive enough, a bit gravelly and subtly confident, that Leonard knew he would recognize it again if he heard it.
“What are you doing here?” Aldo asked the man. “Your job is unrelated to the palace surveillance. I’m surprised you can tear yourself away from it, as luscious as that lady—”
“I have information to report tomorrow,” the first man cut in. “It will save you a trip to the stronghold if I bring Rainier’s report with me as well. He’s late?”
“No, you’re early. And you might as well take these with you, too, then.” Aldo snickered as he handed the newcomer a small sack. “The herbs the master requested.”
“They were requested three weeks ago. They only work in the very first stage. It may already be too late to use them now.”
“It’s not my fault that Eastern merchant only shows up in the capital every few months,” Aldo complained.
“It’s never your fault, is it, Aldo?”
“What are you implying, eh?”
Their attention was drawn by another man who came through the front door. A soldier? Leonard was surprised to see the man wearing the uniform of a palace guard.
“Now what are you doing here?” Aldo demanded. “It’s Rainier’s turn to report. Why are you here instead?”
“Rainier suspects he is being watched, so he didn’t want to risk coming here now. He was asked today, by the captain of the guard no less, if he had taken some jewelry from a coach he was ordered to search last week. Apparently the captain’s prisoner has accused Rainier of the theft.”
“Did he steal?” Aldo asked.
“Yes, but it can’t be proven. The word of a prisoner against a guard?” The soldier snorted.
The hooded man with the distinctive gravelly voice appeared upset by this news. “More incompetents who can’t simply do the job they’re paid for? Stealing can draw attention to you! Are you all idiots?”
“Eh, watch your mouth,” the soldier growled. “I’m not the one who was tempted to steal. But you’ll like hearing what Rainier had to say about it.”
“I doubt that. If he’s being watched, he’s now useless to us.”
The soldier was angry enough at the other man’s disdain to blurt out, “It was jewelry brought into the country last week by servants, and amongst the baubles was a baby bracelet inscribed ‘Princess Alana.’ Or perhaps you don’t want to hear any more?”
“A forgery,” Aldo scoffed. “Rastibon wouldn’t have kept it when he killed the princess eighteen years ago, he would have buried it with her. He was the best killer around in his day, which is why I hired him. He didn’t make mistakes or keep souvenirs of his jobs. There could be some other plot afoot that we don’t know about.”
The hooded man ignored Aldo and said to the guard, “I think if you value your life, you should just spit it out.”
The soldier backed down immediately, continuing in a conciliatory tone, “Rainier denied the theft, of course, and has the jewels well hidden. He said the captain didn’t seem all that concerned over the jewelry, which made him suspect the captain didn’t believe his prisoner to begin with. But Rainier didn’t actually see her. I did. She’s a very beautiful young woman.”
“What has that to do with anything?” Aldo demanded impatiently. “The captain could have simply been humoring her to soften her up—if you know what I mean.”
“Actually, what you imply begs the question. How do you know she’s a prisoner?” the hooded man with the gravelly voice asked.
“She’s been detained all day in his quarters, which are connected to the prison block. And Becker isn’t a man to dally while he’s on duty.”
