on the other hand, seemed pleased with the constable's presence and began introductions.
"These are the folks," Karlin said, and Magiere noticed how the baker's skin glowed with health next to the pasty rolls of Ellinwood's flesh.
"You bought the Dunction place?" Ellinwood asked Leesil, repeating what he'd been told.
"I don't know who owned it previously," Magiere interrupted. "But I have a deed for a tavern near the docks." She unfolded a worn sheet of paper.
Leesil leaned back quietly, comfortable enough with the change of roles now that he was stuffing himself and washing mouthfuls down with an occasional sip from his wine sack. Turning his attention to Magiere, Constable Ellinwood's fingers reached down to grip the deed, exposing two heavy, etched-gold rings on his fingers.
"I'll show you where the place is," he said, after a cursory read, "but I can't stay to get you settled." Even his voice sounded thick and sluggish to Magiere. He puffed up importantly. "One of the local girls was found dead this morning, and I'm beginning an investigation."
"Who?" Karlin gasped.
"Young Eliza, Brenden's sister. Found in her own yard."
"Oh no, not another…" Karlin trailed off as he glanced toward Leesil and Magiere.
"Not another what?" Magiere asked, looking not at Karlin but at the constable.
"Nothing to concern yourself about," Ellinwood said, puffing up even more. "Now, if you want to see the tavern, follow me."
Magiere withheld any further comment. If Ellinwood really considered the dead girl none of their business, he wouldn't have announced it so blatantly. And Karlin knew the victim, though that was not a great surprise. Miiska was a healthy-size town, but not so big that most people wouldn't know each other, at least casually. Magiere's mild distaste for the constable turned to revulsion.
* * *
Down near the docks, the ocean scent blew stronger, filling Magiere's lungs with salt-laden comfort. The view of the ocean's horizon with its thin trailing clouds was breathtaking. A small, treed peninsula shot out south of the town, and to the north the shoreline hooked seaward briefly before heading up the coast. The dark blue of the water in the small bay told her the drop-off was steep and a perfect place for a small port town to crop up, offering commerce and a safe stopover for barges and smaller ships traversing the coastline.
The tavern, on the other hand, was not all she had hoped. When they passed down to the far end of town, they found a small two-story building tucked back against a few trees toward the base of the short peninsula.
Dingy, weatherworn, and possibly in need of a new roof, the sight made Magiere hesitant to step inside. The outer walls looked old and hadn't been re-stained in years, turning mottled brown and gray from years of weather wear in salt air. At least the shutters were still intact. One of them banged softly against a window in the light breeze. Leesil stepped forward and touched the wood next to the entrance.
"It's quite solid," he said excitedly. "Wonderful. A bit of stain, a few shingles…"
"What did the previous owner call it?" Magiere asked Ellinwood.
"I don't think he ever gave it a name. Folks just called it Dunction's."
"Why did he sell it?"
The constable puckered his lips. "Sell it? He didn't sell it. He just ran off and left it one night when no one was watching. I suppose he didn't own it outright, because I received formal notice from a bank in Bela that they'd reassumed possession. It was all in order."
"The owner ran off?" Magiere asked. "Was business that bad?"
"No, this place was filled to the brim every night. The dockworkers and bargemen have missed it fierce. So have I, to be honest." He rapped his knuckles once on the door before opening it. "Caleb?" he called. "You home? New owners are here."
Ellinwood didn't wait for an answer and opened the door to step inside, waving Magiere and Leesil after him. Chap slipped in last before the door could shut. With pleasant surprise, Magiere found the inside much better cared for than the outside. The wood floor was swept and clean, if a little worn. To the right in the main area, respectable-looking tables were positioned to fit as many as possible, with room enough for the passage of serving staff handing out tankards and bottles. A huge stone fireplace, large enough to crouch in, dominated the end of the room beyond the tables, offering warmth and a welcome.