Page 41 of Roses and Murder
“She didn’t correct me because she knew I wouldn’t have given a woman that task. I would have put her in her place at the brothel!”
Yeah, this was my turn.
“Oh, no, sir, I was just soshockedyou couldn’t tell that I didn’t want to embarrass you. I didn’t know what to say and then the contracts were signed and you sent us off. I figured I’d just better do a very good job catching the Ghoul.”
“She was the one who caught him,” Neco said. “She worked with Trevils and they figured out where he might be striking, but she was at this man’s house when he was there to murder his entire family and she was the one who knocked him out so he couldn’t. You should probably rethink how you’re using your daughters who come to you for help.”
I agreed with him. If someonewantedto work at the brothel, they absolutely should. If theyhadto, they should be able to keep all their money. No one should have to do what the Barons forced them to do.
Folcard narrowed his eyes at us because we had him. I didn’t lie about my name and put a false one on the contract. I hada perfectly good reason for not correcting him. I did what was outlined in my contract and caught the Ghoul.
All of Guttertown was out here. He didn’t give a shit about any of us, but it would look bad if he threw me in the brothel after all of this. They got free labor and money off of their Guttertown spawn. Folcard didn’t know Basselt was about to change things. We’d only have to go to them for money now, but if he screwed me over, no one would bother.
We knew we were getting screwed in the whole arrangement, but what we did get saved our family, so it was worth it to us. If he threw me in the brothel after I caught a serial killer just because I wasn’t a man, no one would come to them again.
“I still think you deceived me. Consider the remedy I gave you to stabilize her payment for catching the Ghoul. I’ll sign a new contract with you. I’ll give your mother the cure and you can pay it back in the brothel.”
“No,” I said, raising my chin.
He wasn’t going to force me, but he wouldn’t blackmail me again, either. I had a secret weapon and that bloody thunderstorm last night meant I didn’t have to wait.
“No?” he sputtered.
“Obviously, I have other skills and I don’twantto work at the brothel. I’ll find the cure another way. You’ve shown me you can’t be trusted with contracts and if you were a decent father, you would have known it wasyour sonbutchering people all over Nestran.”
“I tried with that boy, but he was never right in the head. It was an issue with the bitch. I can’t be blamed. Don’t come crawling back to me when your mother is on death’s door because I’m only making this offer once.”
“It’s a shit offer. Your first one was better. I did what you asked, and you didn’t pay up. I’m not making a deal with you again.”
“Suit yourself. It’s notmymother who is going to die,” Folcard said, kicking his horse and riding off.
Goran stood there awkwardly for a moment and then joined him. Trevils was the only one who stayed, and I was fine with that. I owed him a drink and some food because he probably defended me when Goran was snitching.
I was guessing Goran didn’t get a damned thing out of this, but I hoped it was worth it because Neco was seething. Neco had rules and he just might break them over his friends and family.
The Guttertown gossip mill was now in overdrive. I’m sure a lot of that was how I managed to fool everyone, but there were other people who lived like me for completely different reasons and they usually made that decision later in life, so everyone knew, but respected it. They hadalwaysthought I was a man.
I’m sure most of them wanted to talk about Folcard showing up here and me telling him no to his face, but I was free now and I wanted to capitalize on that. I stood on the stump outside the Whispering Raven.
“Listen up, fuckers! I’m Lance Lucia Argent and from this day forward, if you want to drink at the Whispering Raven, you’ll address me as Lucy. Lance was just, so I didn’t end upat the brothel because I don’twantto work there. No offense, Madame.”
The Madame just chuckled.
“Your look would bring in customers and your disposition would turn them away. Men don’t like it when you punch them in the face and start a brawl.”
“Speak for yourself,” Neco grunted. “She can hit me whenever she wants.”
“Not everyone wants to pay for that, Neco,” the Madame said.
Neco turned purple because the Madame had that effect on people.
“How about drinks on Lucy for standing up to the Barons?” someone called.
“Erik Barlow?” I said, putting my hands on my hips. “Lucy isn’t giving you free drinks any more than Lance did.”
He just gave me a rude gesture and a grin. Erik wasn’t mad. It was a game to him. He ran a market stall, so he was used to bartering. I had no problem bartering drinks for his wares, but he always tried to get free booze from me. I gave him one right back.
“After I’ve had breakfast and had time to prepare, we’ll be opening early if anyone wants to celebrate Guttertown getting one over on the Barons, but I can’t afford to feed all you assholes for free, so it’s a party where you pay me for food and libations. In addition to the new Bloody Mary, we’ll be debuting a new drink with the same spirit, but it’s sweet.”
