Bloodfeud (The Scarlet Star Trilogy Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

record was set straight.’
    It was a simple ploy; one that tugged at the constable’s sense of truth and justice. Pagget may not have been the smartest or the toughest official in the city, but he was a true man of the law. Merion had seen that in the man’s eyes all those weeks ago, while he was slumped in the same chair, listening to Witchazel prattle on about deserts and railroad and undertakers.
    Pagget set his elbows on the leather-topped table and hummed. ‘So where do I come in? How could I possibly help you? Besides throwing you back in a cell and keeping you out of harm’s way while I dig into it.’
    Merion cocked his head. ‘I’d really rather you didn’t. This goes higher than you think.’
    ‘Spit it out, Master Hark. I’m a busy man.’
    Merion reclined and crossed his arms. ‘Tell me, how is the investigation into my father’s murder going?’
    The silence could have been shattered with the flick of a finger. Merion waited for his answer while Pagget worked his tongue around his gums. ‘It was, erm, put on hold.’
    ‘By whom, might I ask?’
    ‘Orders of the Prime Lord… I mean, the Lord Protector. Straight from the Queen, he said.’
    Merion raised an eyebrow. ‘And you saw the Queen’s signature?’
    Pagget was squirming now, finding any excuse to avoid the boy’s stare. ‘No. Just Lord Dizali’s. He, er, felt we had done our best… Ordered us to cease the investigation. He’d already donated so many of his lordsguards to the effort…’ The excuses trailed off.
    ‘As far as I see it,’ said Merion, ‘your “best” would actually be the capture of the murderer.’ He was enjoying this immensely, though he had to be careful not to push the constable too far.
    ‘It wasn’t that simple. I’ll have you know a lot has happened since—’
    ‘I’m sure it’s not, and I’m sure the world has been turned upside-down since I left,’ Merion answered. ‘And that’s why I’m here to fix it. I have another question.’
    ‘And what’s that?’
    ‘Would you come to the Emerald House, if there was suspicion of treason among the Benches?’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Yes or no, Jimothy, it’s very simple. If you were told of a snake in the grass, a true traitor, not a scapegoat. You would bring your men and your ears to hear it?’
    ‘Yes, fine! I suppose I would.’ Sweat had begun to gather at the roots of Pagget’s hair.
    ‘Good. Last question…’
    ‘Merion! What is this all about?’
    ‘Mr Witchazel. I need to know his whereabouts.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘Because I need to talk to him. I need the deeds to my estate.’
    Pagget’s voice was a frustrated scrape. ‘Mr Witchazel, last I heard of him, was living at Clovenhall. The Lord Protector rescued him, you see. From kidnap and torture. Lord Umbright took him, tried to coerce him into signing over Harker Sheer, if I remember rightly. Don’t know about no deeds except that Dizali hasn’t yet retrieved them from Umbright’s estate. Read the papers, Hark.’
    Merion drummed his nails on the arm of the chair. It was looking more and more like betrayal to him. ‘Well, it looks as though I’ll be on my way.’
    Pagget kneaded his frown. ‘You committed a crime just to get my help, and now you want me to turn you loose? To keep my mouth shut about it? Fudge the records?’
    Merion shrugged. ‘Hopefully, yes.’
    Pagget blew an exasperated sigh. ‘You’re a strange one, Hark, anybody ever tell you that?!’
    ‘Many times. But attention is not something I want.’
    ‘I can bloody imagine.’ Pagget took a moment to digest before sighing and propping himself on his elbows. ‘You’ve got some nerve, asking me to stick my neck out for you.’
    ‘I figured you owed me.’
    Pagget raised an eyebrow. ‘And how’d you figure that?’
    ‘Like I said before, seen my father’s killer lately?’ Merion raised his eyebrow again and Pagget quailed. ‘I won’t tell a soul. Your secret will be safe with me.’
    ‘If you get caught again,