After the interrogation of the smith’s family and his apprentice, the chance for Elizabeth being a witch seemed even slighter. A witness testified now that she was indeed gathering ingredients on her expeditions into the forest. Furthermore, the smith’s child knew with certainty that there were children who never went into the woods to play and still got ill.

We visited the homes of some of these children. As Beldrak feared earlier, most of them were already put to sleep, and the parents were reluctant to let us wake them. Thankfully, Morreio came to our help after he finished his fruitless search at Mathilda’s house, and convinced the townspeople to put up with us for a while.

While Jim healed the kids, Beldrak and I spoke with the parents. The theory that a familiar was stealing into the children’s bedroom in the night was also discredited. Almost no one we spoke left the children to sleep with open windows. At one place the whole family slept in one bed, and one child got ill, the other remained healthy. The only thing every sick had in common was the possession of one of Ysabel’s present. Not that most of them were willing to tell us that, even after Jim healed them, they tried to spin some tale, and they could only caught by methodical interrogation.

“We were fortunate that we started with your girls,” I told Morreio while walking back towards the guardhouse. “We could have easily missed this lead, if not for the little tattletales.”

“I would like to say that my daughters are simply more honest than other children,” sighed Morreio. “But I am afraid your description is closer to the truth.”

“Well, I have a good eye for people’s personalities, if I do say so myself,” I answered modestly, drawing annoyed glares from my companions. “What? You don’t believe me? I bet you ten gold against one that the mayor still won’t permit to search Ysabel’s home.”

“And why is that?” asked Beldrak.

“Because they are lovers, obviously.”

“Doubtlessly, you know that because you saw it with this excellent eye of yours.”

“How else?” I grinned. “But this assumption does make you see things in a different light, doesn’t it? Everything makes better sense this way.”

“If Schultheiß is screwing the blonde babe, we will get no permit, I give you that,” said Jim. “So, we shan’t ask for permission. I don’t feel like going right now, but after a few hours of sleep, we should still break in.”

“I didn’t hear what you have said,” interjected Morreio, “but on an unrelated note, we keep the confiscated belongings of our prisoners in the strongroom. The suspect known as Ysabel has her possessions stored in the red cupboard at the eastern wall, fifth shelf from below.”

“Possessions, like keys, for example?” I asked grinning.

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“It is possible. As I am exhausted after such a long day, it is also conceivable that after I do my routine check on the strongroom, I might make the unforgivable mistake of not locking said chamber. Was I to make such a mistake, I wouldn’t discover and remedy it till the next morning.”

“Take your time with your breakfast tomorrow, Sergeant Morreio,” I patted on his shoulder. “You are overworking yourself. You should spend more time with your family.”

“Good advice,” said Beldrak.

When we arrived back at the guardhouse, the captain and the mayor were still there, playing chess in the captain’s office. The mayor jumped up when he saw us enter.

“Well?” he asked in an impatient tone. “Did you find evidence against Mathilda? Can we let the other two go?”

“I am afraid not,” I answered. “There have been complications, and our investigation was obstructed. But we are sure that tomorrow everything will come to light.”

“That is good to hear,” muttered the captain. He squinted at me and started to talk to no one in particular.

“About that business with Velario, I would appreciate, if next time…”

“Absolutely, old chap!” I exclaimed cheerfully. “My dear Gerio, you can count on me!”

“I can?” he frowned.

“We officers have to stick together, eh? You don’t need to say another word. I overstepped my bounds here when I decided to spare the bastard’s life, despite being drunk on duty. I am terribly sorry, and I promise it won’t ever happen again. If I see him so much as take a sip tomorrow, I will spill his guts on the ground as you want me to.”

“But I…,” he fumbled, suddenly pale.

“Wonderful,” cut him off Trueanvil. “This business taken care of, may I trouble you to show us where we could find some pallets? We left our bedrolls in the inn, and we decided to sleep here. Someone has to guard the prisoners, right? You are the captain, you have other duties, Morreio has a family he would like to see, and Velario is indisposed, so that leaves the work for us.”

“Of course,” Angheri muttered. “This way.”

We got rid of the two idiots in short order, and Morreio left too, leaving the whole guardhouse to us.

“How did this man become a mayor?” I wondered. “He has made one stupid mistake after another since we met.”

“Lack of competition, I would assume,” shrugged Beldrak. “That said, turning to outsiders to get his lover out of prison through an independent investigation was stupid. And if he already did this, he should have tried to bribe us, instead of letting us do as we please.”

“He shouldn’t have even let Morreio arrest Ysabel in the first place,” reckoned Jim. “I mean he is the bloody mayor, and the captain is his puppet! But they didn’t even have the spine to stand up to their own underling.”

“I don’t know about that,” I mused. “A lot of the parents I spoke with suspected Ysabel might have something to do with the sickness. It’s not just Morreio they would have had to stand up, but half of the town.”

“Anyways, what are we going to do with the prisoners, while we are gone?,” asked Jim. “It would be embarrassing to find evidence against Ysabel, then find out that she got away in the meantime.”

“I put the best locks on her door I could find at this place,” I assured the tiefling. “She has no reason to make a run for it, as far as she knows, her lover is in charge of the investigation, and we are just useful idiots. Also, she won’t even know we left.”

Since the conversation was mostly over, I took out my carving knife and shore off a small chunk from the wood.

“Put that thing away, and sleep,” yawned Beldrak. “We only have a few hours.”

“A few minutes of carving before sleep calms the nerves,” I answered absent-mindedly. “Good night!”