Elwin wondered how much time they had. How much time could they drag their feet and stay with the captain before someone came and bashed down the door with a team of dogs to do a search? Or someone, probably one of the girls, ran off at the mouth while partying in town and someone figured out a little too much that way?
The frustrating thing was, it could be anywhere between an hour and eternity. After all, who would go against the captain by invading his house? He was fairly sure that this island was the kind of place where no one really had the authority to do that. And as a former pirate captain, both the respect level and fear level people would have for him . . . might keep them away? Unless an angry mob formed. How many people around here, influential people, held Freya in high esteem? Depended on her advice?
For that matter, how many would be looking for Aster?
Only one would be looking for Hobbs.
Elwin moved aside the curtain barely an inch and peered into the front yard. He wondered if Crow was watching them right now. Surely, not enough time passed for him to realize that his partner was gone and never coming back. It was dusk now, somehow the day had passed and he felt all alone with his worries.
Prin slept. Aster slept. Though it was a good thing, Elwin thought. But he couldn’t sleep anymore after all and only fretted on things he had no control over.
Had they put out the fire successfully? Captain Thompson would know.
Elwin looked behind himself at Prin, who’s sweet face, usually as untroubled and peaceful in sleep as a child’s, was slightly scrunched, brows knitted. Maybe he was also worrying at the knots that held them in place on this island. And the ones that could get them thrown into the ocean without a boat this time, tied to a sack of rocks.
Elwin went to Prin and smoothed his hair back from his forehead. “Prin?” He called softly. When there was no immediate response he didn’t push it any further, figuring he needed the sleep.
Elwin went to find Captain Thompson, as much as he hated to. He needed to know what the captain knew, and what he had planned. If anything.
He went to the captain’s office and almost ran straight into Dru a second time as she came out the door.
She was more dressed up this time, in leather pants and a green corset style top with an unexpected flash of lace at the bottom. She was counting bills in her hands.
Dru flashed a wide smile at Elwin. “Oh, hey again! Just getting a little pocket money to hit the town with. Is that what you’re coming in for?” She winked to show she was teasing. The money seemed to have put her in an even better mood then usual. Elwin thought she seemed like a cheerful idiot, but it could have been that he was just in no mood.
He wondered what they had talked about.
“Dru, can I talk to you seriously for just a second?” Elwin stood directly in front of her to slow down her escape through the hallways.
“Looks like you’re doing it right now.” Dru said.
“If you see . . . or hear . . . You wouldn’t . . . talk about any of your uncle’s business or, anything that goes on in the house with anyone, right?” Elwin asked.
Dru narrowed her eyes. “If this is about whatever it is going on in here today, how could I talk about something no one has even told me about?” She shrugged. “I’m clueless! Just how I like it.”
Elwin sighed. He was unconvinced.
“Why don’t you trust me, anyway? What have I ever done?” Dru asked.
“Well . . .” Elwin stared. Steal from your uncle, gamble and play around at the local brothels, have something going on with one of the scariest people Elwin had ever met, and possibly also your own cousin. He was sure he was forgetting something. “ . . . nothing.”
“That’s what I thought.” Dru said. She daintily stepped around him and continued down the hallway. She turned and walked backwards for a second, pointing from him to herself and back again. “You got nothing to say about me, and I got nothing to say about you. Kinda nice and convenient that, isn’t it?”
Elwin frowned slightly. “Yes.”
He didn’t know what else to do besides let her go.
The door to the captain’s office hadn’t fully closed when Elwin stepped through it.
“What else can I do for ya?” Captain Thompson asked. He sounded slightly exasperated, but maybe he was just preoccupied. He was wearing small, round glasses and sitting at his desk shifting through papers.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Huh? I uh, sorry, the door was open.” Elwin said. He realized he should have let the door close completely and knocked on it, rather than barge in unannounced.
The captain looked up from his papers and gave Elwin a wan smile. “Oh, it’s you. Come on in lad, shut the door behind ya.”
Elwin shut the door and sat down in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk.
“Do you think my young ones would be angry if I abruptly moved them to the main land? It would take some doing but . . . Aster. . .” He trailed off with a chuckle.
“I’m not sure.” Elwin said hesitantly. Did this mean he was contemplating ways to keep Aster with him?
The captain shook his head. “That’s what I thought.”
“I don’t . . . want anything. I just can’t sleep anymore and I’m dying –” Elwin gulped down the poor choice of words. “I’m dying to know what’s going on. All day, you know?”
He could have articulated that better.
The captain just chuckled. “You and me both, kid.” He narrowed his eyes at Elwin. “I don’t got much, but I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”
“I-I don’t know . . .” Elwin did not want to make his lies too complicated, since he had read enough books to know that was how people got tripped up. “I went looking for Prin, since he wasn’t home and doesn’t have any other friends on the island . . . I figured he went to see Aster.” Elwin hoped his hesitation didn’t make the fact that he was lying more obvious. This thought made him even more nervous and prone to unnecessary pauses. He hadn’t even got to the lying part yet. “When I got there, the smoke was already coming out of the shed. And . . . Aster and Prin were upset and shaking. They said Prin had been trying to protect Aster and in the course of the fight . . . an oil lamp was knocked over and the man fell into it and caught himself on fire.”
Captain Thompson raised his eyebrows and made a gesture with his hand for Elwin to keep going.
“As we were trying to get away, Aster got faint and passed out from the blood loss.” Elwin said. “They both seemed really traumatized so I don’t – I didn’t question further. I don’t think we should make them relive it by really pushing for details.” Elwin realized his mistake in telling a story that Aster and or Prin would have to fill in more of. Maybe even contradictory “more” at that.
From the look on the captain’s face he wasn’t entirely buying it. “If that’s all you know.” He shrugged. Doubting but willing to let it ride.
Elwin could appreciate that.
“So, the fire burned for quite a while and was hard to contain. All of the back sheds were burned to the ground and the back of the main building took some damage.” Captain Thompson said, in answer to Elwin’s expectant look.
Elwin held his breath.
“No one is missing.” The captain said. “Besides Aster Rose.”
Elwin let out his breath. As the person who set the fire, he would have been responsible if someone had died in it. Even though he had to do it, he wouldn’t want that to have happened.
“After the fire was put out and they were able to do a head count of all the girls, was when they realized who was missing.” Captain Thompson laughed. “It probably didn’t even take them that long. My Rose not being the type to get lost in a crowd!”
“She would have been at the front of it, trying to help.” Elwin agreed.
“In a jaunty little dress like it was any other day. Offering advice whether you want it or not.” The captain said with a wistful smile. He sighed. “It’s hard to see someone so tough and so lively . . . reduced.”
Elwin frowned. “Is it weird to see Aster and not Rose? I mean, I guess I mean, without the makeup and nice dresses?”
“That’s not it!” Captain Thompson briefly looked like he would come across the table, but he took a deep breath and settled back down quickly. “Son, there is more to a person then the thin skim of their outer adornments. Who do you take me for?”
“Sorry, I just thought maybe it was a shock is all.” Elwin said.
“No, the injury was the shock.” The captain said. “By reduced, I meant in poorly health.”
“Of course.” Elwin said.
“It made me feel . . . Even more so that Aster Rose is an irreplaceable person. To me. Do you know what I mean?” Captain Thompson said. He made a rueful expression. “Does he make them all feel like that? I understand it’s a job . . . one he’s good at. We’ve had the conversation. However, it’s too dangerous. You are just a pup, and probably have limited experience with such establishments, so I’ll tell you. Even at the best of them the attitude is one of the gals being a disposable resource. If something happens to them, if they get injured or . . . worse, or scarred to bad, traumatized, and lose their ability to carry on with it, they are thrown out with the trash. Sent away with nothing to make room for the new crop of fresh young faces coming in from the countryside. It’s just . . . It’s just the nature of the business.”
“If you know that, why do you go there and give them your money?” Elwin asked.
“A man gets lonely, kid! And I didn’t want to do all that dating and remarrying crap.” Captain Thompson made a face. “Not that it wasn’t suggested when Wrena and Valor were still tykes. I was also afraid that if I gave them a new mama and she didn’t treat them well, I would have to be digging a grave in the backyard.” He laughed. “You know what I mean? Heard too many bad things about second mamas.”
Elwin nodded, in what he hoped was an encouraging manner.
“Anyway, my point being, when Aster recovers, the last thing we’re gonna let him do is go back to that way of life. At the mercy of any strange person that comes through the door. Not to mention the piece of work that runs the place and her creep of a son.” The captain shuddered. “Never again. This has been my wakeup call.”
Elwin agreed but didn’t think it was their call to make. He didn’t want to say so and make the captain mad so he remained silent.
“The girls are going along and knocking on doors looking for Aster Rose.” Captain Thompson said gravely. “They said it was random but of course, they must be concentrating on customers, it only makes sense. Still, with privacy concerns, not that I am one to care about judgement from the masses, obviously, but some do . . . They don’t want to admit to the targeting.”
“What did you say?” Elwin asked.
“I acted surprised to hear about the fire and upset to find out that Aster was missing! But not too upset I hope. You think I’m a good actor? I don’t know if they believed it or not but I hope so.” The captain said.
“I’m sure they believed it.” Elwin said, not entirely sure. “Will they come back?”
“Without a doubt.” The captain said. “My lovely niece is going there tonight to check out the gossip and the extent of the damage. She doesn’t know Aster is here. I think.”
Elwin wasn’t sure about that. “What should we do? Maybe me and Prin shouldn’t stay—”
“No, no, it’s safer for you here.” The captain assured. “Just don’t leave the house for any reason. I can’t protect you out there.”