Banging down doors

Ostiarium

"Open up in there..." Sargent Carver shouted as her gloved fist banged at the door of Cagliostro's Apothecary.
"What in the blazes is taking them so long?" She asked no one in particular and her two men squad knew better than to reply.

"I don't need this crap. They are not paying me enough for this..." She cursed thinking back on the gold hidden beneath the floorboard in her room. She wondered what had happened to that crazy bounty hunter. It been months now. Maybe Arcadia swallowed him.

~A few more months.~ she told herself. ~A few more months to the end my tenure and get the piece of land I'm due.~

She kept banging at the door. It was to early for the shop to be closed. When Nicolaus wasn't in, that crippled he employed was ways around. Her migraine was getting worse. She needed a drink.

Suddenly the door flew open. The thin dark clad figure of the apothecary appeared at the door. Immediately she noticed he was wearing a blood stained leather apron, like those wore by butchers.

She walked past the man almost barging into him, but Nicolaus who hates physical contact jumped out of the way.

"Why did you close so early?" She asked looking around the shop. There was a metallic smell in the air, mixed with spices and herbs. This place creeped her out. Rumours around the Oak Cup, the City Guard watering hole, said the man was doing some nasty experiments for the Duke.

"I am doing autopsies on some of the victims, Sargent. Checking the contents of their stomachs, to try and identify the poisons used..." He offered bluntly. "I do not appreciate being disturbed. Now what can I do you for?" He asked rubbing at his hands with an alcohol soaked rag.

"Yes, yes and I don't like passing water in the Keep's latrines." She replied sarcastically. "What are we going to do about it?" She walked along the shop as her guards stood by the door.

"It struck me today that, you have access to a lot of poisons, don't you apothecary?" She started running her fingers over the bridge of her nose. "I mean, if I wanted to kill a bunch of people I probably would come and see you. It that man of yours, Tolan." she looked around. "Quite the nasty fellow before he started to work for you. Where is dear old, limpy?"

"Away. Gathering some herbs from the forest. Winter is coming. We can't have enough wild garlic and lemongrass." He said crossing his hands over his chest. "Sargent what is this all about?"

"Just a friendly visit from you friendly City Watch... We care about our most prestigious businessmen." She looked at him the sarcasm dripping from her words. "Seems someone wanted to kill two of you lot. "She paused for effect.

"You wouldn't know anything about that, now would you, bloodletter?"