Blood Under Water (Dark Renaissance Book 2) by Toby Frost

Author:Toby Frost [Frost, Toby]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-08-04T22:00:00+00:00

***

Falsi put his head around Orvo’s door. “Afternoon, Boss.”

The captain was cleaning a pistol at his desk, poking at the barrel with a tiny mop. A map of the city hung beside the window in a smart frame. Falsi hadn’t seen it before. He wondered if it had formerly occupied a space on the late procurator’s office wall.

“Falsi,” Orvo said, almost looking up. “I’ve been looking for you.”

Horse-shit you have, Falsi thought. For the past two days the captain had been away from his desk, leaving the running of the Watch-house to his men. “Well,” Falsi said, “here I am now.” He noticed that his own pistol was a good deal bigger than Orvo’s. The knowledge gave him an odd sense of satisfaction. “It’s pretty bad about the procurator,” he said. He’d never much liked the man.

“Stone dead,” Orvo replied. He put down the pistol. “It’s terrible, of course, but at least it’s ended now.”

“So the Anglians killed him? That’s what the lads are saying.”

“Damn right. Crept in his office and beat the poor bastard to death. Word is, the assassin climbed out the window and ran over the bloody rooftops. Foreigners: lunatics, all of them.”

“You said ‘the assassin’. So only one of them killed the procurator?”

Orvo frowned. “No, that’s not what I meant. Only one of them did the killing, for sure, but they were all in on it. A conspiracy, you see.”

Falsi nodded. “I see.”

“Then they ran for it. They got pretty far, too. The river boys got them, down at the docks.”

“Did we get the bodies?”

Orvo frowned. “No, of course not. The Customs people took them away. They’ll be in the Isle of Graves by now. All of them.” He picked up his gun and got to work with the mop again.

“So that’s that, is it?”

“Done and dusted.” Orvo paused, tools in hand. “You know, it would’ve been better if you hadn’t put them in that inn. You were too soft on them. All they did was plot to escape. You can see now why they had to be killed.”

“It’s not our finest moment,” Falsi said. “You’re right about that.”

“I’ll tell you what it is, though.” Orvo looked the most alert he’d been for weeks. “Tidy, that’s what. And everyone likes a tidy town.”

“Too bad we won’t get paid for the work,” Falsi said sourly. “What with our boss being dead and all.”

“They’ll find another procurator.” Orvo grinned. “Maybe I’ll put myself forward.”

“I doubt it. No offence, Boss, but that’s noble’s work.”

“Now you,” Orvo replied, wagging a hairy finger in Falsi’s face, “are a nay-sayer. You hear the good news and you throw it back at me, just like Saint Jonas the Questioner.”

Falsi chuckled. “You’re quoting scripture at me. I think I’ve seen it all now.” He glanced down the corridor, towards the stairs. “I’ve got things to do. I’ll, er, leave you to the prophets.” He turned and walked away.

“Ye of little faith!” Orvo called after him, laughing as he did.

Falsi stopped smiling. He thought about Giulia Degarno, telling him she was being set up as she pointed her crossbow at his head.

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