The Quarrygate Gambit, page 6
“He’s new?”
“He came in here yesterday, eight bells in the morning, said that some guy told him to come, he’d teach him to use a knife properly. Described Asti to the hair.”
“Where’d he meet Asti?”
“I asked him, he said he tried to rob Asti, and Asti took the knife from him, told him he was doing it all wrong, and to come in the morning and learn something proper. Have you ever heard anything so wild?”
Helene burst out laughing. “That is . . . the most Asti thing I’ve ever heard,” she said.
“So I told him he had a job here if he needed money. The only thing I could think to do.”
“You always were one for taking in strays.”
“Asti most of all,” Kimber said. “Just so you know, I’m not . . . I don’t fool myself about him. He doesn’t love me, I know. And he doesn’t want love from me.”
“I don’t think he trusts himself to let anyone love him,” Helene said.
“No,” Kimber said. “But by every saint, does he need it, because he hates himself so much. So I give him as much as he’s willing to take. And . . . I’ve always had a thing for lost causes.”
“You still have Nange up in a room, I see,” Helene said. Enanger Lesk should have died after Asti carved him up, but he managed to make a slow recovery. And he had nothing left, his whole gang was gone.
“Asti said to keep him until he was well enough to be out on his own, so I did,” Kimber said. “Asti takes in the strays as well.”
“Thank the saints for that,” Helene said. “But this arrest business, it has to be something done by his enemies. Our enemies. It’s the only sense of it I can make.”
“Because of the things you all have done since the fire?”
“Exactly,” Helene said. “But why arrest the boys and leave me on my own?”
Kimber took the empty glass away. “In that case, maybe this is your limit. If someone comes for you, you need your wits.”
“I don’t even know what to expect,” Helene said. “At this point, we’re just waiting, but we’re probably going to exhaust every legal recourse.”
Kimber snorted. “Then, my dear, I think you know what the next step is for you.”
* * *
“We need an illegal recourse.”
Raych had not been prepared for Helene to stumble into the Gadgeterium, having clearly been in her cups, let alone make such a nonsensical declaration.
“What?” Raych asked.
“We,” Helene said, taking a moment to focus herself on Raych. “We . . . we need . . .”
“How much did you drink?”
“Two beers,” Helene said. “At Kimber’s. Then she said I was done, so I went to the Fuergan restaurant and had a few little glasses of their house whiskey, which . . . is terrible, at least the first couple. But then they also make this thing with layers of pastry and a cream and something green and—”
“Helene,” Raych said, bringing her into the back room. “Why did you get drunk?”
“What else am I going to do?” Helene asked.
“Someone could still be coming for us—”
“No one is coming for us,” Helene said. “If they were, they would have. Whatever this is about, we’re irrelevant to the scheme.”
“How can you think that?”
“Because that’s what I’m seeing here,” Helene said. “Listen, if this was a ploy aimed at us, to grab you or me while keeping Asti and Verci out of the game, they would have taken their opportunity already. Or if it was a ploy that needed us, it would have reared its head. But it’s not.”
“I don’t understand.”
“All right,” Helene said, sitting down on the floor. “Let me explain. If you kidnap Asti Rynax because you want to grab something he’d protect—you have to know there’s only a short amount of time to take advantage of that. You’re not going to neutralize him and then wait two days, because you would risk that he’d break out and kill you before that. So whatever this is about, we’re not the target. We’re not the concern. So we need to figure out how to become a concern.” Helene’s expression made it clear she had lost her train of thought at the end of her diatribe.
“I don’t understand.” Raych knew she was saying that again, but she didn’t know what else to say. She had barely been able to think straight the last two days, and some part of her wished she could let herself get as ripping drunk as Helene was. “How do we become a concern?”
“I’m still trying to figure it out,” Helene said. “I’m never one for plans. Tell me a plan, stick me on a rooftop, and I can do whatever you need . . . I’m useless on my own.”
“Helene,” Raych said, sitting down in front of her. “You came in here all fired up on something, but I don’t know what. Explain it. We need an illegal recourse?”
“Did you hire a lawyer?” Helene asked.
“They weren’t interested because I don’t know where Verci and the others are, and can’t even prove they were arrested. And I can’t afford to hire them to do the investigative work to find the boys.”
“Right. Constabulary is no help, lawyers no help, the Justice Advocate Office no help. Legal recourses are done. So, illegal recourses. We can’t investigate, so who can?”
The door flew open, and Raych jumped up, grabbing the closest of Verci’s devices and holding it up as a weapon. Which was ridiculous, as it was a bottle-popper, and it was Jhoqull at the door.
“I think I know where they are.”
Helene hopped up on her feet, surprisingly steady. “Where?”
“Quarrygate,” Jhoqull said.
“I mean, that’s a reasonable guess, but we have no idea,” Raych said. “But even still, wouldn’t the Justice Advocate Office have heard?”
“They don’t hear what I did.”
“How did you hear?” Helene asked.
“I’ve checked in with the family. They have all reached out, ears open around the city. Just about every Ch’omik in Maradaine knows about what happened the other night, and have been learning what they could. So, a cousin of a cousin works in a boarder house out southwest. And a good swipe of the folks living in that house are guards at Quarrygate.”
“All right,” Raych said.
“So this kin overheard talk about a fight in the prison yard they had to stop. Gang boys going after, as they said, ‘chomie and pirie’ who were together, and then a big guy got involved and they had to put him in the box.”
“In the what?” Helene roared.
Raych was a step behind with the math of it. Could it be true? Kennith with either Verci or Asti, and then Julien. At least three of them together, too much of a coincidence to otherwise ignore.
“So why haven’t we heard through official channels?”
“Because the official channels don’t rutting care,” Helene snapped. “They put Julie in what?”
“I don’t know,” Jhoqull said. “This is through a few sets of ears, so the details might have been lost. The point is, it’s likely the boys are there. So what do we do?”
“Go back to the Justice Advo—”
“No,” Helene said. “If they’re already in there, it’s without a trial or counsel. Shady sewage. Like I said, no legal recourse will help us.”
“But if we know—”
“You’ll be buried in paper. And it won’t help the boys.”
“We don’t know—”
“We know it won’t help them. Look, if they’re there, then they were either really arrested by Archduchy Sheriffs, or by someone who could manipulate or control the Sheriffs. You think a lawyer we could hire, or the Justice Advocate Office could handle that?” Even through her drunken slurring, Helene was on target with her words. She was right, and Raych hated that.
“So what do we do?” Raych asked. She looked to Jhoqull.
“I have no idea, unless you want me to call the family to fight.”
“We’re not going to storm Quarrygate,” Raych said.
“But we do need . . .” Helene laughed. “What was it, what I said when I came in?”
“An illegal resource.”
“We need someone who can fight a dirty fight for us,” Helene said. “We need to go to Josie Holt.”
That was it. The thing Raych had feared Helene had meant from the start.
* * *
Just finding Josie had been a bit of a challenge. The woman knew how to stay hidden, and she was no longer at the pub where Raych had last seen her. That place was now boarded up completely.
Helene had gone to Enanger Lesk, since he used to work for her, and his main advice was, “Find Ia, who usually is running the Honey Hut. If anyone is still close to Josie, it’s her.”
Raych did not want to go to the Honey Hut, certainly, but Helene made it clear that it was the best option to talk to Josie, and that was the best option for the help they needed.
Raych dressed in the same smart dress she had worn to see the lawyers. If nothing else, she’d look professional and composed. Jhoqull had assembled an outfit that looked somewhat like a Druth summer dress, but had taken off the sleeves, and wore her leather vest over it, buttoned tight almost like a corset. Helene dressed in her usual dark purple ensemble that she wore for most of the runs she had done with Verci. Her “business attire” when her business was being on a roof with a crossbow. Two crossbows dangled at her hips. But the strangest part of her outfit was a green cap, which didn’t match the rest remotely.
“What is that hat?” Raych asked.
“A message,” Helene said. “We need to go through Ia, so I wanted to remind her who I am.”
“And who is that?” Jhoqull asked.
“The woman who knocked her on her backside and took her damned hat.”
Raych wasn’t going to argue with that. Great Prophets, Ia Estäan was a tower of a woman. She certainly terrified Raych, so having both Helene and Jhoqull at her side for this was absolutely critical.
The Honey Hut was not very busy when they arrived, since it was the middle of the day, and most fellows didn’t get their randy on until the sun had set, at least. They came in to find a number of women, all dressed relatively respectfully, slouching about in the front parlor. Raych wasn’t sure what she had expected, but it had been a bit more salacious than this.
“Well,” one of the women said, walking up. “This almost feels like a trap. We agree to service one of you ladies and then the constables pour in and arrest us all for moral degeneracy.”
“Not looking for that,” Raych said. “We would like a word with Miss Estäan if she’s available.”
“Miss Estäan?” the woman asked. “Isn’t that proper?”
Helene stepped up. “Just tell Ia that we need to talk to her. Tell her it’s Helene Kesser and two friends.”
“Fine,” the woman said, and she went off to the back of the house. In a few moments, Ia strode out, an absolute statue. Hair like the sun, skin like snow, and as she approached, she was so tall that Raych only came up to her bosom.
“Are you looking for work, Kesser? You think men will pay for this, sjat?”
“Not looking to work for you,” Helene said. “We need to talk to the Old Lady.”
“Who is we? You and the dark bit and the poisoner?”
“Sorry about that,” Raych said.
“Don’t apologize to her,” Helene said.
“No, I like that,” Ia said. “She made me vomit my guts and worse for two days, I thought I was going to die. An apology is the least.”
“Please,” Raych said. “We need to speak to Missus Holt.”
“So you come to me,” Ia said. She looked Helene up and down. “Oh, yes, very good, Hel. You want to scrap me here in my own house?”
“If I got to.”
“And this one,” she said, pointing to Jhoqull. “You would be a good fight, I think, sjat?”
“Test at your convenience,” Jhoqull said.
“I may, I may. And then the Rynax woman. I will say this about you, miss, you did make a very good pie. Even with the poison, quite tasty.”
“Are you going to get the Old Lady or not?” Helene asked.
Ia pursed her lips in thought. “What could it be that brings the three of you to my place needing to talk to Missus Holt? This is very interesting, sjat? I want to hear it. But . . .” She reached out and grabbed the hat off of Helene’s head. “I want my rutting hat back.”
Helene bristled, but Raych grabbed her arm. “Fine, you can have it,” Raych said. “Just, please.”
“Payra, take them to the kitchen. Have Missus Rynax make some tea for all the girls while she waits. I will see if Missus Holt wants to talk to you.”
The kitchen was dreary and dismal, but Raych, despite the glares from Helene, went to work on a pot of tea. She didn’t know what else to do while waiting, and since she was here to beg for help, she might as well be amiable. If that meant making tea, perfect. If they had the ingredients in this kitchen—which was in a state, how did these ladies eat?—she would make cookies or cakes. Anything to curry some favor. It was the absolute least to do. Jhoqull and Helene both sat and watched her, shaking their heads.
“You handle things your way, I’ll do mine,” Raych said.
Raych finished the tea and brought it out to the ladies in the parlor, who were all very kind and appreciative. She returned to the kitchen to find Ia standing there, looming protectively over Josie Holt, now sitting in one of the chairs.
“Well, Raychelle Rynax,” Josie said. “It has been a little bit, hasn’t it?”
“Ma’am,” Raych said,
“I would normally like some tea myself, but last time you made me something, well, it wasn’t all it was presented to be, was it?”
“I suppose not, ma’am.”
“You see, Hel?” Josie said. “She understands deference.”
“You earn some deference, you’ll get some.”
“No need to be salty, Helene.”
“I still think you stole from us, so I’ll bring the salt.”
“I did what the neighborhood needed. As I always do.”
“Speaking of,” Raych said, sitting down.
“Yes, the Rynax boys are in trouble, I hear. Same with your cousin, and Almer, Kennith, Pilsen and his boy. Ia, do I have that count right?”
“Sjat.”
“Quite the predicament.”
“They’re in Quarrygate, we think,” Helene said. “We need to get them out.”
“That’s a tall order.”
“One I think you can help with, though,” Raych said.
“I would have to find out what I can do. But let’s say I’m inclined—and I somewhat am, as Ken and Pilsen haven’t irritated me much. They probably don’t deserve whatever business this is. Not even Julien.”
“None of them do,” Raych said.
“I need to investigate, but my gut tells me the Rynax boys have been up to something, no? And perhaps they earned this being visited upon them all.”
“But can you help?” Jhoqull said brusquely. “Or do you just talk in games?”
“She’s a fire, I like that,” Josie said. “Now, I probably can. But I have to ask, what is in it for me?”
“What do you want?” Raych asked.
“Oh, my,” Josie said. “Is this an open offer? Whatever I want?”
“Within reason,” Raych said. “We’re not going to work here for you.”
“If that’s what I wanted, you would,” Josie said. “But I have no need for unenthusiastic doxies with mediocre skills. But do you know what? Just the other day, a job crossed my desk. A job I would really like to get done. At one time, it’s exactly the sort of job I’d call on Asti and Verci Rynax for.”
“So get them all out, and they’ll do it,” Helene said.
“No, that’s not what I’m thinking,” Josie said. “I think I can’t get it done as an Asti and Verci Rynax job. Not on the schedule I need, and not on empty promises. I need it done now.” She chuckled and leaned back in her chair.
“So maybe, if you truly are desperate enough, it’s a Raych Rynax job.”
Chapter 6
“ARE YOU RUTTING KIDDING ME?” Helene asked. She couldn’t believe Josie was even suggesting it. “She’s not her husband.”
“No,” Josie said. “But Nange’s boys had abducted her, and she got away from her lockup all on her own. She outfoxed me with that pie trick. Not to mention she’s probably strong enough to even beat Ia on a pull-fight.”
“She is not one of us,” Helene said. “Blazes, I’m barely that—”
Josie scoffed. “You’re North Seleth in your blood, Helene. Your pop was shooting in crack jobs for as long as I’ve known, and I don’t even want to get into what your gran used to do back in the day.”
“So, fine,” Helene said. “You give me a target, a list of targets, and I’ll put bolts in their skulls all day long. You want that? I’ll do that. Every rival you have, lying in their own blood by sunrise tomorrow.”
“Very bold promises,” Josie said. “I almost wish that was a practical thing I needed.” She turned to Raych. “I mean, if five years ago, Helene had shown that kind of drive, that kind of hustle? With her talent she’d be the most sought-after assassin in the city. Able to name her price.”
“I’m telling you now,” Helene said, leaning into Josie’s face. “You need work done, talk to me.”
“I’m also talking to Raych,” Josie said. “If I’m helping the three of you here, then I am talking to all of you. I’m going to need all of you to be working with me for what I need done.”
“You don’t even know what we can do,” Jhoqull said.
“I have some inkling,” Josie said. “And I am fascinated by the . . . motivational power of this situation. Look how enterprising it made Helene. Ready to start a murder spree, just before marrying a constable at that. Astounding.”
Helene pounded the table. “Do you want to see what kind of spree I’ll go on if something happens to Julien?”
Raych touched Helene’s arm, drawing her back down to her chair. Then, in a choked whisper, asked, “What’s the job?”
