Plagium (Keepers Book 1)

Chapter 11- In Which (Some) Truths Are Revealed

"Wow, will ya look at this place!" Charlie exclaimed as they stepped inside Porter Keeper Shoppe. Since the eventful morning and afternoon, Tracey had not gotten a chance to tidy the office from the evidence of the previous night's event. Each person looked about in shocked silence at the piles of paper everywhere. Bentam cleared his throat, looking embarrassed.

"I...can see why you had cause for concern," he finally said. "I apologize for not taking your case gravely enough, Ms. Higgenbottom."

"All of this mess...what were they after?" Harriet asked as she tried to straighten a misshapen stack of papers on a table.

"I wish I knew," Tracey sighed. "Considering we handle mostly paperwork, it could have been anything."

"Is there no inventory?" Bentam piped.

Tracey shook her head. "That would defeat the whole purpose of a Keeper. We keep secrets. There are no use keeping secrets if we document what they are in easy-to-find files."

"Noted. Now, shall I gather statements?" he said as he set down his stack of papers and pulled a pen and notepad from his pocket. "Let's start with you, Ms. Higgenbottom, as you were the first to find the scene. Time and description."

"Sometime this morning, I'd say around 7 in the morning? I saw the room in this condition, and no door was shut."

"I see...including the front door?"

"Yes. Lights on, shutters open."

"Did you find any suspicious people near the scene or any objects left behind?"

"People, no, objects...," Tracey hesitated. Bentam raised an eyebrow.

"Objects left behind?"

"His glasses," Tracey finally said, pulling out the spectacles from her pocket.

"Mhm, and did you—."

"And this handkerchief," she rushedly added, pulling the cloth out.

"You neva said you'd found anything!" Mittie exclaimed.

"It never came up," Tracey replied.

"The spectacles are not news to me, Ms. Higgenbottom. However, that handkerchief is," Bentam said, leaning forward to look closer at the cloth. "Where was this when you came in this morning?"

"Here, I presume. The constables gave it to me. I suppose he had assumed that it was my own...but I took it because I thought it might give me a clue."

"Proceeding with cases without the High Constable's approval could land you in prison, Ms. Higgenbottom."

"It wasn't as if the High Constable was about to open my case either, wasn't it?" Tracey retorted.

Bentam blinked. "You may have a point." He reached forward and took the handkerchief from her hand. "This kerchief has initials on this...RN. Do you know who this could be?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head.

"Did you check your check-in list to see if there's any clients that share this initial?"

"...no." she replied.

"I'd have asked you that if you'd've mentioned that handkerchief earlier!" Mittie said indignantly, putting her hands on her hip. "Is that what you've been hiding in those pocket o' yours?"

"...partially."

Bentam sighed before turning to Mittie. "May I get your statement, Mittie?" he asked. "I suppose you were the next person?"