PREVIOUS: 014: CSI: Ironlands
Mossgrove Town Square
Togan sits up as soon as he sees the two approaching the stocks.
TOGAN: "Lucya!"
TOGAN: "And, um... Jagal, right?"
JAGAL: "That's me."
LUCYA: "Togan..."
Lucya sits down next to Togan and lets him do his little cheek kiss in greeting, but she doesn't have time to get sentimental. The sun is inching closer to the horizon...
TOGAN: "...What's happened now?"
JAGAL: (cheerily) "The good news is, we both still think you're innocent!"
TOGAN: "Really?"
LUCYA: "A course we do! But it's gotten mighty complicated..."
LUCYA: "...Are ye still wearing what ye wore when it happened?"
TOGAN: "Aye, I hope they'll let me home t'change clothes tonight... But what's that got t'do with anything?"
Jagal is briefly visibly baffled at the idea they'd up and let a criminal out of the stocks for something like that, but he blinks it off. Bigger fish here.
Lucya fishes the scrap of fabric out of her bag.
LUCYA: "We found this at the scene..."
TOGAN: "Huh? Surely you don't mean..."
Still, Togan dutifully checks the legs of his pants for any sign of damage, and on rolling up the hem of the left leg...
TOGAN: "...Whuh?! But I wasn't even there! I swear!!"
TOGAN: "I heard the noise and I paid for my groceries and left! I never saw... I wouldn't... forget something like that, would I?"
LUCYA: "Nay, I saw what was left a the man... Ye wouldnae forget it."
Jagal tilts his head a little more ambivalently on that point, but he's not going to contradict her.
Lucya holds the scrap up to the tear in the hem. The edges match up perfectly.
LUCYA: "Would ye look at that..."
Jagal lets out a thin little whistle at the sight.
JAGAL: "That's gonna be fun to explain away."
TOGAN: "Oh no..."
LUCYA: "Ah, but don't ye see? This proves it! He's been set up!"
Lucya rummages through her bag again, this time pulling out an embroidered handkerchief.
LUCYA: (to herself) "Sorry again, Ms. Freida, but it's important..."
She rips it in half.
LUCYA: "See? Look at the edges here and the ones on the scrap... That's nae ordinary tear, is it?"
Jagal looks briefly amused by the repeated betrayal before actually leaning in to get a better look.
JAGAL: "Aha. So it's sliced off, is it?"
JAGAL: (spinning a dagger in his hand) "Be easy enough to add to your little demonstration. At least, if poor Miss Freida's wee soul could withstand any more damage."
LUCYA: "Auh, it was mighty stained anyway."
Lucya holds the fabric out for him. Jagal snorts and theatrically slashes it in half without hesitation, though he seems to wince briefly at the end.
LUCYA: "See, that looks more like it, aye?" (cocks head) "Ye alright?"
JAGAL: "That it does—Hm? Just getting excited."
Upon further thought, he was using the same arm that got a little shoulder gouged out not too long ago, huh.
Lucya suspects something to this effect, but she's got more pressing things to ask about right now.
LUCYA: "So, and this is mighty important, Togan-- who has been on watch since they locked ye up?"
TOGAN: "U-um... Well, it was Veren who brought me out here, aye? And then it's been him and Rhoddri and yer pa, taking turns..."
Jagal is so tired of getting handed all these names he's not going to remember, but at least it can be Lucya's problem instead. He just nods to himself.
LUCYA: "Just those three? Hmm...!"
LUCYA: "Togan, ye've been a great help already, and we oughtae hurry back tae Ms. Adda afore sunset..."
LUCYA: "But I must ask ye one more thing. And I willnae tell anyone, aye? But I think it's important tae learning what happened..."
Lucya rests a hand on Togan's shoulder, her face grim. Togan doesn't quite make eye contact.
TOGAN: "Huh...?"
LUCYA: (quietly) "Is there somethin'... yer family dinnae talk about? That it would be bad if folks found out about?"
TOGAN: "L-Lucya? What are you..."
Togan realizes too late that his face has given him away, and he looks even more miserable than before.
TOGAN: "Oh no... is that why Mum isn't here..."
LUCYA: "I think Jagal knows more than I do, but..."
Jagal has gotten a bit bored and resorted to extra-fancy dagger flips during the exes' exchange.
JAGAL: "I don't see any way the specifics have to do with the killing, at least. Shouldn't have to bring it up." (very narrowly catching a blade for the heck of it) "But you did know about it?"
TOGAN: "About...? No, just that Mum's been upset about something, she never tells me why. B-but if someone's found out, then..."
He sighs, and his gaze falls to the ground.
TOGAN: "I'm sorry, Lucya... But it's not exactly my secret to tell, y'see? A-and if you got in trouble because I told you..."
LUCYA: "I can take care a myself, Togan. But if ye really think it's fer the best..."
Lucya hops to her feet.
LUCYA: "Well, we'll see ye tomorrow, aye?"
JAGAL: "Don't have too much fun without us."
TOGAN: "Aye..."
Togan's too busy moping to even make a face at Jagal.
The intrepid adventurers return to Adda's bench with the results of their investigation. She is in fact surprised by the scrap of cloth, and accepts it into the court record. At 10 in the morning, she tells them, the town is to gather in the square to decide Togan's fate...
Once they've thanked and/or otherwise sent Adda off, Jagal stretches slowly and looks over the path. The one leading away from the tavern, thankfully.
JAGAL: "All right, guess I'll go set up for my overnight watch. Meet you back at the square in the morning?"
LUCYA: "Overnight...? Don't ye wanna eat supper first?"
Jagal's hand drifts to one of his pouches, presumably with provisions, but his eyes stay on her.
JAGAL: "Well, if you're offering some..."
LUCYA: "Aye, Ma will be expectin' ye! And she's a mighty good cook.~"
She nods for him to follow her.
JAGAL: "Well, I couldn't possibly disappoint an excellent cook."
He casts another look in the general store's direction but follows along without much hesitation.
LUCYA: "I'm nae convinced we need a stakeout, though, if Veren's ginnae be watchin' Togan... Pa should know who's on duty."
JAGAL: "It's more in case there's someone we don't know about sneaking around..." (shrugs lopsidedly) "Don't see any reason not to, at least. Still a while before it's good and dark, so a little dinner break first shouldn't hurt much."
LUCYA: "Someone else, eh...?"
Lucya glances around at the passersby as they leave the town square.
LUCYA: "...Aye, it'll be a few hours yet afore the shops close fer the night. And we can talk a wee bit more freely once we're inside..."
NEXT: 016: Kids and Moms