IC conversation - Trouble in the East

Iskar nodded a friendly goodbye and departed for the Clarion Hall.

There he ordered Cairngrove to send for the four mounted rangers that were waiting at the forest encampment near Laria. Then he went up to his room and started writing a letter to Lord Stephan of Rane.

Spoiler:

Having finished the letter he sealed it, called for Cairngrove again and, handing him the letter, said:

This letter must be taken to Lord Stephan of Rane as fast as possible, though the letter itself is only the pretext for you and the mounted rangers that will accompany you to enter Rane and its castle. While you are there try to get a meeting with Pierce Barnett, the captain of the Rangers of Rane. You can again use the apology as a pretext for this. Find out if he ever received two quivers of Noldor arrows, and whether he has them still. Also ask around the taverns with which other Lords of the Realm Lord Stephan has good relations. I hope the relations of your family will serve you well in that task. May you return safely, friend.

I will do my best, as usual, friend, Cairngrove said, smiling, but then snapped back to an upright posture, saluted stiffly as ever and went off to the stables.

Soon after he galloped out of the city gates together with four mounted rangers.

A ranger stepped in, saluted and handed the latest reports to Iskar, who nodded a quick thanks and gestured the man to wait for further orders.

Iskar read through the papers, lifting a brow at some point and faintly smiling at other news. He pondered for a moment, then addressed the waiting ranger:

See to it that the abandoned child is taken care of. Ask around the temple and if noone there is willing or able to take it, give it into the care of our cook's wife until we find someone.

Do bring my regards to the mounted rangers who bravely defended the peasantry. I presume their wounds have been appropriately treated. I want to speak to the two captured bandits as soon as possible. Bring them here.

As for the intercepted letters, we will leave their seals unbroken and consult with the duke immediately, so just leave them here with me.

That is everything. Thank you, Sir Kelren.

After Sir Kelren had saluted again and gone off to carry out the orders, Iskar took up the letters, called for two guards and made his way to the castle, in order to request a personal audience with the duke.

Deloria Castle:

Arriving at the castle Iskar left his guards in the courtyard and headed for the audience chamber, where he exchanged some words with the duke's personal secretary. Admission granted Iskar stepped into the room, greeting the duke at his desk with a slight bow.

Your Highness, I have brought the letters our Clarion Call knights intercepted during the day. We left the seals unbroken, so you might decide how to handle the matter.
If I may be so bold as to voice my own humble opinion: We cannot afford letting any possible information slip through our fingers, especially when we already hold it in our very hands. Therefore I suggest opening all letters, resealing the innocuous ones with the ducal seal and delivering them to the intended recipients by one of your highness's men. The respective recipients will be all the more likely to see the reason behind this if it is officially supported by your highness. However these recipients should be urged not to speak about it, so as not to startle the assassins which would prevent them from sending messages in the following days.

Of course, your highness. Shall we then finally have a look at these?

He opened the letters one by one, handing them to the duke first before reading them himself.

"I trust you to deal with this matter with the necessary sensitivity," Duke Alamar says after hearing your proposal. He looks very tired. "Do what you must, and inform we of the results later this evening or tomorrow morning. "I fear, for the moment, I have other things that demand my attention."

And with those words he dismisses you. Whether you go back to the Clarion Hall or find a quiet place in Deloria Castle, sooner or later you will open the letters. This is what you find.

Letter to Baron Selvon Evercoar:

The first letter, more of a scribbled report, is meant to inform Baron Selvon about both the Gauntlet's as well as your own activities within the marchlands. It says that there are no fights to report, aside from the Silvermists denouncing the Gauntlet at court. The Gauntlet is relatively inactive at the moment, maybe to inactive to be true, the informant muses. The Silvermists, on the other hand, patrol both the city and its surroundings.

Letter to Sir Peter Mayne:

Clearly written by a woman, this document tells Sir Peter that a certain Lady cannot wait to see him again, and counts every second until he again finds the chance to escape what she refers to as “the dragon”.

Letter to Lord Jared Blyth:

Lord Jared receives a letter from his wife, telling him that everything is all right at home. Nevertheless, she wants Jared to return as soon as possible. The roads are not save, she says, and will only feel better after he has returned to her.

Letter to Sir Rodger Swain:

A short note, saying “As always, good Sir, it was a pleasure doing business with you. Should you happen to come by any additional merchandise, you know where to find us.”

The piece of parchment is signed with a clumsy “painting” of a red bird wing.

Letter to Malvin Sorley:

The envelope contains a letter from a Sarleon merchant, agreeing with Sorley that the times are hard, but also saying that he is glad that things are beginning to change for the better, as Sorley as indicated in one of his earlier letters.

Letter to Douglas Beamish:

A letter from his brother in Marleon, thanking Beamish for some “kind gift”. The “little Princess” is very happy with it. Also included in the letter is a list of the current value of several goods on Marleons' main market.

Letter to Roffney Igelby:

This letter is from Janos, and is a report of the earnings of a vineyard and a weaving mill Igelby apparently owns. It is a sum that should please the merchant.

Letter to Brother Alfred:

The last letter you open carries a sad message for the monk. His sister had died back in Tahlberl.

Baron Evercoar respectfully replies that he has not made up his mind about the rangers yet, nor about the Gauntlet for that matter. His allegiance has always lain with the people of the marches. He mourns what happens to the Clarion Call and until the Silvermist Rangers have shown their worth to him, he will do whatever he can to make sure he is prepared for all possible outcomes. However, he does accept to provide you with any vital information regarding the assassins, should he come across it.

Sir Peter grows very pale as you provided your “reassurance”. Through clenched teeth he says to you that your “restraint” will not be forgotten by him.

Igelby is everything but happy when you tell him about your precautions, but he is too seasoned to let much of it show. It takes him an hour to gather the information you asked for, Sorley and Beamish are not nearly as prominent merchants as Igelby himself, but eventually he can validate the connections in question.

He agrees to deliver the remaining letters.

The monk is grief-stricken, but grateful for your kind words, he accepts the escort.

After receiving the morning's report, Iskar first sent a runner to the squad in district 5, ordering them not to engage in any quarrel with the Ebony Gauntlet. The rangers were to continue their patrols without reacting to any of the Gauntlet's possible provocations. This also implied that they were not to react if the Gauntlet tried to drive them out of certain districts. This city was still rather ours than theirs, and we were ready to remind them of that.

Then he sent another messenger to the duke, informing the latter that the Silvermist was able to convince the temple to help calm the population. Furthermore he would sent a thorough description of the two men he enlisted to work as bait for the assassins, together with a request, that should they be taken captive by the guards due to their behaviour they'd be set free after a short period of time, so as not raise suspicion.

Furthermore he ordered the captured agitator to be handed to the dukes men for questioning.

Hearing that the search in district 11 had not yielded any further intelligence Iskar order three of the five mounted ranger squads formerly engaged in the search to join those patrolling the city. Two ranger squads would be withdrawn from the patrols and ordered to separate. Each of the ten rangers would disguise as a commoner and take up residence in one of the inns and taverns of Laria except the Horn and Stallion. Being less well known than the former Clarion Call knights they should not raise suspicion and be able to overhear any interesting tavern talk as well as observe whether something shady was going on in one of the establishments.

The keeper of the Horn and Stallion would receive 50 denari in advance, in order to pay him for his services. (He is to send message to Iskar as soon as the two recruited bandits come to the backroom of the Horn and Stallion to speak with Iskar and additionally he shall report anything noteworthy to Iskar.)

Lady Laisha and the two squads left under her command would be provided with 150 denari for bribes and ordered to seek out a guide to the sewers, in order to scout them for possible hideouts. (Unless Laisha has some other plans for her men.)

The two rangers remaining under Iskar's direct command were then sent to the castle to request access to the city's cadastre in order to find out whether people from outside Laria have recently acquired houses that would qualify as possible hideouts for the assassins.

Summary for Day Two Noon:

30 rangers and 15 mounted rangers, divided into squads of five, patrol the streets.
25 mounted rangers, divided into squads of five, patrol around the city walls, intercepting messengers.
Two rangers are escorting the monk to his home village. They are expected back in the evening.
Two rangers are currently being used as messengers. They are expected back immediately.
Two rangers are searching the cadastre for clues. They are expected to be finished in the evening.
Four mounted rangers have departed to Rane with Cairngrove and are expected back within the next days.
Ten mounted rangers together with Lady Laisha are searching for a sewer guide and in case of success will search the sewers.
Ten rangers have taken up residence in Laria's inns and taverns except the Horn and Stallion whose keeper has been paid to report anything noteworthy.
The two bandits are now out on their mission to attract the attention of the assassins.

Total cost to be charged: 200 denari for bribes

Iskar sent a messenger to the castle to tell the guards to set the would-be-runaway free again after telling him this was his last chance and reminding him they knew his face very well now and would hang him like any other petty bandit should he try to disobey the orders again. The messenger was also to remind the 'employee' that, should he do his job well, he'd be a free man again and that he'd be given permission to settle down in one of the Silvermist's provinces or even enter our service as a regular soldier. Iskar very much hoped this mixture of carrot and stick would bring the man to reason.

One ranger was then sent to Sir Kamos of the Griffons, in order to ask them if they found out anything by searching the castle for clues and invite Sir Kamos to the Clarion Hall for the next morning in order to discuss the Griffons' as well as the Silvermists' progress in the matter.

Three rangers were sent out as messengers again to deliver letters to Sir Coenred Helcott, Sir Hengist Lockey and Baron William Earpwald, inviting them to have dinner with Iskar and the other Silvermist officers this evening. Should they accept, Iskar would discuss the general situation with them without giving away specific information about the actions taken by the Silvermist:
He'd mention the patrols in and around town, including numbers should the lords ask, and also that his men had been trying to find a clue as to where the assassins had their hideout. After talking about the successful attempts to win over the temple and the merchant guild, Clarence's and Laisha's chase the last night would be used as an anecdote to finally assuage the lords' appetite for news. Iskar would not mention the connections to the reds, the undercover rangers in the taverns, the interception of messages and the two semiofficial 'employees' with any word. During the conversation Iskar would ask the lords for any useful information they could give him on the nobility of the Valorshield and Whitestag marches and whether they themselves knew anything that might help to solve this grim case. Finally Iskar would direct the conversation towards the murdered Sir Robert Morbren and Sir Aleyn Morbren, whom he suspected to be Sir Robert's brother, and inquire whether the lords knew anything about the Morbrens, whether they had enemies among the local nobility or anything else that the lords deemed important to know about them. Additionally Iskar would ask who was the owner of the recently built estate.

Lady Laisha and Sir Clarence, whom Iskar expected to have recovered by the evening, were notified that their presence at the dinner table would be most helpful - as they were Clarion Call knights and thus well acquainted with the local nobility - and of course very much appreciated by Iskar in any case. Iskar also expected a short notice from them detailing what they intended to do until the late evening when the dinner would take place.

After the dinner, which would stretch into the night, Iskar would wait for word from John Squealer and after that go to bed to be well rested for the next day.

Summary for Day Two Afternoon/Evening/Night:

30 rangers and 15 mounted rangers, divided into squads of five, patrol the streets.
25 mounted rangers, divided into squads of five, patrol around the city walls, intercepting messengers.
Two rangers are escorting the monk to his home village. They are expected back in the evening.
Three rangers are currently being used as messengers. They are expected back immediately.
One ranger went to speak with Sir Kamos. He is expected back soon, too.
Four mounted rangers have departed to Rane with Cairngrove and are expected back within the next days.
Ten mounted rangers are at Lady Laisha's and Sir Clarence's command. Should the need arise, Laisha and Clarence could additonally call upon the fifteen mounted rangers patrolling the streets. In case neither Laisha nor Clarence have specific plans, they are to join the mounted rangers patrolling around town for the night, to give them some relief from their duty by patrolling in shifts during the night.
Ten rangers have taken up residence in Laria's inns and taverns except the Horn and Stallion whose keeper has been paid to report anything noteworthy.
The two bandits are now out on their mission to attract the attention of the assassins.

As soon as the lords had departed for their estates or their quarters in the castle, Iskar received the ranger bringing him the reports.

He furrowed his brow when he noticed one report was missing and called for Laisha, Clarence and Rikolaris to meet him in the assembly room.

When they entered he was striding to and fro in front of the fireplace, hands crossed on his back. Noticing them he greeted them with a friendly nod, although the worried expression did not vanish from his face all the time.

One of our undercover agents in the tavern in district 11 has not sent word yet, although he was supposed to. This may be due to some petty disturbance, but we must not take any risk here. I wish you three to take your squads and venture into district 11 again. Laisha and Clarence, you will search the streets around the tavern that he was assigned to for tracks and clues. Rikolaris, you and your squad will go to the tavern itself. Disguise as a simple peasant and don't reveal your Silvermist identity unless necessary. Your squad should wait outside the tavern in attendance, in case the situation in the tavern gets out of hand. Try to find out what the ranger may have discovered, whether he is still at the tavern and if not where he would have gone.

He went over to the oaken table and quickly checked a list lying between the multitude of maps and documents.

He went to the tavern under the name of Fulwar, pretending to be a peasant from Tahlberl, so you know for whom to ask.

Any questions?

Laisha sighed as Iskar explained the situation. When he finished, she spoke up.

Is there any sign there was a disturbance in that area that could have slowed him down? If not, I have a bad feeling about "Fulwar," Constable.

She glanced at the doorway for a split-second, but returned her attention to Iskar just as fast.

Then again, perhaps I'm just paranoid.

Well, we already know district 11 for costing a tooth. This part of the city is quite downtrodden in contrast to the merchant's quarters, so there's bound to be more rabble around.

No, your concern is justified in these dark times. I, too, have a bad feelign about this. Perhaps he found out something but was uncovered. Therefore it is all the more important for you to hurry there, try to find and, if necessary, save him.

Understood, Constable. I'll get my men ready and move into the area first. She looked toward the door fully this time and pursed her lips. Geoffrey!

Sir Alvin Geoffrey poked his head around the door frame. Yes, ma'am?

You heard the situation, prepare the men to move out. And stop listening in on conversations you aren't invited to!

Someone has to keep an eye on you, ma'am. Before she could answer, he briskly walked from the doorway. She sighed and turned back to Iskar.

Is there anything else I need to know? Otherwise, I'll change and lead my squad to the district now so all of our men don't arrive at once.

Nothing else, for now, thank you, Lady Laisha.

Iskar smiled and saluted, then turned to the other two.

What about you? Are you ready to move out?

Nothing new regarding orders for now. If she wants, Laisha can continue searching for the missing ranger. As long as they are absent I'll use Clarence, Rikolaris and their squads for patrols. Laisha can call upon their men if needs be.

After the breakfast with Sir Kamos Iskar would attend the merchant guild meeting and afterwards head to the castle to inform the duke of the outcome.

Summary for Day Three Morning:

We have 46 rangers and 57 mounted rangers available.

30 rangers and 20 mounted rangers, divided into squads of five, patrol the streets.
25 mounted rangers, divided into squads of five, patrol around the city walls, intercepting messengers.
Two rangers are escorting the monk to his home village. They are expected back immediately.
Four mounted rangers have departed to Rane with Cairngrove and are expected back today.
Five mounted rangers are at Lady Laisha's command. She can call upon five rangers and five mounted rangers from the patrols.
Ten rangers have taken up residence in Laria's inns and taverns except the Horn and Stallion whose keeper has been paid to report anything noteworthy.
The two bandits are now out on their mission to attract the attention of the assassins.
One ranger will - disguised as a peasant - seek out the bandit that was beaten up and see to his injuries and commend him on his devotion. This brawl might just add to the authenticity of his behaviour.
Three rangers and three mounted rangers are to wait at the Clarion Hall until further notice.

Laisha will commandeer Rikolaris' squad for the morning and have both squads patrol the eleventh district in groups of two. However, they will be dressed as they were the night before, to blend in better. They should search for possibly occupied hiding spots, as always, and are also to avoid where the regular patrols are located, since it seems unlikely that the quarry will be brazen enough to act too close to a group of heavily armed and armored men.

Laisha will wait in and around the tavern, on the off-chance "Fulwar" reappears and so that she's easy to find, but never out of eyeshot of witnesses. Should anyone who seems particularly interesting or knowledgeable arrive at the tavern, she'll question him/her.

Iskar ordered the rangers and mounted rangers waiting at the Clarion Hall, the two returning from the monk's village and the one that had visited the injured bandit to disguise and wait hidden near the gate where the untalkative messenger would reenter the city. They were to follow him, the Clarion Call knights circling around on their horses, using main roads, so as to make sure the messenger would not suddenly run off. The six silvermists in disguise were to secretly follow him and see were he went or what he did. To avoid being detected, two of them would search their way over the rooftops, while the other four would fan out behind the messenger and follow him on the ground, often exchanging their positions, so he would not get suspicious. In case he entered a building the latter was to be watched and anything unusual reported to Iskar immediately. If he was to meet with someone, the rangers, especially those on the roofs, should try to eavesdrop on them. Should anything illegal be revealed by eavesdropping or just watching, they were to arrest him and anyone who might be with him, while one mounted ranger would immediately inform the guards so they could take over.

The letters were all taken to the castle again where Iskar opened them one by one, looking for interesting content, while having the ducal seal at hand to reseal them, should they only contain everyday blather.

Furthermore all patrols were ordered to keep an eye on the suspicious elements sighted in the streets and to also notify the city watch of them, so they might be arrested as soon as they tried to disturb peace and order.

Change to the orders:

Six rangers and three mounted rangers are secretly following the gauntlet messenger.
Patrols are to especially watch the suspicious persons and notify the city watch of them.

After the breakfast Iskar left word at the Clarion Hall, that we was going to the castle and to be notified of any news.

At the castle he first sought out the ducal mason and the architect responsible for maintaining the castle, asking them whether they knew anything about secret passages within the castle as well as those leading into and out of it.
Furthermore he asked for another short audience with the duke, asking which of his officials he fully trusted. Starting with these Iskar worked his way down the castle hierarchy, getting the opinions of the trusted personnel which servants and officials could be trusted and - even more important - which couldn't.
Finally he'd also ask the pages, footboys, grooms and other young lads working at the castle, as well as the oldest members of the staff - supported by some coins - about secret passages and the like, as he imagined they'd be the most likely to know about it, either because of their long time of working at the castle or because of their juvenile urge for exploration.

Summary for Day Three Noon:

We have 46 rangers and 57 mounted rangers available.

30 rangers and 20 mounted rangers, divided into squads of five, patrol the streets.
25 mounted rangers, divided into squads of five, patrol around the city walls, intercepting messengers.
Four mounted rangers have departed to Rane with Cairngrove and are expected back today.
Five mounted rangers are at Lady Laisha's command. She can call upon five rangers and five mounted rangers from the patrols.
Ten rangers have taken up residence in Laria's inns and taverns except the Horn and Stallion whose keeper has been paid to report anything noteworthy.
The two bandits are now out on their mission to attract the attention of the assassins.
Six rangers and three mounted rangers are secretly following the gauntlet messenger.
Iskar is doing investigations at the castle. (cf. this post)

Notes:
Patrols are to especially watch the suspicious persons and notify the city watch of them.
See Laisha's post for the actions of her and the five rangers and five mounted rangers with her.
My post before this also applies to the orders for noon.

Iskar immediately informed Sir Kamos of the secret passages he had been told of, so the Griffons might watch them, and then sought out the duke again, reporting of his findings, then continuing:

Your Highness, if the servant speaks true there are secret entrances to your chambers as well as your son's room, and if a servant knows of this, anyone could, so I highly recommend guarding them in order to prevent nasty surprises. As for the castle well, I'd beg your permission to have one of my men climb down and investigate it. If there's really a cavern below the castle with a second exit to the city it would be a perfect hideout for the villains.

In case of the duke's consent Cairngrove and the four mounted rangers returning from Rane were to get some thick ropes, torches and lanterns and investigate the well, especially looking for tunnel entrances in its walls or, if nothing the like can be found, handles or unusually clean (i.e. not moss covered) stones that could serve as buttons for secret doors.

---

After speaking to the duke and Sir Kamos Iskar payed a short visit to the guard captain, asking how many Noldor arrows exactly had been found after the attack and then made his way back to the Clarion Hall, where he received word about Lagot Brackley and the Gauntlets. Remembering that Brackley had been the only merchant at the guild meeting who had not welcomed trade agreements with the Noldor, Iskar went to see Master Igelby once more, asking him about Brackley's motives, why he disliked the Noldor, how much influence he had and whether the other merchants would be able to neutralise it by their own contacts.

Back at the Clarion Hall Iskar ordered five more rangers to join the patrols until further notice and detached the rest of the idle rangers and mounted rangers to dress plainly and keep a watchful eye on Brackley's estate.

Summary for Day Three Afternoon/Evening:

We have 47 rangers and 57 mounted rangers available.

35 rangers and 20 mounted rangers, divided into squads of five, patrol the streets.
25 mounted rangers, divided into squads of five, patrol around the city walls, intercepting messengers.
Four mounted rangers and Cairngrove are investigating the castle well (if the duke allows for it).
Five mounted rangers are at Lady Laisha's command. She can call upon five rangers and five mounted rangers from the patrols.
Ten rangers have taken up residence in Laria's inns and taverns except the Horn and Stallion whose keeper has been paid to report anything noteworthy.
The two bandits are now out on their mission to attract the attention of the assassins.
Two rangers and three mounted rangers are secretly watching Brackley's estate.

[OOC: These are the follow up actions for noon time...]

Laisha asks the barkeep about who might know more about the Bert incident. Preferably someone who doesn't smell of stale drink..or worse.

Troubled by the sudden disappearance of the strange groups of men, Laisha gathers her men and orders the rangers of Rikolaris's squad to try and track a couple of the groups and find out where they went off to. Armed or otherwise, monitoring or not, more answers would help. She sends a man to summon Clarence's mounted rangers to replace Rikolaris's men in the "plain clothes" investigation. Their orders now, however, are to look into the issue of groups around the street (while keeping an eye out for information relating to "Fulwar"). Additionally, she will pair off with Sir Geoffrey to ask about who saved Bert based on what the barkeep tells her.

[...and these will be the actions for evening.]

Laisha will follow up on any leads the rangers' investigations turn up. However, she will prioritize anything she learns from the Bert incident before acting on the information of the three squads.

[OOC: Realistically, it's a little tricky coming up with orders for the evening due to the follow up actions and my tasks being a little more hands on. Essentially, I leave it up to you to determine if particular information revealed during the follow-up orders warrants more than a general action statement.]

Laisha decided that the best solution is to at least put her mind at ease concerning this Bert character. Whiny or not, he may know something. She took Sir Geoffrey along with her. She instructed the rest of the men under her command to keep an eye out on both the mysterious groups of men and the gauntlets, dropping the matter of Fulwar entirely for them. If anything more was to be found out about the missing man, she figured that Bert would better know than anything else the rangers could uncover.

[...Huh, that was shorter than I anticipated. Am I missing anything?]

Hearing that water was all below the well, Cairngrove had his men pull up all the ropes and then reported to the duke about the findings, suggesting a grid with only a small opening for buckets be fastened atop the well, so as to hinder possible intruders.

At the meeting with Igelby Iskar assured the merchant that no direct actions against Brackley were necessary as long as he did not disturb the public order and that he understood that in the worst case the merchants were best not to be bothered with the issue. On his way back to the Clarion Hall Iskar also sent a ranger to inform the two bandits to return there, too, since the assassins obviously would not fall for their trap. The two men were to remain at the Hall until further notice and would be provided food and clothing for the time.

Back at the Clarion Hall Cairngrove informed Iskar about their findings at the castle. Iskar strode up and down the room,hands crossed on back while listening. Some time after Cairngrove finished his report Iskar stopped and said:

As it seems there is at least one cavern below the city and castle that we did not know of. I want John Squealer's opinion on this and whether he knows anything about it as soon as he turns up again. Furthermore, tomorrow morning you and your squad should search for old people living in the surroundings of the castle that might know about where this tunnel leads and whether there is a second exit below the city.

But for now, do sit down, have a glass of wine and tell me of your journey to Rane, old friend.

Summary for Day Four Morning:

We have 47 rangers and 50 mounted rangers available.

35 rangers and 10 mounted rangers, divided into squads of five, patrol the streets.
25 mounted rangers, divided into squads of five, patrol around the city walls, intercepting messengers.
Four mounted rangers and Cairngrove are searching for clues regarding another access to the castle well cavern.
Ten rangers have taken up residence in Laria's inns and taverns except the Horn and Stallion whose keeper has been paid to report anything noteworthy.
The two bandits wait at the Clarion Hall until further notice.
Two rangers and three mounted rangers are secretly watching Brackley's estate.
Eight mounted rangers are investigating the Bert matter, seeing whether the man can give any useful information about what happened around the tavern the night that "Fulwar" vanished. (Since Laisha is gone to the south, I'll take care of this, I guess.)

Remark: I should expect another meeting with Squealer during the night. I might add, that Squealer was also told (and paid) to look for information regarding Morbren's death.