((Not particularly. I can definitely roll for it if you think she's being too aggressive but I was just trying to flavor up the scrutinizing but could only really think that cop glare to get him to blink as how she would d to it lol))
(NO worries, good narrative, just wanted to make sure I understood.)
Rufus finds Cadence squared off somewhat aggressively against a portly, well-dressed, middle aged man with a sour look on his face. Her back is to Rufus as he arrives in the aisle. Beyond the pair of them about ten feet are two men who are almost certainly guards of some sort as they are armed, though their weapons still rest in their sheaths. The man's eyes shift to Rufus as he rounds the corner. "Oh excellent, another one. I say it's no wonder you haven't found any of my missing property, wasting your time going where you you're not wanted. Well back to catching jaywalkers or whatever it is you do, I assure you we have no need of your services here." As Rufus arrives on the scene the man seems more perturbed and you would even venture to say nervous. It's very clear he wants you to leave.
OH but he's got an easy answer for that one. "Safe?! Safe!? Three weeks ago one of my warehouses was robbed! Two weeks ago, my house! You caught the thieves? You found my stolen property? Or is it still out there in the ether, probably sold to the highest bidder by now or being moved to other cities as we speak. Sell your story to someone more likely to believe it, officer, someone whose crime you've actually solved, if anyone like that exists." What looks like very authentic rage has now replaced all other social indicators.
"Calm down Vargas, you're a ways from your fainting couch." with the arrival of Rufus Cadence's posture lost all its tension with little more than a flat dismissal of the growing antics. She hadn't much issue in seeing herself reprimanded but wouldn't allow a comrade be dragged down with her. Thus she disengage, picking up her glaive again before completely turning her back on the merchant and his goons. "He's either clueless, obstructive, or both either way he won't be of much use. We should follow up on that other lead you mentioned." Said with a gesture towards the door she saw open and close earlier.
Vargas turns with a "Hmmph!", gathering his retinue and moving further into the warehouse. You can hear him barking some orders as he walks off but soon it fades into the ambient noise of a warehouse at work, the murmur of conversation, the creak of wheels, an item occasionally clanging against shelves. The two of you are alone-ish once more, standing near the back door of the warehouse.
Liam and Dar'ruch finally approach the location in question. A large building possibly 200 feet long and half that deep. They see the two doors from the street, the large double doors in the middle of the building and the smaller pedestrian door that the others walked through earlier. Foot traffic on the street has increased as more and more people finish working for the day and seek out a night's entertainment or head for the homes, a number of people walking into the tavern that flanks the warehouse on one side, some heading for their homes in the small apartment complex on the other side. Small businesses line the opposite side of the street as well though it looks like most of them are closed up for the day.
"Better? ...Maybe. But learned few things." Cadence said leading out the back door. "Vargie seems to be a target and it's not hard to imagine why. Might be easier to find out who his friends are than his enemies. Definitely a shorter list. So... He pissed off the wrong person, didn't kick up his protection money or is just an extraordinarily easy mark due to arrogance, stupidity or likely both?" she scratched the back of her head as she searched for tracks outside the door.
"Alternatively, he's running some scam stealing from himself, which makes the fact he seemed so confused when I brought up the obviously full warehouse being emptied per the report strange unless we're getting reports from the future." she huffed heavily, skeptical of it all.
"Or more likely we're being fed false information. Hey help me look here, I thought I saw the door open and closed like an invisible person ran through. Maybe they left tracks that look like running, or scuffed a wall trying to run up it." She changed the subject from her darker thoughts and continued to look for any clues.
The ground is a mixture of hardpacked ground and cobblestone so tracking anything would be difficult at best. The alleyway goes between the back of the warehouse and several small buildings, that are most likely houses you suppose, and continues about a block in each direction before letting out onto cross streets. There are some waste dumpsters behind the tavern that you can see and that's about it.
The dumpsters are unfortunately just dumpsters and seem to be housing mostly food waste and broken furniture. If someone came out the back door it would have only taken them moments to turn a corner and be out on the street with the rest of the crowd. There is, however, one other thing that Rufus takes note of in the alley: A manhole cover, similar to the others spaced throughout the city that provide sewer access for maintenance workers. This one does not have the appearance of having been recently disturbed at all, though, being somewhat covered in dirt and grit and other less wholesome refuse.
Rufus glances back to the warehouse with a foul look on his face.
"Aye. Vargas clearly knows something he isn't saying, but he's clearly not going to explain it to us two. Maybe the occupants of the bar will be able to give us more information. Failing that, I need an ale or two."
Moving back out onto the street Rufus and Cadence easily spy Dar'ruch and Liam who look like they're just about to enter the warehouse in search of the former. It is now pushing seven and twilight is starting to descend on the city. It gets dark a bit earlier down here in the lower city than in the upper. Foot traffic remains steady but the street isn't congested and the four of you can still clearly see each other even at some distance.
Liam finally spots the others and gives a wave saying, "how goes the investigation here? We managed to arrange a chat with the guild for tomorrow so we can probably use any information you found to narrow down our questions."
Liam will notice as he moves toward the other two that there is a man, a human, loitering across the street from the tavern. He appears to be attempting nonchalance but it's fairly obvious that he's watching the warehouse.
When they get closer Liam will try to maneuver around to keep the man in view while smiling at the others and saying, "had you spotted the man who seems to be keeping watch of the warehouse? Don't look obviously but his is across the street from the tavern." As he says this he does his best to to act as if he hasn't spotted the man while remaining ready to give chase if the man seems like he will bolt.
A brow cocked at the mention of an onlooker and insistence to not look. Despite her base instincts to ignore that last bit and go confront it head on... Her instincts hadn't been bearing fruit thus far. So instead the fighter simply shook her head no while making eye contact before adding in a clearer voice. "Not great," Cadence admitted although more irritated than somber. "It's completely full and the co-owner seemed confused when I brought up the possibility of it recently having been emptied. That co-owner just happening to a mister Vagas, the same one from the other reports."
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Originally Posted by No Body
DM rolls whenever he feels like it - (1d20) [3]
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