“I assume you’d want to talk to me about the murder.’’
The Constable’s eyebrows lifted. “Yes. Who’d want to kill you, Tal?’’
“Me?” Tal said, feigning surprise. “I assumed it was a jealous lover or someone who had it in for the girl, Salmina. She was the one he killed. I think he went after me to stop me from identifying him.’’
Drogan reflected on this a moment, then said, “Did you ever see the man before?’’
“No. As a matter of fact, I was curious if he was someone known to you.’’
“No, none of my lads has ever seen him before. We searched the body before we dumped it in the lime pit and found nothing that might tell us anything about him, save he must have been recently in from the Isles, since he had some Kingdom silver coins on him.”
Tal sat back as if pondering. “Well, that’s a puzzler, then, isn’t it? Maybe it’s a lover come back from a trip who was unhappy to find Salmina working at the baths?’’
“She’s been working there more than ten years, my friend. If it’s a lover who finds that surprising news, he’s a lad who’s not been around for a bit.’’
“Well, that was the first thought that sprang to my mind,” Tal replied.
“It’s an obvious choice, and that usually proves to be the right choice. But I don’t think so this time. If someone wanted to kill the girl, why not wait until she’s on her way to her crib? No, it’s more likely someone wanted to catch the best swordsman in Roldem on his stomach naked, a room away from his sword. That’s my guess.’’
“But who would want to send an assassin?”
“Who said the lad was an assassin?”
“I’ve never seen him before, Dennis. There may be one or two men who have a grievance against me, but certainly I’d know them by sight. If someone wants me dead, then it follows this man was hired to kill me. Although I don’t think it likely.’’
“Why not?” asked the Constable.
“Because there may be a father or two who would rather not have me see a daughter or two, or even a lady who might wish me dead, but there’s no one I know who would seriously send someone to do the job.’’
“You know what’s oddest about this?’’
“What?”
“No one saw the man enter the bathhouse. To get to where you were attacked, you have to enter past half a dozen attendants and porters. From the moment the baths open in the morning to the minute the doors are locked at night, there’s no way into that part of the building.”
“Yes, very odd, isn’t it?’’
“You have any idea how he could have appeared there, as if by magic?’’
Tal leaned back, with a rueful smile. “Magic? That would make things far more . . . odd, wouldn’t it?’’
“It would mean that if someone wanted you dead, they were willing to pay a great deal to have the deed done. Not only paying someone to wield the blade, but also paying someone else with the magical ability to get him into the building unseen.’’
“An invisibility spell?’’
“Something like that. My uncle has a friend who knows a magician. I asked that fellow some questions, and he says that’s the most likely spell to have been used. To send the man into the room from another place . . . that’s very difficult, and only a few magicians could manage it.”
Tal thought it best not to mention he knew at least three or four who could achieve that result. Leave it for the Constable to discover such facts for himself.
“So, no one knows anything about this man?’’
“No, sorry to say.’’
“So, you can’t even be certain which of us was the intended victim?’’
“No, we can’t. I just have a problem with all this bother over a woman who’s little more than a common whore.’’
Tal stiffened. “Salmina was never common.’’
“So I’ve heard,” said Dennis.
Tal stood. “Well, I’ll not keep you from your duties. If you find out anything else, please let me know.’’
“Rest assured, I will.’’
They shook hands, and Tal left the office and headed back toward his quarters. He was frustrated that no information about the assassin was forthcoming, even though he had not really expected it to be.
Still, he had to turn his mind away from the imponderables of life and turn his attention full on the tournament. It was less than two weeks away, and if he was to win, he could not be distracted further.