Norston nearly choked on a bite of mushroom when he noticed the woman up and suddenly leave. He turned his head away from the center of the room and towards the window before thumping on his chest and forcing what was in his throat roughly down. A lie was needed, as a scene could not be avoided to continue following.

Downing the whiskey, a couple of more mushrooms, and taking a couple of gold pieces out of his coin pouch he made his way to the man who served him grumbling the whole way. "I told him! Told him not to leave the apprentice alone at the forge. And I just see him wandering out there chatting up another woman!" He paused briefly to make sure the two coins were deposited into the waiter's hands. In a moment of quickened speech he said, "Sorry for the scene, thank you for the meal, but my dunce of a partner needs his head reshaped. Simple instructions!"

Outside his eyes swept for the elven woman hoping he hadn't been lost.

Your eyes catch sight of Colt and Mirella but not the woman

As they walk, Mirella keep her eyes peeled for the mark. She can only assume Norston is skulking and trying not to be seen.

you don't see the woman either

Colt looks and see norston and says "There's Norston, let's go over and see what he says."

As Norston let's his eyes continue looking for the elven woman, whom he was sure had given him the slip by now, he approached Colt and Mirella growling at himself, "She pass by?"

"You lost her, I presume," Mirella says with a sigh, "Well, if she gave you the slip then she knew she wa seeing followed or was being extra cautious...therefore making her a definite person of interest to our case."

Mirella looks around, "Well, back to the beginning as it were, with nary a lead other than people offering around 20,000 for an establishment."

Colt looks around before speaking Should we inform Marcus of what we've found?"

The dwarf's beardless face tightened as he held back a retort or two for Mirella, instead letting out a hissing exhale and saying. "Might not hurt, but we got more than that,"

Reaching into his belt pouch he pulled out a folded letter. "Some man dropped this," He holds it out between his left hand thumb and palm. "Seems related,"

"So let's see what you found...where did you get this by the way?" she asks as she scans it.

Colt reads aloud for his own benefit "If the previously spoken of amount is still agreeable, then the purchase shall move forward. Your selling of the business will aid me in my future plans,and will not be forgotten. We shall meet at the same place as last time" - S. N. M"

"Some man in common garb and a hat... Can't remember much about him other than he was heading toward calls of pleasing times," Norston shrugged as he finished.

While suspicious of tips falling into their laps, Mirella realizes they need to report back and maybe learn more about these initials.

She'll head back to guild HQ assuming the boys don't have other ideas.

The dwarf unites his waterskin from his pack uncorks it, takes a quick sip, and afterwards saying, "Well, we going?"

"So back to Demons' Run, Marcus did say to leave a message with whoever is behind the bar." Colt says as he heads back to the taveren

As they walk, Mirella muses out loud, "We need to see if there were any girls, bouncers, or managers who survived the Lily. Maybe someone who had the night off or who works days only. He or she might have a visual on someone offering to buy the brothel...and it would be revealing if they heard a conversation about a purchase offer gone bad...especially if our scarred lady is involved."

"Seriously now?" Mirella is tempted to walk up there and slap the woman just for the hell of it, but decides to choose survival today. She sidles closer, trying not to be noticed...in a den of thieves...hoping to eavesdrop sitting at a nearby table. She could always say she was waiting he turn.

Norston lets himself chortle a little, deep gutteral in tone, "Well ain't we as useful as a broken tabacco pipe. Let's let them conclude their business," It wasn't as if he had no intention of at least trying and listening in on was being said.

The woman takes a sip of her glass and speaks "I was able to get twice what the stones were really worth. How does it go with you?"

Marcus sallows the food in his mouth and answers "It's going fine, Abby, you know about the Lilly right?"

"Indeed, I saw what was left this morning."

"Well the boss told me to have some one look into it, she thinks there's something odd about it."

Abby stands up and finishes her drink and says "Well, good luck, hopefully we'll know the truth. Now to go spend my new wealth" Abby leaves the taveren after dropping a coup-le of coins on the bar counter that the barkeep scoops up