As much as Daisy longed to compare notes with Primula, getting this new lead meant they had to wait on the notes. If the rapscallions had killed Stella, or had seen who did it, then this would be over very soon.

She raced towards the door. "Come on Prim! If they know something, we can get this solved soon!" Prim raced after her and Sam as they dashed out the door.

"H-hey, wait up!" Robin dashed out after them. The four ran all the way to the Shirriff's office.

"Do you think they did it?" Prim asked as they ran.

Daisy pursed her lips. "I don't know. I guess we'll find out soon."

"Provided the little rats tell the truth," muttered Robin.

"Well talking like that certainly won't get them to open up," quipped Daisy. She paused as they came to a stop at the Shirrif's door. "Why don't you let me do most of the talking?"

Robin blinked. "Whatever for?"

Daisy pushed on the door slightly. "Because you're liable to get them to stay quiet instead of opening up with that kind of talk you're doing."

"What?"

Primula scoffed. "She's right, you know. Being all mean to them won't make them reveal the truth any faster, if at all."

Robin huffed. "Oh, fine. But I will step in if they show any kind of disrespect towards anyone."

Daisy gave a quick nod. "Deal."

"Good, I would join you if they show any disrespect as well," quipped Samwise. He pushed the door open. "Let's get this over with." Samwise held the door open for the others, closing it after he walked in himself. He then led them to the Shirrif's office, nestled among a pile of papers, and a group of boys. Three other Shirrifs hung about the room, keeping a very close eye on the boys.

Drogo rose from his desk as the four came in. "Oh good, you found them, Sam."

"We had just gotten back to the Green Dragon from questioning Porto Hornblower and Adelaide Chubb," explained Daisy.

Drogo blinked in surprise. "Wow, really good timing." He waved his arm in indication of the group of lads sprawled out on the floor, all glaring back from under mops of curls. "As you can see, we've rounded up one gang, but they're not talking."

Daisy glanced over the gang. "Why are you making such a mess of things?"

"Don't have to tell you nothing," sneered one boy.

Daisy blinked in surprise as she recognized the boy. "Tom Roper? What are you doing hanging around this gang? I know you roam, but I didn't think you were the type to stoop to such cruelty."

Tom scoffed. "We push each other all the time, and drunk folk make messes of bars all the time. What difference would it have made if it was us or not?"

Daisy looked at Drogo. "You didn't tell them?"

Drogo shook his head. "We just now finally got them to settle down long enough to talk to them."

Tom glanced between the two. "What are you talking about?"

Daisy turned back to him. "Tom, we're talking about murder" There was a moment of silence as every Hobbit lad's eyes grew large. The gang's eyes turned as one towards Tom while his own wide eyes never left Daisy's. Fear spread across his face.

"M-murder?" he stammered. "Who was murdered?"

"Stella Proudfoot, she was found dead in the Green Dragon this morning," replied Daisy.

"By us," added Robin as he eyed them with an unfriendly gaze.

"W-we didn't kill anyone! Honest!" exclaimed one boy.

"We were just told to make a mess at the Green Dragon!" blurted another.

Tom turned and hissed at the two. "Sh!"

Drogo crossed his arms. "So you were there."

Tom glared and growled at the two boys before turning to the adults. "Yeah, we were there. So what?"

Daisy looked him in the eye. "So, you could help us solve a mystery, the mystery of who killed Stella Proudfoot."

Tom crossed his arms and scoffed. "Oh yeah? What's in it for us?"

Daisy glanced at Drogo. He sighed. "I'll let you go free."

Tom squared his shoulders and puffed out his chest. "We should be paid too."

"Would you use that money to pay for the damages you've caused?" Robin asked.

Tom's eyes widened as the air seemed to go out of them and his shoulders slumped. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh. As soon as everyone hears you have money, those who you've wronged are going to come asking for payment." Robin crossed his arms. "And I don't think whatever you would be paid for helping us would be enough to cover the damages you and your gang have wrought throughout the Shire."

Tom glanced down. "I-I didn't think about that …"

"Doesn't seem to me like you have been thinking at all," quipped Robin before he got shushed by Daisy.

She walked to Tom and looked him in the eye. "Can you tell us what happened that night?" she asked softly.

Tom glanced at her quickly before turning away and letting out a sigh. "We, um, we were …"

"Tom, we promised not to tell!" hissed a member of his gang.

"Do we really have a choice?" Tom growled. The gang member glared at him.

Another member shook his shoulder. "Come on, Folco, aren't you tired of being mean?"

Folco shook the hand off. "Clearly you are," he growled.

"Enough!" Everyone glanced at Tom. "I'm the leader, it's my decision. Unless you want it, Folco?" Folco glanced down and shook his head. "That's what I thought." He turned back to Daisy. "We waited a couple hours after everyone left before getting into the Green Dragon. We made a mess, like we always do. But then, in the wee hours of the morning, we became silent. Someone was coming to the Green Dragon. We went out the back way. I was the last one out, to see who was coming in." He gulped. "It, it was Mrs. Proudfoot, along with … with Mr. Hornblower and Mrs. Chubbs!"

Robin just about flew at Tom and grabbed a hold of his shirt. "What? That's not possible! We just spoke with them and they said the last time they had seen Stella was when they separated after one of your guys pushed her!"

Tom pried Robin's fingers off his shirt. "Well that's how it happened. The fellows can verify." He turned to his gang, who nodded emphatically.

"He's right, it's true!"

"You didn't mention that Mr. Hornblower came out the back door and almost caught us," quipped Falco.

Robin glanced at Tom, eyes wide. "Why didn't you say that?"

Tom shrugged. "Did I have to? I gave you all the info I thought you were looking for."

Daisy stepped forward. "Tom, do you know what time it was?"

Tom shook his head. "Not exactly, it was a couple hours before dawn, at least. It was pretty dark. Even Mr. Hornblower commented on it. I always thought his words seemed odd."

"What made you think that?"

"He said, 'How dark indeed'."

Robin's eyes widened. "Wh-what did you just say?"

Tom blinked and said it more slowly. "How dark indeed."

Robin glanced at Daisy, his eyes widening as his head turned. "He used those exact words when we were talking to him."

"He did?" exclaimed Prim. The others glanced at her. "Mrs. Chubbs used that exact phrase when Mungo and I interviewed her!"

"What?" exclaimed Robin and Drogo.

Daisy just paled. Something was wrong, very wrong. How wrong indeed.