Chapter 20 – A Matter for the Watch

As soon as he had walked into the Watch house, one of the sergeants, a dwarf, had taken one look at him and called over the Captain. Jonathon handed over the ransom note, which pretty much spoke for itself. He answered a few immediate and urgent questions in a fog as Carrot handed the note over to Angua, who accepted it with a grim nod and seemed to flow out of the room.

"Must have already had this in motion before the men got there." Carrot murmured to himself." He seemed genuinely sorrowful. He looked up at Jonathon and his honest face was all concern. Quietly he said "Mr. Knäcke, where is the gold?"

"Kings Way."

Then two more watchmen came in, with a limp figure between them.

Carrot eyed them carefully, "Where is Constable Visit?"

"Stayed back at the bakery sir, to watch the rest of the family."

"And where did you grab this one?"

"Saw him shadowing Mr. Knäcke all the way here, sir. He stayed well back, but it was obvious he was very interested in where he was headed. He turned tail when he saw the Watch house, and we tried to grab him then, but he wasn't cooperative. Ended up running into Lance-Constable Bluejohn.

"Sorry Capt'n," the very large troll rumbled, "he was runnin' while he were lookin' behind him, and he runned inter me."

"Not your fault Lance-Constable, though it would have been better if we could have asked him some questions immediately." He sighed, "I'm Sorry Mr. Knäcke, but rest assured we will find your cousin. We have our best on the case. Now," Carrot leaned forward. "I saw the damage myself. The residence was thoroughly tossed, every nook and cranny opened, ripped apart, or dug into. But you still insist that the kidnappers, for there can be no doubt that's who did it, were unable to find it." He shook his head. "So what you are going to do right now," Carrot continued in a quieter voice, "is tell me exactly where it is, and we will be sending someone over to fetch it back to the Watch house for safe keeping."

Inside a cell at Pseudopolis Yard, Jonathon Knäcke wallowed in the soul-devouring darkness behind the eyes. It was a feeling that Lady Myria LeJean would have recognized in an instant, at least as late as that afternoon.

As soon as the words had left his mouth, he knew it was a mistake. Carrot had gone absolutely rigid, then bellowed in a tight voice "Sergent Colon!"

"Sah!"

"Mister Vimes wants to speak with Mr. Knäcke immediately."

"Er, does he?"

"Without any doubt. " As Colon headed upstairs, wagging his head back and forth trying to make sense of that, Carrot continued. "Constables Flint and Haddock!" The troll and human in question drew themselves up at the tone. Carrot quickly sketched a rough map. "You will gather no fewer than two additional constables, and get Sergeant Detritus if you can, and proceed to this house on Kings Way. Constable flint will enter the dwelling, the others will guard the entrances from the outside. No one is to enter or leave that property without Mister Vimes being there to give permission. It is considered a crime scene. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir." As they hurried out, Carrot rose and firmly took Jonathon by the shoulder, leading him up the staircase that Sergeant Colon had previously scaled. Sergeant Colon was there at the top by a door, but before he could knock, a gruff voice inside said "Send them in."

Colon just shrugged with his eyebrows and opened the door for them, and then closed it when they entered.

Behind a plain and very utilitarian desk sat the Commander of the City Watch, His Grace the Duke, Sir Samuel Vimes. He didn't look like a "His Grace" at the moment. What he looked like was a man about to hear something he was not going to like. He held an unlit cigar in his left hand and peered suspiciously at Carrot. "Am I going to need this, Captain?"

"I'm afraid you may sir."

"That's what I was afraid of." Commander Vimes bit down on the end of it; Jonathon could see the muscles in his jaw clenching. "And this gentleman who looks like he just lost his best friend?"

Jonathon paled at that, and Carrot actually flinched in sympathy. "Commander, this is Mr. Knäcke, the Baker I mentioned to you earlier today. He-"

"Yes yes the one with the 'minor vandalism' issue. That's not very-"

"Sir, his young cousin Jessica Knäcke was kidnapped several hours ago, while we were investigating the… attempted theft.."

Vimes jaw worked again, and he pulled the still unlit cigar out. "My apologies Mr. Knäcke, I didn't realize." He turned his gaze back to Carrot. "Got Angua on it?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Mr. Knäcke, if Sergeant Angua is on this… well we can't make any promises but I can't think of anyone on the Disc I'd rather have looking for your cousin." He turned back to Carrot again and narrowed his eyes. "But you didn't bring him up here so I could offer reassurances of the efficiency of the Watch, Captain. Spill it."

Carrot glanced briefly at the door. "Ah," Vimes muttered softly. Then he bellowed "Sergeant Colon!" In a half heartbeat the door was opened.

"Mister Vimes?"

"Be so kind as to bring me some coffee, would you?"

"Right away!"

Vimes waited until he heard several creaking steps signal the overweight Sergeant's departure down the stairs. "Now, what is it?"

Carrot turned to Jonathon. "Mr. Knäcke, please tell the Commander what you told me."

Sergeant Colon couldn't make out all the words, since he was already downstairs and halfway across the squad-room floor. But he and the remainder of the watchmen in the room were very well acquainted with what it meant when that kind of cursing erupted from the Commander's office. Several of them were immediately very intent on their paperwork; the rest suddenly remembered they had patrol duty.

Sergeant Colon, having neither excuse, realized it would take him significantly longer than expected to bring that coffee. Er, yes indeed. They might even be out of sugar again. Might, um, have to go out and find some more…

And so Jonathon had found himself, hours later, in the cell at the end of an empty row of them, guarded by a very large troll officer. The fact that he was not actually held prisoner didn't really matter. The guard was, he was told, for his own protection.

He had been informed, tersely but not unkindly, that he would not be going anywhere until everyone was accounted for. They would send additional watchmen to the bakery to inform his aunt and uncle, and Myria, what the situation was, and to provide additional protection there.

It was only an hour later that he got his first update. He could tell by the look on the Captain's face it was not good. He looked miserable. "I'm sorry Mr. Knäcke, we're still running down leads, but the kidnappers took… measures… to hamper our ability to track them."

He didn't give specifics, but the reality was that Angua, being a werewolf, and a very acute sense of smell. and could track practically anything. Unfortunately the criminal element in Ankh Morpork had figured this out as well, and in a classic arms race had upped the ante by adapting the use of peppermint oil and worse concoctions to throw the Watch off the scent, both literally and figuratively. Angua had gone straight to bakery and picked up the trail, but not gotten far before she ran into an overpowering stench[1] going multiple directions. It appeared the criminals had smeared it on the wheels of several coaches, presumably but not necessarily including the one Jessica had been tossed into. Angua had requested a few hours and some aspirin before she tried picking up the scent elsewhere.

Then Carrot's face had gone even more somber. "Mr. Knäcke, I'm very sorry to have to say this, but," he cleared his throat and looked anguished, "it seems that Lady LeJean left the bakery soon after you did, apparently to pay the ransom. Constable Visit was unable to follow because she took a coach. She has not been seen since."

Jonathon looked at him blankly.

"Mr. Knäcke, did you hear me?"

"Yes Captain. Thank you."

"Uh, sir, is there anything… you need?"

"No Captain. I'm sure you have work to do."

"I… yes sir. I'll send someone to bring you something to eat."

As Carrot walked back up the row of cells and past Lance-Constable Bluejohn, Jonathon didn't even notice. In fact, he really wasn't aware of any of his surroundings.

It didn't matter, none of it did. It was all just a nightmare. The gold, his cousin missing, his aunt and uncle emotionally broken.

And Myria. Lady Myria LeJean, both a newly found loss, and intrinsically part of the cause of the destruction of all his life's peace as well. His uncle hadn't said it, but he could remember his father's warnings against trying to reach too high above their station, about the hazards of trying to move in that world. His father could never have imagined this, though.

For hours, Jonathon sat locked in misery and loss inside his own head. Whether the world outside had bars or not didn't matter.

It was deep into the night when someone gently prodded him awake. It was one of the human watchmen. Jonathon had been dozing off and on for several hours, the nightmare of his reality meshing with his dreams until he had a hard time telling which was worse.

"Mr. Knäcke, I am Constable Visit. The Captain will be down in a little bit. He asked me to tell you they have good news." Jonathon sat bolt upright at that. "They found your cousin."

"Is she here? Is she alright? Where is she?"

"Is it not said that Om will provide?" Jonathon gaped for a second. "Sorry sir, the Captain said they sent some men to get her, but that there are watchmen with her right now. He's trying to get everything sorted out in the meantime. He asked that you please be patient and stay here where it's safe."

Jonathon fumed, but knew he'd never get past the looming Bluejohn down the hall.

"Um sir, before I leave, could I interest you in an inspirational pamphlet to pass the time? You may find it eases your soul in this time of trouble... ah, or perhaps not."

It was several minutes later that Carrot in his gleaming armor came down the row of cells.

He didn't look as relieved as Jonathon would like. "Captain, what is it? Is Jessie alright?"

Carrot's brows furrowed. "Mr. Knäcke I don't know all the facts just yet, but I wanted you to know as soon as I could. We received a message from Constable Stepanoff that he had investigated a suspicious building and found a young lady exactly matching your cousin's description. She was in some sort of shock at first, and when he attempted to move her himself, she became hysterical. He informed Pseudopolis Yard immediately and requested assistance." Carrot looked even more uncomfortable. "He also mentioned there was a problem with her hands, and requested Constable Igor be sent along."

Jonathon sagged. "She's alive. Gods she's alive."

"Yes sir, but she may have physical injuries." He quickly patted Jonathon on the shoulder. "Don't worry though, Igors are amazing at stitching things back together."

This did not have the intended effect. Jonathon's jaw dropped and his face paled. "Are you saying that her hands may have been slashed, or cut or… something?"

Carrot's face creased. "I'm sorry sir, I honestly don't know. I just wanted to set your mind at ease that she was alive."

Carrot was really trying his best to reassure, though probably someone else would have been better equipped for the job. Thinking about it further, Carrot didn't have the heart to tell Jonathon that Igors could even sew dismembered limbs back on.

Provided there was still a limb around to work with.

[1] Yes stench. A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. Concentrate it and smear it all over the inside of your sinuses and it's time for a bit of retching and industrial quantities of saline.