Rumors; they spread fast and are more often than not forged out of jealousy and resentment. However, there is occasionally some truth to a rumor. Even if it's only slight. In a small close knit community like Markarth rumors spread like wildfire. Usually they are insignificant and petty. But when it came to murder rumors could be a crucial part of solving the crime.
Emilie stepped inside the Silver-Blood Inn. It had been two days since Hroki died. The investigation had begun, in secret that is. She wanted to find out as much about Hroki as she could. Her lifestyle, her secrets, her friends...her enemies. Everything she would need to paint a picture of the young woman. What better way than to look through her room?
Emilie edged closer to the bar but felt dizzy immediately. It had been a very long time since she had been inside a tavern. The smell was overpowering, almost unbearable. The brunette eyed the scene; Hreinn was standing at the bar looking like a complete wreck, Yngvar was skulking in the dark corner with his arms folded, Margret looked nervous writing something down quickly in a journal by a dimly lit table, Vorstag was sitting by the fire drinking and waiting for someone to come by in need of a burly mercenary while Kerah was getting drunk...again.
"Hreinn..." Emilie called out wandering if she should sit or stand.
He didn't answer her.
"Hreinn...?" Emilie said calmly. She leaned forward and touched his arm.
He shot back into reality, almost hitting the roof.
"Hreinn? Are you alright?" the young woman asked kindly.
"Wh-Yes...I'm fine" he lowered his eyes. It was as if the handsome man had aged ten years overnight. He was in pain, and it was showing.
"I need to see Hroki's room" Emilie said gently.
"But...I thought the investigation was over. Degaine is the killer, isn't he?" Hreinn studied Emilie.
"That was fast" she thought. "No the investigation is still ongoing. We're looking into different...areas and different possibilities" she said cautiously, hoping Hreinn would take the bait.
He paused for a few moments.
"Ok" he said "I'll go get the key".
The young man walked away, bent double, and clearly troubled.
Emilie tried to compose herself. She avoided taverns like the plague, and with good reason.
It had been two hundred and sixty eight days since she last drank. Not that anyone was counting.
Emilie noticed Margret sitting nearby, scribbling hastily. She went to speak with her when she heard Kleppr's familiar voice; "Ma'am?"
She could speak to the Imperial at a later date. This was far more important.
Emilie turned round to see a less than pleased Kleppr.
"What's going on here? I heard the investigation was over...and now you want to disturb Hroki's room?" Kleppr looked angry, but he was still mourning after all.
"Sorry sir but I really need to see her room. It's crucial to our investigation. To find out what happened to your daughter..." Emilie hoped she could appeal to his emotional side. She couldn't.
"I'm sorry but I don't want anyone disturbing Hroki's room. It's the same way she left it...untouched. You're not getting in until the Jarl tells me you can" Kleppr was getting angrier, and the last thing Emilie wanted was to make a scene.
"That's fine sir. Thanks for the help"
Emilie sat down nearby. Her temperature was rising. She could hardly breathe and the smell of ale was filling her lungs. She loosened her collar. She was having a panic attack.
She needed to get into that room.
She noticed the bottle of mead on the other side of the table. Her lips trembled and her mouth watered at the sight. "Just one won't hurt..." she thought as her hand began to shake uncontrollably. Her whole body went out of control. She rubbed the sweat from her forehead and eyed the bottle. "You can't lose it now. After everything...not now" she thought. The bottle tempted her. She was just about to grab it when Roggar sat down in front of it.
"What did you find?" he asked.
"Nothing...he-he wouldn't give me the key" she slumped against the table.
"Hey you can't break down now." He touched her arm but she pulled away. "We just...need to get in another way" he whispered.
"What? You mean we break in? Your crazy" This definitely woke Emilie from her daze.
"We can't" she said still eyeing the bottle.
"Have you got a better plan? This is our only option!" he saw the bottle in front of him, and began to drink from it.
A part of Emilie wanted to kill him.
"Drinking on the job?" she lectured.
"Well were not on the job are we? Besides...I didn't expect a lecture from you of all people" he leaned back against the chair.
"Meaning?..."
"Meaning everyone knows you used to have a problem" Roggar took another swig from the bottle.
"Wow. So everyone has been talking behind my back. I assumed the stares were because I'm a woman..." she scoffed and looked away in disgust.
"Its no big deal. Everyone has their secrets in Markarth. Their problems. Nobody cares you use to drink too much"
"Well I would prefer if people didn't know. Its not exactly something you brag about. How did they even find out anyway?"
"People talk. Word spreads fast. Especially when your father is one of the most powerful people in Cyrodiil..."
"They know about my father too? Well this is just great" she sighed.
"Its ok, no one is judging you. And if they say anything I'll shut them up"
"I don't need protection" she leaned forward looking directly at Roggar.
"Whatever" he smirked and took another gulp.
"So what we gonna do?" she asked.
Roggar stopped drinking and paused. "I'll distract Kleppr until you get inside. You get anything suspicious and I'll motion to you when everything's clear"
As soon as Kleppr appeared Roggar struck up a conversation with him. Emilie made a break for the room, slowly but surely. The door was locked, but this was not problem for her. Being one of the best lock picks in Markarth, and possibly Skyrim. A moment passed and the familiar *click* of the lock caused the door to come ajar.
She sneaked inside, closing it silently behind her.
The room was fairly small, but pretty nice.
Emilie surveyed the room, looking for anything out of place. However, more often than not it's the ordinary things that can solve a crime.
She looked in the wardrobe to find only an assortment of clothes which were typical for any teenage girl. She looked in the end table, finding only some gold and jewellery. Hroki was obviously a girly girl. Finally, she looked under the bed.
"Gotcha!" she yelled before putting a hand to her mouth. It was a diary, Hroki's diary.
"Oh horse shit!" the diary needed a key. "The key must be in the room somewhere..." she searched throughout the room, in every hole and every possible hiding place. The key wasn't there. Someone took it.
A noise in the hall startled her and she darted inside the wardrobe to hide, the diary in hand.
It was Kleppr.
He closed the door shut behind him. Emilie gasped.
The middle aged man sat down on Hroki's bed.
"Oh Hroki" he cried. "Why did you have to do it? I gave you everything you could have ever wanted...I just wanted you to be happy. This isn't my fault!" the man slammed his fists against the bed.
Emilie tried to stay as still as she could.
"I loved you. I loved you so much. More than you knew..." the man began mumbling and Emilie could barely hear him. She inched closer...
"I didn't mean to hurt you..." Kleppr spoke softly. Emilie put her ear at the wardrobe door to hear better. "Don't talk to your father like that!" he screeched and Emilie jumped back, hitting the wardrobes back panel. Kleppr shot up to his feet. "Whose there?!" he shouted.
Emilie bit her tongue to stop herself from making a noise and tried to keep balance. Kleppr looked over to the wardrobe, staring at it for a minute. He moved towards it.