over the rooftops, which might explain the coat, but not the money. Why not take it with him?
Shaking my head I took it back to the market. The stallholder was not pleased to see me.
'He was fine until you turned up. Owe you money does he?' he said, hefting boxes of fruit onto a sack truck.
'I just want to talk to him.'
'Maybe he doesn't want to talk to you? Thought of that, have you?' He carried on loading.
'Look,' I said. 'If I don't talk to him he could be in trouble.'
'Police are you?' he asked. 'Show us your badge.'
'Not police, this is a private matter, and I think Andy will want to keep it that way.'
'Bonking someone's missus is it? The quiet ones, they're always the worst.'
'As I say, it's a private matter.' I let him come to his own conclusions. 'He's come to you twice now, he'll come back for the coat when he thinks the coast is clear.' I held out the bundled coat.
'I ain't looking after it. Look what happened, you scared him into tossing my stock half-way round the market.'
'You still have the rucksack, and I apologise for the damage to your stock.' I fished out a tenner from my wallet. 'That should cover any damage.'
'Nah, I don't want your money. Give it 'ere.' He took the coat from me.
'I've slipped a note into the inside pocket for him, make sure he knows it's there.'
The stallholder tucked the coat away. 'You've warned him off now. Can't you let him alone? He don't mean no harm.'
'He's not in any danger from me. I only want to talk to him.'
'Yeah, funny how those sorts of conversations end up with broken bones, ain't it?' he remarked, assessing me.
'Just make sure he gets the message,' I said.
'All you have to do is find them and bring them in. That's it,' Garvin said. 'That's the job.'
'It's not as simple as that,' I said. 'Amber and I went after this group and they were prepared. Now they know we're after them they'll be even more careful. It's not just me that can't find them, Amber hasn't been able to track them either.'
'Meanwhile you want to give that Scottish git more ammunition,' said Garvin.
'He has access to information that we do not,' I pointed out. 'We need to know what else has been stolen — not just trinkets and home comforts, but odd things — items that might have some symbolic significance.'
'Why do you need to know this again?'
'Blackbird thinks they might be trying to create some sort of ritual, or to prevent one. You remember the fuss about the Quit Rents Ceremony? She thinks it might be something like that.'
I carefully didn't mention Gregor. Garvin wouldn't be keen on Blackbird's involvement, but getting an outsider involved would not meet his approval at all.
'Is there nowhere else you could find that out?'
I thought for a moment about asking Sam Veldon. He worked for the security services and might have access to this information, but it would be outside of his normal sphere of interest and asking the wrong questions in that environment tended to draw attention. I had used most of my favours with Sam getting Alex back — he was unlikely to be helpful.
'Unless you have some other contacts with access to the police computer systems? That'll be the quickest way to find out what's going on — if we can narrow it down to thefts from museums, private collections, art galleries and anywhere else with artefacts which might have symbolic significance, stolen between the summer solstice and now, that should give us enough to work on.'
'And if I get you this list, what are you going to do with it?' he asked me.
'That depends what's on the list,' I demurred.
'You're sure this isn't one of Blackbird's games?'
'To what end?'
Garvin sighed, 'It's enough that she goes off on wild goose chases, Niall, without sending the Warders off on one as well.'
'Aren't you always telling me to find out what I'm walking into before I engage?' I asked.
'Don't quote me back, Niall. I haven't the patience for it.'
'We know they've stolen a feather and a key. The question is, what else have they stolen, and what will they go after next? I thought you'd be pleased that I was following my training.'
Garvin raised an eyebrow, then folded his hands. 'OK, I'll put a request in today. I don't know how long it will take them to respond. I'll get back to you when they do.'
'Thanks,' I said, standing. 'Oh, and I'd like to borrow Amber, if I may?'
'Amber? Why?'
'I've tracked one of the escapees down, but every time I have him cornered, he disappears. I think it would be easier with some backup.'
Garvin studied my face for a moment. 'Very well. I'll talk to her.'
'I've already mentioned it to her. It's OK with her if it's OK with you,' I said.
'She's a Warder, she doesn't need permission,' he said.
'She seemed to think it would be best to clear it with you first,' I said.
Garvin looked at me long and hard. 'Amber hasn't asked my permission to act on anything for a very long time.'
'I'm only saying what she said to me.'
'I'll speak to her,' said Garvin, 'but it's fine. In fact, I encourage you to work with the other Warders. Maybe some of their experience will rub off on you.'
'Thanks for the vote of confidence.'
I turned and walked away.
'It's kept them alive,' Garvin called after me. 'You might want to bear that in mind.'
At whose expense, I wondered.
'You don't need me for this,' said Amber. 'It's a job for one.'
'You agreed to help,' I pointed out.
'I thought he was dangerous. From what you've said, every time he spots you he takes off. That's hardly a threat.'
'I still haven't managed to catch up with him.'
She shook her head. 'You're making it too easy for him — approaching in plain sight, announcing your presence before you need to — no wonder he gets away from you. If you're going to use those tactics you're going to have to learn to run a lot faster.'
'I don't want to scare him. I'm trying to build trust.'
'Perhaps that's not working out so well for him?' she suggested.
'Look, Amber, are you going to help me or not?'
She studied me for a while, and then nodded.
'Twice now I've chased him and each time he's come to this alley. Where he goes, I don't know, but he comes round here and then vanishes.'
She turned around slowly, checking walls, floor, the rolldown shutters and the slot windows. 'Not many places to go. Are you sure he isn't hiding out until you've gone?'
'Where?' I asked.
She drew her blade and poked through some of the binbags, finding only discarded waste and flies.
'My plan,' I explained, 'is to wait for him to appear and then introduce myself. I'll try and talk to him. If he bolts then he'll likely come here, where you can be waiting for him.'
'Cornered animals fight harder,' she remarked.
'I only want to talk to him. There's no reason for a fight.'
'On your part, at least,' she said. 'We don't know about him.'
'He hasn't shown any inclination to fight up until now. Let's keep it that way, shall we?'
'It would help if you knew what talents he possesses — evasion is clearly part of it.'
