“An interesting case of theft and assault also took place on Samedi evening. I’ve scheduled it after the murder hearing.”
“Is there anything about the murder that won’t come up in the hearing?”
“Besides the fact that Caesyt is the advocate? No. There’s something else, but I shouldn’t bring it up until the hearing. I’d like you to hear it without my opinions.”
“What else can you tell me that won’t come up in the hearing?” Quaeryt asked.
“This fellow Cauflyn in the second hearing … he’s a hired tough. He keeps order in Hyleor’s pleasure house. One of them. The one that’s less than a block from the southern market square.”
“What was he doing away from it on a Samedi night?”
“It wasn’t night. It was a couple of quints before fifth glass, too early for much business, when he tried to grab the felter’s wallet.”
“That doesn’t make sense. He’s got a job.”
“It does if you’ve pissed off your boss.”
“But you said he has an advocate. That makes even less sense.”
“I’m guessing. Cauflyn’s been in a cell since Samedi. Where else in Extela would he be safe from Hyleor’s other toughs? Already, people know the patrol isn’t what it once was and that Hyleor can’t buy someone out of gaol. If Cauflyn thought Hyleor was out for his neck…”
“Where else could he have a chance of being safe?” said Quaeryt. “That means whatever he did was enough to cause Hyleor to want his neck, and he had to hurry. Otherwise…”
“That was my thought. Because Caesyt is defending both of them, there has to be a connection.”
“It could just be that Hyleor wants them both free … for very different reasons.”
“That’s possible, but I don’t know.”
Neither did Quaeryt, and he had the feeling that regardless of how the hearing turned out, he still might not ever know.
After finishing with Pharyl, and waiting until just before eighth glass, Quaeryt walked into the hearing room and to the dais, seating himself behind the table desk, and setting the two files before him. A good fifteen locals were in the chamber, including a younger woman whose red eyes suggested she had been crying, and several hard-faced men.
“The justicing hearing in the city of Extela, the province of Montagne, will commence. I am Governor Quaeryt, acting as justicer. This hearing is the matter of Jubyl Jonsyn, charged with the murder of Shannar Fhandsyn and assault.” Quaeryt looked to the stocky advocate standing by the bench for the accused. “Are you representing the accused?”
“Yes, Honorable Justicer.”
Pharyl stepped forward. “Chief of the Civic Patrol, representing the city of Extela.”
“Very well. Bring in the accused.”
Two patrollers marched in Jubyl, his hands in restraints, and positioned him directly before Quaeryt. The tough bore an expression close to a smirk, and his eyes kept flicking to Caesyt.
“You are charged with murder and assault upon a civic patroller. How do you plead?”
“Guilty to assault,” replied Caesyt. “Not guilty to murder.”
Quaeryt nodded and waited for the patrollers to escort Jubyl to the backless bench at the side of the hearing chamber.
“Do you have an opening statement, Chief?”
Pharyl stepped forward. “The offender willfully stabbed a young patroller recruit who had not even raised a truncheon. He continued to stab the victim viciously and in such a flurry that no one could get to the patroller before he was close to death. By the laws of the land, that is murder. In addition, because the man he attacked was a patroller, by definition that is assault against those who enforce the laws.” The chief stepped to the side.
“Advocate?”
“I do have a statement, Honorable Justicer.” Caesyt stepped forward. “Jubyl had drunk too much, but he is not a killer. As you will see, he was not in his right mind. Because he was not, I will prove that he did not commit murder under the laws of Telaryn and Extela.” With that, the advocate nodded and stepped back.
“You may proceed, Patrol Chief.” Quaeryt was concerned about the brevity of Caesyt’s statement, wondering exactly what it foreshadowed and what sort of legal trickery might be forthcoming.
“Patroller Dienn, please come forward,” said Pharyl, turning toward the benches at the back of the hearing room, on which several patrollers were seated.
A muscular, stocky man, Dienn rose and stepped forward with short quick steps.
“Please tell the justicer what happened outside Shyan’s Cafe last Samedi evening.”
“Justicer, sir, Haellen and I were patrolling the south side of the square, and young Shannar was with us. Seemed to be two men yelling at each other outside Shyan’s, but neither one had any weapons out. No clubs, no knives. Just two fellows shouting. They were shouting loud enough to upset folks, and we walked toward ’em. I had my truncheon in hand ’cause you can never tell. So did Haellen. I told Shannar to get his at the ready, but I didn’t look back. When we got near, one of the two fellows who was shouting turned and ran down the alley. Didn’t see any sense in going after him. No one looked to be hurt. No one was complaining. Then Jubyl yelled something about the Tilborans coming after him, and he pulled out a pig-sticker and ran at me. I was ready to cold-cock him, when he turned to one side and gutted young Shannar. Then slashed his neck. Got him two or three times before Haellen and I could stop him. So much blood that we didn’t even have time to call for a healer before Shannar was gone.”
“What did Jubyl do after that?” asked Pharyl.
“Not a thing. We’d hit him hard enough on his thick skull that he was stretched out on his face. He didn’t wake up until after he was celled at the station.”
“I have no more questions,” said Pharyl.
“Do you have any questions, Advocate Caesyt?” asked Quaeryt.
“I do.” Caesyt stepped forward. “You said that Jubyl yelled that the Tilborans were coming after him. What else did he say?”
“That was all.”
“Did he say it more than once?”
“He yelled something like that a couple of times. Might have been three.”
“Did he seem to recognize you … as patrollers, that is?”
“He charged us. Usually that means an offender knows we’re after him.”
“He never said anything about patrollers?”
“I didn’t hear anything like that,” admitted Dienn.
“No more questions.”
“Patroller Haellen, forward,” announced Pharyl.
In effect, Pharyl asked nearly the same set of questions of the second patroller, and in turn so did Caesyt. Haellen’s answers were similar to those of Dienn.
Once both had completed their questioning, Pharyl nodded toward Jubyl. “Have the offender step forward.”
“You have heard the words of the patrollers,” began Pharyl. “Is what they say true?”
“No. I didn’t stab no one.”
“Everyone saw you stab Shannar.”
“I just waved my knife. He stepped into it. Nothing I could do. He was stupid. He shoulda known better.”
“Jubyl, did you know the man you stabbed?”
“I didn’t stab no one.”
“You just said that you did.”
“No, sir. I said I waved my knife. He stepped into it. That’s not stabbing.”
“Did you know the man who died?”
“No.”
“You didn’t know that he was the younger brother of one of the guards at the pleasure house where you sometimes work?” pressed Pharyl.
