“Thank you for seeing me, Ma’am” Kathlin said nervously, after a glance at the dwarf told her that she was going to be the one holding any conversation with the old lady. “My name is Kathlin Lennox. And this is Ragnar….who I suppose you already know. Uh”

Stalling for a moment with no help from Ragnar, the girl fumbled for something to say, something that would make grieving, little old ladies give her less of a withering look. “I’m sorry for your loss. He is where Its grace burns eternal”

“….”

“…Would you be able to tell me what happened to your husband, Ma’am?” Kathlin began again hesitantly after a pause. “I don’t want to intrude, really, but I’ve just come from downstairs and I’m really not sure how anyone could have done it. I mean, it could have been a mage – but I assume you have wards against teleportation and aggressive spells set up around the house, Ma’am? He was attacked with an object already in the house, so it couldn’t have been an incorporeal creature. I understand he was stabbed in the neck, the spray from the artery would have marked the culprit so they couldn’t have slipped away in the commotion. I asked one of your household to check the ground under your window for footprints and nobody saw anyone enter or exit through your window. Not that I’m a detective, Ma’am”

 Having managed to talk for about a minute without a stutter or anyone telling her to shut up, Kathlin gave Rosemary a nervously appealing look. “Did you see, anyone, or anything at all? Anything you could tell me – it would help me…the Vanguard…bring whoever did it to Justice. I just want to help, Ma’am”