Panic and adrenaline coursed through Wilt as he snatched up the nearest weapon, a fire poker. He had never killed anyone before or even really been in a fight, but just one look at the terror in Lukas’ face and he knew he couldn’t let either himself or Lukas get captured.
Every muscle coiled and tensed as Wilt padded towards the desk, poker raised above his head, ready to strike. But instead of an ambush Wilt heard a wheezy snore. Rounding the edge of the desk Wilt found a heavily overweight man passed out on the floor in a puddle of his own drool.
“I think he’s sleeping,” Wilt conveyed with elaborate hand gestures.
“That’s Alton Horth,” Lukas said distractedly as something on the desk caught his attention. “Lindum,” He muttered as he reached for the empty glass bottle.
“Stop!” Wilt snapped in a somewhat too loud voice. The room seemed to hold its breath a moment but the man on the floor kept sleeping and wheezing.
The arch of Lukas’ eyebrow spoke volumes, including profanity.
“Your hands,” Wilt gestured back, “They’re covered in ink.” Not just his hands, the entire front of his shirt and pants were covered in the dark, black substance.
- - -
Lukas looked himself up and down and grimaced. Well there goes my only set of clothes, he thought, before turning his attention back to bottle on the desk. “I thought the smell was familiar when we entered the room but didn’t connect it until I saw the bottle.” It was the type Lukas had used in his work at Allwood’s apothecary but this tincture was not one of his making, though it would seem that his hands may have delivered it. Wilt lifted the bottle to his nose and inhaled deeply. His face scrunched up in disgusted and he wobbled slightly on his feet.
“Whoa, what is that?”
“It’s called Lindum, a rather nasty narcotic if taken wrongly or abused, though in small doses it can be very beneficial to those who suffer chronic pain.”
“This does not seem like a small dose.” Wilt returned the bottle on the table.
“Definitely not. He will be out cold at least until morning; I’m actually surprised he is still breathing at all.” Horth snorted loudly in response and they both jumped a little.
“I’d rather not wait around long enough to test that,” Wilt remarked and returned to searching the shelves. Lukas did his best to wipe his hands on the unstained parts of his shirt but there wasn’t much of it. Instead he took out a handkerchief from his bag and searched the remaining books on the desk. But his mind kept wandering back to the Lindum. That must have been the delivery he had made, but why would Allwood have sent a dose of pure Lindum. He knows how addictive it is even when heavily watered down. Allwood had always had a somewhat obsessive relationship with money; not to spend he just loved to collect it, like a dragon with its hoard. But to stoop to this level.
“There’s nothing on the desk,” Lukas said as a put down the last book.
“I’ve checked the shelves twice and it’s not here either.” Wilt raked his fingers through his hair. “Maybe it’s in the library after all.”
“Maybe, but maybe not.” Lukas replied as he studied a section of books. “Why are these ones upside down?” He pointed to four large leather bound books that had been haphazardly placed on the shelf.
“Does it matter? It’s not like he is a tidy guy.” Wilt gestured to the desk.
“Yes but everything else is neatly shelved, ordered and organised.”
Wilt grabbed the stack of books down and flicked through them. There were no false covers or hidden pockets within the books.
“Nothing,” he growled but Lukas wasn’t paying attention. He was inspecting the space behind the books. He knocked gently on the wooden backing and heard a hollow thud.
“Ha, there’s always a secret panel somewhere.” Lukas announced triumphant and pushed hard against the wall. Something mechanical released and the panel slid open.
It was hard to make out the contents in the cluttered space. Lukas could see more glass bottles, rolls of documents with heavy wax seals and something wrapped in a fine black cloth.
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