by Jane Fletcher

March was easily Chip’s least favourite month. The weather was utterly unpredictable and unstable. A thaw could set in, only to be overwhelmed by blizzards the next day. The one thing you could guarantee was mud. It was also the month when the snow-lions were at their most dangerous, from a human point of view – once the spadehorns started dropping their calves the lions would be far more deadly to the young herbivores than they ever were to domestic stock and women. By April the snow would be in retreat, taking the lions with it, but in March there were snow-lions and mud.

Chip was mumbling curses at the weather as she crossed the main square in Eastford. The collar of her cloak was turned up and the brim of her hat was pulled down to keep the stinging sleet off her face. Her eyes were fixed on the flagstones, watching for icy patches. She collided with a figure in black who was similarly scurrying, head down, across the storm-blown square.

Chip started to apologise before she recognised the other woman. "Lieutenant Sanchez."

"Sergeant Coppelli." The militiawoman responded.

"What brings you to Eastford?"

"Only regional business." Sanchez made as if to move on. Neither wanted to hang about in the open and chat. Then she stopped and asked, "Have you thought of anything about Ellis’s murder?"

"A few bits and pieces." Chip started to back away as the sleet increased in intensity. "I’m at the Three Barrels. If you’ve got time come and find me and we’ll discuss it."

"I’ll do that." Sanchez shouted before she turned and hurried off.

**********

It was just after dinner when the militia lieutenant made good her promise. Chip was lounging by the open fire when she saw Sanchez come in, shaking the water off her cape. In mid-afternoon the sleet had changed to rain, but it would probably be back to snow by morning. Chip called out and waved Sanchez over. The barmaid had a drink ready for the militiawoman even before she had sat down at the table.

"Very nice." Sanchez said smiling. "I can see Central are going to have to beg to get you to go back."

"It’s going to be like turfing an old dog out of her kennel." Chip agreed.

They both took a taste of their drinks, and then Sanchez became more businesslike. "You said you had some information about the murder of Ellis."

"Remember you said, if I could tell you how it was done, then you could tell me the motive?"

"Yes – and I was totally serious."

"I think I can provide methods for quite a few people."

"Go on then." Sanchez said, her eagerness showing through her smile.

Chip went through her ideas. Even before she had got to the end she could tell Sanchez had problems with what she was saying, however the lieutenant let her finish, then she leant forward and said, "I hate to tell you this but…"

"There’s something I don’t know." Chip finished the line for her. "Okay, tell me."

"The riverside path. Rain in our area is pretty constant throughout the year, but in winter it gets locked up as snow and the level of the river drops. You saw the river at its lowest. In summer, when the murder happened, the river was a good metre higher." Sanchez pursed her lips thoughtfully. "You could still get to the end of the alleyway, and maybe a third of the way along, but the middle part is the lowest. It’s still wadeable, but the murderer would have been spotted if she’d gone back to the tavern with soaked to the waist. On top of that there’s broken glass cemented onto the top of the wall. It’s not visible from the ground, but anyone who tried climbing over would get cut to ribbons."

Chip sunk down in her chair. "So it’s Takeda then." she said softly.

"That was what I was getting to. Obvious really… I should have thought of it myself."

Chip frowned. "The trouble is she doesn’t seem to have either the personality or the reason to murder Ellis."

Sanchez placed a forefinger on either side of her drink. Her face was pensive as she twisted the tankard around. "Okay then, for my side of the bargain. The motive…" The frown of her forehead deepened and then she looked up at Chip. "It’s part of an old story. Have you heard about the outlaw called the Mad Butcher, and what happened to the 12^th, fourteen years back?"

"There was a massacre."

"Right. And did you know that Takeda’s older sister was one of the rangers who died?"

"No."

"The family comes from Eastford. Takeda’s mothers have a blacksmith’s forge on the other side of the river. By ranger policy both her and her sister would have been assigned to Eastern Division, so it isn’t that much of a coincidence they both went to the same squadron and, of course, her older sister was dead by the time Takeda joined." Sanchez stared into the nearby fire, musing. "I’ve known both sisters, not terribly well, but enough to talk to. They’re completely different personalities. Takeda is serious and intense and painfully conscientious. She’ll end up in divisional staff, pushing paper around. Her sister was more of a typical ranger…"

"Loud, reckless and brazen?" Chip suggested.

"Your words, not mine." Sanchez smiled. "She was also, in my opinion, the less bright of the two by quite a wide margin. However Takeda worshiped her older sister. I’m sure that’s why she followed her into the rangers." She paused. "I guess you’re wondering where this is going?"

Chip shrugged by way of an answer.

"If you’ve been told about the massacre, you must have heard someone tipped the Butcher off about the rangers’ plans. Officially we never found out who. However I was one of the people in the militia given the job of trying to find the source of the leak. We didn’t prove it absolutely, too many people we needed to talk to were dead, but Takeda’s sister was right at the top of the list of candidates – not as a deliberate betrayal, most likely unguarded pillow-talk. She wasn’t noted for discretion, and the night before the raid she was in one of the Roadsend taverns, utterly plastered and bragging that the 12^th was going to put an end to the Mad Butcher. She was last seen that night in the arms of a local woman who we never identified for certain, but her description matched someone who was later found to be a member the Butcher’s gang. Unfortunately we couldn’t ask the bandit since she wasn’t taken alive." Sanchez sighed. "And that’s where it was left. A decision was made higher up that no purpose would be served by naming the guilty party. It wouldn’t bring the dead back, and Takeda’s sister had paid for her mistake. By all accounts she played a hero’s part in the fighting, holding off three bandits single handed, giving the few surviving rangers the chance to escape. For the sake of her family, HQ wanted her to be remembered like that."

"Did Ellis know this?" Chip asked.

"Yes, though she didn’t admit it. Believe it or not, she and Takeda’s sister were friends. Ellis was a much nicer person before she became a sergeant. She was in the tavern that night and saw the woman in question. We asked her to identify the bandit’s body. I was there. Ellis hardly bothered to look. Just a quick glance then she turned around and said it wasn’t the same woman."

"She was protecting her friend’s memory?"

"That was the feeling I got."

Chip considered the information in relation to the murder. "So… what I think you’re implying is that there was a lot of friction between Takeda and Ellis. Ellis was being unpleasant about the ranger in the lock-up, and there was the affair of the woman killed by lions. We know they argued about something on the day Ellis was killed. You think, as part of the argument, Ellis threatened to disclose what she knew about Takeda’s sister?"

Sanchez nodded. "Takeda can be cold. One of the few things she is violently passionate about is her heroic dead sister. She’s thumped people in the past for jokes she saw as bad taste."

"You think she’d kill to preserve her sister’s reputation?"

"Oh yes."

"So we’ve got motive and opportunity." Chip said slowly. "All we need now is proof."

Sanchez drained the end of her drink and stood up to go. "True… and that’s always the tricky one."

**********

The Old Ford Inn was the most luxurious lodging house in Eastford. Its solid timber frontage opened directly onto the main square opposite the temple. It was where senior officers were billeted, Captain LeCoup among them. The captain had a small suite to herself, including a audience room where she held briefings. Chip looked around at the cushioned chairs, the wine decanter, the remains of the extensive dinner that had been served in the room. All things considered it was very unfair that LeCoup hadn’t given her an award, rather than an ear-bashing, for wrangling the posting to Eastford.

Chip hitched herself up onto a window sill. With the strong sunlight falling on the back of her neck she could close her eyes and imagine it was summer. Ash O’Neil came to stand beside her, looking out across the square at the crisp blue sky behind the row of roof-tops. All trace of snow had gone. In mid-March the weather had improved dramatically. In the space of a day it had gone from winter to spring and stayed there. With the beginning of April the string of emergencies had dwindled to nothing, and for the first time since January all four patrols were back in Eastford.

"Now do believe me that we’ve seen the last of winter?" Ash asked, teasing.

"I believed you when you said it two weeks back. I just didn’t know how you could be so sure." Chip replied without opening her eyes.

"The fenbucks. They were moving to their summer grazing." Ash’s voice was edging into self-parody. "Of course the question is, how did they know it was more than a short thaw?"

"Presumably no-one has ever told them, ‘early winter, late spring’. Which, I must admit, was what I’d been expecting. I’d thought we were going to be chasing around like blue-arsed flies right up until the day we returned to Fort Krowe."

"And I had you marked down as an optimist."

The door of the room opened and Captain LeCoup came in with Lieutenant Ritche at her shoulder. All four sergeants moved to adopt more formal positions, however LeCoup immediately indicated they could stay as they were.

"It’s just a recap session. I’ve got to produce a full report and I want you to jog my memory – general impressions, things like that. You can be honest; I’ll censor out anything that should stay off-the-record."

Chip could not restrain a grin at the thought of LeCoup as a guardian of propriety. She stared down at the floor, judging it safest not to try to catch anyone else’s eye.

LeCoup went on. "Eastern Division are having their annual officers’ briefing. It starts tomorrow. Either the captain or lieutenant will be here from each squadron. They’ll be sorting out postings for the next year, and filling each other in on items of note. They want the 23^rd to have an input – anything anyone’s noticed that might be of use. So… what do we tell them?"

The debate started slowly but soon warmed up. After two and half months there was a fair bit of information to pass on to the Eastern squadrons; unfinished business, worrying signs there had not been the time to pursue further, gossip from farmers which was worth re-checking. It was nearly an hour before everyone was finished. LeCoup wound up the meeting. "Okay, I’ll try and knock all this into shape. One last thing before you go; by this evening, I want everyone to send me a full list of anything lost, damaged or used up. I’m sure Central will want to try putting in a bill for it."

As Chip slipped down from the window ledge LeCoup caught her eye. "Sergeant Coppelli. Can you hang on a minute. I want a word." Chip felt her stomach clench in reflex, however the captain did not look angry, and once they were alone LeCoup adopted a casual stance. "How have you been doing on your hunt for the murderer?"

"Mixed luck." Chip replied, relaxing. "I was talking to Lieutenant Sanchez from the Roadsend militia a short while back. We’re pretty sure we know who did it, but proving it is a lot harder."

"And it’s not Private Nagata?"

"No ma’am."

"Anything I can do to help?"

Chip hesitated. It was too good an offer to turn down. "Another visit to Roadsend might help. I’m not sure what I’ll find, but it’s the best place to look."

"Okay. I’ll see what I can do. Dismissed."

"Thank you ma’am."

Chip headed across town, feeling both pleased and anxious. LeCoup’s intervention was encouraging, but it served to remind her that she was running out of time. In two weeks the period of secondment to Eastern would end. If she couldn’t get the evidence to prove Takeda’s guilt by then she would have to give up.

Back at the Three Barrels she picked Katryn to help with taking the inventory of lost stock. It gave a chance to talk over everything again. What they needed was a witness to the argument between Ellis and Takeda or, failing that, proof Ellis knew Takeda’s sister was the one responsible for the disaster. No new ideas had occurred to either of them by the time they’d finished the inventory.

Katryn trotted across the square towards the Old Ford Inn, carrying the list of items. The sun had dropped behind the rooftops and already torches framed the entrance to the inn. The wind was picking up and an icy bite had returned to the air. Racing to get out of the cold, Katryn leapt up the steps and collided in the doorway with another woman in ranger’s uniform.

The single star of a lieutenant’s badge was the first thing to register. "Sorry, ma’am." Katryn blurted out, snapping to attention even before she had recognised Bergstrom’s face. The two of them stared at each other. Katryn dropped her eyes. "I’m sorry ma’am, I wasn’t looking where I was going."

Bergstrom looked flustered but quickly collected herself. "Be more careful in future." Her voice was as sharp as her gaze.

"Yes, ma’am." Katryn said. She looked at Bergstrom’s back as it retreated. The lieutenant had seemed startled rather than surprised; Katryn guessed Jan had let people know she was in the 23^rd. She wondered how much else had been said.

**********

Chip and Katryn returned to the inn later that night. Probably Bergstrom knew nothing of use to them. However she was one of the few survivors of the massacre, and Chip wanted to take the opportunity to try and see what information could be had. It was not going to be easy. Not only did Chip have no authority to question a senior officer, but she also did not want to mention Takeda or her sister by name.

The room allocated to Bergstrom was on the upper floor of a wing overlooking the courtyard. Katryn went with Chip as far as the lobby at the top of the stairs, but decided not to join in the interview with her former lieutenant. Chip walked the last few metres alone and knocked on the door.

Immediately a voice bid her enter. Bergstrom sat at a table littered with dispatches. "What is it?" Her tone was peeved. She was obviously not pleased by what she was reading.

Chip snapped smartly to attention. "Excuse me ma’am. Would it be convenient for you to talk to me?"

"I can spare ten minutes." Bergstrom said, putting down the sheet she had been holding.

"Thank you, ma’am." Chip paused briefly, adopting a more relaxed stance. "I think you are aware that Private Nagata is now in the 23^rd?" Bergstrom nodded. "She is a member of my patrol. I heard about the incidents in the 12^th and why she left. Naturally I was concerned, and I have been trying to see if I can get to the bottom of it."

"Lieutenant Sanchez in Roadsend would be a better person to talk to than me. If you can’t get to meet her I’m sure she would send you a report."

"Yes ma’am, actually I’ve spoken to her already. As an offshoot to our conversation I’ve become interested in the events concerning the massacre of the 12^th by the outlaw known as the Mad Butcher."

The effect on Bergstrom was instantaneous. Her eyes narrowed and she sat up straighter, however her voice remained neutral. "In what way?"

Chip picked her words cautiously, she did not want to be the one to mention Takeda’s name. "Apparently someone slipped a warning to the gang. I wonder if you had any idea who it was?"

"Why… What makes you think I have anything more to say? I told everything I knew at the time." The defensive edge to Bergstrom’s voice was unmistakable.

"It’s just that you were there. You knew the other survivors and those who died. Even if you don’t have anything more to say on your own account, I wondered whether you thought Sergeant Ellis might have known the identity of the informer?" Chip tried to keep the situation calm. Too late she had remembered Bergstrom had been the target of ridicule from Ellis on the subject of the battle.

"Sergeant Ellis…? Exactly what are you getting at?"

"I’m sorry ma’am, I don’t want to be too blunt; but I think I know who leak the information. I wondered if there was anything you could add?"

Bergstrom leapt to her feet. "No. I don’t know what you’re implying and I don’t see the relevance of this to Sergeant Ellis’s death. If you have looked into things at all you will know I never talked to the woman more than I could help, certainly not about..."

It was time to retreat. "Then I’m sorry to have wasted your time, ma’am."

Bergstrom continued to glare as Chip backed out of the room. Just as she reached for the door handle the lieutenant spoke again, her voice clipped. "Sergeant. If you start spreading gossip and accusations I will ensure it is treated as a severe disciplinary matter. Do you understand?"

"Yes ma’am." Chip escaped. With the door shut she let out a deep breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding.

"How did it go?" Katryn asked.

Chip groaned by way of answer.

"What happened?"

"She threatened me with disciplinary action."

"Over what?"

"Come on. Lets get away from here." Chip indicated with her thumb. Once they were on the stairs she continued, speaking quietly. "Bergstrom is very, very touchy about the affair. I guess years of Ellis accusing her of cowardice have left a permanent scar. Maybe she thought I was going to dredge the whole thing up again. She might even have thought I was implying she killed Ellis because of the jeering. She certainly took it personally. We didn’t get anywhere near to discussing Takeda." At the bottom of the stairs was a door to the outside. Chip pushed it open and stepped into the courtyard. She stopped to gather her thoughts. Her eyes fixed on the glittering display of stars in the cold night sky. "I’m sure it was her sister who tipped off the Butcher, but we need real proof that will stand up in a court martial."

Katryn waited beside her. "And what are our chances of getting that?"

Chip pursed her lips. "I need to go to Roadsend. Fortunately Captain LeCoup has promised to send me there before we finish our time with Eastern. Maybe I can talk to Quartermaster Adebeyo and look through the militia records. We’re so close to making our case we can’t stop now." Chip’s eyes carried across the sky. Directly over her head was the window of Bergstrom’s room, slightly ajar despite the cold. She sighed. Talking to the lieutenant had been a total waste of time. "Let’s get back to the Three Barrels and warm up."

**********

Katryn laid her cards on the table and scooped the small pile of coins. The others at the table expressed good-natured resignation. One of the rangers swept up the cards and moulded them into a neat pack which she rapped on the table. "Are you going to give us a chance to get it back?"

"I thought I’d quit while I was ahead and use my winnings to buy everyone a drink." Katryn replied.

Corporal Lee Horte immediately stretched out her hand to stop the woman who was shuffling the cards. "Don’t distract Katryn when she’s having a good idea."

There was general laughter. Katryn twisted around in her chair and signalled to the bar-staff. While waiting for someone to come to take the order she listened to the banter of her comrades. She felt happy and relaxed. She was even starting to believe joining the rangers had not been such a horrendous mistake – except at that moment the one aching regret in her life surged to the forefront of her thoughts. Chip had sauntered into the tap-room. Katryn felt her stomach flip over.

The sergeant wandered over to their table. "Lee, Katryn can I have a quick word with you?" The two of them followed Chip to one side of the room and waited for her to speak. "I’ve just been talking with Captain LeCoup. Eastern Division officers’ meeting finishes today. LeCoup has volunteered C patrol for courier duties. We need two rangers to go to Roadsend and give the lieutenant the report so she knows where she has to go to meet up with her captain and the rest of the squadron – that will be Katryn and me. We also need two rangers to go to Monday Market and pass similar information on to the half of the 19^th squadron that’s been stationed there. Finally we need couriers for the 12^th at Clemswood."

"They aren’t one of the split squadrons. Why won’t Bergstrom be taking the message back?" Katryn asked.

"Apparently she’s been called away to pay her last respects to a relative who’s at death’s door. She went last night as soon as she’d finished giving the report from the 12^th." Chip turned to Lee. "I’d like you to be one of the women who goes to Clemswood. You know how we’ve been trying to find out who murdered Katryn’s old sergeant?" Lee nodded, she was aware of most of the facts. "Katryn obviously can’t go, and I really want to talk to Sanchez, but it would be useful to have someone try and pick up gossip from the ordinary rangers."

"There’s someone called Bo Hassan who’s a great source of stories." Katryn suggested.

Chip nodded her agreement. "Time the journey so you get to spend an evening there and chat to people. Pick someone from the patrol to go with you – someone nosy but discreet."

"Find someone nosy but discreet?" Lee repeated slowly, looking pained. "You know, one of the great things about having you as a sergeant is I get such challenging assignments."

continued in chapter 20