Anna’s tale continues…
Day 61: Anna saw that he was watching a woman.
Anna saw that he was watching a woman. The woman was making her way slowly across the room and finally settled in the chair across from Christopher. She looked slightly familiar to Anna, as though she was someone that Anna might have passed before even if she didn’t speak to her.
“Madam Barret,” Christopher said. “I don’t suppose you have anything to report?”
“You have been asking after a woman,” Madam Barret replied.
“Yes, have you seen her?”
“What is the offer if I have?”
“That depends on how recently you have seen her,” Christopher replied. “And what details you can tell me.”
“I would want something for the trouble of bothering to seek you out,” she replied. “After all there is so much to do at the market stall that I can ill afford to while my time away in a café.”
Anna realized where she had seen the woman. She ran a section of stalls where Anna routinely purchased many of the fresh ingredients for her kitchen. Anna swallowed back her fear and tried to calm her suddenly racing heart. She worried about spell components but never thought of the food stalls.
While Anna tried to control her panic, Madam Bennet and Christopher came to an agreement on price. Anna set her fear to the side to focus on their conversation.
“She tends to come in regularly for her produce and dry goods,” Madam said. “It hs been a little over two weeks since her last visit and while she purchased many dried fruits and stap;les she will soon be running low.”
“So it is likely she will be returning soon,” Christopher said.
“If she is still in the city.”
“What do you know of her movements after she leaves your stall?”
Madam Barret shrugged. “She is not usually worth watching. She conducts her business, causes no trouble and then leaves. However if she is to return I can watch for it and signal one of my sons to follow her and find out more information, should you make that worth my time and effort.”
“It is possible,” Christopher said. “We have only been watching for spell components not food stuffs. Have you seen anything magical about her?”
The woman shook her head. “Nothing stands out. She buys dried apricots, seems partial to them in the winter and fresh fruit in season.”
Anna listened as Christopher arranged a system to watch and follow her when she next stopped in for groceries. She watched until the woman left and then continued to watch as Christopher sat at the table. He finished his drink and Anna followed him out into the street. He walked a few blocks over to his rented accommodations. Anna had seen the rooms in many visons but had not seen the address. Now she knew ow to find it. As Christopher settled himself to write a report, Anna’s vision faded. She let the images go and leaned back. Scrying twice so close together often gave her a headache and she could feel it beginning to thrum in the back of her mind.
‘But I am glad I did it,’ she decided. Anna sighed. ‘So gathering groceries are out today.’
Ten til Midnight 