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He stared out the large bay window at the great expanse of snow covering the ground. Winter lasted much longer in his remote corner of the world, which suited him just fine. He’d lived in the tiny fishing village for longer than most people could fathom, and he wouldn’t live anywhere else.
A knock at the door brought his youngest brother, Gunnar. Their middle brother, Ari, had disappeared, and no one had heard from him for more than a week. Not wholly unusual, but for whatever reason, this time Kaspar was worried.
“Any news?” he asked, and laid the book on the table next to the chair, standing to face his brother.
Gunnar shook his head. “Nothing. He’s just gone.”
“And he’s not at his apartment?”
“His man said Ari hasn’t been there for several days.”
Kaspar sighed. “Well, he can’t just be gone, Gunnar. Still, it’s not like he hasn’t done this before. He heads out somewhere, sees a shiny object and follows it, but usually we’re able to reach him.”
Ari was notoriously easy to distract, and with unlimited money from his sometimes creative business dealings, he could afford to do whatever he liked. He didn’t answer to anyone, which occasionally meant he’d disappear for a while, remembering too late to let his brothers know where he was.
Gunnar chuckled. “I suppose that’s true.”
“Have you looked into these allegations against him?”
“That he refused to pay some kind of extortion money?” Gunnar snorted. “You’re not seriously going to listen to some woman who’s angry that he won’t give her money, are you? Whatever she has to say will be a lie. Just another way to get his money.”
“Are you sure that’s it? Have you looked into her claims?” he asked again.
“No, I haven’t looked into them.”
“Well, I have.”
“Why, Kaspar? The allegations are unfounded. She’s a gold digger.”
“She hasn’t asked for anything. Not one aurar,” Kaspar countered.
“She will. They always do.”
“What do you mean, they always do?” Kaspar leaned forward in an attempt to intimidate Gunnar. His brother pressed his lips into a thin line. “Gunnar.”
Gunnar crossed his arms. “This is not the first woman who has demanded money not to ‘out’ the actions of our brother.”
“What?” Kaspar frowned. “This has happened before? When?”
“Ages ago, brother.” Gunnar waved his hand dismissively. “It’s not even worth mentioning.”
Kaspar dragged his hands down his face. “Why have you kept this from me?”
Gunnar chuckled and then grew serious again. “Kaspar, you’re never here. At least, not in the sense of what the people expect. You sit on your gilded throne, where you hear nothing, and you think everything’s fine.”
“Are you saying I’m out of touch?”
“A bit, yes,” Gunnar said. “But no more than you usually are.”
Kaspar swore. His brother was right. He’d been out of sorts for a long time. “I apologize.”
“You don’t need to,” Gunnar insisted. “This is what I’m trying to say. We have it handled.”
“I don’t think you do,” Kaspar challenged.
Gunnar shook his head. “Fine. If you think you can do better, what is your proposal?”
“I’m going to come with you into town tomorrow and speak with the woman personally.”
