Free Web NovelChapter 103: Growing circle (3)
"This is the most uncomfortable I have ever been in my entire life," Derek muttered waking up in the cold forest not too far away from the human town Vincent sent him to. He walked the majority of the night so that he could end this job quickly but then took a rest under a large tree. He couldn’t light a big fire as it would’ve alerted anyone nearby of his presence so he just fell asleep against the tree trunks with a tiny fire.
"I’m starting to feel my age," he said after his cracking neck because of his weird sleep position. His back has been hurting for a while because of this. "If I had left earlier, I would’ve made it to a place to stay for the night with food and a warm bed. Curse you Vincent for sending me away from my wife," he sulked, missing Jane. freewebnovёl.ƈom
He missed hugging her while they slept in a bed at night and the scent of her filling up his nostrils. Derek wanted to return but knew Vincent would send him back a second time for failing the first time. "If I was smart, I would’ve helped Vincent hire more capable men so I don’t need to work this much. I rather hide the gardener’s dead body than do this. I could’ve been making love to my wife last night but instead, I have these damn mosquitos kissing my skin."
Derek decided to take a short break before leaving to finish his journey. The letter Vincent wrote was safe in his jacket away from becoming dirty. "We need some type of mailing system that does not involve me having to leave my wife. Why on earth doesn’t Vincent come or one of the other men? He gets to stay home with his woman and I’m out here sleeping on the ground. Let’s get this over with."
He stood up from the tree trunks he called his bed last night dusting off the dirt and leaves from his clothes. The small fire he created long burned out because it was too small. He didn’t have anything more to eat but wasn’t going to eat anything from the humans. Derek started to continue his journey to the town and could already see it in the distance.
"Don’t act suspicious," he told himself when he joined the road humans were using to travel to the town. Derek had to pass the guards placed outside of the towns to monitor who was coming in and out of the town. If they found anyone to be suspicious, the guards would pull them aside and interrogate them. That was the last thing he needed to happen.
Derek walked behind a farmer pulling his crops into the town on a cart pulled by a donkey. Derek pretended to act like he was a worker of the farmer and passed by the town guards.
The town had always been interesting to Derek because of how different the humans were from bedtime stories parents used to tell wolf children to prevent them from trying to go out and see the human world. The humans looked defenseless as they hurried around Derek trying to work to get money to help them not starve today. The humans with the swords who should be intimidating looked lazier than him which was shocking. They were nothing compared to the guards he saw back at home.
If Vincent ever wanted to, he could attack the human towns and villages to reclaim more land for the wolves. Vincent’s strategic planning would make him successful in the battle but the man always said too much blood would be lost on both sides just to obtain land they didn’t need. Derek believed if they called for help from the other wolf packs outside the kingdom, they could successfully kill the king.
"I would love to live in a palace and have Jane wear clothes fit for a queen. What a life," he whispered, pushing open the doors of the paperman’s home and workplace. He was welcomed by the sight of papers piled up high with old news and news meant to be sent out soon. "Does he even have any readers in this dump?"
"Yes, I do. Sorry, I can’t afford fancy places like the others who share the news. You always come to me in nice clothes, why don’t you give me the money to buy a better place? I want one with a view of the palace," Harold Buckley, one of the town’s paperman, said, coming from behind a stack of paper.
"If you really had readers you would be able to move out of this tiny cramped space and maybe have a worker or two. You post a lot of gossips." Derek read the title of one of Harold’s newspapers. It involved the Hamiltons like always. "Why don’t you go to one of those housewives who hate Minnie Hamilton and have them fund you? They’ll love seeing someone do their dirty work to smear her name."
"Ah, you don’t know how much influence Minnie Hamilton has even to her enemies. No one will fund me if I don’t have something that will really poke at her reputation. Minnie has the ability to switch the topic from herself to someone else. When I shared the news about her son having a secret daughter, all of a sudden there was news about another husband sleeping with his wife’s sister. She gathers information to use in the future as protection."
Derek was slightly impressed by this but still, everyone had a weakness and they could make Minnie be in a situation she could not get out of. "Keep doing what you are now and one day you’ll have her right where you want her. Do you not fear that she will come after you because of what you publish?"
Harold shook his head placing the news to go out tomorrow on one side. "She has already tried but I escape it each time. I know she hates my guts but I won’t stop until they tell me what happened to my father. A lot of strange things happen in that house but I’m the only one who wants to find out. Those people are not normal. When I was a child my father told me never to go anywhere near that house because they like children."
Harold continued to say, "I thought it was weird that I couldn’t go just because someone liked children. Was he scared they’d want to buy me and take me in as their own? That’s what I believed until he told me many of the children they sneak in there don’t ever come back out. My father knew many of their secrets and must have learned about something bad so they killed him and lied about his death. It was only me and father after my mother’s death, he would never kill himself and leave me all alone."
"I’m sorry. I promise we will help you get justice for your father. You and my boss share a common enemy, Minnie, because of something she did to someone he loved."
Harold folded his arms resting up against one of his desks. He had been curious about this boss who had been supplying him with information on the Hamiltons. He found it strange he only saw Derek when it was time for him to deliver the information. Harold knew Derek wasn’t one of the townspeople and found the man to not be normal but since they shared an enemy, he was willing to let everything else slide. "What news have you brought for me today about them? I have just finished the news to go out for tomorrow but I’ll see if I need to go back to work."
"You will," Derek took the letter out of his jacket and handed it to Harold. He watched as Harold hurried to open and read the contents on the paper. He smiled when Harold’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
Harold held up the paper for Derek to see the words written. "Is this true? Did she really have an affair with the butler and Nathaniel is his son?" ƒгeewёbnovel.com
"Well, as far as I am concerned, the affair part is true. Nathaniel being the butler’s son cannot be proven; however, it will make your readers become interested in the topic."
"How do you know about their relationship? Her late husband was loved by many which helped put her in a high position amongst the wives and even some of the husbands. For her to cheat on him with the butler of all people, they will talk about this for days. Do you have any proof?" Harold asked in hopes there was something more to solidify this was true.
"Not yet but have we ever lied to you? Your job allows you to control what people talk about and Minnie will not be able to blow this one over. Keep a careful watch on her and you’ll find your proof. After this, you might have plenty of housewives funding you. You might want to get started on tomorrow’s big news Harold."
