Constables of the 14th Ward Part 3

[Rhun]

"Perhaps we can have a look at your books, Maddie?" suggests Brae. "Also, what of the brew? Is it possible you're being shorted somehow? Perhaps the kegs aren't being filled? Or someone or someones are drinking away your profits?"

 

[Scotley]

"Yes, I'll let you have a look at the accounts book. I've checked the math a half dozen times, but I'm stumped." She enters the value of the coins from the box in a small neat script under a line already marked with the date. "Even if someone were drinking and eating while they worked they'd have to be the size of a warhorse by now. It would be gallons and gallons of ale to account for the loss." She has a simple, but organized ledger with daily entries for the take in one column, added up weekly and monthly. In other columns she has entries for staff expense, rents, breakage, drink, food, oil, candles really a staggering array of costs to maintain her small business. After considerable head scratching you draw a few conclusions. The daily take has varied little. Food, rents and non-drink supply costs remain consistent as well. The costs for wine and spirits are also about the same, but the costs for beer and ale began to grow about six weeks ago. Slowly at first, but in the last two weeks the tavern has had to order as much beer and ale as they used in the previous two months. "Maybe the suppliers are shorting me somehow? They haven't raised their prices, in fact they've been rather generous given my financial trouble."

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

"Maddie, I've no skill for bookkeeping but I do know somewhat of barter and trade. It looks to me as though someone's using the Staff's name to order an abundance of beer and ale, then taking the extra either to sell for themselves or to use for some other purpose. Or possibly just taking a keg here and there so that you're short and have to order extra. The effect would be the same."

 

[Helfdan]

"Soulfetter is correct! How do you buy the beer? Is it delivered here by the seller, or do you send a teamster to fetch it. Also, who makes sure you receive what you ordered?"

 

[Lou]

Ederaul Mamier and his new Robe 5

"Where do you store the beer and drinks?"

 

[Leif]

Maddie

"Oh, it's brought around by the Shiv on their usual delivery route through the Fourteenth. I've been taking the orders to the brewhouse myself, lately. About receiving what I order, well, the Shiv is meticulous about that, and no mistake. But either myself or Gus here oversees putting a new shipment away and storing it properly."

Evidently she didn't catch Raul's question.... Speak up, Laddie!

[sblock=DM Business Only][sblock=that means NO PLAYERS!]Sorry Scotty, no trying to put salt in your game, here, but I saw a good spot to stick in a Shiv reference and couldn't pass it up. Back over to you now.[/sblock][/sblock]

 

[Scotley]

"Well, we have some big casks, really big casks in the basement and we draw off smaller amounts up here for service. Normally I don't get that many deliveries, but lately they've been coming quite regular. Come and have a look." She leads you down in the vaulted basement. In addition to wine racks and food stores there are two enormous casks resting on their sides built into the wall. They run from the floor to about six feet high with great taps at the bottom front protrude over a small depression about three feet deep. The floor slopes down into it gently. "We roll a small cask down and top it up then roll it over there and hoist it up to the bar." She points to a trap in the ceiling. She takes a small hammer and bangs on the front of the cask slowly working her way up from the bottom. "See how the sound changes? That's how I know how much is inside." It appears to be only about a quarter full. She leads you to a narrow stair. At the top is a stout door to the alley with and iron bar another brand new expensive lock. She takes the key from around her neck and opens the door. A pair of tin half moons about eight feet long slope from the door to round covers on the top of the casks. One is stamped 'ALE' the other 'BEER'. "I've been watching the deliveries very carefully and I've seen the ale and the beer running down these channels into the storage casks. Then I check the fill level with the hammer." Even a skilled thief would have trouble gaining entry with the bar and lock on the inside of the cellar door. "We seem to be getting what we pay for, but it doesn't seem to take long to empty the storage tanks."

 

[Helfdan]

Alarion ponders. "What if the casks themselves have been tampered with? Have you noticed if of late they are filled faster than usual?"

 

[Scotley]

"Well you can check one yourself. I only keep a dozen or so of the ones we hoist up as we've never sold more than 6 casks of beer or ale in one day and we can always refill before we open the next day." She shows you a collection of casks. "Just roll it down there, stand it up, pull the bung on the top and when it is full stopper it up again and roll it over there for the hoist."

 

[Rhun]

Brae is at a loss for words. He merely listens, stroking his beard and looking about, hoping that one of his companions can come up with an answer for Maddie's losses.