Neil blinked in surprise when Emmaline walked over with a huge, curved basket filled with dead fish. They didn't smell like flowers, but they hadn't yet started to truly stink as of yet. He had let her in through the left side of the double door entrance, having already plugged up the right one. He had done a remarkable amount of work in a short amount of time. It seemed Neil's time as an engineer helped him be generally competent with tools, either that or he had a background in carpentry or construction. He had stopped hammering a nail on the carefully laid boards along the only two windows below and tilted his head, much like a confused dog. 

"Babe, we've still got plenty of food but..." He began, before he realized that they would need all the sustenance they could get over the next few months. He shrugged, smiling at her. There was something close to love in his eyes. "Guess we're having fish tonight." He walked over to help her carry it, unburdening her with the weight and carrying it over to the casks and barrels. He stepped over a pile of timber he had procured from the small basement below nimbly, but he jerked to the side, two fish plopping onto the stone heavily. There had been a voice behind them. 

From outside. 

Emmaline made a gesture that he assumed was arcane. Neil put the basket down, dropped the two fish back into the basket, and grabbed the hochland rifle leaning against one of the utility shelves. 

"Bar the door," he told her, placing his left hand on the barrel as he hustled up stairs, racing to the second floor and the lower balcony. He and Emmaline were usually at the top floor where the bed was, but this room too had a fireplace and a few lumpy chairs, though it was more or less abandoned, with cupboards tossed to their sides and a broken desk left on the floor. Neil nearly tripped over it but caught himself with a small jump and made it to the balcony, opening the door and placing his hochland rifle on the balustrade. 

Before him was a man, wearing a nondescript coat and a wide brimmed hat, but he held no weapons or showed any sign of movement or surprise. He wasn't the witch hunter they had seen the last few weeks, but he did bear a brooch of some considerable worth, and Neil thought he spied a sigil on there he didn't recognize. The twin comets were easy to identify, but the fiery heart was not. Neil made sure to aim left of it, at his heart. 

They waited there, seemingly at an impass for a few moments. Neil decided he was too curious to play that game. 

"Hi, can you state your name, please?" 

"Neil Edwards," He said, making the thief rock back on his heels. Neil took a moment, then made a 'hm' sound from deep in his throat. 

"Interesting, are we related?" 

"You are Neil Edwards." He said, and Neil saw he bore a pair of spectacles on his face, resting on his robust nose. "Formerly an engineering apprentice, recently pronounced dead and resurrected, graduate of the gunnery college, and known criminal. I am Inspector Leizbauhnor. We have been watching you for some time." 

"Well, Inspector, you're not making a good case for why I shouldn't shoot you, just in case you were wondering." He said, matter-of-fact. Neil was now intensely curious, but he meant it. If people were following him, his first instinct was to eliminate any and all who were doing it. He then realized how very dark that was, but he guessed he had a criminal girlfriend to take care of now. "What is it exactly that you want?" 

"Just your cooperation in acquiring some goods for the order. You wouldn't want Heinriech to find out miss Von Morganstern could be a potential apostate, nor would you want to be evicted from your...home?" He asked, then chuckled. The inspector raised an eyebrow as he appraised the makeshift structure. "You do realize people were going to show up eventually to use it again, right?" 

"I was planning on being gone by the summer." Neil replied, reiterating the man's proposal in his head. "Are you saying we could stay here legally?" 

"Not strictly, but we won't bother you and make sure no one else does, either." 

Neil was certain this inspector and his bureau or whomever, wasn't as omnipresent as he would have liked Neil to believe. He likely had a few well trained men or women posted in certain areas to give back information on his whereabouts and likely was only privvy to Neil's vagueries. But even that was a bit much for Neil, and the young man sighed. 

"Why do you need me? Aren't you busy with rooting out those Chaos weirdos?" 

"We need you because we need a criminal or two, to help us out in rooting out another. And we need it to help with the 'Chaos weirdos.'" He said, and laid out his terms. Neil had to go downstairs and tell Emmaline that tomorrow they would steal some stolen gunpowder back from one of Nuln's syndicates.