"I mean, yeah, that's where he was buying rounds."

Morn keeps the piece of fabric in his hand, continuing to look at it closely, as he stands and moves towards the door and the conversation with the passerby. Looking up a moment, "Did Frankie ever mention a landmark or noticeable point in the marsh? He was trying to hide something in the fire, but maybe he let something slip while he was drinking with you all?"

"Nah, he was a bit vague, hadn't seen him in a while before that though, so might be a few days in? Hiding something, you say?", he cranes his neck to peer in.

"He was pretty ripped last I saw, you think he went back out drunk? Or maybe someone did him in for his secrets and burned him up in the fire?"

"I pray that it was the former,but fear it was the latter. gold is the greatest driver of sin."

Horatio raises an eyebrow at that, but stays silent.

Morn shakes his head, "I don't believe the poor man was burnt. But I'm curious as to whatever this was before it was burnt, but perhaps something will present itself to me later as to the former life of this cloth. My thanks for your openness, mister. Perhaps I too will buy you a drink sometime in the tavern? I cannot tarry there now, but I will search you out on my return," he smiles warmly at the gentleman and then turns to go back inside, looking at the cloth again, and then around the room for anything that might hint as to what this might have been attached to prior to being ripped up and cast in the fire.

((Give me another investigation, Morn.))

Morn's Investigation Check: 18

Morn finds a trio of buttons near the fireplace, from the weight of the fabric and the loan thread still clinging to one of the buttons you deduce that it was an old shirt that was ripped up into strips some of which were burned.

"Hmm, curious," Morn holds the buttons in his hands with the fabric for a moment.

(DM Question - I'm assuming there's no blood on the fabric or buttons?)

"Well, for whatever reason, our quarry Frankie decided to burn this shirt after tearing into shreds. I've not found anything that might lead us to him at this point, or if I have, I have missed its value," Morn says turning back to the group. "How did all of you fair in your searches?"

((Nope. Seems it was consciously torn up rather than done in an emergency.))

"no visible clues, save that the hound went with the master."

Sirq speaks up. "Didn't someone at the tavern say that Frankie was going into the marsh? I wonder what he was doing in there." He presses his flute to his lips before placing it back into his belt loop. "I know it's dangerous there, but we were supposed to go find him, weren't we?"

"aye, we were. but we were hoping for clues as to where in the marshes." samael sighs "nothing for it then, we have to enter the marshes."

"You still have that coin, Horatio?" Morn asks, "We should head to the marsh and then, if everyone is agreeable, I can try to locate more of those coins with my magics."

"Maybe I'm oit of my mind to say that, but yes, let's head out for the marshes. Maybe we can find tracks of Freddie and his dog that we can follow. What ever we'll find out there, it will certainly be more interesting than what this town has to offer." 

"Of course - let us know what you find."

Horatio examines the doghouse as the party finishes their investigations. Whenever we move to leave, he will address the bystander: "Do you happen to know if he had any close friends around town who might have an idea of his current whereabouts? Or, now that I think about it, enemies?"

"hope for the former, watch for the latter"

Horatio finds a well gnawed bone.

((Make another Persuasion check for me please.))