The guests who'd been robbed were waiting impatiently in the common room. As the innkeeper returned, bringing Frodo with him, they swiftly gathered around. There were two pairs, a man and woman, and two men. Frodo had seen them in this same room the night before.
"Have you spoken to the circus folk?" one man demanded, and looked down at Frodo. "Is this the one? He was among them last night."
"This is Mr. Baggins, who's kindly agreed to look into this for me," Mr. Butterbur explained. "You've heard tell of how he's worked for kings and elves and such among the great."
The guests continued to regard Frodo dubiously; Frodo guessed that hobbits were an unfamiliar sight to them.
"Now, I've had a word with Mr. Grimmold, who runs the circus," Mr. Butterbur continued. "He says none of his people had anything to do with these burglaries, even those acrobats."
"Fiddlesticks!" one of the other guests snorted. "We saw those little people jumping around like fleas on a griddle and walking on ropes same as they would on a broad street! Getting into a top-floor room'd be nothing to the likes o' them."
"Only last night in this very room, they were bragging about the tricks they've pulled," his companion added. "Everybody heard them! What do you intend to do about this, Innkeeper? Aren't you going to have them arrested?"
"Aren't you at least going to see if they have our property?" the woman asked.
"I mean to do just that," Mr. Butterbur assured them hastily, and Frodo was certain that the idea had not occurred to him.
"May I ask," the hobbit ventured, "what was taken from each of your rooms?"
The foursome stared at him, since he hadn't spoken before, but they answered his question. Frodo made a list: two purses containing money, a garnet ring, cloak pins, a knife with a jeweled hilt, and a few other easily pocketed trinkets. He also obtained the names of both couples; the man and woman were a husband and wife named Tillerman, and the other two were brothers named Nikal and Torven Sarty. They had all come up from Cardolan in search of work.
"What about the other people?" Frodo asked. "You said three rooms were burgled, Mr. Butterbur. Who was in the third?"
"To be sure, there was another couple," said Mr. Butterbur, looking around the room in wonderment. "I left them here, not a minute ago."
"They went out," said Mrs. Tillerman.
"Are they friends of yours?" asked Frodo.
"No, but we came up the Greenway together. We weren't acquainted before, but when you find yourself going along the same road with other people, it's only civil to strike up conversation." The group had begun to be more helpful once they realized that Frodo was more likely to recover their property for them than the well-meaning but befuddled innkeeper.
Mr. Butterbur, to placate everyone, offered to give them their breakfasts free of charge. While the other guests were taken to the innkeeper's own private room above the kitchens, Frodo's breakfast was set in the same little parlor where he'd had his dinner the night before. As he ate his bacon and eggs, Frodo could hear the voices of Mr. Grimmold and others through the closed door, and guessed that the circus manager was telling his people what had happened.
Pim came in. "I've just heard the awful news. Mr. Grimmold says you're going to prove that Campion and his family had nothing to do with this."
"I've agreed to investigate," Frodo confirmed circumspectly. He knew little about the Trufoots except that they were talented acrobats and friends of his cousins. He had also seen enough to believe that Pim was indeed sweet on Campion. As much as he hated to disappoint her, he had his doubts about their innocence.
Pim sensed his reluctance. "Oh, Frodo, you don't think they did it?"
"I can't say Yes or No yet. I'm going to have a look around and talk to a few people this morning and I'll find... whatever I find. You have to remember, Pimmy, what sort of tricks the circus was up to when I met them--trying to frighten a dim-witted farmer off his land so they could have the use of it. They may have nothing to do with these thefts, but I know what they're capable of."
"You're not being fair, Frodo! Oh, I knew the tale of how they haunted the Green Hill Wood even before I heard it last night, but whatever mischief they were up to when you first saw them, they're good people at heart. They meant no harm to Noddy, and they certainly wouldn't steal from a place like this, where it would do them more harm than good. They're leaving, you know."
Pippin had come in while his sister was speaking. "The troupe isn't going away already, Pimmy?" he asked as he helped himself to tea.
"They'll be in the neighborhood for awhile, until this matter is cleared up," she answered, "but Mr. Grimmold says it's better if they aren't here at the Inn in case something else happens. That way, they can't be blamed. But I'm not under suspicion. I'm staying to see that our friends are vindicated. It wasn't them, Frodo. Larkspur certainly had no part in it," Pim resumed her defense of the Trufoots. "I've been sharing a room with her, and I can swear that she never stirred from her bed last night."
"And Campion and Fergold were in with us," Pippin volunteered.
"They didn't get up in the night?" Frodo asked him.
"Never once as far as I know."
"And how did you sleep, Pippin? I know you were upset when you left us. You didn't have too many ales?"
Pippin's face turned red as he remembered why he'd been upset. "Only one or two pints," he answered defensively, "no more than Merry had. I slept in the bed closest to the door, and it creaks. I would've heard if anybody went in or out past me."
Mr. Butterbur, accustomed to supplying for the ravenous appetites of hobbits, sent in another large platter of bacon and eggs and racks of fresh, hot toast for his guests. Merry had come downstairs to join them by then and, while they ate, Frodo explained to his cousin what had happened and why he was going to remain in Bree to investigate this theft.
"It may take a few days. You and Pippin don't have to stop with me, Merry," he told them. "We're quite close to the Shire now: If you leave after breakfast, as we originally planned, you can reach the Hay Gate by tomorrow night and be at Brandy Hall in another day."
"I'm in no hurry to go home that quickly," Merry answered. "They know I'm on my way, and another day or two won't matter. I'll stay here with you, Frodo, until this is done."
"I'll stay too," said Pippin.
"Thank you." Frodo smiled at them both, then asked, "You all know the troupe better than I do. Will you tell me--and please answer honestly and don't try to protect anyone. I must know: besides the Trufoots, who else could have climbed up into a top-story window by use of poles or ropes or some other trick?"
All three of his cousins were silent as they considered the unpleasant question. Pippin spoke first. "Mr. Joffey, the joungler, might do it. He's as good a tumbler as any of the Trufoots, and twice as tall. And Dorryk knows some tumbling tricks. Nob might too. Griselma's no tumbler, but she works with Mr. Grimmold on his conjuring tricks, and she can run and jump and climb like a cat."
"What about Fordis and Garfi, the two dwarves?" suggested Merry. "They couldn't climb a wall, but they're both great tinkerers and tinsmiths, and could pick the lock on any door."
"But all this is nonsense," Pim said. "Of course, none of our people did it, Frodo."
"Who then?" asked Merry. "Someone else outside the troupe?"
Frodo shook his head. He didn't know yet, but he thought he would begin by having a look around.
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