Swamped

His answer makes it sound like he just wanted to help.

Now, you can't get a read on him at all, so you can't tell if that's what he really means or if that's just the impression he's trying to get across. But either way, it seems useful to approach things from that direction.

"So, was anyone hurt?" you ask the leader. "I'm sure your people took a few blows, but there's also probably people staying here who have nothing to do with this mess."

"The fighting never reached them. Well, most of them, anyhow - there's some actors staying here who are putting on a show and leaving at dawn. Except there was some mess with the show, so who knows where they are now." The leader frowns. "Can't say for sure they didn't run afoul of Heron's crew - or opt to help them out, for that matter. Never know with actors."

"Weren't any around here," Long interjects, and that surprises you. "I saw one of their other shows and there weren't any familiar faces. And I got a good memory for faces."

Something about how he spoke seems off. You feel a vague sense that he was planning to raise a particular subject, and looking for an excuse.

So what subject is it, exactly? That he saw a show? Or that he remembers faces well? Or maybe it's just an attempt to lead into something else.

Well, if that's it, maybe your best bet is to take the bait and see where he leads you.

"What, were you expecting to see any of them here?"