Verified answer

First I have heard of "triple charges" as prices are pretty much set at all the vendors (price fixing I call it.) And, prices are relevant to Perks applied to the Speech Tree.

Any of the NPC may send out a contract on the Dragonborn for theft. Did you take follow the Stormcloak into Riverwood? Did you then take the Iron and Steel ingots from under the bench. They would be Free if you had followed the Imperial from Helgen.

Did you hit his child during a dragon fight?

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Stealing

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Bounty#Overview (Crime)

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Speech

Residents of Skyrim will hire people to come after you if you steal from them or if you kill someone they care about, even if you weren't caught or arrested while committing the crime. There are many relationships in the game between characters in love with other characters, for example, or characters who are friends and family. If the contract is revenge for killing someone, it should identify the name of the person you killed. See: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Hired_Thug or see: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Steal,_Thugs_hunt_...

thanks everyone for answering!