Play@YSDC

Piccadilly, London - Outside the Ritz Hotel
5:10pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

Johnny steps outside the Ritz Hotel onto Piccadilly. The street is crowded now with omnibuses, taxis and private automobiles, while the bustling pavements are full of pedestrians. Clearly the evening rush hour is every bit a busy in London as it is in New York.

The sun has almost set now, and the thickening fog has eliminated any trace of twilight. The streetlights are on now, illuminating the fog eerily.

Dover Street tube station is adjacent to the hotel, a short distance along Piccadilly, Elizabeth and Caroline used the tube to travel to the Penhew Foundation on Tottenham Court Road, changing trains at Leicester Square station.

[OOC: You could take the tube, or a taxi, or you could walk]

Finally Johnny thinks to himself as makes his way down the steps. It's been a long time since San Francisco and he finds himself listening for the rings of the trolley cars.

Outside the Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
5:40pm, Wednesday 28th January, 1925


The Penhew Foundation

Johnny boards a double-decker tram heading to Leicester Square, then after a few minutes wait, a second that takes him along Tottenham Court Road into Bloomsbury. The English trams are a little different to the streetcars of San-Francisco, but only superficially so, and the journey brings back fond memories although the second tram is very crowded.

As the tram passes the elegant building of the Penhew Foundation, Johnny rings the bell and steps off the tram at the next stop, about fifty yards further up Tottenham Court Road. The pavements here are still busy, with office and store workers rushing home from work for the evening. Johnny should have time to look around the outside of building with little chance of being noticed for the time being.

Outside the Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
5:40pm, Wednesday 28th January, 1925

As he approaches the Penhew Foundation building, Johnny can see that the front gate is closed now, a brass plate is attached to the iron railings next to the gate:

Open to the general public:
Monday to Friday
8:30am to 5:00pm

Director - Mr Edward Gavigan

A uniformed doorman stands by the front door on the other side of the railings, he look bored and ready to leave. A few lights are still on inside the foundation, but it appears that most of the staff have already finished for the day.

The front door opens and two ladies, office workers perhaps, walk out. They wave to the doorman as they walk down the front steps, fastening their overcoats tightly and bracing themselves against the cold air.

The front gate isn't locked; the two ladies close it behind them as they walk out onto Tottenham Court Road. They then turn left and walk north along the foggy road, passing by Johnny without so much as a second glance.

ooc
I'm assuming that Johnny doesn't see anyone else loitering around the building or following him. If he does he'll proceed very cautiously (and scrap the plan below).

Johnny pushes his hat up and looks up at the building as he approaches. This Penhew was either rich or very successful. Or he was doing more than just poking around in caves looks for old bones.

Shivering the he pulls his hat down and observes the office workers leaving. Gavigan probably hasn't left yet.

He continues limping slowly down the block on his cane planning making a quick circuit around the building. As he passes the front door he shoots a quick look into the entryway. Guard looks bored. That's a reasonably good sign.

ooc
Johnny will "case" the building, looking for alternate entrances, open windows, etc. The picture doesn't show an iron wrought fence (which was mentioned in the taxi ride) or does that refer to the littel stone thing that's encircling the building?
Is that a park next to the building or just an artistic touch?
It looks like there's a gap between the little stone thing and the building proper, in some buildings that would mean there are windows there, to allow a bit of light into the basement. If someone left one open it might be a good way in for a little man (though the little man has a bum leg so he's not to interested in getting acrobatic).

Generally speaking, if Johnny sees anything truly inviting he'll try a break in, otherwise his plan is to shadow Gavigan back to his house (or the club or wherever he goes after work)

OOC:

Sorry, I've not quite had time to write a new IC post for Johnny, I'll do it first thing tomorrow:

Here are four views of the Penhew Foundation Building. The model matched the floorplans in the book, rather than the painting that I used before (click on the thumbnails for a larger view).


Front


Rear


Right



Left

My IC post will describe the building correctly, here's a quick run down:

There are five visible entrances to the building:
1) A large double door at the front.
2) A Smaller backdoor / fire exit at the rear.
3) A metal goods entrance at the rear.
4) A Cellar / Basement door around the left of the building
5) A Coal Chute at the rear

All the windows are large 'French windows' approx 10' high.

Some of the windows are blacked out (not reflected on the model yet).

There are small basement windows, I've not added them in yet. Some of these are bricked up (all in the right/read of the building).

Sorry this took linger than expected as I've got rusty with sketchup & had a busy weekend.

I'm started work on some other buildings immediately, so the models for those should be available as soon as they appear in the game.

Outside the Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
6:10pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

Johnny takes his time walking around the Penhew Foundation building, noting all the entrances, all the windows, and any people that he can see.

The foundation is surrounded on three sides by roads, with a small tree-lined park against the other side. The six foot high iron railings completely enclose the building, and are only broken by the small front gate, and by a larger gated entrance into the loading area at the rear.

All of the first and second floor windows (ground and first floor to these Brits) are large rectangular French-style casements about ten feet high. None of the windows have been left open and most of the foundation is now unlit, although there are still one or two lights on in downstairs offices. The largest looking office has three windows, Johnny spots a tall fair haired man working inside who matches Elizabeth's description of Edward Gavigan.

Smaller windows at ground level along the sides of the building reveal the presence of a basement, these look to narrow to gain entry through and the rear most two on the right hand side of the building have been bricked over.

Other than the front door, most of the obvious entrances into the building are around the back: two doors lead inside from a cargo platform in the loading area, one is a wooden back door, probably a fire exit, and the other is a sliding metal goods entrance. There is also what looks like a coal chute built into the front of the cargo platform.

When Johnny passes by the rear of the foundation building the goods entrance is open - it appears to lead into an elevator, with another sliding metal door on the inside - several boxes are stacked inside the elevator. Five men are hanging around the loading area; the group is a mixture of people of Indian and Middle-Eastern ethnicity. They look shifty and watch all passers-by -- including Johnny -- suspiciously.

Johnny notices a handgun concealed inside the jacket of one of the Indians; he hastily continues walking past, turning into the park -- the thick fog works to Johnny's benefit now, as he is soon out of sight of the group of men.

From the park Johnny can see the final entrance to the Penhew Foundation, a short flight of stairs running along the side of the building from the loading area descend to a wooden door leading into the basement.

Arriving back around the front of the Penhew Foundation just after six o'clock Johnny sees that the doorman is no longer outside the front door. A few minutes later he emerges again, accompanied by the tall man and the last few office workers, all ladies, a second uniformed watchman is visible inside the entrance. The ladies wave goodbye while the tall man -- presumably Gavigan -- and the doorman lock up the front door and the gate. The doorman walks away north along Tottenham Court Road while the tall man heads south towards the city centre.

As Johnny prepares to follow Mr Gavigan he notices that the lorry that is turning down the side road alongside the Penhew Foundation is driven by another Middle-Eastern man -- through the fog Johnny can see it turn around the rear of the building, this truck must be what the shifty looking men were waiting for!

[OOC: I made an OOC post late last night that included Stetchup pictures of the building, that post is right above this one ]

Raiko wrote:OOC:
Here are four views of the Penhew Foundation Building. The model matched the floorplans in the book, rather than the painting that I used before (click on the thumbnails for a larger view).

You sir, have done a bang up job! This is really fantastic! That looks professional level to me. I should figure out how to do that for my own games.

Raiko wrote: Johnny Johnny spots a tall fair haired man working inside who matches Elizabeth's description of Edward Gavigan.

"Good evening Mr. Gavigan, I'll be your shadow this evening." Johnny thinks to himself as he watches the man working.

Raiko wrote: Smaller windows at ground level along the sides of the building reveal the presence of a basement, these look to narrow to gain entry through and the rear most two on the right hand side of the building have been bricked over.

Johnny looks sourly at the bricked up windows. He feels like their presence is some sort of affront. Like a woman teasing him by wearing a tight dress.

Raiko wrote: When Johnny passes by the rear of the foundation building the goods entrance is open - it appears to lead into an elevator, with another sliding metal door on the inside - several boxes are stacked inside the elevator. Five men are hanging around the loading area; the group is a mixture of people of Indian and Middle-Eastern ethnicity. They look shifty and watch all passers-by -- including Johnny -- suspiciously.

Johnny notices a handgun concealed inside the jacket of one of the Indians; he hastily continues walking past, turning into the park -- the thick fog works to Johnny's benefit now, as he is soon out of sight of the group of men.

Johnny keeps moving robotically. But his mind is elsewhere, swarthy men, lurking about... The fog is cold and for a moment Johnny imagines that he could just pass into it. Disappear forever from the world, which seems infested with something dark.
The feeling passes though and Johnny completes his rounds.

Raiko wrote:Arriving back around the front of the Penhew Foundation just after six o'clock...while the tall man heads south towards the city centre.

As Johnny prepares to follow Mr Gavigan he notices that the lorry that is turning down the side road alongside the Penhew Foundation is driven by another Middle-Eastern man -- through the fog Johnny can see it turn around the rear of the building, this truck must be what the shifty looking men were waiting for!

Johnny looks at the departing Mr. Gavigan's back. It looks like we'll have to dance another time Mr. Gavigan. I'm afraid someone else is demanding my attention tonight.

Johnny works to find a good view point, to observe the men without being spotted. Insofar as it's possible he'll try to note details about the man and the vehicle.

OOC
Are there a lot of taxis around, so that Johnny could get in one if he wanted to follow the van?

Johnny works his way around the building to get a good (and safe) view. When he get's around the back he sees that the truck driver is out of his cab talking to one of the Arabs. Johnny can't make out what they are saying, but it seems to be Arabic anyway.

The one of other Arabs and one of the two Indians work loading the crates into the back of the lorry.

Meanwhile the remaining two men seem to be standing watch, Johnny doesn't think they've spotted him.

[OOC: If the lorry leaves, Johnny could head back to Tottenham Court Road and easily hail a taxi. Hopefully the lorry won't get too far]

Johnny works to stay out of sight and unnoticed, while eying the distance from his spot to some place he could catch a cab.

I'm just watching some immigrant laborers. Hard working chaps like my grandfather come over to Amer... or the West anyway," Johnny corrects himself "to make a better life for themselves."

He fingers the heavy weight of his pistol in his pocket. "I'll follow you gentlemen, who are probably moving paperwork, or some boring old native art, to the dull warehouse, just to be sure."

"Maybe the british take their art, or whatever, very seriously. That's why you've got two men standing watch. Nothing unusual."
Johnny scowls blackly.

Outside the Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
6:20pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

The men finish loading the boxes into the truck, and close the tailgate..

Most of the men walk straight back into the Penhew Foundation building, through the goods entrance; one of the Arabs remains outside talking to the lorry driver for the moment, meanwhile one of the ‘sentries’ gets into the lorry’s cab on the passenger side.

It looks to Johnny like the lorry will be moving as soon as the driver finishes talking to his friend.

**********************

OOC:

Outside the Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
6:23pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

The driver and his friend talk for a few more minutes; although he knows that they are speaking in Arabic, Johnny tries to listen in, hoping to catch the occasional name of a person or a place in English.

The distance is too great though, try as he might Johnny can only overhear the odd word from the conversation, and none of them are English words.

After waiting patiently until now, the 'sentry' in the passenger seat of the lorry leans out of the window and shouts to the driver, again he speaks in Arabic, but Johnny is sure he hears the word "Gavigan."

The driver and his friend clap shoulders and go their separate ways, the driver climbing into his cab and starting the engine, and the other man walking into the Penhew Foundation building.

*********************************

OOC:

Johnny hobbles as quickly as he can down the street to try to hail a taxi. Wonderful Wong. That was very informative. Fortunately he is in luck.

Outside the Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
6:26pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

Luck is with Johnny tonight - not only does he quickly manage to hail a taxi, but the truck drives straight back out onto Tottenham Court Road after leaving the Penhew Foundation’s loading area. It passes Johnny’s taxi as he climbs inside, driving south along Tottenham Court Road towards the interchange with Oxford Street and Charing Cross Road.

Once Johnny is seated inside, the black-cab driver asks, "Where to gov?"

Johnny leans over to the driver. "Please follow that truck. I would appreciate it if you could keep some distance."

Limehouse - London Docklands
7:00pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

The truck heads east into the heart of London’s rough Eastend, eventually making it way towards the notorious dockland district of Limehouse.

Oddly Johnny doesn’t feel too out of place here, as Limehouse is the home of London’s small Chinatown.

The fog gets much thicker as the taxi follows towards the river, and the driver is forced to follow much more closely than Johnny would like, but the occupants of the truck don’t seem to have noticed yet.

At least a Chinese bumping about in a cab won't seem to out of place. Johnny thinks to himself as he eyes the area around him.

Seems like there was an importer we were looking into in NY. A connection would be too convenient... We haven't been that lucky so far.

Out of habit he scans the area behind his cab in the reflection of his obessively polished cigarrette case looking for any tails.

Near the waterfront - Limehouse, London
7:10pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925.

The truck finally stops outside a small warehouse in a particularly seedy area of Limehouse, about a hundred yards from the busy quays and wharfs of the River Thames.

The paint on the sign over the warehouse door has long since peeled off, leaving the building unidentifiable from outside.

Johnny glances around the neighbouring buildings, apart from another couple of warehouses all of the buildings hereabouts seem to be poorly disguised opium dens and brothels.

The driver of the truck the horn twice, then the truck waits outside the warehouse doors with it's engine idling.

Johnny quickly slips out of the cabbie, tipping hansomly, and tries to blends into the seedy background.

Piece of luck to have this kind of cover. No point in sitting around the telltop looking suspicious.

From his vantage point nearby Johnny sees four men (two Europeans, two Chinese) emerge from the warehouse and start helping to unload the boxes from the truck.

Johnny slips casually into the shadows between an opium den and cat house.

The smells and sounds return him to San Francisco again, but only partially, the days when he crusaded to stop crime seem far away now. Looking at the men across the street, he feels curiously numb about the vice around him.

The idea of humans falling to understandable, reasonable vices is oddly comforting to him.

Focus Wong. The whites complicate the picture. Are they checking the package for receipt? Why operate out of this neighborhood, if not for the fact that your neighbors mind their own business?

Johnny tries to get a closer look at the two new men.

OOC: ************************

Johnny takes a good look at the two Europeans as they help the three Chinese to unload the truck (the driver remains in the truck with the engine running). The white men appear to just be labourers, if anything they look less affluent than the Chinese men.

A fifth man appears from the warehouse, he is middle aged, quite well dressed, and looks to be Indian or possibly Pakistani in origin. The newcomer urges the workers to hurry up with the crates. Johnny notices a revolver tucked in this man’s trousers, partially concealed beneath his jacket.

He’s actively looking around, probably for cops.

Johnny leans against the opium den, trying to stay in the shadows and affect an air of a disconnected addict.

The Indian man with the gun doesn’t appear to even notice Johnny. The other men take a few minutes to unload several boxes, and then the lorry prepares to drive away again. The second guy from outside the Penhew Foundation gets back into the passenger seat, and the driver shifts into gear.

As far as Johnny can tell, all of the boxes that were loaded into the lorry at the Penhew Foundation have been unloaded at the warehouse.

The warehouse workers, including the ‘gunman’ go back inside and start closing the main warehouse doors.

Johnny considers. The warehouse isn't going anywhere. And for all I know the Foundation could simply be conserving camital by using this place for storage.

That's why the Indian fellow is wandering around showing off his iron.

Definitely not part of some kind of continent spanning criminal organization.

Since I'm here, no harm in taking a closer look....

Johnny sidles up closer to the warehouse trying to be a conservative as possible in his approach.

The lorry drives away as Johnny steps out of the shadows, the warehouse workers are all back inside now, and the main warehouse door is closed.

************************************************

OOC:

OOC: Johnny is being deliberately general. He doesn't really know what these people are doing, even if it's shady his options are limited. He wants to be thorough, have a good look around but isn't actually that inquistive...
Even if the boxes are filled with illegal goods he's not sure what he'd be able to do about that.
(this is something he may very much regret later -- but that's life -- he's still thinking in "criminal organization" terms)

He'll get close to the building, note any details (ownership, etc), make a quick circuit of the building, lurk around a bit more and probably either follow the Indian with a gun (if he heads off somewhere) or leave.

He's keenly aware that this isn't a neighborhood that would be shocked by the appearance of a body.

Of course if he notices that the members of the Carlyle Expedition are all hanging out inside with Alistair Crowley and a team of armed bolshivicks he may become more interested.
Who knows? The night is still young (unless it's late and the rest of the group is waiting for me... then Johnny gets inexplicably bored and heads back to the hotel0

The warehouse is built from brown bricks, stained darker by Limehouse’s smoggy air. The front door (used to unload the truck) is large; there is also a small side entrance down an alleyway between the warehouse and an adjacent building. There are large windows on the front wall, to either side of the goods door, but they are high up (seven feet above the pavement) and appear to be very dirty. The sign over the door is more readable from closer up, Johnny is fairly sure that it reads, “Chabout Storage.”

As Johnny considers whether to check the side door out more closely, he notices that a man is stood in the shadows close to the door smoking a cigarette. It’s too dark down the alleyway for Johnny to see any details of the man, but there seems little reason that anyone would stand alone down there, except to act as a sentry.

He decides to walk around the warehouse in the opposite direction instead, and finds that another two men stand watch over a back door. It is better lit around the back than down the alleyway and Johnny can see that both these men are Chinese. The two men are chatting quietly, and one of them is smoking.

Johnny strains to hear what they are saying.

OOC:

Chinese? Johnny is momentarily surprised. Ah, that's probably because I'm in the local Chinatown.

The detective finds that it's surprisingly easy for him to pick out what they're saying.

OOC:

The two men are speaking in Cantonese, Johnny listens to their conversation for a few minutes. Mostly they just make small talk, but Johnny does learn that “Punji” wants them to remain outside on watch until “sailors from the Ivory Wind come to collect that shipment that just arrived.”

They aren’t happy because, “it’s freezing” and “who really cares about smuggled art anyway? There’s worse stuff than that stored inside.”

Eventually one of them says, “Ok, I'm going to walk around make sure no one's snooping,” he laughs, “I just want to warm up my cold feet really!”

“Yeah me too, I’ll walk with you.”

**************************

GREEN = Cantonese

OOC:

Luckily for Johnny the guards start their tour of warehouse by moving away from him.

Worse than art? What? Children singing Christmas Carols?

Johnny eyes the entryway of the warehouse. Once the guards move out of sight it will be unobserved, and they don't seem too serious about their security; maybe they'll have left a door open?

As the guards round the corner of the building and out of sight he makes his decision, slipping up to the back door.*

Hopefully they'll have left it unlocked, if not, I can pick it. Hopefully this Punji isn't the sort to spontaneously check up on his guards; if he is this could get messy fast.
Johnny remembers the Indian's gun in his belt and frowns. Isn't this country supposed to be so safe the beat cops don't even carry guns?


OOC:

OOC

Edging the warehouse door open carefully, Johnny takes a look inside. The interior of the building is about half full - from where Johnny is looking, the left hand half of the room is piled high with boxes and crates, while there are only a few scattered items to the right.

Across the floor (on the right hand side) Johnny can see a small office; the Indian man and one of the others are chatting in there, nobody else is visible from here.

Johnny thinks that he can make it into the crowded half of the warehouse easily without being spotted by the guys in the office, but obviously there is at least one other man unaccounted for. He’s also fairly sure that he’ll be able to recognise the boxes from the Penhew Foundation if he comes across them.

Suck it up Wong. You wanted to man a desk you could have stayed in San Fran.

Johnny slips over to the left. Holding his cane in it's middle he tries to maneuver himself into low risk spot, take a moment to see if he can see (or hear) the "missing man" before finding the boxes from the Penhew Foundation.

Limehouse District - London - A Seedy Warehouse

Peering in through the doorway Johnny spots the other man, he’s leaning against the wall close to the office smoking a cigarette. He isn’t looking this way so it should be safe to sneak in.

Move Wong! move!
Johnny slips inside heading toward the area with the boxes.

Limehouse, London - Inside the Seedy Warehouse

Johnny dashes from the door to conceal himself amongst the piles of wooden crates.

Now, crouching with his back to the nearest crates, Johnny strains to hear any indication that the men are alerted to his presence - he made too much noise entering the building and he knew it.

At first the only sound that he can hear is that of his own heartbeat, but finally he hears a quiet cough from the smoking man, it sounded like it came from his original position. Peering cautiously around the crates Johnny sees the man still stood casually smoking, seemingly oblivious to Johnny’s presence. The other two men are still talking in the office, but they’re too far away for Johnny to hear what they’re saying.

Looking at the crates nearby Johnny doesn’t recognise any of them as the ones from the Penhew Foundation, but that’s not surprising, they are probably closer to the far door at the opposite end of the warehouse.

Some of the crates and boxes nearby look like they would be easy to take a look inside, but most are firmly nailed shut.

OOC:

Johnny tries to ignore the sweat tricking down his sides as he takes deep breaths.

The crates in front of him are tantilizingly close, but Penhew crates first, don't know how long they'll be here. Unless one of these crates isn't sealed...

Johnny tests a few, just using his hands, to see if anything around him is loose or open. If not he heads slowly toward where it looks like the Penhew Crates were dropped off.

Inside the Seedy Warehouse - Limehouse, London
7:40pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

Testing the lids of a few nearby crates Johnny finds one that isn't secure. Lifting it quietly he takes a look inside.

Initially there appears to be nothing untoward, the crate is packed with straw to prevent any damage to the fine vases that it contains. However as Johnny checks deeper inside the crate he finds other objects concealed under the straw - two Lewis guns.



Lewis Gun

A genuine criminal organization. Johnny is oddly relieved. Good thing Timour's not here, he'd probably insist on trying take them with us.

Actually that's not a terrible...

Johnny considers his leg, the size of the gun, and the armed men in the building for a moment. Then he carefully and quietly repacks the straw and vases on top of the guns and closes the box.

Now to find out what they were bringing from the Penhew Foundation and get out of here.

A seedy warehouse - Limehouse, London
7:45pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

Johnny locates the three boxes from the Penhew Foundation, they are right at the end of the front row of crates about ten feet away from the front doors. Nobody seems to be around this part of warehouse at the moment.

Looking closely at the boxes Johnny sees that most of the crates are well secured, but the lid of the biggest crate looks loose. It should be safe to look inside, providing nobody wanders to this end of the warehouse.

All of the Penhew Foundation crates are marked up with the following, in both English and Vernacular Chinese:

Ho Fong Imports
15 Kaoyang Road
Shanghai
China

OOC:

First Hong Kong, now Shanghai?
Shouldn't be guns, who'd bother to ship them from England to China via the Penhew Foundation. If so then what...

Johnny carefully eases up the lid of the largest crate to take a look inside.

Maybe his luck will hold.

The inside of the crate is full of carefully packed mechanical and electrical components, the likes of which Johnny (in his limited experience) has never seen before.

He guesses that they are intended for some sort of wireless or possibly a high tech engine. Even the alloys that the devices are constructed from are different than anything that Johnny has ever seen before.

They certainly aren’t art objects, but this is definitely one of the crates from the Penhew Foundation.

Johnny spends a long moment peering inside the darkened crate.
Gears spin, each one unconnected to each other.

Fumbling around in the dark.

The detective settles for irony and escape. He picks up a piece of electronics, and a piece of the weird alloy and he returns the crate to the way that it was before he arrived.

His pockets heavy with pilfered who-knows-what he slips back to the recesses of the warehouse to work out his escape path.

Questions bubble up in his mind, some more relivent than others.
Is the smoker still outside the office?
What about the two guards doing the rounds?
Is it going to be easier to slip out unnoticed now, or when another shipment arrives?
Why couldn't they be smuggling drugs like normal criminals?

A seedy warehouse - Limehouse, London
7:50pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

Having pocketed the items, Johnny refits the lid on the crate and is about to leave when he overhears voices outside the front of the warehouse. The front door starts to open. Could this be the men coming for the Penhew Foundation crates?

If he moves quickly, he should be able to take cover close by.

Johnny tries to get to cover nearby.

Inside Punji’s Seedy Warehouse - Limehouse, London
7:50pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

No sooner has Johnny ducked into the shadows behind some crates, than the warehouse doors creak open and a large group of people walk in.

One of them is the man who was smoking down the alleyway, he’s accompanied by eight others - a surly looking lot, made up of a mixture of whites and Chinese - Johnny guesses that these are the sailors from the Ivory Wind.

The Indian man Punji emerges from his office and directs the men to the Penhew Foundation crates. They begin lifting the wooden boxes between them, only yards away from where Johnny is hidden.

Johnny didn’t hear a truck, so their ship is probably close by.

OOC:

Johnny stays very very still and looks closely at the men.

Dropped off and out in less than an hour. Johnny feels the pieces in his pocket. Stroke of luck, they don't look like their checking the boxes. Hopefully they won't notice they're missing anything for a while.

If they're just here for these boxes then they should be valuable to this syndicate.... If they're storing guns here then maybe this stuff is for some kind of fancy guns?

Johnny eyes the pick-up process, seeing if it gives him any chance to slip away. With these valuable goods gone maybe Punji will send some of his security force away.

The sailors leave the warehouse carrying all of the crates from the Penhew Foundation, and nothing else.

The front door is left open for the time being when they go, all of Punji’s men head into his small office with him.

I've pushed my luck enough tonight.

Johnny tries to slip out the front door and blend into the streets of the Limehouse.

OOC

OOC:

OOC

Johnny slips silently out of the warehouse, there doesn’t seem to be anyone around at the moment to notice him. The foggy street outside is virtually deserted. It slopes gently downhill towards the docks, and uphill towards the more built up ‘centre’ of Limehouse that Johnny passed though in the taxi earlier.

OOC:

Johnny mops his brow with a handkercheif.
Reflexively he slips down a side alley, lurking in the shadows to see if anyones following him.
The boat, the detective thinks to himself. It's nearby....
No. I'm not crawling on anything that floats this late at night. with no backup.

Having confirmed to himself that he's not being followed the Chinese man takes a zig zagging route through back alleys and side streets trusting on his instincts, honed in his days walking the beat in San Fransisco, and unassuming appearance to stay out of trouble.

The familiar (or at least similar) sights and sounds help him focus. Push the puzzle pieces around in his mind. Nothing sticks.

He heads for the main area; but his nose diverts him a block.

He fumbles with strangely shaped and colored money as he pays for a bag of hot rolls filled with sweetened pork. Stuffing the money back in his pocket his hand brushes one of the mechanical dinguses he purloined from the foundation.

Johnny scowls blackly. You make perfectly good money running drugs and women. No need to add anything fancy to it... He feels a vague sense of offense at the Penhew Foundation's involvement in it all; much as he would expect Penhew himself would feel. Provided the fellow was actually dead and not faking it and bound up in the whole unsavory affair.

A few minutes later he breaks out of the tight alleys into the main area. A large bus rolls by. Not a trolley car, but good enough.

Johnny heads back to th hotel.

OOC:

OOC Responce
(try as I may I couldn't get the thing to post into the spoiler block properly)

OOC: