Play@YSDC

Timour grins at Elizabeth, and replies simply, "Fascinating, really. The ol' chap paints these pictures...gruesome ones....we read an article about it in the Scoop." Timour leans into Caroline and Elizabeth and lowers his voice, "The article stated his words....something about...he's in contact with these other dimensions...with these powerful beings...and his art is just his version of what he's seen."

Timour rubs his chin a bit, "I thought it sounded fascinating....but of course I had to find out what the ol' guy was like. Found out where he lived. But naturally I didn't want to knock on the door without knowing what to expect. If he were dangerous....you know? Apparently he's harmless...according to Mickey at the Scoop anyways."

As Timour finishes explaining the painter, his weird subject matter and absurd claims Johnny starts to gather his hat and coat.

" 'Fascinating'? Hmm." Elizabeth is less than convinced that disturbing paintings by a disturbed man are of any particular interest. "I don't know, that doesn't seem particularly appealing, but if you think it's worth investigating ... What do you think, Caroline? Shall we go see these paintings or stay here and enjoy the ammenities of the Ritz?"

"Oh, I don't know, dear," Caroline says. "Sometimes the ravings of the mad do carry a particular insight. I'm not sure, though, what this could possibly have to do with our problem--unless, of course, Timour thinks this man truly *is* in touch with 'other dimensions'?" She could believe psychotic madmen were after them easily enough, but to believe that what they themselves believed ... well, that was beyond credulity. "I don't think any of us should go out alone, though," she adds hastily, lest it seem like she was consigning Timour to a suicide run.

Timour shuffles his feet nervously and scratches his head. Why can't they see how fascinating this was? A man that claimed to be in contact with otherworldly beasts? Oh....where was Andrei and Maks? Surely they'd be into running after some half crazed lunatic....and clearly it wasn't the dames' cup of tea....

"Well, don't worry your pretty heads about it. Perhaps its a job for a couple of us blokes, huh?" He gives Johnny a wink and a jab to his arm, much to his chagrin, and grins at the ladies.

"We can always discuss this over dinner, after all. We should all retire to the dining room. I'm famished, myself."

"Now there's an idea I can fully endore," Caroline says, smiling.

Timour begins to walk away to retire to his room to change for supper, but turns in an afterthought.

"I never mentioned it....but I found it interesting that Jackson himself had been interested in these paintings as well. He'd been down at the Scoop looking up a few articles that the bloke, Mickey'd shown us. Jackson had taken an interest in the paintings....seen them as an important clue. I don't know what we'll find down there, but we'll at least get closer to what Jackson was trying to uncover."

Timour looks over at Johnny to gauge his response. He was certain that Johnny was just strangely intimidated by these otherworldly encounters....but still....the both of them had heard these details...why was he so quiet?

Timour turns to see Johnny at the door, hat and coat in hand. He smiles a slightly grim smile. "I should be back by morning. I hope you have a fruitful evening."

He nods to Miss Downing and disappears into the bowels of the hotel.

"Oh, all right, Timour," Caroline says. "I can see that you're fixated on this idea. Going with you would be the least I could do for my new 'brother-in-law.'" She pats his hand.

Johnny's trip to the Penhew Foundation is detailed in a separate thread.

The Ritz Hotel - 150 Piccadilly, London
6:35pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

Timour, Elizabeth and Caroline enjoy an excellent evening meal in the Ritz Hotel Restaurant, then get ready to head out into London again. The heavy rush hour traffic has mostly died away now, unfortunately the fog hasn't.

[OOC: If you don't want to take the Bentley, it's less than a mile to Miles Shipley's house on Holbein Mews, so it's probably easier to walk than take the tube.]

Upon stepping outside, Elizabeth shivers and pulls her coat more tightly closed. "Well, Timour, now you have a chance to show us this car you've been so excited about." She turns to include Caroline as well, "and perhaps after we see these paintings we can go out on the town and try to enjoy ourselves. What was it Johnny said? 'Ostentatiously spend money'? I think we can manage that." She grins, but the usual sparkle is missing from her eyes.

"Don't worry, doll, I'm right here beside ya." Timour senses Elizabeth's forced good mood, and catches her around the waist on the way to the car.

He motions to the Bentley when they near, and quickly opens the doors for Elizabeth and Caroline, before swinging round to the trunk to ensure a few important things are still present in the trunk.

He slips into the front seat, the engine roars to life, and he quickly starts off towards the painters home, following the directions Mickey gave him.

Outside Miles Shipley's House - No.6 Holbein Mews, London
6:45pm, Wednesday 28th January, 1925

The drive to Holbien Mews only takes a couple of minutes, traffic is much lighter now so there is little to slow down Timour's Bentley - apart from unfamiliarity with driving on the left side of the road.

The houses along Holbien Mews are rather dilapidated looking two storey terraces, indeed numbers four and eight adjacent to Miles Shipley's house at number six are both boarded up and abandoned. Several of the streetlights along the Mews are not working, but the one right outside number five (across the street from the Shipley residence) is - illuminating the fog below it an eerie yellow.

The street is quiet. As Timour parks the car there is nobody else in sight, although visibility is less than a hundred feet anyway.

The curtains of number six are all tightly closed, but the lights are on inside.

"This is seeming like a worse idea by the minute," Caroline says as she looks around, her initial reluctance resurfacing.

Timour leans forward across the steering column to look at the house from the outside.

He turns in his seat to face Beth and Caroline, and gives them a nervous grin.

"Perhaps I'll knock on the door first....you know.....just to....find out what kind of feller this guy really is. You two should wait here for a moment or two. I'll wave to you if it's a go, alright?"

"Well ... all right, but don't do anything rash ... or any more rash, I mean," Caroline says, then glances at Beth for confirmation.

Elizabeth nods. "Yes, and we will keep an eye on the street." She glances around, nervously and subconsciously demonstrating her point.

Timour hops out of the car and swings the door shut, putting a self conscious hand on his pistol momentarily.

He exhales slowly and walks over to the door, rapping on it three times.

Outside Miles Shipley's House - No.6 Holbein Mews, London
6:47pm, Wednesday 28th January, 1925

Nobody answers Timour's knocking for a minute or two, eventually however the door is opened halfway by an old lady - Timour estimates that she is in her seventies.

The lady is dressed in a yellow frock and a brown woollen cardigan, and is holding some knitting in her left hand. Peering cautiously around the door onto the street she looks surprised to see the young Russian stood on her doorstep.

"Hello?"

"Evenin' to ya" Timour tips his hat and smiles. "Name's Maks. I'm a fan of your son's paintings. Is he home?"