Mon Sep 4 - Thomas Street

[Gaffer]

[OOC - I'm not going to conceal this from Franky.]

Marlene Hirt answers the bell and greets you warmly, leading the way to the living room. A smell of fresh-brewed coffee permeates the apartment. Delores notes that Marlene's lounging suit, with its halter top and flare-legged pants is very modish, and probably cost as much as she makes in a week. Must be nice.

“Thank you so much for coming to see me. I am very grateful for your interest in my brother.I feel that I have hardly slept since we last met.”

The living room is nicely furnished with a sofa and armchairs, a couple of brass lamps on end-tables, and a big radio cabinet playing softly. There are two tall bookshelves along one wall, a small number of books carelessly stacked or fallen over. A picture frame lies face-down on one of the shelves.

A thick, new rug is underfoot. There is no sign of a dog.

“Please, make yourselves comfortable. I have coffee ready in the kitchen. Langdon, will you help me?”

Langdon smiles and follows her to the kitchen. Dex and Delores are alone in the living room.

[FrankyEsposito]

Franky,[color=#FF4000][You can make a one-point Evidence Collection spend.][/color]

Hmmm,I want to follow this guy, but I can't in good conscience leave those three alone to interview "Miss Hirt." I get the best look at him I can, copy down the plate number, and head back to the apartment. [i][b]OOC:[/b] I'll skip the spend.[/i]

[Langdon]

I'm probably the only one here who isn't nervous, I chuckle to myself. I do keep an eye on Miss Hirt, in case she tries slipping something in the coffee. Not because I'm paranoid, but because the others are.

[Delores Brown]

Delores looks questioningly at Dex. She nods at the kitchen door, indicating that he should keep watch, and steps smartly over to the bookshelves and lifts the picture frame to see who picture lies within.

[Gaffer]

Langdon,On the kitchen table is a silver coffee service on a silver tray and a small plate of pastries on another with napkins and forks. Marlene turns and speaks softly to you. [color=#0000BF]“Ah, Langdon, I have thought about you so much. This morning I tried to call you, but your man said that you were out. I know the most marvelous place that has dancing on Wednesdays. It’s in Brooklyn, a former church of all things! Wonderfully proletarian. Let's go this week.”[/color] She smiles and kisses you lightly on the cheek, a cloud of perfume enveloping you. She hands you the coffee tray and takes the pastry tray back to the living room.

Delores,There are two photos in the picture frame, a man and a woman. [attachment=1]2 Alphonse_Hirt.jpg[/attachment][attachment=0]3 Dorothy_Mandeville.jpg[/attachment]

Franky,As you come back down the alley, you see a dilapidated truck idling noisily in the street between Ford's and Vilas's cars. Two large, swarthy men are struggling to unload a rather decrepit-looking icebox. A small swarthy man is arguing with a guy in front of [b]Trilby's Hat[/b]. It would be a pity if they scratched Ford's car. You chuckle as you turn up the walk toward the building.

[Langdon]

The others would easily be able to see the flush on my face no matter what I tried to do to hide it. That and the fact that I nearly dropped the coffee on my way out makes it clear that I may not be playing at being "dizzy over the dame."

[Dexter Ford]

Dex just nods and slides the pistol into his jacket pocket, rather than in his shoulder holster. He stands near Delores and whispers. "She is the one right, the wrong Miss Hirt? And moreover, she seems all too calm here. Like she was expecting us."

[FrankyEsposito]

Franky,I'll head straight back into the building and get Myron to take me up in the elevator. I tell him not to announce me. I'm sure, having already seen my badge, that he won't give me [i]any[/i] problems...

[Gaffer]

Dex,In fairness, she [u]was[/u] expecting you to call this afternoon.

Franky,Myron looks at you as you come in, a bit startled. [color=#0000BF]"I thought you used the stairs, detective.[/color]" He crosses to the elevator and takes you up.

Delores is still holding the picture frame when the kitchen door screeches a bit and Miss Hirt and Langdon return to the living room. Langdon sets a silver tray and coffee service on the table and she puts a tray with a plate of pastries beside it. She begins to serve coffee and pastries all around.

The door buzzes and Miss Hirt admits Esposito to the soireé. "I am so glad you could join us, officer." When everyone is served, Miss Hirt finally sits down, leaving her coffee untouched. Suddenly serious, she looks at each of you.

“Now, tell me, what have you learned? I cannot bear this not knowing. My greatest fear is that my brother may be mad, that he might harm himself, perhaps even others. Our father... Well, all that is long past. But the things Alphonse thinks about, the things he says, a cult of devil-worshippers in Brooklyn who fly to the moon? It cannot be true. It cannot, can it?”

Franky,The coffee is strong and sweet and reminds you of something. You take a bite of the pastry and it hits you. It’s like that Turkish place in Brooklyn that Vinnie used to drag you too all the time. The place in Red Hook.

[FrankyEsposito]

"Very interesting coffee, Miss Hirt. Is it French?"
[OOC - I'm striking this comment for continuity. Perhaps Franky can fit it in after Marlene straightens out Dex and Langdon.]

[Langdon]

Sternly, "Yes. Tell us about the devil-worshippers, Detective, Dolores. I remember you found some books." I smile at Miss Hirt, making sure she knows I don't believe any of this hooie about cults and hoodoo worship and moon-travel and... "I never got round to reading any of that. You'll have to fill me in as well."

[Dexter Ford]

Dex, standing near Delores as she looks at the pics, nods his head. "I am betting those two are the ones who really are at the center of things."

When Langdon returns with the false Miss Hirt, Dex listens to Landon's good cop routine and just stares for a moment. He shakes his head subtly, and looks at Miss Hirt. "Miss Hirt, I think perhaps you might want to tell us some of the truth you have been holding back. Or deliberately lying to us about." Dex stands and places his hand in his coat pocket, gripping the revolver. "Langdon, I know you are sweet on the girl, but she has been playing all of us, including Delores, as saps. Haven't you Miss Hirt?"

[Langdon]

"Now see here Mr. Ford" formality makes me sound angrier, right? "I'm certain Miss Hirt hasn't been lying to us. Why would she lie? She wants to find her brother!" and now I offer her a nice way out, let her think she's got a friend and a reason to come clean "Maybe she held back some minor detail, but haven't we been doing the same?" I nod knowingly at Dex, hoping he'll catch my drift and maybe offer a little tit-for-tat as bait.

[Gaffer]

Marlene looks from Ford to Langdon and back again. Her eyes flash in anger and she fairly hisses as she rises to her feet. "You will not speak to me in this manner," she says to Dex, biting off each word, "I have paid you to do a job. If you have any information for me, say it now. Then our business is at an end."

[FrankyEsposito]

I scowl at Dex and shake my head. Not a natural at being the bad cop?

"Miss Hirt, I apologize for Mr. Ford. He can be a bit gruff at times. I give her my best "trust me, I'm a cop" smile. "Before I give you any details on your brother, do you think I could see some identification? Just a formatlity, you know. Police procedure."

[Langdon]

OOC,Langdon will do his best to follow after Miss Hirt, try to calm her down, to stay on her good side, or get back on it if she seems to think Langdon had anything to do with the sudden verbal assault

[Dexter Ford]

Dex was about to jump back into the fray when Esposito comes up with the plausible suggestion of seeing some ID.

Dex's hand remains in his jacket. While he doesn't have tons of experience playing the bad guy, he does have some experience busting mobsters and rum runners. She may not be one of them, but she does have some questions to answer...

[Gaffer]

Marlene fairly leaps to her feet, throwing off Langdon's comforting hand, her eyes flashing fire at Esposito.

"So. When I give you money, you don't care who I am. but now, when you are to give me the information I have paid for, now you want identification!" She fairly spits the word at the policeman. "Your sergeant, when he assigned you this case, he was satisfied with who I am, perhaps I should call him -- or your captain! I am not without influence in this city!"

Then suddenly she slumps back down on the sofa, leaning against Langdon's shoulder. Her eyes fill with tears and her voice deflates.

"I just want to find my brother... or know what has become of him."

She turns toward Delores her hand out, beseeching, "Please. You are a woman. You know what it is to feel. Make them tell me what they know."

Eyes closed, her head droops. "[sub]I just want to know. Please...[/sub]"

[Assess Honesty rolls, I think, with any spends you want to make.]

[FrankyEsposito]

I try not to sound miffed. "I'm paid by the great City of New York, ma'am. And I wouldn't be doing my job if I gave out information to just anyone, now would I?" She's going to call my captain? How much lower does she think one cop can sink?

[Langdon]

[Sadly I left my USB jobber with my character sheet elsewhere. I'd like to spend 2 points Assess Honesty on the test. If I don't have the 2 to spend, just take the 4 I rolled. http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2490756/ Rolled a 4 +2 = 6]