Saturday Sept 2 afternoon

[Langdon]

<seems like we want to find out more info about our client, about the real Marlene Hirt, and about Red Hook. How do we propose to do that?>

[Dexter Ford]

<seems like we want to find out more info about our client, about the real Marlene Hirt, and about Red Hook. How do we propose to do that?>

<I was waiting for some of the others to reply. I noticed the stoppage as well but figured people had gotten busy. There might be a couple of approaches to do: follow Miss Hirt, dig directly into Red Hook, and/or read the books Dex has, some one go to newspaper morgue to track down more of what happened, but I kinda feel we are overlooking an approach that doesn't directly involve wandering around the entire Red Hook district looking for our missing Mr. Hirt>

[Gaffer]

<I think everyone has touched on all that you learned, but there may be some benefit to providing a bit more detail to the others on a couple of topics.>

[Delores Brown]

"Since we seem to be convinced that your client is not who she claims, how about we try tracking down the real Marlene Hirt?"

"I can make some discrete enquiries," replies Delores, stirring the coffee in front of her. "Perhaps I could tell her it's story I've heard and following up?"

OOC,Sorry for the delay - busy week, last week :(

[Dexter Ford]

"Well I am going to take these books and go through them over the rest of the weekend, unless someone else wants to dig into one of them. But if you have a better idea for my time, I am more the willing to take a look into whatever you want? Hell, if we knew where the fake Miss Hirt was staying, I'd be willing to put a few questions to her more directly. But I have a feeling we are going to have to wait for her to contact me. Reminding me of which, pardon me for a moment?"

Dex walks over to the pay phone at the back of the deli, in the hallway leading to the restrooms, and puts a nickel into the slot. He dials up the office, hoping Joe is in, or the secretary they have, checking to see if there are any messages waiting or if Joe has dug up anything.

[Gaffer]

Private Dexter Ford,[color=#0000BF]"Good afternoon, Ford and Morton Detective Agency. How may I help you?"[/color] Mrs. Reynolds voice is pleasant but efficient, [color=#0000BF]"Oh, Mr. Ford, it's you. No, Mr. Morton's not in, he had that meeting this morning with EverValue Credit Agency, about that contract? He said to tell you he'd get to your matter this afternoon, before he goes to see Attorney Dent. No, no messages for you this morning, I'm afraid."[/color]

[FrankyEsposito]

"I'm pretty sure I can track down the real Marlene Hirt. Assuming she still lives in the city, of course."

While I'm waiting for Dex to return I ponder how much to tell them about the Suydam case. Damn it all, why did Zann dump this thing on me? It's bad enough I have to go dredging up old memories -- another shudder -- but does he really mean for me to drag these unsuspecting people into something like that?

[Dexter Ford]

Dex thanks his secretary and comes back to the table, rolling a quarter between his fingers.

"No news from the office, I guess, is good news. So where were we? Ah Mr. Hirt and the mysterious not Miss Hirt. I am betting some of the answers we are looking for regarding Hirt's disappearance are in these here books." He pats the top of them. "Unless someone knows why this mysterious section of Brooklyn is so mysterious? I mean other than the mention that something odd took place there a while back, what the heck would some cult be doing in that section of the town? And why would Hirt be involved in it other than morbid curiousity?"

[FrankyEsposito]

There's just no way to get around this. This is on your head, Zann.

"About Red Hook." I look around and make sure that nobody is paying too much attention to us. "I know a thing or two. I was involved -- only peripherally -- in the original case."

I give them a second. I'm hoping all the while that they'll just wave me off, that it's not important, that it's not happening again. No such luck.

"I spent all day today reading the case file. What do you want to know?"

[Delores Brown]

"Why not start at the beginning?" replies Delores, "And don't leave anything out." From her handbag she pulls out a notebook and a pencil. She flips the notebook open to a new page and sits ready, pencilled poised, to take notes.

[Dexter Ford]

Dex nods at Delores' comment and pulls out his own notebook and a pencil. Then on second thought, he pulls out a second pencil if necessary.

[FrankyEsposito]

I take my good sweet time getting started. Do they have any idea what they're asking for? They can't know how hard this is for me. How in hell am I going to do this sober? Well, mostly sober. Start from the beginning, she says? Easy for her to say. I'm not sure I even know where or when that is.

"I was working a missing persons case when it all went down. I was a detective -- just barely had my shield -- out of the 76th in Brooklyn. Little girl was missing in Red Hook. She wasn't the only missing kid. Nobody was talking. Red Hook's like that."

I wipe the sweat off my forehead and look for the waiter. I ask him to bring me a Coca Cola. I get out my notebook.

"There was another case, a big one. Detective in charge was Thomas Malone -- the one I sent a telegram to earlier. He was investigating a Robert Suydam, a rich nutcase with a mansion in Flatbush and a basement flat in Red Hook. The subject was spending all his time and all his money buying crazy books like those. And, let's see 'studying the folklore, songs, and culture' of the Kurdish immigrants. Lot of them in that area.

"That's how Malone got involved. Suydam's relatives thought he was cuckoo, tried to have him locked up. Once Malone started digging around he found that Suydam's friends -- his new friends, not his old society crew -- were smugglers, gangsters, the worst of the worst. I imagine Dex put a few of 'em behind bars.

"They used to meet at this old decrepit church on Pioneer street, all the gangs. The place was used as a dance hall, too. Wasn't much the police could do until we got a report that one of the missing children was seen in the church. There was a raid on the church. Suydam's apartment, too. The girl never did turn up but we did find a whole bunch of occult mumbo-jumbo.

"Don't know if it was just a coincidence or not, but Suydam cleaned himself up after that. Started taking notice of his personal appearance. Started acting almost normal. Stopped hanging out in Red Hook and with his gangster pals. Next thing you know -- BAM -- he's engaged to some society dame. Gerritsen, G-E-R-R-I-T-S-E-N. Cornelia. The two were married in June and left on a Cunard liner for their honeymoon."

Now comes the good part. I motion for the waiter to bring me another Coca Cola, wishing he had something a little stronger to spice it up with.

What was it that Vinny always said, "No way but forward?" Yeah, I think that was it.

"Miss Brown, I apologize for the nature of the rest of this discussion, but the facts aren't pretty. The two of the were found dead, and I'm quoting here 'as if they'd been torn apart by a ferocious beast.' In their locked stateroom. And then it gets weird: a tramp steamer pulls alongside, demanding his body. He'd given them some papers authorizing -- begging for them to allow -- the transfer."

Getting a little too close to home, Franky. Almost done.

"At the same time, back in Red Hook, there was another raid. This is the one that everyone remembers, when the bunch of buildings in Parker Place collapsed. I wasn't in on the raid, but I worked crowd control after it. Malone was in the basement of one of the buildings; he nearly died. Next to him there was a body that was badly damaged to recognize. They couldn't identify it until later, after checking the dental records."

Now I really need a drink.

"It was Robert Suydam."

[Gaffer]

Private Dexter Ford,[quote][color=#0000BF]"Red Hook...Thomas Malone...Robert Suydam...smugglers, gangsters...bunch of buildings in Parker Place collapsed..."[/color] You remember something about that. You weren't involved in the case, but there were a couple of Prohibition agents killed in the collapse. No one you knew personally. They were investigating the smuggling aspects.[/quote]

Private Langdon Vilas,[quote][color=#0000BF]"Robert Suydam...mansion in Flatbush...engaged to Cornelia Gerritsen...married in June and left on a Cunard liner for their honeymoon...both of them found dead..."[/color] You recall hearing about it while in college. Possibly your family had some connection to the Suydam's; Cornelia Gerritsen was almost certainly some sort of cousin on your mother's side.[/quote]

[Langdon]

<I think everyone has touched on all that you learned, but there may be some benefit to providing a bit more detail to the others on a couple of topics.>

<I thought I pretty much rehashed everything I had learned - is there something important I'm missing?>

"Gerritsen you say?" I tilt my head and look off at a corner of the deli, mumbling to myself "Gerritsen, Gerritsen... OH!" I snap back to the group.

"Gerritsen! Cornelia Gerritsen was <ed.> a relation of mine, albeit not that close. But I'm sure I could ring her brother, Lewis <ed.> up and chat with him <ed.>. Anything we'd need to find out from her in particular?"

<edited because Cornelia was killed ten years ago. >

[Delores Brown]

Delores' face goes pale as Franky recounts his story. She folds her knife and fork across her salad and pushes her plate away.

"Did they find out where the tramp steamer came from?" she asks quietly. "Could that be a clue?" She pauses and shudders, "Although why the whereabouts of two mutilated bodies should be a clue is beyond me..."

[Dexter Ford]

Dex looks up tapping his pencil for a moment once everyone is done.

"I do remember some Prohibition agents involved in the whole thing. And it does help fill in some blanks, but I am not quite sure I understand what Mr. Hirt or the mysterious Miss Hirt have to do with the whole thing. Unless Miss Hirt is a member of this cult and Mr Hirt is digging into what happened. But the question would be why? Unless he discovered some sort of truth behind this cult. Still...I am not sure all that information helps us understand what we should do next."

[Delores Brown]

"Perhaps we should stick to what we know," says Delores, "Namely that Miss Hirt and Miss Hirt aren't one and the same. I suggest we talk to the real Miss Hirt and find out what she knows about her brother's disappearance."

[FrankyEsposito]

"I agree with Miss Brown. All this 'cult' mumbo jumbo is beyond me. All I really know -- or want to know -- about this whole Red Hook think is that Alphonse Hirt was looking into it."

[Dexter Ford]

Well I am more the willing to stake out Hirt's building and see if I can find what happened to the false Miss Hirt. Do some more digging in the neighborhood if anyone has seen her. Heck, it will give me some time to read one of these books while on the stake out. That and some hot joe, I should be able to case the place tonight. However, I am still tempted to try to get into Mr. Hirt's apartment itself and see if anything appears missing. That is if it wouldn't bother anyone too greatly...

[Gaffer]

Private Dexter Ford,[quote="FrankyEsposito"][color=#000080]All this 'cult' mumbo jumbo is beyond me. All I really know -- or want to know -- about this whole Red Hook thing is that Alphonse Hirt was looking into it.[/color][/quote] Hirt's agent would probably know what Hirt was working on, might even have a draft. Steve Malcolm mentioned that he had hired one, but I don't think you've shared that info with the others. [quote="Steve Malcolm"][color=#000080]He never mentioned his agent's name that I recall.[/color] [/quote] Even in New York City, there probably aren't too many weird story agents. Delores in particular might have literary connections at her paper. [quote="Dexter Ford"]However, I am still tempted to try to get into Mr. Hirt's apartment itself and see if anything appears missing.[/quote] [quote="Myron Hirschen"][color=#000080]I'm off duty at six o'clock, so I wouldn't know about the evenings. After six, residents have to use their keys to open the front door and let their guests in themselves.[/color][/quote]