At Scotland Yard - Jones, Elizabeth & Johnny

[Mr. Handy]

"Wouldn't surprise me," says Jones to the constables. "Mr. Wong, can you please bring my car around back? Miss Downing, you and I should leave through the back door to avoid that flock of reporters out front. There are constables in the rear guarding the entrance, right?" he asks the bobbies. Considering that this is an active crime scene, he can't imagine there wouldn't be. "They'll help keep you safe until we're away."

[Laraqua]

Wong nods and heads out through the front doors to the car, looking about for any sign of an attacker but luckily the streets are fairly deserted other than the people you'd expect to crowd around a crime scene. He hops into the car and drives it down a laneway to the rear door which sat a couple feet above the ground on a cement block to help with loading. There were a few steps down to the ground. The only person guarding the mouth of the alley was a constable idly smoking a cigarette who had no reason to expect much trouble. It doesn't take long for Jones and Elizabeth to reach the car either though they have to go through the staff area which contains the dressing rooms.

[Mr. Handy]

Jones opens the rear door for Elizabeth and closes it once she is seated, then gets into the shotgun seat. "We should go back to the Yard and pick up some reinforcements to help me protect you first," he says, glancing over his shoulder into the back seat. "We'll need to decide on a new hotel and arrange for your luggage to be discreetly transferred. I'd suggest somewhere not as upscale as the Ritz, someplace modest and anonymous. Anyone who means you harm would expect you to stay at one of London's finest hotels. We'll check in under assumed names. I think we ought to secure two rooms with a connecting door, either on the ground floor or with a fire escape like you said. That means we'll need to watch the windows as well. A way out could also be used as a way in."

[Laraqua]

Elizabeth sighs. "Am I under arrest, Inspector? And will you be seeking to file charges against any of my friends?"

[Mr. Handy]

"No, Miss Downing, you're not under arrest," says Jones. "As far as I can tell, you haven't broken any laws. Thank you for promoting me, but I'm merely a sergeant. As for your friends, from the witness statements this appears to be a clear cut case of self-defense. They were trying to prevent a kidnapping, and they shot the bouncer after he attacked them. There is the matter of where they got a gun in the first place. They also made off with the bartender after they captured him, but after the bouncer's attack they had good reason to fear other members of the club's staff and couldn't afford to stick around and wait for the police to arrive. I very well might not be the detective assigned to investigate the situation at the club and the bouncer's death, and I don't know what additional evidence will be found, so I can't say that there won't be charges against them at some point. But my priority is to bring the rest of these blasted Egyptian Murderers to justice and to find out what happened to my colleague, Detective Constable Woods. Do you have any idea where your friends may have gone after they left the club? They seem to be farther along on this investigation than we are."

[Laraqua]

Elizabeth looks over at Johnny for a moment but as he's driving and looking away from her she can merely sigh and say, "I imagine they don't want to wait for the police. I imagine they will want to find out more information. I suppose if you weren't going to arrest them, if there's no warrant yet for their arrest, we could go to a few places to look for them."

[Mr. Handy]

"No, there's no warrant for their arrest," says Jones. "I just want to talk to them and compare notes. If they're not going to wait for me, I'll have to catch them up. If you're thinking of the spice shop, I've already been. The place was an inferno. The fire's probably out by now, but there couldn't be anybody left alive inside. Where else might they have gone?"

[Laraqua]

"We were going to meet up somewhere," says Elizabeth. "Perhaps we should return to the station and finish up what you need to do there before going there?"

[Mr. Handy]

"All right, then," said Jones. "That will also give me the chance to drop off the fingerprints I collected and pick up some extra protection. Then we'll meet your friends. Scotland Yard, please, Mr. Wong."

[Laraqua]

New Scotland Yard - Victoria Embankment
9:11pm - Thursday 29th January, 1925

The drive to Scotland Yard takes a little longer than before due to a few very slow cars and Wong's unfamiliarity with the local area. The fog has cleared but the streets are dark and foreboding even with all of the street lights. Elizabeth stares silently out of the window, deep in thought.

As Jones leads Elizabeth and Johnny into the building the Duty Sergeant (Meadows) calls him over. "Hello Sergeant, Inspector Barrington was recalled to the office to sort out some details on another case. He didn't know whether you would return before he left for Gavigan's country home, but said that if you arrived you should go see him in his office."

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you, Sergeant Meadows," says Jones. "I'll go see him right away. Miss Downing, Mr. Wong, would you like to wait in a waiting room? We've got tea and other refreshments."

[Laraqua]

Elizabeth nods. "That would be lovely, thank you."

[Mr. Handy]

"You're quite welcome," says Jones, leading Elizabeth and Johnny there. "Make yourselves comfortable. I'll try not to take too long." He then heads to Inspector Barrington's office.

[Laraqua]

As Jones heads for the stairs he hears something down below. Shattering glass and a gunshot, clear as day. For a moment everyone seems to freeze. It's as though the world had become a photograph. Police officers stop mid-stride for a moment. A detective about to pass him on the stairs pauses with his thumbs slowly prising open a folder. Then in the long, drawn out moment after that instant all is movement at once. The detective tosses aside his folder. The police officers in the hall behind you run ahead toward the foyer. At least the sound was coming from the foyer and not the room where you placed Elizabeth and Johnny.

[Mr. Handy]

"Bloody hell!" shouts Jones as he runs towards the foyer with the constables, drawing his revolver. Good thing I have this, he thinks. I may be the one best suited to deal with this. These criminals are all too bold, attacking Scotland Yard. Do they really think they can achieve anything this way? Perhaps this is a diversion, and the real threat is coming from another direction, but I've no choice but to respond.

[Laraqua]

Jones reaches the lobby in record time with several other officers hot on his heels - most without firearms though a few have guns in hand. There seems to be no need, however. The body of a black man lies sprawled across the floor with a hole open in his back and a battered briefcase by his hand. It looks like he got shot from behind from someone in the direction of the double doors. Judging by the lack of a shooter in cuffs (the few people in the lobby all appear to be witnesses but for one ruffian informer (Jones knows hims as such) cowering in the corner in handcuffs.

[Mr. Handy]

Jones lowers his revolver. "What the devil happened here?" he asks.

[Laraqua]

The Desk Sergeant gives him a shocked look. "This man came walking in looking anxious and confused when the door opened a crack and there was a gunshot! He pitched over and whoever it was ran off. A couple cops gave chase. Not sure what happened then you'd have to go out there."

[Mr. Handy]

"Thanks," says Jones as he quickly crosses the lobby and heads for the entrance. "Maybe there's smething in the man's briefcase that will identify him and tell us why he came here - and possibly why he was shot." He takes a look outside.

[Laraqua]

There's a small group of irritated looking cops standing by the sidewalk. One of them turns to look at him and calls out, "Get the call out on a black plymouth. No license plates. Heading west off this street. We sent a couple others to go grab a car but they'll be long gone before then."