Anthony DeCarlo - Private Eye - At your service

[Kallisto73]

Blane is faster than you had thought. He jumps you and starts to throttle you.

[Pickman37]

OOC,Looks like resistence is futile. I really regret entering the room!

DeCarlo, unable to escape the faster, stronger Blane and fearing for his life, attempts to shoot the man to stop the beating...

[Kallisto73]

Spoiler:

You could hit him with your gun

[Pickman37]

OOC,Yes, thanks for the suggestion. That action seems more in keeping in line with [b]Anthony's[/b] tendencies at this point.

DeCarlo manages to get his arm free and his finger on the trigger but, in a split second decision, elects to try and hit Blane in the face or head with the weapon...

[Kallisto73]

Spoiler:

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3697480/, missed fist / punch attack @50 % base chance

. You try to swing at him with your gun, but can't really make it. Blane continues to throttle you. You try again

Spoiler:

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3697481/

, and the butt of your gun makes contact with Blane's temple. He let's go of you and snarls. He seems surprised that you actually hit him and he can feel pain. His eyes widen madly, he turns on his heels, runs for the window and vaults outside.
You hear no screaming, only a sickening thud.

[Pickman37]

DeCarlo picks himself up, exhausted from the struggle and sore from the beating...

How could someone so sickly-looking be so fast and strong...? He thinks to himself through a piercing headache.

Once on his feet, Anthony bends over resting his hands on his knees and coughs, spitting up some blood onto the floor. He gathers himself up and moves to the window to survey the damage of Blane's fall....

OOC,Do I take any HP damage from the throttling I took?

[Kallisto73]

Spoiler:

Take 1d3 HP damage

You look through the window and see the smashed body of Ehtan Blane lying in a pool of blood. People have gathered around it and are looking at the corpse.
It is clear that the police will soon arrive on the scene.
You survey the room.

Spoiler:

You can now make 2 spot hidden rolls and then leave without encountering the police.

[Pickman37]

As DeCarlo approaches the window, he lightly rubs his jaw. He is sore from Blane's beating but nothing appears missing or broken.

Peering out the window, he is surprised to see Blane's body on the street below. He had assumed that there was a fire escape or the roof-top of another building that the man could have landed on and got away...

Wow, this guy was a certified nut. Why would he jump to his death?

Suddenly, he realizes how bad this would look if he were found here in the flat of a dead man. He quickly backs away from the window and puts his gun away. He picks up the book and takes a quick look around the room...

Spot Hidden Rolls,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3705791/]2 Spot Hidden Rolls (60%) in Blane's flat... (1d100=9, 1d100=17)[/url]

[Kallisto73]

You look throught the apartment (not that there is much to look at) and find:
12 Dollars in cash, a sleeping draft, the Scripture of Shule (and as you can see, it has been heavily annotated by someone). You also find all of Ethan Blane's notes (the handwriting tells you that it was he who annotated the Scripture of Shule). A lot of the text references the scripture and you can see that, with the book and these notes, even someone less educated in the occult could probably cast a few spells (not that spells work, of course).
You also find Ethan Blane's wallet with his papers.

[Pickman37]

DeCarlo stuffs Blane's notes into the book and places it under his arm. As for the cash and wallet, he leaves those behind. In another day and age, Anthony may have taken the money but his days of petty theft are behind him. Besides, taking the money might give the police the impression that this was a robbery gone bad instead of the suicide of an unstable individual. The evidence in the room should back this....the bloody writing on the wall, the dug-up body parts, etc.

He checks Blane's wallet for anything interesting before placing it back where he found it.

After that, DeCarlo plans to leave the room and make his way downstairs. He will look for an alternate exit out of the tenement; one that does not take him past the body and the gathering crowd...

[Kallisto73]

You go down the stairs and see a narrow door, which is ajar. Through it, you can feel a draft of cold, fresh air. You step outside and find yourself in a small courtyard. You can see trash cans (the old lady was probably down here and forgot to close the door earlier). You can see a fence behind the trash cans, which would be easily climable. You look around and see noone. You assume that they are all gathered outside.

[Pickman37]

DeCarlo takes one more look around the courtyard while closing the door quietly behind himself, making sure the coast is clear.

As he makes his way to the fence, he realizes he will probably need both hands to scale over it. He begins to remove his jacket with the intent of wrapping it around the book and Blane's notes and dropping it over the fence before he starts the climb.

[Kallisto73]

You make it safely out of the courtyard and onto the street beyond the fence.
You look up and down, but there is noone. You leave the area of Blane's appartment quickly, but you don't run (no use attracting attention). You see a couple of cops, but they don't take any notice of you.

Spoiler:

I assume that you are now around 2 km away from Ethan's. You can now decide where to go/what to do next.

[Pickman37]

Anthony relaxes now that he has put some distance between himself and Blane's flat. He would have had a lot of explaining to do if the police had found him there. He decides to head back to his own place. While walking, he reflects on the events of the evening...

That was odd. Why would he kill himself? Surely getting caught with a stolen book would not warrant such drastic actions. And what of all these notes and the scene in his room....the body parts, the strange signs painted in blood on the walls...?

Anthony finds himself even more puzzled now than before he arrived at Blane's...

It's late now so perhaps I will give Quincey a call tomorrow to let him know I have the book. Tonight I'll head back to my flat and nurse these wounds...maybe look over these notes more closely. Perhaps Miss McLane at the MU library could shed some light on what Blane was doing, considering her skill in Egyptology.

He carries on, moving from one shady neighbourhood of Arkham to another...

[Kallisto73]

The next morning, you ring Quincey and give him the good news. The old man is overjoyed when you return the book to him. He pays your fees and offers you a cigar.

Spoiler:

You get 1d3 sanity back for successfully returning the book. You can also go to the library to meet Ms McLane.

"Thank you so much, Mr DeCarlo, have a seat, have a seat, cigar?" The old man lights a cigar for himself and proffers a box to you.

[Pickman37]

DeCarlo accepts a cigar before settling down into one of the available chairs, enjoying a moment of satisfaction for a job well done. As he lights the cigar, taking several deep puffs to savour the taste, he inquires about what he saw...

"So during the investigation, I saw some things most discomforting. When I came upon Mr. Blane, he seemed to be involved in some form of ritual involving recently exhumed body parts and painted blood on the walls. Can you explain any of this? It was very strange and has caused me a great deal of concern..."

Anthony awaits a response. His concern has been alleviated with the payment received but he is curious how the old man responds...

[Kallisto73]

The old man looks at you quizzically for a long moment, then he puffs on his cigar and at length, he answers: "Books, my young friend, can be dangerous. At least some of them. It is not like that there is any inherent danger in the pages or the leather of the cover, but the words, when read by a susceptible (or gullible) mind, can play tricks on people. Think of any of the holy books that have come down to us. They can turn into weapons in the wrong hands. So with this book. So with the ancient Egyptian writings about the secrets of the dead. If someone starts to believe, there is no telling what they might do. Therefore my absolute refusal to lend the book to Blane. Alas! I was right."

[Pickman37]

DeCarlo considers the old man's response but it does not take him long to concur. Despite the support of his religious parents and the good Father Griffin, it took a fair amount of time for him to even reach a plateau of belief close to being comfortable with religion but he was still a ways off personally. The fanatic fervour that consumed some believers, especially in offering the written word as proof of an absolute, was always something Anthony could attack and tear down from the inside as a youth. But now, he was an adult with a second chance. However, what Quincey just said was all the proof he needed...especially with the visual evidence he encountered...

"Right you are sir! Of course." Anthony salutes with his cigar and takes a draw. He continues. "Well it was a pleasure working for you. If you have any more work you need further conducted, I can be your man."

DeCarlo puts the cigar out in the nearby ashtray and rises to leave...

Show,If [b]Quincey[/b] has nothing more to say, I'll leave and stop by the bank for a deposit in my savings account then continue on to the MU Library to see the always effervescent [b]Ms. McLane.[/b] Concerning my evening last night, I planned to review [b]Blane's[/b] notes in an earlier post above. Did I encounter any more other than a poorly written spell?

[Kallisto73]

Quincey nods, thanks you again and closes the door behind you.
You make your way to the bank (it is around 11 am). And then you decide to visit Ms McLane at the university library.
You check your reflection in a shop window (incidentally, a stationary shop, and in the window you see a beautiful, expensive-look fountain pen. You look at it for a couple of seconds, then, you walk on).
It is a crisp day, sunny, but cool.
As you arrive at the library, you can see Ms McLane at her usual post, manning the desk and eyeing everyone leaving and coming in, checking out and taking back books, giving everyone a non-commital smile.

You approach her: "Hello, Ms McLane."
She looks at you and when she recognizes you, she gives you a real smile and answers, "Hello Mr DeCarlo! What brings you here?"

Spoiler:

You found quite a lot of papers, which, to you, don't make much sense, but it could be that McLane would be willing to help you, and perhaps have dinner?

[Pickman37]

She looks at you and when she recognizes you, she gives you a real smile and answers, "Hello Mr DeCarlo! What brings you here?"

Decarlo smiles back. "Well, of course you, young lady..." Anthony realizes maybe he is pouring it on too thick. He has been away for too long and his etiquette may be rusty with the ladies, considering his jail time in his late youth. Regardless, he continues...

"I recalled that you had skill with Egyptology and I have acquired some notes from my suspect. They mean nothing to me but perhaps you could look them over and see if you can decipher anything from the information presented. I would like to invite you to Crawford's Restaurant for dinner. It would be a pleasure to be accompanied by such a beautiful young lady. Perhaps, you could view some of these papers after the meal?"

Anthony's presentation was awkard but the restaurant was the best establishment in town...and he presently had the money to accomplish it. He continued before a response...

"I can pick you up around seven or so in a cab tonight. My vehicle is in the shop at present. I would hope you would accompany me for some fine dining and to illuminate my appearance with your presence...."

He had no car but hoped the little white lie would stick...