Play@YSDC

Lenny's Bar, South Street - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7:52 PM - Wednesday, July 16, 1969
Terrance Luis Williams walked into the bar and took a seat at a table by himself near the door. Barney had never seen the short man in his twenties before. Terry saw a black man in his thirties tending bar, a table where some hippies were sitting in one corner, and another table in the middle of the bar where two more hippies, a male and a female who both had long hair, sat with a short-haired woman in her early forties and a man in his mid-twenties. The female hippie had a daisy in her hair. There were a few other customers here and there.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Listen and Spot Hidden.

Terry looked keenly over at the strange group, and tried his best to listen in, though he doubted he would learn anything of importance.

Terry Williams,Yes, both rolls succeeded. Your Listen score is 75, so that one didn't succeed by much, but it's good enough. [b]Terry[/b] overheard [b]Nancy[/b] outside, speaking to the men with her. "Did you see that guy?" she asked, indicating [b]Terry[/b] with her chin. "I saw him standing across the street, watching us. I think I saw him earlier, too, back on campus. You're right, we did get here a little early, so I wouldn't expect to see [b]Mary[/b] yet." "I'll keep an eye on that guy," said the man in the wheelchair. "It could be a coincedence - I can't think of why someone would be following us - but I'm feeling nervous tonight. If we want to be less obtrusive, we could get a table." "Sounds like a plan," said the other man as he walked to the door. Opening the door, he held it for them, "Shall we?" "You go in - I'll wait outside a little longer so I can see [b]Brian[/b] arrive. We all did just have dinner." [b]Nancy[/b] walked into the bar with the other man.

Anthony, a man in his early forties, opened the door from outside and held it as an attractive woman in her thirties entered. Both were well dressed and looked a little out of place here. "Thank you," said the woman as he followed her in.

From what he overheard just now, it seemed like they were on to him, which was good at all. Even the slightest link to him would be helpful to the authorities if the sample was stolen. If they were to place suspicion on him, they would not find much, other than he was spotted outside the campus and was apparently following the group. If he were to leave now, it might not cast any suspicion off, but the longer he stayed, the more suspicious he looked to the group.

Maybe if he had some other motive for coming to both the campus and the bar.

Anthony finds a seat separate from the other folks in the bar for the two of them. He sits sipping a drink and waiting patiently for Brian and Mary to show.

OOC,Anthony is also carefully watching the man that Jerome pointed out earlier, Anthony doesn't like the fact that someone has been following them.

Terry, confused about what he should do, calmly called for a glass of water. Drinking, he knew it was against his principles to lie, and he always, when he absolutely needed to, justified telling fibs.
Pondering for a moment, he decide to send a drink to the girl, but left shortly after, telling the bartender that he was "Sorry for following her, but he couldn't bear rejection from such a beautiful woman."

Terry Williams,Yes, that's fine. "[b]Professor Anthony[/b] and [b]Nancy[/b] are inside the restaurant," said the man in the wheelchair. "I doubt [b]Brian[/b] wil recognize me, but I'm waiting out here to see him arrive." "Okay, thanks," said the girl. "I'll go on in and wait for him there."

As Terry left, he passed a very pretty girl in her late teens who entered the bar. The man in the wheelchair was still outside.

OOC,[b]Terry Williams[/b] is returning to the following thread. Please stop reading the current thread at this point. Everyone else remains in this thread.

Red Money

When the girl entered the bar, the bartender nodded to Barney and the two hippies he sat with, then turned to the girl and smiled at her, his teeth shining. "Evening, Mary," he said.

Anthony looks up and waves to Mary. He glances around the room to see if Brian is coming in now as well.

Mary nodded back to Anthony, then turned back to the bartender. "Hey, Lenny," she said. "You haven't seen Brian, have you?"

"As I matter of fact, I have," said Lenny. "I don't know how to tell you this, but he was hauled out of here in police custody."

"What?" she gasped.

"They busted him dealing drugs, and then this old man came out of the john and accused him of trying to murder him."

"What?!" Mary shook her head, distraught. "That's not possible...is it?"

OOC,I am assuming that Anthony overheard that, and for the sake of saving time will continue to post on that assumption.

On hearing this, Anthony gets up and walks to the bar and puts a reassuring hand on Mary's shoulder. "Mary, I am sure this is all a misunderstanding. This will all work out."

Anthony looks out the window to Jerome and waves him in.

OOC,[b]Anthony[/b] (and [b]Barney[/b]) heard it, but whether or not [b]Jerome[/b] did is another question entirely.

Jerome wheeled himself into the bar in time to hear part of the conversation.

"Well, I don't know that he really tried to kill that old cat," said Lenny, "but they caught him red-handed with the drugs."

"Why would Brian sell drugs?" asked Mary, numb from the shock.

"Probably money. I hate to break it to you, but he's been doing that for a while now. The only drug I sell is good old legal alcohol - though my grandpa sold it back when it wasn't so legal. You look like you can use a drink. Tell you what, I'll give you one on the house. Name your poison."

"Uh...I'll have a Bloody Me."

"Coming right up." Lenny took out some vodka and tomato juice and began mixing her drink.

"It sounds like you've found something," Jerome says to Professor Anthony, with dismay in his voice.

"Yes it seems that Brian was here a little earlier than we anticipated, and well,... he's been arrested. To compound the problem his father was here and accused Brian of trying to kill him. I think Brian is in it deep now."

Turning to the bartender Anthony asks, "Do you know where they took him?"

"Back to the cop shop would be my guess," said Lenny, pouring Mary's drink and handing it to her.

"His father?!" said Mary. "He's not that old, only in his mid-forties." She took a large gulp from her glass.

"No, this dude was closer to sixty."

"It can't be him, then."

Jerome joins the conversation.

"What was the old guy like? Sounds odd, pretending to be someone's father," he asks the bartender.

Barney Brainstorm,You were talking and playing poker earlier with [b]Kathleen Scott[/b], her girlfriend [b]Maxine[/b], and the hippies [b]Moonchild[/b] and [b]Daisy[/b]. [b]Kathleen[/b] told you about this experiment that [b]Dr. Gregory Anderson[/b] is going to run this weekend at the University of Pennsylvania involving sleep and dreaming. You also witnessed his son [b]Brian[/b] come into the bar and try to sell something called Morpheus as well as other, better known drugs to a young man named [b]Harry[/b]. Then the police came in and took them both away. You also saw the strange old man come out of the bathroom and accuse [b]Brian[/b] of trying to kill him. He left with the cops. [b]Mary[/b] is [b]Brian[/b]'s girlfriend, and you've been waiting for her to show up.

"He wasn't pretending to be anyone's dad," said Lenny. "He was odd, though. He was this old dude, really tall, about sixty like I said. He had on this tweed jacket. I thought maybe he was a radical college professor or something. That's another freaky thing: he didn't recognize his own clothes. Said he was wearing a suit and said Brian must have stolen it. The cops searched, but they couldn't find it."

"That is weird - what did he do then?"

"He wasn't here when they finished searching," said Lenny. "He had already left with the detectives. Lieutenant John Yeager, that was the name of the man in charge. It was a uniformed cop that stayed behind to search. Didn't find anything, though."

"Hmm, that really is odd. I don't understand why anyone would want to frame someone like this," Anthony says, more to himself than anyone else. Turning to Jerome, "I think we should definately head to the station. I have a bad feeling about all of this."

Jerome agrees with Anthony. Time to meet Lt. Yeager.

"I'm coming too," said Mary with a firm, insistent nod.

"Okay, let's go," said Nancy. "But which station would they have taken him to?"

"Well, Police Headquarters has holding cells and interview rooms," said Lenny, "and it's not too far away, either. It's at 8th and Race. They call it the Roundhouse. My guess is they'd have taken him there."

"Thanks." Nancy went outside with Mary and the two men.

Barney Brainstorm,[b]Maxine[/b] turned to speak quietly to [b]Barney[/b] and the hippies at their table. "I'm going to go tell [b]Kathy[/b] what went down and pick her up. I don't know if we'll get there before [b]Mary[/b] leaves, though, and I'd kind of like to talk to her. Do you want to come with me to get [b]Kathy[/b], or go down to the Roundhouse?"

Jerome Padgett and Anthony Scott,Both of you, roll Listen. If you succeed, you may click the spoiler button with Barney Brainstorm on it and read the text, as you'll have overheard the conversation.

Jerome hears nothing.

On hearing this Anthony remembers his conversion with his cousin and asks, "Kathy? Whose Kathy? Not Kathleen Scott?"

"You know Kathy?" said the short-haired fortyish woman to Anthony. "Probably from school, right? That's where I met her. I'm Maxine Grey."

"I'm Dr. Scott, I'm her cousin. Kathleen isn't involved in this, is she?"

"No, of course not," said Maxine. "She was just here when the cops hauled that guy out, that's all."

"Coincedences happen, but not usually," Jerome says.

"Well, I can head down to the station with the others and let you know what went down, if you like," replies Barney to Maxine.

"Sure, thanks," Maxine said to Barney. "We'll meet up at Kathy's and my place. It's at 33rd and Spruce, right near Franklin Field." She gave him the exact address before turning to Jerome. "Yes, there have been a few coincidences tonight. Professor Scott here just happened to come to the same bar where his cousin often hangs out. Are you guys looking for her, or is there some other reason you're here?"

"You got your own wheels, man?" Moonchild asked Barney. "If not, Daisy and I can spin you down there in the minibus."

"Tonight seems to be a night of coincidence. I had meant to talk to Kathleen today, but circumstances came and I've been distracted. We came here looking for a student of mine, it seems we just missed him. And I believe it is time that we found out what happened to him."
Turning to Jerome and Mary, "Well, should we head over there now?"

Mary finished her drink and placed the empty glass back on the bar. "Okay, I'm ready as I'll ever be," she said, joining the others.

"So am I," said Nancy, putting a comforting arm around her. "Shall we go?" she asked Jerome.

Barney accepts Moonchild's offer of a lift gladly, "Thanks, man; I haven't driven a car since ... well, it's been a while, anyway."

"Yes."

Jeromes heads with everyone else out to the cars.

Police Headquarters, Franklin Square - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
8:30 PM - Wednesday, July 16, 1969
Maxine got in her car and drove away. The rest of the group headed east in their vehicles. Moonchild, Daisy, and Barney headed off in a Volkswagen minibus with peace signs, rainbows, and flower designs painted all over its surface in a garish mix of colors, as well as a smaller peace sign for a hood ornament. Nancy helped Jerome out of his wheelchair and into a car. Mary and Anthony joined them. Traffic was heavy, and by the time they reached the Roundhouse it was starting to get dark. Everyone parked in a lot near the entrance.

"Daisy and I will wait here," said Moonchild to Barney. "Police stations give off a lot of negative energy."

A sneer starts to pass across Jerome's face when he hears Moonchild, but he pretends not to have heard.

Anthony chuckles, "Don't be ridiculous, it's a building," and heads towards the police station.

Barney thanks Moonchild for the liftf and follows the others.

"No sweat, man," said Moonchild as the others left and approached the Roundhouse's entrance, and it was obvious where it got its name. The walls were all curved, with round towers on the east and west sides connected to a central oval. They all walked through the main entrance into a vestibule area with glass doors on the west and east sides. A window was in the north wall near the west door, and behind it sat a uniformed sergeant. "How can I help you?" he asked.

Jerome wheels himself to the window.

"I'm here about Brian Anderson. I understand he was arrested earlier today, " he says, his tone matter-of-fact.

"Yes, sir," said the sergeant, "they brought him in less than an hour ago. Real popular guy, it seems. You've got to be the third or fourth person to come here asking about him in that time. What's your name, and what do you want with Brian Anderson?"

"I'm Jerome Padgett, a colleague of Brian's father. Professor Anderson wanted me to talk with Brian."

"Quite an entourage you've got with you," said the sergeant. "All of you want to talk to Brian? Let me take down your names."

OOC,[b]Jerome[/b], roll Fast Talk, Persuade, or Credit Rating to get the sergeant to let you inside. [b]Anthony[/b] and [b]Barney[/b] may attempt this roll too.

Barney can be fairly persuasive when needs be: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2241575/

"Bernard Braithwaite, officer," begins Barney in his most cultured English accent, "I have an appointment with Mr. Anderson and it's rather important; I appreciate he is in trouble and that you're only doing your job, but I have to be heading to the airport shortly and if I don't get a chance to talk to him, my journey will have been wasted."

Producing a visiting card for "Mindstorm Entertainment" with a flourish, Barney continues, "These people are my associates in your fair country, and were also hoping to speak to Mr. Anderson about a business proposition. I realise it's a trifle unusual, but could we possibly see him?

I know about his chequered past and was hoping this proposition could be the first step along the straight and narrow for the poor, misguided youth," he finishes sotto voce, flashing the desk sergeant his most disarming smile.

"Of course, sir," said the sergeant. "I'll just buzz you in. Come around to the security desk and I'll set you up with visitor's passes." He pressed a button, and a buzzing sound came from the west door.

Barney opened the door and walked through before the buzzing stopped, followed by the others. The door closed automatically when he released it. The lobby of police headquarters was huge, with brown wood paneling. To the right was the security desk, behind which the sergeant who had buzzed him in and a couple of police officers sat. On the left was a memorial with many photos of officers who had fallen in the line of duty. Most of them were black and white, but the later ones were in color. Straight ahead and at the back were a pair of elevators with rounded walls, one on either side. Between the elevators was a large floor-to-ceiling window that looked out on Race Street, and in front of it was a large board with a portrait of Commissioner Frank Rizzo.

"Here's are your passes," said the sergeant, handing each of the guests a laminated card with a clip on the reverse side. "Just clip it on. Brian Anderson is with his lawyer and the arresting officers right now. Officer Jackson will take you down." He nodded to one of the cops behind the desk, who stood and came around to join them, leading them to the elevators. Jackson pressed the call button to summon one going down.

Jerome clips on his badge and waits for the elevator.

"Thank you for persuading the officer. How exactly are you involved in all this?" he asks Bernard.

"Wait," hisses Barney, nodding in the direction of the accompanying cop.

Jerome is surprised, but follows Barney's command.

OOC,Everyone is moving to the following thread.

Subterraneans