IC: Ch 4f: Late for a Date (Warren)

[BenTheRat]

Location: On the way to your date
Date: March 21, 1921, 6:30 PM

[Priest]

Warren Kaine
One outside the museum it takes but moments to get back to the car. Looking at the wheel I had changed earlier, I fetch the worn tyre a kick. It'll have to do for now, Ive more important things than a wheel to being doing. Allthough at some stage tommorrow I'd better take the spare to a garage ang get it fixed.
Starting the car, I take a Chesterfield from my cigarette case and light it. First home and change, pick up some flowers, dames like flowers, and stuff, and head on over to Jen's place and see what she found.
I open the car window slighty preferring cold air to an excess of tobacco smoke. Holding the cigarette between my lips I engage first gear and pull away...

[BenTheRat]

You make it home, and change. You pick up some flowers, pretzels and wine at the corner store and head to Jenn's. You are still early about 7:30.
.

OOC,make a spot hidden roll.

[Priest]

Warren Kaine

spot hidden,65% 1d100 → [15] = (15) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4231367/

[BenTheRat]

A car seems to be following you. You are pretty sure you saw it at both the museum and near your house now that you think about it. It's a black sedan and you cannot see how many people are in it. It's 2-3 cars back right now.

[Priest]

Warren Kaine
Noticing the black sedan and keeping one eye on it in my mirror to make sure its following, I drive to Jen's and pull up outside her building. Before opening the door I take my notebook and pencil from my pocket Yeah keep going buddy lets have a look at your plates.

OOC,if they are following me I don't want to lose them. I want a number that can be traced.

[BenTheRat]

As the car approaches you can see the license number is a Massachusetts but its dark and hard to see. As it approaches the car speeds up. You only have a split second, to catch any detail.

OOC,you must decide, do you want to read the plate, or look at the person or people in the car. Then make a spot hidden check. FYI, In 1921 cars were not required to have lights on the plates to make them visible at night.

[Priest]

Warren Kaine
As the sedan passes I attempt to get a look at the occupants, It probably being to dark to read the plates.

Spot Hidden,65% 1d100 → [3] = (3) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4232709/ Thanks for the info on the license plates in 1921, I didnt know that

[BenTheRat]

As the car passes, the driver is obviously trying to hide his face in the shadows of the car, then a street light hits it just right.
It's Phil and he is alone. By the time you get a clear look he is past you and makes a quick turn.
.
Jenn's apartment door is inside the building. Its now almost 8, less than 5 minutes till.

OOC,nice roll. Those crit successes always give you more info. Yea I actually just found out that bit of info myself, trying to find the right length of plate number to use, and it said the law didn't require license plate lights till 1928. I always find out so much cool stuff running games when I'm trying to make things historically correct.

[Priest]

Warren Kaine

Phil, what the heck is he doing following me about? Shrugging I exit my car with the flowers and goodies, and walk through the front door to find her apartment.
You know what they say about the early bird, but Jen is definately no worm.
Climbing the stairs to her apartment I press the door bell...

OOC,I have had a run of really good rolls on Invisible Castle lately. However I have a feeling that I will pay for it at any moment.

[BenTheRat]

As you reach for the bell you notice a note with your name on it taped to the door. You look at the note and it says, Warren, please meet me at the sidewalk cafe at the end of my street. Jenn. You ring the bell any way, but there is no answer.

[Priest]

Warren Kaine

Dames, I think to myself, why do they always have to be different? In my head I ask a rhetorical question knowing there is no answer to human behaviour, I sure seen some 'odd' behaviour over in France and in my time with the paper.
Taking the note from the door and putting it in my pocket, I retrace my steps onto the street, climb back into the car and start the engine. That's two more odd things to add to my growing list, Jen changing the date and Jim following me about secretly. I pull the car away from the kerb and head towards the cafe.

[BenTheRat]

As you pull up to the curb you see Jenn sitting at one of the small tables under a covered patio. She's wearing a modest dress, drinking something. You can see she has a file on the table next to her.
.
You see a sign on the building that says FJ Doyles Cafe. It looks like half of it is a grocery, half is a small store that sells fancy candy and sodas. And a small portion is a spa. It was obviously a pub or bar before prohibition.
.

ooc,make a spot hidden check

[Priest]

Warren Kaine

Spot Hidden,65% 1d100 → [58] = (58) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4233807/

[BenTheRat]

As you got out of the car you notice a couple go into the spa area. But as you approach the front entrance to get around the small fence to where Jenn is sitting you can no longer see them in there. And you are pretty sure you never saw them leave.

[Priest]

Warren Kaine
I walk over to where Jen is seated and sit down opposite her. I put the flowers on the table next to the file, which Itap with one finger. "Flowers for the lady. File for me, perhaps?"
I gaze around at the cafe, "Not many in tonight. I see they're trying to make the best of the prohibition."
I turn my eyes towards the spa area, "Nice, ever use it?"

[BenTheRat]

Jenn blushes a bit, "why thank you." she takes the flowers and sniffs them, "yea that's all I could find on what you asked for. Yea, we'll hit the spa in a bit," and she giggles.

[Priest]

Warren Kaine
I smile, Yeah, a spa is just what this part of town needs, but other than a quizical look I give Jen no indication of my thoughts.
"Thanks for this Jen". I pull the file towards me, and start nonchantly flicking through the contents.
"So are we eating here, or what?"

[BenTheRat]

Jenn laughs, "They don't really sell food here, just soda's and candy. You said you were going to bring pretzels. Have you not eaten?"
.
As you look through the clippings you see the following:
1. The first is from this year of the Macarios, its very uniformative and doesn't tell you anything you don't already know.
.
2. A clipping from 1917 (4 years ago) of a family that all became ill at the same time and moved out of the house.
.
3. A 1914 article of a family where a man committed suicide with a butcher knife in the kitchen of the house. Though the brother never claimed it was not suicide.
.
4. An article from 1909 of another family that fell prey to illness, and one died before they moved out. The illness was never identified.
.
5. Finally she has an article from 1918, a feature story, that never ran. It is of a family of French Immagrants that had moved into the house in 1880. They fled after a series of violent accendents left the parents dead and all 3 children crippled.
.
That was all there was in the file.
.
As you finish up the articles Jenn speaks up, "That is one weird house, what are you working on. We did that feature story a couple years ago and the editors killed it. Why do you think they'd be up for another one?"

[Priest]

Warren Kaine
I look up at Jen's last comment, "Just a hunch", I continue the upward look and gaze around. She might be right they wouldn't do food here, the 'spa' looked suspiciously like cover for a speakeasy, and not very good cover either.
"Starving. So shall we find somewhere that does food?"
Suddenly the pretzels I'd left in the car didn't seem that appetizing.