The Prologue

[Mr. Handy]

"My thoughts exactly," he says. "Best not to even let him know we're interested in the house or draw attention to ourselves until we've already been through it."

[tormsen]

Sarah thought for a moment. "What's to stop us going there now?"

[Mr. Handy]

"An excellent thought," says David. "The darkness will aid us. We should all go together, before we speak to the lieutenant or visit the hospital. We can't do much else until the morning anyway. If the police do stop us, we can use that story about needing to retrieve some library books Martin had borrowed. I'm his colleague, so it would be believable."

[Cearlan]

Mark thinks to himself "Right then ... at last something I can have some input into. Going tonight is a good plan, but having all these respectable types would only slow him down and increase his chances of getting caught. How can I get them to do as I say?" Out loud he says as he brushes his fingers through his greasy hair, a habit he picked up as a child when he was nervous.

"Right let's go then ... but this is an area where I know a little so I expect you's all to follow what I says - right? You gotta agree before we go. I don't want to risk your good names getting sullied with stories of breaking and entering."

[Priest]

Meredith Nods in agreement,

"Absolutely"

[Mr. Handy]

"Agreed," says David. "Of course, it's not really breaking and entering if we have the keys."

[Cearlan]

"That's a legal technicality we can discuss on the way over." says Mark. "Doyle Avenue's not too far from here according to the address on the keys."

[Cearlan]

"Well,," Mark says standing up, "Unless anyone has any further questions, I suggest that we take our leave of the good professor here and head on over to Doyle Street, unless anyone has any better ideas?"

[Priest]

"Capital idea. May I suggest we all travel in one car, so we don't get lost on the way?", having given up on his pipe, Meredith inserts it in his jacket's breast pocket, that it was a familiar place for its keeping could be seen from the discolouration of the tweed material in that area. Following Mark's lead he stood up in anticipation of their departure.

[Mr. Handy]

"Agreed," says David again. "Let's go."

[Cearlan]

The car is parked opposite Sorrell's house a bit further along the street where the group can observe the house which sits in the middle of a block of clapboard houses similar to Baxters, but with a garage on the ground floor, two living space floors and anattic. In the South East corner of the roof is a cupola.

"Let's sit awhile and watch. there may be a pattern of patrolling police we need to watch out for or even some on guard outside the house. Watch out for cigarette lights or anything like that. Quiet now lest we draw attention to ourselves." It becomes apparent that a foot patrol passes every fifteen to twenty minutes or so. after about an hour, Mark pronounces himself satisfied that they can just go straight in the front after the next patrol passes. which it does without event.

Once the officer rounds the corner the group exit the car and under mark's urging for quiet make their way to the house, ascend the porch and let themselves in through the front door. The lights from the street are bright enough to allow you to see inside the house reasonably well, at least at the front.

As you enter there is a dust cover on the left hand wall covering what you presume is a coat rack. A set of spiral stairs in the far left corner lead upwards and a small room on the far right corner with the door facing the stairs. A door, slightly open lies halfway down the left hand wall. Footprints in the dust on the floor lead from the front door to the stairs. and a rolled up rug lies against the dust sheet and a dark stain on the wood panelled floor.

Urging everyone inside Mark puts his finger to his lips indicating that they should be quiet from now. Looking up there is a wooden bannister running round the first floor where there is a light well and beyond that you can see what you presume are the windows of the cupola on the roof. On the first floor you can see the tops of a couple of doors from where you all stand.

[Priest]

Meredith grins at the others in a schoolboy on an adventure style,
"This is bloody exciting" he whispers, then eyes alighting on the stained floor he adds, "Hello, what's this then?" and pushes forward to investigate.

[Cearlan]

The streetlights cast lurid shadows across the hallway, amplifying your shadows across the floor and on the far wall. As Meredith bends down to examine the dark stain the patrolman's torchlight flashes across the door. The change in light distorts the shadows into grotesque shapes. "Be still!" hisses Mark and after an eternity, though it is more likely only a brief moment. the light moves away again as the policeman continues his rounds.

Meredith,Spot Hidden roll please

[Mr. Handy]

David peers carefully at the dark stain. "Is that...blood?" he whispers.

[Priest]

Spoiler:

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3992159/ 1d100 → [51] = (51) Spot Hidden: 65%

Meredith whispers,
"Hmm, what have we here?"

[Cearlan]

Meredith,Meredith peers closely at the stain, sniffs at it and deciding it is nothing harmful he is about to answer David when he looks up and notices that it is directly below the cupola. you believe it is water damage from a leak or possibly from an open window

The sounds of two small dogs barking in the street filter through to you and you can faintly hear voices from outside. From your vantage point closer to the floor you can see a couple of cigarette butts close to the wainscoting that you had not seen before. The dust seems to be uniform across the floor with only a couple of sets of prints going into and from the room on the left hand wall with most of the prints going to and from the spiral staircase.

A door on the far wall that you had not previously noticed is closed with footprints leading towards it. The thick dust lies everywhere else. The voices outside seem to be getting closer as does the barking of the dogs, which you can identify as two separate small dogs.

[Mr. Handy]

David holds perfectly still and doesn't make a sound, hoping that it's just two people walking their dogs outside, and that they'll move along soon.

[Priest]

Meredith was just about to point out his discovery, when the sound of approaching dogs reached his ears. He closed his mouth quickly sure that the sound of his teeth knocking together must have been heard for miles. Turning toward David he pointed upwards toward the cuppola.

[royya]

I suggest going up or behind the door over there as we don't want the dogs and the policeman to spot us.
Joseph says after being quiet for a long time
And lock the door from the inside, if the policeman will try the knob and will find it open he will go in to investigate.

[Mr. Handy]

David nods and stands behind the door, making sure that it is locked.