After walking for about twenty minutes you reach the southern shore of the Miskatonic River and a relatively clear track to your left indicates where the campsite will lie round a bend in the river as it turns slightly to the north. The police have been none too careful about concealing their size eleven's out here and their trail is easy to follow. After about half a mile, you come to a sandy strip along the river bank where the two student's made camp.
There are a couple of policeman lounging around looking in a non-too-interested manner at the camp-site. "Co-ordinating the search" as they call it. As you all approach they ask for identification and will be easily satisfied that you are more civilians helping in the search for the missing boy.
The site of the ruined bridge
The Campsite
Playing;
Paris: City of Tears
Horror on the Orient Express
Sharon walks alongside Sister Katherine. "I'm so glad that I put on my walking shoes this morning, this is quite a trek isn't it?" says Sharon.
When they reach the campsite she looks nervously around where they are standing. "The police seem to have trampled all over the place. I do hope we can find something that will tell us what has happened to my dear Brother Richard, I'm so worried about him." she says whilst trying to control her emotions.
Last edited by DeeJ61 on Fri Jun 14, 2013 3:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Sister Katherine smiles at Sharon. "I hope we can find your brother too," she says, looking around. "At least it is a nice, clear day, and the weather is cooperating. That should make our task easier. Shall we start looking at the campsite? That's the one place we know he was, and perhaps we can figure out where he went from there."
Calamy stamps out his cigarette and passes the ladies. He looks at them for a moment and then at Jimmy.
"If you ladies would so kind as to have a look around while I talk to the law over there, that would be mighty convenient. Perhaps young mister Vecchio could help you out."
He then walks up to the policemen and smiles, taking out his cigarettes and offering them one. He lights his own and makes conversation, assuming they at least have some passing acquaintance.
"Good morning guys, old man Cardigan hired me to help find his son. Is there anything you fellows turned up this morning that might be of interest?"
"He said we were all cooked but we were all right as long as we did not know it. We were all cooked. The thing was not to recognize it."
The noise of the river meandering it's way to the sea has a soothing effect on you all, and it all but overshadows the noise of the insects and a few crows nearby. The two officers are at the edge of the tree-line looking into the woods intently as you all enter the clearing. The two officers turn their attention to you and Henry recognises one as Officer Albert Peartree, veteren of the great war and one of the longest serving patrolmen in the Arkham police force. He is also widely known as an alcoholic, something Henry has used to his advantage in the past. The younger officer he does not know.
"Nah we ain't found nuthin' yet Haen-ry" says the eldest one before he is shushed by the younger of the two. "Naw don'cha be a-frettin' owver Haen-ry young Oxley, He's wawn of the guid guys I tells ya." The young officer looks away disgustedly as Officer Peartree continues.
"Most of t' volunteers are combin' them Bowen's Woods and if you've half a mind to join them it'd shore be appreciated, a-havin' someone who can tell his rear end from a turnip." Peartree glares at Officer Oxley, almost daring him to reply. "We are sweeping from south east to north west in a hawf-circle, but nuthin' yet. T' tent has been gone through by them 'tectives and nuthin' found, lest-a-ways nuthin' they shared with ol' Peartree, or any of the pretty young things they let in the fawce these days." Oxley goes beetroot and stamps off downriver towards the ruined bridge muttering under his breath "Crazy old fool ... always drunk ... he should be retired a-long time since."
Peartree chuckles to himself ... "Can't take t' ribbing like the men they're supposed t' be then lawd preserve us all!. So Haen-ry, how's t' private business a-going? this job's gone to t' rat's since they introduced prohibition ..." He smacks his lips and looks furtively around before removing a hip flask and offering it to you.
As Henry and the officers talk, Sr Katherine, Sharon and Jimmy take a furtive look in the tent, finding an assortment of sample bottles, two beds and other assorted camping gear.
Playing;
Paris: City of Tears
Horror on the Orient Express
Henry took a drink from the flask and returned it to its owner with a smile. He had always liked the old man, he had grit, despite his growing drinking problem.
"Rookies will always be rookies, Albert, I can't imagine I was very different in the day."
He takes a long drag from his cigarette and watches the other policeman walk in the direction of the old bridge.
"I'll have a look in the woods later on, old friend, I'm more interested in that bridge for the moment. But where are my manners? My companions over there are Sister Katherine of St. Mary's, the pretty young thing is Miss Sharon Williams and the hack is Jimmy Vecchio, I'm sure you've seen him around."
Henry waves to draw their attention and points in the direction of the bridge. He puts his hand on Albert's shoulder and gives the older man a smile.
"Talking about private business, Albert, I'd best go see that young Oxley there doesn't disturb a potential crime scene."
He winks and starts towards the bridge.
"He said we were all cooked but we were all right as long as we did not know it. We were all cooked. The thing was not to recognize it."
Noting Calamy's gesture Jimmy starts to make his way over to the bridge, but not before he's had a chance to cast his eye over the scene in case Sister Katherine missed anything.
OOC,[color=#FFBF00]Note that the bridge crosses the river where the road reaches it so the ruin of the bridge will be about ten minutes walk back the way you came. So have I got this right then Henry and Jimmy are heading off to the bridge[/color] and [color=#00BFFF]Sr Katherine and Sharon are in the campsite examining the tent? [/color]
Playing;
Paris: City of Tears
Horror on the Orient Express
OOC: Yes, Henry prefers to look around without being encumbered. He doesn't mind leaving the women there, since old Albert is there to watch them. They are however free to join him and Jimmy.
"He said we were all cooked but we were all right as long as we did not know it. We were all cooked. The thing was not to recognize it."
Henry and Jimmy,As Henry and Jimmy head towards the bridge they find Officer Oxley staring morosely at the bridge, or what remains of it.
From this side of the river the bridge, rotten and decayed juts out about ten feet into the river, and about the same distance above the flowing water.
Little remains of the worn central stone pillar forty to fifty feet away from the bank. A small mudbank surrounds the pillar and on the far side of the river a similar section of bridge to what is on this side totters precariously above the water as it flows past, gurgling pleasantly as the morning sun shines on your faces. You have to pull yourself back to remember just why you are all here, the missing Richard Cardigan.
As you approach Oxley turns suddenly towards you both. [color=#0040FF]"Sent you after me then has he? I'm not as dumb as he thinks I am ... I can see that he's ... "[/color] taking a deep breath he calms himself. [color=#0040FF]"Sorry Gentlemen - I should not have sounded off like that - especially about a well [i]respected officer.[/i]"[/color] The way he emphasises the words 'respected officer' suggests that he does not have too much respect for the old officer. [color=#0040FF]"Anyway, how can I help you both?"[/color]
Sr Katherine and Sharon,Looking round the campsite nothing stands out as being unusual considering why the boys were here. The morning sun shines on your faces as the flow of the river lulls you into a short reverie and you have to pull yourself back to remember that Richard Cardigan is still missing and you are no closer to finding out what actually happened here. The number of crows is increasing and their raucous 'caw-caw-caw' is coming from further upriver, just through some bushes as they squabble over something or other.
Playing;
Paris: City of Tears
Horror on the Orient Express
Crouching, Jimmy takes off his hat and runs his fingers through his hair, "Aint that just the way with the oldsters?"
Regaining his feet he gestures towards the bridge, "So, Officer, what do you reckon happened here?"
We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.
- Anais Nin
"Perhaps the crows have found something,"Katherine says to Sharon. She tactfully doesn't point out that crows are carrion eaters, and that what they found could very well be a dead body. "Shall we go have a look?"
"Yes" ... Sharon replies to Sister Katherine. "I think we should have a look around those bushes over there, the crows are making so much noise, there must be a reason for it.
Besides, I don't see anything out of the ordinary here, do you?"
Last edited by DeeJ61 on Fri Jun 14, 2013 3:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Jimmy and Henry,Officer Oxley looks downcast. [color=#0040FF]"As to what happened here - we got two nature types who set up camp and somehow, one wound up in Arkham Asylum and the other is ... well has not been located yet, though I'm sure he will be - you know what these students are like. For sure we found nothing of much interest other at the site than footprints coming and going around the site - too many to make any sense of who was where and when though. And I don't doubt Ol' Peartree has his own ways, but this is the modern police and he just don't move with the times I'm afraid to say ..."[/color] He looks aghast at realising what he has just said. [color=#0040FF]"I mean his ways were good enough in the good ol' days, but time moves on. Please don't tell him what I said will you ... what with him supposed to be showing me the ropes and all. I don't want to get the old boy in trouble after all, but he can be so infuriating to work with at times."[/color]
Sr Katherine and Sharon,You head towards where the bushes thin out a bit and can soon peer over the top of them and notice that a murder of crows is squabbling over something on the ground. The bushes are sparse enough to allow easy access through to the other side towards where the sandbank continues. The agitated birds continue to fight with each other, seemingly oblivious to your presence.
Playing;
Paris: City of Tears
Horror on the Orient Express
"No, the campsite looked normal to me," says Sister Katherine. "This, on the other hand, looks extremely interesting." She boldly approaches the thing on the ground to get a closer look at it. She doesn't expect the crows to be friendly to her as if she were St. Francis of Assisi, but she does expect them to stay out of her way. Birds know that we have dominion over them, she thinks, and they generally respect that.
"What is it ... can you see anything?" asks Sharon as she steps from one side to the other behind Sister Katherine, trying to get a look at what is happening in the bushes.
Last edited by DeeJ61 on Fri Jun 14, 2013 3:43 pm, edited 3 times in total.
