Play@YSDC

Although some of you may wish to investigate elsewhere I have taken the liberty of assuming you have all travelled together and start your investigations at Veronica's rooms in one of Arkhams many boarding houses that service the university.

At noon the following day Tony stops the Ford outside of the address he had been given the night before. The house is an oversized white Cape Cod style building in a state of some disrepair. The exterior is in need of scraping and a coat of paint. The mail slot in the front door is missing its brass flap, the breach appearing to have been shut by the expediency of a dishtowel having been crammed tightly into the gap. There is a small stoop, and alongside the door on the wall is a weathered, hand-lettered sign reading “Miss Hickman’s House. Rooms Available.”

Ted Nelson
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After what I'm sure was a chilly ride up to Arkham University, Ted gets out, stretches his legs for a bit, and walks up to the door and knocks.

Tony Esposito gets out of the car, then walks to the back and opens the door for Tilda. "Perhaps you should do the talking here," he suggests. "You are her cousin, after all."

Professor Krugman: Let's hope they offer us some hospitality. I could use a cup of tea after that.

Tilda

I look slightly askance at Tony. "The fact that I am her cousin should hold little or no sway here, but I'll do what I can. But thank you dah-ling for being a gentleman, there are so few of you left these days. And yes a cup of coffee would be pleasant, but from the outside of the house I wouldn't expect too much." I approach the door and knock on the frame calling out "Mrs Hickman ... Mrs Hickman!"

I check my knuckles for flakes of paint and / or dirt from the door-frame as I await her appearance.

Bridget fiddles with a pen and notebook. The Chadwick Curse! No that was silly. It Came From Japan; wealthy son believes he is haunted. Too wordy.

She snaps her notebook shut and looks at the group. "Think it will bother her that so many strangers are coming looking for her roommate? I mean I would be uncomfortable with it at least."

OOC: Did Francis had time to read the book?

E. Francis Hardy (kabukiman),During the journey you had ample time to look through the book, it is only a slim volume. It appears little more than a collection of Japanese folk stories written for children. Other than the handwritten dedication it contains nothing of any relevance. It is simply a book given to [b]Veronica[/b] by [b]Edgar[/b]. Maybe it would not be your choice of topic for a young girl, unless you wanted to give her nightmares of course, but there. However, several of the stories do contain litery elements that start your creative mind thinking.

In response to Tilda's knock, suprisingly robust for such a delicate looking woman. the door opens a fraction and a gruff female voice that speaks of too many cigarettes, comes from within,
"Yeah, whadya want?"

Although your view of the speaker is limited, you can see enough of the woman to guess that this must be Miss Hickman, the house owner, and guess that her age makes being a Miss a lifestyle choice.

Even behind the door shield Tilda is aware of her disaproving stare, "Its Miss, so whadya want eh?"

Ted Nelson
.
"Good morning Miss Hickman. My name is Ted Nelson, PI. Myself and our small group," pausing to gester to the others, "were hired by Mrs. Chadwick to follow up on her niece Veronica." Ted pauses just a second to refer to a note. "I believe she use to share a room here with a Ms. Paula Deveroux. We would very much like to speak with Ms. Deveroux and inspect the poor young girls room if we may. There is perhaps some small clue still there waiting to be uncovered that could help us unravel her mysterious disappearance."

The door opens a few more inches giving you a view of a rather rotund elderly lady, dressed rather drably in an old stained housecoat. She turns her gaze from Tilda, to Ted, "She aint been here for the past couple of weeks. Left owing me rent"
Her gaze expands to cover the group of you, "Sure are enough of you"
She leans slightly closer to Ted and even from a distance the smell of cheap whiskey is heavy on her breath, "Left owing rent" she repeats loud enough for all to hear.

Ted Nelson
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"I know, and I'm sure we can resolve any past debts left by Veronica once we have a chance to inspect her room and speak with her roommate." Ted answers.

Good morning Miss Hickman, Professor Theodore Krugman pleased to meet you. Yes, I'm sorry we come in such numbers. Perhaps I could take tea with you in your parlour while the others inspect the room? Did the young lady have any unusual interests or pursuits that you can recall? He thinks: It may help the others to do a proper search if I can keep the landlady out of their way; you never know, she might know something, so worth one of us questioning her; and besides I really could do with a cup of tea!

"I'm Tony Esposito, ma'am," says Tony, tipping his hat. "I work for the Chadwick family."

The door opens fully and Miss Hickson subjects Tony to a look as if she was inspecting a creature of some description, "Pleased to meet you, Tony, I'm sure" Her voice holds a hint of sarcasm.

Tony,please make an [b]Idea Roll[/b] (Intx5)

She flicks her eyes to Ted, "Yeah, ten bucks should cover it. Pay first then look'

Her attention turns to Professor Krugman, "I don't have tea, and I sure as hell don't have no parlour. I guess from your manner you're some kind of teacher from the university?"
"Tea" she snorts, "Same applies pay the ten and you can drink all the tea you want"

Ted and Krugman,please make [b]Fast Talk + 10% Rolls[/b].

Ted Nelson
.
"Oh I understand," Ted says while pulling out his wallet and stepping into the entryway. "Let me get that dime for you here."
.

Fast Talk,target = 75% [dice]0[/dice]

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As he hands her the $10. "What room did you say was Veronica's again?" With a smile. "And we will be out of your hair before you know it miss."

She grabs the ten spot before you have a chance to change your mind, "Okay this way".

She leads you to a staircase up to the second floor, in reality this looks like a demi-floor, where a small landing and a door to an apartment which has a small paper nameplate fixed to its frame, it reads 'Chadwick/Deveroux'. From a pocket on the front of her housecoat Miss Hickson produces a key and proceeds to unlock the door.

You see a tiny apartment, hardly worthy of the name. The ceiling arches to just under seven feet tall, and is less than five feet at its widest point. The shared sitting room consists of a tiny sink under a small cabinet, a small couch along the wall, a small stand with magazines, and a tiny wastepaper basket. There are three smallish doors, one leading to the shared bathroom and the other two leading to the girls’ bedrooms.

From the same pocket, as she had the key, she produces a pack of cigarettes, pulls one out, puts it between her lips and lights it. She blows a thin stream of cigarette smoke into the room.
"That's the room you want there. The other one belongs to Paula. Look, but if you bust anything you pay for it, okay?"
Leaving the statement hanging she leaves the room.

Something is tugging at the back of Tony's mind, but he can't quite put his finger on it. He follows the others to the door to Veronica's apartment.

Francis will look for any book.

Ted Nelson
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Ted begins to search the room, mainly looking for a diary or journal. Any drawings she may have done. Anything that might indicate she went on a trip.
.
Checking her bedroom, were her clothes still there? Check under her bed for anything.
.

spot hidden,just in case, target = 65%, [dice]0[/dice]

Veronica's Room.
This room is drafty and small. There is a single bed with extremely fine bedclothes. There is a small desk with a few pens and a clean desk pad with leather bindings that looks extremely expensive. An incongrously fine waste paper basket stands next to the wall beside the desk.
Looking quickly beneath the bed Ted spots something, he almost bangs his head on the bedsprings as he retrieves a picture post card from betwwen the springs and the mattress.
Francis looks at a collection of books on the desk, but they appear to be little more than standard text books on English composition and Geometry, her courses at the university.

For those searching the room please give a location for your search e.g; Desk drawers, waste paper basket etc.
Also could everyone make a Spot Hidden +20% regardless of your chosen search area.
During your search the apartment door opens and a plain looking young woman enters, from the manner of her dress she gives the impression of student, an impression further advanced by a group of various sized books held together by string.
For a few moments she observes you all over her thick rimmed glasses, "Yes?"

Tony gives the wastebasket a good going over. Maybe I'll find something she wrote while she was still in her right mind that'll give me a clue in here, he thinks. She could have thrown it away in a fit of madness. It's a good thing she never got around to emptying the basket.

Tony straightens up when the young woman walks into the room, but not too much - he is careful not to bump his head on the ceiling, as there isn't much room for his massive frame in this place. "You must be Veronica's roommate," he says. "I'm Tony Esposito. I work for Veronica's family. This is her cousin Tilda." He indicates her. "We and our associates are looking for her. She's gone missing, and her family is worried."

Tony Esporito (Mr H),The waste basket is full of crumpled sheets of paper. Probably attempts at her studies as some are bad attempts at poetry while other contain the odd mathematical notation or geometric problem solving. To your eyes they are boring and totaly uninteresting. However, one of the crumpled pieces is an invoice from [i]Maritime East Shipping Agents. Arkham. MA.[/i]. The invoice for unspecified goods or services is for $186. The date on the invoice is from several weeks ago and corresponds with the letter that Veronica had written to her aunt.

The young woman nods. "Paula Deveroux. I haven't seen Ronnie for a couple of weeks now, as I told the last person who asked, not since she started acting 'spooky'".

Ted Nelson
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Ted hands the post card off to Tilda. "Do you recognize the sender?"
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"Good morning Miss Deveroux, Ted Nelson Private Investigator." Ted smiles and nods at the young lady, "The previous investigation failed to produce any results, so Veronica's aunt hired a team in hopes a deeper investigation might turn up some results. Can you expand a bit on by what you mean by spooky? Was she seeing anyone or joined any clubs you are aware of?"

Tilda Smith-Chadwick (Cearlan),Although you have never met her, you know that [b]Veronica[/b] has a friend, [b]Maria Sicilia[/b] currently at university in Cambridge. England.

Paula turns from Tony to Ted,
"Hi. As I told the other man, Mr Myers I think his name was. I am certain that Ronnie was not 'seeing anyone', she had no time for boys, or had joined a group or something. As for her 'spookiness', it began about a month ago, up until then her behaviour was normal. Then suddenly she started staying in her room all the time, ignoring any attempts at conversation, even refusing to eat" she shrugs, "I remember one night, maybe three weeks ago, I awoke to find Ronnie just staring out the window at nothing. When I asked her if she was okay, she said it didn't matter as nothing mattered anymore and returned to her room, Then she stopped coming back to the rooms, and I haven't seen her for the past two weeks at all".
She looks around at all the people searching the room, "Please find her safe, I miss her"

Ted,Please roll a Spot Hidden + 20%

Ted Nelson
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Spot Hidden,[dice]0[/dice]

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Ted notices something.

"Miss Deveroux, I shall do everything in my power to bring her home," says Tony, smoothing out the paper he salvaged from the wastebasket. "Do you know if she received or sent any packages some weeks ago?" He gives her the exact date on the invoice.

Francis didn't saw any weird book, but he found something else...
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4550341/

Previously Tony Esposito said:   "Do you know if she received or sent any packages some weeks ago?"

Paula thinks for a moment, her eyebrows drawn in concentration, "No, I don't think so and I would know if she had received anything. Anyway those dates correspond with her spookiest"

As Francis makes his way over to the desk with the pile of books, he notices something odd and quickly draws the attention of the others towards the window pane closest to the desk. A closer examination reveals that it has some greasy markings on it, noticeable in the sunlight.

Professor Krugman looks casually around the rest of the house, any common areas etc. and does his best to occupy the landlady.

Ted Nelson
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"Spookiest?" Ted asks, "What do you mean by that, did she get worse and better, or just kept getting worse?"
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Ted starts searching the desk while talking, looking uder the desk pad, then through each drawer.
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priest,fyi, you asked for a spot hidden and I passed that. But you didn't indicate I saw anything. My base is 65, you gave +20, so target was 85 and I rolled an 80. Thanks.

Ted Nelson (Ben),On the desk you find a desk pad the top sheet of which seems to have been torn off, light indentations can be seen where the top sheet had been written on. In the very rear of the bottom drawer you find a fancy address book. Looking within you notice that each name and address has been methodicaly blotted out - some in black ink, some in blue, others in pencil. Make an Idea Roll. The Spot Hidden you made earlier was to see who would spot the window mark, it happened that Francis made the lowest roll so he spotted it, the scenario would have all six of you making the roll but I don't think any of us wants to wait that long. Since many hardly post at all. How you respond to it is up to you.

As you search Paula considers your question for a moment or two, "I don't recall whether she got worse, certainly not better, just well you know, spookier"

Ted Nelson
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priest,ah, no problem.

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idea roll,target = 75% [dice]0[/dice]

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"Hmmm, looks like she wrote something on this notepad here. And this address book she has gone through to remove the names, like she is erasing any connections she has had with her former life." Ted speaks out loud more to himself than anyone in particular. "This old trick might just work though."
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Ted also looks through the address book to see if there are any names, not blotted out, or anything tucked into the book cover or pages.
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"So besides being strange, is there anything else you feel might be useful to us? Any small tidbit? She got a strange phone call or a visitor? Found some strange artifact? Anything at all might be useful." Ted asks.

"Oh, yeah, I've heard of that trick!" says Tony. "If you rub the top sheet of the notepad with a pencil, you can read the words that were written on the one above it that was torn off because the impressions become visible."

Professor Krugman continues wandering about the house. He's very quietly humming a tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE5IfIkl_oA

Professor Krugman (Pat),It quickly becomes obvious that there is nothing to be found of any relevance elsewhere in the house, and that [b]Miss Hickman[/b] knows nothing of any use.

Ted Nelson (Ben),The way the names have been blotted out using different colours suggests that [b]Veronica[/b] did this at different times.There is nothing of any use elsewhere in the address book

E Francis Hardy (kabukiman),Please roll [b]Idea[/b]. In regards to the window.

Previously Ted Nelson said:   "So besides being strange, is there anything else you feel might be useful to us? Any small tidbit? She got a strange phone call or a visitor? Found some strange artifact? Anything at all might be useful."

Trying to see what Ted was doing with the desk pad and a pencil, Paula shakes her head, "Other than her behaviour there was nothing untoward"

Using the pencil trick Ted quickly reveals the subject indented upon the page.
A couple of innocuous doodles and scribbled notes appear on the page, the kind you might do if you were doing something else.
However most of the page has been given over to frighteningly realistic drawings, images out of a nightmare. Included are frighteningly lifelike pictures of bodies hanging from trees; what appears to be some sort of shadowy-faced woman with long hair and a flowing gown; pictures of skulls; and a mountain rising up out over a forest.

All of these images have the disjointed appearance of visions from a nightmare and any one, Ted and Tony currently, viewing them calls for a SAN Roll (+10%) (0/1).
Also Ted and Tony please Roll Know

Professor Krugman appears in the bedroom door: Found anything useful?

Ted Nelson
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"Thank you miss, you've been very help..." Ted's voice falls off as the images appear on the pad in front of him.
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Sanity,target = 55+10 = 65, [dice]0[/dice] ooc: fail -1 sanity, I assume you will be record keeper priest.

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Know,target = 80, [dice]1[/dice] pass.

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"My God," crossing himself without thinking of what he is doing. "Such disturbing images from such a young girl." Ted quickly crumples up the paper once he realizes he has remembered what was itching out of the back of his mind. Noticing Tony looking over his shoulder for the first time, "did you recognize it?"

Ted Nelson (Ben),[center][img]http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/priest_019/RPG%20Stuff/RPG3/chadwickDoodle_zps78aa249f.jpg[/img][/center] The image is one you have seen before as an illustation in the book [i]A Dream of Japan[/i]. It would appear to be a drawing of the creature called a [b]Yurei[/b]. As you crumple the paper and notice [b]Tony[/b] looking over your shoulder you also notice the professor suddenly standing in the doorway to the room.

Startled by the cool professional investigators sudden devotional action and the, equally sudden, paling of his face. Paula steps back a pace almost coliding with professor Krugman in the doorway, "Wwwwhat is it? What have you found?"

Tony shudders when he sees the images. "I've never seen anything like that," he says, "but it looks like one of those myths in that book about Japan we found, those girls with long hair, whaddayacallem?" He nods to the professor and shows him the crumpled invoice he found in the wastebasket. "Apparently Veronica hired the Maritime East Shipping Agents here in Arkham some weeks ago. It doesn't say what for, but she paid them 186 bucks. That's a lot of scratch, but she could have afforded it. We'll have to pay them a visit and find out what it was for."

OOC,Is there an address on the invoice?

"It's a drawing of one of those Japanese monsters from the book, perhaps the Professor was right when we were at the Chadwick's that night." Ted stuffs the crumpled paper in his jacket. He didn't want it just laying around. "Nice find on the shipping invoice. What did you find on the window Francis?" Ted asks looking around to see if there is anything we missed.
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"Now why would she put the postcard under the bed?? Why not just throw it away, unless there was some part of her sanity still grasping for her friends."
Ted gets up and walks over to her dresser (where ever she keeps her clothes) and takes a quick look through there.
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spot hidden,+20 = 85, [dice]0[/dice]

Tony Esposito (Mr H),There is a full address for the shipping agents printed on the invoice.

Ted Nelson (Ben),You find nothing of interest in the dresser, just clothes, lots of clothes.

"Thanks," says Tony. "There's an Arkham address on this invoice. After we finish here, that should be our next stop."

Francis doesn't seem to understand what he is watching.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4553654/

Professor Krugman: Oh, I say! I'm not sure you should be rifling through the young lady's smalls like that...

Ted Nelson
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"Professor, seirously? We have a young lady whose missing. Possibly kidnapped, gone insane from japenese monsters, or brainwashed from some cult, or something else we haven't considered, whatever the situation, I do not believe from what I have heard of her, it was her choosing. If I thought there might be a clue in the first lady's smalls, I'd search there also. I'm a professional and I take my job seriously. I'd wish you would as well." Ted says with a disgust in his voice.
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Ted looks around the room to see if there is anywhere they haven't searched. "Whats with the window?" Ted walks over and takes a look.

Professor Krugman: Yes but um maybe the lady's female cousin should be attending to those... You know, decorum... What's that you've found on the window there?

Now that Francis has drawn your attention to it you all see that the pane of glass nearest the desk top has a smear mark enhanced by the weak sunlight. You all move to look at it. But the professor seems to realise what it is first, he blows on the glass, and in the fogging effect of his breath on the window you all see;
That an image has been drawn on the glass by a finger. It is similar to the ones you have seen on the pad and seems to be a young woman of asian dress hanging by a rope. The detail is good enough that you can see a single tear drop falling from her eye.
However it is when the drawing is viewed from the level of a person seated at the dek that the true horror hits. She has been drawn in such a way that she looks to be hanging from a branch of the oak tree outside the window.
Sanity Rolls +20% please (0/1)

Ted Nelson
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"How repulsive," Ted says ignoring the previous comment by the professor.
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sanity,target = 54+20 = 74%, [dice]0[/dice]

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"But I have to admit, the girl had some talent. Interesting how it lines up with branch outside." Ted adds.
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Ted moves off to the side and looks at the tree branch in question from a different angle.

Tony is not overly creeped out by the figure in the window. "Weird," he says. "What does that book say about these dames with the long hair?"

Francis wasn't affected but found it of bad taste.
"So the girl probably got nuts, it runs in the family"- he thinks.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4554749/

Professor Krugman (Pat),Please roll [b]ocult[/b]

In answer to Tony's query, Francis, quickly looks through the book. He finds nothing that refers to girls with long hair, but he does find a picture of a mountain rising above a forest similar to the doodle on the desk pad. The picture is captioned 'Fuji rises above the Aokigaraha'

Ted Nelson
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"Mt. Fuji huh. Do you think she booked a ship to Japan?" Ted asks. "We need to go check out that invoice."

"Yeah," says Tony. "That book that Miss Barrett found in the Chadwick library did have a story about ghost girls with long hair. They were called Yurei, I think."

-Don't tell me we need to go to Japan!- says Francis shocked

Ted Nelson
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"Let's not jump to conclusions. We need to check out this invoice first. But it looks like a possibility." Ted looks around the room again. "I think we found everything we can here. Any other ideas before we move on?"

Professor Krugmanconsiders his knowledge of occult matters... unsuccessfully.

Bridget coughs into her fist, seemingly attempting to re-establish her presence amidst the flurry of investigative activity and speculation.

'Bah, I hate it when I blank out like that!' she thinks reproachfully.

Approaching the huddled group she arches herself onto her tiptoes, straining to see over their shoulders and catch of glimpse whatever quality of the vanity that has so piqued their collective interests.
"Oh how awful!" she exclaims, suddenly thankful for the grim exposure that years of beat reporting has bestowed upon her. She turns from the mirror and gazes out the window at the lonely oak, one hand thoughtfully cradling her chin. "Yes, the address on the invoice seems to make the most sense to follow up on. Tony, you think on the way we could swing by the municipal library and try to grab a copy of that book you all found in the study? Whatever Veronica is mixed up in may have something to do with those Japanese mythologies, at least in her own mind. It may provide us with a bit of perspective into her mental state."

'A member of the New England elite obsessed with Japanese ghost stories gone bananas, missing or possibly both? This might have front page material written all over it!' she ponders excitedly, 'I wonder if any of the cub reporters back at the Eagle would be willing to run research duty on this one for a co-writer cred?'

Priest, I'll leave it up to you to determine whether or not Bridget would have sufficient resources back at the Eagle to have someone do research for her.

"Yes, the library at Miskatonic University is supposed to be excellent," says Tony. "We can stop there first, but I don't know if they'll lend books to people who aren't students or faculty. We could always drop someone off to look through it there."

Professor Krugman: I have full use of the library at Miskatonic, don't worry about that.

Bridget claps her hands approvingly, already striding excitedly towards the cramped apartment's door.

"Now we're on the trolley!" she exclaims, "I have some research assistants back at the paper who can chase down some of these leads and hopefully provide us with some additional information! I'm going to check and see if Ms. Hickman has a telephone in the house I can use. I'll meet you fellas at the front door in a blink!"

The plucky reporter heads off in search of the landlady and hopefully a working phone. If one is available she will place a call back to the Eagle and ask cub reporter Chip Jolsen to follow up on several leads, including; obtaining and reading through A Dream of Japan particularly for relevant information on the Yurei, scowering the archives for any past stories involving Japanese Death Cults, and any public information regarding the Maritime East Shipping Agents.

If a phone is not available, she will wait patiently by the front door while working on headline titles and place her call at the first available opportunity.

Bridget Barrett:
Leaving the group in the apartment, you go in search of Miss Hickman, the landlady. She is not hard to find as she seems to be hovering just outside the apartments door, perhaps listening, and from the length of her cigarette ash she has been holding this position for quite a while.
Quickly pulling herself together she shows you to the telephone just inside the front door near the bottom of the staircase. After a long delay while the various switchboards are negotiated you are able to speak to the Eagle and arrange for the items to be looked into. You are told that it will take several days, but they are on it.

Bridget says her goodbyes to Chip before placing the mouthpiece back in it's cradle. She allows a wry smile of self-satisfaction to cross her lips.

'There's nothing like a good scoop!' she thinks to herself.
Suddenly, something catches her attention.

(In the abscence of Ben)

Ted Nelson:

Ted tips his hat onto the back of his head and reaches for a cigarette from his almost empty pack. As he puts a light to the tip he gazes around the room, "Well I guess there is little else to be found here, so maybe a visit to this shipping agents is our next step" He looks towards Tony for some sign of agreement.

Bridget Barrett,As you replace the receiver on its hook you notice that someone has scratched something into the black finish of the telephone. It looks like some kind of symbol, but you dont recognise it. It may be some form of Japanese letter, but it means nothing to you. Taking your pencil you quickly copy the symbol to your notepad, after all it might mean something to somebody. [center][img]http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp292/priest_019/RPG%20Stuff/radical-tree_zpsd155768f.jpg[/img][/center]

Struck by the foreign character etched into the telephone, Bridget offers the looming Ms. Hickman a perfunctory nod and heads back upstairs, happy to have caught the rest of the group before they've set off for the car. Flipping her notepad open, she displays the copied symbol to the assembled group.

"Found this etched into the blower downstairs. I don't suppose any of you can read Japanese?" she states proudly. She angles the notepad towards Paula in particular. "Ms. Deveroux, have you seen this symbol anywhere before?"

"Not me," says Tony, "but maybe the library has a Japanese-English dictionary or something. All right, let's get moving. I'll drive," he adds before Tilda can volunteer.

Tilda, seems quite happy for Tony to drive muttering something abot the Ford being beneath her. She glances at the drawing displayed by Bridget and yawns in a bored fashion. In fact the whole episode is boring her greatly and she could think of better things to be doing, like the South of France for example. Oliver had invited her and a few friends to his yatch in St Tropez and she is seriously considering his offer. She has fulfilled the desires of her aunt to her best ability, but it seems that Ronnie has simply vanished. That being so, the it was her decision and Tilda doesn't see why that should spoil her plans to winter in Europe.
"It looks like the Japanese symbol for tree, but it is so badly drawn that I barely recognise it"

Other Language,Japanese 40% 1d100 → [25] = (25) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4565462/

Your journey to the Miscatonic is uneventful despite their seeming to be a large number of emergency vehicles on the roads, however;
Normally you would expect halls of academia such as Miskatonic University to be studiously quiet, but today the grounds are awash with activity. No less than a dozen emergency vehicles are parked in the lot outside the huge old Orne Library with tens of emergency personnel working to evacuate the main buildings. Students wander the grounds of the campus in small groups, watching the excited hubbub. On the road through the massive gates, a policeman waves you away from the turn-off that leads to the parking lot.
"Sorry folks, the University is closed temporarily. Some sort of gas leak. As soon as the leak is found and dealt with the place will be open for busness"

Professor Krugman: Thank you for driving, Mr. Esposito... Oh dear... I had hoped we might pause for refreshment at one of the faculty senior common rooms before visiting the library. Basic hospitality was sadly lacking at the lodging house. But now... Oh dear... 'Cursed is he who lives in Interesting Times' if you will allow me a Chinese rather than a Japanese proverb!

-How convenient. So, any other library we can go? Or is there any japonese comunity where we can go ask anything? Like a chinatown?- says Francis

Ted Nelson:
Watching the activity around the university as Tony swings the car back into the traffic, Ted, after a moments contemplation, says, "Rather than get caught in never ending cycle of searching for possible clues to some Japanese mythology connection. It would be best to just go to the address of the shipping agents and see what we can find there. That seems to be our only concrete lead at the moment. We know she contacted them, and from her possesion of their card it is likely she visited them in person, so lets go see if they remember what it was she saw them about"

-Thats another possibility-says Francis.

Bridget watches the infamous university shrink in the growing distance behind them and ponders their bad luck. She scrawls a reminder to herself to follow up with Chip at the Eagle. If he's successfully obtains a copy of the text, perhaps he could pass it along to them once he was done with his initial research. Of course, there was always the option of 'Ronnie Mouse's' personal copy back at the manor...

"Rotten luck guys." she says from her place in the backseat. She idly studies the Japanese character on her notepad. "'Tree' eh? And in poor penmanship no less? Not a fantastic leap to assume Veronica carved it into the telephone. I wonder why though? Something to do with that oak outside her window?"

She shudders slightly as the disturbing image on the mirror is conjured up in her mind.

"She did have a morbid interest in it after all..."

"Yeah, that's a good thought," says Tony as he drives away from the university. "Maybe she hid something in the tree. We'll have to check it out when we go back there. Do you want to do that now, or should we continue on to the shipping agents?"

Ted Nelson

Ted nods, "It's possible but I think we need to check out the shipping agents as we are so close. According to the address the place should be just around the corner... Down there between the post office and the restaraunt"

Just ahead you see a small, shabby looking shop front squeezed between the Post Office and 'Luigi's Fine Italian Cafe', a small painted sign proclaims 'The Maritime East Shipping Agency'. Another sign hangs askew on the door 'Open'...

Bridget nods in agreement with Ted. She straightens out the creases on her blouse from the long car ride and approaches the door to the squat establishment.

"Lets see what we can find out." she mutters, more to herself than to her compatriots.

She opens the door and steps inside.

Continues here, viewtopic.php?f=306&t=5152

Professor Krugman: Yes, yes, the shipping agents. Good idea.