[Scene I] Barely time for a drink...

[Airbornexo]

The Lounge Bohemia
Covent Garden, London - 27th November 1932

On eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane stands 'The Lounge Bohemia', talk of Covent Garden. The area, associated with the fruit and vegetable market in the central square, by the late 20s had begun to grow into a popular shopping and tourist site. The Lounge relied heavily on the passing trade of London's famous West end in the early days; people waiting for a shows at the nearby Royal Opera House or further afield. Many, from all walks of life, rub shoulders in its cosy booths and darkened snugs, rich and poor alike: Where good jazz is concerned the social boundaries are, for the evenings at least, set aside.

The club stands at the heart of the district which is divided by the main thoroughfare of Long Acre, north of which is given over to independent shops centered on Neal's Yard and Seven Dials, while the south contains the central square with its street performers and most of the elegant buildings, theatres and entertainment facilities. Covent Garden, bustling with bars and clubs, is a welcome retreat from the dank and foggy London night. A mere ten minute walk from Scotland Yard the Lounge Bohemia was a natural draw for the younger and trendier members of London's finest. Such was the reputation of the music, serene atmosphere and well priced food and ale that its attraction drew others as well. The Lounge's growing reputation as a police bar was, to most, irrelevant.

For Amanda it was just another day at the job, she was beginning to garner something of a reputation that was spreading beyond the walls of the Lounge. That made her equal parts apprehensive and excited, she was comfortable in the small club. Her fans, that frequented the stage seats, gave her confidence that led to her celebrated performances - the Evening Standard had even described her as "enchanting"!

Millicent sat in her usual spot, nibbling the end of her pencil, her notebooks strewn on the table in front of her, the ashtray beginning to fill up...the cocktail beginning to empty. She waited for tonight performance, surely she would find some inspiration tonight...surely. She nodded a friendly greeting as, across the room, her acquaintance Felix took his usual table. He raised his glass and smiled warmly in response.

He was a good sort, another writer. A pang of jealously suddenly and unexpectedly ran through her, he had little care for inspiration - when the Yard called, he had a story on a plate! Maybe not tonight though as his main, go-to source was propping up the bar. She didn't care for Detective Grimes, the sour fellow was short on patience and shorter on temper. He had a haunted look, but perhaps it might be worth digging a little deeper there. Deep melancholy seemed to sell in certain circles...surely...

George Grimes pushed the second pint glass of best bitter across to his friend Sam Reed. They had crossed paths in his dealings at the Yard and George was prepared to overlook the more dubious elements of his business, as the man knew his stuff when it came to antiques. He also moved in circles that a police detective found hard to penetrate. Sam had been invaluable in the summer of '31 when George had put an end to a crew of ruffians with a specialty for breaking into West end properties, butchering the occupants and gutting the contents for resale on the black market. The crew had swung naturally but the unusual friendship held fast and Sam and George met often, both socially and professionally. George looked over to where Felix sat; the man had also done him favours, in his line of work you took all the good press that was available. He was his go-to guy when it came to press releases, 'but not tonight' he thought 'by God I'm tired'...

But that was an hour ago, and now the five stood uncomfortably in the hallway of the dingy student apartment. The clock on a nearby church gently rung out a quarter to ten in the evening, the soft sizzle of constant rain muffling its sound. A constable, pale and agitated, paced back and forth.

Grimes held court, at home in a crime scene. Millicent was impressed, sour attitude or not, he was clearly a very competent detective and she was still reeling that Felix had dragged her along, muttering about collaboration into a book on multiple murderers in the capital. The singer, Amanda, looked pale...understandable when your neighbor is butchered at home. The five waited for the police doctor to finish his ghoulish work and then they could get some answers. Sam looked uncomfortable dragged along by Grimes on the understanding 'this won't take long and then we can get back to it, we've barely had time for a drink...'

OOC:   The investigation opens in media res, with the investigators being summoned to the scene of a murder at a student apartment in Wellington Street, Strand, London.. Forgive the slight hand-wavium to allow you all to participate in the opening scene!

[Dave Syrinx]

Grimes steps out to the hallway and shuts the door to the apartment. He looks at Miss Somerville contemplating if she could be involved in some way. He shrugs that away. Always stick to facts... as long as possible. "This address is now under the Yard's investigation. By no means may you enter unsupervised by an officer of the law. Ms Somerville, I strongly advice against using your apartment for the next few days. This is just a precautionary suggestion of course. Do you have any alternative accommodations at hand? Furthermore, we have some questions for you regarding the deceased. As you are one of his neighbours."

He has been collecting a number of samples from the scene for analysis at the Yard. His initial deduction had to wait till after at least three drinks. There's not much more to do before the coroner had done his business. Grimes' own finds regarding access to the victim and clues as to how he'd been murdered surely would help out sufficiently to draw up a line to follow. "But.. not tonight... a tad too late for that...."

"Sam, my man. I'm afraid we'll have to take those drinks at a later location after all. This might take a while longer than anticipated."

Before he want outside to the waiting foursome, he had been taking notes on the state of the victim telling how she met his demise, possible missing articles from the apartment and signs of forced entry. The usual things. Now, interviews would follow. And writing the report...

Spends,3 points put in for Evidence Collection.

[Tabs]

Mr. Grimes, sir, maybe I can also take a look at the crime scene?" says Felix Henriot, "I have my camera," he adds.

OOC:   Preparedness? Keeper Edit - Certainly, I can't imagine he would go to many places without his camera and notepad.

He says as an aside to Millicent: "Ms. Broadacre, this could be the story we are looking for?" he hopes his whisper has not been overheard by Amanda Somerville, concerned that she may be distressed by events and desiring to make a good first impression.

[Priest]

Millicent attempts a smile in response to Felix’s whispered comment, however, as she has been told on many an occasion, her smile is neither friendly or reassuring.
She shakes another cigarette from the cardboard pack and lights it from her dwindling supply of matches. She could hear her mother’s voice issuing dire warnings over her nicotine addiction, but she only had a few pleasures in life and her fags was one of them.
Speaking of pleasures her heart leaps when she overhears the detective, Grimes, asking if Amanda had somewhere to stay. Almost choking on her last inhale of tobacco smoke, she says, in a measured way, “There is always room at my place dear girl, if you don’t mind slumming it?”

[Airbornexo]

The door opened and a dour-faced middle-aged man stood framed by the doorway as the pale light spilled out into the narrow ground floor hallway. The man, recognizing Detective Grimes, grunts a greeting: “Glad he found you Gory, I asked Constable Alexander to look for you…you seem to attract these gruesome ones.” He nods in recognition to photographer Felix who recognizes Dr. Howard Guinn as one of the doctors working pathology at Scotland Yard.



Guinn does not attempt to lower his voice or trouble to conceal the scene from the onlookers, but continues with a cursory explanation. “The victim is Hector Hornley, a second year student at the King’s College just around the corner. His body was discovered around an hour ago by the landlady, Mrs. Pelletoot, on the floor of the apartment he shares with another student. She lives on in the middle apartment of the three in this building and is sitting with Constable Allen at present. She hasn’t taken her discovery to well and has had to have a sit down with a cup of tea.”

“It would appear that Hector Hornley has been cruelly and savagely murdered. My initial examination shows that his neck has been broken. More worrying is that his eyes have been gouged out, and his throat slashed and partially opened by a sharp object – specifically, the broken shard of coffee cup."

"I would suggest that the assailant took Hornley by surprise, and was considerably bigger and stronger than him. Beyond that I would need to perform an autopsy, but I don’t expect to find anything more. He’s still in there under a sheet, I’ll send for my boys to pick him up when you’re done.”

He closes his small notebook and begins screwing the cap back on his fountain pen whilst casting around, searching for his hat.

Grimes,Dave I'll hold that spend until you get into the apartment proper. Just want to slow the pace slightly for Handy to join in after the weekend :)

[Dave Syrinx]

Keeper,the spends will be used inside, of course.

"Much obliged, Guinn. I understand Allen had his share of discomfort as well." "Allen really hasn't got the stomach for these cases. No point in telling him that directly better he learns that for himself." He waves at his entourage. "I'll secure whatever leads there are and give word to Allen to alert you when we're finished here. You don't mind me bringing my friends to watch a real horror show? This is the Grand Guignol for real. They will be aiding me in documenting the scene and I'll be doing an interview with Miss Somerville who happens to be living next door." He winks at Felix already preparing his camera.

Holding the door, Grimes asks Amanda, "Are you quite all right miss?"

[Tabs]

Felix returns the nod: "Dr. Guinn," he says.

He listens to the Doctor with interest, the shocking detail of the cruelty inflicted upon Hector Hornley are, sadly, something Felix has become accustomed to as a photographer and journalist, he interrupts: "Dr. Guinn, would you say that the--" he pauses a moment, because women are present, "--gouging and slashing are the cause of death, or crimes committed after life was extinguished?" Felix hands Dr. Guinn his hat.

~

"Do you think Mrs. Pelletoot would wish for the company of her own sex?" he asks Millicent.

[Tabs]

OOC:   Who is Allen? (Referred to by Gory.)

Felix returns Gory's wink with an accepting, raised hand and enters the scene of crime.

OOC:   He'll use Evidence Collection as Gory did. Is a spend required?

[Dave Syrinx]

OOC:   Allen is the constable nursing the land lady Pelletoot.

[Tabs]

OOC:   Oh yeah!

[Priest]

Millicent gazes at Felix for a few moments with a disinterested stare, "Pardon...Oh the landlady...Possibly"

Millicent thinking:   Why do men always think that women have some kind of nursing instict,a sypathetic nerve that kicks into action wheneveranother female is distressed? Next he'll be suggesting that viewing the murder scene is far to horrific for a innocent female.

She smiles, but makes no attempt to move in the direction of Mrs Pelletoot's apartment.

[Tabs]

Felix almost bites his tongue when Millicent replies to him. "Remember," he thinks, "she is an independent woman."

[Airbornexo]

Dr Guinn looks a little surprised about a voice other than Grimes' asking him a question, but in a flash of recognition he catches a rebuke on the tip of his tongue.

"Who the...oh hullo there Felix. Has Grimes dragged you on another thankless task? I'm not sure you'll be able to publish much of the scene...a little, shall we say...like an abattoir!" He shrugs to himself and answers the question asked.

"I would say the desecration of the body was certainly done postmortem, however there is still a great deal of...spillage...hmmm...in the room. Watch where you tread old boy."

He takes the hat from the photographer's outstretched hand gratefully.

[carnage_lee]

Samuel Reed

Listening to the man standing in the doorway to the room recount the gruesome attack on the deceased student Sam takes a few steps back, as if to distance himself from the dreadful scene, suddenly wondering why he'd accompanied the others here as all thoughts of a few drinks in the club vanish from his mind. Feeling rather like a spare wheel he hangs back and tries to be as unobtrusive as possible.

[Mr. Handy]

Amanda Somerville is still wearing the black sequined dress in which she had performed at the club, though she does have her overcoat on over it to ward off the chill night air. Even so, she can feel the sensation of ice running down her spine, and she knows that it is not due to the weather. Her already fair skin has turned white as a sheet, and she shivers involuntarily as she hears the descriptions of the brutal murder that occurred two floors below her home.

Finally, she collects herself and addresses Detective Grimes. "Thank you, Detective," she says, "I'll be all right, I think. Of course I'll answer any questions you may have. I want whoever is responsible for this brought to justice as much as you do." If not moreso, she thinks, suppressing a shudder. "It could just as easily have been me. Perhaps I could help Mrs. Pellatoot once you're done interviewing me. I do know her, and I'm good at putting people at ease. I can stay somewhere else for the next few days. I don't want to stay here right now anyway. I don't feel safe here any more." She looks over at Millicent and manages to muster a faint smile. "Thank you for the kind offer. I do have a friend I might be able to stay with, but I don't know if I should impose on her."

[Priest]

Millicent returns Amanda's smile, a genuine look of concern etched on her face. "Dear girl, the offer stands. It seems unavoidable that you stay somewhere else and in easy contact" She gazes at the detactive, as if for support, "Throw a few things in a case, my place isn't too bad...Cosy enough for two...and only a short taxi ride. Then we'll check on the landlady together"
Millicent pulls her overcoat tighter not sure if the shivers she feels are caused by the chill November air, or something else.

[Dave Syrinx]

"Good. I will have to hear you after I've surveyed the crime scene, Ms Somerville."
Wanting to see the site and make a possible reading of what had brought the lad to death, Grimes enters the apartment.
"Shall we do this?" Not as a question but as a statement.

He brings forth a notebook and a pencil.

[Airbornexo]

Grimes pushes the door back open. It had gradually swung itself, noiselessly, to. Pausing for a moment and cocking his head he steps across the threshold into the apartment. He is single-minded and leaves the door open behind him. The other's cannot resist but to crane their necks slightly to take in the scene of the crime. He turns with a grunt to his audience gesturing at the door itself. The door to the apartment is made of heavy wood, and has both a lock and a chain. Neither was forced, suggesting that Hector Hornley let his murderer in freely. Millicent repressed an inappropriate grin, at the way this information was communicated clearly but without words....'my my, perhaps you are an interesting man after all,' she thinks.

Hector Hornley's apartment is small and cramped, a classic student bedsit. There’s one living/dining room, a tiny dingy kitchen spied to the rear, and a open door leading to a bedroom with twin beds just visible. The wallpaper has a singularly unpleasant yellow pattern. Amanda cannot help but feel a hint of pride, 'not nearly as nice as my loft apartment upstairs'.

The first thing that takes the eye is a toppled dining table, with a pair of legs sticking out from behind it; hastily, and badly covered, with a stained tablecloth. The smells of ash, blood and urine hang thickly in the air and reach out into the corridor to assault the senses of those gathered there. Constable Alexander pauses in his pacing of the end of the hall, looks up - ashen faced - and then resumes his nervous pattern.

As Grimes moves into the room he clearly can see Hector’s body which lies in the middle of the room, contorted and bloodied. The embers of a fire glow hot in the grating, and there’s a lot of ash there, suggesting some object was burned.

There are two smashed coffee cups on the floor next to the overturned table, pieces of them are strewn around the floor which is also covered with a large amount of blood-splatter patterns. Grimes moved over to the fire and began poking around with the end of his pencil...

Grimes Evidence Collection,Examining in the ash in the grate reveals the remains of three burnt objects. One was definitely a small book, the others were a notebook and a piece of paper, perhaps a letter. [b]Grimes [/b] knew exactly where to look. He deftley reached up inside the warm chimney and was rewarded a moment later, finding half of Hornley’s library card stuck a little way up the chimney. The card was obviously thrown on the fire, but lifted out of the flames by an updraft. The card, in Hornley's name, is for the Maughan Library, Chancery Lane, London, King’s College London (Strand Campus). [ooc]This required a 1 point spend here, the other two points are held in reserve at the scene if the opportunity arises. You have a couple of other small rooms to investigate and the body itself. ?[/ooc]

[Dave Syrinx]

"Hmmm..." Grimes glances around the room. Alerted by the ashen air he hunkers down by the fire place. Some fiddling later he returns from the dig and places four burnt pieces on a cleared shelf near a window.

The objects,1. [b]Hornley's[/b] library card - intact - for Maughan Library, King's College. 2. A burnt piece of paper. 3. Pieces of a small book. 4. The remains of what once was a notebook.

With pencil still in hand he moves to the covered body. Slowly lifting it to unveil the face. "Could you have a glance at those?"
The phrase has no address and he's watching the other way while pointing in the general direction of the finds.

[Airbornexo]

OOC:   1 point Stability check please Grimes due to the nature of the corpse, despite fore-warning from the doctor. I'm assuming his not just whipping the covering off to show to everyone - or is he?