Play@YSDC

Posted: **Tue May 09, 2017 8:33 am**

After having abandoned the Sunset Hotel, you meet back at the Three Palms. Holly, Christopher and Clarence are the first to arrive. They sit in the hotel hall, waiting for the other two. Half an hour later, Ian enters from the main door, almost running, a grave expression on his face.

OOC: Cam is outside, in the car, waiting for Ian to bring him clean clothes.

Posted: **Tue May 09, 2017 8:49 am**

Posted: **Tue May 09, 2017 4:42 pm**

Christopher Fontana

Christopher looks up as he hears someone hurry across the lobby; almost spilling his coffee as he hurriedly puts his cup down. "Ian.. we're over here..." he says raising a hand beckoning the worried looking man over. "Where's Cam..." he trails off seeing the worried look on his fellow investigators face.

Posted: **Tue May 09, 2017 8:57 pm**

Holly also looks concerned. "He's all right, isn't he?" she asks. "If he's hurt, I can help him."

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2017 11:57 pm**

Ian Morin

Ian start talking nervously, recovering his breath. "Jesus Christ, thank God you're here. I messed up! Sometimes I can't control myself! I'm so sorry... I'm sorry."He takes a couple of deep breaths before continue. "Holly, please... Cam's outside, in the car! He's been shot! I'm so sorry! We followed the guy... He knew me... I... I... Cam warned me but..." He keeps talking without making any sense.

Posted: **Thu May 11, 2017 3:23 am**

Without a word, Holly springs to her feet, grabs her medical bag, and runs out to the car.

Posted: **Thu May 11, 2017 9:16 am**

Holly runs to the car, immediately noticing a broken car window. Cam is sitting at the driver's seat, searching inside a wallet. His shirt is blooded near the shoulder, but the wound already looks treated and bandaged. Holly can quickly confirm that the bullet went in and out cleanly, and Cam has skillfully applied the bandage. There seems to be nothing more she can do.

Meanwhile, Ian heads upstairs to fetch some clean clothes.

Posted: **Thu May 11, 2017 9:47 am**

Cameron

"Thanks, Doctor" Cameron says gratefully. " I'm just lucky it wasn't a larger bullet. Once Ian gets back with some new clothes, I'll come up and tell you about it "

Posted: **Fri May 12, 2017 2:24 am**

"You're welcome," says Holly, relieved that his wound isn't as bad as she had feared. "I think you'll be all right. The bullet was through and through, so it won't need to be extracted, Do you want me to stay with you until he gets back?"

Posted: **Fri May 12, 2017 7:46 am**

“No thanks” smiles Cameron. “I’ll be up shortly to give a report. If you have anything to drink though, I could do with a shot. No pun intended.”

Posted: **Fri May 12, 2017 5:25 pm**

OOC: Will be reading the [IC - LA] A Trip to Pasadena (Ian, Cam) thread in anticipation of having Ian and Cam tells us what went on.

Posted: **Fri May 12, 2017 7:48 pm**

A few minutes pass, then five, then ten, fifteen, and still there's no trace of Ian coming back. Something doesn't feel right.

Posted: **Sat May 13, 2017 3:42 am**

Cameron is getting impatient. It's hot and the car is beginning to reek of his blood. "Where the hell is he?"

Posted: **Sat May 13, 2017 3:45 am**

Holly takes a small bottle out of her bag and hands it to Cameron. "I have some medicinal alcohol," she says, "and in your condition, you could probably use some. Just take an ounce and a half, it's fairly high proof. I'll go in and see what's keeping Ian." Holly heads back inside to find the others.

Posted: **Sat May 13, 2017 7:59 am**

Christopher and Clarence are still standing in the hall, waiting for Ian to come back. They have no idea why he's taking so much.

Posted: **Sat May 13, 2017 3:10 pm**

"Cam will be okay," says Holly. "Where's Ian? Shouldn't he be back by now?"

Posted: **Sat May 13, 2017 4:49 pm**

Christopher Fontana

"Ian should be back by now.." Christopher says frowning, I'll go and see what's keeping him." Christopher heads up to their rooms.

Posted: **Sat May 13, 2017 5:18 pm**

"We should all go," says Holly. "I have a feeling something's very wrong."

Posted: **Sat May 13, 2017 7:01 pm**

Holly, Christopher and Calrence run up to Cam's room, where Ian should be. And he is there, it's just... he's not searching for Cam's clothes. He seems to be doing nothing at all, actually. Sprawled over a bed, looking at the ceiling, slightly drooling and showing a dumb smile.

Posted: **Sat May 13, 2017 7:56 pm**

Ian Morin

As Ian hears the door opens he seems exceptionally glad, jumping out of bed. "Hello fellas! And hello Holly! I am SO happy you're here! How's Cam? Fine, right?" He says with a smile. He walks towards Holly, grabbing her by the waist and staring at her bosom. "I, on the other hand, could really use some help. Would you help me? Damn, you smell good. She does, right, handsome?" He seems to be talking with Clarence. "I could smell you all day! Gentleman, could you give us some privacy? Or you can stay. The more, the merrier." And start sniffing Holly's neck.

Posted: **Sun May 14, 2017 12:50 am**

"You do need some help," says Holly, feeling increasingly uncomfortable and certain that something is very wrong with him. "I've got something in my bag for you. Why don't you lie down, and I'll give it to you?"

Posted: **Sun May 14, 2017 8:29 am**

Posted: **Mon May 15, 2017 2:23 pm**

Ian Morin

Ian's face glows with happiness as he sits on the bed, gently pulling Holly's hands towards him. "Yes! Let's lay down. But forget about the bag, would you, doll? You have everything I need right here." He scans Holly's body from head to toe, apparently very pleased with what he sees.

Posted: **Tue May 16, 2017 3:35 am**

Holly glances at the others and gives them a meaningful look, then turns back to Ian, carefully extracting her hands. "No, you definitely need what's in my bag," she says. "Don't worry, it'll make you feel better. If you gentlemen will please lend a hand..."

Posted: **Tue May 16, 2017 5:03 pm**

Christopher Fontana

"What's going on... Ian what on earth are you doing!" Christopher asks, feeling very unnerved by his friend's behaviour; it's obvious that something is wrong with Ian and he is acting totally inappropriately. Christopher moves to block Ian from further harassing Holly.

Posted: **Tue May 16, 2017 7:26 pm**

Posted: **Tue May 16, 2017 9:15 pm**

Posted: **Wed May 17, 2017 9:19 pm**

Clarence Lanalor

Clarence steps forward and lays a restraining hand gently but firmly on Ian's chest while pinning his arm to allow Holly access, ready to apply more pressure on his hold(s) if necessary.

"Ian buddy, It's Clarence. What's happened to you - this is most unlike you my friend." Once he is pinned by myself and Christopher I nod to Holly for her to continue.

Posted: **Wed May 17, 2017 10:06 pm**

Ian doesn't seem to resist as the two men hold him down, allowing Holly to check him more carefully. They're now in close contact with Ian, and from what they can smell, he has soiled himself - not that he seems to care, though.

Posted: **Thu May 18, 2017 3:04 am**

"He's definitely under the influence of some sort of substance, and he's had a high dose," says Holly after examining Ian. "My guess is it's Nectar. He's probably had it before the last time he was in Los Angeles. I had been thinking of sedating him, but I'm not sure if it's safe. The sedative could interact with the drug he's ingested. There's no way of knowing, since I don't know what Nectar really is. Even if we get a sample and I analyze it in a lab, it may be difficult to determine. The only cure I can think of is time. Eventually he'll come down off of it, but there may be withdrawal symptoms. It's quite possible he's become addicted during his earlier time here. Whatever it is, it acts as a muscle relaxant among other things. His heartbeat is accelerated, and his pupils are dilated."

Posted: **Thu May 18, 2017 4:09 pm**

Christopher Fontana

"Quite right, we don't want to make things worse for him... we'd better keep him here until 'whatever it is' has worked through his system."

Christopher tries to lead Ian to a chair... "I'm sure that Clarence and I can take care of him... if you would take a change of clothes down to Cam?" he asks Holly.

Christopher continues to lead Ian to a chair.

Posted: **Thu May 18, 2017 8:32 pm**

Ian Morin

Ian looks at Christopher's hand grabbing his arm and puts a hand over it, looking at him in the eye. "Well, if Holly isn't interested... I guess it's just us, boys. I'm not particularly attracted to men, but I'm pretty sure we can have a lot of fun."

Posted: **Fri May 19, 2017 2:32 am**

Holly nods and gathers up the clothes. "We've got to get this Nectar off the streets," she says, heading back to where Cam is waiting.

Posted: **Fri May 19, 2017 9:47 am**

Cameron is sleeping when Holly returns. He gratefully takes the proffered clothes and changes, careful not to start the bleeding again.

"What happened? he enquires. "Why so long?"

Posted: **Fri May 19, 2017 5:22 pm**

Christopher Fontana

Christopher carefully but firmly removes Ian's hand from his own; "Why don't you sit down and tell us what it is that you have taken?" Christopher asks Ian in a flat tone.

Posted: **Sat May 20, 2017 3:14 am**

"Ian is...not himself," says Holly, politely turning her back. "He's under the influence of some sort of drug, most likely Nectar. Did he eat or drink anything while you two were in Pasadena?"

Posted: **Sat May 20, 2017 5:23 am**

“Goddam him” thinks Cameron. To Holly he says, “I had him search the body of the man we followed. He must have found the drug on him.”

He leaves the car and follows Holly into the hotel. “He’s a hype, Doctor, an addict. He nearly got us killed today. He’s a liability unless we get him straightened out. We’re in serious trouble.”

They head up to the room.

Posted: **Sat May 20, 2017 5:10 pm**

"I came to the same conclusion," says Holly as she follows Cameron back to the room. "He must have gotten hooked during his earlier visit to Los Angeles. I hope he hasn't taken all of it, both for his health and so that I can have a sample to analyze. If anyone can help him, it's me. I've had patients dealing with addiction before, whether it's alcohol, cocaine, or something else. An addict is never truly cured. The temptation is always there as long as the drug is. That's yet another reason we have to stop the flow of Nectar."

Posted: **Sun May 21, 2017 7:47 am**

Cameron regards Ian sadly. “What a goddam mess.”

To everyone else he says “Please give me a moment to clean up, and I’ll fill you in on the day’s events. I’m sorry, but we didn’t find much to go on, and now in fact things are worse than ever.”

After he washes and comes back in, he relates his story to the others. “We went to Trammel’s villa. Ian had another of his seizures as he recognized the place – he’d been to parties there. A Mexican guy left the place and we followed him to an apartment. Ian insisted on accosting him but the guy pulled a gun on him. I tried to sneak up on him but he started shooting. I killed him and his driver. Ian must have got the nectar when he searched his body. I have the Mexican’s address but it’s likely to be occupied by cops right now.”

He sits down, exhausted. “They’re gonna be gunning for us big time now. I’m sorry about this, I should have kept Ian on a tighter leash. I hope you guys have better news.”

Posted: **Sun May 21, 2017 4:27 pm**

"We'll have to change hotels," says Holly. "Pizner doesn't know about this one, but people will have seen us here. Some disguises for the two of you may be in order. Fortunately, with the movie industry in town, there will be no shortage of materials with which to work. We'll also need to check the papers to see what information they're releasing to the public about the investigation into the Mexican's death. We don't even know his name. We didn't discover a whole lot at UCLA, but we did get a new lead. Unfortunately, it's in Ethiopia, which is now under Italian occupation. That's where Dr. Ayers went on an expedition a couple of months before the shootout in 1924. He never came back, and nobody is quite sure what happened to him, but that didn't stop his department from still collecting funding for him and keeping him on the books. We couldn't find anything that directly ties Edgar Job to him, though with the treatment he received from his advisor, it's easy to tell why he might have fallen in with the cult. There was one interesting thing I discovered about Olivia Clarendon. It seems she knew Dr. Ayers. Among his things was a poster from one of her early movies, The Woman in Black. She signed it and wrote 'Thanks for all your help.' There were also letters to Ayers from a Bartolo Acuna from the University of Madrid, saying he should ask E for funding for a joint expedition. E was most likely Echavarria."

Posted: **Mon May 22, 2017 1:38 am**

Cameron

"The Mexican's name was Ricardo Porta" says Cameron, holding out the man's wallet. " It's clear that the nectar business is still running, and Echavarria has a stake in it, if he's not running it outright. Before I would have tried to get the police involved, but now..." he trails off... "I'm at a loss about what to do. We need an angle. Unless we get ourselves over to Ethiopia and let things here blow over for a bit."

Posted: **Mon May 22, 2017 2:07 am**

"I thought Echavarria was killed in 1924," says Holly. "Isn't Trammel in charge of the operation today?"

Posted: **Mon May 22, 2017 2:50 am**

Cameron

"I meant to say Trammel."He closes his eyes. "I should lay down for a little bit."

Posted: **Mon May 22, 2017 10:33 am**

You share the new information, rest and keep an eye on Ian. He returns to normality in about a couple of hours.

Posted: **Tue May 23, 2017 4:23 am**

"Are you feeling better, Ian?" asks Holly. "Do you feel up to talking about what happened?"

Posted: **Tue May 23, 2017 6:35 pm**

Posted: **Tue May 23, 2017 7:53 pm**

Christopher Fontana

While waiting for Ian to shrug off the drug's effects he sets about searching the room to make sure that Ian hasn't hidden any more doses of the drug.

Posted: **Tue May 23, 2017 8:06 pm**

Posted: **Tue May 23, 2017 8:53 pm**

Ian Morin

Ian awakes hearing Holly's voice. He's not sure about what happened until he opens his eyes and sees her by his side. Suddenly he remembers everything he said and did. The shame is unbearable. For a few moments, all he wants is to disappear. But he can't, and after all he have said, Holly deserves an apology. Holly... He sits in the bed without looking at her. I... I don't know what to say. I'm... Jesus Christ... I'm so sorry. I never thought I would... I'm sorry. He looks down for a moment, then finally finds the guts to look his companions in the eye. "I failed you. I came here for a change of clothes for Cam, but I couldn't resist. I took the damn thing. He was down there, covered in blood BECAUSE OF ME ... and I couldn't resist it. I failed him, and I failed you all. I'm sorry." He bends his head, feeling disgraced.

Posted: **Tue May 23, 2017 11:53 pm**

Cameron regards Ian quietly before speaking.

"You need to get yourself straightened out. We'll help you as best we can. But I won't let you take anymore risks. I hope you understand."

He changes the subject. "The man in the lobby, his name was Ricardo Porta. What can you tell us about him?"

Posted: **Wed May 24, 2017 3:30 am**

"I forgive you, Ian," says Holly, looking at him with compassion. "You weren't yourself. Like other addictive things, Nectar can make you do things you wouldn't normally do, only it seems even worse than the others. I can help you get through it. We'll get another sample somehow for me to analyze. God knows there's all too much of that stuff floating around."

Posted: **Wed May 24, 2017 7:47 am**

Posted: **Wed May 24, 2017 12:56 pm**

Christopher Fontana

Christopher pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wraps it around the vial before picking it up, making sure that none of the remaining droplets escape or soak through to touch his skin. Standing back up he holds the vial aloft, "There's a few droplets left, perhaps enough for basic analysis.. barely enough." he shrugs, biting off a remark about the lack of enough of the drug for a full analysis, Ian looked genuinely ashamed and they could probably get more if they really had to.

"I've got some spare stoppers in my case, I'll go get one.." Christopher steps out of Ian's room to his own and locates a suitable stopper for the vial.

... ... ...

Returning to the room Christoper looks at each of his fellow investigators in turn. "So, where does this leave us? Cam are you fit enough to carry on?" he asks.

Posted: **Wed May 24, 2017 3:06 pm**

Cameron looks up. “I don’t have a choice Christopher. We should think about moving, but I also want to check out Porta’s address. If the police are there I’ll back off, but there’s a chance they won’t have found it yet. We don’t have a lot more to go on.”

Posted: **Wed May 24, 2017 6:19 pm**

Ian Morin

Ian nods, completely aware that if he can't control himself, he's a danger to himself and the others.

"I don't remember much about Ricardo. He was my source of Nectar when I was here 2 years ago, and he handles the drug sale in a couple of L.A. districts. He had some importance inside the cult, and I guarantee you... his death won't go unnoticed. We have to be careful."

Posted: **Wed May 24, 2017 11:57 pm**

Cameron stands up.

"I'm going to head over to his address now. Leave a message for me at the front desk so that I know where you've gone. Is there anything else we need to investigate in this city? What about the actress?"

Posted: **Thu May 25, 2017 5:04 am**

"Remember, nobody goes anywhere alone," says Holly. "We definitely need to find a new hotel. Thanks for collecting the sample, Christopher. I hope that's enough to work with. Now we need to get the use of a lab for the analysis. UCLA would have one, I'm sure, and we already know people there who might be able to smooth things over for us in exchange for us keeping certain things quiet if necessary."

Posted: **Thu May 25, 2017 6:01 am**

Cameron

"Who's coming with me then? I need someone to drive and stay in the car while I check out the house."

Posted: **Thu May 25, 2017 10:13 am**

OOC: Keep in mind that it's late afternoon at the moment. You can go check the Mexican's apartment, but it's probably too late to gain access to a laboratory today.

Assuming you want to leverage Dr. MacDunn at the UCLA and get his help to again access to a laboratory, it's a 1-point spend on a suitable ability (like Cop Talk or Intimidation, but I'll accept other options if reasonable).

Posted: **Thu May 25, 2017 2:16 pm**

OOC: Sounds like a suitable time to sneak into an apartment! Cameron will leave immediately.

Posted: **Thu May 25, 2017 3:05 pm**

OOC: OK, is anyone accompanying Cam?

Posted: **Thu May 25, 2017 9:17 pm**

Clarence Lanalor

Clarence leans forwards, unable to look Ian squarely in the eye.

"Hang up there Cam, it seems that you could use a little help there, - I'll come with you. I could use a little air anyways."

Posted: **Thu May 25, 2017 11:49 pm**

Cameron

"Glad to have you along Clarence. The rest of you, be careful. We'll see you later tonight." He pauses at his bag to reload his pistol and picks up his trench knife, a souvenir from the war.

"Let's get going ".

Posted: **Fri May 26, 2017 3:54 am**

"Be careful," says Holly. "Try not to let anyone see you in the area. You don't want anyone to be able to identify you. There isn't time to get a lab today, so that will have to wait until morning. The rest of us can look for a new hotel in the meantime."

Posted: **Fri May 26, 2017 5:25 pm**

Christopher Fontana

Chrstopher isn't at all sure about Cam's fixation on searching Porta's house but can see that his mind is made up. He urges Cam and Clearance to be careful and advises them that he and Holly will pack everything away ready to depart for a new hotel.

"I'm not sure we'll have time to take the 'Nectar' to a local lab to be analysed; we're attracting rather too much attention here... Trammel has 'cops in his pocket' that could be serious trouble for us, they have the manpower to look for us anywhere in the city. It might be best to wait till we get back to Boston before we have the drug analysed." Christopher eyes Ian warily as he mentions the drug.

OOC: My musings...

As I see it all the clues point to Trammel - the cult may no longer exist, perhaps as a front for making/distributing the drug.
I guess we need to know how/where it's made and how widespread the distribution is. It's probably going to be a lot harder to get into Trammel's mansion now - I think any element of surprise has been lost.

I don't think that checking into another hotel will cut it either - unless we can change the number of rooms we need - 5 people checking into a hotel at the same time is something that could be pretty easy to check for.

The only other lead(s) we have are:
Clarendon
The Farm (where Echavarria/Spend et al. were killed).

Ayers - why did he go to Africa?
The whole thing seems to have been started by Echavarria - is there a South American connection?

Please chip in with your ideas/feeling of how we ought to proceed; I'm sure I've missed stuff.

Posted: **Sat May 27, 2017 1:37 am**

"That's a good point," says Holly. "Before we leave, we should try to talk to Olivia Clarendon and at least find out about her connection to Ayers, and we do need to visit the farm where it all happened in August 1924. That's outside of Los Angeles anyway, though Trammel may know about it."

Posted: **Sat May 27, 2017 5:49 am**

Cameron pauses. “Why don’t some of us visit Clarendon tomorrow morning, and the others go to the farm? I’m hoping that Porta’s house might have some indication of where the nectar is being manufactured, and maybe even some of the stuff itself. I agree about Boston, it's getting to dangerous to hang around here.”

He looks at Clarence. “We should go”.

Posted: **Sat May 27, 2017 5:03 pm**

"I'd like to talk to Olivia Clarendon, if we can get in to see her," says Holly. "We should also ask her about Richard Spend. But I'm reluctant to split up at all at this point. Perhaps we should all go out to the farm together as our last stop before we leave Los Angeles. It's liable to be dangerous. For all we know, that's where they manufacture and store the Nectar."

Posted: **Sat May 27, 2017 5:50 pm**

Clarence Lanalor

"Yeah, the Clarendon broad can wait till tomorrow, after all she ain't going anywhere." Turning to Cam I continue; "OK, ready when you are buddy." After saying this I pointedly look over at Ian and mouth to Holly "do you think you'll be alright?"

Posted: **Sun May 28, 2017 1:17 am**

Holly nods. Ian should be okay as long as he doesn't get another dose of the drug, and Christopher is staying with them too.

Posted: **Sun May 28, 2017 4:19 am**

Cameron and Clarence head down to the car. "We need to ditch this car. Bullet holes attract police attention" Cam says.

Posted: **Fri Jun 02, 2017 10:05 pm**

Half an hour later, Cam and Clarence are entering Ricardo's apartment, after having picked an easy lock. It's a large apartment, in a rich area of the city, but it's half-empty, and it looks like most of the rooms are never actually used. After searching inside for a few minutes, you realize there's nothing of actual value or interest for you. You find a letter in the mailbox, though, apparently sent from Mexico City. It's in spanish, and you can't quite make up most of it, except for a familiar name - Brooks.

OOC: I can assume you pick it up and head back to the hotel, where nothing relevant has happened in the meantime.

Posted: **Sat Jun 03, 2017 3:30 am**

Cameron and Clarence get back to the hotel.

“It was a bust” says Cameron. “But we found this letter. It mentions Brooks. Wasn’t he a member of the cult? It’s in Spanish though. Can anyone read it?”

Posted: **Sat Jun 03, 2017 4:35 am**

Holly shakes her head. "I know German and Latin," she says, "but not Spanish. If the rest of you don't know Spanish, we'll have to get it translated by someone we trust, or it might tie us to the killing. Maybe when we get back to Boston we can see if Mrs. Winston-Rogers knows anyone."

Posted: **Sat Jun 03, 2017 12:14 pm**

Posted: **Sun Jun 04, 2017 12:03 pm**

Ian Morin

Ian takes the letter and takes a quick look at it. "Well... I don't know Spanish, but I do know Italian. Maybe by similarity..." He reads the letter, and reads it again. "Hmmm... Couldn't understand much, but apparently it is some kind of report. Something very troublesome is going on in Mexico City. Also, the sender is staying at the Vitoria Hotel. I guess. I mean... probably."

Posted: **Sun Jun 04, 2017 3:06 pm**

Cameron

“This could be a good lead. We don’t have much else to go on at the moment. Why don’t I take it over to a Chicano neighbourhood and pay someone to read it for me? I’ll be in and out before you know it. We don’t have to go all the way back to Boston. I’ll do it in the morning while you folks visit Clarendon, and then we can rendezvous at the farm.”

Posted: **Sun Jun 04, 2017 9:53 pm**

"All right," says Holly, "but be careful, and don't go alone."

Posted: **Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:10 pm**

Clarence Lanalor

"I agree, no-one should go anywhere alone - I'll go with you Cam. After all you need someone to look after you." volunteers Clarence with a mischievous grin on his face as he looks at Cam, knowing he's baiting him.

Posted: **Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:56 pm**

Cameron

"If you're so eager why don't we just go now?" Cameron asks. He shifts his wounded shoulder uncomfortably. "You can drive. It shouldn't take long."

Posted: **Mon Jun 05, 2017 11:45 pm**

OOC: What time of day is this as this may affect what I say below? Please feel free to modify accordingly.

Clarence Lanalor

"Of course Cam." Clarence says, with a wide grin on his face, though the strain of this strange case are starting to show on his face. "Let's get to it then. The sooner we go the sooner we can be back and report on what we can manage to find out."

As they were descending the stairs Clarence asks, "Hey there Cam, being serious for the moment. Did you have anyone in particular in mind to read this letter? I mean can we trust some random passer by with this? Might a library, school or university or some other official body not be more appropriate? Think about the stuff we have seen and ask yourself if would it be fair to simply ask a total stranger to potentially be sent careering down the same path as ... Job or any of the other whackos we are having to deal with.

Now whether or not all this crud is real is a matter of personal opinion, but these loons firmly believe it, which in my book makes them even more dangerous. And by the way, I would have laughed in your face if you had suggested to me some of the things we have seen - but we have both seen and heard too much ... far too much to deny that there is something decidedly sinister going on here. And I don't mind admitting to you that I for one am as nervous as a turkey coming up to thanksgiving."

During this monologue, Clarence has slowed his pace down and is starting to punctuate his speech with jerky hand movements and wild eye movements. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.

"Look buddy, th - this case has really gotten to me," with a wry smile he adds, "as if you needed telling. I mean look at the state of me. A street hardened PI, and it turns out I knew jack! Part of me wishes I had never come across that Winston-Rogers broad. But I guess we're in it now, for good or bad. Just one thing, not a word of this to the others right buddy?"

Posted: **Tue Jun 06, 2017 8:46 am**

Cameron

“Sure Clarence, this is between us. But honestly, don’t feel that you need to see this thing through to the bitter end. You’ve been shot once already in this thing. You can still walk away. I certainly wouldn’t blame you if you did. You look like you could use a drink. I’m gonna pick up a bottle.”

He continues on.“Look, about the letter – I’m just going to show it to a street vendor, and pick up a tamale while I’m at it. The letter won’t have any context so it shouldn’t give too much away. I’ll give them some money, and then we’re gone. Should only take a few minutes.”

They reach the car and Cameron sets off to find some Spanish assistance.

OOC: I don't know where they are so I don't know how long it would take I'm afraid.

Posted: **Tue Jun 06, 2017 9:55 am**

There's a large spanish-speaking community in Los Angeles, so it's not hard to find someone willing to translate a short letter for a few bucks - hopefully, someone that's not linked to the cult.

Once translated, the letter says:

"Ricardo, the situation is as bad as we feared, if not worse. Brooks has lost control of things here. I couldn't discover the current level of production, but surely selling is not going well. You asked me to investigate Luz Records, but I don't think they have something going on there, at least not anymore. I suggest to act quickly before the situation gets even more compromised. Please report this to the Captain. I'll be staying at the Victoria Hotel waiting for further instructions.

Felipe"

Posted: **Tue Jun 06, 2017 3:05 pm**

Cameron

Cameron and Clarence return to the hotel with the translated letter, the contents of which they relate to the others.

“I’m guessing that production might refer to nectar production” says Cameron, his inadvertently flicking over to Ian when he mentions nectar. “Then the stuff is being manufactured in Mexico. I say we head down there, and pay this Felipe guy a little visit. We could fly down there after visiting Clarendon.”

Posted: **Tue Jun 06, 2017 5:04 pm**

Christopher Fontana

Christopher considers the new information. "No doubt you're correct that this refers to the 'Nectar and that their operation in Mexico is in some kind of trouble' .. it's interesting that the writer exhorts 'Felipe' to report to 'the Captain ... Walker and not to Trammel. And Luz Records... Luz translates to Light ..." he tails off pondering.

Posted: **Wed Jun 07, 2017 4:37 am**

"We also want to look at the farm," says Holly. "We may find new leads in Los Angeles at one or both places that we may wish to follow up on before we leave town. I'd also like to find a lab where I can analyze the sample, and we might be able to use one at UCLA. I don't think it's that unusual for Felipe to deal with Caotain Walker. Trammel is the boss, so it makes sense that he might delegate to a trusted underling. Pizner was aware of Trammel, but he reported to Walker too. Looks like Mexico City is our next stop after L.A., then. That's a more logical place to act, since that's where they make the Nectar. Even if we stop the distributors here, new ones can take their place. We have to cut off the supply."

Posted: **Thu Jun 08, 2017 5:40 am**

Cameron

“If you get the sample analysed Doctor, then some of us can attempt to speak to Clarendon. I doubt it will be that easy though. After, we can meet and investigate the farm. After that, I’m in favour of going down to Mexico. They won’t know that we have this new information, so they won’t be expecting us. We should get to Felipe soon. If he isn’t contacted by Ricardo Porta, he’ll know that something is wrong, and then they might take steps to change their operation down there. To be honest, I say we go down there first thing tomorrow, but I know that you all think that these other lines or enquiry are worth looking at.”

Posted: **Fri Jun 09, 2017 2:18 am**

"I had hoped to speak to Miss Clarendon myself," says Holly, "but I'm the only one who can do the analysis, and we don't want to take the extra time to do one and then the other. Christopher or Clarence should accompany me, as they've also been to UCLA before."

Posted: **Fri Jun 09, 2017 4:42 pm**

OOC: How're we going to approach Clarendon?
How easy would it be to arrange to meet a movie-star? Via their agent? On what pretext?

Posted: **Fri Jun 09, 2017 11:33 pm**

OOC: It would be better to surprise her, just in case. Find out from her agent or studio where she might be if possible. Did they have Variety in those days? It would list all productions going on. I'll have a look.

I think the best way to get access to her is to just say that we have to talk about a matter relating to her past, and drop a few names to get her attention.

Posted: **Sun Jun 11, 2017 1:32 pm**

OOC: So, are we going with something like:

Holly and Clarence to the UCLA to find a laboratory.

Ian, Cam and Christopher trying to speak with Olivia Clarenfon.

If that's fine I'll proceed with the new topics.

Posted: **Sun Jun 11, 2017 2:39 pm**

OOC: Fine with me. Daily Variety began in Los Angeles in 1933, so that might have the details for any productions Clarendon is involved with.

Posted: **Mon Jun 12, 2017 2:28 pm**

OOC: Olivia Clarendon seems to be working on her new film, The Blue Moon. It's likely you can find her at the studios in Hollywood.

Posted: **Mon Jun 12, 2017 2:36 pm**

Overlord87 wrote:
OOC: So, are we going with something like:

Holly and Clarence to the UCLA to find a laboratory.

Ian, Cam and Christopher trying to speak with Olivia Clarenfon.

If that's fine I'll proceed with the new topics.

OOC: That's fine by me.

Posted: **Mon Jun 12, 2017 8:56 pm**

OOC: Back to UCLA it is then

Play@YSDC

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