Chapter 5: Investigations

[Tabs]

OOC:   I just realised, the tall, tatty-clothed and rude gentlemen describes Lovecraft himself.

"$20, Ms. Carmichael, I wish that I could contribute, but I cannot," he added sheepishly. "Thank you."

"Lunch, on me?" Owens racked his brain furiously for an inexpensive and interesting restaurant.

[HoneyDog]

The pair find a reasonably priced diner nearby the library. Although Isadora is used to more refined surroundings, she is no snob and feels perfectly comfortable. She attracts a few curious stares from the patrons though.

After the waitress brings them their coffee, they order and settle down to talk.

[evil_scientist]

Isadora sits in silent contemplation. On the one hand, she is afraid of going back to the house... The evil presence tainted it. But on the other hand, curiosity and the hunger for knowledge drive her towards that wretched place!
The waiter arrives with their orders. Isadora eats some vegetable soup, then puts down her spoon, and finally speaks up.

"We should look into the lawsuit against Corbitt, find out what were his 'surious habits and auspicious demeanor'. Maybe Mr. Jordan has connections in the city law archives? Is there even such a thing? Archive of official acts? I'm not sure..."

She starts flipping through her notes.

"The second lawsuit came after his death, but we don't know the result. He might be buried on his property (the basement, it seems, not the garden as we though first), after all, but might not."

[Tabs]

"When we return to the house I'm taking a spade and my pistol too. I believe that he was buried in the basement; there's something down there which is responsible for the haunting, a nest of rats maybe--I shudder to guess what fed them originally." Owens gulped down his tea. "Ms. Carmichael, how gross am I? I do apologise."

[evil_scientist]

Isadora shudders and puts down her spoon again.

"Rather gross... Let's hope this is not the case."

Such discourse was commonplace in her social circle in Paris, but she could never get used it fully. She thinks a lot about the state of the soul after death - but tends to ignore the faith of the material body...

"I cannot censor your language or your thoughts, but I'd advise AGAINST bringing the gun. You cannot hit rats in a dark basement, and having such a dangerous item in the unstable atmosphere of that house is a bad idea."

"We should bring those instruments and tools I've talked about. In 'haunted houses' space and conditions are distorted. Compasses point to all the wrong directions, barometers and thermometers go wild."

[Tabs]

"Of course," conceded Owens, with a bow of his head. "I'll ensure that we have the instruments you require.

"Is this your first haunted house?"

[evil_scientist]

"Many houses can be considered 'haunted', I think. But in most places without such dire results... In Switzerland, in my youth, at school, we contacted former pupils and teachers. But that was different, those were lingering memories, without any tangible effect. This is the first time I encounter something so twisted."

Isadora finishes her soup and, after some hesitation, orders blueberry pancakes. Then she excuses herself for a minute.

If there is a telephone in the diner, Isadora calls her husband, who knows more about law and bureaucracy more than her. "Do you know whether there is a possibility to access courthouse documents from 1866? "

[HoneyDog]

"Yes my dear" comes the voice from the other end of the line. "You'd need to try the Hall of Records at City Hall. This must be a thrilling adventure you're having. I hope that Owens character is behaving himself".

[evil_scientist]

"Yes, Mr. Owens is a good person, we get along fine. And the investigation is moving forward as well."

Isadora prefers not to tell her husband about the rush of negative power she felt at the house.

"Do you by chance have any acquaintances down at the Hall of Records? Or maybe somebody from the Society? "

[HoneyDog]

"We-ell, no-one who can help you with an archival search unfortunately. But don't be shy about using my name to prod some clerk into giving you assistance if you need it. Good luck my dear!"

OOC,Try using a library use roll when you get to the records.

[evil_scientist]

"Thanks! See you in the evening!"

Isadora hangs up and strolls back to their table. She sits down to eat the pancakes that by now hopefully arrived. "I talked with my husband, he told me that we need to go to Hall of Records at City Hall. No shortcuts, though, so we are up against the stacks ourselves."

[Tabs]

"Well done, Ms. Carmichael.

"I've not tried blueberry pancakes since kindergarten.

"You said 'contacting former pupils' in Switzerland; were they dead?--oh, I think I see, those from the past."

[HoneyDog]

After finishing their delicious pancakes, Isadora & Norman return to School Street to visit City Hall. They are directed to the Hall of Records, where within they are yet again confronted with the prospect of trawling through dusty old files. Who knew ghost hunting would be so bureaucratic!

Hoping to find the outcome of the lawsuits against Walter Corbitt, they decide to look in the civil court records.

OOC,You can both try library rolls

[evil_scientist]

Library Use 33%
[dice]0[/dice]

[Tabs]

[dice]0[/dice]

[HoneyDog]

Thirty minutes later, Isadora finds a reference to Corbitt. There is no information about the outcome of the lawsuits, only that the executor of Corbitt’s will was a Reverend Michael Thomas, pastor of the Chapel of Contemplation & Church of Our Lord Granter of Secrets, located in Copp’s Hill.

[evil_scientist]

The layers of dust make Isadora cough, but she covers her mouth with a handkerchief and investigates the filing cabinets... and achieves at least a slight success!

"Our Lord Granter of Secrets? What kind of denomination is this?" she wonders, and shows the yellowed document to Norman.

The use of the word 'secret' means to Isadora that this is probably not one of those plentiful American Christian variety churches. She thinks hard about the name -- maybe she heard it mentioned during a Theosophist meeting? People discuss various religious, pseudo-religious, meta-religious, philosophical etc organizations.

OOC,Is an Occult roll applicable here? Something along the lines of "Knowledge of local occult organizations"? If so,here's a roll: [b]Occult 45%[/b] [dice]0[/dice]

[HoneyDog]

OOC,Let's assume that this chapel is certainly not a place where the average worshipper would want to frequent!

Isadora gets the idea to look up the chapel in the register of churches. After about another thirty minutes of searching, she finds a brief reference that the Chapel of Contemplation, located in Copp's Hill, was closed down in 1912, but the reason isn't stated here.

[Tabs]

Owens puffed his cheeks, tiring of his fruitless search.

"A decidedly odd denomination. How many others were buried in their own basement?--an unhappy thought.

"I'm itching to do some digging..."

[evil_scientist]

"I suspect membership in this uncanny congregation is something Corbitt's neighbors could have considered a suspicious habit...

You know, I feel a weird closeness to Corbitt, a link through time and space: he, too, I feel, was on a tireless search for knowledge, for spiritual enlightenment. But who knows what he encountered on his road!"

The thought of digging up the basement and generally returning to the house makes Isadora utterly uncomfortable, but she knows that it is inevitable.

"Do you think we have time to return today? Or should we gather our tools and strenght and visit the house tomorrow in the morning?"