Chapter 5: Investigations

[Tabs]

"Let's meetup at 9 tomorrow morning. I'll visit my Professor this afternoon to borrow the instruments you require."

[evil_scientist]

"Settled!"

She flips through her notes, then turns to Norman:
"Can I go to the University as well? I want to say 'hello' to the Professor as well, and then maybe go to the university library and check up this Chapel of Contemplation & Church of Our Lord Granter of Secrets in history books and the likes..."

[HoneyDog]

OOC:   Before you leave, you can both roll for Idea

[Tabs]

[dice]0[/dice]

[evil_scientist]

Isadora puts her notebook back in her bag, and just tries to let her mind flow freely.

Idea 70%
[dice]0[/dice]

[HoneyDog]

Isadora has a sudden thought – what if there are any references to the Chapel in Criminal Court proceedings?

She approaches the file clerk and asks to be directed to the relevant files. He is friendly and willing to help, being much impressed by Isadora’s untypical appearance. With the name and the year, it only takes ten minutes for the clerk to find a reference.

“It’s not much” he says, holding the reference card and peering at it closely. “It says that in January 1912 the Boston Police Department took action against the Chapel of Contemplation, but it doesn’t say what exactly. The records aren’t here.”

[Tabs]

"They sound most disreputable. To have attended one of their services would have been an eye opener and no mistake."

[evil_scientist]

"Mr. Corbitt moved in strange and dangerous circles indeed."

Isadora tries to imagine a Theosophist meeting and meditation session raided by the police, without much success. This Church clearly had some strange, anti-humanistic agenda, if they were "taken action against", whatever that means. Although, she wonders, the details are very vague and this might not be the case.

"And where else can we look for those records? Is it common to have only a reference card, but not the other documents for a case?" she asks the clerk.

[HoneyDog]

The clerk is eager to impress Isadora. “What a fascinating woman!”

He clears his throat. “Records for serious crimes are kept at the Municipal Court if it the incident took place here in Suffolk County. You could try there. Although I don’t think they will let you see them without good cause”.

[Tabs]

"I cannot think of a good reason..."

[HoneyDog]

OOC:   To access the records at Municipal Court, you can roll for Law, Credit Rating or Fast Talk

[evil_scientist]

OOC:   Do we have enough time to go to that other archive today? Or is it at this same place, just, like, on a different floor?

When they get to the Municipal Court Hall of Records, they inquire about the Chapel of Contemplation case (armed with a precise reference number from the catalog). If the clerks stonewall them, Isadora does something she hates: she invokes the name of her influential husband.

Crdit Rating 29%
[dice]0[/dice]

[HoneyDog]

OOC:   The courthouse is on New Chardon Street, probably about a 15 minute walk from your location. You should make it before the close of business today (it’s about 3.30 now). The clerk will be sufficiently impressed by your husband’s name and the reputation of his legal advisors to be willing to help, but you’ll still need a convincing story to justify why you need to look at the records.

[evil_scientist]

OOC:   Is it okay to do this 'retroactive' scene with our characters discussing their cover on the way?

On the way to the courthouse, Isadora discusses their cover story with Norman.

"I'm not good at lying. Maybe I can say that I am researching the spiritual movements of Boston. My husband is a known Theosophist, so it would make sense for him to encourage such inquiries. Do you think this is a believable story?

We can also just go ahead and say that we are looking into the background of a property on behalf of Mr. Jordan... Maybe drop the name of my husband as a potential buyer, but I wouldn't go into that."

[HoneyDog]

OOC:   Sure, that's fine. One point that might be important though - Isadora uses a different last name...

[evil_scientist]

OOC:   About name use: "For official documents she hyphenates it: Carmichael-Auden. But generally she goes by Carmichael, as she already has some renown in certain circles (she isn't a widely known artist, and is more likely to be known to occultists than art dealers; although her works sometimes appeal to the "uninitiated" as well)." So her husband's name appears on her official documents, and she can use it for leverage.

[HoneyDog]

OOC:   That's okay then, a point in her favour. Good luck Isadora!

[Tabs]

OOC:   "spiritual movements" = spooky poo!

"I never lie," said Owens self righteously; "but not from a moral standpoint, it's because I'm useless at it and am always found out. I'd believe your story."

[evil_scientist]

"I'm not very good at lying either, but this story I can tell with a straight face. It's something I would do, something I'm interested in... Let's give it a try!"

At the courthouse Isadora recounts her cover story as planned...

[HoneyDog]

OOC,Which story is it you're going with? Guys, you can't just walk into a court and demand to records of previous cases, no matter how well you roll the dice, so you [b]both[/b] need to do some convincing if you want to see this information