Play@YSDC

Boston 1920, November 23rd 9am

It's another busy day in Newspaper Row, the location of the Globe, Boston's premier newspaper. The weather is still gloomy, and the threat of rain is never far away. On a day like this, Boston can seem like an oppressive and claustrophic place.

Isadora arrives in a cab, clutching the letter of reference from Jordan's contact at the paper which will get them into the 'morgue', the file of old stories. They are to contact a Mrs. Michaels, who will provide assistance with their archival search.

"Good morning," greeted Owens. "Did you sleep well, Ms. Carmichael?" They went inside the Globe, walking up to the front desk.

"Norman Owens and Isadora Carmichael, appointment with Mrs. Michaels."

The receptionist fixes them with a beaming smile, and checks her appointment list “Certainly Sir. Please wait over there”. She indicates some comfortable-looking seats.

Shortly an attractive middle-aged woman appears, wearing a pale blue dress. She walks up to Norman and Isadora and introduces herself. “I’m Norma Michaels, assistant features editor.” She shakes hands. “I’ve been asked to help you with some enquiries you have. Can you tell me what you need from us?"

Even though the chairs are comfortable, Isadora doesn't feel comfortable at all. She couldn't get much sleep, her mind was reeling in one place, trying to deal with mere reality of such a force, as the one encountered at Corbitt House.

She is happy when they are approached by Norma Michaels.

"Thank you for receiving us!"

"We are researching the history of a house..."

She gives Michaels the address. The she provides a disclosure of sorts straight away:

"This house is believed to be haunted by many, it has a reputation. We would like to find reports or articles on past incidents connected with it, and this is what we need your help with."

Norma raises her eyebrows in surprise. “A haunted house? That’s not what I had expected. Well, it will be the morgue that you need. We can check to see if there are any stories associated with your address. Please follow me”.

She leads the way to the elevators. As they wait, she says, “You must have an influential backer to get this kind of access at short notice. I wonder, could there be a story for me to investigate in this?”

"Maybe there could be." He looked to Isadora, the unspoken sentence was "Only if you wish it too," and said: "We're working for Mr. Jordan, the property agent, do you know of him?"

"Here's some names to look out for: Macarios, Milligan and Corbitt, who I guess was the original house owner."

“Yes, Jordan has a lot of properties in Boston and Cambridge. He’s an old friend of my editor. Which is why I’m helping you of course!”

They enter the elevator and head down to the ‘morgue’. “The entries you’re looking for, if anything exists, should be filed under address. We generally use names for more famous people. So we’ll start by looking for Copp’s Hill.”

The elevator doors open on a lighted basement corridor. Norma leads them to a large filing room, full of folders and boxes – no doubt the ‘morgue’. After a short discussion with the clerk, she leads them to the section with file for the North End and Copp’s Hill.

After some rummaging, she produces a file. “Ah, we’re in luck!” She exclaims. “We have some articles”.

She hands a clipping to Norman, and the three of them crowd around to read.

Isadora is amazed by the Boston Globe archives. So much information in one place! At first she fears that they won't be able to find anything, but turns out there is a system, and a good one, because soon Norma fishes out a newspaper cutting. Isadora skims the article (not noticing the Macario / Marcario typo). She takes out her little notebook and writes down the date of the article.

"Yes, this is the latest incident... Can we, uh, 'go back in time' and look for any previous mentions of the address?"

"I wonder if Macario is still at Roxbury Sanitorium?"

Norma reaches into the file. “Here’s another one” she says, “although actually its more recent.”

"This explains why the windows are nailed shut," says Isadora and points to the third paragraph. A small, but important detail, she adds it to her notes.

"Here's the last one" says Norma, her curiosity aroused.

This is not an article, but a rough draft which never saw publication.

OOC:   Article follows:

"What haunts the house on Copp’s Hill Terrace?

Monday, October 28, 1918

Something sinister seems to haunt a local Boston house.

Whatever it is has destroyed three families in the last 40 years.

The two-story house at 20 Copp’s Hill Terrace has been the site of fear, madness, death, and
possibly murder since before the turn of the century. In 1880, a family of French immigrants
by the name of LeDeux rented the property and moved in. What horrors happened to those
people that year will never be known save that a series of violent attacks of some kind left
both parents dead and their three children crippled for life.

The house stood vacant for almost 20 years but in 1909, another family moved in. From the
time they moved into the house, Mr. and Mrs. Jones fell prey to illness and sickness, almost as
if the house itself were conspiring against them. Their children did not fare much better though
all of them lived in the house for several years.

The terror reached a head when, in 1914, the oldest of the Jones children went mad and killed
himself with a kitchen knife. The Jones family moved out after that, heartbroken at their loss.
A third family rented the house in 1917 but left after less than a month when all of them became
ill at the same time.

Is the house haunted? Perhaps there is something wrong with the water or some disease still
lingers there from when it was built. In any case, anyone who dares live there now had better
be brave and strong for they take their lives into their own hands."

A note is attached which reads:
"Do NOT print - The editor says we will end up with a damn lawsuit on our hands" - Copyed

Norma voices her disappointment. "They've already squashed this story! That's a damn shame".

"The house ought to be torn down. Ms. Carmichael, I don't know what I hoped to discover, but these articles simply confirm it's an objectionable place to live."

Owens noticed that Norma Michaels was attractive but he has a strict code when it comes to women: only unspoken for friends are worth pursuing, so flirting was out of the question.

"What next?" he said, his brow slightly furrowed with disappointment. "The library, the sanatorium, and those poor children? I'll telephone the sanatorium."

Tabs wrote:"The house ought to be torn down. Ms. Carmichael, I don't know what I hoped to discover, but these articles simply confirm it's an objectionable place to live."

"Yes, I agree... Yes..." Isadora is quite shocked by the amount of gruesome details.

"But don't you at least want to find out first what causes these inhumane conditions?"

OOC:   I will redistribute some point to reflect this, but overall Isadora is not likely to use influence in such cases.

"Let's try the sanatorium."

"Yes, I think I do, now. A mystery I want to solve."

"Thank you for you assistance," Isadora says to Norma.

"Do you think they will grant us access to Mr. Macario in the sanitarium? What can we say to them? We are not family."

He smiled, but it was mirthless. "Let's wait and see, I may think of something."

OOC:   Ring the sanatorium.

Norma raises her eyebrows in surprise. “You want to interview the Macarios? It says here they’re insane”.

She shrugs her elegant shoulders. “As a journalist, I think the main library might be a better bet. They might have records which predate ours.”

She glances at her watch. “I’ll need to get back to my desk. I’ll take you back to the lobby – you can use the phone there to call the sanatorium if you wish”.

She leads the way back to the elevator.

In the elevator: "'Interview' is a step too far, I'm just trying out all the avenues that I can think of. You think it is a bad idea, Mrs. Michaels?"

In reception, on the telephone to the sanatorium: "Good morning, I'd like to talk to someone about one of your patients."

OOC:   He'll include Isadora in the conversation; e_s, feel free to speak for Owens.

"I'll fetch the duty Doctor" comes a voice on the line. "Please hold."

After about five minutes the phone is picked up again. "This is Doctor Devine. Which patient are you inquiring about"?

"Vittorio Macario and his wife, Gabriella, I'm Mr. Owens, a family friend. How are they? and could I visit?"

"Mr. Macario isn't really capable of receiving visitors. It's possible to see him but he's not able to communicate coherently" says the doctor.

"I can ask Mrs. Macario if she feels like receiving visitors Mr. Owens. It might help her to talk with a friend. Do you have a number I can call you back on? In about an hour?"

Owens gave the number of his landlady, explaining that a message can be left.

To Isadora: "Where next?"

"I hope Mrs. Macario won't object to our small lie and talk to us," says Isadora.

"Let's go to the library next. We probably won't have such a helpful person as Mrs. Michaels there. I can find my way around a catalog, but don't really know how to go deeper into research."

"Maybe she will--object, I mean. We'll have to play it by ear. Right, to the library."

It is another taxi ride to the McKim building, the main home of Boston’s public library service. It is a large and busy building, and a little forbidding, leaving the heroes to wonder at the enormity of their search.

After asking at the main enquiry desk, they are directed to the archives for newspaper articles, which includes the Boston Globe. Entering a dim, musty room, empty apart from a scholarly looking gentleman seated at a reading desk who ignores their presence as he peruses a pile of clippings, they are at a loss where to start, but are determined to press on. They regard the rows of filing cabinets silently.

OOC:   What will you search for?

"Excuse me, sir," he said to the scholarly gentleman, "would you be willing to help us find the information we need?"

"Afterwards I will go up to the Main Library as well, maybe they have books on the history of the area the Corbitt house is." she says to Norman, before they enter the newspapers department.

While Norman attempts to get the attention of the gentleman, Isadora walks over to the newspaper catalog and tries to understand its structure. Are there any indexes for addresses or Boston localities? Do they store thematic collections of clippings, maybe?

OOC:   Roll for Library Use 33% [dice]0[/dice]

OCC,That's close enough Evil, I'll give you a success. But first please both of you answer the man's question.

The man glances up at Norman briefly. "That depends. What information are you searching for?"

"We are researching the history of a house in one of the Boston areas," says Isadora and names the locality. She thinks that there might be information relating to the house in a broader "history of Boston" context.

"And also about the owners of this house, their family, whether they played any important role in the city."

Isadora would like to see if there are articles listed for the "Corbitt" family, for example.

"Which area of Boston is it?" says the man. "Do you know the street"?

"Yes, it's 20 Copp’s Hill Terrace," discloses Isadora.

"Well, I suggest you look under the person's name, and also Copp's Hill". He goes back to his cuttings but then raises his head again. "Actually, I believe that street used to be known as Sheafe Street". He looks down again.

Isadora decides to look at that name first. After about 20 minutes, she exclaims "Success!"

Norman looks over her shoulder as they both read the article.

OOC,You will need to make further library use rolls to get more. Norman, as a former candidate for post-graduate study at Harvard, can have a +10 bonus to his library rolls.

"Oh, well done!"

Spot Hidden 35% [dice]0[/dice]

"I cannot find my way around these documents," said Owens. "Ms. Carmichael, any more luck?"

Isadora once again delves into the depths of the catalog system...

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

With nothing else under the Sheafe Street address, Isadora searched for Copp’s Hill. Once again, after searching for about 10 minutes, she was successful, finding another Globe clipping:

OOC,Well done! You can both make another Library Use roll (not spot hidden), Norman has +10

OOC Sorry,don't have time to do the flavor text now, but here's my roll to keep things, well, rolling!

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

Library Use 35% [dice]0[/dice]

"Now then, that's more like it!"

Noting the age of the articles, Norman has the idea to search the obituary columns. After some time, he too has some success.

OOC,Great - now roll Library Use one more time

"So Walter Corbett must be buried somewhere in the garden? Unusual," said Owens. He commented: "I'd want my ashes scattered over a northern forest..."

Library Use 35% [dice]0[/dice]

"Good thinking!" Isadora says when Norman pulls out the obituary. "A strange outsider, this Mr. Corbitt. One would think that a person with such an expensive property would also like to have a rich funeral, a family tomb... Maybe we can find his grave in that jungle of a garden."

Corbitt was a lawyer, the obituary says, so Isadora thinks there might be traces of this activity, or any other activities connected with his name.

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

Idea [dice]0[/dice]

"Mind those fingers."

Isadora wants to find out more about the lawsuit AGAINST Corbitt, initiated by his neighbors: what upset these Bostonians so much, that they decided to take it to court? Maybe there are follow up articles archived in the library? Court files must be stored in a different place.

She concentrates hard, maybe some idea will spring to her mind...

Idea 70%:
[dice]0[/dice]

Isadora searches further but has no luck. Frustrated, she sits down to rest and clear her mind, and glances at the scholarly gentleman whose advice proved useful, who is still intently reading his newspaper articles. She notices that his suit is somewhat old, and his collar and cuffs are beginning to fray.

OOC,Good point about the lawsuit - keep that in mind.

Carefully, so as not to attract the gentleman's attention, Owens indicates to Isadora the gentleman's fraying cuffs... and then realised he wasn't the one who had the Idea.

Isadora takes a few articles and sits down opposite the gentleman. She doesn't approach him right away, but takes a few notes (writes down the dates of the articles they've discovered, to establish a timeline later), re-reads the clippings. She then tries to strike up a conversation again, remembering that this gentleman in the old clothes have already given them useful information about the old name of the street.

"I'm sorry to disturb you... But you seem to know a lot about the history of Boston.

This house we are looking into as a history, a bad history. Have you heard anything about it?"

At the same time, she tries to take sneak a peak to see what the gentleman's working on.

“I know some history” frowns the man. He obviously doesn’t want to be disturbed. “I’m sorry but my research is of the utmost importance. I really must finish.”

He notices Isadora glancing furtively at his notes and covers them up. “If you’ve found what you’re looking for then perhaps you’d be so kind as to let me continue in peace” he says gruffly. He has developed a twitch in his eyebrow and Isadora can see that his fingernails are badly bitten. There are dark circles under his eyes and he has the look of a man who hasn't eaten well for a while.

OOC,Can you think of an offer you can make him?

He saw what Isadora was about, he lent forward over her shoulder and whispered: "Not subtle, at all, but we could offer a slap-up meal for his help?"

The man looks annoyed and seems about to say something harsh, but he then relents.

"Well, if it means that you'll leave me alone, I’ll have a look for you. Do you want more information about Copp’s Hill?”

"Yes please, sir."

"Is that all? Please tell me now so that I don't waste my time. And by the way, it will cost you 20 dollars".

"And information about Walter Corbitt, one-time owner of the house. 20 dollars it is."

If Norman objects about the price, Isadora quickly scribbles in her notebook: "I'm picking up this bill."

“Very well”. The man stands up and moves to the files. It is possible to see that he is very tall, over six feet. His long fingers begin to move through the files, and he is obviously very at home in this setting.

After 20 minutes he returns to where Isadora and Norman are sitting, bearing a single clipping. “This is all that remains under those names, I guarantee it. Now, please pay me my money”.

Isadora exchanges $20 for the clipping and the man resumes his place again. Excited by their final find, the heroes ignore the man’s rudeness as they begin to read.

OOC:   Perhaps Isadora & Norman would like to discuss their next move over lunch? It's about 12.30 pm now.

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.

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.

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."

"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."

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."

"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?"

"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? "

"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".

"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? "

"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.

"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."

"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."

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

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

[dice]0[/dice]

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.

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]

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.

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..."

"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?"

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

"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..."

[dice]0[/dice]

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

Idea 70%
[dice]0[/dice]

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.”

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

"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.

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”.

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

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]

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."

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."

"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...

Isadora's plan is to introduce herself as the wife of George Auden, heir to a major Bostonian industrialst. Both she and Auden are Theosophists and researching the history of spiritual movements in Boston, the various forms (sometimes not very decent) they take and took in the past.

"I'm having second thoughts, though," says Isadora to Norman, still before entering the Court. "Would a simple clerk understand this project? He might get confused by the terms if he's not familiar with them, and ask us to leave.

Maybe we should take a more down-to-earth cover story -- something about money and property, and George" (meaning her husband, george Auden) "wanting to buy a property that was once connected to the Church."

"I don't know. Let's try your first option. I could stand behind you and try to look tough, y'know a bodyguard, implying that you're a V.I.P.--it may lend you some gravitas?"

"Possibly a bad idea of mine! Let's do what you said."

"Sorry, that I keep going back and forth with ideas... But technically we are doing nothing illegal, investigating the house on behalf of Mr. Jordan. He hired us. And Jordan is a well-known man, maybe even more my husband. And a simple court clerk knows more about investments and property, then Theosophy."

A scary thought crosses her mind: if, heavens forbid, the Church of Our Lord Granter of Secrets is still around and learn that somebody is snooping around, Isadora and Norman can say it is for historical research... But this is clearly paranoia: the Church was raided and probably disbanded many years ago!

"You're second guessing too much, Ms. Carmichael. Go with it and we'll roll with the result; and we need visit my Professor."

Isadora raises an eyebrow, but doesn't reply.

The duo finally arrive at the Municipal Courthouse in Pemberton Square. The sun is beginning to dip low in the sky as the cold of the late November evening nips at their bones.

Asking for Records, they are directed down a flight of stairs where they arrive at a desk on which a slim young clerk in his mid- twenties wearing a collar but no tie is sorting through case files. He is intent on his work and doesn’t look up as they approach.

Isadora walks up to the clerk.

"Excuse me, sir, can I interrupt you for a moment?"

If the young man reacts, she continues.

"I would like to access a case file. I am working for Mr. Harold Jordan, Jordan Property Inc., and we are looking into the background of one of the houses he purchased."

She has a note with the date and reference number of the case.

"Can you please assist us finding this file, or point us to the register?"

OOC:   I presume Isadora knows the name of the company Jordan has, so I've made up 'Jordan Property Inc.'...

The clerk takes the note, and then looks at Isadora and Norman.

“This number is for a criminal case. I’m afraid it’s only accessible by a court or police officer. You say you work for Harry Jordan?”

OOC:   Sounds good! Jordan would be pleased

The clerk seems intrigued despite himself.

“I know of Mr. Jordan, he has done a lot of charitable work in Charlestown, which is my neighbourhood. But how do I know that you both work for him?”

Isadora remembers that they wanted to get an official paper from Jordan, but in the end he only gave them a personal (spoken) recommendation to the Boston Globe...

"We can call his office. His secretary can support our claim."

Owens kept silent; though he felt a tad guilty that Isadora was doing all the work.

The clerk pushes over the telephone on his desk.

"Feel free to give him a call" he says cheerfully.

Isadora smiles at the clerk, then picks up the phone and asks for a connection to Jordan's office.

Jordan comes on the line. "Mrs Auden - Carmichael! I'm glad to hear from you. I hope you're having some success with your investigations".

Isaodra is lucky: getting through to Mr. Jordan personally is even better than his secretary.

"Good day, Mr. Jordan! Yes, we are making progress. Right now I'm calling from the Municipal Courthouse in Pemberton Square. The clerk in charge, a resident of Charlestown, just needs a confirmation that we are working on your behalf."

Jordan pauses "I had better know what it is you are asking of him. I get the feeling that he'll need some reassurances?"

"We are investigating the connection of the house to a criminal case from 1912. We need to see the court materials. We are hoping that they will clean up some rumors concerning your property."

She doesn't want to go into more detail with the clerk hearing, but IF Jordan asks for more details, she adds: "There is a rumor, that a group or organization with dubious criminal connections might have used the house at a certain point. If we access the court materials, we can confirm or deny this."

OOC:   That photo is lovely!

Owens made agreeing noises.

"Good Lord!" exclaims Jordan. "Yes, I'd better speak with him. Please put him on ".

Isadora passes the phone to the clerk, who picks it up and moves so that his conversation won't be heard.After about ten minutes he returns and hands the phone back to Isadora.

"Mr. Jordan will speak with you" he grins, and picking up the note with the case number heads off into the files.

"The young man is an effective bargainer" grumbles Jordan, "but I want you to get to the bottom of this mystery. You'll have your file. Please call me later to fill me in on all the details, I'd be very grateful." He rings off.

OOC:   Ouch!

"Thank you, we will report soon on our progress," she simply says and terminates the call. She has a feeling that on their next meeting, Jordan might NOT indulge them with top shelf sherry.

The clerk returns and hands Isadora a file. Without taking his hands from it, he tells her “You can read it here and now, you are not to remove anything from it or let it leave my sight”. He lets go of the file.

On top there are 3 affidavits which all contain the testimony of residents near the Chapel of Contemplation’s location, swearing that it was responsible for disappearance of 3 neighbourhood children. This is the information that led to the police raid of January 1912, and which resulted in a gun battle in which the chapel burned down. Three policemen and seventeen cultists died during the raid, with many more wounded.

The report is somewhat brief and is accompanied by autopsy reports on the cult members, which seem perfunctory and somewhat incomplete. Several key details are missing, and you are left wondering if the coroner had actually carried out autopsies.

54 chapel members were arrested, however all but 8 were released. Pastor Michael Thomas was sentenced to 40 years in state prison on 3 counts of second-degree murder. However he escaped in 1917 and is missing, although he is believed to have fled the state.

As Isadora and Norman read through the reports, they get the sense that senior police and legal officers, perhaps together with city councilmen, interfered in the investigation in order to keep the whole affair from public knowledge.

After they finish, the clerk takes the file back. “We’re closing soon, so you may want to make your way to the exit.” He returns to the filing cabinets.

OOC:   Does the file have the address of the burnt down Chapel?

"Thank you," Isadora says blankly to the clerk. She is utterly shocked by the contents of the file.

"Gun-toting cultists, abduction of children..." she shakes her head when they are outside the Courthouse. "Pastor Michael Thomas must have been at least 70 when all this took place! That, if he was only 20 in 1866," she adds, checking the dates against her notes. "Escaped in 1917?! This is absurd... Maybe it's not the same Pastor Thomas, but a Pastor Thomas, Jr.?"

"Let's go to the university, meet up with the Professor. And in the morning..." Isadora pauses for the second. "...we approach the house again. Although I would like to pay a visit to the ruins, or, well, the place where the Church used to stand. I'm sure now its place was built over."

"You've done a good job, Ms. Carmichael."

Owens speculated wildly about what they would find at the site where the church burned.

"Yes. Let's ask that news stall man its whereabouts."