Play@YSDC

A few minutes later, Madeline returned with a silver tea tray and set it down on the table. She took up the teapot and filled the three cups on the tray, then distributed them to her guests and kept one for herself.

"Have you seen anything suspicious last night? Perhaps on your way to one of the bomb shelters, have you seen anyone of note? And do you mind tell us of a few people that your mother keeps in contact with? It might be possible that your mother had gotten help on escaping." Anna asked.

"I didn't see anything suspicious," said Madeline. "I wasn't in a public shelter. I stayed in the Anderson shelter out back. It turns out I needn't have bothered. No bombs fell on Bayswater. As far as I know, I'm the only one who visits Mother - well, my husband's gone with me to see her before, too, but he's been awfully busy lately. If she has any contacts, it would have to be someone on the sanitarium staff. The way I see it, she had to have help from someone on the inside in order to escape. She's always been very good at convincing people to do what she wants. God knows she's done it to me plenty of times growing up."

"I see. So there's no friends or acquaintances that she keeps in contact with except you? This..it's certainly unusual. Where do you think will be the most likely place your mother will visit aside from your place?" Anna said, carefully examining Madeline's face.

Psychology 75%,[dice]0[/dice]

"Mother hasn't been in the outside world in ten years," said Madeline. "I'm not sure where else she might go. Perhaps the British Museum. That's where Father used to work, and there are a lot of memories there. I'm the only family she has left. Father was...killed during the incident. I'm sorry I can't be of more help."

Anna Jerkins,[b]Anna[/b] could tell that [b]Madeline[/b] was holding things back and trying to deceive and misdirect them, though she was mixing in the truth with it to make it sound convincing. [b]Madeline[/b]'s description of her mother's persuasive ability was accurate, but she was lying to protect her mother and divert their attention on wild goose chases by trying to deflect suspicion onto the sanitarium staff and directing them to the British Museum. [b]Madeline[/b] had a subtle tell where she blinked whenever she would do this. [b]Anna[/b] could also sense some fear from [b]Madeline[/b], and also some of her mother's madness, though she was not as far gone as [b]Catherine Exeter[/b].

OOC,[b]Rufus[/b], you may roll Psychology as well.

Anna tried not to let concern and suspicion show on her face, as she nodded along. She'll have to call her boss afterwards. A followup visit needs to be arranged, and she deduced that Madeline must've suffered from child abuse during the past.

"My lord, perhaps we should go out and take some air, I'm afraid the living room is a bit...stuffy." Anna blinked at Rufus, tilting her head at an angle as she addressed him. She turned back towards, Madeline and gave small smile, brushing her hair back slightly. "Mrs. Steadman, do you mind telling me more about your father?"

Rufus nods at Anna, "I suppose I could use some air, I'll be back shortly."

Lord Colville looks around the outside of the house, checking for a basement or celler with an entrance or window outside the house.

"I loved my father," said Madeline, looking sad, "and he loved me. People kept saying he was mad, and a maniac, but that's not the father I knew. He doted on me and raised me well. Father just wanted what was best, even if he went about it the wrong way."

Rufus went back outside. There didn't look like there were any windows or doors leading into the basement in front of the house. The houses in this block were flush with each other, and there were no gaps between them. If he wanted to see the back of the house, he would have to get behind them. Fortunately, the house was not far from the end of the block.

Anna Jerkins,[b]Madeline[/b] believed what she was saying about her father, and she was glad to divert [b]Anna[/b] from the subject of her mother.

Lord Rufus Colville,[b]Rufus[/b] could tell that [b]Madeline[/b] was holding things back and trying to deceive and misdirect them.

"I see. I'm sorry for your loss. Do you mind if we take a look around your house? We promise we'll leave afterwards." Anna said.

Madeline frowned. "Why would you want to look around my house?" she said.

Anna Jerkins,[b]Madeline[/b] was getting nervous. She clearly had something to hide.

"To make sure you aren't in harm's way, or course. As a psychiatrist, I have to make sure that someone who escaped from the sanitarium wouldn't be able to harm you. It's just a brief assessment. It's entirely procedural." Anna reassured Madeline, who wasn't a terribly skilled liar. For someone who has something to hide, she sure wasn't doing a very good job of hiding it or feeling self-confident at all. "Madeline, is everything okay? You sound stressed."

"I assure you, my mother would never harm me," said Madeline. "She's too smart to come here, anyway. If I sound stressed, it shouldn't be a surprise. I spent last night in a little tin shed wondering if a bomb was going to drop on me, and now I have to wonder what will happen tonight if they come back."

Anna Jerkins,While [b]Madeline[/b] sincerely believes her mother will not harm her, and she did find last night's air raid stressful, there was more to her stress than just that. It probably did have to do with her mother's escape, considering her eagerness to get off the subject.

Lord Colville goes to the end of the block and comes back at the back of the house to inspect it.

"Of course, I don't mean to insinuate that your mother is criminally insane. It's a misconception at best and a stereotype at worst that all mentally ill patients are a threat. No, I'm worried that your mother might end up being in harm's way if she's out unsupervised. I need your cooperation to help me help her." Anna said, trying to placate Madeline. "Madeline, you can trust me."

Psychoanalysis 90%,[dice]0[/dice]

The alley behind the houses sloped downwards, so that it was about ten feet below the level of the street in front of them. Rufus found the back door to Madeline's house, but there were no windows at ground level on this side. There were some higher up, as well as a drainpipe that could potentially be used to reach them. The lowest windows were ten feet above the ground here, the curtains spread wide open. There were more windows some twenty feet up, and the blackout curtains there were still drawn. The back door didn't look quite as strong as the front door, though the lock was still decent. There was also an Anderson shelter in the alley opposite the house.

"Well, she isn't here," said Madeline to Anna, blinking, "so looking round the house would be a waste of time."

OOC,Psychoanalysis would only help if [b]Madeline[/b] were undergoing treatment, and she's not willing to do that.

OOC:   Alright, got it.

"Of course, then we'll arrange another meeting in a few days' time then. Pleasure to meet you." Anna said, still smiling, and reached up to shake her hand.

Madeline shook her hand back, her grip weak. "Likewise," she said. "Just give me a call when you want to meet again."

Anna leaves the house and regroup with Rufus.

When Anna stepped outside the front door, there was no sign of Rufus anywhere she could see.