Chapter 6: Who is Claude Owen?

[HoneyDog]

Wednesday February 27th, 1929

Dr. Bricknell’s office, Miskatonic campus


Dr. Bricknell is available to meet the companions at 10.30am. Chairs have been arranged and soon everyone is seated. He looks curiously at Harrison Franklin, perhaps wondering how he is involved, but doesn’t press the matter at this point.

“Claude Owen is indeed a member of the School of Medicine, and one with an excellent academic record” Bricknell begins. He has Owen’s file open on his desk. “It seems that his parents died when he was a young child, and he was raised by his maternal grandparents, who are also now deceased. Because of his excellent scholastic record, he was awarded the Dr. Allen Halsey Memorial Scholarship for 1927, which helps to finance his studies. His accounts are paid in full, and there are no financial irregularities.”

He leans back in his chair. “So, if you believe that this young man is somehow involved, you will need to find out more. I cannot indict him on the word of Asenath Derby.” He grimaces at the name.

[Mr. Handy]

"Of course," says Alice. "That's why we need to investigate further. Do you know how his parents and grandparents died?"

[Starspawn338]

Harrison listens attentively with his eyes focused on the floor, not wanting to meet Dr. Bricknell's gaze.

[HoneyDog]

Bricknell shakes his head at Alice’s question.

”But there’s nothing to suggest anything untoward happened. He’s incredibly unfortunate, is all.”

He hesitates. ”I don’t want to refer a good student to the police without good reason, but if you do find evidence of malfeasance I beg you all to tread carefully. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you, Dr. Bricknell," says Alice, who had been thinking precisely that something untoward had happened. "We'll continue looking into the matter discreetly and keep you posted."

[HoneyDog]

OOC,Is there any other information you'd like from Bricknell? And where would you like to go next?

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,I can't think of anything else to ask him, and presumably he has told us everything he knows about [b]Claude Owen[/b]. I do want to mention to him that [b]Asenath[/b] is still examining the bracelet but has promised to return it to the museum during the week. We can talk to [b]Dr. Winside[/b] now. We also have another avenue of research, looking into the deaths of [b]Claude Owen[/b]'s parents and grandparents, probably at first by going through periodicals to find articles from when they happened. I would like to know how long ago those were to narrow down our search, but I guess if [b]Dr. Bricknell[/b] had known that he would have mentioned it. However, it shouldn't take too long to talk to [b]Dr. Winside[/b], which may also give us more avenues of research, so I think we should do that first.

[HoneyDog]

Bricknell provides the companions with Owen’s dorm details on campus. Unfortunately, he is originally from Utah, which may make investigations of his background quite difficult.

OOC,Shall we move the action to Winside's office?

[evil_scientist]

OOC,Sorry for the delay! Yes, let's move to Winside's office.

[HoneyDog]

The companions take a walk to Dr. Homer Winside’s office, where that erstwhile botanist greets them warmly.

With the situation explained to him, he pauses to think at hearing the name of Claude Owen.

OOC,I'll accept a successful Luck roll from the first person who dares.

[Starspawn338]

OOC,Luck 80 [dice]0[/dice]

"I'm sure you remember him. He's a good student but very arrogant." Harrison offers.

[HoneyDog]

Realisation dawns on Winside’s face.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever met him” he says. “But I know the name. Albert Baumgartner mentioned him a couple of times. Albert said that he was brilliant, and in the possession of rare knowledge. He wanted to collaborate with Owen, but I’m not sure if he ever did. Albert got tight-lipped when I pressed for further details.”

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you," says Alice. "Albert might have been more willing to talk to us since we rescued him, but he returned to Germany after that."

[HoneyDog]

“Yes, it’s unfortunate Albert isn’t here. But I would hate to think that he was somehow mixed up in this sordid business”.

Winside raises his hand to his chin. “Actually, do you remember the fungus that Albert was so interested in? Well, I think that he learned about it from Owen. Yes...” he muses, "Albert did mention Owen before he went on his trip to Chapochaug. But like I said, he wouldn't divulge any details."

[Mr. Handy]

"That is interesting," says Alice. "We'll want to talk to Claude Owen at some point, and that's something I'd like to find out more from him."

[HoneyDog]

OOC,Let me know whenever you want to move on to the next angle of investigation. You guys have a few options so you will probably want to discuss what you want to do.

[Starspawn338]

"Is there anyone else that Albert and Claude might have discussed the fungus with?" Harrison asks. "Or one of the professors who would know what Claude was working on himself?"

[HoneyDog]

Winside shrugs. “I have absolutely no idea. As far as professors, you’d have to talk to someone in the School of Medicine who knows Owen.”

[evil_scientist]

Isadora Carmichael

"Dr. Winside, did you have a chance to examine samples of the fungi from the Chapochaug Tunnel?"

[HoneyDog]

Winside frowns. “You’d better sit down” he says.

His manner now intensely serious, Winside sees to chairs for the companions, no easy task in his cramped office. Once everyone is seated, he begins.

“I ordinarily wouldn’t talk about this at all, but if Owen was involved in Baumgartner’s research it’s imperative that we know for certain. As you may already know, Albert’s spores were indeed found to be a new species. Nothing particularly exciting about that, as there are thousands of species of fungi recorded, and no doubt more will be found. But most importantly, they were found to have a cell structure unlike anything else we’ve seen.”

He pauses.

"The most distinctive property of the spores was that we found that if we inserted cells from the fungi into a dead specimen of another fungi species, it began to show signs of activity at the cellular level, if only for a brief period.”

He looks at the companions in turn. “What is worrying to me, and I believe I mentioned to you before Alice, is that Albert had expressed an interest in Herbert West and his work. Are your companions familiar with the rumours about West?”