[IC]Chapter 1.5 - Cold Tidings

[Mr. Handy]

Amy describes Atauchi for Lt. Poole. "He's from Peru," she says. "He was our expedition guide a few years ago. That's where most of us met."

[Silver Priest]

Marcus nods absently, confirming Amy's description. Slightly shacking, his hand reaches for a smoke. He joins with the others.

[Anatomist]

Dr. Sánchez mutters something in Spanish while taking a last glance of the surroundings and enters the car.

[Raiko]

The investigators are driven away from the Hotel Chelsea to the nearby 10th Precinct Police Station, where Lieutenant Poole and another murder squad detective spend a couple of hours taking formal statements from everybody.

While talking to the group, Poole receives word that no witnesses have been found to the disappearance of Atauchi.

Once the statements have been signed, the investigators are allowed to leave. Poole once more cautions them to remain vigilant at all times, particularly after Atauchi's apparent abduction.

He speaks quietly to Marcus, promising to pass on whatever information he can, so long as the group return the favour. He hopes to be able to reopen last year's investigation into the killings in Harlem, but expects to meet a great deal of resistance due to the high profile that the case and the subsequent conviction of Hilton Adams received.

Rebecca is the first to leave, over an hour before the rest of the group, and having also spent some time on the phone to her news editor.

By the time the rest of the investigators walk out of the 10th Precinct, it is already 5:30pm and the evening edition of the Times is on sale right outside. News of Jackson's murder is on the front page.

[Mr. Handy]

"Rebecca did a good job on this," says Amy after she has bought a paper and read the article. "Maybe it's enough to get Hilton Adams a stay, at least."

[Silver Priest]

"Poole also told me he'd be willing to exchange information with us, though he wants as good as he gets. As long as we don't find anything like what happened in Peru, I say we take him up on it. Useful ally to have, and I trust him as much as anyone on the force-- take that as you will.

"As for Atauchi; short of a miracle,I think he's dead." A pained look crosses his face. they had been good friends. "I don't believe these folks are the type who would leave him alive for very long.All we can do now is get the bastards who did this. They may have tortured him however. Atauchi is, was, a strong man, but we don't know what techniques they employed. It's entirely possible they know of all of us and what we've been able to find out so far." He looks at the party with grave seriousness. "Poole's right. We don't go anywhere alone. And we need to start thinking of what leads we want to pursue from here."

[jp1885]

Cynthia reads the article and sighs.

"Hardly the exoneration I'd have liked, but at least it sows the seeds of doubt that Adams is guilty. I sure hope Atauchi is okay though. He's a tough guy, but we know what these voodoo jerks are capable of."

She looks through the various pieces of evidence arrayed before them.

"London, Shanghai, Cairo... I say we focus on New York. I still wanna go see Dr. Lemming, the folklorist; but didn't Jackson mention his publisher? We should talk to them too. There's also this imports business card, the lecture, the Ju-Ju house and of course Maybelle's - I think anything to do with that joint should be done in conjunction with Poole."

[Mr. Handy]

"Agreed," says Amy. "Oh! We already have the meeting with Bradley Gray, Erica Carlyle's lawyer, scheduled for tomorrow morning. We should still go, and we need to call him and let him know the rest of us are still coming. They said a few additional people could come. Jackson was supposed to be there..." She dabs at her eyes with her handkerchief again.

[Anatomist]

ooc ref,https://www.callofcthulhu.org.uk/pbp/viewtopic.php?f=432&t=6832&p=224308&hilit=Mordecai#p224298

Dr. Sánchez picks out his notebook from his furry coat.
Anderson and I were quite convinced after our Libary investigation that we should look into who hired Walter Van Buskirk, this guy got killed by the Bloody Tongue, as I explained to Anderson here: We found that in the death of Victorias Post, whos father is Richard Post III offered a reward of $10,000 with some other 'societé' person to find 'the wayward son of an unnamed wealthy client', I speculate in that this son is the boyfriend of Victoria Post?... Anyways 'someone' hires Walter Van Buskirk and then Walter Van Buskirk gets killed by The Bloody Tongue. At least we have a good angle to interrogate this wealthy family, I don't think they appreciate the publicity of it all. They might have valuable information

Dr. Mordecai Lemming name is also turning up a lot, we definitively should talk to him., seems the authority on the Bloody Tounge.

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, he should be able to help us," says Amy. "There are clearly more of them out there, so anything we can learn about them is good. Jonah Kensington was Jackson's publishers. He and his wife run Prospero House. I know them, and I'm sure they'll meet with me, and possibly a couple of others as well."

[Anatomist]

Dr. Sánchez paces a bit in the room, his brow eyebrows furrowed in concern, his right hand touching his gun, he suddenly stops and says in a quite commanding way.

"So!, we must decide what to do. My dear friend Atauchi might be dead, we dont know, but we dont have any good leads. I dont know why, but i have the feeling that if we keep digging we will also find him" he lifts his arm to see his arm wrist clock. "6 pm gents and ladies, we might press in a avisit to someone before night and tomorrow we must all go to Carlyle i think"

Dr. Sanchez scribles something in his notebook and leaves his notebook open on the table.
"Let's vote"

https://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=5 ... 9ae5a0f0cb

The notebook has a tick besides Lemmings

[jp1885]

Having already made up her mind, Cynthia votes to see Lemming.

OOC,Great idea to use the vote!

[Mr. Handy]

"Well, we can split up and pursue more than one lead," says Amy, "provided nobody goes anywhere alone. If anyone's going to talk to Jonah Kensington, it should be me. I do agree that talking to Dr. Lemming is important too, and I would like to talk to him, but I can't go everywhere, and someone should tell the Kensingtons before they read it in the papers."

[Silver Priest]

OOC:   Agreed!

"Lemming sounds good to me. Honestly whatever we decide we should probably all go together. We don't know how many cultists we're up against here, and I'd rather have as many people watching my back a tall times as possible. To that notion, I suggest we book hotel rooms or something near one another. If they find out who we are and decide to retaliate, I don't want a repeat of what happened to Jackson. ."

[Silver Priest]

"Speaking of, occurs to me we could use a little more muscle. Most of you are intellectual types." Marcus manages to mostly contain his condescension. "I know a friend who might be able to help us. Course, he's not the most respectable, but he'll kill a man no questions asked, and that's exactly what we might need. Maybe don't tell Poole about that, though." Once he gets everyone's okay he goes to find a payphone.

"Boyd? How the hell are ya you son of a bitch! It's me, Marcus. Listen, have I got work for you. It's dangerous, I'll admit that. You seen the papers? That murder of the author? The group I've with walked in on that-- we killed the three men who killed him, but there are more out there, and we aim to get to the bottom of it. Listen, I can't say too much but we think this is all connected to the Carlyle Expedition of a few years back, and you know how loaded those types are. Get down to (address) as fast as possible, we'll fill you in."

[Mephistophilis]

Luther Boyd laughs down the phone, 'Marcus, long time no see, you still a shill for Pinkerton's?' This is sounding interesting to Luther but he's not looking to get back into a life of crime just yet. 'You know me Marcus, I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty but I got myself a girl now, I'm not looking to get sent up the river to Sing Sing just yet. I ain't afraid of a little roughhousing but I'm looking for something that's legit, well, you know, not the mob anyway.'

[Silver Priest]

"I'm in the business for myself now. You know how I chafe at following rules."

"Nah, this is all legitimate, thereabouts. Even got a cop asking us to look into things. And believe it or not we're trying to free an innocent man from Sing Sing at the moment. Look, I won't lie to you, there's a lot of risk involved. I've seen things I still don't believe, things I don't really want to see again-- but the reward is great. And you know how the loaded folks are. We do good here, we'll make a killing. How do you think I bought that new place? It wasn't from following unfaithful spouses, my friend."

[Mephistophilis]

'Hah, I'm not one for following the rules either, but I'm a sucker for the dough. Okay, you twisted my arm. I'll meet you at that address, what is it again?' Luther copies down the meeting place.

'We can catch up when I get there, presume this is the sort of job where I bring my own shiny six barreled luck? Just remember my rule, I'm short, but I ain't small, I'm no rabbit, I don't climb down drains, I don't do tunnels, but you need someone smacking in the kisser, I'm yer man.'

Luther hangs up the phone and heads off to the rendezvous.

[Silver Priest]

'See you soon. And yes, I'd bring a gun everywhere, in fact. Even when you're in the shower. Can't be too careful nowadays."

He returns to the others. "He'll be here soon."

[Mephistophilis]

There's an impatient knock at the door. As Marcus opens it, in marches Luther Boyd. He wears a dark gabardine coat over a light grey suit offset by a yellow silk cravat.

He looks around the room, taking in the others with an intense gaze before laughing and raising his hand in greeting, 'Luther Boyd, pleased to meet you I'm sure.' His voice is deep and mellow with the slightest hint of a sneer.

His overcoat stretches down to the ground, its disproportionate length serving to emphasise Luther's short stature, he is 4'10" at most, but clearly broad shouldered and barrel chested. Pulled tight across his torso it bulges in odd places suggesting something concealed within the pockets. He reaches in and takes out a revolver, he cracks open the chamber and starts loading rounds.

'So, you gonna fill me in? What's this rogue got us into?'