Ch.15d Baton Rouge

[Philulhu]

”I’ve been to the area, but not that exact location,” replied DuPont. ”It’s in the boonies and it attracts all sorts of hicks, rednecks and other undesirables. It hasn’t really moved on in decades, if you get my drift?”

[Mr. Handy]

"We have been there," says William, "so we understand all too well. When we go, we should go armed."

[Bullfrog]

"We have our own rifles, so those ought to do. That's assuming there aren't a dozen guys out there waiting for us, though. That place is holy ground for them, and I'd bet they've been keeping all kinds of snakes out there." Lawrence states, his eyes fixated on the picture in the guidebook. "You'd be surprised at how big a rattlesnake can get."

[Philulhu]

DuPont looked at Lawrence, then William, but said nothing.

He crossed to the cabinet on the wall, unlocked it, and took a shotgun from the rack inside. He moved over to the door where he hollered for a sergeant, with whom he had a hurried conversation. ”I’m short of numbers,” he said. ”I’ve got two men not back from escorting a prisoner to Angola and Walt Hains has gone home because his wife’s in labour. Just how dangerous are these people anyhow? You reckon three of us might be enough?”

[Mr. Handy]

"Honestly, I'd be much more comfortable if we had more men," says William.

[Philulhu]

DuPont frowned. ”Short of deputising folks, this is all I’ve got right now,” he said. ”I need the Sergeant here to keep the station open and as back-up. We’ve got a couple of civilians working here but I can’t leave them on their own. If we haven’t got any more men, then we might have to delay it until another day…”

[Mr. Handy]

"Maybe you could deputize our driver, if he's willing," says William. "He's a reliable man."

[Philulhu]

DuPont frowned. Clearly that idea didn’t meet with his approval.

Anyone else spring to mind? Perhaps somebody with Police training…?

[Mr. Handy]

"There's a police detective from Arkham that I know who's in town," says William. "He's staying at our hotel. I'm sure he'd be a good addition to the team."

[Philulhu]

”That sounds more promising,” replied DuPont. ”Do you know this guy? Can you vouch for him?”

He glanced at his watch. ”Do you think he’ll be at the hotel now?”

It’s around 2.30pm, for what it’s worth.

[Mr. Handy]

"I'll vouch for him," says William. "He had my back when things were tough, and he'd lay down his life for his friends. He may be at the hotel, but he could also be around town. Why don't I telephone the hotel's front desk and see if he's there? If not, I can leave him a message."

[Bullfrog]

"The guy's a better man than us two, that's for sure. He's got his head screwed on straight." Lawrence remarks. "I guess you can attend to that call, William. In the meantime, Sheriff, have these lunatics out in the swamp had any other run-ins with the law you know of? I'm sure rumors don't come from nothing, and they didn't seem like law-abiding types when we got to know them."

[Philulhu]

Sheriff DuPont pushed his desk telephone over to William. ”You can call from here,” he said.

Looking over to Lawrence, he said, ”I don’t recall any reports but these kinda places keep themselves to themselves. Mind you, if they’ve been getting involved in the sorts of thing you’ve been talking about, well, then I’d expect we’d have some reports…” He leafed through the files and shook his head. ”I’d expect to find something, even a speeding ticket. But this file is empty… … it’s like someone made all of it just go away…”

[Mr. Handy]

William calls the hotel and asks for the guest in Alex's room.

[Bullfrog]

"A former employee, maybe, who took some files on the way out. Maybe someone who we've met before." Lawrence suggests, raising an eyebrow. A policeman was a good thing to have in your pocket, when you spent every Sunday killing people in the name of a horrible old snake god.
"Would you happen to know what happened to Sheriff Digne? I think we ought to pay him a visit."

[Philulhu]

Tuesday February 10th, 1931 3.00pm
King Hotel, 200 Convention Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

William, Lawrence and Sheriff DuPont met Ivy and Alex in the hotel lobby. After introductions, DuPont said to Alex, ”I understand you’re a detective and you’re willing to help us out? You willing to be deputised?”

DuPont will explain on the journey over that Sheriff Digne moved away and no one knows where he went to. He doesn’t exactly come out and say it but it’s clear he left under a cloud and that things may not have been 100% above board.

[jp1885]

Ivy arches an eyebrow, a wry smile on her face as she imagines sheriff's deputy Alex wearing a ten-gallon hat and leading a posse.

Then, her smile falters, replaced with a scowl.

"I trust you are also extending the invitation to me Sheriff?" she asks.

[Silver Priest]

"I am. I don't know how much you're aware of, Sheriff, but I've had to fire my gun in self defense recently-- and in defense of those I care about," his gaze shifts briefly to Ivy. "I'm willing to assist in anyway I can."

As Ivy speaks, Alex smiles sheepishly. "I'm aware that's likely not feasible Sheriff, but let me assure you that Ms. Ripley here has put her life at risk as much as the rest of us. She's seen many things and managed to retain a cooler head than many of the men. I would encourage her words to be treated with the same respect of those of my colleagues or myself."

He glances at William and Lawrence, eyebrows raised as if asking how much the lawman knows.

[Mr. Handy]

"I realize I've told you next to nothing about this man, Sheriff," says William, "and nothing at all about this woman, but they are both dependable. I would trust them with my life. And while you might not want a woman along, she is more formidable than you might think. We're going to need all the help we can get."

[Bullfrog]

"I'll let Ms. Ripley vouch for herself. I don't know her as well as my associates here do, but she doesn't strike me as a shootist. I don't mean any offense." Lawrence says, inching away from Ivy. He had no idea how a woman who was several heads shorter than him could be so intimidating, but he chalked it up to the fact that she had an expression just like Mama's when he borrowed Grandfather's shotgun to shoot crows apart on the old man's behalf.
"Just for your safety..."