Ch.14a. Inheritance (Alex & Ivy)

[Silver Priest]

Very glad he did not fall and make a fool of himself, Alex retrieves the lamp. "Here we go-- and look, it still has some fuel in it.Your Ernie must have valued preparation."

[Philulhu]

”He was. He was certainly blessed with patience,” she said. She looked about sadly. ”Ernie spent hours in here and it was always neat and tidy when he was alive. It needs a good sort out but my good for nothing son-in-law can never find the time. Too busy with his work and his baseball team.” She tutted and rolled her eyes.

[Silver Priest]

"Perhaps after this case is over I can help you tidy up." Alex offers, and genuinely means it. Both because that's the kind of person he is and because since the events in France he has been trying to do everything he can to balance the scales,so to speak. Helping a lonely old woman would not do much on that front, but it was better than nothing when it came to penance.

"I should get back to my partner. Thank you once again for your cooperation, ma'am. I'll swing by once we've resolved the issue so you know everything is alright."

[Philulhu]

Pressed to accept a piece of apple pie and a jar of preserves, Alex returned over the road, where he found the house silent and still.

[Silver Priest]

Alex enters the home and heads carefully for the library, recalling Ivy wished to investigate there further.

OOC:   cue Alex getting shot by a skittish Ivy

[Philulhu]

The house was silent and of Ivy, there was no sign.

[Silver Priest]

If she's not in the library, Alex retraces his steps to the door to the cellar, beginning to feel dread. He did not believe Ms. Ripley was the type of woman to wander off, or to be so foolish as to head downstairs without him. Nor did he feel it was likely she had gone back upstairs.

[Philulhu]

Spot hidden, please.

[Silver Priest]

1d100

[Philulhu]

In the dusty room with the bookcase, Alex found a writing desk which had had the dust sheet removed and a chair lying on the floor. A couple of the books from the shelves lay beside it. Across the timber floor and the threshold strip leading into the hallway were two distinct scratches, about a foot apart.

[Silver Priest]

OOC:   Was the sheet removed and chair tipped over when Alex was here earlier?

[Philulhu]

That sounds like a KNOW roll.

[Silver Priest]

OOC:   I believe KNOW is EDU? Always get that and idea mixed up heh.

1d100

Alex envisions the entire scene in his head, his years of investigating paying off.

[Philulhu]

That’s correct. KNOW = EDU x 5.

Alex could tell what had happened to Ivy as if he had been in the room. She must have taken some books off the shelves and been sat reading at the desk when someone grabbed her from behind. It looked as if the the chair upon which she sat had tipped backwards and then she had been dragged from the room, having the presence of mind to dig in her heels so they scratched the floor to show the direction in which she had been taken.

[Silver Priest]

"No," Alex mutters, horrified that someone had taken Ivy. This was all his fault, and now she could be dead or sacrificed to some horrific monster--

No, stop. This isn't like that.

He forces himself to focus. Clearly there was indeed a criminal here, and he lacked a gun or the ability to fight back. Did they know he was here? He had been fairly quiet he thinks, but if they knew Ivy had been chances were they knew he had been here, at least. Suddenly he's very glad he hadn't called out for her.

First things first, he looked around for something he could use as a weapon. A heavy book or a candle stick would work in a pinch. Next, he tries to remember if he had seen a phone in this place. He needs to call in backup.

[Philulhu]

There are plenty of heavy books but I’ll need a successful Luck roll for anything else.

Alex doesn’t remember seeing a phone here.

[Silver Priest]

1d100

[Philulhu]

Casting a glance around the room, Alex spotted a poker among the fireside tools.

25% to hit. 1d8 damage (seems excessive, tbh!)

[Silver Priest]

OOC:   I have a 70% in punch so if trouble comes around I may just use that. Feels nice to have a weapon though.

Alex takes the poker, feeling slightly more secure. But only slightly.

He casts a longing glimpse towards the front door, desperately wanting to go across the street and call for further backup. It was literally what he was supposed to do in this situation. But Ivy had been abducted, violently, and could at this very moment be being murdered. He had to go look for her when every second counted. As for help, all he could hope was that the neighbor would call the police when she realized no one had come out of the house for awhile.

He heads off deeper into the house, in the direction which Ivy had pointed out.

[Philulhu]

As Alex stepped over the threshold of the kitchen, he heard a muffled gunshot! Did that come from the direction of the cellar?!