Play@YSDC

Posted: **Tue Apr 09, 2019 7:56 am**

Friday, February 28th, 1930 7.50pm.
Arkham Police Station, 302 E Armitage Street, Arkham, Mass.

A few months have passed since events at Squatter’s Lake and things have not gone well for those involved. Mr Fraser Snr. had called upon them soon after leaving the hospital and had been furious at their inability to account for his son’s whereabouts. He had withheld the offered payment and then gone out of his way to make life difficult for the young men.

Howard found his professors at Arkham University suddenly more demanding and critical of his work, while Lawrence’s family farm found sources of credit all but drying up, which was doubly hard as the recession started to bite. Thomas found himself near-permanently on the night shift, patrolling Arkham alone in the dark, and William was allocated whatever menial tasks his employers could find for him, keeping him busy with the most mind-numbing jobs available.

On the evening of Friday, 28th February, as Thomas arrived at the headquarters of Arkham PD to report for duty, he bumped in Trooper Dan de Vries, whom he had first met in training.

“Hey, Tom,” Dan said, “Pulled another night shift, eh?” He patted his fellow officer on the shoulder and made to walk past him, but then paused. He looked around to see if anyone was around and then said quietly, “You were involved in that business up at Squatters Lake, weren’t you? The chief hasn’t said anything about it but I know you copped for whatever went down. We’ve been told to stay away but the word is that there were some people up there the other night, and there were sounds of gun shots...”

Posted: **Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:58 pm**

"What kind of people?" Thomas asked, suddenly intrigued. "Did anybody go up there to investigate? Surely somebody must have if there were gunshots."

Posted: **Wed Apr 10, 2019 1:31 pm**

“A couple of the guys were out on patrol up that way, when they picked up some kids for cruising,” said Dan. “One of them apparently mentioned it, but you know the Chief said no-one’s to go up to that old hotel so I presume no-one’s done anything about it.”

Dan clocked Thomas’s reaction and grinned, wryly. “It’s probably just some rubes messing around. I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”

Posted: **Wed Apr 10, 2019 3:10 pm**

"Or it could be our old friends with some unfinished business..." Thomas thinks to himself.
"If there's gunshots then we can't just ignore them, damn what the Chief says. I'll check the place out as soon as I get a chance." he says aloud.

Posted: **Wed Apr 10, 2019 3:18 pm**

“Ok, you go steady,” replied Dan. “I won’t say nothing to no-one. If you need anything though, you just need to ask.”

Dan said goodnight and headed towards his car, leaving Thomas stood in the doorway to the police station.

Posted: **Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:23 pm**

”Thanks for the heads-up, Dan.” Thomas says, barely noticing that Dan had already left. He decides that he’ll call his friends first thing in the morning, to tell them what he’d heard and to ask them if they want to investigate it.

Posted: **Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:53 pm**

Saturday, March 1st, 1930 11.00am.
Anton's Restaurant, 689 S Powder Mill Street, Arkham, Mass.

Thomas phoned the others as soon as his shift ended and arranged to meet them later that morning. He had pulled in a favour from Anton, a restaurateur who he regularly called to see on his night shift, who said they could meet up at his restaurant, provided they didn’t mind his staff prepping for the lunchtime crowd.

Thomas had managed to get a couple of hours sleep and despite being tired, he was still first to Anton’s. As the kitchen staff bustled around behind him, preparing for the day ahead, Thomas sat at a table and nursed a glass of milk as he waited for the others to arrive.

Posted: **Thu Apr 11, 2019 4:26 am**

William is the first to arrive, punctual as always. He doffs his hat as he enters the restaurant. Ever since the incident at the lake, he has a pistol on his person at all times, just in case. "Good morning, Thomas," he says.

Posted: **Thu Apr 11, 2019 6:11 am**

Posted: **Thu Apr 11, 2019 3:20 pm**

Howard enters, looking around. He wonders if he can afford to eat here with his limited finances. He greets the other two warily.

Posted: **Fri Apr 12, 2019 3:28 am**

Posted: **Fri Apr 12, 2019 6:39 am**

Posted: **Fri Apr 12, 2019 1:37 pm**

Thomas greets Howard and William, before saying "I called us together here because a coworker of mine within the police has told me that there's been some suspicious activity up at Squatter's Lake." He takes a drink from his glass before continuing; "A couple of officers were patrolling the other night when they heard gunshots, but our Chief has ordered that nobody is to investigate or go anywhere near the place, so they didn't find out who it was."

"Knowing what we know, I thought you guys might want to check it out." he adds.

Posted: **Fri Apr 12, 2019 3:26 pm**

Howard looks uncomfortable but he nods.

"We’d better be properly equipped though. And by that I mean armed to the teeth.”

Posted: **Sat Apr 13, 2019 2:51 am**

"I agree," says William. "I always carry a small pistol since the last time we were there, but we'll want some long guns too for the additional range and firepower."

Posted: **Sat Apr 13, 2019 9:00 am**

Posted: **Sat Apr 13, 2019 2:24 pm**

"Then perhaps we should head to the local gun shop, Parrington's. Hopefully they can supply us with what we need." Thomas says. He finishes his drink, and looks at the others, waiting to see what they want to do.

Posted: **Sat Apr 13, 2019 3:23 pm**

“I don’t have a lot of money” admits Howard. “But I’ll come along. To be honest, I’m thinking of something a little different to firearms. Gasoline doesn’t cost too much, and there are always empty bottles to be found.”

Posted: **Sat Apr 13, 2019 4:47 pm**

"Good idea," says William. "Let's go to Parrington's. That's where I bought my piece. I took some losses in the crash before I was able to cash out, but I still have a decent amount of money."

Posted: **Sat Apr 13, 2019 6:45 pm**

Saturday, March 1st, 1930 11.45am.
E.Parrington (Gunsmith), 417 W Main Street, Arkham, Mass.

Parrington’s was just a short ride away and there was space to park outside. Inside the shop, racks of rifles and shotguns lined the walls, albeit behind glass doors. In front of those, glass display cabinets showed a range of handguns - everything from Derringers to revolvers and automatic pistols. Lamps in the ceiling above the guns, caused light to reflect from their dully-oiled services.

Behind the one of the cabinets stood Edward Parrington, a sharply-dressed gentlemen in his fifties, with his hair oiled neatly in place. He looked up as the three men entered and greeted them with a curious nod.

“What can I do for you gentlemen today?” he said.

Posted: **Sat Apr 13, 2019 11:47 pm**

"Good morning, Mr. Parrington," says William. "We're in the market for some rifles and shotguns. I'm interested in a 12-gauge shotgun myself."

Posted: **Sun Apr 14, 2019 9:42 am**

“Mr. Preston, isn’t it?” said Mr Parrington. He glanced at Howard and Thomas, to whom he gave a nod of recognition.

“So,” he said, “What will you be hunting? The season is pretty much over - you’ve only got a couple more days of coyote and bobcat and then we’re done until the fall.”

Posted: **Sun Apr 14, 2019 8:17 pm**

"That's right," says William. "We'd like to get in some coyote and bobcat hunting while we still can."

Posted: **Sun Apr 14, 2019 11:19 pm**

“All right, then,” replied Mr Parrington. He turned to the cases behind him, opened the door and lifted down two of the rifles. “You’ve got the .22 bolt action - neat, accurate, not a whole lot of stopping power but probably fine for what you need. It’s also a bit quieter than this,” he indicated the second weapon, a .30 lever action rifle, “But you’re sacrificing a bit of range so you’ll need to get a bit closer.”

Parrington indicated the shotguns in another case. ”We have 12, 16 and 20 gauge, all double barrelled, all of which will do the trick.” He looked at the young men, waiting for them to decide what they wanted.

Posted: **Mon Apr 15, 2019 2:33 am**

"I'd like a 12-gauge shotgun, please," says William, looking over the ones in the case, "and a box of shells."

Posted: **Tue Apr 16, 2019 2:12 pm**

”I’ll take a .22 bolt action rifle, sounds like it’d suit me fine. Accuracy is key.” Thomas says, gesturing at the rifle. ”And some ammunition too, please.”

Posted: **Tue Apr 16, 2019 3:47 pm**

"Do you have any pump-action shotguns?" asks Howard, politely.

Posted: **Tue Apr 16, 2019 4:54 pm**

“No problem,” replied Parrington. He opened another case and withdrew a 12-gauge Browning A-5, which he handed to Howard.

From under the counter, he pulled out four boxes of ammunition for each of the weapons. “Will you need anything else?”

Posted: **Wed Apr 17, 2019 4:25 am**

"I have all I need, thank you," says William. He takes out his wallet and pays for his purchases, as well as those of any of the others who don't have enough.

Posted: **Wed Apr 17, 2019 8:52 am**

Posted: **Wed Apr 17, 2019 3:36 pm**

Posted: **Wed Apr 17, 2019 4:11 pm**

Posted: **Thu Apr 18, 2019 3:28 am**

Posted: **Thu Apr 18, 2019 11:28 pm**

Saturday, March 1st, 1930 3.15pm.
Squatters Lake Hotel, West Road, Newburyport, Mass.

The journey back to the hotel was a quiet one, with the young men lost in thoughts of what happened the last time they were there. The weak springtime sun had failed to dispel the cold and the wind buffeted the car as they drove. Inside the car, apprehension of what might await them, plus the smell of gun oil from their new weapons and the gasoline from Howard’s Molotov cocktails, left the men feeling nauseated and they were almost glad when they reached their destination, until, at least, they remembered why they were there.

William pulled the car in front of the hotel and stopped. He turned off the engine and the car fell silent. Before them, the glass entrance doors stood ajar, with the sun casting long shadows into reception area behind.

Posted: **Fri Apr 19, 2019 12:02 am**

Thomas steps out of the car and quickly looks around. He grabs his gun, keeping an eye on the hotel as he prepares himself. "We should hurry and head on inside the hotel once we're ready." he says to the others.

Posted: **Fri Apr 19, 2019 4:57 am**

William has his pistol in its holster and his shotgun in his hands, both of them loaded. "We'll need some light in there," he says.

Posted: **Fri Apr 19, 2019 1:19 pm**

Posted: **Fri Apr 19, 2019 4:08 pm**

Howard brandishes his shotgun and steps out of the car with a determined look on his face.

"Let's check the office first" he says.

Posted: **Fri Apr 19, 2019 6:09 pm**

"Maybe there's a light switch near the entrance," says William, looking around. "Hope the electricity's still on."

Posted: **Fri Apr 19, 2019 7:04 pm**

William remembered as they approached the entrance that the light had been provided by oil lamps.

Posted: **Sat Apr 20, 2019 12:44 am**

Thomas steps up to the entrance and peers inside whilst keeping an eye out for anything untoward.

Posted: **Sat Apr 20, 2019 1:27 am**

"That's right, they used oil lamps, not electric ones," says William. He looks in the entry area to see if he can find them and light them.

Posted: **Sat Apr 20, 2019 10:23 am**

Through the open door, Thomas could see that the reception area had been turned over. The large desk had been tipped over and papers strewn across the floor. The framed photographs and licence plates that had adorned the walls now littered the floor.

The two lamps that had stood on the desk lay on the floor. The broken glass that surrounded them suggested that they wouldn’t be much use. Other lamps were mounted on the wall, however, and they looked as if they might be serviceable.

Posted: **Sat Apr 20, 2019 4:58 pm**

William tries to light one of the wall-mounted lamps.

Posted: **Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:23 pm**

William managed to get one of the wall lamps on the inner wall going. The light flickered for a moment, then burned more steadily, illuminating the right hand side of the room.

The door behind the desk stood open, showing through to a shadowy living room beyond.

Posted: **Sat Apr 20, 2019 8:50 pm**

Thomas walks over to the desk. "If we're lucky there might be something of interest within the contents of these papers." He crouches down, placing his gun down within reach, and begins to look through them.

Posted: **Sun Apr 21, 2019 1:47 am**

William nods, keeping an eye on the open door and peering through it, his shotgun ready.

Posted: **Mon Apr 22, 2019 3:26 pm**

Howard also looks around the room for anything of interest, but can see little in the dim light. He stumbles around clumsily.

Posted: **Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:45 am**

The papers turned out to be nothing of note; old handbills promoting the hotel, ledgers and unused receipt books. It occurred to the young men that the police may have taken away anything of note, such as the hotel register, following the events of the previous year.

Posted: **Tue Apr 23, 2019 3:31 pm**

Howard shakes his head, and walks boldly through the door into the living room.

Posted: **Tue Apr 23, 2019 10:50 pm**

Thomas follows Howard closely, keeping an eye on the shadows surrounding them.

Posted: **Wed Apr 24, 2019 12:14 am**

The Brophy’s living room was about the same size as the reception area, and decorated in the same green and white patterned wallpaper as that used in the guest rooms. To the left of the door was a small kitchenette area with a gas burner in front of a shuttered window. In front of that, was an open trapdoor that presumably lead under the hotel.

To the right was a pale cream sofa and a small table and chairs. The chairs had been overturned and the sofa had seen better days, even before someone had slashed the covers with a knife. Like the reception area, the room had been turned over and kitchen utensils and the stuffed animals that the Brophy brothers apparently collected, were scattered across the floor.

Posted: **Wed Apr 24, 2019 3:54 am**

"If we're going to find anything of interest," says William, "most likely it'll be down there." He points at the open trapdoor.

Posted: **Wed Apr 24, 2019 3:25 pm**

"Let's get a light in there" says Howard grimly.

Posted: **Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:41 pm**

Thomas tests the gas burner. "If this still works we could use it to light torches." he says to the others.

Posted: **Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:59 pm**

The gas burner, fed by a gas bottle under the unit upon which it stood, lit at the first attempt. The light it gave off added little illumination to the room.

Posted: **Fri Apr 26, 2019 4:35 am**

"We can make torches out of wood sticks," says William, looking around for something suitable. "Chair legs will do in a pinch."

Posted: **Fri Apr 26, 2019 3:29 pm**

Posted: **Fri Apr 26, 2019 5:39 pm**

Posted: **Sat Apr 27, 2019 1:42 pm**

Thomas walks over to one of the small chairs and attempts to break a couple of the legs off.

Posted: **Sat Apr 27, 2019 2:15 pm**

With the application of a bit of brute force, the legs came off the chair. A couple of old dish cloths on the kitchenette surface looked as if they might burn.

Posted: **Sat Apr 27, 2019 4:29 pm**

"We'll have to be careful not to light these near the gas," says William. "We don't want to blow this place up, and ourselves with it."

Posted: **Sat Apr 27, 2019 5:48 pm**

Posted: **Mon Apr 29, 2019 11:59 pm**

Thomas grabs a cloth and chair leg. He looks around the room for something to tie the two together.

Posted: **Tue Apr 30, 2019 4:38 am**

William checks the windows to see if they have blinds with cords; the cords would be ideal for tying the cloth.

Posted: **Tue Apr 30, 2019 9:42 am**

The windows were sash windows but at some point the sash cord had snapped and hadn’t been replaced. It was a matter of a moment’s work for William to lift the window and extract a length of cord from behind the access plate in the side jamb.

Posted: **Wed May 01, 2019 2:36 am**

William hands Thomas the cord. "This should do," he says.

Posted: **Wed May 01, 2019 2:27 pm**

Thomas grabs a knife from the kitchenette and cuts off roughly 30cm of cord. He ties the cloth to the chair leg using the cord, wrapping it around multiple times to secure the cloth. Once done, he uses the gas burner to light the cloth and then takes a step backwards to test the brightness of the torch. "Here we go, now we'll be able to see what we're doing." he says to the others.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2019 12:23 pm**

The improvised torch burned brightly enough so that Thomas could see the compacted earthen floor at the bottom of the short shaft below the trapdoor. It appeared that a wood-lined tunnel lead off in the direction of the guest rooms.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2019 3:38 pm**

"I'll go first with the shotgun" says Howard. "Come behind me and light the way".

Without waiting for an answer, he climbs down into the hole.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2019 4:15 pm**

Howard dropped into the hole and found the tunnel to be about a metre square; tall and wide enough to crawl comfortably. It lead off in a slight angle, in the direction of the lake.

As he looked down the tunnel, Howard could see a faint shaft of light coming down from the ceiling about 15 metres away.

Posted: **Fri May 03, 2019 3:36 am**

"I'll bring up the rear," says William, waiting for the others to descend before following them down.

Posted: **Fri May 03, 2019 5:25 am**

"Wait" says Howard. "I can see light coming down from the tunnel roof. There could be a light on in one of the rooms."

Posted: **Mon May 06, 2019 2:21 pm**

After a moment, Howard noticed that there was another faint shaft of light further beyond the first one and he realised it was daylight coming through the open trapdoors in the other bedrooms.

With his eyes adjusted to the restricted light, Howard could see that there was another tunnel branching off to the left, presumably under the rooms on the other side of the hotel.

Posted: **Tue May 07, 2019 3:43 pm**

"I think some of the trapdoors are open on this side" calls Howard. "The tunnel branches off to the left, so I'll go that way. Are you ready?" he asks the others. "Let's go!"

He heads off.

Posted: **Wed May 08, 2019 3:47 am**

William follows the others through the tunnel.

Posted: **Wed May 08, 2019 12:44 pm**

Thomas continues to follow behind Howard, keeping an open ear for anything other than the sounds of the group scuffling through the tunnels. "See anything interesting, Howard?" he asks.

Posted: **Wed May 08, 2019 1:06 pm**

The tunnels continued under both sides of the hotel, punctuated only by the trapdoors into the rooms above, all of which had been turned over, with mattresses slashed and other furniture broken.

It appeared that the previous visitors had followed the same trail as the investigators. In the two rooms nearest the lake, bootprints lead from the trapdoor towards the doors leading from the rooms.

Posted: **Wed May 08, 2019 3:03 pm**

"It looks like someone has already been through here" Howard responds. "Probably the police. Why don't we go and look in that shed again?"

He shudders involuntarily as he recalls what they had found there.

Posted: **Wed May 08, 2019 3:21 pm**

Posted: **Thu May 09, 2019 2:38 am**

"Maybe we should follow those bootprints first," says William. "Whoever's been here before, we need to see where they went."

Posted: **Thu May 09, 2019 3:16 pm**

Howard nods his agreement.

Posted: **Fri May 10, 2019 5:15 pm**

The muddy bootprints lead out of the rooms, down the steps and towards the lake shore. It looked as if a number of people had stood there before heading off to the right, in the direction of the clearing where the creature had emerged from the lake on that fateful night, many months ago... ...

Posted: **Sat May 11, 2019 3:57 am**

"It looks like we'll need to back to the lake" says Howard.

He follows the tracks.

Posted: **Sat May 11, 2019 4:28 am**

William trails along, shotgun at the ready. "That must have been the cause of the shooting that was heard," he says. "It probably didn't do them any good, but at least we came better prepared."

Posted: **Sat May 11, 2019 5:47 pm**

"Well, let's hope we don't have to use ours." Thomas says. He checks his gun carefully to reassure himself and follows the other closely.

Posted: **Sat May 11, 2019 6:26 pm**

Saturday, March 1st, 1930 4.25pm.
Squatters Lake Hotel, West Road, Newburyport, Mass.

The cold wind gusted across the lake, which caused the reeds by shore to sway ominously, in a way reminiscent of the spines of the creature they had seen the last time they had walked this path.

After a few hundred yards, the path opened into the clearing by the lake. A rank putrescence filled the air and there was a gleam of white bone in the mud by the shore...

Posted: **Sun May 12, 2019 12:31 am**

"We're going to need to take a closer look," says William softly.

Posted: **Mon May 13, 2019 3:18 pm**

Howard grits his teeth and walks over to look, hoping that they won't find what he fears they'll find.

Posted: **Tue May 14, 2019 12:00 am**

As he approached, Howard noticed further points of reflection scattered upon the ground. The waning spring sunshine glinted from spent brass shotgun shells which poked up through the mud.

By the lakeside, a mass of broken bones lay in a pool of mud and yellowish liquid that reminded Howard of the contents of the jar in the hotel storeroom. The liquid gave off a rank stench that threatened to bring back the young men’s breakfast so they had covered their faces with their jacket lapels to try to ward off the foul miasma. As they got closer, they could see whatever the bones had belonged to, had sustained a prolonged assault as evidenced by the multiple fractures inflicted by shotgun blasts.Tyre tracks lead through the mud indicated it had probably been rammed by a vehicle, possibly as a coup de grâce.

As the three men studied the bones, they realised that they were human in origin with bony spines fused down the arms and the back ribs. Recoiling in horror, the men realised that if this wasn’t James, then this might be a clue as to his eventual fate... ...

Posted: **Tue May 14, 2019 3:39 am**

William steels himself, having already expected a grisly find.

Posted: **Tue May 14, 2019 2:19 pm**

Thomas had seen the dead many times before as a policeman, and the bones, while initially shocking, were nothing new to him. He looks nearby for any further clues as to the fate of their previous owner.

Posted: **Tue May 14, 2019 2:27 pm**

Posted: **Wed May 15, 2019 12:19 pm**

Posted: **Wed May 15, 2019 10:37 pm**

As Thomas looked around, he didn’t notice anything that may have suggested what had happened here.

Posted: **Thu May 16, 2019 3:45 pm**

The sight of the bones brings the memories of that fateful night flooding back. The sickening feel of Howard’s fist thudding into the woman’s face, the violation of that thing’s spine in his shoulder… Howard is overcome by the emotions he has been trying to suppress.

Posted: **Thu May 16, 2019 10:50 pm**

Howard staggered back, caught his foot in a rutted tyre track and sat down hard. As he looked down at his feet, he noticed a folded paper flier partially buried in the tyre tracks - perhaps discarded and then run over?

A light breeze from the lake caused the pages of the flier to flick open. With a start, he thought he caught a glimpse of a familiar face... ...

Posted: **Fri May 17, 2019 2:16 am**

"What have you found there?" asks William.

Posted: **Fri May 17, 2019 2:12 pm**

Thomas sees the others investigating something in the tracks, and decides to see if he can determine where the tracks lead.

Posted: **Fri May 17, 2019 3:54 pm**

Howard manages to stand up, and he holds the flier out so that they both can see.

Posted: **Fri May 17, 2019 4:48 pm**

Part of the paper had been torn away, but it was clearly a flier for an establishment called Brown’s Hotel - “Louisiana’s newest & finest boutique hotel!”

Inside, there was a photograph of the proprietors - William and Robert ‘Brown’ - but there was no mistaking them - the Brophy’s! Behind them was a tall, unsmiling young man - their missing friend, James Fraser!

Posted: **Sat May 18, 2019 3:06 am**

"Now we know where they've gone," says William. "I think we should go now and report what we've found before that thing puts in another appearance."

Posted: **Sat May 18, 2019 5:49 am**

"Sure" says Howard. "Let's get out of here".

Posted: **Mon May 20, 2019 11:25 pm**

Saturday, March 1st, 1930 6.05pm.
Anton's Restaurant, 689 S Powder Mill Street, Arkham, Mass.

Following their discoveries out by the lake, the three men returned to Anton’s to talk over what to do next. Anton had seated them at a table tucked away in a rear corner, a spot normally used for less distinguished guests, but tonight it was ideal for talking and not being overheard.

The hotel flyer lay on the table before them. It was mudstained and the address and presumably phone number had been torn away. It opened out gatefold style, with pictures of the rooms and surroundings inside, and had a map on the back, although the staining made that hard to read.

Posted: **Mon May 20, 2019 11:47 pm**

Lawrence Gilman proved to be the last to arrive at Anton's. He parked his truck, headed inside, and asked to be seated with Howard, Thomas, and William, stating that he was a friend of theirs. It had been months since the incident, but it was still burned into his mind; the lake, glistening in the darkness, the massive, spine-covered beast, and the desperate getaway. The fact that the Brophys still lived on and had escaped had been constantly irking him since he had returned home. He still carried a revolver on him, because, after seeing what he had seen, who wouldn't?

Posted: **Mon May 20, 2019 11:55 pm**

”Well...” Thomas begins, ”It seems that James is still alive for now. And the Brophy’s have set up shop elsewhere. What do we do now?”

He hears footsteps approaching their table, and turns around to see Lawrence walking towards them. ”There is at least some good news.”, he thinks out loud.

Posted: **Tue May 21, 2019 12:40 am**

"It's been a long time, gentlemen; I apologize for being late. I would rather have had a reunion under happier circumstances, but when I got the call, I knew what we were doing. I assume that you've found some kind of lead on the Brophys?"

Lawrence took a seat at the table.

Posted: **Tue May 21, 2019 2:45 am**

William fills Lawrence in on their discovery. "We need to tell the police first," he says. "There's nothing they can do about the Brophys, as Louisiana is outside their jurisdiction, but we can do something about it. We should also show Gerald Fraser the flyer and let him know we now have a lead on his son's whereabouts and are willing to pursue it."

Posted: **Tue May 21, 2019 3:19 am**

Lawrence nods in agreement.

"Louisiana... That corresponds with that letter. Clever of them to run another state, where the Massachusetts Police can't much to them. I'd have to agree with you, though, William; It's still best to tell the cops and Gerald about this.

Lawrence lowers his voice into a whisper:

"I've got to ask: according to the police, what 'actually' happened at the lake? I know for sure that they aren't going to let the public know about the actual events, with that thing in the lake and all."

Posted: **Tue May 21, 2019 9:03 pm**

"Officially, nothing happened, and nobody's to investigate it further. For all my trouble, I've been stuck on permanent night shift ever since." Thomas says, suddenly disgruntled. "I'm sure the generous Mr. Fraser Snr. had some hand in the matter, but perhaps he'll soften now that we have some idea of where James is." he continues. "Still, if we're going to the police, perhaps I'll keep my head down."

Posted: **Wed May 22, 2019 1:19 am**

Howard thinks for a moment.

"If we tell Frasier we think his son may be in Louisiana" he says, "he may want us to go down there and find him. I imagine he still wants to keep the whole thing quiet."

Posted: **Wed May 22, 2019 2:44 am**

"That is a thought," says William. "Of course, his son did try to kill us, and this is already known to the police. We may want to talk to him first, then, but we can at least let the police know about the remains we found."

Posted: **Wed May 22, 2019 3:46 pm**

Howard nods. "Yes, we have to tell the police. Maybe it will get old man Frasier off our backs."

Posted: **Wed May 22, 2019 11:35 pm**

Posted: **Thu May 23, 2019 2:40 am**

Posted: **Thu May 23, 2019 5:55 am**

Posted: **Thu May 23, 2019 7:35 am**

Saturday, March 1st, 1930 7.10pm.
Arkham Police Station, 302 E Armitage Street, Arkham, Mass.

The duty sergeant looked up as the four men entered the station house. “Gentlemen? Officer Riddle?” He looked puzzled, then frowned. “How can we be of service?”

Posted: **Thu May 23, 2019 1:05 pm**

”These men would like to leave a statement; I’ve brought them down here, seeing as I’m not considered to be very credible these days.” Thomas says, giving the sergeant a knowing look.

Posted: **Thu May 23, 2019 1:14 pm**

The duty sergeant snorted but said nothing. He looked at the other three.

”So what is it you gentlemen would like to make a statement about?” he asked.

Posted: **Fri May 24, 2019 2:04 am**

"We heard that there had been gunfire out at Squatters Lake," says William, "so we went out to take a look around. We found some human remains."

Posted: **Fri May 24, 2019 7:50 pm**

”Squatters Lake, eh?” He frowned at Thomas, who had started to experience a sinking feeling in his stomach. ”You’d better wait here,” and he nodded towards the bench seat along one wall.

They waited until almost an hour before the front door was pushed open rather abruptly, causing it it to bang against the wall. An angry-looking Captain Keats stormed into the station. ”What’s this about Squatters Lake?! Weren’t you told to stay away?!”

Posted: **Sat May 25, 2019 1:33 am**

"I felt partly responsible for the Brophys getting away," says William. "I knew we couldn't really have stopped them, but I still felt that way. When I thought that someone else might have died, I had to do something about it. As it happens, we have a lead on where they went. They've gone to Louisiana and bought a place there called Brown's Hotel. That's the name they're using now, William and Robert Brown."

Posted: **Sat May 25, 2019 12:04 pm**

”How do you know this?” demanded Captain Keats. ”We had no clue as to where they went after the events of last year.”

Posted: **Sat May 25, 2019 3:57 pm**

"We found this flyer near the remains," says William, showing it to the captain. "We recognized them from the pictures, and all the information's in there."

Posted: **Sat May 25, 2019 6:26 pm**

Keats took the flyer and studied it carefully, front and back. After a couple of moments, he tapped the photo of James. ”This the missing boy? Have you told his father?”

Posted: **Sun May 26, 2019 1:43 am**

"That's him," says William. "We haven't told his father yet. We thought it was better to tell you first."

Posted: **Sun May 26, 2019 11:44 pm**

Captain Keats studied the young men and shook his head. ”Get ‘em a drink, Joe. I’ve got a telephone call to make.” He sighed, pushed open the door marked ‘Police Only’ and headed into the station.

Twenty minutes passed and the outer door flew open once again to admit an angry-looking Gerald Fraser. He barely glanced at the young men and pushed straight through the ‘Police Only’ door and into the station, where Captain Keats could be seen waiting.

Another hour passed and the coffee had long-since gone cold before Captain Keats emerged again, flanked by a scowling Gerald Fraser. “I understand that you traced my son, James,” he said. “Captain Keats tells me that I owe you young men a debt of gratitude... ...” He glanced at Keats and the look on his face suggested that he didn’t really mean it, but he carried on.

“I want my son brought back, no matter what he’s got himself mixed up in. Would you men be willing to go and find James for me? I’ll pay you the original $200, plus an extra $200 for his safe return.”

Posted: **Mon May 27, 2019 1:18 am**

"I'm willing," says William. "I cannot guarantee that he won't be in any trouble, but I am capable of representing him as his attorney."

Posted: **Mon May 27, 2019 3:46 pm**

"And what if we don't succeed, hmm?" asks Howard, the colour rising in his cheeks. "Are you going to do your best to trash our reputations again? You're going to have to do a hell of a lot more than just give us money". He has an edge to his voice.

Posted: **Wed May 29, 2019 12:10 am**

Fraser Snr’s colour rose quickly and he looked to be about to snap off a sharp retort until Captain Keats placed a calming hand on his arm. Fraser looked angrily at Keats then back at Howard.

Keats stepped forward, and interposed himself between Fraser Snr. and the young men. ”You give it your best shot at finding James Fraser and bringing him back home and there’ll be no comeback, I guarantee it,” he said. ”Now do we have a deal?”

Posted: **Wed May 29, 2019 4:15 am**

"I agree," says William, "though I can only speak for myself. I can write up a contract for the agreement." Best to make sure this agreement is legally binding with documentary proof, he thinks.

Posted: **Thu May 30, 2019 6:53 pm**

I'd have to agree, as well.

Lawrence had stood silent, until now. He personally thought that it would make more sense to have a lawyer doing the talking. After all, he hadn't been present at the second visit to Squatter's Lake, so he had little to add to this conversation.

Posted: **Fri May 31, 2019 3:12 pm**

"Yes" mutters Howard. "I want this in writing".

Posted: **Fri May 31, 2019 11:56 pm**

”Yes Captain,” Thomas says, suddenly feeling a surge of confidence, ”...we’ll be sure to get James back.”. He directly addresses his senior officer; ”Then we can all forget that this mess ever happened.”

Posted: **Sat Jun 01, 2019 12:09 am**

Fraser Snr. was a man ill-accustomed to not getting his own way, but Captain Keats quickly shut down his blustered protests. ”These boys could be putting themselves in harm’s way, so you need to treat them right, Mr Fraser,” he said. ”Mr Preston here will draw up a contract so there’s no misunderstandings.”

Fraser Snr. said nothing but managed a short, curt nod while scowling fit to burst.

”So what are your plans?” asked Captain Keats of the young men.

Posted: **Sat Jun 01, 2019 2:01 am**

"If we're going down to Louisiana, we're going to need a little financing" says Howard, staring at Fraser, and beginning to enjoy baiting the miserable old bastard.

Posted: **Sat Jun 01, 2019 4:42 am**

"When we get to Louisiana," says William, "we'll make inquiries into the hotel to find out where in Louisiana it's located. Since they're a business, they'll have to be registered, and there must be real estate records under their assumed names. We might want to start in the capital, Baton Rouge. It helps that they are advertising and trying to attract people, as that will make it easier to find them."

Posted: **Tue Jun 04, 2019 7:12 pm**

"I agree, Howard; travel isn't cheap, and in this economy, we don't have much money to spare." stated Lawrence, rather matter-of-factly.

Posted: **Wed Jun 05, 2019 2:55 am**

"Yes, we will need our expenses covered," says William. "That's something we'll need to address in the contract."

Posted: **Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:08 am**

Captain Keats beckoned Mr. Fraser Snr. to one side and spoke to him quietly. Looking put out, the banker nodded briefly, then left the room without another word.

”You’ll haves the money owed to you in the morning,” said Captain Keats, ”Plus an allowance to cover your costs. If you meet back here at 10.30 in the a.m., then we’ll get it all fixed up.”

Posted: **Thu Jun 06, 2019 3:10 am**

Posted: **Thu Jun 06, 2019 8:24 pm**

"That sounds fine to me. I'm almost looking forward to it." Thomas says.

Posted: **Sat Jun 08, 2019 12:33 am**

"This will be just like a vacation, except without fun, relaxation, or being an actual vacation." says Lawrence to Thomas.

Posted: **Sat Jun 08, 2019 11:44 pm**

Posted: **Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:50 am**

Posted: **Tue Jun 11, 2019 9:44 pm**

Posted: **Tue Jun 11, 2019 11:43 pm**

Posted: **Wed Jun 12, 2019 2:23 am**

Posted: **Wed Jun 12, 2019 11:53 am**

Posted: **Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:54 pm**

Posted: **Sat Jun 15, 2019 2:26 am**

Posted: **Sun Jun 16, 2019 11:14 pm**

Posted: **Sun Jun 16, 2019 11:44 pm**

Our adventure continues here: Chapter 8: Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down.

Play@YSDC

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