Play@YSDC

Thursday March 13th, 1930 13.25pm
Arkham Sanitarium, 225 E Derby Street, Arkham, Mass.

William and Lawrence returned to their car to make the return journey from Amesbury to Arkham. The heavens opened as the climbed in and a few minutes passed before William felt it had eased off enough in order to begin their journey.

Due to the visibility and the surface water, the journey took longer than expected, but eventually they reached the outskirts of town and William was able to guide the car onto E Derby Street, where the large, institutional building that was the Arkham Sanitation loomed over the surrounding homes.

The Sanitarium was fenced all around, with a short drive leading to a concierge’s hut providing the only access beyond.

Image of Arkham Sanitarium,http://propnomicon.blogspot.com/2010/09/arkham-sanitarium-photographs.html

William pulls up by the concierge's hut and rolls down the window. "We're looking for Miss Emily Livingstone," he says.

”Livingstone?” said the concierge. “Is that a member of staff or one of the inmates? And have you got an appointment?”

"She's an inmate. We came here on very short notice, so we unfortunately haven't got an appointment." Lawrence answers from the passenger seat.

”If you drive up to the main building, I’ll ring ahead and ask if Dr Hardstrom can have a word,” said the concierge. He came out of his hut and opened the gates to allow William to drive through, indicating the road to a small car parking area to the front of what appeared to be the main building.

As William parked his car, he and Lawrence saw a smartly dressed man in his 50s, with a white coat over his three piece suit, waiting for them by the main entrance.

William gets out of the car and approaches him. "Dr. Hardstrom?" he asks, holding out his hand. "My name is William Preston. We'd like to visit Miss Emily Livingstone. We're friends of her boyfriend, James. Recently he went missing, and his father hired us to find him. We did, but unfortunately, he passed away. However, he had on his person a letter addressed to Miss Livingstone that we would like to deliver to her."

"And I am Lawrence Gilman;" Lawrence introduces himself, trailing behind William. "Not much for me to say that my associate William here hasn't already said. We only recently learned of Ms
Livingstone being admitted, so we had to come over here in a rush."

Hardstrom looked puzzled. “Livingstone? I’m not aware of an inmate of that name.” He looked momentarily nonplussed. ”I will happily check though, if you would like to come with me.”

He lead them through the main door and into a large entrance hall. To Lawrence and William’s eyes, it was like a hospital, albeit one where the heavy furnishings appeared to be secured to the floor. Hardstrom took them down a corridor and unlocked a door at the end with his name on it. Bidding them to take a seat, he picked up a large register from a side table and, sitting at his desk, he went through it.

Shortly, he looked up and smiled quizzically. ”It is as I said, we have no-one of that name here,” he said.

"It seems we're looking in the wrong place. You see, Dr. Hardstrom, we heard from Livingstone's neighbor that she'd been picked up by some people that looked like they came from a sanitarium a few weeks ago." Lawrence explains the situation to the doctor, quite puzzled himself. The search here had turned up nothing, but there's at least one other place Lawrence could think of to visit.

"Could she be using the name Fraser?" asks William. "That's the surname of the young man that she was going to marry. Otherwise, perhaps she was taken to a different institution, though this is the one that came to mind when we heard she had been committed. The only other one I've heard of is Danvers, but I believe that is out in the country. Is it possible that she has been released already? She would have been brought in a few weeks ago."

Hardstrom studied the register once more and shook his head. “No-one with the name Livingstone or Fraser, I’m afraid.” He closed the register and set it aside.

He sat back, with steepled fingers and studied his visitors. ”It is possible that she has been taken to a private institution - have you considered that possibility?”

"I had not," says William, "but that is an excellent suggestion. We should ask her mother. If anyone would know where she was taken, it would be her."

Hardstrom smiled. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help you with Miss Livingstone, but hopefully you will be able to find her.”

He rose and escorted William and Lawrence back to the car park. He shook hands on the step and wished them good fortune before turning around and re-entering the building.

OOC,Where next?