Ch.11. Oakwood House (Alex, Lawrence, William)

[Philulhu]

Friday March 14th, 1930 5.35pm.
Oakwood House, Cushing, Mass.

Bar a detour to pick up the letter of introduction from Dr Morris, they made good time out to the coast. As William drove up the long tree-lined drive, the sun had finally broken through the grey clouds and bathed the large colonial mansion in early evening sunshine (even though occasional spots of rain still landed on the windscreen).

Oakwood House was a two storey house painted bright white and sat in a large green plot that ran to the cliff edge. Off to the left appeared to be a block of garages, with a paddock and stables beyond. In the distance could be heard the sound of a tractor and it seemed a farmer was manure-spreading, if the smell that wafted in on the breeze was anything to go by. Other than that, it was peaceful, with only the distant sound of the sea to be heard.

[Mr. Handy]

"Let's go knock on the door," says William. Letter in hand, he approaches the house.

[Philulhu]

William’s knock was answered after a few moments by a young, dark-haired woman in a nurse’s uniform. She looked surprised to have visitors at that time of the day.

”Can I help you?” she asked.

[Mr. Handy]

"Good evening," says William. "My associates and I are here to see Miss Emily Livingstone. We were referred by Dr. Morris." He shows her the letter of introduction.

[Philulhu]

The nurse read the letter with a look of concentration, then said, ”We wouldn’t normally allow visitors at this time of day as it disturbs the guests, but let me ask Dr Roy. Please wait here.” She indicated some bench seats on the porch and closed the door.

Through the glass panes, she could be seen walking over to a door on the right hand side of the vestibule, where she knocked, before letting herself in.

[Mr. Handy]

William sits on a bench seat and watches through the window while he waits.

[Bullfrog]

"How do you suppose we should start the visit off? We probably shouldn't immediately start throwing accusations, that might stir up too much of a disturbance." Lawrence states as he takes a seat on one of the benches, looking out over the scenic environs.

[Mr. Handy]

"We should start by delivering James's letter to Emily," says William. "Once she reads that, she may have a change of heart."

[Silver Priest]

"Agreed," Alex says. "If her doctor gives us any trouble I will explain that I am a detective, but I'd rather not have to. Ms. Livingstone is extremely unstable, and I don't want to set her off. hopefully once she has read the letter we can gently ask her a few questions while she is pacified."

[Philulhu]

Through the window, William saw the nurse emerge from the doorway, in conversation with a man in a white coat. They spoke for a few moments, then she headed off down the corridor while the man approached the door. William could see he was a man around 40 years of age, with dark hair and a tanned complexion.

He unlocked the door and stepped outside. ”Good afternoon, gentlemen,” he said with a bow of his head. “My name is Doctor Roy. I understand you wish to speak to one of our guests. Is that correct?”

[Mr. Handy]

"That's right," says William. "We'd like to speak to Miss Emily Livingstone please. Dr. Morris referred us."

[Philulhu]

”So I understand,” replied Dr Roy. “But you must understand that Emily is here for a reason. Her melancholia was quite acute when she first arrived but she is making good progress. I would not want your visit to undo the progress she has made while she has been with us.”

The doctor looked at the three of them in turn, to check that the importance of what he was saying was appreciated. “May I ask therefore, what it is you wish to see Emily about, so I can assess whether it is appropriate for you to see her?”

[Bullfrog]

"We're here regarding a recent number of poisonings that have occurred, which we think Ms. Livingstone may know something about; I'm sure our detective friend over here could probably explain more than I can" Lawrence explains earnestly; surely, with this being an official police investigation, there was no need to lie about why they were here.
"On a more personal note, we've come to deliver a letter from her late boyfriend; it's very important that we get it to her, I'm sure you understand."

[Silver Priest]

Alex nods gravely. "Indeed. Ms. Livingstone is a person of interest in this investigation based on the particular victims targeted." He flashes his badge. "We would appreciate your cooperation, sir."

[Mr. Handy]

"I think it will do her good to read the letter," adds William. "The one he wrote to his father really helped him come to terms with his loss."

[Philulhu]

”Recent poisonings?” said Dr Roy, somewhat sceptically. “Emily hasn’t left the house since she arrived. We don’t allow our guests to go out unaccompanied in any event until they are ready to leave us.” He glanced at Alex’s badge. ”Nevertheless... ...”

He opened the door and indicated that they should step inside. Once in the lobby, he locked the door behind them and pocketed the key, before heading down a corridor that lead further into the building. As he walked, Dr Roy said, “I believe that our guests are painting this evening. They’ll be in the sun room. The view over the sea is most stimulating from there.”

He walked on in silence for a few few moments more, then said, ”Forgive me for asking, but how is possible for Emily to have been involved in these poisonings?”

[Silver Priest]

"We're still trying to determine that. As I've said, she's a person of interest, mainly because the two victims targeted so far are individuals she bears some animosity towards. She's also been contacted by an individual who was involved in several kidnapping cases across state lines-- bearing this all together, we need to speak to her to determine what she knows."

"Who is paying for Ms. Livingstone's care? I was given to understand she was of limited means, and it seems like Oakwood would be out of her financial reach."

[Philulhu]

Dr Roy paused and looked at Alex. ”Some of my work here is still at an experimental stage,” he explained. “It is funded by a number of universities who are researching alternative approaches to treating those who suffer from melancholia and other conditions. That pays for the guests stay here and in return, I share my observations with them. It is all quite above board, I assure you.” He sounded defensive, as if he had rehearsed this argument before.

[Mr. Handy]

"Are your guests able to send and receive mail?" asks William.

[Silver Priest]

Alex nods, but inwardly he's a bit suspicious of the doctor's defensiveness. He examines him closely to see if he's hiding something.

Psychology 60%,0