August 18 - 8.00 AM - The meet with Father Colby

[robertod]

The following day, as the investigators get up they see the Inn is empty during day time. They are the only people housed in the upstairs rooms. After a good breakfast, they set off for West Hill, where the church is.

The West Hill is a patchwork of green made, while the sky above is dense with fog and low clouds, giving a somewhat claustrophobic feel. The hill side facing the town is covered with trees, weeds and shrubs. There are every hue from summer grass to deep forest pools. The foothill borders with a fenced farm. Some houses, including the church are located on the hill top. To access the area, they must go through one of the two staircases on either side of the hill, for a fifteen minutes’ walk.
Climbing along the path, the fog begins to thin out, until it disappears completely. The sun's rays reach every place and emphasize the lively presence of plants, trees and houses, projecting shadows on the ground.

The church of Greyton stands in an isolated place at the top of the hill. It is a typical Georgian building. With its tall steeples, classical facades, gleaming white exteriors, and many tall the famed Palladian windows. Above the entrance, rises the bell tower that ends with a pointed roof. At its base, each side of the tower has a clock.

The group finds Father Colby walking in front of the church, coming back from his morning walk.
Brian Colby is a middle-aged man, with dark hair and thin lips. Glasses with big lenses cover the small brown eyes. He wears a clerical black waistcoats, made of worsted wool. He holds an old bible in his hand, keeping the page mark with his finger. His face suggest a constant bothered mood, as if sculpted in marble. He interrupts his walk as he sees the investigators. His inquiring face seems to have understood they are not local.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Michael groaned as he walked up the endless flights of stairs. He finally reached the top and let out a huge sigh.

"Morning, Father. I'm Detective O'Shaugnessy. Like to ask you a few questions."

[Mr. Handy]

"Good morning, Father," says Kathryn, a little disappointed that Michael has revealed that he is a detective at the outset.

[jp1885]

Ivy nods in greeting, content to let her boss do the talking while she surveys the view of the village from their hilltop position.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Michael is oblivious to the disappointment of his colleague. Subtlety has never been his strong point. He gets to the matter at hand right away.

"I'm from the Portland PD. We're looking for a missing kid named Timothy Gilbert. I'd like to talk to a fellow named Jason Carson about it. Can you tell us anything about him?"

[robertod]

Colby´s eyelook is disheartened, as if his mind that were recalling something painful, from which he would like to stay far, without however being able to completely dissociate from it.
He responds with harsh and accusatory words.

"He left and went to Portland years ago, and he did the best thing he could do. There´s nothing good in the soul of the people of this city. I don´t know where Jason is now. I thought him still in Portland. What Jason has to do with this this missing person?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Years ago, Jason had a relationship with Timothy's future mother, Alyssa," says Kathryn. "We believe he may feel a connection to the boy."

[jp1885]

"We know he had a close friendship with another, boy: Martin. He was lost at sea wasn't he? Might he see Timothy as some sort of replacement?"

[robertod]

The priest shakes his head with a perplexed face.

"No... Martin is just a few years younger than Jason. They were close friends. Martin is a cultured person. Never he had set foot on a boat. I still don´t understand why he was off at sea that day of the storm.May God have mercy of his soul.
He´s the only person who respected Jason and defended him from the evil gossip of Greyton's people. Jason has been living the life of a drifter for a while and this because of the torments of his unhappy childhood, he never knew who his father was and his mother died when he was born. I tried to do what I could to raise him, but it was not easy. The absence of true parents became a void that tormented his life. This is too sad a story, you don´t want to hear more about it.

Jason always said he wanted one day to learn more about his past. Coney Insland... within twenty miles from the shore of Greyton. His mother came from there. Maybe he definitely moved there now. I don´t know. If you happen to meet him, tell him I would like to see him again. "

[Mr. Handy]

"We will," says Kathryn. "Thank you for your help, Father. Did you ever meet Alyssa? I believe she's spent time in Greyton before."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"Thanks, Father, that's a big help. Looks like a trip to this Coney Island would be in order. Is there a ferry or a charter boat that heads that way?"

To himself, Michael wishes it were the more famous island of the same name near New York City. That would be more fun than chasing all these dead end leads.

"This may not have anything to do with the case, but I have to check out everything. There seems to be some bad blood between a guy named Jeremy Clark and a couple in town." He checks his notebook. "Let's see, a business-type named Michaud and his ladyfriend. It may just be a personal feud, but it doesn't smell right to me. Besides, it's obvious you think something is rotten in the state of Denmark, if you get my drift. Care to tell me anything about it?"

[jp1885]

Ivy waits for the priest to answer the others' questions, before interjecting.

"What can you tell us about the northeast part of town? I gather they don't like strangers, but if our investigations lead us there, is there someone we could talk to?"

[robertod]

The priest has a tense and disgusting face, as if to vent an inner anger accumulated and repressed with time. He leads the group inside the church and close the heavy double wooden door. The Inside is a quiet air tinctured with the scent of incense. Candles solidly smell of musty prayer books. The priest seats on a bench and begins to tell what he knows.

"Greyton became home to the devil."
He looks up at the roof
" Forgive me Father for saying such things in thy holy place."
Then he turns back at the characters.
"Greed! Greed and depravation filled the hearts of the townfolks. Believe me.
Listen! Michaud.. he makes a lot of filthy money with fish. He sells higher than he buys from the fishermen.
Listen! There´s a rich family in Coney Island, the Anderson. They rule here.
Oh, Michaud and the Anderson… those two... they are like two ticks on a dog. The Anderson financed the expansion of fishing. They loan money to the fishermen. The poor guys were deceived because of the interests. Many lost their vessel and those who not, now cannot sell fish their own. They must sell to Michaud, at his price. Those who failed to repay lost their boat. That´s it!

The red haired woman…. Darcy… that woman is the devil! She was a good girl once. Everything changed when she went to Corney Island to work for the Andersons. She stood in their house as a maid. When she came back, she betrayed Jeremy and became Michaud´s lover. Greed and money corrupted her soul first and the whole town then. Michaud became a greedy person because of Darcy. He began making business with the Anderson... and corruption began to spread everywhere in Greyton.

As if all that's not enough, they began to smuggle alcohol. The alcohol comes by sea, through the Bay of Fundy, maybe from Canada. Local police is paid by the Anderson for not enforcing the law. They are corrupted. The Anderson sell alcohol to the poor neighborhoods. This helps to keep them down. The Anderson supply strong alcohol, at a very low price. The fishermen had been dry for decades. This was a disaster, and favored the downfall of many of them.
I don´t know who you can talk to, if you go to the northeast neighborhood. I haven´t seen those folks for so much time. But pay attention if you go there. You really want to go to Coney Island too? Go to the harbor and talk to the old Cornel. You might rent a boat... oh no… there´s no ferry… going there"
He pauses and then lowers his voice
"Nobody wants to go to Coney island."

[Mr. Handy]

"And Alyssa?" asks Kathryn again. "Did you meet her? And what do you know about the wreck of the Acadia last year?"

[robertod]

The priest struggles to remember

"Alyssa? Ah the girl from Portland. She´s been here a few years ago. At the time, Carson was her goof. She met her in Portland. She befriended some girls here in town. I never had the chance to meet her."

"The wreck of the Acadia? A storm in the bay and the ship went down... a friend of Jason was there with the fishermen and was lost at sea. I have no idea about what he was doing there. You need to ask Cornel at the harbour. I think he was the chaptain."

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you, Father," says Kathryn. "It looks like Cornel's the one wee need to see next, then. Do you know anything about the lighthouse?"

[jp1885]

"Might I suggest that we speak to the young lady Amanda, while we're on the mainland, before we see the captain and head out to the island?"

[robertod]

Colby replies to Kathryn.
"The lighthouse? Why are you interested in that thing there? Just a lighthouse as many others. A guy is the keeper there and lives the lonely monotonous life that any keeper lives anywhere else. Basically not so different from mine, were it not for the Lord´s mercy I still count on."

[Turstrigo]

"How long have The Andersons been at it, Father? And have you heard of anything unusual happening near the entrances to the Wellington Cave? Maybe some strange gatherings or accidents?"

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

This is all getting too tangled up for Michael's taste. No matter what Michaud and Darcy might be up to, it isn't likely to have anything to do with the missing boy. But a lonely lighthouse and an isolated island . . . those seem like possible hiding places. He'll have to check them out when he can. He has a feeling that the priest isn't talking about everything that's bothering him, but he's not about to try intimidating a man of the cloth.