Play@YSDC

When Ivy and Michael leave the lighthouse they easily find the other investigators who were accompanying Selma home.

The group walks together with the girl to her humble abode, a few steps from the sea. The people on the street greed Selma, as if meeting her in a day like the others, and she returns with brief smiles. Approaching the wooden house, the sound of the sea waves in the background increases, following its typical and natural rhythm. The tide is rising slowly.

The natural noise of the waves now sounds like the heavy breathing of a ferocious hibernating animal immersed in his deep sleep. Even the salty air does not seem the same anymore, but it recalls the existence of organic unknown life hidden in the depths.

Selma enters the house. She lights an old wood stove, and places a pot of water on top pf it. She welcome her guests to sit down and take a herbal tea.

"Thank you, Selma," says Kathryn. She glances nervously out the window at the sea, afraid that a wave will come and sweep over the house as it did at Amanda Weeks's place. She takes a seat and gratefully accepts the tea.

Michael does something unusual for him; he keeps his mouth shut. Instead of speaking, he accepts the tea with a smile and a nod. He holds the crucifix in a way that makes it noticeable and sees how Selma might react to it. Does she recognize it? Does it bring back any memories for her?

Ivy also accepts the tea, sitting uncomfortably and occasionally eyeing the shoreline.

"So what now?"

"Selma, are you feeling up to talking about what happened?" asks Kathryn.

Selma recognizes the cruzifix when she sees Micheal holding it.
She is surprised to see it in Michael´s hands.

"Oh.. this is the cruzifix of Father Colby..."

She briefly smiles, to hide she is nervous

"Did he give it to you as a welcome present? He must have liked you guys very much.."

When Kathryn insists, Selma trembles and drops one of the cups on the floor, breaking it.
Then she turns to her guests, with a face of anger, fear and frustration.

"What are you talking about? I don't know what you came here for... but I know nothing. Last night I met Darcy, she took me to the lighthouse and we had some drinks, then we went out for a walk ... and I fell asleep on the beach. That's all I remember. "

Michael figures it would be best if the poor kid learns as little as possible; for now, anyway.

"Yeah," he says, "we had to help you back home. I figure maybe this Darcy dame slipped a Mickey Finn into your drink. I found this crucifix while we were giving you a hand. Maybe Father Colby lost it. You seen him lately? I'd like to get it back to him."

As much respect as Michael has for a member of the clergy, especially one of his own faith, he also knows that wolves sometimes wear sheep's clothing. He'd like to ask Father Colby how he lost the crucifix.

"Does he own a rifle?" asks Kathryn. "We found one where we found the crucifix."

"We found some gun cleaning stuff in the lighthouse, but if it belongs to the keeper, he didn't do much of a job cleaning it."

Ivy looks at the barely operable rifle in her hands.

Selma has a quick look at the gun.
"I wouldn´t say Father Colby is someone who goes around with a gun... let me see... I know this label ..."
"This gun comes from the Mattw Coleridge craft and antiques shop. It is up there, at the top of the West Hill, not far from the church."

Selma begins to serve the herbal tea and this simple action seems to have given her mind an anchor to cling to, to return to normality.

"But ... the gentleman and the ladies have not yet told me much about them... So how long are you planning on staying in town?" Selma says, with the tone of someone asking for a futile curiosity.

"Until we find little Timothy Gilbert," says Kathryn. "He's Alyssa's son. We came here to look for him. We have reason to believe that Jason Carson has brought him here."

Michael makes a mental note about the antique shop. Might be able to find out who purchased a rifle there recently. Police work is all about following hundreds of leads and hoping one pays off.


"You heard anything about a young boy showing up in town lately? We just wanna make sure he gets home safe and sound."

"No, I know nothing about Alyssa´s son. Neither I know anything about a child who recently came to town." replies Selma.
"But I know Alyssa came here with Jason years ago... she befriended Darcy at some point... I remember they soon left.. and I haven´t heard of them since them."
She smiles intrigued, and anything that happened to her a few hours ago seems now far away from her memories.
"So, Alyssa´s got a son in Portland and the father has doubts about him being the real father. Sounds like a tricky issue..."

At the mention of the 'real father', Ivy gives her fellow investigators a meaningful look.

"Trickier than any of us can appreciate I think..."

She attempts to smile reassuringly at Selma as she finishes her tea.

"I still maintain we should have a quiet chat with Darcy at the earliest opportunity, but sticking together is the wisest choice, so if anyone thinks the antique shop is worth a visit first, I shall concur."

"We'll all want to be together when we talk to Darcy," says Kathryn. "We could go to the antique shop first, but I don't know if we should leave Selma by herself."

Selma does not want to go out of her home. She still feels tired and sick.
She changes her wet clothes and waits for her brother to come back.

Ivy watches as Selma slumps into a chair, obviously exhausted from her ordeal, even if she doesn't remember it.

"Perhaps I should stay here then and look after the girl. You can return here after you've been to the antiques shop and we can take it from there."

"I'll stick around here, too. Might be better to have a pair of us available if trouble comes calling. Besides, my dogs are killing me," Michael adds, rubbing his big feet through his heavy policeman's shoes.

"Good idea," says Kathryn. "I'll go with Emma to the antique shop. That way nobody is alone."

When Ivy and Michael conclude their conversation with Selma, Emma and Kathryn come back from the antiquities shop.

OOC:   Each of you can read the other thread your character was not in. We can assume your characters share information as they meet again.