August 18 - 10.00 PM - The Croockey Inn

[robertod]

Returning to the village, the investigators find it silent and still, as if a curfew were in course. However, there is some activity on the docks. Lights are there and some are moving. With a closer look, the group sees that someone is loading barrels on a small boat. The boat of the investigators is no longer there. Perhaps it moved away from the coast to avoid being seen. The old man had told the group he was afraid of making contacts with the people of Coney Island.

There are no custumers in the inn. The girl is alone behind the counter cleaning dishes and glasses.

[Mr. Handy]

Kathryn looks around for a hiding place from which she can observe the girl without being seen herself, so that she can secretly follow her if she leaves.

[jp1885]

Ivy sticks with Kathryn.

[robertod]

The girl looks out the window, catching sight of the boat in the distance.
Hes pale face expresses anxiety, fear and indecision. She seems paralized. Suddenly, she jerks to the kitchen and comes out with a big knife in her hand.

She runs out of the inn. Her thin body trembling as if she had the devil inside.
She goes towards the docks, furtively. She silently approaches the boat, but then turns away towards the rocks, out of the light field of the flashlights used by the men standing at the dokcs.

Doing as little noise as possible, and being careful not to be seen, the girl enters the waters.

[Mr. Handy]

Kathryn follows the girl quickly but quietly, relying on the darkness to hide her, hoping to get close enough to see where the underwater tunnel entrance is.

OOC,Stealth roll (60% skill) following the girl: [dice]0[/dice]

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Meanwhile, Michael takes the opportunity to investigate the inn's ledgers, to see if they reveal anything. Sneaking around isn't his best skill.

[robertod]

The girl swims holding the knife between her teeth and approaches the boat. She seems to be looking for a point whereshe can climb without being seen. Meanwhile, the group sees that five men are loading large barrels from the docks onto the boat using a ramp.

Michael,the inn's book has no information about people hosted. Liquor production records are reported instead. The production has been going on for years. Eight months ago began an interruptiont that lasted for several weeks. The production has been resumed recently. The new period of production is referred to as Brew Draft of Phan phase

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Michael grunts at what he's seen in the inn's records. All ties together. He moves to a window where he can watch the men approaching, pistol ready if needed.

[Mr. Handy]

Kathryn hides and signals to her friends to join her. "If we can hide in the barrels," she whispers, "those men will load us on the boat."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Michael watches the detective try to sneak into one of the barrels. Cute idea. Too bad he's way too big and clumsy to pull it off. Anyway, he better stick around until that gal that works at the Inn gets back, and ask her a few questions.

[Mr. Handy]

"I think we all need to be aboard that boat," whispers Kathryn. "That's probably how she gets to K'n-yeil."

[jp1885]

Ivy sighs, eyeing up the barrels warily.

"It beats swimming I suppose. Very well, let's climb in."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Resigned to the scheme, Michael does his best to get aboard without tipping over the boat. "I gotta bad feelin' about this,"he mutters.""I always knew dames would get me in trouble."

[robertod]

The investigators approach the wooden barrels, hiding behind a group of rocks close to the docks. The five men brought the barrels with a cart tied to two horses, which now stands near them. Six barrels have already been transported on the boat, five are still on the pier. The five men are now pushing one barrel on the ramp to load it on the boat. They are doing it with effort. Surely, the barrel they are moving is heavy and filled with something. As the detectives try to sneak into one of the barrels, they realize all of them are heavy and filled with something liquid. It smells strong liquor.



Now, they remember of a document they found in the secret room of the mansion.
The document reported all the accounting for whiskey production in Flowerege, this town of Coney Island. The alcohol has been regularly boarded in Flowerege, and then sold at a low price in Greyton. Mr. Crookey, the owner of the Crockey Inn in is the one who organize the production and transportation. Trade has lasted for many years and, apparently, it was interrupted by the end of December 1928, that is, eight months ago. No reason was mentioned about that.

Michael,When Michael saw the Inn's book, he indeed found records of liquor production. The production has been going on for years. Eight months ago the production has been interrupted and has been resumed only recently. The new period of production is referred to as Brew Draft of Phan phase. Michael now remembers about another document the group found at the mansion. A typescript describing the recipe for a syrup, called indeed Brew Draft of Phan. Its production requires a careful and meticulous selection of algae species belonging to the order Laminariales, an order commonly known as kelp. The syrup also includes fresh poppy tar and bear’s spleen. The recipe described the preparation, but did not say anything about its purpose and effects. However, the document is meant to prepare a mixture of syrup and whiskey. This recipe also explains how to prepare the alcoholic beverage containing 5% of Brew Draft of Phan. [ooc]Also, take a look again to Darcy´s letter dated August 17, 1928, in the last post of the Cue thread[/ooc]

Meanwhile, while the men are pushing the barrel, the girl quickly climbs on the boat and hides among the barrels that are already aboard. She esitates several times, then she does that as fast as she can.

Then, one of the silhouettes of the five men stops pushing. He takes out a gun.

"Stop. I thought I saw something moving on the boat."

[Mr. Handy]

Kathryn takes out her own gun. "If they find her, we may need to intervene," she whispers. "Looks like we can't hide in the barrels after all. I doubt we'd have time to empty them before they return."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Michael readies his pistol, but waits for the men to take action first. He wouldn't mind some booze himself right now, but he's got a hunch that the stuff in those barrels is not your typical rotgut.

[jp1885]

"Maybe we could spook the cart horses." Ivy whispers. "And use the distraction to sneak onto the boat."

[Mr. Handy]

"That's a thought," whispers Kathryn. "If we can make them run and take the cart with them, at least some of the men will chase after them."

[jp1885]

Ivy sneaks up to the horses. Having ridden them as a girl, she had some familiarity with the beasts.

OOC:   I’m going to make a Ride skill roll; not to ride the horses, but to see if she can spook them without making it obvious.

Spoiler:

Ride 40%,[dice]0[/dice]

Failing in her role as horse whisperer, she slaps one of the nags hard on the rump.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

If the men notice that they've got uninvited company, Michael will try to shoot a hole in one of the barrels, both to cause more chaos and to get a sample of the stuff. Until then, he'll play it quiet.