The Accident

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

A few days go by. Things go on as usual. David manages to disappear now and then, only to pop up out of nowhere with a mischievous grin. Elizabeth and Roger spend a great deal of time dealing with business affairs. From their conversation, and even from notices in the business section of the Collinswood Star, it's apparent that somebody is offering better salaries to the workers at the Collins fishery, causing them to leave for other jobs.

After having more than the usual number of whiskeys at the Blue Whale, Sam Evans comes up and begins work on a painting of a woman surrounded by flames. She seems to have a small, blank figure at her side. When Maggie asks who she is, or how he got the idea, he just says "Damned if I know."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

One evening, a messenger delivers a telegram from Burke Devlin. It simply reads, MEET TONIGHT INN TALK BUSINESS.

"I'd best see what the devil he wants," Rogers says, with some reluctance. "Heaven knows it can't be good."

He drives off to town.

Several hours later, he returns, his clothes torn and dirty, his head bleeding.

"Had accident. Brakes failed. Lucky I wasn't killed."

Fortunately, his injuries are not very serious. Investigation of the accident by the local sheriff -- more for insurance purposes than anything else -- indicates that the bleeder valve was missing, allowing brake fluid to leak out.

[SunlessNick]

"It's amazing, Daddy," Maggie says of the painting. She resolves to mention it to a few people at work, hoping someone might interested to take a look and buy it.

And she tries to bump into Burke enough times that he asks her for a second date, hopefully one that won't get interrupted this time.

And lastly, Victoria was cool - Maggie will call her up on the hotel's phone to see how she is, or ask her directly if she sees her around.

[Mr. Handy]

"Maybe it wasn't an accident," says Victoria. "Burke Devlin is the one who sent the telegram to get Roger Collins to drive out to meet him. Nobody else knew he was leaving, and Mr. Devlin has a peculiar interest in Roger Collins. Are there fingerprints on the car near where the valve was supposed to be?"

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Burke is all too happy to spend another night out with Maggie. Hearing about her father's new painting, he wrangles an invitation to their house to take a look at it. As soon as he sees it, he tells Sam "I didn't know you knew Laura so well. It looks just like her."

"Who?" Sam asks.

"You know, Roger's wife. Soon to be ex-wife, from what I hear. You must have seen here around town, years ago, even if you never met her. Guess her face got stuck in your mind."

____________________________________________________________________________________

After questioning all the members of the Collinswood household, the local sheriff pays a visit to Burke at the Inn. He tells him about the accident.

"So that's why Roger never showed up. I was here all night, waiting for him."

"What about the daytime?"

"Working on business, just me and a bottle of Scotch. Why?"

"Oh, just wondered if you had a witness for your movements that day. Routine."

"Well, I don't. Sorry."

________________________________________________________________________

Reporting back to the Collins, the sheriff states that the bleeder valve is nowhere to be found on the road from Collinswood, nor in the mansion's garage.

"I'm starting to think somebody removed it deliberately. We've checked out the car. No fingerprints anywhere near the brake system. That's not surprising. It would be easy enough to wear gloves, or even use a wrench to remove it without touching the rest of the vehicle. There's not much else I can do. I've questioned this Devlin guy, and he's as cool as a cucumber. Acts like he doesn't know anything about it. I haven't got any evidence, so I can't take him in, but I'd inspect your car carefully before you take it out next time."

After the bleeder valve is replaced, Roger notices that a wrench, of the right size to do the job, is missing from the tools in the garage.

[SunlessNick]

Unaware of the suspicions gathering around Burke, Maggie is happy to continue dating him - his intensity is rather captivating. At the same time, she's eager to ply him for old gossip about the town.

[Mr. Handy]

"Burke must have done it," says Victoria. "He'll probably try again, but he may use another method next time. He doesn't seem the type to give up, and he seems to have been nursing his grudge a long time. If that wrench could be found in his possession, that would be proof. I know Maggie is close to him, so maybe she could find out, but that would be dangerous for her. Of course, she may be in danger anyway just being near a man like that."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Unaware of the suspicions gathering around Burke, Maggie is happy to continue dating him - his intensity is rather captivating. At the same time, she's eager to ply him for old gossip about the town.

During their next date at the Blue Whale -- there doesn't seem to be hardly anywhere else in town to get a halfway decent meal and cocktails -- Burke is happy to spill what he knows about the Collins.

"You know why Elizabeth never shows her face in town, don't you? Well, maybe you're too young to remember. Paul Stoddard just up and disappeared eighteen years ago. Nobody knows what happened. She could declare him legally dead by this time, but I guess she doesn't want to. Maybe she's still hoping the guy will knock on her front door some day.

"Then there's Laura. About five years or so ago, she left Roger and moved out west. Phoenix, I think. That whole family's got a bad habit of losing spouses.

"Say, why don't you give that girl, what's her name, Vicki, a call, see if you can arrange a visit up there sometime. I'd like to tag along. I've still got business to discuss with Roger. Elizabeth, too, for that matter. She's the real boss of Collins Industries."

The fact that Burke takes time to study every attractive woman who walks into the Blue Whale may suggest that he could possibly have another motive for visiting a house currently occupied by two beautiful young ladies.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"Burke must have done it," says Victoria. "He'll probably try again, but he may use another method next time. He doesn't seem the type to give up, and he seems to have been nursing his grudge a long time. If that wrench could be found in his possession, that would be proof. I know Maggie is close to him, so maybe she could find out, but that would be dangerous for her. Of course, she may be in danger anyway just being near a man like that."

The sheriff is well aware that Burke is the most obvious suspect, from Roger's statements alone, if nothing else.

"I've searched his room at the Inn, his car, his luggage, everything, all with his permission. No dice. Hell, he could have thrown it off Widow's Hill, for all I know. Because the job had to be done right here in Collinwood, I'd bet a dollar to a doughnut that that wrench is right here on the premises somewhere. The only trouble is that I just don't have time to search a rambling old mansion like this. I'm a one man operation, you know. If anybody here finds the thing, you let me know."

[SunlessNick]

Maggie reacts a little waspishly to the suggestion, given his apparent motives, but she wants to stay on his good side. And it would be cool to see Victoria, and poke around the house again. Victoria gets a call, "Hiya, Vicki, this is Maggie from the diner. Burke want up to the house to talk to Roger and Elizabeth, and I figured why not make it a double trip, and you and me have some girl time. Don't tell me you don't need a break from the aristos."

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you, Sheriff," says Victoria. "I'll keep an eye out for it."

When Maggie calls, Victoria tells her what has happened and her suspicions. "Maggie, Burke is very dangerous! The main target of his ire seems to be Roger Collins, but I don't think it's safe for you to be around him. There's no telling what a man like that might do. But of course, if you break off contact with him, that's likely to make him suspicious and angry. Bringing him to the house is very dangerous, and I don't think Roger would allow it. Although...maybe we could use the opportunity to catch him in the act. He's hidden the wrench here somewhere, and only he knows where it is. I'm not sure if he'd retrieve it for anything, but if we could catch him with it, or otherwise catch him in the act of doing something else, the Sheriff would have the proof he needs. It would be very risky, though. If you want to try that, I can see what Roger and Elizabeth think of the idea."

[SunlessNick]

"Maggie, Burke is very dangerous! The main target of his ire seems to be Roger Collins, but I don't think it's safe for you to be around him. There's no telling what a man like that might do. But of course, if you break off contact with him, that's likely to make him suspicious and angry. Bringing him to the house is very dangerous, and I don't think Roger would allow it. Although...maybe we could use the opportunity to catch him in the act. He's hidden the wrench here somewhere, and only he knows where it is. I'm not sure if he'd retrieve it for anything, but if we could catch him with it, or otherwise catch him in the act of doing something else, the Sheriff would have the proof he needs. It would be very risky, though. If you want to try that, I can see what Roger and Elizabeth think of the idea."

"Oh my God, but I've been around him loads of times! You're sure about this? Daddy said he doesn't like to be crossed..."

OOC:   I rolled 1D20 as a "courage roll" - I'm not sure if it should be against Wisdom or Charisma, but I got a 7, which is a success either way.

"Yeah, w-we could do that. And if I say no, he'll probably come by himself anyway. Ok, I'm in."

[Mr. Handy]

"Okay, hold on and let me see if they're okay with it first," says Victoria.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

unexplained die roll[dice]0[/dice]

After Victoria explains the situation to the Collins, they agree to a meeting with Burke.

"As long as there are plenty of witnesses present," Roger explains, "he won't try anything. If he gets too pushy, I'll tell you something about him that I'm sure he's been careful not to mention. I don't mean to make accusations without proof, so I'll keep my mouth shut for now."

Spoiler:

unexplained die roll[dice]1[/dice]

The day goes by without incident, save for a rather morbid question from David.

"If my father died," he asks Victoria, "I'd have to go live with my mother, right?"

That evening, Burke and Maggie arrive, with the excuse of paying a social call on Victoria. His conversation with the Collins remains polite, in a chilly way, until he brings up the subject of Collins Industries.

"Been having trouble hiring people, Roger, old boy?" he remarks with a grin.

Carolyn, who often attempts to draw Burke's attention away from the other two young women, takes the opportunity to throw in her two cents.

"Joe says somebody is putting the word out that he and his buddies can make better salaries working for another company. So far he's sticking with Mother's business, but he sure would like to be able to afford his own fishing boat."

[SunlessNick]

Maggie knows she's supposed to searching for clues with Victoria, but listening to Burke make the Collinses uncomfortable is just too much fun to make herself scarce (although if Victoria drags her away, she will help out).

[Mr. Handy]

"That's how it usually works," Victoria answers David's question, "but I think your father will be fine. I lost both of my parents, and I had to grow up in an orphanage. I was too little to even remember them. I often wonder who they were."

When Burke arrives, Victoria remains in the room keeping an eye on him. There is no point to roaming around the house unless she knows where to look, and she needs to watch him in case he leads her there.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Continuing insinuations and hints from Burke make it clear that he's the one luring workers away from Collins Industries and to his own newly formed company.

"I aim to carve myself a nice, big slice of that fat, juicy fish pie," he admits.

"You are welcome to try," Elizabeth says coldly, "but the Collins have survived worse crises than that for more than two hundred years, and we'll continue for many more."

"The old Collins pride," Burke muses. "Funny how you're always talking about that side of the family, and never the Stoddards. I'm sure everybody in Collinsport would like to know why Paul Stoddard disappeared eighteen years ago, leaving a wife and baby girl behind."

This reduces Elizabeth to silence, and Carolyn struggles to hold back tears. Driven to rage, Roger confronts Burke directly.

"Since you're so fond of digging up the past, perhaps you'd like to explain where you spent the first five years after you left town; or, should I say, when you were dragged away and thrown into a cage for manslaughter!"

If this intent of this revelation is to infuriate Burke, it seems to have almost the opposite effect.

"Yes, I'm an ex-con," he says calmly. "It's not a secret. But I've made something of myself after I got out, and I've got just one question to ask. Who was driving that night, Roger? Just me, you, and Laura in the car. Laura isn't here, and I'll admit that I was too drunk to remember anything that happened. Who was driving, Roger? Who?"

"I believe Sam Evans' testimony cleared up that point ten years ago."

Interrupting the argument is a shout from David's room. Perhaps he was woken by loud voices.

"Mother! Where are you, Mother? Mother!"

[SunlessNick]

David's voice breaks Maggie out of the spell the conversation has placed her in, and she looks at everyone, wondering who will go up to him.

Vicki,Maggie's torn now. Daddy seems to think he wronged Burke in some way, which makes her wonder if he lied and the Collins's framed Burke. If that's so, she's inclined to be on Burke's side in this - unless he went so far as murder.

[Mr. Handy]

Victoria rushes to David's room, concerned for her young charge. She leaves it to Maggie to keep an eye on Burke.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

David is discovered in his pajamas, sitting up in bed, staring into the plastic "crystal ball" he has with him so often. The room's nightlight casts long shadows on the wall.

"She's gone," he says. "But she's coming for me. I know she's coming."