Play@YSDC

1.30pm Friday 12th March 2010, Buckinghamshire Social Services, Aylesbury

Nineteen hours since Regina Balfour was abducted.

Kris takes an unmarked CID car and heads up to Aylesbury. It takes him about thirty minutes, not least because he finds himself driving the country roads a little more slowly after his experiences last night.

The air is chilly but the sun briefly breaks through the dappled cloud cover and warms his tender skin. He locates the social services department in an ugly sixties municipal building.

Roxanna Goldfarb meets him inside and shows him Lindsay's desk and computer in a large open plan office. There is a packing box beside the desk which she indicates contains Lindsay's old case files. She pulls a slim one off the top and hands it to him, 'This is the Balfour file.'

OOC,Let me know what you're looking for or roll a Library Use.

Kris took the file, sat down and started to read. He turned to the back of the file first of all, to see when the case was opened and what the catalyst for social services involvement had been.

”It’s quite a thin file,” he commented, looking up at Roxanna. ”Given the outcome for Lindsay, I thought there would be more here.”

OOC,Kris will look for the issues mentioned above. Library Use (30%) - [dice]0[/dice]

There is actually very little in the file. It was started around three years ago, there are a few handwritten notes regarding some welfare checks on Regina Balfour at that time. Then from two years ago there are copies of court documents including applications to the court, an emergency care order and extensions, and then the ultimate dismissal of the case. The application alleges child neglect and abuse and the emergency care order places Regina into foster care. The complaint is long on rhetoric about a dangerous household but short on details, and everything is based on an unnamed 'confidential source'.

Lindsay Peale made the original application that began the process of removing Regina (then three years old) and this resulted in Regina being put in emergency temporary foster care. The council obtained several continuances and managed to drag the initial court hearing (at which the Balfours had their first chance to defend themselves) out for over a week. At the court hearing, the judge dismissed the complaint (over objection from Ms Peale) and Regina was returned to her parents. The judge openly questioned the motivation for the application in the first place given 'the utter lack of any evidence of abuse'. The judge threatened to hold Ms Peale in contempt of court if she ever tried anything like this again.

There is no information in the file from third parties or anything to substantiate the claims of child abuse documented in the court application. There is also nothing recent.

Looking over his shoulder at the notes Roxanna sighs and says 'Yes, well, that was part of the problem, why she was criticised by the judge and why she was subject to disciplinary proceedings.'

Kris skimmed through the file again. ”And there’s no indication of who this ‘confidential informant’ might be?” he asked. ”Could it have been her uncle? He’s mixed up in this too.”

Kris set the file aside. ”Can I see Lindsay’s emails? Hopefully there’s more information there.”

Roxanna explains that IT have unlocked her work email account and computer. Accessing the computer Kris can see that as a social worker Lindsay’s work email is archived for seven years in line with data protection legislation. There is nothing recent that has anything to do with the Balfours, but there is one email from George Lewiston’s address dated about three years ago. It simply reads:

• 'Lindsay, I need to talk to you about a child in need of aid. Have you ever heard of the Church of the Passover Angel? It’s going to be tough to believe. Let’s do lunch. Uncle George.'

This date corresponds with the onset of the 'welfare checks'.

The lack of pertinent email traffic is quite unusual, as a police officer used to dealing with the courts, Kris would expect lots of emails back and forth between her, her supervisors, and the council legal team about any effort to take a child away from their parents. Similarly, the file on Regina Balfour is much more sparse than Kris would expect given the concerns being raised.

Kris pushed his chair back from the desk and turned to look at Roxanna. ”Where’s the rest of it?” he said bluntly. “A case where a child is removed from her parents and the file is wafer thin? And all I find in her email is this from ‘Uncle George’ which kicked off the process but nothing else? Someone has been through these and removed a load of information, so what’s going on? Someone covering their arse here?” He was angry and his voice was raised, so people in the office were starting to look around.

OOC,Kris will take another look at the file. Is it a ring binder or a card folder? Does it look new or old? Does it have any type of fastening that would papers in place?

OOC,The records are kept in buff folders that have plastic fasteners so individual sheets could be added or removed. There are no obvious gaps that Kris can see however. The folder itself is slightly worn but otherwise unremarkable, it could be three years old, but equally it could also be ten years old and hardly used, or only a few months old and frequently handled.

Roxanna recoils from Kris, looking frightened. 'That's all there is. It's what I've been trying to say, Lindsay went rogue on this one, served the papers and dealt with the courts without approval from me or the legal team. You can see her HR file if you want confirmation of that.'

OOC,Kris will check the fasteners. Essentially, what he is looking for is any sort of fold lines which would indicate that the folder was once thicker but has been reduced and the fold lines are again closer to the back of the folder. Also, the folder itself, if it had more papers in, then that would affect the folds in the spine.

”The Care Quality Commission are going to have you for breakfast over this!” snapped Kris. “How on earth did someone in your team get a court to agree to take a child away with zero oversight?!” He didn’t wait for an answer, but said, “Right, I need to see whatever files Lindsay had on her computer. Hopefully, she’s got something there that’s going to help dig you out of this mess!”

OOC,It is difficult to be certain but from looking at the plastic fasteners, which do crease when folded, Kris doesn't think this file has ever been thicker.

Lindsay's computer is full of files and documents about scores of cases. But conspicuously nothing about Regina Balfour.

OOC,Computer Use roll to look further

Looking through Lindsay's computer files reveals nothing of interest. On the off chance, Kris opens up her web browsing history and finds nothing of significance there either. Except, on one occasion a few days ago she accessed a Gmail account and when Kris returns to the page it is still logged in. Curiously there are no emails in the account, none sent, none received, nothing in the deleted folder, but several blank drafts.

Kris clicked the mouse button and ran the mouse pointer down the screen. If there was any text that had been hidden from view becomes the text colour had been changed to white, then that should uncover it.

But nothing appeared. These were truly blank emails.

Kris checked for an ‘undo’ button, to see if something has been typed then deleted.

But he is unable to find one.

Kris swore under his breath. He turned back to Roxanna. ”I need someone from your IT department, now!” he snapped.

He turned back to the screen and pulled out his mobile phone. He dialled DS Bates and when she answered, he said, “Lucy, I’ve got a gmail account full of blank drafts but everything else looks like it’s been deleted. Can we get a warrant to get the email backup from the email provider?”

'I'll get onto it' replies Bates. 'Who is the email provider? If it is overseas you might be better off trying to sweet talk them yourself, these things can take weeks otherwise, especially with the Yanks.'

Roxanna makes a phone call and passes it to Kris, 'Yeah, alright, what d'you want?' says the male voice on the end of the line.

”This is Detective Constable Kris Sapru from Thames Valley CID,” said Kris. “I’m investigating an abduction involving a member of your staff, Lindsay Peale. She’s taken a young girl who has a medical condition, who could die in the next couple of days if we don’t find out where Lindsay has gone.”

“I’ve checked her email account and it appears that she’s deleted a number of emails. Can you check your back up and see if they can be restored?”

'Okay mate, I can roll the council emails back twenty four hours, one week, one month, or one year. What'cha want me to do?' he asks.

”Excellent, thanks,” said Kris. “Can we roll it back to yesterday morning to start with?”

'Nah, servers are backed up overnight so it'll be last night. Give me a few minutes...' After a good half an hour he rings back to say he's done it.

Kris looks back through Lindsay's work emails again, there seems to be no difference to the last time. No emails from Lewiston except for the one three years ago, no emails about the Balfour case.

Kris tapped the keyboard in frustration then tried searching for Zac Newman, Lewiston’s alias.

OOC,If that doesn’t produce any results, then Kris will ask for the email to be rolled back a week.

There is no mention of Zac Newman. Kris asks for it to be rolled back a week and after ten minutes he finds that apart from a few emails moving from the inbox to the deleted box there is nothing else to be found.

Kris spoke to the tech once more and asked him to roll back the email account to a month ago.

While he waited, he opened the drawers in Lindsay’s desk, looking for further clues.

OOC,Spot Hidden (40%) - [dice]0[/dice] Edit: Damn... :(

Lindsay's drawers at work are unremarkable, just pens and other stationary. Remarkably little personal effects. In the bottom drawer of her desk Kris finds a small hardback book with a red cover - the New International Version of the Bible. Looking inside the front page he sees a handwritten dedication, 'To Lindsay on your confirmation, love Auntie Joan'. There is a ribbon bookmark and when Kris opens to the page it is marking he sees it is Exodus 11-12.

After another ten minutes and a lot of huffing and puffing Kris is able to access the month old email records. Again he finds nothing out of the ordinary. And no sign anything has been deleted.

Kris read through Exodus, raising an eyebrow at the mention of a plague and marking the houses with blood. He thought back to the sheep he had run into in the early hours and gave an involuntary shudder.

Putting the bible down, he quickly checked online for Google’s customer services number and picked up his mobile phone again. He dialled and when the call was answered, said “This is Detective Constable Sapru from Thames Valley Criminal Investigation Department.” He gave his warrant card number and continued. “We’re investigating an abduction of a young girl who, in all likelihood, will die in the next 24 hours if we don’t find her. I have the gmail account of the suspect but there are no emails in the account except some blank drafts. I suspect that the drafts were used to send messages but the contents were then deleted once they were read. Can you dial it back so I can see what the emails contained?”

The man from Google puts Kris through to his boss. 'Look, you're gonna need a court order for this stuff but I can save you the bother, we have deleted emails for up to sixty days before they're gone from the backups' she says.

'But that doesn't apply to drafts, when they're gone they're gone. We do keep records of IP addresses for eighteen months but, like I said, you'd need a warrant or court order for that.'

OOC,Feel free to roll something appropriate and give some relevant dialogue to see if she'll help you

Kris typed away at the keyboard while he listened to the reasons why it was going to take so long. He found what he was looking for - the latest report on the case by Julie Thomas on the GNS website.

”Do me a favour,” he said to the Google manager. “Take a look at the GNS website. Their lead story concerns a young girl called Regina Balfour. She’s a pretty kid and I bet she’s tired and scared and if she doesn’t get her meds soon, there’s a good chance she’ll die.”

”Now, I have no doubt I can get a warrant. Our legal team could get that by the end of the day, but that’s a few more hours when that little girl’s life is in danger. So, please give me a head start and let me have the IP addresses so we can find where she’s gone before it’s too late.”

OOC,I’ll try a Persuade roll (55%) - [dice]0[/dice] Edit: Bollocks... :(

OOC,At least it isn't a fumble with 55% base. Wanna push it? Might alienate her though, get her to drag out responding to a warrant. If you do roll a relevant skill for how you want to push it and post some dialogue - I'll give you a bonus die for the heart-string plucking.

Kris reads the latest story by Julie Thomas filed on the GNS website. It begins: 'Abducted schoolgirl Regina Balfour remains missing seventeen hours after she was abducted from a shopping centre in High Wycombe. The first kidnapper George Lewiston, killed himself in the centre while his accomplice escaped from the scene. Thames Valley Police have made no progress to date in rescuing Regina or bringing the perpetrators to justice. Regina's father, the Reverend John Balfour of the Church of the Passover Angel has given interview with GNS where he asks, why are the police not doing more, and is there a racial angle to this crime and the incompetent response by detectives?'

Kris's phone rings, he looks down at the number, it's Jocelyn.

OOC,If you want to answer after you've dealt with the Google woman you can go over to this thread temporarily to speak to Jocelyn and Simon: [url]https://www.callofcthulhu.org.uk/pbp/viewtopic.php?f=469&t=7224&start=20#p242249[/url]

Kris slid his thumb across the screen to send an automated message to Jocelyn saying that he would ring her back, and continued his conversation with the Google manager. ”Look at the article,” he said. “They’re calling out our response as racist because we haven’t found her yet. I’m an Asian Detective Constable and that shit hurts - I’m sure you can appreciate that!”

OOC,OK, Pushing the roll... Persuade (55%) - [dice]0[/dice]

'Look, I shouldn't be doing this' she says. 'You'll still need a warrant for this to be admissible in court, but write these down.

She lists about ten IP addresses. 'These are all that have accessed this account in the last eighteen months, the first two in the last few days. That's all I can help you with. I really hope you find her.'

”That’s great,” said Kris, sighing with relief. “You’ve been a great help.”

Ringing off, he dialled Jocelyn’s number and waited for her to pick up.

Kris rang off and dialled DS Bates’ number. When she answered, he said, ”Lindsay Peale has accessed her email account in the last couple of days and I’ve got the IP addresses. Can I get some tech support to run them down?”

Bates sounds relieved, 'Absolutely, good work, give me the addresses and I'll send them over to the technical liaison right away.' She takes them down from Kris. 'I'll complete the warrant anyway, in case we need them for any court case, if we ever get that far.'

Kris,Hearing Jocelyn and Simon sitting in a restaurant Kris is reminded that he hasn't had any lunch

Kris repeated the IP addresses to Lucy, checking she noted them down correctly. ”I’m going to grab some lunch. Give me a call if you get an address,” he said.

He ended the call and walked back to Lindsay’s desk. He had one more look around and then glanced over to Roxanna. “Is there anywhere around here I can get a sandwich?” His voice was loud enough to carry across the office. If any of Lindsay’s colleagues wanted to come and find him and have a quiet chat, they’d know where to find him.

Kris is pointed towards a generic sandwich place and sits down for a very late lunch as it is now well into the afternoon. In one corner there's a television tuned to one of the twenty four hour news channels, the sound is turned down but the subtitles are on.

While he takes a few minutes to breathe and reflect he gets a call from Lucy. 'IP addresses are back. Nothing too surprising, Bucks County Council, Lewiston and Peale's internet service providers, both their phones. That's it. The last time Lindsay logged in was Wednesday and the last time George did was Tuesday.'

She sounds disappointed, and tense, very tense. 'And Lewiston's name is out now, in the media. So Lindsay will know we're getting closer. At least her name hasn't leaked yet.'

”Damn! I thought that was a breakthrough!” sighed Kris. He thought for a moment. ”I presume we’re tracking Lindsay’s phone. Any joy with that?”

'Her phone's not been on since Thursday morning, looks like it was located in or near her flat. Then nothing' says Bates.

“She might have a burner,” said Kris. “Is there any evidence from her bank account that she bought one, or even if she has spent any money in the last couple of days?”

'Nothing at all the last few days' says Bates.

Kris sighed and slumped onto his elbows. ”I’m at a loss, Lucy,” he admitted. “I thought we had a breakthrough with the emails but it’s another dead end.”

He paused for a moment, then said, “We could try sending her an email to see if she picks it up? That might give us an idea of where she is. Other than that, I’m not sure where we go.”

”Let me go over my notes then I’ll come back to you,” said Kris. He ended the call and pulled out his notebook. Flipping back to the start of the investigation - was it only yesterday? - he started reading, making notes on his phone as he did so.

Thirty minutes and an extra coffee later, he closed his notebook and recapped the notes on his phone. He dialled Lucy’s number again, and waited for her to answer.

As he sits at his table waiting for Lucy to answer, Kris watches the silent television and sees there is a report from the Global News Service (GNS). The ever present reporter Julie Thomas, with her American news-style big hair and heavy make-up, looks out of place interviewing someone in what appears to be an old fashioned greasy spoon.

Bates eventually picks up, 'Kris?'

”Can you hold on a moment, Lucy?” Kris said. “Julie Thomas looks to be reporting from Lewiston’s favourite cafe...”

He stood up and walked over to the television. He flashed his warrant card in the direction of the counter. “Can you turn this up, please?” he asked.

The young woman behind the counter scrabbles around to try and find the remote control.

Meanwhile Kris sees Julie Thomas interviewing a short, round woman who seems to be called 'Simon Walligham' (assuming the automatic subtitles are accurate). She mentions having seen 'George' on the morning of the 11th of March for 'his usual full English breakfast'. It is difficult to make out much more of what she says as the subtitles descend into nonsense for a few sentences, 'gorge combs in every moaning and today want any...front but...did have sum...and the lawn say don't mow says...will I bring one play more up on far oh and up on Egypt...'

By the time the sound is audible the camera is pulling away from the café and Kris thinks he can just about make out the name 'Happy Cafe'.

”Sorry,” said Kris, talking to Lucy again. “Julie Thomas was reporting from The Happy Cafe - George Lewiston’s favourite hangout before everything went to shit...”

He went back to sit at his table, looking at his notes again. ”I’ve been through my notes and there are a few lines of enquiry we haven’t followed up yet. The cafe is one, so I’ll head over this afternoon. Hopefully the reporter will have cleared off by then.”

“The SOCO was going to search Lindsay Peale’s apartment - did they find anything? Also John ‘Johnny Zero’ Allen - a gang member with previous for drugs and firearms - was a known associate of Balfour. Well, he attended his church, anyway, which seems a bit strange given his track record. Have we got any intel on him?”

DS Bates answers, 'They didn't find anything useful at Lindsay Peale's place. Obviously they're still running things like DNA and fingerprints but I'm not optimistic.'

She continues, 'It's funny you should mention Johnny Zero, there was a breakin earlier today, George Lewiston's house, someone turned it upside down, like maybe they were looking for something.

Anyway, witnesses report someone who sounds a lot like the description we have of Mr Zero, right down to the snake tattoo on his neck. We're looking for him now but I've talked to a few contacts in the Met and they say that he was pretty big in the gang scene a few years ago but as far as they're concerned he's found god and gone straight, does youth outreach work, that sort of thing.'

”It sounds like he may have wandered from his path,” said Kris, dryly. “Burglary’s not the sort of thing your average youth worker gets involved in.”

He thought for a moment. ”Ok, I’m going back to the social services office for one last look through the files and then I’ll hit The Happy Cafe. If you hear anything else about Johnny Zero can you let me know?”

OOC,Kris’ plan of action is a quick check on the other files to make sure that notes about the [b]Balfour[/b] case haven’t been hidden in one of the others, then visit the cafe if there’s enough time before it closes (I’m not sure what time it is in game time).

After talking to Bates, Kris leaves the sandwich place and heads back to the Social Services office. He looks through a selection of Lindsay's old case files. These are much more like Kris would expect, full of notes, correspondence, reports, and so on. However, he does not find any sign of information from the Balfour case.

It is getting on for 6pm as he heads back to his car. He doesn't know what time the Happy Cafe shuts but takes a gamble that it might still be open in the next half an hour when he gets back to High Wycombe. He receives a phone call from Jocelyn suggesting they meet up in Aylesbury but he points her to the Happy Cafe.

-----

As Kris returns to collect his car he has a strange feeling, like the hairs on the back of his neck standing up.

OOC,Roll Spot Hidden. Incidentally, for future reference, I'm assuming everyone wears a seatbelt as this is the UK, unless you tell me otherwise.

Spot Hidden,Spot Hidden (40%) - [dice]0[/dice]

Kris paused as he approached his car. Something didn’t feel right...

Kris looks around but doesn't see anything unusual. He shrugs off the odd feeling and gets into his car. He drives out of the centre of Aylesbury and out into the countryside onto the Missenden Road towards High Wycombe.

After a few miles he begins to notice the car behind him. It is a blue SUV which has been in his mirror for the last mile or so. It is driving very close and seems a little erratic in its road positioning, swerving out wide then pulling back in again. Initially Kris thinks it wants to overtake him but it never takes the opportunity.

The weather is fine but overcast and the sky is starting to darken as the sun approaches the horizon.

OOC,This'd be something like a 2008 Corsa so I think it is unlikely to have a Bluetooth connection. It is also unlikely to have a radio since it is a CID car. Roll Luck to see if Kris has a little hands free mount for his phone set up in the car.

Luck,Luck (47%) - [dice]0[/dice]

Kris realised that his phone was in his pocket and he didn’t fancy trying to root around for it with the car behind him swerving about...

The SUV continues to stick close behind Kris's CID Vauxhall Corsa through the winding country roads. Peering into his mirror Kris thinks he might be able to just make out the driver in the glare of the headlights.

OOC,Roll Spot Hidden to see the driver

Sitting behind the wheel of the SUV, an intense look on his face, Kris can clearly see John Balfour.

Kris sighed. He’d guessed it was Balfour, given that it was a blue SUV. He looked ahead for somewhere to pull over, hit the button for his hazards and eased off the accelerator, ready to pull over.

Balfour slows down and pulls alongside Kris. He winds down the passenger window and shouts across to him, 'Is there a problem Detective Sapru?'

OOC,Going to try Psychology (30%) to see if Kris can determine the mood of Balfour - [dice]0[/dice] Edit: Well, that didn’t work...

Kris looked at Balfour and pointed to the side of the road in front of his car. “Pull your car over and switch off the engine,” he said.

Kris looks across at Balfour. He is gripping the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white. His face looks intense but Kris can't read him.

OOC,Balfour POW 90% [dice]0[/dice]

After an unsettlingly long pause, Balfour pulls over and turns off the engine. He remains in the car, staring out through the windscreen.

Kris studied the vehicle for moment, then dialled Lucy’s number...

Bates answers, 'Kris?'

”Hi, Lucy,” said Kris, more calmly than he felt. “Listen, I’m on the Misseden Road, approaching Wycombe from the north. John Balfour was tailing me, driving erratically, so I’ve pulled him over and I’m about to go and speak to him. I’m going to keep this line open, ok?”

As he spoke he got out and headed to the back of his car, to get his tac belt from the boot.

'Sure, no problem. How does he look, is he being aggressive? Look, Kris, you don't have to do this, I can send a car over from Aylesbury, they could be there in ten minutes'

While Kris leaves his car and walks around to open the boot Balfour remains sitting in his car.

”Send the car please, Lucy,” said Kris. “He looks a bit agitated but he’s just sat in his car at the moment.”

Kris popped open the boot and pulled out his tac belt, which he quickly fastened around his waist, checking he had his cuffs and CS gas, his torch and his Asp. “I’m just going to put you in my top pocket, Lucy. Hopefully you’ll still be able to hear me,” he said as he put the phone in the breast pocket of his jacket. He then flicked on his torch, and started to make his way along the grass verge, towards the rear of Balfour’s car.

Balfour continues to sit, immobile, in his car. Facing forwards, staring out into the twilight, his headlights illuminating the road ahead. As Kris draws alongside he sees both the driver and passenger side windows are down.

Keeper rolls,POW 90% [dice]0[/dice],[dice]1[/dice]

Balfour's head slowly turns towards Kris. His face is streaked with tears and his eyes are red and puffy. 'Detective Sapru. How can I help you?' he asks in a broken voice.

OOC,For clarification, Kris approached from the passenger side. Not normal behaviour but he didn’t want to get caught if Balfour decided to drive off or if another car came by.

”What are you doing out here, Mr Balfour?” asked Kris, shining his torch through the car window. “Are you following me?”

Balfour looks across the interior of his car to Kris, who is standing on the passenger side. His voice is cracked and raw, 'I am just looking to assist you in any way I can.'

Keeper rolls,POW 90% [dice]0[/dice]

His eyes well up for a moment. 'Anything I can do to help find my little girl.' Kris can see clearly that Balfour is distressed and barely holding it together.

”We understand that you’re worried about Regina, Mr Balfour,” said Kris soothingly. “But we’re doing everything we can to try and find her. In the meantime, you’d be better off at home rather than driving around out here. Given the stress you’re under, I think we’ll get one of my colleagues to come and pick you up, OK?”

Balfour doesn't say anymore. He just presses his forehead against the steering wheel.

Keeper roll,POW90% [dice]0[/dice], penalty die [dice]1[/dice]

After a few more minutes a patrol car arrives from the Aylesbury direction and two uniformed officers get out. They approach Kris who is still standing beside Balfour's car, uncertainly, looking at the still figure of the reverend.

'This the girl's father?' asks one of the officers sympathetically, while the other opens the driver's door and moves beside Balfour. 'Don't worry detective, we can deal with this.'

”Step out of the car, please, Mr Balfour,” said Kris, opening the passenger side door and leaning in, with one hand on the passenger seat while he beckoned to Balfour to give him the keys.

OOC,Just changed my last entry slightly so Kris can go to the passenger door, since it doesn't matter which side the police officers go

Balfour turns off the ignition and hands his keys to Kris.

Keeper rolls,POW90% [dice]0[/dice], setback die [dice]1[/dice]

He sits up straighter, seeming to pull himself together a little. 'Are you arresting me Detective Sapru?' he asks as he steps out of the car. One of the uniformed officers standing close behind him and looking to Kris for direction.

”No, you’re not under arrest but you’re under a lot of stress and you were driving erratically so one of my colleagues will drive you home and I’ll bring your car back. If you’d just like to take a seat in the patrol car and I’ll talk to my colleagues, OK?” replied Kris.

Seeming more self assured now, Balfour pulls himself up to his full height. 'I can assure you I will have no difficulty taking my own car home. In over twenty years of driving I have never had an accident, can you say the same detective?'

He puts his hand out for his keys. 'Either arrest me or let me go.'

Kris could see the way this was going to go down, but felt his options were limited. ”As I said, Mr Balfour,” he said evenly. “You’re under a lot of stress and your driving was erratic. Whether you caused an accident or not is immaterial, I think it would be safer for everyone if you went with my colleague and I bring your car back for you.”

Balfour doesn't move and his hand remains outstretched. The uniformed officers exchange confused glances and then look at Kris expectantly.

OOC,You can roll Law to see what powers Kris might have in this situation

Kris thinks he could probably arrest Balfour for 'Driving Without Due Care and Attention' due to him driving erratically and too close behind. He could also seize the car and call for a recovery truck to take it to the pound.

OOC,Sentences for the lowest severity careless driving would be a fine and/or points on his license. Impounded cars cost a £150 recovery fee plus £20/day storage

”I’m sorry, Mr Balfour, but I must insist,” said Kris firmly. “I’m not prepared to return your keys and run the risk of you having an accident on the way home.” He held up a hand to forestall any arguments and continued in a softer tone. “When we find Regina - and we will find her - she’ll want her dad in one piece, won’t she? So let’s get you home and then I can get on with finding her, OK?”

Keeper rolls,Psychology 60%,[dice]0[/dice], bonus [dice]1[/dice]

Staring Kris right in the eye, a little too close for comfort, Balfour stands there for a few seconds, the two uniformed officers seem to be holding their breath.

Then his shoulders sag and his arm drops by his side. One of the officers places her hand on his arm and leads him back to the patrol car.

OOC,So Kris now has the keys to Balfour's car. He also has his CID car parked beside the road. Be could ask one of the officers to take one of the cars, or he could call for another patrol car. He also needs to decide where he wants to take Balfour's car, to the pound, to the station, or to Balfour's house (for instance). Also time is ticking on and he's not sure when the Happy Cafe shuts. Jocelyn and Simon said they'd meet him there and they're probably there by now.

It is 6.25pm. The sky is dark but Kris and the others are lit by the headlights of the heavy evening traffic heading from Aylesbury down to High Wycombe. Cars slow as they pass by, straining to see why the police have stopped beside the road and to get a look at the presumed wrongdoer.

Kris glanced at his watch and realised that making it to the cafe will be a big ask. He called over to one of the PCs and said ”Can you take my car back to the station. I’ll bring Mr Balfour’s car back once I’ve spoken to DS Bates.” He flicked the hazard lights on in Balfour’s car, then walked back over to the CID car and fetched a fluorescent traffic vest from the boot.

As he pulled the jacket on and started to bring traffic to halt to allow the two PCs to nose out into traffic, he pulled his mobile from his pocket and said, “Hi, Lucy? Are you still there?”

After a few seconds he hears Lucy, 'Sorry Kris, had it on speaker, I'm still here. Sounds like you resolved the Balfour situation anyway. You know you would never have got away with arresting him for anything, imagine the headlines with his daughter missing. Good job he agreed to come quietly.'

”Yep,” replied Kris shortly. He’d had arrested Balfour if he pushed it and damn the consequences.

“Anyway, Balfour's on his way home. One of the plods is running him home and someone’s bringing my car back to the station. I’ll just check that Balfour’s car is safe to drive and I’ll be back shortly.”

DS Bates says 'Okay, see you back at the station. I can update you on today's progress but there's not much to report unfortunately.'

Kris signs off and rings Jocelyn, while he checks the road worthiness of Balfour’s SUV... ...

OOC,Kris is using this as a chance to have an unofficial look around Balfour’s car, on the off chance anything incriminating has been left behind... ... Spot Hidden (40%) - [dice]0[/dice] Edit: 8-)

Searching Balfour's car from top to bottom reveals nothing incriminating. A few boxes of communion wafers and a black cassock are in the boot. The back seat has a child's car seat with a few crumbs and old sweets stuck to the upholstery. In the front of the car there are the usual accessories, windscreen scraper and so on. In the footwell of the passenger seat there is a copy of the King James Version of the Bible. Simply from the position of the ribbon Kris is pretty sure that Exodus 11-12 is marked.

Beside the Bible is another copy of The Book of the Passover Angel. This one is hardback and leather bound, contrasting with the cheap paperback that Simon found. Kris idly leafs through it and sees that it is the Reverend Balfour's personal copy. It seems to be roughly the same as the book Simon described except that in addition to the first two chapters being reprints of the books of Genesis and Exodus, there is an additional appendix, as a fifth chapter, reprinting the book of Jeremiah.

-----

While he is searching the car Kris receives a call from Jocelyn.

OOC:   Nice roll

”Hi Jocelyn. Are you at the cafe?” Kris asked. “I’d planned to meet you there but found myself being tailed by John Balfour. Yeah, in his car. I pulled him over and he was in a bit of a state so I got a PC to run him home. I’ve got his car to drop off. I’ve had a scoot - got to make sure it’s roadworthy haven’t I - but nothing much of interest, except his personal copy of his book which Simon might want to take a quick look at before I return the car.”

”Anyway, how are you getting on at the cafe? Did you find out anything about Lewiston’s visits?”

OOC,Cheers :)

"Yes, we're at the cafe," says Jocelyn. "Simon tried to talk to a woman there, but it didn't go over well. I think he's barred, but I can try after I get off the phone with you, though I need to know what we should be asking about specifically. It may help if I use his alias, since they wouldn't know him as Lewiston. I'm just relieved you're all right. Simon will be glad to see that you've got a copy of the book. It'll be even better if he wrote any notes in it."

Kris paused to think things through. ”I really need to get Balfour’s car to the station,” he said. ”The boss isn’t going to be happy if I start driving it around here, there and everywhere.”

”I’ll drop it off and then walk over to the cafe. That shouldn’t take too long. Simon can come back and look at the book, then, while we talk to the cafe owner.” ’Unless you’ve completely fucked that up,’ he thought to himself.

“While you’re waiting, you could see if any of the clientele look like that Johnny Zero character - he’s got neck tattoos - he’s looking out for Lewiston himself.”

"Okay, thanks, I'll take a look," says Jocelyn. "Who's Johnny Zero?"

”AKA John Allen, he’s a former gang member with previous for drugs and guns. He found God and got involved in Balfour’s church,” explained Kris. “Though he may have wandered off the straight and narrow again, as he was spotted trying the break into Lewiston’s house the other night.”

"All right, cheers," says Jocelyn. "If we see him, we'll wait for you to arrive before we approach him, unless he tries to leave. See you soon." She disconnects the call.

Kris pocketed his phone and slid behind the wheel. Starting the engine, he flicked off the hazard warning lights, and turned on the indicators and when there was a gap in the traffic, pulled out and headed back towards the police station in Wycombe.

Kris heads back towards High Wycombe, driving Balfour's car, which responds pleasingly as he puts his foot down.

OOC,Roll Drive Auto if you want to gain a bit of time by driving a bit too fast and/or taking a few shortcuts - of you fail you'll get there the same time you would have done. If you fumble...

The roads are busy but the traffic is starting to thin as it moves into the evening.

Kris drove steadily, making sure he left plenty of space for other cars. As a police officer he knew he should do that anyway, but he also knew he’d get in serious trouble if he turned up with a bunch of dents down the side...

OOC,Given Kris’ recent experiences, he’ll be taking it easy.

It is 6.49pm when Kris pulls into the High Wycombe Police Station. As he leaves Balfour's SUV in the secure car park he sees a yellowish stain with pink streaks on the steering wheel. Trying to rub it off just spreads the stain and he realises that it is coming from the underside of one of his gloves. A yellow discharge is oozing from his forearm, mixed with streaks of blood, and dripping onto his glove. Kris gives it a sniff, it has a sour smell, like gone off fruit.

After his best efforts to clean off the upholstery, Kris enters the back door of the station and runs into DS Bates. 'How are you doing Kris? That was all a bit hairy with Balfour back there' she says sympathetically. 'Uniform got him home okay, apparently he sends his apologies to you.' She gives him an awkward smile and pats his arm half heartedly, pulling her hand away as she catches sight of his soiled gloves. Kris knows that any kind of interpersonal sensitivity is very much outside of her comfort zone.

'Not much to update you on, to be frank I think the investigation has stalled. No sign of Johnny Zero, although I'm not sure what he's going to be able to tell us. No sign of Lindsay's car, and that's what we really need. DI Malone is talking about a public appeal by the Balfours tomorrow, maybe releasing Lindsay Peale's name and photo to the press, see if we get any bites.'

Kris dropped his hands to his sides, conscious of whatever it was slowly dripping down his arms. ”I’m err... heading back out to The Happy Cafe to meet Simon and Jocelyn. The cafe was a haunt of Lewiston’s so we’re hoping to find a lead there.”

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll err... before I go,” said Kris, nodding in the direction of the gents.

Bates smiles weakly and nods, 'You look like you could do with some rest Kris, don't stay up too late, start fresh tomorrow, okay?'

Kris nodded and took his leave. He headed for the gents, pausing only to pick up a first aid kit on the way. Once in there, he stood in front of the sink, pulled off his jacket and unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt sleeves so he could get a better look at his arms...

The first thing Kris notices is that there are stains leaking through the arms and even the body of his shirt. Rolling up the sleeves he can see that the rash has got a lot worse. No longer particularly itchy it is now rather sore and stings as he forces the cuffs over his forearms.

Where earlier there were raised welts he can now see tense fluid-filled bullae and sloughing blisters leaking a yellow exudate with a cloying sour smell that sticks in the nostrils. Red raw welts and erosions dribble little trickles of blood down his arms and the dorsum of his hands to drip from his fingers.

Kris really regrets not following the doctor's advice about using the antibiotics and ointment.

Kris’ felt his stomach turn over. It was worse than he thought! He tore open a packet of bandages and carefully wrapped his arms, although he could see red blotches flowering before he’d even finished bandaging his second arm. He carefully pulled his shirt sleeves down and put his jacket on again, throwing the rubbish in the bin and swilling the sink before heading out of the station at a brisk walk in the direction of The Happy Cafe...