Play@YSDC

7.20pm Friday 12th March 2010, High Wycombe Police Station

Nearly twenty five hours since Regina Balfour was abducted.

Jocelyn drives them back to the station, pulling up in the visitors' car park. They go in through the night entrance and find the station quiet. In the incident room there is one detective going through what look like witness statements and a uniformed officer at a computer. DS Bates is not there.

Seeing them enter the uniformed officer tells Kris that Balfour has been taken home and Bates has asked him to arrange to return Balfour's car.

Simon,[b]Simon[/b] notices a few spots of what could be blood on [b]Kris[/b]'s shirt, it reminds him to sneak a look at his forearms which are now feeling unbearably itchy. His arms seem a bit red with scratch marks but not too concerning

Simon frowns, reminding himself to pick up a cream on the way home. Bloody thing reminded him why he preferred to work behind a desk.Still, he brightens up at the opportunity for further research.

"You said the book was in the car?" He asks Kris. He looks like a child just before Christmas at the prospect of getting back to work at unraveling its secrets.

"Any luck with the IP addresses?" asks Jocelyn. "I think we should compose that email and send it off to Lindsay without delay. Then we need to sew a tracker into the backpack's lining. Time is of the essence."

Kris fetched the keys for Simon so he could go and fetch the book. Making sure to remind him to lock Balfour’s car. He didn’t want that going missing!

Turning back to Jocely, he said, ”The IP addresses for her email were a dead end. Nothing since Wednesday and nothing that might link her to wherever she’s hiding out. Emailing her might be a good idea, though. What do you think we should say?”

"If she hasn't checked it since Wednesday, then she's not likely to see it," says Jocelyn, "but it's still worth a try. We can tell her that Regina has diabetes, and that she will die without her insulin, which we have. We can then ask her to please respond so that we can work out arrangements for delivering the medicine to her."

Kris nodded. ”OK, let’s put something together but we’ll need DS Bates to approve it before we send it. Do you want to do the first draft while I get someone to check out the card that Lewiston used at the cafe?”

Kris went over to the PC using the computer and gave her the card number they had got for Lewiston. ”Can you get me a full report on that, ASAP? If it’s been used, I need to know where and when.”

While he was waiting for the PC to start her search, he looked over to the detective reading the witness statements. “Anything new to report?” he asked.

Simon heads off to the car and retrieves the book. While the others faff about with writing the email he gets to work trying to break the code.

"Dear Ms. Lindsay Peale," Jocelyn types into a text file. "We know you have Regina Balfour, and we know you have taken her out of concern for her welfare. We are as concerned as you are. You may be aware that Regina is diabetic and needs insulin, but the backpack with her medicine was left behind at the scene. We have collected it, and we need to get it to her very quickly, or she will die, and none of us want that to happen. Please respond to us so that we can discuss arrangements for delivering it." She will leave it to DS Bates to decide from whose email address to send it and the contact name to give to Lindsay.

Kris recognises the officer looking through witness statements, he's an old hand, plodding but reliable. The officer shakes his head, 'Nah, nothing new, just going through the Eden Centre statements, you know what doesn't make sense to me? This guy was police, he could have got away, I just don't understand it.'

The other officer is young and keen, it doesn't take her very long to track down the card. 'It's actually a prepaid credit card loaded with over a grand a few days ago. There are only two transactions. The first is a large bill for Tesco supermarket in the Eden Centre on Thursday. The second is a pre-authorisation from Enterprise car rental agency in Heathrow Airport, also from Thursday.'

Studying Balfour's book Simon is able to obtain the final numbers from the code. He notes that rather than Lewiston's cheap paperback of The Book of the Passover Angel, Balfour's is leather bound and hardback. It seems to be roughly the same as the paperback but with the addition of a reprint of the book of Jeremiah.

Simon,How is Simon going to break the code? See here for what he knows already: [url]https://www.callofcthulhu.org.uk/pbp/viewtopic.php?f=469&t=7146&start=60#p239689[/url]

OOC,You actually have two email addresses (or even three) for Lindsay, her personal one, you got the address from her 'friend' at the flats, her work email, and the email account that Kris discovered.

”Car hire?” said Kris. “That’s got to be it! Can you get details of the vehicle and start running some ANPR checks? We need to find that car!”

"Right!" says Jocelyn. "Once we identify the car and get an idea of its approximate location, maybe I can use MI5's satellite imaging resources to try to find out precisely where it is. Of course, that won't work if it's in a garage, but she probably doesn't think we can tie the car to her, so she might not hide it if she was sloppy enough to use her own car at first."

OOC,Once we get approval to send the email, we should probably send it to all three addresses to increase the chances of it getting to her.

Finding an unoccupied desk, Simon chews on a pencil as he examines the code. He briefly considers asking for help, but dismisses the notion-- this is a puzzle he wishes to solve on his own. He starts by isolating the various numbers and seeing if he can discern anything from them. Do they have any significance to the various star charts and occult drawings Balfour seems to have been fixated on? Once again, he also tries to gauge the man's mood.

Psychoanalysis 26%,[dice]0[/dice] That's a hard. :) Hopefully it helps, as Simon is a bit smarter than myself.

Simon finds the star charts, pictograms and other bizarre content of the fourth chapter completely impenetrable. He reckons it would take weeks to understand, if that were even possible.

He is unable to find any relationship with the sequence of twenty six numbers except that they are all different and all less than or equal to twenty six, he can't see an obvious pattern.

Revisiting the text of chapter three however, he does find some odd inconsistencies in tone, it seems like some sections were, well, if not written by someone else then at least written by Balfour when he was in a different frame of mind. Most of the text is clearly the product of religious obsession, delusion Simon would call it, but some passages seem more lucid. These clearer passages are mostly present in the sections that recount Balfour's initial youth mission to Kenya and become less frequent and then eventually absent after he recounts meeting a 'prophet' there. The later, more lucid passages seem almost tortured, talking about the high cost to bringing about the will of the Lord. Simon thinks Balfour is perhaps more conflicted, more nuanced than he first appears.

----

The officer makes a call and they can see her having an animated conversation, 'DC Sapru, do you want to speak to the car rental place while I get on to traffic about ANPR? They've given me the number plate, 2010 black Ford Focus, prepaid by a man over the phone but rented to a woman around 9.30pm Thursday, name is recorded as Lindsay Peale.'

-----

While Kris is talking to the female officer the male policeman answers the phone and waves towards Jocelyn and Simon, 'I've got DS Bates on the line, checking in, anything you want to tell her?'

Kris took the receiver from the female PC and said, ’Hi, this is DC Kris Sapru. What can you tell me about the hire vehicle? I don’t suppose it was fitted with a tracker, by any chance?”

"We sure do," says Jocelyn, passing on a message to DS Bates about what happened at the cafe, her theory about low-grade biological or chemical weapons, their discovery of the rental car, the incident with Balfour, the recovery of his book, and her email idea.

Simon is initially rather frustrated as he realizes he will need to consult outside help after all. He makes plans to consult with the Maths department at the university; perhaps one of them could help crack the code. The subject had never been his strongest suit. Still, that gives him another avenue to explore; Reverend Balfour's educational background. Somehow he doubted these concepts were anything a layman could devise. So either he had advanced knowledge or someone was helping him with it. His prophet?

Finally being in a quiet place gives him an opportunity to get into his state of mind, and it proves most enlightening. His reluctance seemed obvious, suggesting he was to some extent not entirely a true believer. It also made it more likely in Simon's estimation that the man was participating in some sort of terrorist attack, though clearly not the mastermind. This "prophet "again may have been indoctrinating him, but he had enough misgivings to know to some extent that whatever he was planning was morally repugnant. Perhaps they could try to explore that angle with him, though he suspected any attempts to reason with the man would likely only have a chance when they returned his daughter to him. Hopefully that might show they had God's favor and get him to reveal more of what he was planning.

He returns to the others and reports what he's found when an opportunity presents itself.

"We've got cryptanalysts at Five who could have a go at that code," says Jocelyn when Simon tells her about it.

"A grand idea, we'll get in touch with them." The pace in which the investigation is progressing seems encouraging to Simon; he suspects they are close to a breakthrough.

Kris talks to the man from the car rental place. 'Uh, no GPS I'm afraid. I've given your colleague the number plate. It's a new black Focus. Prepaid by a guy a few days prior to collection, the lady presented a license in the name of Lindsay Peale, she was nervous, hesitated to show us it actually, I had to explain any car rental would need to see her license. We have CCTV, I'll see if I can pull a picture. She came in on foot around 9pm and left in the car about 10pm. I know this is about that Balfour girl, I didn't see any sign of her.'

After a few minutes he sends a CCTV still by email:



Kris compares the image to the picture of Lindsay Peale from her aunt:



-----

DS Bates gives her assent to emailing Lindsay although she seems pretty sceptical about any theories suggesting biological or chemical weapons.

OOC,Jocelyn could contact MI5 and pass on the code but she suspects it might not be until tomorrow that anyone would take a look. Kris is aware that he has Balfour's copy of the book illegally and he ought to return it, along with the car. Simon still has a water damaged copy of the book

”Ok, thanks,” said Kris, studying the photo. He was pretty sure it was the same woman but the stress of her situation made her look tired and drawn. “Once we’re in a position to let you know about the car we will, but we may need to hold onto it for a bit longer once we’ve found it. Evidence, you know.”

He rang off and asked the female PC to check the licence plate through the ANPR system to see if it had been picked up. As he did so, he messaged DS Bates to update her on progress and to get authority to share the updated vehicle details with B&Bs, hotels & guesthouses in the search area.

Jocelyn passes the code on to MI5. She knows it will take them some time, but she hopes they'll get back to her with the solution before the supposed end of the world. Once she has permission, she sends the email to all three of Lindsay's emails. "That sure looks like her," she says, examining the still.

Kris circulates a description of the car among the police and other authorities as well as to hotels and other accommodation in the search area from Wycombe to Heathrow.

The ANPR search is a bust, with no hits picked up to date.

OOC,Jocelyn passes on the twenty six digit code, anything else you'd like to pass along with it? Can either Simon or Jocelyn roll Luck. What are you all going to do now? Or do you want to go back home/to the hotels and wait until tomorrow? Is Kris going to give back Balfour's car and Bible tonight?

”What?!” snapped Kris as he was given the news about the ANPR. “Not a single one?! For God’s sake...!” He shook his head. It felt like chasing shadows.

He took a deep breath, and tried to rest the urge to throw something across the room in frustration. He turned to Simon. “How are you getting on with Balfour’s book? Ideally, I’d prefer to take his car back tonight.”

It takes a good hour but Jocelyn is able to scan Balfour's copy of the book. It is slightly creased but not obviously damaged. Her contact in MI5 pings back an email - 'The numbers from one to twenty six but out of order? You know that's a simple letter substitution code right? All we need to do is find the message that's been encoded.'

Jocelyn also asks for a tracking device to be couriered over from Mi5, it should be at the station by Saturday morning.

"It sounds like the numbers are the key to the code," Jocelyn tells Simon, explaining what MI5 replied to her. "We just need a message written in the code, and we should be able to solve it ourselves. It's basically the answer to a cryptogram. We just need to find the puzzle."

"Well if you all feel like wasting an hour,w e could look it over ourselves-- though it sounds as if Kris will be returning the Reverend's car. You can give him back his book as well."

"I'll look over it with you," says Jocelyn. "Now that we've scanned the book, we can look over it all we want even after Kris returns the original to Balfour."

”Could you give me a lift if I drop off Balfour’s car?” Kris asked Jocelyn. “It’ll save me having to call a taxi.”

"Sure, I'll give you a ride," says Jocelyn.

"I don't mind coming with." Simon offers.

”Thanks,’ said Kris. “It’ll save me call out a squad car. Some of my colleagues get a bit shirty if they think you’re using them as a taxi service.”

It is a ten minute drive from the station to the Balfour home on the Lancaster Road in High Wycombe. Kris drives Balfour's SUV and Simon travels with Jocelyn.

They arrive outside the house, Jocelyn parks in the street and Kris pulls up onto the driveway. The roads are quiet and the evening air is crisp and clear. It is on a corner plot, surrounded by a low brick wall and screened by high hedgerows. The house itself is red brick and detached, probably 1950s, single fronted with bay windows. The lights are on inside.

Kris switched off the engine and sat for moment, just checking he had put things back as he found them. Satisfied, he removed the keys and opened the door. Climbing out, he closed the door quietly, but didn’t lock it. He glanced at the windows to see if he was being observed as he approached the house.

OOC,If he sees anyone watching him, Kris will go up to the front door and knock. If he isn’t being observed he will approach the window at an oblique angle to see if he can see inside and/or hear anything being said inside.

Jocelyn remains in the car for now and keeps an eye on the house.

Simon also stays put. He has many questions, but realizes until Reginia is found her father was unlikely to be cooperative.

Although the light is on, Kris doesn't see anyone in the window as gets out of the car and walks up the driveway. He approaches the bay window at an oblique angle, trying to avoid being seen. Jocelyn and Simon watch on from the street.

Kris,2 separate rolls please, Stealth (to get a look inside without being seen) and Listen

Jocelyn and Simon,Roll Spot Hidden

Jocelyn notices something.

OOC,Spot Hidden roll (60% skill) in the car: [dice]0[/dice]

Spot Hidden 25%,[dice]0[/dice]

As almost always, Simon is in his own head.

Jocelyn,Glancing down the street [b]Jocelyn[/b] sees a figure walking towards the house. She's not completely certain but he does look an awful lot like the [b]Reverend Balfour[/b].

Kris,Creeping closer to the window [b]Kris[/b] can hear a voice coming from the front room, it is a female voice, [color=#0000FF]'...so worried, [b]John[/b]'s at the end of his tether, we're both frantic...oh Miranda, I don't know what I would do if someone hurt our... ...service... ...be back soon...'[/color] As he reaches the house [b]Kris[/b] peers in but steps back in alarm as he sees [b]Sarah Balfour[/b] stood right in front of the glass. He ducks behind the wall in alarm, unsure whether she has seen him.'

Simon,[b]Simon[/b] sits in the car twiddling his thumbs, musing on the Book of the Passover Angel.

Unsure as to whether he had been seen, Kris straightened up and tapped lightly on the front door. Not necessarily loud enough to be heard, but enough to say he had knocked. He stood quietly on the doorstep, ears straining to hear more of the conversation, glancing around to see if any of the neighbours were looking out.

Jocelyn takes out her phone and calls Kris's phone. "I see what looks like Reverend Balfour coming down the street," she says, presuming he answers. "He's heading toward the house."

Simon looks up, silently questioning if they should take the opportunity to speak with the man.

No one comes to the door. Kris can make out a little more of the conversation, '...have to make other plans... ...go ahead as arranged...'

Then his phone rings.

Kris listened to Jocelyn and said a brief ”Thanks” before turning to wait for Balfour to arrive.

Jocelyn and Simon watch Balfour turn up the driveway and walk towards the front door.

As he draws nearer Balfour recognises Kris and raises his hand, 'Thank you for returning my car detective, I apologise for earlier, I was not feeling myself.' He smiles weakly, 'I have just conducted my evening service and I am revived with the strength of the Lord.'

”You’re welcome, Mr Balfour,” replied Kris politely. He handed the preacher his car keys and turned as it to leave, but then turned back.

“Actually, might I have a word with yourself and Mrs Balfour? Just a line of enquiry that has come up.”

Balfour furrows his brow, 'Of course detective, please come inside.' He gestures back to Jocelyn's car, 'Your colleagues are welcome to join us.'

OOC,Kris has gone all Columbo

OOC,You spotted the reference! ;)

Kris walked down the drive and beckoned Jocelyn and Simon to join him. “I thought we might talk to Balfour, see if we can’t get anything out of him.”

"Yes, good idea," says Jocelyn, getting out of the car and following him inside.

Simon also gets out, preparing himself to meet with the Balfour's. "I think I'm going to confide in him that I've read his book. Not his book, mind, but Lewiston's copy. Perhaps I can delicately bring up what was going on in his mind while he was writing it."

”Be my guest,” said Kris. ”Let’s see if we can get him rattled and see what he let’s slip.”

Balfour leads them inside. Behind an anonymous green front door is a narrow wood floored hallway. At the far end they can just about make out a modern kitchen but Balfour leads them through a door on the right into the front room. Sitting on a brown leather settee is Sarah Balfour. They gesture to Kris and his companions to sit on the matching sofa in the bay window while Balfour fetches a chair from the kitchen for the third person.

The room is conservatively decorated, wallpaper in an unexciting floral design, a tasteful cross on one wall, a mirror on another, and various photographs, lots of Regina, some group photos of what look like church outings, and one that shows a young John Balfour in what is presumably a Kenyan village. There is a white fitted bookshelf against one wall with a Bible and a number of other bound books that could be hymnals or similar. There are also a number of what look like textbooks and a few paperback novels. In one corner is a brown teddy bear.

Mrs Balfour sits on the edge of the settee glancing anxiously between the investigators while Mr Balfour leans back in the chair and places the tips of his fingers together. 'How can we help you detective? Have you found any leads to our dearest Regina?'

”We have some promising leads which we are actively following,” said Kris smoothly. “And I feel we are getting closer to find out where Regina has been taken.” He sat forward on the settee. ‘Did you know, Mr Balfour that solving crime is like solving a jigsaw puzzle? It’s a case of finding the pieces, seeing how they fit together. Sometimes you can’t work out how the pieces are related, so you have to try them against other pieces and see how they fit. Do you understand?”

‘In some ways, I guess it is like how you interpret the Bible. Over the years, there have been many different interpretations of your God’s will, have they not? People take his message and turn it in different ways so that it fits the puzzle of their particular beliefs...”

Jocelyn observes the Balfours to see their reaction.

OOC,Psychology roll (55% skill) about the [b]Balfours[/b]: [dice]0[/dice]

"We've found a few clues," Simon agrees. "I'll leave it to the good detective, but rest assured we feel we are closing in.

"One thing I can disclose is that Mr. Lewiston-- that is,Mr. Newman-- had a copy of your religious text that he seemed to read through obsessively. Hard to know his exact motives at the moment, but if gave us a place to start from. I've actually been able to read through your work myself, and found it rather fascinating. I'd like to ask you some questions concerning your creed, but will focus on helping get Reginia home first before bombarding you with them."
He's hoping to impress Balfour, as there is nothing a zealot loves more than a chance to convert people-- and with so little time before he believed the end was to come, he might take the opportunity and let something slip.

John Balfour smiles at Kris's report that they are getting closer to finding Regina. His wife seems overcome with emotion and puts her hand to her mouth, grasping her husband's hand, 'Oh John!' she says.

In response to Kris's jigsaw analogy the Reverend Balfour furrows his brow and looks disapproving, 'I prefer to think of it more like a lock, when you find the key of the correct shape the tumblers turn in unison and everything clicks into place. That is, there is the truth, and there is that which is not the truth, I know that my faith is the truth, it is the key that unlocks the mysteries of God.'

Turning his attention to Simon he says 'I presume you are referring to The Book of the Passover Angel, it is indeed the core creed of our church, in addition to the Bible of course. But you are right, as much as I might like to espouse the mysteries of the Passover Angel we... you need to focus on finding Regina, that is all that matters.'

He pauses for a moment and addresses Kris again, leaning forward in the chair and fixing him with an intense gaze, 'Tell me about this Lewiston, he's the real identity of Zac Newman I understand, do you have any idea of his motive? And what about his accomplice, do you have any leads as to her identity?'

Jocelyn,Both John and Sarah Balfour seem relieved to hear that they are getting closer to finding Regina. John Balfour seems a little pleased with himself in his answers to Kris and Simon, Jocelyn gets the sense that Balfour firmly believes in his creed but also feels a little superior to those that don't, she's seen this before dealing with other extremists. He seems very interested in finding out about Lewiston

”He was a member of your church, was he not?” countered Kris. “Did you know him well? When did he join?”

Jocelyn listens politely, leaving it to Kris's judgment how much information to share with the Balfours.

John Balfour looks somewhat troubled, 'Yes, yes Zac Newman as he called himself was a member of our church for several years. As I told you before, he joined around...three, yes three years ago. He was quite an active member. He partook in all the church activities. That's why it was such a shock when he left so suddenly, and when we found that his address was some kind of front, an abandoned office building. I didn't know him very well myself but Sarah would have spent some time with him.'

Sarah Balfour starts to speak, 'I coordinate some of our charitable and outreach activities. Zac volunteered to help out quite a lot, particularly our work with disadvantaged youths. He was always such a polite and kind man. I can't understand what he would want with Regina. I just don't understand...' she breaks off sobbing.

Jocelyn,It seems to Jocelyn that both Mr and Mrs Balfour are telling the truth as they see it, they seem genuinely shocked that Newman would have done this, but there is an undercurrent that suggests there is something more they're not saying

"If there's anything you haven't mentioned about him, even if it doesn't seem significant to you, please tell us," says Jocelyn. "It could be the key to finding your daughter. Do you know anything about his family or associates, for instance?"

John Balfour looks to his wife, 'Well, it's funny you should say that, I'm not sure I really knew very much about him now I think about it. He mentioned a daughter and I had the impression his wife had died. As to associates, I'm afraid I don't have any idea, he was closer to John, John Allen, another of our parishioners who does youth outreach work, but I know John doesn't know where he is, it was John who went to check on his address when we were worried about him' she says.

"He did have a daughter, that much is true," says Jocelyn. "We've already spoken to her. We should speak to John Allen too. He may know more than he realizes. Do you have his contact information?"

Sarah Balfour digs out a little notebook and finds John Allen's phone number and address.

”So what was Zac’s relationship with Regina like? Did he have much to do with her? Did she get involved in any of the church’s activities?” asked Kris.

Simon keeps quiet for now, thinking his colleagues are asking the right questions.

Sarah Balfour answers, 'As I said, he engaged with some of our youth outreach work, he attended some of our study groups, he may have even been in our home...' She chokes up but gathers herself after a few seconds. 'He attended services at the church, did some occasional fundraising work, helped with a bit of maintenance on the church building. I think that's about it. He will have met Regina but I wouldn't say they had much of a relationship...why? I mean...what do you think his motive is?' Her voice rises, 'What does he want with her?' As she asks this John Balfour noticeably tenses up in his seat.

"We don't believe he or his accomplice intend her harm," says Jocelyn. "We think that in their minds, they believed that by taking her they were protecting her."

'Protecting her from what?' asks Mrs Balfour. 'And who is his accomplice?' asks Rev Balfour.

Jocelyn looks at Kris, unsure whether or not he wants to divulge this information.

”We’re still working on the identity of his accomplice,” said Kris, with a straight face.

He looked at Mrs Balfour. ”What is your plan?” he asked. He flicked a glance at Mr Balfour to see if he reacted.

'I'm not quite sure what you mean' says Mrs Balfour. Glancing across at Mr Balfour his face is a mask.

Keeper rolls,Psychology 60% 0

'Detective Sapru' says John Balfour, 'why are you witholding the identity of Zac's accomplice?'

OOC,Those who haven't rolled Psychology can give it a go - need a hard success. If anyone has Psychoanalysis they could also give that a roll instead, regular success needed

Kris ignored John Balfour’s question, being solely focussed on Sarah Balfour. ”You were taking on your phone when I came to the front door. You said that you would “...have to make other plans...” and “...go ahead as arranged...”

He paused to let that sink in. He sat forward looked at her carefully. ”What did you mean by that, Sarah? And who was it you were talking to?”

OOC,Psychology (30%) - 0 I don’t think I made it... :(

Simon leans forward, scanning the Balfour's for any hints of... something.

Psychoanalysis 52%,0

Seeing the situation gets tense, he clears his throat and attempts to defuse it. "Perhaps a public appeal should be considered, mind I'm just a consultant. Do you have any tea?"

Kris frowned at Simon. He was trying to put pressure on Sarah Balfour, trying to get her to crack. He didn’t want any distractions.

Sarah Balfour looks shocked, 'What? You were spying on me?' she looks to her husband, 'What is the meaning of this?' he asks, his voice taking on an edge of menace.

Simon,The Balfours seem genuinely shocked and confused by the accusation, but there was something in John Balfour's expression, the way his eyes widened and his breath quickened, that suggests there was something in what Kris said that frightened him

Kris,The Balfours seem genuinely shocked and confused by the accusation, roll Intimidate with a bonus die to see if you've shaken them

ooc,I believe you can. :)

Simon watches the events, noting the reaction.

"I'm sure he wasn't spying on you," says Jocelyn. "He must have just heard what you were saying as he walked up to the front door."

"Indeed, we had only just arrived a few minutes ago." Simon adds.

The colour rises in John Balfour's face, as he balls his hands into fists by his side. However, Sarah Balfour looks scared and confused, 'I was just talking to my friend Miranda, about how worried I am about Regina, I, I was just saying that we might need to, make other plans for next week's special service without her...'

John Balfour places his hand on his wife's arm, 'That's enough, we don't need to justify ourselves to the detective.' He stands, 'Officer Sapru, I would like you to leave now please.'

"I think that's for the best," says Jocelyn.

"Reverend Balfour, might I have a word with you privately sir?" Simon asks. "It will only take a moment, but I could use a bit of guidance."

Kris ignored John Balfour and continued to focus on Sarah Balfour. ”A special service? What is the purpose of that, Mrs Balfour? And why was it so critical that Regina was there?”

Sarah Balfour looks to her husband, clearly unsure what she should be saying, 'I...'. Raising his voice, John Balfour speaks over her, 'As I said, we do not have to explain ourselves to the detective, who should be focusing on finding our daughter.' Rising from his chair, Balfour steps uncomfortably close to Kris, 'You have been rude to me and my wife, leave now before I am forced to call your superior officer to make a formal complaint about your behaviour, Detective Sapru.'

He looks at Simon, seemingly confused by his request.

Simon,Balfour is not going to be keen to talk to Simon given his interactions with Kris. Roll a Persuade and give me a bit of dialogue to justify it. If it's good I'll give you a bonus die.

Simon has the good grace to look embarrassed, given the situation.

"It's a delicate matter. Theological, one could say. I am not a believer, as you know, but I have recently experienced a very impactful dream... the most powerful vision I can recall ever having received. I was hoping that I could get your input on it."

Persuade 30%,0 1 bonus if allowed

Kris didn’t flinch, even though Balfour towered over him. He sat back in the chair, and looked up at the pastor. ”Where’s the ransom note?” he asked calmly.

Waving away Simon with one hand Balfour says 'This is hardly the time to be dealing with your crisis of faith.'

As Kris sits back down Balfour looks perplexed and frustrated. 'I do not know what you are talking about detective, now please leave immediately before I am forced to call the station. I am increasingly thinking that you have something against my wife and me Officer Sapru. Is there something about us that you dislike, is it a religious thing or...a racial thing?'

Some reverend you are. Simon thinks with annoyance.

Seeing things continue to escalate, he tries to intervene. "We really should be going, I think. Thank you for your time." He looks to Kris, hoping the detective won't end up getting himself thrown into jail over harassing a grieving family. But maybe he had a plan.

"Yes, we should really go," says Jocelyn, wondering what Kris is trying to do. This is the first she has heard of any ransom note, and continuing to alienate the Balfours seems counterproductive to her. At least she and Simon can continue to play good cop.

Ignoring his colleagues and remaining seated, Kris repeated, ”Where is the ransom note?”, slowly and precisely.

‘This doesn’t appear to be a child abduction by someone intending to harm Regina, as far as I can tell. Whoever it was, seems to have gone to great lengths to make sure she is kept safe. But safe from what exactly, Mr Balfour? What would make someone risk everything to do that? Why did they think she was at risk? Answer me that.”

OOC,Kris will attempt to interpret Balfour’s response to this line of questioning. Psychology (30%) - 0

Simon's aware what he is about to do may strongly antagonize Kris, but he feels he has no choice.

" Officer Sapru, that is quite enough! The Balfours have been--are going through-- an ordeal, and they don't need you badgering them. This isn't an interrogation room! You should be ashamed of yourself!" He looks towards the family. "Mr. and Ms. Balfour, I am so sorry for this; rest assured, though I am only a consultant for the police I will be lodging an official complaint as soon as I return to headquarters. And I will do what I can to make sure the investigation remains focusing on finding your daughter." He glares at Kris.

Truthfully he agrees with everything Kris is doing, but views the way he's going about it as counterproductive. The way he saw it, this would only likely result in Balfour calling the station himself and getting them all thrown off the case before they could discover what was really going on. And right now, they seemed the only ones who could hope to solve this mystery.

Philulhu,Really sorry, hope you don't mind Simon's actions too much. :( Feel free to have Kris keep doing whatever you like; 'm fine with him laying bad cop, I just want to give Simon and Jocelyn some cover from it if Balfour seeks reprisals. :)

Kris looked at Simon with a neutral expression, then switched his gaze back to John Balfour.

Silver Priest,No problem.

Balfour is incandescent, while his wife is quietly becoming more agitated and angry. Neither seems even aware of what Simon or Jocelyn are saying. 'John, he's like that horrible social worker, saying we're hurting our own daughter!'. Balfour's hands are balled into fists, the blood vessel in his temple is throbbing, and he is clenching his jaw. Experience tells Kris, Jocelyn, and Simon that he is on the verge of exploding, possibly with violence.

He steps forward to tower over Kris, all three investigators are now quite aware that Balfour may be a minister but he is also quite a physically imposing man.

'I'm going to tell you a little bit about me, Detective Sapru' spits Balfour. 'My parents were well to do members of the Kenyan middle class who fled to London to escape political and ethnic conflict stoked by the British. Here they found prejudice and doors barred at every turn. I grew up a young black man, a second generation immigrant in the London of Broadwater Farm and Stephen Lawrence, I was given nothing, nothing but hate and suspicion. I have plenty of experience of, and no love for the police, Officer Sapru.' By this point his accent has broadened to clearly reveal his London roots.

'I started with nothing, but I've put in the work, I've dedicated myself to God, to the word of God, to the teachings of the Passover Angel, to spreading the word to the people of England, to my people, the people of Wycombe. Building a church, a church that works for this community in a way that no other church does.'

He moves closer to Kris, he is inches away, Kris can feel the flecks of spittle on his face as Balfour speaks.

'I am a minister of God, I am a minister of God whose only child has been kidnapped. I may not expect it but I insist, no, no, I demand some fucking respect. You have the audacity, the sheer nerve to accuse me, to accuse my wife of involvement in the abduction of our own daughter, our only child, our only sick child. How dare you Detective Sapru, how dare you!'

Kris,[b]Balfour[/b] does seem confused by [b]Kris[/b]'s line of questioning, but he's also flustered. It doesn't look like [b]Kris[/b] has exactly hit the nail on the head with his accusations but there's something about what he is saying that is getting to both [b]John[/b] and [b]Sarah Balfour[/b]. He is also [i]really[/i] angry, the sort of angry that ends in bad stuff happening.

OOC,Worth pointing out, I'm very much a 'see where it leads' kind of GM, but this could lead down a difficult path if Kris keeps provoking Balfour

Keeper rolls,0,1

Jocelyn stays out of the conflict and instead speaks to Mrs. Balfour. "Sarah, please tell me about the social worker," she says. "It could be important."

The situation is rapidly spiraling out of control. Seeing that his attempt to calm things down had fallen on deaf ears, Simon rises to his feet.

"I should really be going. We all should." He looks at Jocelyn, intent on damage control, then starts to head towards the door. He doesn't want to be caught up in any complaints Balfour sends to the station; not to mention he looks about to slug Kris.

Actually, that might help. He can arrest him then and search the house. Officer Sapru may be more clever than I gave him credit for. But it's still quite the risk, and I am at heart not a gambler.

”Do not lecture me about racism, Mr Balfour! An Asian man in the police force? I experience it, from the public and colleagues every single day!” shouted Kris, who stabbed his finger in Balfour’s direction to emphasise every single word.

”What is it that you’re not telling me about Regina?” he continued. “I can see the looks you’re giving each other. There’s something going on that you’re hiding. You tell me that and I’ll go and get on with my investigation! Otherwise, you’re the ones preventing us from finding her!” Kris looked at Mrs Balfour as he spoke.

Keeper rolls,0, 1

John Balfour stops talking, he steps back from Kris and smiles. 'So that's what this is about, you think we're keeping something from you. Some secret involvement in Regina's kidnap because Newman was a member of our church.' He reaches into his pocket and takes out a mobile phone. 'I can assure you Detective, we have no idea what motivated Zac Newman, but I cannot stand for this behaviour, I cannot stand for it at all.' He makes a few presses on the phone and then holds it to his ear, 'Sergeant Bates, it is Reverend John Balfour here, I have a very serious complaint to make about Officer Sapru.'

Sarah Balfour links her arm with her husband and stands beside him. Her previously distressed and angry expression now replaced with one of resolve.

Kris stood up wearily. “I don’t know what your motives are, but you’re keeping something from me. For the record, I don’t think you’re involved in the kidnapping but I do think that whoever was involved, was motivated by a concern for Regina. Understanding that could be a key to solving the case and getting her back, but...” He shrugged. They weren’t about to tell him about their plans involving the girl.

He walked out of the house and headed down the road towards home. He was dog-tired and he was sure to be facing a shitstorm of trouble in the morning.

"I'm terribly sorry," says Jocelyn. "We're all on the same side. We all want to find Regina. Anything you can tell me about this social worker may help. Time is of the essence, so it's better for your daughter if you say something now. If not and you want to talk later, you have my card with my mobile number."

Simon approaches Kris as the officer leaves the home. He smiles at him somewhat sheepishly, hoping to convey he's not really taking the Balfours side in the matter.

OOC:   If possible I'd like to talk with the others on the drive back and plot out our next moves, though this can wait until morning if preferred.

”You shouldn’t have interfered,” said Kris bluntly. “I appreciate you were trying to help but first and foremost, this is a police investigation. Sometimes you need to put people under pressure to get information from them, even if they are the victims...”

He stopped and waited for Jocelyn to pick them up and take them back to the station, where he bid them goodnight and drove home without bothering to check in first.

He got back to find a note from Bina to say she was pulling in an extra shift to cover for a colleague, so he poured himself a drink and wandered into the spare room to switch on the computer. As he waited for the updates to finish loading, he pulled a notepad towards him and started making notes about the subjects he wanted to research.

OOC,Kris is looking for an online Bible, so he can read up on the the Passover. Computer Use (65%) - 0

Sarah Balfour looks conflicted for a moment, 'Lindsay Peale was her name' she says to Jocelyn and then exchanges a glance with her husband. 'Please leave now' says Rev Balfour and escorts Jocelyn to the door.

The three drive back to the station in a tense silence, Simon clearly straining to speak further while Kris broods sullenly. Jocelyn drops off Kris who picks up his own car.

Jocelyn and Simon,What do Jocelyn and Simon want to do? Go back to the hotel, get a feed, and go to bed? More research, the book maybe? Discuss the case?

Kris,Kris easily finds an online Bible, the King James version since that is the one used by Balfour. He looks up Exodus 11 ([url]https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2011&version=KJV[/url]) and Exodus 12 ([url]https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2012&version=KJV[/url]) which recount the story of the Passover.

Sat in front of his computer, Kris applies the cream to his arms as he read the passages from Exodus on the screen. He wiped his hands dry and pulled out his phone, typed out a message and sent it to Jocelyn and Simon.

Do you think B is planning something like the plague in Exodus? LP takes R because she’s his first born. If he doesn’t get her back by Tuesday and they go ahead, then she dies...’

As they head back to the station Simon responds.

"I understand, but respectfully think you pushed too much," he tells Kris. "We have fairly strong circumstantial evidence that John Balfour is planning some sort of Biblicaly inspired attack. But no one else believes it, and if he gets us taken off the case to find his daughter, we'll have no way of stopping it. I'm sure you will face discipline, but if we can find out Balfour's plan and put a stop to it, you should be fine-- and Jocelyn and my position should be safe, at least.

"I believe our objective at the moment must be finding Lindsay Peale; hopefully she can give us more information to go on, and of course Regina is still in danger regardless. From my research Balfour has some reluctance with performing what he sees as God's will, and I intend to play on that. I had hoped to tell him of a dream I have of his Passover Angel. A hallucination brought about my obsessive study, but I'm sure he'd think it was divinely inspired. Once we find Regina, I hope to impress upon him that the Lord favored us bringing his girl home; hopefully he will trust at least myself and Jocelyn enough to reveal his plan. Maybe we can convince him to stop it; even if not, we can go to the proper authorities and have them deal with the matter."

Back at the hotel, he'll ask Jocelyn if she has any plans for research. Failing that, he'll look up Red Trumpet online to see if there's been any study of the group, its aims, and its tactics it has used to achieve them.

When Kris' message arrives, he considers.

It's entirely possible. It would explain the allergic reaction we all had, as well as why Exodus 11;6 was skipped, the part indicating the plagues would not affect the earth once again; Balfour must intend to bring them back.

"You're right, we need to find Lindsay Peale and Regina post haste," says Jocelyn. "The problem is, we're running out of leads on her. I hope she replies to the email we sent, but I'm not holding my breath. I can't think of anything to research other than Red Trumpet. I'd imagine there's more in the MI5 files than there is in open sources."

Jocelyn searches MI5's electronic files for information on Red Trumpet, but she can't find anything.

OOC,Library Use roll (20% base skill) looking up MI5's records on Red Trumpet: 0

Library Use 80%,0

Simon searches for any shred of information, particularly from Kenyan media sources.

There is not a lot to be found online about the Red Trumpet. They seem to be associated with the Nandi people of the Rift Valley but there's nothing concrete. The name is mentioned in connection with an uprising against the colonial government in the 1920s.

Jocelyn accesses the MI5 computer system but there is not much recorded beyond the flag on the name from MI6. This confirms what has been found online but also notes that there has been sporadic violence since the 1920s attributed to the Red Trumpet. However it is all very vague She wonders if she could get hold of someone in the Foreign Office with access to more records.

OOC,You could push Jocelyn's roll, perhaps take longer to search less obvious search terms, but then maybe she wouldn't get enough sleep and would take a deficit tomorrow from that. We established she doesn't know anyone in the Foreign Office but maybe she could try calling them directly, maybe they have a duty desk, she could probably give them her credentials but she'd need to pass a social roll to sweet talk them to give her the information. Failing it could annoy the powers that be, maybe bring their attention in an unhelpful manner

Simon takes note of the writer of any articles mentioning Red Trumpet, seeing if he can find a name or contact over in Kenya he could ask about for more information.

Simon finds really very little about the Red Trumpet but most of what he gets comes from the site of Kenyan 'citizen journalist' and fringe blogger Rose Madawa. Her website gives an email address.

OOC,Unless there are any objections/further things you want to do I'm going to try and get posts ready for starting the next day. Hopefully I'll get them done in the next day or so.

Deciding it's worth a shot, Simon shoots Rose a quick email.

Dear Ms. Madawa,

My name is Simon Eagleton. I am a consulting Psychologist with the London police. A recent investigation of ours has led us to an individual with ties to Red Trumpet, A group I notice you have mentioned in one of your insightful articles. Information on this group is scarce however; do you happen to know anything more about them, or could you point me to a source that details more of their history, organization, tactics, and goals? I believe this would help immeasurably.

Happy to answer any and all questions I am able. Hope to hear from you soon.

Then he retires for bed.

Kris,Moving here: [url]https://www.callofcthulhu.org.uk/pbp/viewtopic.php?f=469&t=7330#p245836[/url]

Simon and Jocelyn,[url]https://www.callofcthulhu.org.uk/pbp/viewtopic.php?f=469&t=7331&p=245840#p245839[/url]