IC - 7 - The House - Everyone

[Philulhu]

Kris pulled out his torch from his tac belt and clicked it on. He shone it on the empty picture space for a moment, then let the light play across the wall and down towards the door, before pointing the beam up the stairs.

”We know you’re here, so come out!” he called.

[Mephistophilis]

The beam of the torch creates a bright white circle like a full moon. As the ring of illumination moves around the floor and walls there is no sign of anything untoward.

Again, Kris's shout rings in the night air without an answer

[Mr. Handy]

Jocelyn keeps watching the back in case anyone tries to escape that way.

[Philulhu]

Kris sighed. They were going to have to do it the hard way.

“Burke - you search downstairs. I’ll take upstairs,” he said. “I think there might be someone there but they’re not coming down.”

He palmed his Asp, getting it ready to use it just in case, and slowly started to ascend the stairs.

[Mephistophilis]

OOC,Does Simon want to accompany Burke? Do Jocelyn and PC Holmes want to try and find a way in through the back?

[Silver Priest]

Simon will follow Kris if the man has no objections; if he does, he'll go with Burke.

[Mr. Handy]

"I'm not a very good climber," says Jocelyn to PC Holmes, "especially in this getup. Can you climb the fence and open the gates from the other side? I can't give you much of a boost, but I'll help however much I can. Or you could give me a boost instead. Failing that, we could have the 'key' brought back here."

[Mephistophilis]

OOC,Holmes Climb 60%,[dice]0[/dice],[dice]1[/dice]

Jocelyn gives PC Holmes a boost and she is quickly over the fence. She unlatches the gate from the other side and lets Jocelyn in.

[Mephistophilis]

Burke and Bates open the door to the left of the hallway while the AFO stands guard out the front of the property.

Kris and Simon begin to climb the stairs. On the landing they can one door to the left which presumably opens onto the room overlooking the road. On the right is a short corridor with door at the end and one on the right.

All the doors are closed and they cannot hear any noise.

[Mr. Handy]

Jocelyn quietly approaches the back door with PC Holmes. After listening at the door and inspecting it carefully for traps, she will try the knob if she notices nothing.

[Mephistophilis]

Jocelyn,Roll Spot Hidden for inspecting the door for traps, also roll Listen

[Philulhu]

Kris glanced around to see Simon had followed him up the stairs. He frowned and pointed forcefully at the top of the stairs, indicating that Simon should wait there and not get in the way.

He quietly approached the door to the left, as that seemed to lead to the room where he had seen movement from downstairs. He shone the torch around the frame of the door, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

Spoiler:

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

[Mr. Handy]

Jocelyn's observational powers are still sharp.

OOC,Listen roll (55% skill) at the back door: [dice]0[/dice] Spot Hidden roll (60% skill) at the back door: [dice]1[/dice]

[Mephistophilis]

Part of the house juts out at the rear and the back door is set in the side of this. It is glazed white PVC with a cat flap in the lower half of the frame.

The house is dark but PC Holmes shines her torch through the window illuminating a small passageway with a door to the right (opening towards the rear of the house) and on the left is what looks like a kitchen, there is something blurry in the air, perhaps flies.

Jocelyn can also hear something coming from the other side of the door, a rustling or scratching sound, but she can't localise where the sound is coming from, even by shining the torch inside.

She doesn't notice anything unusual about the handle and turns it slowly. The door doesn't move, it seems to be locked.

[Mephistophilis]

Kris looks carefully around the doorframe - it is simple white gloss painted wood with no signs of any tampering, trip wires, or other concerning features. There is a simple lever handle without any lock and the door is plain painted white wood veneer, probably hollow core from the reverberation when lightly tapped.

Turning off his torch a dim light is visible around the door frame, although that could be coming from the moon or street lights outside if the curtains aren't closed.

[Mr. Handy]

"We're at the back door," reports Jocelyn quietly. "It seems to be locked. Looks like a kitchen on the other side. There's a cat flap, but I doubt I'm small enough to fit. I hear a scratching sound inside, probably the cat. There may be flies in there too. Can someone on the inside let us in?"

[Mephistophilis]

Bates's voice comes over the radio, 'Front room's clear, we're moving through to the kitchen.'

A few seconds later the light in the kitchen comes on. Bates's face appears in the window and she tries the door from the other side, rattling it until Jocelyn sees her shrug her shoulders in resignation.

Bates looks down in surprise and jumps back with an expression of disgust on her face. The cat flap opens and something slides out onto the patio.

Jocelyn sees a scrawny looking animal, its coat is thin with patches of red raw skin, weeping sores, and tense, inflamed boils. It seems to be a cat.

[Mr. Handy]

"Good grief," says Jocelyn over the radio. "Poor little thing. I'm no vet, so I don't know what I can do about it other than call it in. Why are there so many things that remind me of the ten plagues of Egypt? Flies, boils...Maybe I'm just attuned to it because of the Church of the Passover Angel. That's the Angel of Death, by the way. The children of Israel, before the tenth and final plague struck, were instructed to slay a lamb without blemish and put its blood on their doorposts. The angel would then pass over their homes and not slay their firstborn, hence the name of the holiday. The Egyptians weren't so lucky. An odd thing for a supposedly Christian church to revere, though there is a connection to Christianity. Jesus Christ was crucified just before Passover, and He is referred to as the Lamb and is without blemish. It's His shed blood that saves those of us who believe in Him and are protected by His blood."

[Philulhu]

Kris rapped hard on the door. ”Police!” he shouted, “We’re coming in!”

He flicked the handle down and pushed open the door, his Asp ready by his side, should he need it.

[Mephistophilis]

Kris shoves open the door and bursts inside the room. The curtains are open and the room is bathed in the orange glow of a sodium streetlight.

Raising his expandable baton he shines his torch into the far corner, the light striking some kind of figure, long shadows projecting onto the wall behind...within milliseconds Kris can see his torch beam is simply striking a high backed chair. He shines his torch into each corner of the room, finding nothing of significance, while Simon watches from the landing.

Once he is confident the room is empty Kris is able to look around the room. It is a good size bedroom with fitted wardrobes and a chest of drawers. The bed is covered with a bland cotton duvet and matching pillows. There is nothing to individuate it from a hotel room.