IC - 22 - Chez Zero - Kris and Jocelyn

[Mephistophilis]

9.30am Sunday 14th March 2010, Abercrombie Avenue, High Wycombe

One day since Regina Balfour was rescued.

Abercrombie Avenue is a little down at heel but busy with traffic. There are cars parked along both sides of the road. Johnny Zero's address is a pretty non-descript looking 1950s semi-detached house, small, maybe two or three bedrooms. A little brick wall out the front, a small concreted front yard behind that with a few wheelie bins. The yard continues down the side of the house to the garden, there's no gate. The front door is at the side. There's no sign of activity in the house just observing from the roadside.

Did you bring anyone with you? E.g. uniformed officers, armed officers

[Mr. Handy]

"We need to cover the back too," says Jocelyn. "We don't want him slipping away if he does happen to be home."

Yes, I think we should bring uniformed and armed officers with us. We recovered the gun, and while Johnny doesn't have it any more, we can presume he is armed and dangerous and is likely to have another. While it's doubtful he's home, we have to be prepared in case he is.

[Philulhu]

Yes, full tactical back-up, please. We have reason to suspect he will be armed.

Kris pulled on his bulletproof vest and passed another to Jocelyn to wear. He directed one of the AFOs to cover the back door along with one of the PCs, then approached the front door with Olly Grey in close support.

He glanced up and down the street, then turned his attention to the door, examining it quickly but carefully before they made their next move.

(40%) 1d100

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you," says Jocelyn, putting on her body armor. She follows Kris up to the door and inspects it closely as well. They were dealing with a dangerous criminal who might also be a terrorist, and booby traps were not outside the realm of possibility.

Spot Hidden roll (60% skill) examining the front door:
d%

[Mephistophilis]

The front windows of the house are dark and obscured by net curtains.

One unformed officer accompanies an AFO down the side of the property, walking slowly past the front door. The AFO signals back to Kris and Jocelyn to come nearer and together with PC Grey and another uniformed officer they slowly approach the door.

It is white PVC with small frosted glass panels. There's nothing unusual looking about it. Jocelyn very gently tries to depress the handle but it doesn't move, locked.

The AFO and other uniformed officer move down to the end of the wall, peering around the corner into the garden. The AFO signals back that the garden is clear.

[Philulhu]

”Ready?” asked Kris quietly. Once everyone had indicated they were ready, he knocked on the door. In a loud, authoritative voice, he called out, “Johnny Zero? Thames Valley Police! Open the door!”

[Mr. Handy]

"Have the key ready," says Jocelyn to Ollie Grey. "If he's home and he doesn't let us in, we don't want him topping himself or having time to destroy evidence."

[Mephistophilis]

Ollie signals to the uniformed officer to get the battering ram from the car. He keeps his weapon trained on the front door.

When Kris knocks a light comes on inside the house and there is a sound of footsteps on the stairs. The glass panels darken as someone approaches the door from the other side. There is the clunk and click of bolts and chains being unfastened and then the door slowly opens.

Standing in the doorway is a rather short black woman in a dressing gown, despite her stature she looks formidable enough and she has a look on her face somewhere between impatience and annoyance. 'What's that boy done this time? she sighs.

[Philulhu]

Kris flashed his warrant card. ”We’re looking for Johnny Zero,” he said, trying to look past the woman into the house. ”Is he here?”

[Mr. Handy]

"He gets in trouble often, then?" asks Jocelyn. "That doesn't surprise me. What else has he done?"

[Mephistophilis]

'John isn't here' she says to Kris. Then looking Jocelyn up and down she says 'And I'm sure you know all about the trouble he's been in.' She starts to close the door, 'Now, unless you've got a warrant I'll be having my breakfast.'

[Mr. Handy]

"Show her the warrant," Jocelyn says to Kris.

[Philulhu]

Kris handed the woman the warrant and pushed open the door. ”Now, where’s your son? It’s vitally important that we speak with him.”

[Mephistophilis]

At the sight of the warrant she steps back and lets them in. She seems deflated. She beckons them into the kitchen and puts the kettle on. She takes a seat on a chair beside a rough wooden kitchen table and beckons them to sit.

Letting out a long sigh she says 'Even I will tell you my Johnny's no angel, but he's got a good heart underneath it all. He's been working at the church, the Reverend Balfour's one, The Passover Angel...he's not been in any trouble for a long time and he was settling down, helping me out around the house.'

'Then that little girl disappeared, the Balfour girl, he was helping the church, helping them try and find her. There was some break-in, you lot came round here looking for him but he went. And he hasn't come back. I'm worried about him, it's not like him.'

She gets up to make some tea and offers a cup to everyone present. Ollie doesn't hesitate to accept.

[Philulhu]

”Does he have a mobile telephone? Have you tried ringing him?” asked Kris.

[Mr. Handy]

"Are there any particular places he likes to hang out?" asks Jocelyn, after thanking her for the tea. "Who are his friends?"

[Mephistophilis]

At Kris's question she narrows her eyes and glares at him, 'Yes, he has a phone and yes, of course I've tried calling him!'

She turns back to Jocelyn and gives her an open smile, 'Now young lady, you were asking where he likes to go, who his friends are. Well, since he moved out here to Wycombe, to live with me, he's really only been spending time at the church, with people from the church. There was that nice Rachel girl, and Zac Newman, and some others I can't quite recall right now. He hasn't been involved with those bad boys from Lewisham, not for a long time.'

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you," says Jocelyn, smiling back. "Please, tell us about Rachel and Zac Newman, and their addresses will help if you know them. We also can't rule out that he's gone back to the bad boys from Lewisham if he's trying to hide. If you've got his phone number, that will help too. He won't answer if we call, but we can track his phone to try to find him. We'll also want to search his room while we're here and see if there's any hint as to where he'd go."

[Philulhu]

”Perhaps I could take a look at his room while you and Jocelyn have a chat?” said Kris brightly, with what he hoped was a winning smile.

[Mephistophilis]

Allen's mother tears off a scrap of paper and scribbles down a mobile phone number for her son. 'What can I tell you about them? Rachel, I don't think I ever heard her surname, she's a nice white English girl, local I think. From the church. I don't know anything about where she lives. Johnny was seeing her quite a lot, I...well I had hoped they might get together. She seems nice and has her head screwed on.'

Zac, well he's a bit older than Johnny, from the church again. Helped out a lot with church activities, I think he got to know Johnny through his youth work. I'm not sure if I have any address for him either. I haven't seen him around for a while though. I thought maybe he fell out with Johnny, he wouldn't be the first.'

She stands up, 'His room is upstairs, follow me.' Pausing at the door she asks, 'What's he got mixed up in? What is this all about?'

Just a reminder, Zac Newman is the alias used by Lewiston when infiltrating Balfour's church.