IC -27 - Stakeout! - Everyone

[Mephistophilis]

Monday afternoon, 15th March 2010, Lancaster Road, High Wycombe

Two days since Regina Balfour was rescued.

They pull up around the corner of the Balfours' house on Lancaster Road. Kris has already clocked Grey and Adebayo sitting in an unmarked car on the other side of the road. They're far enough away from the house to look less obvious but with a good view of the driveway to the corner plot. The house itself is well screened by high hedgerows. Two clean-cut young men, one black, one white, sitting together in the front seat of an unmarked police car, munching on snacks and staring at the house of Revd Balfour. Unfortunately they can't help but look like what they are, two police officers on a stakeout.

How do you want to approach this?

[Mr. Handy]

"You can't spell stakeout without takeout," says Jocelyn with a sigh. "We don't want to be seen talking to them, or we'll be made like they've probably been, and we can't use police radio or a certain nosy reporter will show up here. We'll have to call them on their mobiles after we conceal our car and tell them we're relieving them. Hopefully when they leave, Balfour will think the surveillance has been called off."

[Philulhu]

Kris called Olly Grey. ”Congratulations, Constable Grey!” he said in a mocking drawl. “You’ve won this year’s Turner Prize in the live installation category. Your ‘Two Obvious Plods in a Panda’ has got everyone talking!”

[Silver Priest]

Simon chuckles, amused. "Very Sardonic, Detective Sapru."

[Mephistophilis]

Olly Grey responds with his usual quick wit. 'Fuck off Kris. You relieving us or what?' In the background Kris can hear the voice of Chris Adebayo, 'Get a move on Kris, I'm busting for a slash. Too much coffee.' Olly chuckles to himself, it doesn't seem like they're taking this too seriously.

[Mr. Handy]

"Let's just tell them we're relieving them," says Jocelyn, rolling her eyes as she looks around for a good place to keep their car out of sight.

[Philulhu]

”Other than Chris’ near-incontinence, is there anything to report? Have you seen the Reverend Balfour at all?” Kris asked Olly.

[Mephistophilis]

'No sign of Revd Balfour but he's had a few visitors. Some lawyer, Acharya's the name we got back from the photo, and a couple of parishioners,' says Olly. Chris adds, 'Mrs Balfour went out in the car, we couldn't follow her and keep sight on the minister, gone for about an hour. Since she came back a few hours ago there's been some smoke coming from behind the house. Too risky to look any closer without being seen.'

[Philulhu]

”Ok, we’ll check that out,” said Kris. ”How were the parishioners? Scared? Angry? Bored?”

[Silver Priest]

"And were any of them children?" Simon asks.

[Mr. Handy]

"Maybe they're burning documents or other evidence," says Jocelyn, looking around for the smoke.

[Mephistophilis]

'No kids,' says Olly. 'And who cares what a bunch of religious nuts looked like?' he adds in a bored and irritable tone. Speaking over him, Chris says, 'Not scared or angry. Purposeful maybe. Like they've got something to get done.'

Spot Hidden to see if there's any smoke visible

[Philulhu]

Spot hidden (40%) 1d100

[Mephistophilis]

There is a plume of smoke rising from the area behind the Balfours' house. It isn't the clean smoke of a barbecue or a log fire. It's black and there's an acrid taste in the air. The dirty smoke you get from burning old fence panels or other treated wood.

[Silver Priest]

"I will remind you this church is on a terror watch list," Simon points out. "And fanatics can be dangerous. No one would have thought Regina would have been taken by a woman in the social services with an otherwise impeachable record." Mind, the more he learned the less he could fault her for it.

"Jocelyn, I believe you've proven yourself fairly good at sneaking about. Do you believe there's any value in getting closer and taking a look?"

[Mr. Handy]

"There could be, if you both think it's worth the risk," says Jocelyn. "It's not the church that's on the watchlist, just Balfour. I'm sure he sent those church members to do something, but unless we know which ones or where they were going, there's not much we can do about it."

[Philulhu]

”They must be burning something for a reason,” replied Kris. “Although at this stage, we’d probably believe the worst of everything they do.”

He thought for a moment, glancing up and down the street. “One of us could stay here and keep watch from the car - we can always lock the doors - and the other two could go and take a closer look?” he suggested.

[Mr. Handy]

"I had another idea," says Jocelyn. "We could anonymously tip off the fire brigade and report the smoke. It sure looks like a dangerous fire to me."

[Philulhu]

”We could,” replied Kris with a grin. Normally he frowned upon the emergency services being called out for trivial matters, but this might just work! He craned his neck, looking up and down the street for a call box.

A mobile phone would do just as well, but the phone box would add a touch of anonymity.

[Mephistophilis]

There's not many phone boxes left around nowadays but Kris is in luck. There's an old red box about five hundred metres down the street. He strolls down casually and opens the heavy cast iron door. The overwhelming stench of urine greets him. Holding his nose and placing his feet carefully he dials 999.

'Emergency, which service do you require? Fire, Police or Ambulance?'