Play@YSDC

Posted: **Tue May 16, 2023 9:59 pm**

Monday, late afternoon, 15th March 2010, Lewisham, London
Two days since Regina Balfour was rescued.

It takes a few hours for Jocelyn to battle through the London traffic and then circle the streets of Lewisham until she finds a parking spot. Best described as 'up and coming,' Lewisham is somewhat down at heel and Louise Hayman's nail bar, the classily named Get Nailed! (yes, including the exclamation mark), is down a side road off the main high street, next to a small garage and repair shop. There are lights on in Get Nailed! but it is difficult to see from the street whether anyone inside resembles the grainy photo provided to Jocelyn and Simon by the Met Police.

Posted: **Wed May 17, 2023 1:16 am**

"Puns are the worst form of humour," Simon declares.

"Well Jocelyn, perhaps you should head inside and see if you can spy anyone who looks like Hayman. I doubt she knows precisely what we look like, and you'd stand out far less than me."

Posted: **Wed May 17, 2023 5:31 am**

"I'll go in, then," says Jocelyn, "while you wait in the car. Wish me luck." She gets out of the vehicle and heads inside.

Posted: **Thu May 18, 2023 9:17 pm**

The bell tinkles as Jocelyn pushes open the door. Inside there is a long table down the middle of the room, just off centre. There are simple plastic seats in bright primary colours running down both sides of the table and a few more comfy looking padded chairs against another wall. While it is clean and bright there is something a bit tired looking about the nail bar, the colours are a bit faded, cracks and tears are visible in the fabric of the place.

Two women sit the at the long table, on each side, chatting. One is a black woman in her twenties, and opposite her is a white woman in her forties, she matches the photo of Louise Hayman, just about. They don't even look up.

Immediately inside the door is a small reception table and a black woman in her fifties is sitting there. She gets up as Jocelyn walks in, looking a little surprised.

'Hello, can I help you?'

Posted: **Fri May 19, 2023 4:43 am**

"I'd like a manicure, please," says Jocelyn.

Posted: **Sun May 21, 2023 10:18 pm**

The woman looks Jocelyn up and down, seemingly unsure as to whether to take her seriously. Then she shakes her head slightly and looks over to the two women sitting at the table.

'Sure, it's late, but we can probably squeeze you in. What d'you want done?'

-----

Simon looks down at his phone and sees a text message from Kris saying they're following Sarah Balfour.

Posted: **Sun May 21, 2023 11:13 pm**

"Oh, I'm sorry, I don't want to keep anyone if you're about to close," says Jocelyn. "I can come back another day."

Posted: **Mon May 22, 2023 3:43 am**

It surely takes Simon a moment to decipher Kris' text, but when he does he responds.

Noted. Jocelyn is attempting to get eyes on Louise Hayman, one of the individuals listed in Johnny's phone. Please text an update if you require our assistance.

He sends it, looking out the window. Truth be told he felt this was a dead end; Hayman's daughter struck him as a little old to be the sacrifice. At that age she may be starting to question things, and was unlikely to be as convinced so easily to sacrifice herself as a younger child. But he would humour Jocelyn's before directing them towards Quinn and Hayes. She was a law enforcement agent after all, so he'd respect her hunch.

Posted: **Tue May 23, 2023 10:58 pm**

Now she's made the offer the woman doesn't seem to want to take it back. 'Nah, nah, don't worry. As long as it's something simple, Chandice here can help you out.'

She gestures to the younger woman who flashes Jocelyn a smile and gets up from her seat and moves down the table, nearer to the front and pulls out a chair for her to sit in. 'Can I do you a polish?' she asks in a broad London accent with just the slightest hint of Jamaican.

Posted: **Wed May 24, 2023 5:14 am**

"Thank you, that would be good," says Jocelyn as she takes a seat. "Clear polish, please. Something to strengthen my nails and make them look better."

Posted: **Wed May 24, 2023 7:53 pm**

Chandice sets about tidying up Jocelyn's nails, filing a jagged edge here, snipping back a cuticle there. Then she brings out an odd implement that looks a bit like a cross between an electric toothbrush and a rotary tool. She begins to sand down Jocelyn's nails with what she hopes is a nail polisher.

After a few minutes of fairly one-sided conversation so light that Jocelyn can't even remember what was said, Chandice asks her, 'Don't think your're from round here. What brings you to Lewisham?'

Meanwhile, the older woman has started to tidy away some of the polishes and equipment out on the table while the receptionist sits by the window staring into space.

Posted: **Thu May 25, 2023 4:31 am**

Simon grows restless, wondering what is taking so long. Not wanting to stand out, he pulls out his phone and begins playing Candy Crush, looking up every once in awhile to make sure nothing unusual is occurring or Hayman has left.

Posted: **Thu May 25, 2023 4:55 am**

"Oh, I'm just here doing some temporary work," says Jocelyn.

Posted: **Mon Jun 12, 2023 10:14 pm**

'Oh yeah? Whatcha doing?' asks Chandice lightly. She takes out a rack of nail polishes in every colour Jocelyn can imagine and gestures to them, asking which one she'd like applied to her nails.

The other woman is sweeping by the reception desk and the receptionist gets up and waves goodbye to the other two. The other woman lowers the blind to the front window as the receptionist leaves by the front door.

-----

Simon sees the door to the nail bar open and a black woman, aged maybe in her fifties emerges. She looks left and right down the street then starts walking briskly towards the high street. Then the blind inside the front window is lowered and he can't see inside any longer.

Posted: **Mon Jun 12, 2023 10:16 pm**

Simon's phone beeps again. Another message from Kris.

Any of those suspects got a London address? We’re following Sarah B in that direction.

Posted: **Tue Jun 13, 2023 12:22 am**

Posted: **Tue Jun 13, 2023 4:57 am**

"Oh, just boring clerical stuff," says Jocelyn, picking out a clear polish. "Paperwork, mostly, but it pays the bills. I'm sure your job is much more interesting. You must get all sorts of customers in here."

Posted: **Wed Jun 14, 2023 11:24 pm**

Chandice visibly wrinkles her nose at the bland clear polish Jocelyn selects. Looking at the garish and clashing colours on the other woman's nails she can see they don't quite share an aesthetic.

'We get all sorts alright. Rude girls, gangsters...'. Chandice seems to catch someone's eye as she says this and then shuts her mouth. She's looking at the other white woman who's sat in the receptionist chair by the door. She seems to be studying Jocelyn.

Posted: **Thu Jun 15, 2023 2:15 am**

Jocelyn tries to tap into the unspoken communication between the women. "I bet your colleagues are interesting too," she says. "You must have fun conversations in between customers."

Posted: **Thu Jun 15, 2023 3:38 am**

Simon taps out a reply. Not really. One of Johnny's mates is in London, but I don't believe he's connected to this matter; he reported he came around a month or so ago and tried to indirectly ask how to get a gun. The two I suspect are both from families in Wycombe. I'll fill you in when we meet up. Keep me informed.

Posted: **Thu Jun 15, 2023 11:19 pm**

'Uh, yeah, not really...' mutters Chandice. She's looking pretty uncomfortable now and keeps looking past Jocelyn to the other woman. Whatever is going on Chandice's manner has changed and she seems, maybe not frightened but certainly intimidated by her. 'I think we're closing up now...uh...uh, anything else you need before you go?' she asks.

From the reception desk the other woman starts talking. Broad London accent. 'Nah, don't worry Chandice, we've got a bit of time. So why don't you tell us where you're from missus. CID? Vice? You ain't fooling nobody prancing round here in yer Scotland Yard get-up. So spit it out, what d'you want 'ere?'

Posted: **Fri Jun 16, 2023 5:09 am**

"Thank you, you did a good job," says Jocelyn, paying Chandice for the manicure and giving her a generous tip. She rises and heads for the door. "I'm not with the police," she says to Louise, "and I got what I wanted. All I want now is to leave."

Posted: **Mon Jun 19, 2023 11:03 pm**

Chandice grabs the money and backs away towards the far side of the nail bar, putting a table between her and Jocelyn. She mumbles something like thank you.

Louise opens her eyes wide at Jocelyn's reply. She opens her mouth to say something further then closes it again. She watches Jocelyn stride out of the salon, following her with her gaze but not saying anything further or making any move towards her.

As Jocelyn opens the front door and the little bell tinkles, she lets it swing closed behind her and she hears something shouted from inside, something like 'And stay out!'

Posted: **Tue Jun 20, 2023 2:45 am**

Jocelyn returns to the car and gets behind the wheel, where she fills Simon in on what happened in the salon. "I tried to make an excuse to get out of there right away since they were about to close," she says, "once I confirmed Louise was there, but they insisted, and to leave then would have aroused suspicion. Louise was suspicious of me anyway, but she thinks I'm just a copper. At least I got a nice manicure out of it."

Posted: **Tue Jun 20, 2023 7:11 pm**

"Rather a suboptimal series of events," Simon remarks. "Still, did you get the impression she was a fanatic in your brief time with her? At least I'm doubtful she can do all that much; she knew Johnny, and if she's not involved with the church she has no reason to tell Balfour anything. Shall we go and investigate the homes of Isobel Quinn or Jordan Hays?"

"Oh, and Kris texted. He and Bates are following Balfour's wife; she seems to be heading into London. I wish they had left someone to monitor Balfour himself, but we don't have the numbers to keep track of everyone. I told them of our plans here."

Posted: **Wed Jun 21, 2023 3:56 am**

"She seems fanatical to me," says Jocelyn. "Her coworker looked terrified of her. Maybe Sarah is coming here to see Louise. Of course, there's also Steve Brown. He lives in London. Maybe she's coming to get him to do something criminal for her and her husband. I think we should head to his home. We could also drive back and cover Balfour's place, but I think we should stick around the London area until we know what Sarah's doing. We can keep in touch with the others by mobile. If Sarah gets near one of the addresses on her list, we can move to get there first."

Posted: **Wed Jun 21, 2023 4:55 am**

"If the coworker seemed intimidated by her, do you suppose there's any point in trying to isolate her and get something from her? You're a law enforcement officer. If you imply she's involved in some shifty matters perhaps we could get information to take her down. Though I suppose that depends on your rapport with her as well.Your nails do look quite nice." He allows.

"But I honestly do not believe Brown's involved further in this.Or Louise, for that matter. Balfour could never have predicted we'd gain access to his church membership or his daughter's kidnapping, so it stands to reason that the true believers would have no reason to hide their affiliation with him. No, I believe rather firmly that whomever is a conspirator in this will be on that list, especially with Zero behind bars.

"I still think that Quinn and Hays are the most likely potential sacrifices for Balfour,. But they're both in Wycombe-- about an hour away*. If you really wish to check out Brown we can, but if I'm honest I don't believe that will be at all fruitful. I would suggest heading back to watch Balfour, but if he's recruited someone to sacrifice their child tomorrow, chances are he's already spoken to them. That's the kind of thing you'd like to give a bit of a heads up for, I imagine. Kris seemed fairly confident they could keep watch on Sarah, and he promised to text us if he learned anything. I am interested in where she's going. She expects the world to end tomorrow, so doubtful she's running to the store for a bit of milk. But hopefully they can handle that.

"So if I had to vote, I'd suggest checking out the two families and seeing if either of them seem particularity nervous for tomorrow."

He shrugs. "In any case, I have given my feedback. Whatever plan or hunch you have, I will support it."

OOC: * If google is correct.

Posted: **Wed Jun 21, 2023 5:04 am**

"Thank you. Maybe we should wait here a little longer for them to close up," says Jocelyn. "When they go their separate ways, that'll give me the opportunity to talk to Chandice without Louise around."

Posted: **Wed Jun 21, 2023 8:57 pm**

Simon nods. He strongly thinks this is a waste of time, but Jocelyn has some experience so if she has a hunch, perhaps he should trust it. If nothing else, perhaps Kris would discover something and give them something to go on.

Posted: **Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:15 am**

"Or we could follow Louise," says Jocelyn, "as long as she doesn't spot us. Chances are we can learn more by seeing where she goes and what she does after our encounter, plus she's likely up to no good. Sarah may be on her way to meet her."

Posted: **Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:41 am**

"Of our options I think that one is slightly more likely to bare fruit. Perhaps I should drive; she's likely to be on the look out for you."

Posted: **Sat Jun 24, 2023 6:14 am**

"If I'm in the shotgun seat, she can see me all the same," says Jocelyn, "and I promised I'd look after the car. I'm better suited to tail someone, and I'm less likely to crash. I'll stay in the driver's seat, but I'll slide down so I can't be seen. You're in the passenger seat, so you're just waiting for someone to come back. Less suspicious that the car is waiting there. Alert me when she comes outside." She ducks down so that she cannot be seen through the window.

Posted: **Sat Jun 24, 2023 6:44 am**

Simon nods, and goes back to playing Candy Crush. He figures it's a good cover if he's doing something rather than just seeming idle.

Posted: **Sun Jun 25, 2023 9:41 pm**

It only takes a few minutes for Simon to see two women coming out the shop together. They aren't really talking, like they've had an argument. The black woman in her twenties walks towards the main high street, shaking her head and muttering to herself, while the forty-something white woman heads down a side street. Walking purposefully.

Posted: **Sun Jun 25, 2023 10:41 pm**

"Right, that white woman is Louise," says Jocelyn, "and we definitely need to follow her. We can't follow her in the car while she's on foot, or she'll notice us for sure, as we'll be moving too slowly. She's seen me, but not you, so here's what we'll do: you'll take the lead in following her, keeping her in sight but trying not to let her notice you. I'll follow you and keep you in sight while staying out of her line of sight. The important thing is not to lose her. She's on her way to do something."

Posted: **Mon Jun 26, 2023 4:10 am**

"Interesting that they look to be arguing," Simon points out, suddenly feeling intrigued. Perhaps Jocelyn had been on to something after all. (At this, a sense of bitterness fills him, but professional that he is he represses it.) "Perhaps one of us should follow the coworker after all? I'd say you're more likely to get something from her than myself.I can always text you Louise's location if she stops anywhere. Your call," he says.

Regardless of her answer, he opens the car door and prepares to follow Louise.

Posted: **Mon Jun 26, 2023 5:05 am**

"Louise could be dangerous," says Jocelyn. "I think we both need to follow her. I can't follow her by myself, as she's made me, and I wouldn't want you to follow her alone. Whatever Chandice knows about her is unlikely to be incriminating, and if it is, she probably doesn't want to involve the authorities. But if you think you can follow Louise without losing her and without her noticing you, I'll go over Chandice and talk to her, and we can keep in touch on our mobiles."

Posted: **Mon Jun 26, 2023 6:46 pm**

Simon briefly thinks, then shakes his head. "No, you're right, I doubt she'd be willing to talk if she hadn't already. Let's both go after Louise. "

Posted: **Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:41 pm**

Louise is striding down the street at quite a pace. She's not looking behind or otherwise behaving as if she thinks she's being followed. Simon tries to keep a suitable distance, keeping her in view without drawing attention to himself. It's harder than it first appears because he needs to walk quickly to keep up with her and as she turns a sharp right at the end of the road he fears he's lost her and quickens his pace. She's crossed to the other side of the road and he drops back a bit behind a line of cars. The road is pretty long and he has good visibility. A street sign reads Blessington Road. For a second his attention is distracted by a plaque attached to a low wall.

When he looks up, Louise has got further away from him and turned right into a side road past some freestanding garages, between low apartment blocks.

Posted: **Tue Jun 27, 2023 12:37 am**

Simon speeds up, trying to keep sight of his quarry while also seeming uninterested in her.

Posted: **Tue Jun 27, 2023 3:54 am**

Falling back on her training, Jocelyn is able to avoid letting Louise see her by staying out of her line of sight.

Posted: **Wed Jun 28, 2023 9:31 pm**

After turning down the side road, Louise looks back over her shoulder furtively. For a second she makes eye contact with Simon who looks away guiltily. Louise doubles her pace and disappears through a door nestled in amongst the flats to the right hand side of the road. In a kind of rushed walk Simon makes his way to the spot she disappeared. It looks like the entrance to a block of flats. There's a blue sign that says Entrance For Flats 17-24 Only.

Posted: **Thu Jun 29, 2023 3:34 am**

Jocelyn hurries to catch up to Simon.

Posted: **Thu Jun 29, 2023 4:45 am**

Simon curses as he was spotted. It wasn't anything definitive, but for Louise's it was likely enough to spook her. For all he knew she was peering outside now, watching for confirmation that he was following her. Or she could be watching the door, waiting to see if he followed her in.

He needed to ease her alarm. Hands in his coat, he continues to walk past the flats, barely looking at them. He'd walk a bit further up and cross the street, continuing until he was barely able to see the building. Then he'd pull out his phone and mime engaging in a conversation with someone while keeping watch on the flats. If Louise slipped out he'd try and follow her once again; otherwise, he'd circle back around to the door in five or so minutes. He has no idea where Joceyln was or if she had been able to keep track of their quarry, but given her training he assumes she's likely not to be too far behind.

Nerve wracking as this all was, he can't help but feel a little excited. It's almost as though he's in a John le Carré novel! He supposed he had been acting rather like a spy of late.

Posted: **Sat Jul 01, 2023 9:01 pm**

These flats are on Mercator Road. That's not Louise's address, she has a house in Knowles Hill, nor is it any other address they have in their records.

Simon strolls nonchalantly past the flats, employing every drop of tradecraft he's absorbed from Kris and Jocelyn over the last few days. He loiters at the end of the road, looking at his phone and then miming a conversation. He sees Jocelyn hurrying down the road towards him.

There's no sign of Louise coming out of the flats again.

Posted: **Sat Jul 01, 2023 10:18 pm**

Jocelyn takes a good look around, being sure to stay out of view of the windows.

Posted: **Sun Jul 02, 2023 5:21 am**

Posted: **Sun Jul 02, 2023 10:28 pm**

While Simon doesn't notice anything, Jocelyn thinks she sees a curtain moving on the second floor. She's not certain it's Louise, if anything she'd say it was a man, a black man. If she had to estimate which flat it was she'd say number 21.

Posted: **Sun Jul 02, 2023 11:27 pm**

Not wanting to risk being seen, especially not with Simon, Jocelyn gives his mobile a call while staying out of sight. "There's what looks to be a black man in, I think, flat 21 looking out the window," she says. "He's probably trying to see us, and I'm guessing Louise is with him, so get out of view. I'm going to call Kris next and see if he can find out who lives there and any background info the police have." When she finishes talking to Simon, she rings Kris's mobile.

Posted: **Mon Jul 03, 2023 7:18 am**

"Understood, give me a ring if needed."

Simon ducks behind a car and waits, not wanting to risk looking back towards the flats and being spotted.

Posted: **Wed Jul 05, 2023 6:03 pm**

Jocelyn calls Kris. The phone rings, and rings...

Posted: **Thu Jul 06, 2023 2:44 am**

Posted: **Thu Jul 06, 2023 10:34 pm**

Eventually Kris answers the call, 'Jocelyn. How are you getting on?'

Posted: **Sun Jul 09, 2023 11:20 pm**

"Good grief," says Jocelyn in response to Kris. "Why was Lucy even driving? She'd clearly been drinking. It seems both Balfours have problems controlling their temper. Are you both okay? And the car? We only need what we asked you for for now, but we'll let you know if we need anything more."

After Kris ends the call, Jocelyn calls Simon back and fills him in on what happened. "Scratch another car. Kris let Lucy drive it, and she crashed it into Sarah Balfour's car instead of discreetly following her. Sarah tried to attack him, but Kris subdued her. He's running an inquiry on the occupant or occupants of that flat."

Posted: **Mon Jul 10, 2023 4:37 am**

"Christ," Simon mutters from against the car.. "I do fear for Detective Sapru's career after this, he and Bates are on thin ice as it is. Still, bringing down a murderous cult/terrorist ring might be enough to get these type of things overlooked once the truth comes out... though I would hope this sort of thing would be minimized in the future reports.

"Come to think of it, this may not be the worst thing for us. Hopefully Sarah's injuries or her attempted assault on an officer will keep her in custody for a few days. Would reverend Balfour be willing to pull the trigger on his plan if neither his wife or child are with him? In the bible the believers needed some sort of sign to convince God's wraith to pass them by. I don't know if it's the same here, or if Balfour thinks faith alone will shield his flock. But if it's the former, keeping his wife away from him may give us another way to prevent whatever he's planning. It's not something we can afford to rely on however, given he seemed willing to go through with things even without his daughter, and I can't imagine he'd do something he thought would kill her. Permanently, that is."

Posted: **Mon Jul 10, 2023 5:09 am**

"If they can hold her," says Jocelyn. "Ramming her car prior to the assault may get the whole thing thrown out. And I wouldn't be surprised if Kris gets suspended right alongside Lucy for getting her involved, not to mention wrecking another car. I'm also not so sure the truth will come out. In my line of work, if we do our jobs right, nobody ever hears about it. You've probably heard a lot about the 7/7 attacks in the media, but not much about the attempted 7/21 attacks that followed up on them two weeks later. Those attacks did not result in casualties, and I'm not allowed to tell you why."

Posted: **Mon Jul 10, 2023 5:18 am**

Simon sighs. "May just be you and me, then. Regrettable, but hopefully Kris has the sense to avoid implicating either of us if it comes to that. I'll get off now, give me a ring if he gets back to you or you need anything, I cannot see much from here."

Posted: **Tue Jul 11, 2023 4:46 am**

"Maybe we should bring the car over here," says Jocelyn. "If we do, I should be the one to drive it. We need to keep an eye on the place, but if someone leaves the place we may need to follow them."

Posted: **Tue Jul 11, 2023 8:01 am**

"You want me to go and get the car?" Simon asks. "I can park it down the street.."

Posted: **Wed Jul 12, 2023 2:43 am**

"It's better if I'm the one driving it," says Jocelyn, "but I don't want to leave you on your own out here when I go get it, either. I don't think we need it just yet, anyway. Maybe we should wait until we hear back from Kris and keep the flats under observation in the meantime. Since we've both been seen, I think the best move is for Kris and Lucy to come here and relieve us once they've put Sarah Balfour somewhere while we go back and stake out her husband's place. We've both been seen by the occupants of the flat, so having a new pair conducting surveillance will be a better bet."

Posted: **Wed Jul 12, 2023 3:51 am**

"Sounds acceptable," Simon reasons."I don't like Balfour being left alone anyway. With what just happened to his wife, I think he's going to do something and someone should have eyes on him."

Posted: **Sat Jul 22, 2023 5:32 pm**

Simon and Jocelyn loiter down the end of the street, waiting to hear back from Kris. They can just about still keep a look on the flat without being seen themselves.

After a few minutes of standing around a couple of young men stroll past them, laughing and joking. There's a whiff of cannabis in the air as they pass. They show any sign of having taken any particular interest in Simon and Jocelyn. But they stop at the end of the road, leaning against a low wall, chatting and smoking. They're probably no older than seventeen. One of them is tall and skinny, the other a bit more heavy set, not fat though. They both look like they could be black or mixed race. Neither looks back down the road but they don't move away either.

After fifteen minutes they're still there. Showing no signs of moving on.

Posted: **Sat Jul 22, 2023 6:35 pm**

"Looks like the occupant of the flat called a couple of his mates," Jocelyn tells Simon. "We don't dare leave one of us alone here now."

Posted: **Sat Jul 22, 2023 7:02 pm**

"So what do you suggest we do?" Simon whispers quietly on his phone call, still miming expressively. "Can you arrest them for their ah, toking usage? Though that will surely attract attention."

Posted: **Sat Jul 22, 2023 7:21 pm**

"I don't have any arrest powers here," says Jocelyn. "Kris does, so maybe he can do it once he gets here. We should just keep an eye on things while we wait for him to call us back."

Posted: **Sat Jul 29, 2023 9:47 pm**

One of the lads, the skinny one, starts walking away from them, up the Marischal Road. The other one stands about for a minute smoking whatever it is, then looks around and starts walking back down the street towards Simon and Jocelyn, seemingly uninterested in them, or, at least, not looking directly at them.

Posted: **Sat Jul 29, 2023 10:33 pm**

Jocelyn moves aside as if to let him pass, motioning for Simon to go with her. She feigns disinterest in the young man, but she's on high alert. Her hand is on her mace. It isn't showing, but she's ready to act if he tries anything.

Posted: **Sat Jul 29, 2023 11:29 pm**

Still on the phone, Simon's not sure he wants to leave as soon as the shifty teen passes, given how suspicions that may look.He continues his nonexistent conversation but casts a quick glance at the gentleman to try and gauge if he's more interested in them both than he lets on. Like his partner, he's worried the lad is going to try something.

Posted: **Tue Aug 01, 2023 5:44 pm**

The young man looks Jocelyn up and down and gives her a brief smile as he walks by. He doesn't even look at Simon as he strolls on past. Then continues down the road.

Posted: **Tue Aug 01, 2023 6:58 pm**

Simon waits for the man to get further down the road before saying into the phone, "It's fine. Nothing to worry about, I doubt it's even related to what I'm doing." Looking at Jocelyn as he says the words, he's confident she'll get the message.

Posted: **Wed Aug 02, 2023 4:22 am**

Jocelyn keeps a discreet eye on the man, seeing which way he is going.

Posted: **Mon Aug 07, 2023 9:44 pm**

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2023 4:38 am**

Jocelyn gives Kris a call to update him on the situation and find out what's happening on his end.

Posted: **Tue Aug 08, 2023 9:22 am**

Posted: **Sat Aug 12, 2023 8:42 pm**

"They're on their way," Jocelyn tells Simon when she's done with the call. "Sarah Balfour is being taken to hospital, so that should keep her out of play for a little while. The chap in the flat is most likely Henry Samuals, former gang member of the 318 Crew. He has priors for drugs, robbery, and assault, and he was in prison for being part of the murder of a rival gang member. He got out three years ago. And get this: one of his fellow gang members was Anton Harmon, now deceased. Louise Harmon is his sister. Her daugher Chantelle Harmon is nine years old, and I think they may be planning to use her in the sacrifice instead of Regina. The gang no longer operates, but Kris has contact info for his probation officer."

Posted: **Mon Aug 14, 2023 3:49 am**

Simon ponders the new information.

"We've established Louise still has connections to her brother's old crew. But I'm still not convinced Louise herself is involved with Balfour's church; she wasn't on the members list. I still believe her connection to this mess is more likely to have come from Johnny Zero. Zero pokes around and upends her life, then you come around which sets her off and she goes running here for protection. However, we can't discount her daughter, or her being radicalized by Zero." He bites his lip, then taps his phone, looking Louise Harmon up to see what kind of digital footprint she had. Specifically if she mentioned religion at all.

Posted: **Mon Aug 14, 2023 4:06 am**

"Kris just told me Louise is a member of the church," says Jocelyn. "Her daughter is on the list too."

Posted: **Mon Aug 14, 2023 8:32 am**

Simon looks up at this, surprised. He takes it, then nods, grave.

"Then I believe we have our prime suspect. Can we find out where Chantelle is?" He's unsure exactly what they could do with that information, though his darker thoughts whisper some ideas to him. Still, he'd probably not act on them.

Posted: **Tue Aug 15, 2023 3:54 am**

"She'd probably be home from school by now," says Jocelyn. "We have her home phone number from the list. We could try calling without identifying ourselves. If she picks up, we can always ask for Louise, who we know isn't there, and then say we'll call back later when she says so."

Posted: **Tue Aug 15, 2023 4:32 am**

"I'm not sure what that does for us," Simon says. "This Samuals chap is on probation? I don't suppose we can cook up something that gets him arrested, preferably along with Louise. No, unlikely. I'm starting to see why they felt compelled to grab Regina," he admits.

Posted: **Wed Aug 16, 2023 3:11 am**

"We'd need some evidence," says Jocelyn. "Being in contact with former criminal associates would be a violation of probation and might get him put away, but what we really need is evidence against Louise, to keep her from offering up her daughter. Although getting her hired goons arrested would leave her vulnerable."

Posted: **Wed Aug 16, 2023 3:22 am**

"I confess this is a bit out of my area of expertise," Simon reluctantly admits."But this has not been a total wash. We've strong reason to suspect that Louise's daughter is the planned sacrifice," he summarizes, as though he reached that conclusion himself. "This offers us an opportunity, albeit it a risky one. If we can find a way to damage her vehicle tonight after she gets home, she won't be able to make it to Balfour's little get together tomorrow. One hopes, at any rate. I suggest waiting until late tonight and trying to puncture her tires. Not precisely legal, mind, but depending on her neighborhood it may be fairly low risk.

"The alternative would be to file a report tomorrow that keeps her tied up for a few hours, but that's far less likely to succeed."

Posted: **Wed Aug 16, 2023 4:08 am**

"She could just get a ride from one of her criminal friends, or from someone else from the church," says Jocelyn. "Or a taxi, for that matter. She won't care if the cabbie remembers her. She thinks the world ends tomorrow night. Although, the surest way to damage her car would be for one of us to drive it."

Posted: **Wed Aug 16, 2023 4:24 am**

"Yes, well..." Simon clears his throat. "You're better versed in all this. Do you have any ideas what we can do with this information?

Posted: **Wed Aug 16, 2023 5:18 am**

"Kris said he could call Samuals's probation officer," says Jocelyn. "That's a good way to get more information about him and his associates. He can pass the description of the two blokes we saw outside and see if the P.O. knows who they are as well. I don't want him to make the call while he's driving, but once he gets here he can do that. As a constable, he'd be the best one to make that call. He and Lucy can also keep Louise under surveillance while we go cover Balfour."

Posted: **Wed Aug 16, 2023 5:30 pm**

Posted: **Thu Aug 17, 2023 3:44 am**

Seeing that Louise has been confirmed as a church member, Simon decides not to bother looking her up.

"Our best move at the moment is likely watching Balfour. His wife's accident will likely put him off his game, and I'd like to have eyes on him when he learns of it."

Posted: **Thu Aug 17, 2023 3:55 am**

"Agreed," says Jocelyn. "Now that those men are gone, I could go retrieve the car and bring it back here. I can park it somewhere it can't be seen from the window, and we can wait inside it. That way, when Kris relieves us, we can get moving quickly."

Posted: **Sun Aug 27, 2023 11:34 pm**

It's dark by the time Kris and Lucy arrive, parking up someway down the street from Jocelyn and Simon who are sitting in Prisha's big shiny Range Rover, looking a bit out of place in this part of Lewisham. At least one young guy has banged on the window looking to be sold some drugs. Jocelyn and Simon are parked so that they can just about see the flats but they're not easily visible themselves due to the angle of the window.

The lights are on in Flat 21 and the curtains are drawn. No one has left the entrance to Flats 17-24 but they've seen the curtains twitching a good few times and seen the face of that same man on at least one occasion. No sign of Louise though. A couple of cars have pulled up into the parking spaces along the road and one guy has gone into the entrance about 30mins ago, fairly nondescript, black man, in his fifties or sixties with a greying beard and cropped head, dressed in blue overalls or something similar and carrying a canvas tool bag. He was driving a white Peugeot Partner van, 2008 plate, markings say A1 Plumbing and Heating.

-----

As they roll in slowly to the service road behind the Mercator Road flats, Lucy points out that one end has been blocked off by the council. 'Only one way in or out. That's not ideal.' Once they're parked and he's killed the lights, Kris makes contact with Jocelyn and confirms they're parked a few hundred yards away from them. Out of sight of the flat so as to avoid arousing too much suspicion. 'So how'd you want to play this Constable?' asks Lucy with a sort of half ironic, half concerned smile.

Posted: **Sun Aug 27, 2023 11:53 pm**

”With a SWAT team, Lucy!” replied Kris. He called Jocelyn. ”Have we any local info, other than from the probation officer? I really don’t like the idea of going in there without back-up.”

Posted: **Mon Aug 28, 2023 12:40 am**

"Only what I've observed while I was here," says Jocelyn, filling him in on the details. "The probation officer may know more about the neighborhood. We can back you up while we're here before we head off to surveil Balfour, if we're going to take these pieces off the table and not just keep an eye on them."

Posted: **Mon Aug 28, 2023 3:19 am**

Simon looks briefly concerned at the thought of staying here. "I do think unless we have exceedingly good reason we should head towards Balfour's as soon as we can," he tells Jocelyn. "He sent his wife out for some reason, and I'm guessing it has something to do with what they're planning for tomorrow. If she was unable to do whatever it was, he may find his and forced-- and we may be provided our chance to catch him in the midst of something incriminating."

Posted: **Mon Aug 28, 2023 8:20 am**

“My concern is the guy who went into the flat with the tool bag. Could be legit, but equally, could be tooled up in a whole different way,” replied Kris. “I’ll get control to run his plates and see what we find.”

He looked up at the flat. “I wonder if he shares Balfour’s philosophy, like his daughter? If he doesn’t and realises his granddaughter’s going to be killed, then he might act differently.”

Posted: **Tue Aug 29, 2023 4:49 am**

"I'm also suspicious of the large bag's contents," says Jocelyn. "We're not exactly armed for bear, so we'd need a small army if we're going to raid the place. Maybe we could flush them out. If the fire alarm were to go off suddenly, for some reason, would they come outside? I'm wary of endangering any firefighters who showed up to investigate the alarm, though. Before we take any action, I think you should talk to the probation officer."

Posted: **Tue Aug 29, 2023 7:51 pm**

Running the plates confirms they are for a 2008 white Peugeot Partner van which is recorded as being owned by A1 Plumbing and Heating since it was first registered as new. Because it is a company vehicle the driver isn't listed.

Posted: **Tue Aug 29, 2023 11:37 pm**

”Control, do you have any information on the directives of the firm? Do they have any previous, or any known associates?” asked Kris.

Posted: **Wed Aug 30, 2023 11:33 pm**

A1 Plumbing and Heating were incorporated in 2001. Their registered address is in Peckham, a few miles from here. Their tax returns are up to date. There is a company director listed as David Packhurst and a company secretary listed as Deborah Addams. There's nothing on the PNC of any interest related to the company or the two staff members listed.

Posted: **Wed Aug 30, 2023 11:41 pm**

Kris thanked the Control operator and said, ”The company seems legit. Shall we try and find out more about Mr Toolbag or go and knock on the door?”

Posted: **Thu Aug 31, 2023 3:26 am**

"What reason do we have for going up to see them?" Simon asks. "No doubt that will really trigger their paranoia. Unless you call the probation officer and can cook up a justification to check on Samuals." .

Posted: **Thu Aug 31, 2023 5:36 am**

"Unless we're actually going to make arrests, we shouldn't let them see us," says Jocelyn. "The company will know who its employees are, and they'll be able to tell us who was driving that van. Then we can look up his record."

Posted: **Sat Sep 02, 2023 12:19 am**

Kris looked up A1 Plumbing & Heating on his phone, finding their emergency phone number on their website. Dialling the number, he waited for the call to connect, before saying, ”This is Detective Constable Kris Sapru from Thames Valley CID. We’re on a shout and one of your operatives may be in the building. Have you got someone working at the flats on Mercator Road, Lewisham? We’ve got one of your vans outside…” He read out the van number plate. ”Who’s working there, please?”

Posted: **Sun Sep 03, 2023 10:45 pm**

Posted: **Mon Sep 04, 2023 12:07 am**

Posted: **Mon Sep 04, 2023 10:42 pm**

The phone rings for a minute or so then it's answered by a cheery man with a London accent who introduces himself as Will, the emergency plumber. He gives a little laugh down the line, 'No one's working there that's Kingsley's van, Kingsley Green, he lives in a flat on Mercator Road...' then his tone of voice changes, 'Shit, is Kingsley alright?'

Posted: **Mon Sep 04, 2023 11:13 pm**

”If he lives there, he’s fine,” replied Kris. ”One of my team thought he might have gone into a different flat, that’s all.”

”I don’t suppose you’ve got a number for Kingsley, have you?”

Posted: **Mon Sep 04, 2023 11:31 pm**

Will doesn't seem particularly security conscious and gives Kris the number for Kingsley without any hesitation.

Posted: **Mon Sep 04, 2023 11:36 pm**

”Thanks, Will,” said Kris, injecting a friendly tone into voice. “I’ll give him a call and check he’s ok.”

Kris rang off and punched in the number for Kingsley Green, waiting impatiently for him to pick up.

Posted: **Wed Sep 06, 2023 9:42 pm**

Kris lets the phone ring for a minute but it eventually rings out. There's no voicemail option. Then he tries again and after a minute or so it's answered by a grumpy sounding man with a deep voice. 'What?'

Posted: **Wed Sep 06, 2023 11:51 pm**

”That you, Kingsley?” asked Kris, who’d decided to play it clever. “You at home?”

Posted: **Sat Sep 09, 2023 4:50 pm**

'Uh, yeah I am,' comes the confused reply, 'Who's this?'

Posted: **Sun Sep 10, 2023 10:07 am**

”Kingsley, this is Detective Constable Kris Sapru from Thames Valley CID,” said Kris firmly. “There’s an incident in your block. You’re not at risk, but we do need your help. Do you know of a Henry Samuals?”

Posted: **Sun Sep 10, 2023 2:34 pm**

'What, uh, okay, shit. I know Henry in 21, not sure what his surname is though. He was asking when I came in if I saw any police...' His voice rises an octave, 'Oh shit man. I don't need this kind of trouble. Keep me out of it okay?'

Posted: **Sun Sep 10, 2023 11:21 pm**

”Calm down, Kingsley,” said Kris. “If you stay calm and don’t make a fuss, you’ll be perfectly safe. Now what can you tell me about Henry? Was he on his own or did he have anyone with him? What was he doing when he spoke to you?”

Posted: **Tue Sep 12, 2023 10:37 pm**

'Oh no, uh, yeah, right. Uh, he came out of his flat, asked me if I saw any pigs...um, I saw any police hanging around outside, I said I didn't, and he went back in. He didn't have anyone with him...uh, but, uh, maybe I heard a woman's voice from inside his flat, I'm not sure, maybe...'

While Kris is on the phone everyone can see the curtains twitching at one of the windows, not number 21, another one. But it's hard to see who is looking out from this angle.

Posted: **Tue Sep 12, 2023 11:08 pm**

”Please think carefully,” said Kris calmly, trying to get Kingsley to relax.

“Did you recognise the woman’s accent? Are you sure you didn’t hear any other voices?” he asked.

Posted: **Wed Sep 13, 2023 5:28 am**

"Someone's looking out one of the other flats' windows," says Jocelyn, mentally trying to calculate which flat it is as she ducks down to stay out of sight. "See if Mr. Kingsley knows who lives in that flat."

Posted: **Wed Sep 13, 2023 3:37 pm**

”Oh, and Kingsley, is that you looking out of the window?” asked Kris and he described the window in relation to the floor level and main entrance to the block.

Posted: **Fri Sep 15, 2023 11:10 pm**

'Uh me?'' he asks, before continuing sheepishly, 'Yeah, it's me. I just wanted to see if you were outside. I guess you are.' He takes a deep breath and lets it out in a sigh. He sounds a bit more together when he continues but he's still stood at the window looking out into the street.

'The woman right. I didn't hear too much. Sounded like a Londoner. I dunno, Henry's got this girlfriend. Might've been her. I couldn't tell, didn't see her.'

Posted: **Wed Sep 20, 2023 9:21 pm**

While Kris is on the phone with Kingsley he hears a knocking. Looking around he realises it isn't coming from near him but he's hearing it down the phone.

'Shit, shit. Someone's at the door. What do I do?' He drops his voice to a whisper, 'What do I do?'

While this is going on, Jocelyn sees the curtains of number 21 moving and there seems to be a woman looking out. It's too far away to say whether it is Louise.

Posted: **Wed Sep 20, 2023 11:37 pm**

”Kingsley, pretend everything’s normal, but keep the call going and go and answer the door. I’ll keep listening as you do it,” Kris instructed the clearly agitated plumber. ”I’m gonna try to get in without getting seen so I’ll be around if you need me,” he continued, scanning the area in front of the flats, wondering if he could get to an entrance door without being seen.

Posted: **Thu Sep 21, 2023 5:11 am**

Jocelyn makes sure she stays out of sight. "There's a woman looking out of the window of 21," she tells the others. "Probably Louise, but I couldn't say for sure."

Posted: **Thu Sep 21, 2023 6:06 am**

"Rather paranoid. Seems you may have put the fear in her," Simon remarks. "The question is whether she's afraid merely because she's an acolyte of Balfour or because she's on some sort of special mission for him. I am increasingly thinking the latter."

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 4:33 am**

"She certainly is paranoid," says Jocelyn. "Of course, she has reason to be. I think you're right, Simon. She sees enemies around every corner because she's up to no good. The wicked flee when no man pursueth."

Posted: **Sun Sep 24, 2023 12:14 am**

Kris takes a look at the apartments. The ground floors are sunk below the level of the road, like basement flats. It means it'd be pretty easy for him to get down to the front of one of the adjacent apartments but then he'd have to climb over a wall and through some bushes to get out the front of the flats where the entrance is to flats 17-24. If he went this way there is no direct sight line from flat 21.

On the end of the phone Kris hears Kingsley whisper, 'I'm opening the door now...' There's the clunk of a lock and then the creak of a door opening. 'Hi Henry, you alright?' Kingsley's voice sounds unnatural and nervous.

'Alright Kingsley. Yeah, not too bad. D'you mind if I take a look out your window? Louise all shook. Thinks someone followin' her. Might be the feds, not sure.'

Posted: **Sun Sep 24, 2023 11:18 pm**

Kris wanted to text Jocelyn and Simon his whereabouts but he hadn’t got around to turning off the key tones on his phone and he didn’t want the beeps to alert Henry to Kingsley’s phone. Shoving his own phone in his jacket pocket where he could still hear it, he set out to tackle the wall that was currently preventing his access to the front of the flats as quietly as possible…

Posted: **Mon Sep 25, 2023 11:13 pm**

In a move that Kris thinks was impressively reminiscent of parkour, he vaults out of the sunken area and over some bushes, landing almost silently beside the entrance to the apartments.

-----

Putting the phone back against his ear he hears '...uh, yeah, can I get you a drink or something Henry?' There's a gruff laugh, 'Nah, I'm alright Kingsley, got Louise waiting. I'll just take a look outside and then get out ya hair.'

Posted: **Mon Sep 25, 2023 11:25 pm**

Unsure whether Henry was just planning to look outside or whether he actually planned to venture out, Kris flattened himself against the wall until he knew what he intended to do…

Posted: **Tue Sep 26, 2023 12:56 am**

Jocelyn continues to stay out of sight.

Posted: **Wed Sep 27, 2023 10:48 pm**

Jocelyn and Simon see someone looking out the window of the apartment on the other side of the stairwell from flat 21. They can't make out much, except that it seems to be a man silhouetted against the light of the room. Could be the same person they saw looking out earlier, might not be, hard to say at this distance.

-----

'Nuthin' out there. I think she's gettin' a bit paranoid in her old age. Well, see ya later Kingsley. Let me know if you see the filth sniffing around...' There's a few seconds of silence, then, 'No offence Kingsley but you look a bit on edge mate. Get some sleep will ya...' And there's the sound of a door slamming.

Posted: **Wed Sep 27, 2023 11:47 pm**

Kris waited, for Kingsley to speak or for anyone to make an appearance. After a few moments, he carried on towards the door.

Posted: **Thu Sep 28, 2023 7:49 pm**

"I do hope Kris knows what he's doing." Simon voices his slight anxiety. "These men don't seem the type to mess around with. "

"I suppose it's too late to pursue Balfour now," he sighs. "He's likely already heard of his wife's condition and headed off to see her. "Well, nothing to do but hope we find something here that justifies all of this."

Posted: **Fri Sep 29, 2023 4:25 am**

"I'm sure he does," says Jocelyn. "He'll call on us if he needs us to back him up. It's not too late to pick up surveillance on Balfour. He's not going to make his big move until tomorrow night. However, we need to take care of this problem first while we're here."

Posted: **Sun Oct 01, 2023 9:16 pm**

With the sound of the door slamming there is silence down the phone for a few minutes, perhaps the sound of someone breathing quite rapidly. Then Kingsley whispers, '...um, he's gone. Can I just hang up now?'

Kris is standing outside the entrance door to the apartments. Simon and Jocelyn can see him peering inside the stairwell which is lit brightly in the night.

Posted: **Mon Oct 02, 2023 12:20 am**

”We’re not finished just yet, Kingsley,” said Kris, quietly but firmly. ”Can you let me in the front door without making a noise and alerting Henry? I need to get in without tipping him off that I’m inside.”

Posted: **Thu Oct 12, 2023 10:16 pm**

There is a few seconds of silence, then the phone goes quiet, the call ended. KrIs looks up at the window, the anger starting to rise, that Kingsley...

Then the door clicks. And he pulls it open. Entering the hallway. There's a some gunmetal post boxes with a couple of cardboard boxes on top, a pile of assorted flyers, and a grimy looking plastic chair next to a black and chrome payphone mounted on the wall, the end of the receiver just bare wires not connecting to anything.

The carpet is thin and bare in places, to the left and right are narrow steps leading up to plain wooden fire doors painted blue, and numbered 17 and 18. At the back of the hall is another narrow staircase leading upstairs.

Posted: **Thu Oct 12, 2023 11:14 pm**

Keeping an eye on the stairs, Kris pulled out his phone and quickly turned the volume down. He texted Jocelyn.

Am inside. What can you see out there?

Posted: **Fri Oct 13, 2023 3:15 am**

Jocelyn texts back: "Looked like a man looking out the window of Flat 21. Can't tell if it's the same one. Room is lit." She looks around to see if she can determine anything else without being seen.

Posted: **Fri Oct 13, 2023 9:49 pm**

Posted: **Sat Oct 14, 2023 3:21 am**

Jocelyn catches a glimpse of something interesting.

Posted: **Sun Oct 15, 2023 1:13 pm**

Whoever is in Flat 21 has pulled opened the curtains to look outside into the street. They can't easily see Jocelyn or Simon from where they're standing, and Kris is inside so completely out of view. But the lights are on in the flat and the figure is silhouetted, standing out in the glaring light. It's a big, powerfully built man. Black. Late 40s or early 50s. He's peering out into the street seemingly looking for something. After a couple of minutes someone comes up behind him and pulls him back inside the flat by his arm, closing the curtains as he goes. It's a white woman. Early 40s. Looks at lot like Louise Hayman. She looks scared.

Posted: **Mon Oct 16, 2023 1:48 am**

Jocelyn sends another text: "He looked out the window again. Black male, about fifty years old. Big and strong. The lights are on. Then a white woman in her early forties, looks like Louise. She looks scared. Neither of them saw us."

Posted: **Sun Oct 22, 2023 3:52 pm**

In the foyer of the apartment block, Kris hears the sound of a door unlocking. It seems to be coming from number 18.

Posted: **Sun Oct 22, 2023 11:56 pm**

Kris looked around quickly. Was there anywhere he could hide if the person came down the stairs? As he did so, his fingers quickly tapped out a message to Jocelyn. ’Sounds like 18 coming out. Might need back-up!’

Posted: **Mon Oct 23, 2023 4:29 am**

Jocelyn shows Simon the text, and texts back "On my way as soon as it's clear." She watches the window to determine when nobody is looking at the moment so that she can slip across to the building without being spotted.

Posted: **Mon Oct 23, 2023 5:28 am**

"I don't have a weapon," Simon protests. But he will follow on Jocelyn's word, curiosity driving him if nothing else.

Posted: **Mon Oct 23, 2023 6:07 am**

"Nor I," says Jocelyn, "but I am good at unarmed combat - and not being seen. You're more likely to be spotted, and they've seen you before, so I think it best if you stay here."

Posted: **Mon Oct 23, 2023 7:56 am**

Simon has the good grace to look offended, cowardliness warring with self importance.

"Fine," he says. "I'll keep an eye out and text you if I spy anyone trying to flee. Be careful." It's as much concern as a man like him can show.

Posted: **Mon Oct 23, 2023 10:57 pm**

There's no movement in the window of 21 so Jocelyn silently sprints across the path and up to the door to the flats. She can see Kris inside with a panicked look on his face, glancing around him like he's looking for something.

The outside door is closed and doesn't open when Jocelyn pulls on it.

Posted: **Tue Oct 24, 2023 12:25 am**

Posted: **Tue Oct 24, 2023 2:50 am**

"I'm right outside, but the door won't open," Jocelyn texts Kris. "Can you let me in?"

Posted: **Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:19 pm**

Just as Kris thought he might have been able to find somewhere to hide, he saw Jocelyn appear at the door. He glanced up the stairs to check where Henry was before quickly nipping over to the door to let her in.

Posted: **Thu Oct 26, 2023 4:43 am**

Jocelyn slips inside, nods, and looks around.

Posted: **Thu Oct 26, 2023 7:05 am**

”I heard his door,” Kris whispered. ”We can wait if he comes downstairs or head up there and tackle him head on.”

Posted: **Thu Oct 26, 2023 9:30 pm**

The door to number 18 opens and an elderly white man steps out. After opening the front door to Jocelyn, Kris spies a gap beside the steps and backs into it, concealing himself from the old man who begins to amble down the short, narrow staircase from his apartment.

Jocelyn is stood just inside the door to the foyer. Ahead and to the right and left are small staircases leading up to the doors of flats 17 and 18. The old man is bumbling down the steps on the right, adjusting his glasses and pulling up his trousers. Kris is wedged in the gap between the stairs and the wall on the right. Towards the rear of the foyer, past the two small staircases is a larger stairwell that leads upstairs.

Immediately in front of Jocelyn there is a row of post boxes to her left with piles of cardboard boxes on top. This area on the left is slightly separated from the main foyer leading to the staircases. On the small dividing wall is a broken payphone and next to that a plastic chair.

Posted: **Fri Oct 27, 2023 3:45 am**

Jocelyn ducks into the gap between the other small staircase and the wall, figuring the old man won't be able to see her there.

Posted: **Fri Oct 27, 2023 6:46 pm**

Ducking in between the dividing wall and the leftmost staircase, Jocelyn flattens herself in and hopes the old man doesn't notice her. He takes his glasses off again and rubs them on his grubby shirt. Strolling past Jocelyn without reacting. He unhurriedly approaches the post boxes and then starts rummaging in his pockets, eventually finding a key and unlocking the box marked '18.' He looks inside, there's no post, and then he shuts it and struggles to lock it up again. He pockets the key and slowly makes his way back up to his apartment humming something tunelessly, seemingly oblivious to the two people crammed up against the stairs.

Posted: **Sat Oct 28, 2023 2:47 am**

Jocelyn breathes a silent sigh of relief and waits for the man to go back inside and close the door before emerging.

Posted: **Sat Oct 28, 2023 5:05 pm**

After taking an inordinate amount of time searching his pockets again, eventually the old man unlocks his door and steps inside, closing the door behind him. Kris and Jocelyn are left squeezed into their hiding places. The sound of their own heartbeats pulsing in their ears.

Posted: **Sat Oct 28, 2023 9:50 pm**

Jocelyn can't hear anything over her pounding heart.

Posted: **Sat Oct 28, 2023 10:39 pm**

Kris cocked his head and listened. The place was absolutely silent.

He looked to Jocelyn and frowned. He stepped over to her and said quietly. ”I can’t hear anything. No TV, no talking,” he said. “I don’t like it…”

Posted: **Sat Oct 28, 2023 11:03 pm**

Jocelyn nods. "Let's check out our quarry's post box," she whispers.

Posted: **Sat Oct 28, 2023 11:56 pm**

Simon continues to fidget in the vehicle. Something approaching guilt enters him as he realizes all that he, Jocelyn, and Kris had been though. And now he left them to fend for themselves. He owed it to them to help.

With shaky legs he leaves the car and starts towards the building himself. He shoots Jocelyn a text to let her know he is coming.

Posted: **Sun Oct 29, 2023 12:10 am**

"Don't take any chances," Jocelyn texts back. "If there's any chance you might be seen, stay back."

Posted: **Sun Oct 29, 2023 9:39 am**

Kris examined the communal post boxes…

Posted: **Tue Oct 31, 2023 10:11 pm**

Simon arrives at the door to the flats without any sign he's been spotted. He looks in the glass and Kris lets him in. The three of them examine the post boxes. There's eight of them, numbered 17 to 24. Each seems to be locked by a key. The old man opened number 18. They know Samuels and Hayman are in 21 and from the windows they think Kingsley is probably in 22. The box for number 19 is absolutely stuffed with letters, they're poking out the opening, as if the owner hasn't been around to collect it for a while.

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 12:40 am**

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 3:45 am**

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 4:58 am**

"Let me try," whispers Jocelyn, taking out a hairpin from her hair. "I always make sure I have one, though I haven't had any training on this." She fiddles with it, then holds out the pin. "No luck. Either of you want to give it a go?"

Posted: **Wed Nov 01, 2023 6:08 am**

"I suppose I can give it a try." Simon attempts to pick whichever unit the others think is their best lead. "It's tough... think I've almost got it, but not quite I'm afraid."

Posted: **Fri Nov 03, 2023 12:03 am**

Jocelyn and Simon both struggle with the lock to box number 21, but it remains stubbornly locked shut.

Posted: **Fri Nov 03, 2023 1:26 am**

Casting a quick glance at the stairs to make sure they weren’t being disturbed, Kris took the hair pin from Simon and eased it into the lock. He’d seen enough of these to know that the locks weren’t exactly sturdy, nor well-designed, but that didn’t automatically mean that he knew how to open one!

He tried to feel inside the lock, trying to lever the pins up to allow the barrel to turn…

Posted: **Fri Nov 03, 2023 4:10 am**

"Right," whispers Jocelyn, taking the pin back and returning it to its place in her hair. "We might be able to force it open with a long, thin strip of metal if we had one...and if we were stronger. But it would be obvious it had been broken open, and those two are plenty paranoid already. Maybe we should pay Mr. Kingsley a visit and talk to him about those two. He might have more information."

Posted: **Fri Nov 03, 2023 2:09 pm**

Kris went looking under the stairs to see if there was anything that might be of use. Despite the signs telling residents not to store items under there, they were commonly used as dumping grounds in his experience…

Posted: **Fri Nov 03, 2023 7:42 pm**

"I'm at something of a loss," Simon admits. "We don't really have anything on these two, so just storming into their apartment is unlikely to end well. Unless you are both willing to wait for Hayman to leave and abduct her in hopes of learning something, I don't know what else we can do here.

"For the record, I'd not mind the abduction plan." He offers.

Posted: **Fri Nov 03, 2023 8:57 pm**

The post box is holding up pretty well to their amateur lockpicking. Rooting around under the stairs, Kris can't find anything that looks useful for forcing the lock. Mostly old cardboard boxes and flyers.

Posted: **Sat Nov 04, 2023 2:28 am**

"Like I said, we can talk to Mr. Kingsley," whispers Jocelyn. "If we're in his flat, we're not standing out here in the hall waiting to be seen by anyone coming in or out. We can also call the parole officer and get more information."

Posted: **Tue Nov 07, 2023 11:07 pm**

Posted: **Wed Nov 08, 2023 12:27 am**

”The trick will be getting in there without being seen,” Kris whispered in reply. ”Samuals sounded pretty jumpy when he was talking to Kingsley earlier. He was also pretty scared of Samuals. We could try and talk him into letting us in, but I’m not sure he’s going to want to.”

Posted: **Wed Nov 08, 2023 2:41 am**

"It's too risky," Simon insists. "We don't have any backing here. If Kingsley is half as jumpy as you've been saying I think at some point he will prove unreliable.I suggest we either give up or wait to confront Ms. Hayman when she starts to return home. This was a back up plan for Balfour; with luck, he does not have another one if she fails to show up tomorrow."

Posted: **Wed Nov 08, 2023 3:58 am**

"Then let's call the P.O. on the phone," whispers Jocelyn.

Posted: **Wed Nov 08, 2023 11:52 pm**

”I can give him a call,” said Kris quietly, checking out the stairs. ”But it might be better to call from outside so we’re not overheard. What do you want me to ask?”

Posted: **Thu Nov 09, 2023 2:45 am**

"You can start by describing the two men we saw and asking if they're known associates of his," whispers Jocelyn. "Chances are they are, and his P.O. would be aware of them. He's not allowed to have contact with his criminal mates. If he does, that's a violation, and he goes right back to prison."

Posted: **Thu Nov 09, 2023 3:52 am**

Simon nods. "Sounds like a good start to me. Let's see what he says."

Posted: **Sat Nov 11, 2023 1:42 am**

Kris stepped outside the block, but kept his foot in the door so he could get back in quietly if he had to. He dialled the number for Henry’s probation officer and listened to the dial tone, waiting for the call to be answered.

Posted: **Sat Nov 11, 2023 4:43 pm**

The phone rings a couple more times then it's answered. The voice is male, terse, seeming slightly annoyed. 'It's Tony, what d'you want?'

Posted: **Sun Nov 12, 2023 1:02 pm**

”Tony, this is DC Kris Sapru from Thames Valley CIDI. I understand you’re the probation officer for Henry Samuels, is that correct?” said Kris formally.

Posted: **Tue Nov 14, 2023 12:57 am**

'Huh? Thames Valley, bit out of your way aren't you officer?' he snorts. From his voice, Kris thinks he seems a bit full of himself and pretty unconcerned about getting a call from the police. 'Yeah, Henry's one of mine. Couldn't this wait 'till tomorrow. I'm watching TV with the missus?'

Posted: **Tue Nov 14, 2023 4:28 pm**

”If it could have waited, I’d have phoned tomorrow,” replied Kris evenly, trying hard to keep his temper in check.

”I’ve got Henry’s place under surveillance now. Who are his known associates and who shouldn’t he be spending any time with?”

Posted: **Wed Nov 15, 2023 8:51 pm**

There's a splutter, 'Shit, what the hell's he done?' Then he continues, 'Known associates? No, I don't think you understand, Henry's been clean since he got out of prison. He was lucky not to get sent down for the rest of his life and he knows that. He's too old for gang stuff now, and his crew are long gone, most of them are inside. As far as I'm aware he's gone legit. Studying to be a youth worker if you can believe it.'

Posted: **Thu Nov 16, 2023 1:05 am**

Kris considered Tony’s words. ”So, no family or friends he’s known to hang out with? No other groups? Church, for example?” he said, looking at Jocelyn and Simon and shaking his head.

Posted: **Thu Nov 16, 2023 4:45 am**

"Give him the descriptions of the two men we saw," whispers Jocelyn, describing them for him.

Posted: **Thu Nov 16, 2023 10:46 pm**

”Oh, and we’ve seen a couple of people hanging around. Let me describe them, see if they ring any bells…” he said, and he repeated Jocelyn’s description, keeping eye contact so she could correct him if he went astray.

Posted: **Fri Nov 17, 2023 9:16 pm**

'Uh huh,'' says Tony. 'You saw two black teenagers smoking cannabis in Lewisham and decided they must work for a fifty-something ex-con on probation because...why? Are you sure you're the police, can I get a collar number? What station do you work out of so I can call them.'

Posted: **Sat Nov 18, 2023 1:40 pm**

’Fantastic,’ thought Kris, ’Tony’s decided to spend his Saturday night being a dick…’

”Detective Constable Kris Sapru, from Thames Valley CID” said Kris, before reciting his collar number. ”Look, this isn’t some racial profiling thing, my surname should have tipped you off to that. I’m investigating what may turn out to be a major terrorist incident and Henry’s got himself mixed up in it. As quick as you can - there’s lives at stake!”

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2023 2:36 pm**

Tony goes quiet for a moment then says 'I'll ring you back.' After a couple of minutes he rings Kris. 'Okay Officer Sapru, you've got my attention. I don't know those kids you described, could be anyone. All the known criminal connections of Henry are still inside, or dead. As far as I'm aware he hasn't got involved in anything new but if he has I wouldn't know them. There's plenty of kids on the street, working for gangs. They're ten a penny and their lives aren't worth anything to the guys working them.'

His voice drops an octave, he's not so cocky anymore, serious. 'Officer, what do you mean by a 'terrorist incident?' I want to help but you've got to give me something to go on. I don't think Henry's got any terrorist contacts, he's not religious, he's a burnt out small time gang member who's lucky to have made it out alive.' He's quiet for a few seconds. 'My sister got hurt real bad in the 7/7 bombings. I want to help, I do. But I don't think I can.'

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2023 6:13 pm**

Equally serious, Kris said, ”We’ve got some religious fundamentalists planning something that’ll make 7/7 look like a training exercise if we can’t stop them. You said Henry’s not religious but his sister is, and she’s mixed up in it. Has he ever mentioned her?”

Posted: **Tue Nov 21, 2023 9:41 pm**

'Um, shit, a sister? I'm not sure, uh, I don't think so. He had a brother back in Jamaica who died. Maybe a little brother here in London who's in prison. But I don't remember anything about a sister,' says Tony.

Posted: **Wed Nov 22, 2023 12:28 am**

Kris flicked through his notebook, checking the details of the case. ”Sorry,” he said. ”It’s not his sister but the sister of a former associate of his. The sister’s name is Louise Hayman; her brother was Anton Hayman, who Henry ran with in the 318 Crew.”

“Do either of those names ring any bells? It seems she’s gone to Henry for help, possibly at the urging of Johnny Zero, also known as John Allen.”

Posted: **Wed Nov 22, 2023 12:57 am**

'Oh Louise? I know her. Well, I know of her. I think she's Henry's girlfriend, or at least he's sweet on her. Yeah, she's Anton's sister. He was big on the scene back.in the day, a real bastard by all accounts. Nasty little shit. Got taken out a few years ago and good riddance. But I'd not heard his sister was a Bible-basher, doesn't sound like Henry's bag.'

Tony sounds a bit more relaxed. Getting into his stride. He doesn't sound so concerned now Kris has explained what's going on.

'Now Johnny Zero, that's a blast from the past. Almost before my time. Small time wannabe. I did hear he'd found god and jacked in the whole gang scene. Went out of London somewhere with some evangelical church. That's probably who you want to look at. Not the sharpest by all accounts but I can see him being a footsoldier to someone with a plan.'

-----

While Kris is on the phone the hallway is illuminated by the headlights from a vehicle passing outside. Only, they don't sweep by and continue to light them up. Simon and Jocelyn can see a van parked outside.

Posted: **Wed Nov 22, 2023 5:56 am**

OOC: Props with keeping all these characters straight keeper; we're dealing with a lot of them!

"We have got some company," Simon hisses. "Looks to be those GNS buggers. Someone may have tipped them off."

Play@YSDC

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