Play@YSDC

Sara has just emerged from Kittrell's house and front garden with Carol's brother, to find Carol and Elsa accosted by a couple of guys.

Colin can tell the two girls aren't hurt - just one angry and the other distressed - then another guy and girl emerge onto the street from Kittrell's garden.

Sara,The angle is wrong for Kittrell to be able to see the gathering on the street from his house, but had he been looking out of the window at the right moment, he would certainly have seen Carol's brother - however you did say you have a cabbie waiting.

What have I walked into? she thinks. She approaches the group of people, holding out her hands to show that she's not a threat. "Easy there, gentlemen," she says. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"No trouble" says Colin. "Thought there might be a problem, so stopped to help."

He turns to Clarence.

"Come on, let's go mate."

"Thank you," says Sara. "There might have been trouble, but I managed to extract myself without help. It's still kind of you to have been ready to intervene."

Colin pauses.

"Extract yourself from what, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My name is Sara London," says Sara. "I'm a private investigator - sort of - well, I suppose I really am one now. I was hired to prove that the gentleman - and I use that term very loosely - who lives in that house," She points it out to Colin, "is unfaithful. I managed to get invited there and arranged for a certain lady to see me enter the house. Having done that, I merely had to talk my way out."

"She means me," Elsa says. "But I guess you sussed that out anyway."

"He's not just unfaithful," Clarence says. "He's mixed up with crooks. If you're a private investigator, we could really use one."

"That doesn't surprise me," says Sara. "I'm actually a secretary working for a private investigator, but I've learned a lot on that job. When my boss wouldn't take this case, I took it upon myself to do it, and I was successful. So I suppose that gives me a perfect track record so far. How can I help?"

"There are these two guys, brothers, they've been at me to throw fights - I'm a boxer, see - and when I said no, they went after my sister. The coppers couldn't be bothered because we're dark" - up close, Sara's initial impression that Clarence was Aboriginal is confirmed - "but Colin here helped us. He and me went to their place, and found they were mixed up with this Kittrell guy and someone called Diamond."

[Sara has heard of Diamond, in a work context. A racketeer at the docks, someone your boss Oscar thought would be trying to expand his share in things in the absence of Squizzy Taylor]

"I've heard of Diamond," says Sara. "He's a racketeer down the docks. My boss thinks he's trying to expand now that Squizzy Taylor's gone."

HoneyDog,Squizzy Taylor is a name pretty much everyone knows - one of the two main crimelords in the city, who was killed last year.

"If that's the Diamond the Reillys are mixing with, maybe that's something we can take to the cops," Clarence says to Colin. "If we can prove it."

"You mean Austin could end up in jail?" Elsa says. "I like the sound of that!"

"The police commissioner was a guest of the Royal Hunt along with Austin," says Sara, "so it won't be easy. We'll need really solid proof. Keith Murdoch was there too, which makes exposing him in the press harder too."

Sara,There was also that Vance Whitney guy who Maria thought worked with Kittrell in some way, although she didn't say what his business was, if she knew.

"Ok," says Clarence. "Do you know how to find this Diamond guy?"

"Austin's supposed to be taking me out again tomorrow," Elsa puts in. "If you want a time when you know he'll be out of the house. I wouldn't mind paying the bastard back."

"There was another guest at the Royal Hunt, Vance Whitney," says Sara. "He works with Austin, but I'm not sure how. Maybe there's a connection there. I have a standing invitation to return to the house, but I'll only do it when he's not there. I don't know how to pick the lock or anything, but if he has servants, I can get myself let inside. I don't think they'd let anyone else in with me, though."

"This is going a ways past what I hired you for," Carol says. "I just wanted Elsa to see what kind of guy he was."

"And I did," Elsa says. "He doesn't just string girls along, he has them beat up too. If you're doing something about him, I'm in."

"In the meantime we can find out who this Vance Whitney is," suggests Clarence. "Colin, what, er, Carol said is right - you've already gone a long way for Lucy and me - if you want to walk away now, I'll get it."

Colin,The name Vance Whitney clicks. He's in the wine business, with vineyards some way west of Melbourne, but he also deals in antiques and artifacts - he's consulted at the university's anthropology department a few times.

"Thank you," says Sara. "Whitney has seen me before, when I was posing as a waitress at the Royal Hunt, so he may get suspicious if he sees me again. I can disguise myself if I ever have to go near him, but there's always the chance he'll see through it."

"We can look him up in public records and Who's Who to find out more about him," says Sara, "and Austin as well."

There's little you can do to explore any of these avenues tonight, except make arrangements to meet again the following evening. Elsa and Clarence agree to come of course, Carol and her brother are bit more ambivalent.

During the day, Colin's at the university, giving him an opportunity to quiz the professors at the Anthropology department about Whitney. The member who's had the most dealings with him is Professor Jameson, who has little respect for the man. "Don't get me wrong, he knows his stuff, but he has no taste, and doesn't seem to care much about the story behind anything. No, that's not quite right - he cares about provenance, and where something came from, but he has no interest in the historical value of anything he consults on, just whether it's old or valuable.

OOC,In the 1920's, all too many professional archaeologists are like too.

"He has let slip for a few pieces that he planned to keep them, but none of them were extraordinary, either historically or monetarily. I suppose a man likes what he likes."

OOC,Luck75; rolled 20.

Jameson hasn't heard of Kittrell, but one of the students overhears you - Wraxton, another member of the rich end, but a more hardworking one than the two who were taunting Lucy - he's met Kittrell at a few parties "Always trying to be the life of them, butting into everything. He has a different girl every time; I don't know how he does it." At the idea of him being in business with anyone, Wraxton almost laughs. "He's loaded, he doesn't work at anything, and he's proud of it."

Meanwhile Sara is at work, where there is a copy of Who's Who. Vance Whitney is the son of William Whitney (mother's name not recorded in the book), who came to Australia from America in 1855 as part of the Gold Rush. That's where he made his fortune -and kept it by getting out of the gold business before the mines dried up, moving to agriculture.
Vance came to Australia in 1910 to replace his father as head of the business. He went into wine instead - while he continued to live in Melbourne, his vineyards are on the border with South Australia - that's where most of his workers live (it says he employs Aboriginals from the local Mission, which causes some controversy in Australian high society). The business has been successful, and expanded the family fortune. There is the usual gushing about charitable donations, but no details on the family outside Australia.
Austin Kittrell is mentioned too - the son of Lawrence and Amelia, both deceased. Their fortune was inherited rather than through business. The entry is scant, implying that Kittrell does little with his time and money.
That's all you can get before Oscar has you making up a file for a new missing person case.

Sara gets to work, planning to join up with the others afterward and compare notes.

You're all able to meet up again towards the evening and compare notes. As well as Sara and Colin, Clarence and Lucy are there - this would be the first time Sara's met Lucy - she still has the marks of the beating that started all this.

Elsa has shown up, as well as Carol's brother - his name is Rob, and it turns out he really is a taxi driver - he says if Kittrell is taking Elsa out, he's going to follow them just in case.

Elsa says Kittrell's servants are all char (that is they come in to work during the day, rather than living there). The house will be empty when she and Kittrell leave, so she could try unlocking the back door for you.

"I'm Sara London," says Sara to Lucy. "I'm so sorry about what they did to you. I'm going to help bring all those responsible to justice." She fills everyone in on what she learned at the office. "Thank you, Elsa. With the door unlocked, I should be able to gain entry and poke about, along with whoever wants to come with me. I'll bring my camera so I can take pictures of any evidence we don't want to remove."

"I'll come with you of course," Clarence says.

"I'll-" Lucy starts

"Not," Clarence interrupts.

"About how long will we have until Austin comes home?" asks Sara. "Maybe you can call his house after he's dropped you off, Elsa. We won't answer it, but that'll be the signal that he's on his way home."

"I'll do that," she says.

So... the plan is Elsa leaves the back door open when Kittrell takes her out, and Rob follows to make sure nothing untoward happens during the evening... Sara and Clarence search the place... Elsa calls with a warning when it's time to get out (the date should last a few hours)... is that right? Have I missed anything out, and is Colin going too?

Rob offers the use of his taxi for getting over there, which gives you time to get some food first, and grab any gear you think you'll need.

Elsa takes a few deep breaths putting on a friendly face, then goes to Kittrell's door.

Ten minutes after he lets her in, there's the sound of a car from his drive, and they head off. Rob waits a few moments to let them get some distance before following, leaving the housebreakers alone.

In addition to bringing her camera, Sara is wearing gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints. What she's doing is illegal, and probably still would be even she had been a licensed private investigator. She has disguised herself and dressed all in black. She also has an electric torch, her cigarette lighter, and her pocket knife.

Clarence follows Sara's lead when it comes to clothing.

The garden is mostly high bushes and small trees, neatly arranged, though not especially pretty - as you work your way round it, it becomes apparent that one thing it does do is block any good view into the house from the street. The back door is unlocked.

The kitchen is full of modern gear, but doesn't look like it's used much - there are a pantry and utility room off to the side. A door leads straight into a dining room - a table that could sit six, and several standing drawer/shelf-sets - the shelves have plates and crockery on them. A door from there leads into the hall, which Sara recognises from her first visit.

There are two doors on one side of the hall - one leads into the lounge Sara was taken into - the other side of the hall has one door and a staircase.

"Let's try that one first," whispers Sara, pointing at the door on the same side of the hall as the one leading to the lounge.

The room looks like a library or study of sorts. It would get pretty good light during the day, were it not for the trees planted outside, though the desk is not placed in such a way that it would benefit from that light. Both it and the bookshelves lining the walls are heavy, dark wood.

The desktop is clear, except for a lamp and writing materials, though there are several drawers.

The bookshelves are stuffed, but mostly dusty - though one is clearer. The titles on that one look mostly academic at first glance.

Wherever the house telephone is, it's not in here.

"If we're going to find important papers, this is probably the place," whispers Sara. "Let's check the desk drawers first. We must be careful to leave everything precisely as we found it." She starts to carefully search the drawers.

OOC,Sara's Library Use 60, Colin's Library Use 70; Rolled 36, 32.

Sara finds a diary - though it seems to be used as a day planner instead, with meetings scrawled in on the appropriate days. Checking reveals a couple of meetings in the near future - one in two days time with "Diamond" and one in four days time with "Whitney and Li." Colin and Clarence have mentioned Diamond, and you've encountered Whitney, but not Li.

If Li is a Chinese name, then Colin will be aware that most of Melbourne's Chinese population are descended from immigrant labour brought in during the gold rush of the mid 19th Century - when gold finds slowed down, white mine owners were quick to toss them aside, and many lacked the money to return to China.

Colin's own find is in legal papers - it's a deed to Pete's Cafe, with Kittrell's name on it - he's the owner, not the Reilly brothers.

With the two of you occupied at the drawers, Clarence looked at the more dust-free bookshelf. "They're not all in English," he says, "but a lot of them look like they're about magic."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he's trying to use magic to charm women," says Sara as she photographs their finds and then returns them exactly where they found them. "I knew better, but I still inexplicably felt something when he touched my hand." She goes over to examine the books on that shelf.

As Clarence said, the books are in a variety of languages. Sara can make out at least French, German, and Latin. The most on-the-nose titles are L'Histoire de la Magie by Eliphas Levi, True Magick by Theophilus Wenn, Witch Cult in Western Europe by Margaret Murray, and something in Latin with the word "Magus" in the title by Laurens van Ghendt.

OOC,Colin's Anthropology 60 and History 25; Rolled 1D100 46.

Colin has heard of two of these books (your call whether he's read them). L'Histoire de la Magie is an overview of European Renaissance occultism, very well known in the field of people who study such things. The Witch Cult in Western Europe is relatively new, and proposes a theory of a secret pagan religion that existed in Europe throughout Middle Ages, and even into the present (Murray is a skilled Anthropologist, though this theory is not taken seriously by her peers). He is not familiar with the other two, though he knows enough Latin to translate the last book's title as "An Account of the Life of the Magus Ludwig Prinn," implying that it's a biography.

OOC,Sara's Spot Hidden 60, Colin's 25; Rolling 1D100 01, 24.

Both of you are able to spot a crease in the spine of True Magic, but Sara is able to see a second, thinner one.

The corresponding pages contain what appear to be magical spells, though each one takes several pages to fully describe. One that jumps out at Sara, given what she said about Kittrell charming people is referred to as "Dominate the Lesser Soul." The other, at the thinner crease, is "Theft of Vitality."

Colin,It occurs to Colin that if it's Kittrell who owns Pete's Cafe, then if you can find something to get him arrested, it will deprive the Reilly brothers of their base of operations, which may take the pressure off of people like Clarence.

"That's it," whispers Sara, pointing at the first spell. "That's what he tried to do to me. I guess I'm not as lesser as he thought, or maybe he's just not such a great magician. Before it happened I wouldn't have believed it, but I know what I felt."

"You're saying this is something real?" Clarence asks.

"It sure felt that way," Sara whispers back. "Carol said he was a charmer, in a way you know just isn't right."

Having been through this room, do you want to move on to the lounge where Sara was taken, the third door in the downstairs all, or head upstairs?

"Let's try the unknown door on this floor next," whispers Sara.

The third room proves to be another sitting room, smaller than the lounge Sara was shown into, and looking like it's set up for one person. There's another bookshelf, this one stocked with novels - a single armchair with a side table, one of the novels lying on it (incongruously with what you've seen of Kittrell so far - mixed up with criminals, a cad with women, and books on magic - it seems to be a maritime adventure story) - a larger table holding a wireless - a smaller table holding the house's telephone and a pad - and a free-standing globe, which checking reveals to open up into a drinks stand.

The walls are decorated with carved wood panelling.

OOC,Spot Hidden Rolls: 72, 22.

Colin,It strikes you that the room seems [i]too[/i] small - the kitchen should be on the other side of its innermost wall, but the room doesn't seem to stretch far enough in that direction - and you didn't see an under-the-stairs door which might otherwise account for the missing space.

"Let me show you a little trick," whispers Sara with a smile as she takes out a pencil and starts rubbing it on the top sheet of the pad. "My boss taught me this one. Whatever note Austin wrote on the pad on the sheet above this one made impressions on the sheet beneath, which is now the top. He tore it off, but we can still read what he wrote by making this rubbing. Then I can tear off the sheet and he's none the wiser."

It's an address, 17 Acton Street. Sara is aware that Acton Street is in Port Melbourne, a working class dockside district, and a hotbed of crime, including smuggling - and where the aforementioned "Diamond" predominatly operates. It's also a haunt of the red raggers (that is Melbourne's communist element, who the authorities don't see particularly differently from the criminal element).

Sara tears off the sheet from the pad and shows it to the others, filling them in on its significance.

Clarence frowns. "So if we can show he's mixed up with this Diamond guy and get him busted, we can get him off the back of your girl, and gum up the works for the guys who are on my back?"

You abruptly hear the sound of a car engine, pulling into the drive - the foliage in the garden must have masked its sound on the street.

"Quickly, out the back," whispers Sara as she makes sure everything is as they left it before slipping outside, wondering why there was no telephone call.

As well as no phone call, they've only been gone for about half an hour.

You've made it to the kitchen when you hear the front door opening. "Come out come out wherever you are!" calls Kittrell's voice.

You've got time to make it out and close the door before he could reach any point from which he could see you.

Terrified, Sara ducks out the back door with the others and silently shuts it behind them.

A light comes on around the side of the house, corresponding to where the study/office was. The garden's layout is such that you could try to see what he's doing in there, or go round the other side to the front.

Sara,The sound of his voice revives the memory of your mind being "scratched," but doesn't instill any compulsion to obey him. Whatever he did do to you seems to have worn off.

"Let's go see" says Colin.

"That seems risky," whispers Sara. "He's probably just looking for us, or trying to see if anything's missing. If we go that way, he could see us. I think we should get out of here while we have the chance. It looks like he dominated Elsa, and that's how he found out our plan and came home early. It wears off eventually; being near him reminds me of it, but I don't feel any compulsion."

"We should at least see if she's still with him," Clarence says.

"You're right," whispers Sara. "Let's go see, just be careful to stick to the shadows."

The study window's curtain is mostly drawn, so you're able to sidle along the wall and look through the crack - the light inside makes looking in easier than looking out.

Kittrell is inside, his back to the window - he's examining the open drawers in his desk, though he's not touching anything. Elsa is standing against the wall, hugging herself and looking at the floor. Kittrell says something to her, that's not audible through the window, then shuts the drawers and walks toward the door, grabbing her by the arm as he passes. He turns the light off, closing the door behind them.

"We've got to get her out of there," says Sara. "There's no telling what he'll do to her. Maybe we can call the police from another telephone and pretend to be a concerned neighbour who saw a burglar enter his house."

In 1928, telephone booths are thin on the ground - the easiest place to find another phone would be an open restaurant, hotel, or similar business - though the neighbouring houses in this street probably have their own.

"One of us could try knocking on one of the neighbours' doors and say we saw a burglar in the house while passing by," suggests Sara, "and ask them to call the police. That way we don't even need to get involved."

Sara is the least-threatening-looking of the group, so she's the obvious candidate. When you reach the street you see Rob's taxi parked a short distance away, presumably having followed Kittrell and Elsa back - that at least provides Colin and Clarence a way to make themselves scarce while Sara knocks on a door.

(Rob is relieved to see you all, confessing he had no idea what to do)

OOC,Group luck roll time: 1D100; 94.

Rob comes back to the taxi looking disquieted. "It didn't work. They called him first to check if he was home, so the bastard answered and of course he said everything was ok."

"We've got to do something," says Sara. "We can't leave her alone with him. I could try knocking on his door myself. I do have a standing invitation. But if he's dominated her, she'll have already told him what I'm doing. She knew about all of us."

"Dominated?" Rob asks.

"Could we do the same trick again?" Clarence suggests. "Have him let you in, then you unlock the back door for us."

"I'll give it a try," says Sara, "I'll pretend that Rob dropped me off in his cab. But if I can't get that door unlocked, I'll need you three to break in and rescue both of us."

Rob and Clarence nod their assent. They secrete themselves in the garden as Sara makes her way to Kittrell's door.

The path seems to be a mile a step.

And the wait after Sara rings the bell an hour a heartbeat.

Kittrell opens the door. "Well, this is a surprise. I wasn't sure you planned on coming back. I have company, but please, come in."

Sara,You're not quite conscious of having moved, but you're inside and he's closing the door behind you.

"I was feeling better tonight," says Sara, "so I thought I'd drop by and surprise you. Surprise! I don't mind company at all. I like meeting new people. Who else is here?"

OOC, Before going back to the house, I would have given the piece of paper from the pad with the address to the others.

"Her name is Elsa," Kitrell says, searching your reaction. Whatever impression he gets, he leads you though to the same lounge he did before. A miserable looking Elsa is sitting on the sofa - she glances up at you, and can't hide the recognition on her face.

"Right, so this is her," Kitrell says. He turns back to you. "Who else knows you are here?"

OOC,Rolled 1D100: 91.

Sara feels the same sensation, as if her mind has been scratched - however this time, she is able to resist it, leaving her free to give whatever answer she wishes.

"All of the others know," says Sara, pretending she is under his influence.

"Well then," Kittrell says. He pauses for a few moments. "I suppose you think you're clever, hoping I'll do something to implicate myself in whatever is it you think I'm doing. But what are you, except two designing girls who entered my house of their own free will? If either of you want to leave, the door is there - never let it be said I kept you against your will."

"Come on, Elsa, let's go," says Sara, taking her hand.

She nods and scurries over to join you. Kittrell follows you to the front door, crowdingly close, obviously wanting to make you think he's about to do something to stop you. But he doesn't, and you make it outside, the door firmly slammed behind you.

The light immediately goes on in the other lounge, where the telephone was.

Colin,That's also the room I said seemed too small for the space it occupied in the house.

"The others are waiting round back," whispers Sara. "Let's go join them before they decide they've waited too long and try to break in and rescue us."