Play@YSDC

As the investigators return to their hotel rooms and prepare for bed, they hear a singing female voice echoing through the halls of the Galleria. The voice is powerful, emotional and cathartic. As the listeners pays more attention to the beautiful sound, they recognize Caterina Cavollaro´s voice. She´s singing “Ritorna Vincitor,” the same aria from Aida that she performed on the train. Immidiately, people follow the sound out of the Galleria. Police and groups of people run down the narrow streets and into piazzas.

Felicity quickly throws on her fur coat over her nightgown, slips on her shoes, and runs to her friends' rooms. "That's Caterina!" she exclaims, knocking on their doors. "I'd recognise her voice anywhere! We need to go outside and find her!"

It took a moment for the sound to register, but one it did, there was no mistaking that distinctive golden voice. Even though Archie only met her once, he would recognize her anywhere. He hurriedly slipped on his shoes and dashed outside, looking for the missing woman as he joined the crowd.

Still out of sorts, Andrew grumpily answers the door. 'What the blazes...' Hearing the unmistakable voice he fetches his dressing gown and slips his revolver into a pocket. 'What on earth is going on?' he wonders, and follows the others outside.

At first, the tall buildings and cobbled streets make it difficult to discern from where the sound comes, though everyone hears it. Then, as the voice keeps singing, some identify the provenience. It seems to come from a particular alley. As the mob moves down the dim, narrow street, the music stops. The aria is heard a few more times that night, singing from different points within the neightbourhood, but always stops after a while. Despite people try to reach the singer, when the first persons arrive no one is found around.

Rumors begin to spread. Nobody knows what to think. Someone says that the mysterious singer is an imitator, but the most deny that. No one can sing like Caterina. Someone says that Caterina's disappearance may be a farce. Others spread the rumor that mysterious singing voice was actually recorded, a publicity stunt of the theater to save the opening night. Nobody believes it. The voice that everyone heard was too real, pure and strong.

"She has to be around this alley somewhere," says Felicity. "We need to search it."

'Perhaps if we take different quarters of the city we can work our way towards the singing, triangulate our searches,' says Andrew. 'Whatever is going on I think Miss Cavollaro is in trouble. Mixed up with that Turk and his cronies.'

Archie patted his jacket pocket and felt the hard outline of the gun metal, cold through the fabric. He shook his head, praying that he wouldn't have to use it. He nodded at Felicity. "Yes, this sounds promising."

"I would prefer not splitting up, if it's all the same to you, friends."

The voice is heard several times during the night, but with the darker hours it attracts fewer and fewer people. The Milanese citizens of the historic center listen to her at home, someone looking out the windows. The investigators manage to limit the origin to an alley that is a few blocks from the Galleria. At one point, when the voice has just stopped singing, the group turn to the alley and see a woman in a cloth cap and dark coat. She is about to hastily open a door of a building,

"Caterina, it's me, Felicity!" calls Felicity in Italian, already running toward her.

Andrew sprints over and reaches for her arm, 'Miss Cavollaro...'

“Is anyone else reminded of the Pied Piper of Hamlyn?” Clarence mutters as he hurries after the others.

Sorry, I’ve been sitting in the wings waiting to rejoin and didn’t realise I should have done this and the previous thread.
Clarence has related what he discovered in the scroll to the others in the bar (in the last thread) - can we assume he was there and did this?

The woman whips around as if taken by surprise. At that moment, the investigators see her face. She is not Caterina Cavollaro. The woman replies harshly.
"You are mistaken. I'm not Caterina. Good night"

She moves back to enter the door.

Archie has the impression that the woman is very inconvenienced by the brief questions of Felicity and Andrews. A grimace on her face suggests there´s something more than just being disturbed late at night.

Looking into her face, Felicity notices that the woman has the same cut of dark eyes Caterina has.

"But you've got her eyes!" says Felicity.

Archie could hardly believe his eyes when the woman turned around and it wasn't the woman they were expecting. This mystery was getting deeper and deeper by the moment, and his head swam dangerously as he panted from all of the exertion. Silently, he thought to himself, what the hell...

He shuddered at Felicity's observation. Surely enough, it had been awhile, but those eyes...

"Signora..." then he continued in English. "We are so sorry to disturb you." Then softer, sotto voce, he said just loudly enough for the group to hear. "Do you need some assistance?" Then waited for Felicity to translate, if needed.

Clarence is surprised at Felicity’s observation and looks at the woman closely himself, without being too impertinent.

Realising it isn't Caterina, Andrew drops his hand. 'My apologies Signorina...'

OOC:   Is that woman old or young? Could she be related to Caterina?

Felicity translates as necessary.

The woman is disturbed by Felicity's observation about her eyes. Then, her face relaxes and shows a glimmer of curiosity when she perceives that the strangers are English.
Speaking quite fluent English she replies.
"My name is Virginia. I don´t mean to be rude, but I would like to retire to sleep. Can I do anything for you?"

As she answers, Felicity notices the woman make a hasty movement to hide her chest under her coat. Felicity glimpses a scar at the base of her neck.

The woman is older than Caterina by a few years. As far as Andrew is able to notice, she also has a Mediterranean complexion, but he can't deduce whether she could be a close relative.

"I think we can help you," says Felicity. "You've been hurt! What happened to your neck?"

Archie gives her a quick medical appraisal before smiling warmly, reassuringly. "No, but perhaps we can help you, Virginia. I am a doctor. I can help if you've been injured."

Virginia nods her head, while further raising the collar of her coat.
"You don't have to worry. I am not injured. I had a surgical operation, that´s all. Are you tourists? What are you doing on the street at this time of night."
Although the woman speaks in a low voice, almost in a whisper, the timbre of her voice seems to be the same as Caterina's.

"Yes, that's right," says Felicity. "We came outside with everyone else when we heard Caterina Cavollaro singing to look for her. It's strange that you didn't hear it. I'd like to hear you sing, if you don't mind. What kind of operation leaves a scar on your neck? And what is wrong with your chest?"

Andrew is perturbed by this woman. It almost seems like she has taken the voice of Caterina, had it surgically transferred even. But he knows that is impossible. Or at least, he did. Before he came across Makryat and his accomplices. But transferring a voice, that is something new even for them. 'If I may ask, Signorina, who was the surgeon? My friend here is a doctor and is looking for a specialist colleague...'

The woman makes a hand gesture to minimize the issue,
"Just a little problem with the vocal cords due to long term use. I am a singer. Nothing serious. I am already much better."
Addressing Andrew, in a snobbish tone of voice
"Well, the surgeon is known only in our circles. Both we and he prefer that he continue to be as such... without offence... sir"
Finally she gives Felicity a small smile and replies with a superb air.
"I think I sang enough for tonight. I don't want to strain my voice any further in this cold weather. But tomorrow evening I will sing at the premiere of Aida. If you hurry you can still find some tickets. You will be able to hear my voice on stage."

Archie knows that vocal cord surgeries are a thing. They are done on singers who develope voice problems with time. However, they are very difficult to make in this era and very expensive.

OOC:   The group already has the tickets for the premiere of tomorrow night, they got them from Caterina on the train....

"How is it you were able to sing at all after that operation, and so well?" asks Felicity.

Using Flattery. Also Assess Honesty, though I already know what she's hiding.

Archie resisted the urge to shake his head, but he was rapidly coming to mistrust this woman. Given his years of experience, he knew it was impossible for anyone to recover from surgery to such delicate musculature so quickly.

Finally, he could restrain himself no longer. "Impossible, signora. Impossible!" his voice getting louder and the damned tingling was no small part of his becoming irritated so easily.

Clarence is very thoughtful, having read the fantastical scrolls, anything now seems possible. He wonders if this woman is Catarina but somehow transformed…

Virginia improvises a wry laugh
"I said I had surgery, but I didn't say I had it yesterday. The scar remained, but the recovery did its job."
The woman changes her tone of voice
"But tell me a bit about yourseves?"
"Are you in Milan for tourism? I assure you that there are more interesting things to discover than the milanese people health. Otherwise, if you really care about that, you can go to the Maggiore hospital in via Sforza. There you will find all kinds of scars."

She's arguing slyly so to avoid talking about things she doesn't want to talk about. I remind you that Felicity also glimpsed a scar under Mario Conti´s shirt. See the Conti´s apartment thread.

"We're friends of Caterina Cavollaro," says Felicity. "We met her on the Orient Express and heard her sing there. We stopped off to see Lausanne while she continued directly to Milan. She gave us tickets and invited us to her performance. I also met Signore Conti today. Do you know him?"

Thank you, I had forgotten all about that!

Archie listened as Caterina and Felicity talked. He was done with mysterious people in general, and it took all of his strength not to storm off, head to the train station, and head back for London, forgetting the promise he made to his dear friend. He sighed, defeated, rubbing his eyes, and then looked back at the two.

"Answer her, please. Do you know this Conti?"

Virginia sighs and replies in annoyance.
"I´ve not much to tell you about my sister. We haven´t been close for a long time. I am sorry that she´s missing. But I believe that she left Italy on her own initiative. She is emotionally unstable and it is not uncommon for her to make impulsive decisions. As for Conti, I know that he´s an old flame of hers, nothing more. I've already told everything I know to the police."

"It's just that I think you two have the same doctor," says Felicity. "He had a scar himself. He must have had a similar operation."

"Who is this doctor that worked such a miracle for you?" Archie cleared this throat. "And where might we find his office?"

Virginia shugs
"I heard that Conti has been unwell in recent months with some reports that he was afflicted with tuberculosis. Maybe this condition required a surgery at some point. However, I don´t know the details."
She then turns to Archie
"No miracle, sir. Just a surgery on the vocal cords. As I have already said, my doctor is part of my private circle of friends and acknowledges, which they are keen to remain confidential.
I apologize for not staying here all night long to talk with you about diseases and surgeries, but I am pretty tired and I would like to get some rest. Good night."
She makes her way to the building hall.

Her voice is very little altered, but her eyes express a repressed anger

A thoracotomy might be needed for treatment of a respiratory disease at a critical state, including tubercolosis.

"Good evening, then," says Felicity. "Perhaps we shall see - and hear - you at La Scala."

It was all Archie could do not to make a rude gesture with his tingling left arm. Once she was good and out of earshot, he grunted angrily.

"What...is going on..." he said softly to his friends.

Clarence looks at the building, wondering what type of establishment it is.
“Archie, old man, it is a mystery.” He shakes his head thoughtfully.
“These scars, where about on the body are they? The throat?”

"She has one on her neck, and probably one on her chest, considering she was hiding it," says Felicity after Virginia has gone inside and shut the door. "Conti has at least one on his chest too. Maybe we can get the doctor's name out of him."

"Yes, I suppose the trip out into the city wasn't a complete loss. We do have a few bits of new information. Let's hope Miss Heyward can work her magic on..." his voice trailed off. "Poor choice of words. Sorry. Find success. That's better, I suppose."

"I'm sure I can wrap him around my little finger," says Felicity.

“Maybe you should wear a glove if you do.” Clarence mutters. “I’m sure everyone has noticed that there is a rash of illness which seems to match up to a corresponding part of the statue.”

"Perhaps he has the chest then," says Felicity. "Is that the piece that's supposed to be in Milan?"