Statement 2b - Surrey Police Headquarters

[Mr. Handy]

"Sergeant Dhillon got a call while we were here that could be related," says Jordan. "A Nick Lucarotti in a sports car got into an argument over a space at a Tesco's car park with an old lady in a Morris Traveller named Bernadette Stevens. Someone called it in, but the chap calmed down and apologised by the time the officer got there, and there were no charges."

[jp1885]

"That's everything on my end, mate. Thanks for the call," is Leo’s reply, before terminating the call.

[Trivun]

As Jordan's phone call ends, Izzy looks over at him. "What's the good word then? Did Leo find some personal trainer with a six pack to start lusting after?" She grins, though it's a little hypocritical. Still, she didn't meet Alice whilst on the job...

"Seriously though, did they find anything useful?"

As she waits for Jordan to summarise the call, she turns to Skipper to respond to his own query.

"I was thinking the exact same thing. I've not heard of anything that can turn someone invisible, but I'm sure Peter or the guv'nor would have done. That would explain how he could be in the women's changing rooms without being noticed, if he was walking around instead of hiding somewhere."

She thinks for a moment. "Right. That would be something he'd have to concentrate on, so a lot of power drain on one person. Advanced stuff. Which greatly increases the risk of HTD. So that stands up as a theory on how he died. It would also explain the microchips, if he used a spell to achieve the effect while he had his phone on him. Although, he couldn't have used it as a camera then, if the phone was dead as soon as he cast the spell."

What was the timeline? As far as Izzy can tell, the timing here is critical to understanding the late Pervy McPervface's final moments.

[Mr. Handy]

Jordan relays Leo's message. "So maybe he did use this phone, and it got bricked after he took the pictures," he says. "He didn't have to have a hidden camera at all if he couldn't be seen. Want me to call him back and let him know?"

[Trivun]

"Might be worth it. Or just drop him a text." Either way, as long as they're sharing information, they can start to piece everything together on both ends...

[Mr. Handy]

Jordan nods and texts Leo to let him know what they've discovered about the possibility that Chichester was invisible and may have taken the pictures with the phone they found after all.

[Snapper]

Skipper, holding the bagged keys, looks over to Sgt Dhillon. "Ah, Sergeant, I think we will need Chichester's home address after all, please." He sounds fractionally nervous when addressing 'real' police.

He turns back to Izzy. "If Old Mate had a few trial runs, I'm guessing he would have figured out pretty quickly your weirdness was bad for phones. So perhaps he was using this power away from his phone then going back and collecting it once he was invisible, something like that?"

"Where does the spray fit in this, I wonder?"

Skipper holds up the bagged keys. "I still want to have a look around the abode of Chichester. Make a nice change to be able to do it without fear of getting banged up."

"And can I add, of all the things you could do if you were invisible! Steal a fortune from drug dealers, visit famous places, become a superhero, that sort of thing. This guy just unleashes his inner sex offender."

[jp1885]

Leo replies "thanks" to Jordan's text.

Meanwhile, Dhillon flips through her notebook.

"Chichester's address... Sorry, you asked me before... Ah, here it is. Looks like he had an apartment at Weyside, Catteshall Lane, Godalming - pretty expensive. Wanna go there next?"

[Mr. Handy]

"I think we should," says Jordan.

[Trivun]

"Agreed. If there's nothing else to find here."

A thought comes to mind. "Sergeant, out of interest... did anyone try scraping the fluid residue from the bottle onto something? Just to see what the effect might be, if there's enough? As in, something safe, like a sheet of paper or cloth or something." Obviously not suggesting to scrape on someone's hand, in case it turns out to be acid or similar...

[Snapper]

Skipper looks at the spray bottle with renewed respect. "So the spray could be a bit like Bilbo's ring? When Chichester used it, he wasn't using his own magic battery power so didn't zap his phone. And he needed his phone working so he could be a pervy creep."

"Then what? He decides for some reason to use his power, and fries his phone. Missing the SD card, luckily for us. And not just his phone, he also manages to do a number on his own head." Skipper taps one of his temples with a free finger for emphasis.

"It's funny, I've known a few dealers who've managed the same thing, using their own product. My parents, for starters."

"Well, let's go have a butcher's at his gaff."

[jp1885]

"Hm - I'll contact Forensics. I've not had the results yet," Sgt. Dhillon says in response to Izzy's question. "I'll also get a spare key from the supervisor of Chichester's apartment."

It takes a few minutes to do this, with Forensics promising to get back to you ASAP.

Jordan, you have the lowest Luck - a Luck roll if you please.

It takes some time to drive from Guildford to Godalming (a technical fault at the Hindhead Tunnel ensuring that traffic is snarled up throughout the area). You pull into the car park of a modern apartment complex - one of several that line Catteshall Lane - on the north-east outskirts of the town.

Waiting for you at the entrance is the supervisor - an young-ish fellow in overalls - with a spare key to Chichester's flat.

[Mr. Handy]

Jordan has a feeling that they're going to be a while.

Luck roll (51% stat) to see how Forensics does:
d%

[Snapper]

Skipper looks at the apartment complex with un-love. "Looks like what the MOD build for unmarried officers' quarters these days."

He looks over at the young super. "Lead on, my lad. Let's go see Mr Chichester's place. And do you have lock-ups for residents' motors?"

[jp1885]

The supervisor nods. "Yeah," he says in an Eastern European accent. "Garage block 'round the back. Mr. Chichester's place is on third floor - follow me. Nice guy - well, used to be. Shame he's dead."

As he lets you into the building, Sgt. Dhillon lets out an exasperated sigh at an incoming text.

[6] = 6
1d10: [ 6 ] = 6

"Forensics says it'll take three days until they get a result on the spray. I hope you're not in a hurry."

[Mr. Handy]

"Maybe I could help them," says Jordan. "Chemistry isn't my speciality, but I do have some skill in it, and in forensics."

[Snapper]

Skipper looks back at Jordan with slight concern. "Let's wait until after we've searched Chichester's, big guy. Old Mate might have an angry pro-wrestler flatmate you need to demonstrate those rugby skills on. And what happens if he has a pet poisonous snake and it bites me? Without you, I'll have to rely on the Met's finest."

Skipper looks back at Izzy and Sgt Dhillon dubiously, clearly unconvinced of their snake poison first aid skills, and possibly even their rugby skills.

[Trivun]

As they enter, Izzy can't help but compare the apartment complex mentally with Argyle Court, her own building on Seven Sisters Road, where she lives in the top floor one-bedroom flat. Most of Argyle Court has since been taken over as an 'aparthotel' with rooms to rent for short stays, but Izzy had managed to get her own permanent place before then. Though even with some help from Alice spending most of her time there these days (easier than travelling from Whitechapel every day for dates and snuggles), the place still looks like a bit of a bomb site...

"Damn. Here's hoping it's not too important, or we can find a bigger sample in the flat." She's referring to the response from Forensics. Izzy thinks about how in most murder cases, the first 48 hours can be vital in finding evidence and establishing facts - even if most of those cases aren't usually solved for days more, or even weeks or months later.

As for Skipper's comment, she gives him a quick cheeky smirk. "If I had my hockey stick with me then we'd have no problem, except an accusation of police brutality. Remember I told you back in the countryside though, I was never a rugby girl." She says nothing of her snake charming skills though, by virtue of the fact that she has none to her own knowledge...

[Mr. Handy]

Jordan nods. "I'll help out here first, of course," he says, following the super.

[jp1885]

Chichester’s apartment is clean and well appointed; furnished in a utilitarian style typical of a single man’s abode. The main source of decoration appears to photographs and posters of sports cars (occasionally featuring a scantily-clad woman draped across them) and a Pirelli calendar in the kitchen.

I assume you'll be wanting to make some Observation and Sense Vestigia rolls? By all means have at it!