IC: Chapter Two- The Death of a Sea Captain

[Steerpike]

McRaven steps out of the cab, and turns to the driver handing him a 10spot
"Stay here and keep the metre running"
With that he moves quickly to step into line with the indian as they head towards the run down hotel.

It didn't make sense to McRaven, this was a place for broken men, down on their luck and one step away from the poor house...or worse. The rain only helped to add to the atmosphere of misery and crushed hopes this flea pit seemed to exude from every window and rotten gutter.

"Isugtag...Did Douglas ask to come here?"

[Mister Juan]

The Inuit's hand wrapped itself around the door's handle.

"I don't know. He wanted to be away from the press... Let's find out."

He pushed the door open.

[Raiko]

The Rose Room – Amherst Hotel, New York
09:20am - Wednesday 6th September, 1933

“I’m investigating the death of Commander JB Douglas. I’m here to speak talk to Starkweather,” Hansen says, “not that he, or any of you, are serious suspects in this case. Mr Starkweather seems to have most of New York’s press trying to squeeze into his suite at the moment, so I thought I’d come and talk to some of his team. I take it that you are all members of the expedition?”

“Good,” he continues, “now then, first of all do any of you know Douglas personally, and can you think of any reasons that somebody might have wanted him dead?”

“Also, we haven’t managed to establish exactly where Douglas was staying in town yet, can any of you help?”


Pier 74 – New York
09:32am - Wednesday 6th September, 1933

When Callum and Nils’ taxi pulls up alongside Pier 74 they can both see that the gates and offices have been locked up, there appears to be no activity around the Gabrielle itself. It has just started to rain heavily, but despite the weather a number of people are loitering on the street around Pier 74.

Spotting the taxi pull up, most of them start to converge on the vehicle. Judging by the number of notepads and cameras present they all appear to be journalists.


Westbury Hotel – 440 Scammel Street, Lower East Side, New York
09:40am - Wednesday 6th September, 1933

The interior of the Westbury is not much better than the outside, it is impossible to tell what colour the mouldy threadbare carpet was originally, the walls and ceiling are stained brown from tobacco fumes, and there is a pervasive smell of alcohol and body odor.

The clerk, sat behind the dirty reception desk, is a narrow faced, balding man in rumpled clothes. He looks up suspiciously when Isugtag and McRaven enter the hotel.

[Charles Graves]

Graves shakes hands with the policeman."Unfortunately, I doubt that I'll be of much help to you Detective. I never had the opportunity to meet Commander Douglas and I have no idea where he was to be staying. I wish I could be of more assistance."

[Decrepit]

"And I'm not going to be much more help, Detective," Jack says. "Starkweather was going to have me meet with Douglas, but that never happened ... and never will now, obviously. I don't know any more than that, really."

[Ghost_1971]

"I dont like the look of this Nils. Where is every one?" Opening the door Callum steps out into the rain. "We need to find a telephone and talk to Moore. Come on Nils. I think I'll need some help getting through these newshounds."

[Steerpike]

Seeing the sour expression on the desk clerks face, makes Mcraven wince inwardly, wishing that Jack or someone else with smoother manners was here. He keeps his gaze fixed on the clerk and whispers to Isutag.

"Do you know which room the commander was given? How do you want to play this?"

[Raiko]

The Rose Room – Amherst Hotel, New York
09:21am - Wednesday 6th September, 1933

Detective Hanson shrugs and says, “Well thanks for your time anyway. If you don’t mind saying, what were you doing around midnight last night?”

“Just for the record, obviously.”

Pier 74 – New York
09:32am - Wednesday 6th September, 1933

As Callum and Nils step out of the cab they are surrounded by the pack of reporters, they all ask the same questions:

“Did you know Command Douglas?”

“Why do you think he was killed?”

“Will this stop the expedition departing?”

“Two deaths? Is the expedition cursed?”

Westbury Hotel – 440 Scammel Street, Lower East Side, New York
09:40am - Wednesday 6th September, 1933

The weasel faced hotel manager looks all the more suspiciously at the two investigators as they whisper by the door.

[Henrik]

"I was sleeping in my hotel room, detective. We had all worked hard preparing for the coming voyage. Was Commander Douglas murdered around that time? Edward boldly counterquestions the detective hoping that he would not take offense.

[Ghost_1971]

God Damn Reporters!

"The answer to all of your questions is no!" says a scowling Callum "Now if you dont mind, please Sod Off and let us see whats going on."

"Okay Nils, now make like a battering ram and get us through these idiots please."

[Decrepit]

"I was asleep in my room as well, detective," Jack replies.

[Charles Graves]

"I would have been in my room as well. At that time I was probably listening to the news on the BBC World Service, it alway helps me to drop off."

[Raiko]

The Rose Room – Amherst Hotel, New York
09:21am - Wednesday 6th September, 1933

Hansen smiles at the Professor’s joke, “Ok, well thanks for the help anyway, I’ll just ‘circulate’ a little now.”

The detective spends the next quarter if hour collaring as many members of the SME Expedition team as possible, but nobody has any information about the Commander to share with him.

09:40am

Eventually as Hansen is about to give up and head upstairs to Starkweather, Jack manages to get him alone in a quiet corner of the Rose Room.

“Hi Jack. What’s up?”

Pier 74 – New York
09:32am - Wednesday 6th September, 1933

The reporters try all they can to stop Callum and Nils from pushing past, standing in their way and grabbing at coat sleeves, but in the end they are no match for the two powerful mountaineers.

When they finally force their way through to the pier’s security gate, they find that it is indeed locked tight. A lone security guard can be seen beyond the fence, he walks over when he hears Callum shout.

“I’ll sorry sir the Pier is locked up for the day, Professor Moore called early this morning and said that loading will be postphoned by a day.”


Westbury Hotel – 440 Scammel Street, Lower East Side, New York
09:40am - Wednesday 6th September, 1933

Isugtag shakes his head, “No just the hotel address.”

“Moore said he was only due in town today.”

[Steerpike]

McRaven nods then starts walking towards the reception desk.

He's not sure he can bluff this guy, he's pretty certain they don't have enough money to bribe the ugly SOB, so it's gonna have to be done on the sly, and the best way to that thinks McRaven is.....

"We need a room for the day, how much?"

[Charles Graves]

Graves explains to those he was going to see the Police Commissioner with that he will have to go later as at the moment he needs to assess the suitability of the doctor who may be replacing Dr Michaels.

He excuses himself and jumps in a taxi to meet the medic for an interview.

[Decrepit]

In hushed tones, Jack replies, "This is going to seem a little odd, coming from a reporter and all, but ... what are you hearing about the expedition? Starkweather and Moore have us on such a tight leash I can barely get away.

"There's definitely something odd going on here," Jack continues. "I'm not saying anyone's done anything, but two deaths in such a short span strains belief, you know?"

Jack stops there, waiting for a reply, a sense of how what he's saying is going over. There's more to be said, but, he thinks, there's no reason to spill his guts out to the wrong person.

[Ghost_1971]

"Hmm.... Because of Commander Douglas I suppose. Ok thanks for your help. Could I possibly use your phone? I need to talk to Professor Moore urgently."

[Raiko]

Pier 74 – New York
09:35am - Wednesday 6th September, 1933

“Sure thing Mr McDonald, you two come right through.”

The security guard unlocks the heavy padlock from the gate and ushers Callum and Nils through, he manages to close the gate again without any of the reporters following through.

“Come with me sir.” He leads the two explorers to his small office and lets them inside, “The telephone’s right there.”


Outside the Amherst Hotel, New York
09:40am - Wednesday 6th September, 1933

Professor Graves grabs a cab and sets off for Doctor Greene’s Brooklyn townhouse.

Meanwhile back inside the Rose Room…

“That’s very interesting Jack, I’ve come to the same conclusion, there’s something suspicious going on with this expedition.”

“When we fished Douglas’ body out of the East River he still had twenty bucks in his wallet, so that rules out robbery. We figure his death likely had something to do with this expedition.”


Westbury Hotel – 440 Scammel Street, Lower East Side, New York
09:40am - Wednesday 6th September, 1933

“That’ll be two dollars a night, payable in advance,” the manager hands over the key to room 27, glancing at the register book open on the desk, McRaven notices that JB Douglas was staying in room number 23, the adjacent room (21) appears to be vacant, the previous resident checked out this morning.

[Decrepit]

"That's interesting, detective," Jack replies.

"I wish I could tell you more, but all I have are questions and no answers. For instance, Starkweather seems rather, um, passionately concerned about the Lexington expedition somehow interfering, sabotaging ours. Odd, yes?

"By the way, I seem to remember reading something about Miss Lexington and the death of her father. Wasn't there something odd about that?"

[Henrik]

"I remember something about a missing book, supposedly an unique edition of a book by that author... Poe something?" Olof was not so knowledgable in American literature, having been forced mostly to study the Swedish classics of the 19th century. He had not enjoyed the experience. "Ms. Lexington stated later that she believed that the book was not gone at all, didn't she?"