IC: Chapter Two- The Death of a Sea Captain

[BlackGoat]

After the way things have been going Sean's heart has instantly sunk and can feel a negative vibe. He knows this is probably going to be yet another set back, or worse. He readies himself as best he can and sets his attention to Gunnar.

Thinking to himself...
what could possibly happen now...

[Henrik]

Olof follows Starkweather and Moore and offers his condolences as well. He thinks of something to ask the captain's brother about, but decides against it. This is not the proper time for such questions. He then tries to catch up with Brackman to get a chat with him. He also looks towards Jack and motions him to follow. Olof still feels hampered by the English language and he always feels that it's safer to have the journalist around when asking questions that might make someone upset if asked clumsily.

[Decrepit]

Seeing Olof move toward Brackman, Jack casts a glance in Philip's direction but thinks better of it and trots after Olof. Brackman was little more than a name written down, but maybe he knew something. It was also more ... seemly to go after him than after the grieving brother, Jack supposed.

[Laraqua]

Kitt wanders over to Phillip, feeling extremely self-conscious. "Uh, excuse me? Hi. I just wanted to say how sorry I am for your loss and that if you needed anyone to talk to ... about, well, how sad you are, well... Sometimes it helps to talk?" She stopped and stared lamely at him. She didn't know anything else to say and certainly wasn't about to barrage him with questions. A part of her hoped he'd just reveal all in conversations.

[Raiko]

St Brigit Cemetery – Lower Manhattan, New York
11:55am – Friday 8th September, 1933
Characters Present: Jack, Kitt, Graves, Olof, Isugtag, Maurice, Starkweather, Moore

Brackman turns as Olof and Jack approach him, “Hello, can I help you gentlemen?”

*********

“That’s very kind of you, erm Miss Knight I take it? I’ve read about you in the newspapers.”

Phillip shrugs, “I’ll be ok, and I hope that your expedition goes well, although I’m surprised that my brother offered to join you. I never thought that he’d return to Antarctica.”

*********

Nearby the two old sailors say a last word of respect over Commander Douglas’ grave and turn to leave.


Pier 74 – New York Docks, Hudson River
12:10pm – Friday 8th September, 1933
Characters Present: James, Callum, McRaven, Sean, the Sorenson Brothers.

As everybody scrambles to the top of the short ladder and out onto the Gabrielle’s deck, Gunnar leads them forward toward the bow.

When they get there Nils lowers his field binoculars and smiles grimly as he points downstream along the Hudson:

“It looks like Acacia moved her schedule as well... Mr Starkweather will not be a happy man.”

Near to the lower tip of Manhattan the investigators can all see the SS Tallahassee, Acacia Lexington’s ship being towed towards the ocean by two tugs.

A loud disturbance can be heard from on the pier itself.


SS Tallahassee -- © Chaosium 1999

[Laraqua]

"Oh," says Kitt. "Why wouldn't he want to? Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to pry. It's just that I've been ever so excited about the journey. I really can't rather think of a reason why someone wouldn't want to go."

[Decrepit]

"Mr. Brackman, hello. I'm Jack Wilson, a member of this expedition. This is Olof, another member.

"I dropped by your office the other day, but your receptionist made it quite clear that you weren't available. Perhaps she told you Miss Knight and I stopped by? In any event, Olof and I would like a word with you.

"I'll come to the point, as there isn't much time. I--or, rather, we--have some ... concerns about this expedition, apart from the usual dangers of the ice, and we have reason to believe that the late captain here had been in contact with you immediately prior to his unfortunate death. Given that you're here, I'm sure you're concerned about getting to the bottom of all of this, and, frankly, I am too, given that my neck's on the line, or maybe the chopping block."

Jack continues, urgently, almost breathlessly. "If there's anything he told you that might help us find the truth, we would very much like to hear it."

[Raiko]

St Brigit Cemetery – Lower Manhattan, New York
11:55am – Friday 8th September, 1933
Characters Present: Jack, Kitt, Graves, Olof, Isugtag, Maurice, Starkweather, Moore

The lawyer listens to Jack’s plea, but is unmoved. Shaking his head slowly Brackman says, “I’m afraid that what Commander Douglas discussed with me is confidential, I cannot possibly speak to you about a client’s private affairs, even a dead one’s.”

“However I don’t suppose that there is any harm in telling you that my business with the Commander did not relate to your expedition in any way.”

As far as Jack and Olof can tell, the lawyer is telling the truth.

[Raiko]

St Brigit Cemetery – Lower Manhattan, New York
11:55am – Friday 8th September, 1933
Characters Present: Jack, Kitt, Graves, Olof, Isugtag, Maurice, Starkweather, Moore

[OOC: Oops, I missed Laraqua’s post!]

"Oh," says Kitt. "Why wouldn't he want to? Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to pry. It's just that I've been ever so excited about the journey. I really can't rather think of a reason why someone wouldn't want to go."

“J.B. came to stay with me on the farm for a few months after his return from Antarctica. During those months he swore over and over again that he would never return to the ice.”

“You must understand that my brother was a changed man when he returned from that expedition. During the voyage back North he had to have two fingers amputated due to frostbite. The person who stayed with me was a sombre, introspective man given to long spells of brooding, during which he would, well...”

Phillip looks somewhat embarrassed, “...he would drink to excess.” Shaking his head Phillip continues, “During these drinking bouts J.B. would ramble on with wild, sometimes incoherent stories of the things that had happened there, and eventually would fall into a drunken sleep.”

“But his sleep too would be disturbed by those same events. When he awoke though he would always deny having ever told those stories.”

Kitt senses that Phillip is unsure whether to speak of these stories and dreams, he changes the subject slightly without elaborating further, “Eventually after about three months, the drinking bouts and nightmares became less and less frequent. After six months they had ended completely, he left shortly after and returned to the sea, but never ventured to the far south again.”

“I haven’t seen his since, though we do correspond if only infrequently. The last that I’d heard from him was a telegram saying that he planned to visit me early this month, but he was murdered before he had chance to visit.”

“When I arrived in the city, I was frankly surprised to learn that he’d agreed to join your expedition at all, though perhaps time has healed even his mental scars. Your Captain Starkweather speaks highly of him so perhaps my brother at least found his peace before his death.”

[Laraqua]

"I've sometimes had nightmares, too, though normally of mundane things that are inexplicably scary," Kitt says, smiling sadly. "It must be a terrible thing. I wonder why the change of heart? Well, thank you for trying to explain. I... I appreciate you being so nice as to tell me. It puts my mind at ease that it was more a kind of shell shock and less any real concrete fear."

[Decrepit]

Without anything more concrete to go on, Jack says, "Oh, I understand, Mr. Brackman. I'd just assumed that you cared enough about Captain Douglas to try to help someone get to the bottom of what happened to him, and what might happen to us as well. I apologize for accusing you of giving a damn. Good day."

Jack turns on his heel and prepares to stomp off. It's not even so much that Brackman has upset him; it's that there had been some tantalizing clues spread 'round but no answers to the numerous questions that had been forming and reforming in his mind. Quickly looking around, Jack scans to see whether Hansen is still around. He sees Kitt talking to the late captain's brother. Well, maybe she got something out of him, he thinks.

[Raiko]

Pier 74 – New York Docks, Hudson River
12:10pm – Friday 8th September, 1933
Characters Present: James, Callum, McRaven, Sean, the Sorenson Brothers.

A loud disturbance can be heard from on the pier itself.

Nils turns his attention away from Acacia's ship and goes to look on the pier, "What the hell's happening now?"

[Ghost_1971]

Callum follows close behind Nils, also keen to see what is happening on the pier......

[Henrik]

Olof is surprised by Jack's outburst. He turns to Brackman. "You'll have to excuse my friend, Mr. Brackman. We have been investigating this matter, but seems to have got stuck. We're scheduled to leave tomorrow and we'd hope to get to the bottom of this thing before we do. I understand that you can't answer questions about the legal matters of your client, but can you answer this. Did the commander seem nervous the last time you spoke with him? Was his mood changed in any way?"

[Raiko]

Pier 74 – New York Docks, Hudson River
12:10pm – Friday 8th September, 1933
Characters Present: James, Callum, McRaven, Sean, the Sorenson Brothers.

The nature of the disturbance is immediately obvious, a large number of police officers have entered the pier and are starting to round up all of the stevedores. Half a dozen other cops are following two suited men up the Gabrielle’s gangway.

The leader, one of the two suits, identifies himself to Nils and an angry looking First Office Turlow as soon as he steps onto the deck, “Richard Parker, Treasury Department – Bureau of Prohibition.”

“This ship is impounded and nobody is to leave, we have received information that it is being used to transport contraband in violation of the Volstead Act.”

In his hand he holds a signed warrant.

In the distance the Tallahassee and her tugs continue to steam slowly towards the ocean, carrying Acacia Lexington and her team to Antarctica.


St Brigit Cemetery – Lower Manhattan, New York
11:55am – Friday 8th September, 1933
Characters Present: Jack, Kitt, Graves, Olof, Isugtag, Maurice, Starkweather, Moore

Brackman doesn’t look too disturbed by Jack’s outburst, “It’s ok I understand your friend’s frustration.”

“I didn’t notice anything unusual about Commander Douglas, and as I said his business with me did not relate to your expedition in any way.”

[OrionUK]

James steps forward "Sir you must be aware of the exact nature that this ship is being used for as it has been in the newspapers for the last week or so. This is very clearly a delay tactic that the Lexington expedition is using to delay our departure and, therefore, wasting your & our time and the publics tax. You should be aware that we have a very prominent news reporter within our crew who will take great pleasure in reporting this rediculous impounding & delaying of our expedition"

"May I suggest you go back to your highest superior to re-check this allegation and get back to us, at the very earliest convenience, as to your intentions. I would also be very greatly distressed to find that any funds have been passed by anybody from our rival expedition to the treasury department and would have full intention in funding an investigation into everybodies personal bank account to see if this is a matter of corruption"

James has a very stern and unwaivering look on his face that shows he has every intention in following through with the threat.

[Raiko]

Pier 74 – New York Docks, Hudson River
12:10pm – Friday 8th September, 1933
Characters Present: James, Callum, McRaven, Sean, the Sorenson Brothers.

“You’re English aren’t you?”

From the look on Parker’s face it is obvious that he doesn’t care for Anglos, “Sir I do not appreciate you accusing me or my men of corruption, or making thinly veiled threats.”

“If you have a complaint to make then I suggest you contact the Treasury Department, or the Attorney General; but if you utter one more word to hinder this federal investigation I shall have you arrested and deported.”

Parker turns to Turlow, “Sir you will provide access to the cargo holds, we’ll need to check everything in the holds. Your crew will remain onboard at all times”

Turning back to the explorers he says, “You will be taken back to your hotel, where you will remain until the contents of the hold are checked.”

The Lobby – Anherst Hotel, New York
12:30pm – Friday 8th September, 1933
Characters Present: Jack, Kitt, Graves, Olof, Isugtag, Maurice, Starkweather, Moore

Those who attended the funeral arrive back at the Amherst and find it full of cops and Prohibition agents as well.

Upon learning of his ship’s impounding and of Alacia’s departure, Starkweather is understandably apoplectic with rage, “THAT CONIVING BITCH!!!”

“Moore! MOORE!!!”

“It’s her I tell you Moore! That woman is THE DEVILS SPAWN I tell you!!!”

Storming across to Jack the English explorer says, “Jack call your editor! This is preposterous! I won’t stand for it! Not this time!

[Decrepit]

Yes, your eminence, thinks Jack, though he's not (quite) annoyed enough at the world to say it out loud.

Besides, this could be a good story ...

He heads for a telephone to call Patterson with the little he knows and to ask for a photographer to head down to the docks.

[Henrik]

It takes a couple of minutes before Olof can figure out what has actually happened. Everyone is upset and it's not easy for the Swedish engineer to piece together the whole history of what has unfolded during the funeral. Since he feels that he can't do much about the present circumstances Olof goes up to his room and switches to a suit of his own. He's careful to hang up the borrowed suit carefully so it won't get wrinkled. He then goes down to the lobby again to see what happens. He decides to return the suit later since right now is certainly not a good time.