Australia's still a new country, even if it's built on some of the world's oldest land - even Melbourne, until last year the capital, while Canberra was being built, has just that air of being unfinished. In a place like that, there's always crime, whether it's between the newcomers and the fellas who think they've been here a long time - always room for one more detective to make a living.
"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).
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.
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.
"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."
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,
Actually, I'd rather it not be me, as [b]Austin[/b] has seen me before and it could cause complications. I think it's best if [b]Rob[/b] does it, seeing as [b]Austin[/b] expects him to be here anyway considering he dropped him off in his cab. [b]Rob[/b] can just say he saw someone else inside the house through a window after he dropped him off, but it was too dark to see who. Or he could go to [b]Austin[/b]'s house instead and tell him that's what he saw and use his phone to call the police.
OOC,Austin had his own car - Rob was following him. However, a taxi driver does have an easy excuse to be in the area, and he's anxious to make up for his sitting in the car like a muppet wondering what to do. Do you want him to go to Kittrell's house or another?
OOC,
Another. Since he didn't drop [b]Austin[/b] off, better that [b]Austin[/b] doesn't see him. He can just say he was dropping off a fare without specifying who it was.
