Play@YSDC

On eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane stands 'The Lounge Bohemia', talk of Covent Garden. The area, associated with the fruit and vegetable market in the central square, by the late 20s had begun to grow into a popular shopping and tourist site. The Lounge relied heavily on the passing trade of London's famous West end in the early days; people waiting for a shows at the nearby Royal Opera House or further afield. Many, from all walks of life, rub shoulders in its cosy booths and darkened snugs, rich and poor alike: Where good jazz is concerned the social boundaries are, for the evenings at least, set aside.

The club stands at the heart of the district which is divided by the main thoroughfare of Long Acre, north of which is given over to independent shops centered on Neal's Yard and Seven Dials, while the south contains the central square with its street performers and most of the elegant buildings, theatres and entertainment facilities. Covent Garden, bustling with bars and clubs, is a welcome retreat from the dank and foggy London night. A mere ten minute walk from Scotland Yard the Lounge Bohemia was a natural draw for the younger and trendier members of London's finest. Such was the reputation of the music, serene atmosphere and well priced food and ale that its attraction drew others as well. The Lounge's growing reputation as a police bar was, to most, irrelevant.

For Amanda it was just another day at the job, she was beginning to garner something of a reputation that was spreading beyond the walls of the Lounge. That made her equal parts apprehensive and excited, she was comfortable in the small club. Her fans, that frequented the stage seats, gave her confidence that led to her celebrated performances - the Evening Standard had even described her as "enchanting"!

Millicent sat in her usual spot, nibbling the end of her pencil, her notebooks strewn on the table in front of her, the ashtray beginning to fill up...the cocktail beginning to empty. She waited for tonight performance, surely she would find some inspiration tonight...surely. She nodded a friendly greeting as, across the room, her acquaintance Felix took his usual table. He raised his glass and smiled warmly in response.

He was a good sort, another writer. A pang of jealously suddenly and unexpectedly ran through her, he had little care for inspiration - when the Yard called, he had a story on a plate! Maybe not tonight though as his main, go-to source was propping up the bar. She didn't care for Detective Grimes, the sour fellow was short on patience and shorter on temper. He had a haunted look, but perhaps it might be worth digging a little deeper there. Deep melancholy seemed to sell in certain circles...surely...

George Grimes pushed the second pint glass of best bitter across to his friend Sam Reed. They had crossed paths in his dealings at the Yard and George was prepared to overlook the more dubious elements of his business, as the man knew his stuff when it came to antiques. He also moved in circles that a police detective found hard to penetrate. Sam had been invaluable in the summer of '31 when George had put an end to a crew of ruffians with a specialty for breaking into West end properties, butchering the occupants and gutting the contents for resale on the black market. The crew had swung naturally but the unusual friendship held fast and Sam and George met often, both socially and professionally. George looked over to where Felix sat; the man had also done him favours, in his line of work you took all the good press that was available. He was his go-to guy when it came to press releases, 'but not tonight' he thought 'by God I'm tired'...

But that was an hour ago, and now the five stood uncomfortably in the hallway of the dingy student apartment. The clock on a nearby church gently rung out a quarter to ten in the evening, the soft sizzle of constant rain muffling its sound. A constable, pale and agitated, paced back and forth.

Grimes held court, at home in a crime scene. Millicent was impressed, sour attitude or not, he was clearly a very competent detective and she was still reeling that Felix had dragged her along, muttering about collaboration into a book on multiple murderers in the capital. The singer, Amanda, looked pale...understandable when your neighbor is butchered at home. The five waited for the police doctor to finish his ghoulish work and then they could get some answers. Sam looked uncomfortable dragged along by Grimes on the understanding 'this won't take long and then we can get back to it, we've barely had time for a drink...'

OOC:   The investigation opens in media res, with the investigators being summoned to the scene of a murder at a student apartment in Wellington Street, Strand, London.. Forgive the slight hand-wavium to allow you all to participate in the opening scene!

Grimes steps out to the hallway and shuts the door to the apartment. He looks at Miss Somerville contemplating if she could be involved in some way. He shrugs that away. Always stick to facts... as long as possible. "This address is now under the Yard's investigation. By no means may you enter unsupervised by an officer of the law. Ms Somerville, I strongly advice against using your apartment for the next few days. This is just a precautionary suggestion of course. Do you have any alternative accommodations at hand? Furthermore, we have some questions for you regarding the deceased. As you are one of his neighbours."

He has been collecting a number of samples from the scene for analysis at the Yard. His initial deduction had to wait till after at least three drinks. There's not much more to do before the coroner had done his business. Grimes' own finds regarding access to the victim and clues as to how he'd been murdered surely would help out sufficiently to draw up a line to follow. "But.. not tonight... a tad too late for that...."

"Sam, my man. I'm afraid we'll have to take those drinks at a later location after all. This might take a while longer than anticipated."

Before he want outside to the waiting foursome, he had been taking notes on the state of the victim telling how she met his demise, possible missing articles from the apartment and signs of forced entry. The usual things. Now, interviews would follow. And writing the report...

Spends,3 points put in for Evidence Collection.

Mr. Grimes, sir, maybe I can also take a look at the crime scene?" says Felix Henriot, "I have my camera," he adds.

OOC:   Preparedness? Keeper Edit - Certainly, I can't imagine he would go to many places without his camera and notepad.

He says as an aside to Millicent: "Ms. Broadacre, this could be the story we are looking for?" he hopes his whisper has not been overheard by Amanda Somerville, concerned that she may be distressed by events and desiring to make a good first impression.

Millicent attempts a smile in response to Felix’s whispered comment, however, as she has been told on many an occasion, her smile is neither friendly or reassuring.
She shakes another cigarette from the cardboard pack and lights it from her dwindling supply of matches. She could hear her mother’s voice issuing dire warnings over her nicotine addiction, but she only had a few pleasures in life and her fags was one of them.
Speaking of pleasures her heart leaps when she overhears the detective, Grimes, asking if Amanda had somewhere to stay. Almost choking on her last inhale of tobacco smoke, she says, in a measured way, “There is always room at my place dear girl, if you don’t mind slumming it?”

The door opened and a dour-faced middle-aged man stood framed by the doorway as the pale light spilled out into the narrow ground floor hallway. The man, recognizing Detective Grimes, grunts a greeting: “Glad he found you Gory, I asked Constable Alexander to look for you…you seem to attract these gruesome ones.” He nods in recognition to photographer Felix who recognizes Dr. Howard Guinn as one of the doctors working pathology at Scotland Yard.



Guinn does not attempt to lower his voice or trouble to conceal the scene from the onlookers, but continues with a cursory explanation. “The victim is Hector Hornley, a second year student at the King’s College just around the corner. His body was discovered around an hour ago by the landlady, Mrs. Pelletoot, on the floor of the apartment he shares with another student. She lives on in the middle apartment of the three in this building and is sitting with Constable Allen at present. She hasn’t taken her discovery to well and has had to have a sit down with a cup of tea.”

“It would appear that Hector Hornley has been cruelly and savagely murdered. My initial examination shows that his neck has been broken. More worrying is that his eyes have been gouged out, and his throat slashed and partially opened by a sharp object – specifically, the broken shard of coffee cup."

"I would suggest that the assailant took Hornley by surprise, and was considerably bigger and stronger than him. Beyond that I would need to perform an autopsy, but I don’t expect to find anything more. He’s still in there under a sheet, I’ll send for my boys to pick him up when you’re done.”

He closes his small notebook and begins screwing the cap back on his fountain pen whilst casting around, searching for his hat.

Grimes,Dave I'll hold that spend until you get into the apartment proper. Just want to slow the pace slightly for Handy to join in after the weekend :)

Keeper,the spends will be used inside, of course.

"Much obliged, Guinn. I understand Allen had his share of discomfort as well." "Allen really hasn't got the stomach for these cases. No point in telling him that directly better he learns that for himself." He waves at his entourage. "I'll secure whatever leads there are and give word to Allen to alert you when we're finished here. You don't mind me bringing my friends to watch a real horror show? This is the Grand Guignol for real. They will be aiding me in documenting the scene and I'll be doing an interview with Miss Somerville who happens to be living next door." He winks at Felix already preparing his camera.

Holding the door, Grimes asks Amanda, "Are you quite all right miss?"

Felix returns the nod: "Dr. Guinn," he says.

He listens to the Doctor with interest, the shocking detail of the cruelty inflicted upon Hector Hornley are, sadly, something Felix has become accustomed to as a photographer and journalist, he interrupts: "Dr. Guinn, would you say that the--" he pauses a moment, because women are present, "--gouging and slashing are the cause of death, or crimes committed after life was extinguished?" Felix hands Dr. Guinn his hat.

~

"Do you think Mrs. Pelletoot would wish for the company of her own sex?" he asks Millicent.

OOC:   Who is Allen? (Referred to by Gory.)

Felix returns Gory's wink with an accepting, raised hand and enters the scene of crime.

OOC:   He'll use Evidence Collection as Gory did. Is a spend required?

Millicent gazes at Felix for a few moments with a disinterested stare, "Pardon...Oh the landlady...Possibly"

Millicent thinking:   Why do men always think that women have some kind of nursing instict,a sypathetic nerve that kicks into action wheneveranother female is distressed? Next he'll be suggesting that viewing the murder scene is far to horrific for a innocent female.

She smiles, but makes no attempt to move in the direction of Mrs Pelletoot's apartment.

Felix almost bites his tongue when Millicent replies to him. "Remember," he thinks, "she is an independent woman."

Dr Guinn looks a little surprised about a voice other than Grimes' asking him a question, but in a flash of recognition he catches a rebuke on the tip of his tongue.

"Who the...oh hullo there Felix. Has Grimes dragged you on another thankless task? I'm not sure you'll be able to publish much of the scene...a little, shall we say...like an abattoir!" He shrugs to himself and answers the question asked.

"I would say the desecration of the body was certainly done postmortem, however there is still a great deal of...spillage...hmmm...in the room. Watch where you tread old boy."

He takes the hat from the photographer's outstretched hand gratefully.

Samuel Reed

Listening to the man standing in the doorway to the room recount the gruesome attack on the deceased student Sam takes a few steps back, as if to distance himself from the dreadful scene, suddenly wondering why he'd accompanied the others here as all thoughts of a few drinks in the club vanish from his mind. Feeling rather like a spare wheel he hangs back and tries to be as unobtrusive as possible.

Amanda Somerville is still wearing the black sequined dress in which she had performed at the club, though she does have her overcoat on over it to ward off the chill night air. Even so, she can feel the sensation of ice running down her spine, and she knows that it is not due to the weather. Her already fair skin has turned white as a sheet, and she shivers involuntarily as she hears the descriptions of the brutal murder that occurred two floors below her home.

Finally, she collects herself and addresses Detective Grimes. "Thank you, Detective," she says, "I'll be all right, I think. Of course I'll answer any questions you may have. I want whoever is responsible for this brought to justice as much as you do." If not moreso, she thinks, suppressing a shudder. "It could just as easily have been me. Perhaps I could help Mrs. Pellatoot once you're done interviewing me. I do know her, and I'm good at putting people at ease. I can stay somewhere else for the next few days. I don't want to stay here right now anyway. I don't feel safe here any more." She looks over at Millicent and manages to muster a faint smile. "Thank you for the kind offer. I do have a friend I might be able to stay with, but I don't know if I should impose on her."

Millicent returns Amanda's smile, a genuine look of concern etched on her face. "Dear girl, the offer stands. It seems unavoidable that you stay somewhere else and in easy contact" She gazes at the detactive, as if for support, "Throw a few things in a case, my place isn't too bad...Cosy enough for two...and only a short taxi ride. Then we'll check on the landlady together"
Millicent pulls her overcoat tighter not sure if the shivers she feels are caused by the chill November air, or something else.

"Good. I will have to hear you after I've surveyed the crime scene, Ms Somerville."
Wanting to see the site and make a possible reading of what had brought the lad to death, Grimes enters the apartment.
"Shall we do this?" Not as a question but as a statement.

He brings forth a notebook and a pencil.

Grimes pushes the door back open. It had gradually swung itself, noiselessly, to. Pausing for a moment and cocking his head he steps across the threshold into the apartment. He is single-minded and leaves the door open behind him. The other's cannot resist but to crane their necks slightly to take in the scene of the crime. He turns with a grunt to his audience gesturing at the door itself. The door to the apartment is made of heavy wood, and has both a lock and a chain. Neither was forced, suggesting that Hector Hornley let his murderer in freely. Millicent repressed an inappropriate grin, at the way this information was communicated clearly but without words....'my my, perhaps you are an interesting man after all,' she thinks.

Hector Hornley's apartment is small and cramped, a classic student bedsit. There’s one living/dining room, a tiny dingy kitchen spied to the rear, and a open door leading to a bedroom with twin beds just visible. The wallpaper has a singularly unpleasant yellow pattern. Amanda cannot help but feel a hint of pride, 'not nearly as nice as my loft apartment upstairs'.

The first thing that takes the eye is a toppled dining table, with a pair of legs sticking out from behind it; hastily, and badly covered, with a stained tablecloth. The smells of ash, blood and urine hang thickly in the air and reach out into the corridor to assault the senses of those gathered there. Constable Alexander pauses in his pacing of the end of the hall, looks up - ashen faced - and then resumes his nervous pattern.

As Grimes moves into the room he clearly can see Hector’s body which lies in the middle of the room, contorted and bloodied. The embers of a fire glow hot in the grating, and there’s a lot of ash there, suggesting some object was burned.

There are two smashed coffee cups on the floor next to the overturned table, pieces of them are strewn around the floor which is also covered with a large amount of blood-splatter patterns. Grimes moved over to the fire and began poking around with the end of his pencil...

Grimes Evidence Collection,Examining in the ash in the grate reveals the remains of three burnt objects. One was definitely a small book, the others were a notebook and a piece of paper, perhaps a letter. [b]Grimes [/b] knew exactly where to look. He deftley reached up inside the warm chimney and was rewarded a moment later, finding half of Hornley’s library card stuck a little way up the chimney. The card was obviously thrown on the fire, but lifted out of the flames by an updraft. The card, in Hornley's name, is for the Maughan Library, Chancery Lane, London, King’s College London (Strand Campus). [ooc]This required a 1 point spend here, the other two points are held in reserve at the scene if the opportunity arises. You have a couple of other small rooms to investigate and the body itself. ?[/ooc]

"Hmmm..." Grimes glances around the room. Alerted by the ashen air he hunkers down by the fire place. Some fiddling later he returns from the dig and places four burnt pieces on a cleared shelf near a window.

The objects,1. [b]Hornley's[/b] library card - intact - for Maughan Library, King's College. 2. A burnt piece of paper. 3. Pieces of a small book. 4. The remains of what once was a notebook.

With pencil still in hand he moves to the covered body. Slowly lifting it to unveil the face. "Could you have a glance at those?"
The phrase has no address and he's watching the other way while pointing in the general direction of the finds.

Removing the tablecloth Grimes flinches at the visage. He closes his eyes and opens them again.

The doctor had apparently sugar-coated the description as there was ladies present. The sight before Grimes was truly nightmarish, he'd seen worse of course but the ferocity of the attack left his throat dry and scratchy. Hector had been cruelly desecrated. His neck, showed swollen bruising and lay at an unnatural angle, the spine snapped by brute force.

The mutilation was worse, the jagged shard of coffee cup still protruded from one eye-socket. The eyes had been ruined - gouged and torn at and the bloody remains smeared on the floor next to the corpse. The throat opened almost back to the vertebrae, white bone stark amongst the red gore.

OOC:   Above: Hornley, as was...

Hornley was in his early twenties, in reasonable physical shape, a little scrawny perhaps. He wears a cheap dark suit and a collarless shirt underneath. Grimes notices a bulge in the jacket pocket.

OOC:   Anyone else stepping into the apartment will also need to make a 1 point stability check (4+ target) until the body is re-covered.

Felix enters, his camera held to his eye, and takes several flash photographs, screwing in a "Sashalite" bulb each time into his Kodak Brownie Hawkeye; "Ouch!" he exclaims quietly when, despite his handkerchief, he burns the tip of one finger. He does as Grimes instructs and examines the objects.

OOC:   When taking a photo of Hornley, does Felix need to make a Stability check? If so, that's a d6 + Stability spend?--and what is a success? Edit: Stability check vs. Hornley +2 pt. spend (1d6+2=7) Also, is it worth while for Felix to use Evidence Collection as well as Grimes?

Felix holds his nerve when he snaps a photograph of the poor boy. He kneels beside Grimes and the mutilated Hector Hornley. "Sir," he says to Grimes, "I have some experience at Forensics--do you mind?" Felix examines the body.

"No trouble..." Grimes checks the pockets of the boy and extracts the contents. "What do we have here?"

Keeper,Did I have to say that Grimes uses one point on the corpse and one for the bedroom?

Millicent almost shows annoyance as Felix seems to shoulder her aside in what she sees as an unnecessary haste to enter the room. However she resists, but does crack a small smile of satisfaction as Felix burns his fingers on the flashbulb.
From the depths of her bag she produces a small notebook and a pencil. After several moments of thought she writes,
The detective, in a show of cool professionalism, slowly begins to remove the blood soaked cloth that had been used to cover the victims torn and mutilated face.
Then with a firm shake of her head she crosses out the writing, closes the notebook and returns it and the pencil to her bag.

Stability Roll,1d6(+2 point spend) → [6,2] = (8) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4562965/

Felix produces a small kits from his reporter's satchel and moves with a practiced ease. Grimes looks impressed, shame he put his talents to digging the dirt and garnering the next big scoop instead of serving the people.

Felix Forensics,With his small kit and brush [b]Felix[/b] matches [b]Hector’s[/b] fingerprints and discovers that they are all over the coffee cups, the jar and every surface in the apartment – he’s been a shut-in here for days by the looks of things. After about ten minutes work he also confirms that there are smudges on one cup, suggesting that the cup was lifted by someone wearing leather gloves.

Grimes returned his focus to the pocket and lifted clear a the contents, a cheap leather coin purse containing a meagre amount of change and a folded envelope, The envelope is addressed to Hector Hornley but is empty. The return address written on the back is ‘Calloway & Sons Rare Books, High Street, Oxford’.

Grimes,I will just use up the evidence collection pool until exhausted here (you still have 2 remaining from the 3 you dedicated earlier) Not really sure how to cover spends etc... so I'll just feel out the best way.

"Thank you," Amanda tells Millicent, a bit relieved. "I'm sure Jacqueline would put me up, but I couldn't bother her at this time of night. If she is home, she could be asleep right now, but knowing her it's more likely that she's out having fun somewhere. So I will take you up on that offer." When Millicent goes inside with the others, Amanda remains in the hall. Not only has she not been invited inside, but she dreads seeing someone she knew in the state described by the police.

OOC:   Airbornexo, everyone, how about another topic, which we all can access, for clues? There's the burnt objects, the envelope, the details of Hornley's murder . . .

Felix shrugs apologetically. Using powder and brush dusts various items: coffee cups, etc. After 10 minutes he reports: "Hornley had been shut inside for days, I think, and the second coffee cup has smudges, I believe this indicates the assailant wore leather gloves. He adds: "The second cup proves that Hornley allowed the murderer entry.

Samuel Reed

Sam tries to hide his discomfort and shock seeing two of the others enter the poor murdered man's room. Highly unorthodox, "I hope Grimes knows what he's doing, that press fellow could cause him all kinds of problems... what on earth is he breaking with procedure for?" he wonders.

"Perhaps we should wait with the landlady?" he suggests to Amanda seeing the young singer makes no move to enter Hornley's room. "Might as well try and keep the constable occupied, no telling what trouble he'd stir up if he 'blabs' about the break in procedure back at the station." he concludes.

With a somewhat forced smile he indicates to Amanda to go first.

Careful of her tread so as not to disturb any vital clues, she is aware that would be a bad thing, Millicent scans the room, aware that there is little likelyhood of her noticing something that the police had not, but looking anyway.

Grimes, she notes, is still engaged in what she can only describe as a most professional search of the corpse.

Millicent thinking:   Note to self: See the way the expert does it, slowly and with meticulous precision

Even Felix the journalistic hack, whose attire and demeanour spoke of better days, was suprising her with his knowledge of forensics. She listened to his explanation with interest, "So not only did our Mr Hornley here give his assailant access, but he obviously knew him well enough to take coffee with him"

Sam and Amanda head upstairs to the apartment of the landlady Mrs. Pelletoot, Amanda leads the way her feet automatically stepping on the creaking stair-treads.

Sam & Amanda,They arrive at the first floor landing and [b]Amanda[/b] knocks at the door of her elderly landlady. The door is opened a moment or two after by a very young looking constable, '[color=#008000][b]Allen[/b][/color]', [b]Amanda[/b] remembers from the conversation with the doctor. "[color=#0000FF]Hello Miss? Do you know this women? Perhaps you can help me, I can't seem to shake her out of it.[/color]" [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/AirborneXO/The%20Primer/BettyPelletoot.jpg[/img] His gesture towards the room speaks of nervous exhaustion, clearly he is not up to the task of looking after the old lady. It is not hard to see why: The elderly widow is sat at a table, a blank stare fixed on her unblinking eyes. The dainty china cup she holds in her hands audibly rattles on the saucer.

Meanwhile downstairs...

Crime Scene,Grimes,Millicent & Felix: Whilst the chaps are busy with the room, [b]Millicent[/b] cannot resist peeking into the small kitchen but she is disappointed to only discover a regular kitchen, the kettle still warm from the coffee made earlier that evening. Looking at the fragments from the fire there is little more to discern apart from the burnt remains of the book spine suggest it was an older book. It, like the other items, is burnt badly and nothing further can be learned from them. The person who disposed of them had made sure about that...

OOC:   Keeper note 1: There are two officers at the scene (Allen in the apartment upstairs and Alexander in the downstairs hallway keeping watch over the crime scene and the front door. Keeper note 2: All the clues are now summarised in the Notebooks and Sketchpads thread (thanks Tabs)

Felix looks up at Millicent from where he is crouching beside the corpse. "Yes, I believe so, Ms. Broadacre. One should choose one's friends more wisely--avoid the maniacs, if at all possible," he says with a thin lipped smile; Felix's attempt at humour is so droll it is hardly funny at all. He adds: "Oh, Ms. Broadacre, if I knocked into you a while back, I do beg your pardon, but I was a little shocked by the poor boy."

He says to Grimes: "Calloway & Sons Rare Books--I love literature, but I've never heard of them?" Felix takes a wander round the apartment, looking for old tomes. He also checks out the spine of the burnt book, can he read its title?

OOC:   Thanks for the clues roundup--very useful!

Millicent's ears perk up at Felix's words, Calloway and Son's rare books, maybe she has heard of them somewhere?
She smiles, an unconvincing smile at the kneeling journalist, "Oh...think nothing of it, old chap"

"Yes, Constable, I know her," says Amanda. She moves over to the landlady and gently puts a hand on her shoulder, speaking to her in a soothing, silken voice. "Mrs. Pelletoot, it's me, Amanda. It's going to be all right." She glances down at the teacup. "Would you like some more tea? I could put the kettle on."

OOC,Spending a point of Reassurance.

Samuel Reed

Sam folds his overcoat across the back of a chair and places his hat on the seat, nods to the constable in a friendly manner.

"A good idea, I'll put the kettle on.." he replies after Amanda makes the suggestion. "Would you like a cuppa Constable? Or do you have to go and take a turn on the front door?" he nods with his head indicating that it would be all-right for the young policeman to leave the poor landlady in their care.

Amanda takes off her coat and hangs it up, then kneels in front of Mrs. Pelletoot and takes her hands in her own. "I know, it's simply dreadful," she says, gazing up into the landlady's eyes as tears start to well. "I wouldn't have been able to bear seeing what you saw. Mr. Hornley was such a nice man, too. But the monster who did this will not escape justice. Scotland Yard is on the case, and they won't rest until he's caught. But they're going to need your help. You're going to need to tell them what you saw. Even if you don't think it's significant, it may be just the clue they need. We don't have to be helpless. We have it within our power to do our part." She squeezes her hands lightly. "I'll be with you the whole time, Mrs. Pelletoot. We can face this together."

OOC,Spending the other point of Reassurance.

Sam & Amanda,The elderly woman seems to refocus and, although very shaky, nods slightly to Amanda as the kettle begins to whistle in the kitchen. By the time that Sam has eased the shaking china from her hand and replaced it with a heavy mug of well-stewed tea, Mrs. Pelletoot has regained some of her normal bombastic nature. Sam plonked another mis-matched mug down in front of Amanda and supped noisily from one himself. '[color=#008000]Where on earth had he even found such ugly, but oh so functional, crockery in the kitchen of the 'perfect' Mrs. Pelletoot?[/color]' Amanda considered. It was, though, a stroke of genuis that pushed the old lady firmly back to the present as after a moment she frowned at the mug... "[color=#0000FF]Why does it always taste better in a mug?[/color]" She asks no-one in particular. "[color=#0000FF]Oh Amanda, I'm glad you are back dear, that nice young Mr. Hornley...well something has happened...[/color]" With each mouthful of the char, the tale comes from her - teased a piece at a time over several minutes between vacant stares and the occasional sob: "[color=#0000FF]I just heard a crash from the boys apartment downstairs. To be honest with you dear, I thought it was that horrid Mr. Fitzgerald falling over again. You know how he can get dear, drunk all hours of the day and night when he has the money for it.[/color]" "[color=#0000FF]But after a while, I must admit, that I did get worried. It was the silence, not hearing any other sounds you understand, and I went downstairs. I found the door was open. I called to the boys but neither of them answered, so then I went in and found him.....oh poor Mr. Hornely.... I'm sorry dear, its all a blur after that, but I must have managed to raise the alarm and phone the police, I'm not sure how.[/color]" She, frowning at a particularly loud slurp from Sam, continues to daintily sip from the mug...

Downstairs all the investigators hear the front door open and a conversation between the new arrival and Constable Alexander. Faint snatches of which can be heard in the downstairs apartment..."Grimes? He's popular tonight!..."

"I know...."

"What? Really! Like London buses eh 'Arry!..."

"Yeah just seen young Arnold outside, looking a bit green the lad....Haha I know..."

"Where? That door there?" Footsteps approach the door...

Conscious of Samuel Reed's comments about a journalist inappropriately taking fingerprints at a crime scene, Felix stows his powder and brush. He busies himself by checking out Hornley's books and effects, "What was he a student of?" he wonders.

Millicent, watching how Felix quickly puts his powder and things away and begins to nonchantly look at the various books on the bookshelves, guesses that the new arrival is another police officer. Realising that it might not go down to well for a couple of unecessary civillians to be stomping around a crime scene, she moves towards the door.

Millicent thinking:   Walking around?

She looks down at the floor, with all the blood that must be about she looks for footprints heading towards locations which to her mind haven't been checked yet.

Millicent thinking:   The killer must have left a trail leading somewhere

Grimes pockets the envelope and says "I wonder if the book is from the shop or the library? I can either way get that from the one who sent it. Two places to visit. The. We'll know what caught his eyes." He looks at Felix and Millicent. "When I've spoken to his professor we'll know the full extent if his studies. By the looks of it the Bookhounds tore him asunder."
Grimes sees Millicent studying the floor when he hears the new arrival outside. He steps over any puddles after covering the body again.

He walks to the front door and is about to open it when he asks the room, "Is there any marks of lipstick on the china? Make sure to check the shards on the body as well. We have the angles from the photograph anyways."

Grimes pushes the door open and says
"Yes?"

"Cheers," says Amanda as she rises, gratefully accepting the mug and sipping from it. The hot liquid refreshes her and warms her up. "Ah, that hit the spot! Just what we needed." Her fear and horror fade into the background, as she has also been encouraged by her own speech. The tea doesn't hurt either. "You did just fine, Mrs. Pelletoot. Do you recall what time you heard the noise?"

Upstairs...

Sam & Amanda,The old woman looks at [b]Amanda[/b], and her heart goes out to the her. She doesn't deserve this on her doorstep, she's had enough in her life without the last few years haunted by a specter of murder. "[color=#0000FF]The noise? Well I suppose it would have been at around quarter to nine.[/color]" She suddenly sits up a little straighter, "[color=#0000FF]Has [b]Barnaby[/b] not come home yet, I do hope he's alright! You know I don't really care for him, the horrible little man, but I wouldn't wish ill on him...no perhaps he's still trying his luck with the new bar girl over at the [b]Cock and Feathers[/b]. He's was chatting about her yesterday and again this morning...[/color]" That sounded like the rake that [b]Amanda[/b] knew... Glancing at the clock [b]Sam[/b] notes that it was closer to eleven now which made sense.

Meanwhile downstairs...

Millicent on a hunch studies the floor, and is rewarded but several smudgy footprints that track through the blood and spilt coffee on the floor. The police had tracked in here, as had the doctor. The landlady too, had been in here and seen the body. Most likely seem to be a set of smudgy large men's boot-prints that have collected more of the blood as they track toward the door - obviously the fresher blood would have traveled further. Checking the shards of Coffee cups on Grime's advice, she notes that there is no discernible marks. 'He'll have me deputized, or whatever it is they do, next.' Millicent thinks.

Felix's eye is drawn to the bookshelves for a clue as to the nature of the studies of the two students of the apartment. It would appear that they either loved dearly literature or, more likely, they were students of English Literature with tomes of Shakespeare, Dickens, Austin, Bronte and massive amounts of romantic poetry from Byron to Keats.

The bookshelf stands next to the open door to the bedroom and his curiosity gets the better of him and he cannot resist a peek inside. The bedroom contains two unmade beds and various wardrobes and chests of drawers - but aside from that it appears perfectly ordinary.

Grimes pulls open the door to be greeted with the round face of Sergeant Andrew Atkinson. Atkinson looks as though he has run a distance, he mops the sweat from his brow and pulls his uniform straight over his ample frame. "Detective Grimes, sir! The doctor told me you were still here, I've just managed to catch him on the street outside and sent him already. There's been another one sir, like this," He gestures deliberately at the covered body, paying little heed to the photographer and writer standing innocently in the room. He gestures at the smashed cups, "poor bleeder, barely time for a drink before he's done in!"

We'll know what caught his eyes." He looks at Felix and Millicent. "When I've spoken to his professor we'll know the full extent if his studies. By the looks of it the Bookhounds tore him asunder."

Felix muses on Grimes' dark humour. He adds: "English Literature, by the look of these books. No modern stuff, unfortunately--Yeats and such like."

He overhears the Sergeant's disquieting words and determines to gather as much information as he can, he thinks "These gruesome murders could mean a substantial payday for you, Felix my son." He puts to one side any remorse for the humanity that has been snuffed out--and is well aware of his callous attitude, but needs must. He glances toward Millicent, wondering if they really can work together on a book or if their personalities would clash?

Felix slips through the bedroom door.

OOC:   Airbornexo, Evidence Collection?

Felix slips into the bedroom as Grimes speaks to the Sergeant. Pushing the door so that it is hard to observe what he is doing he makes a cursory examination of the room.

Felix,He sighs, a little disappointed that there is nothing really of note in the small room beyond the obvious. An examination reveals the expected : There are two distinct sets of clothes – the simple suits and shirts belonging to the late [b]Hector Hornley[/b], clothing which matches the quality and style of the ones he was dressed in when he was attacked. His room-mate's clothing seemed considerably more expensive and the wardrobe is crammed with stylish outfits.

"Thank you Atkinson, where are we to after this one has been processed? We are still trying to line this one up. Did you catch the brute? The victim was it a man or a lady?" The torrent of questions was unlike Grimes - probably due to the fact that he sometimes wished to duplicate himself.

"Atkinson, get over there and let no one inside. I'll accompany you presently. Some legwork still required here, I'm afraid."

Waiting for Atkinson to share the details of the new murder before turning to Felix and Millicent. He will join Felix in the bedroom for a look over. While getting there he measures the dishes to gauge if the lad lived alone or not. Passing Millicent he says, "Pardon the gruesome nature of this late hour miss. I'm afraid all our drinks will be very delayed. One more stop before we can hit one of the cellar bars of Soho."

The sergeant pulled a pained expression, "Right you are sir...its just that...well Superintendent Atherton was at the station when these two came in and asked that you attend to them personally and quickly. You know how he can be sir. It's a fair way away as well, Hersperus Crescent, down on the Isle of Dogs." Grimes did the mental calculations, around 6 miles; at this time of the evening, shouldn't take more than about twenty minutes or so in the car. Atherton was a potential problem thought, the career desk-jockey insisted on having all the i's dotted and t's crossed yesterday.

At the order Atkinson looked sheepish, "He's not going anywhere in a hurry governor. Well, to be honest I've left a couple of uniforms over there as it is. We've not gone past the front door yet though, smell would choke a sewer worker. No-one to catch though, begging your pardon: Bit of a ripe one! A man, been sat for a couple of days Constable Avery reckoned. It's the eye thing that connects the case, that's why Atherton has put you on it as well. Catching two on your night off, that's some luck you've got there! Remind me to invite you to our next card game!" He gave a knowing look to the big detective and said his goodbye..."with your permission then sir I'll get over there?"

"See you there." Grimes says and closes the door.

"Murdering marauders", he mutters and fetches Felix and Millicent after deducing the things he had had on his mind when he was called upon again.

"We have a ways to go, friends. We take my carriage and should be back inside an hour. I'll leave the scene to the other constables. Upstairs to Sam and Amanda!"

He leads back to the door and waits. "We can get back later should we need more from this location. Or I can, you all need your sleep, I gather. It's my back that's whipped."

He whistles in the stairway. "The interview 'ill be in the car."

As Grimes leaves the room, Millicent catches his arm, "One question Mr Grimes. Maybe I missed it or something, but it appears this apartment had two occupants, Mr Hornsley and another. What happened to that other person, do we know?"

"What lead you to the conclusion there's another party living here?" He looks back at the scene. "If there is I hope it wasn't the Gargantua that endes the lad's life. "

"Yes, I know what he's like all too well," says Amanda, rolling her eyes. "I wouldn't wish anything bad on him either. I'm sorry, but I haven't seen him." She turns when she hears the whistle.
"I think that's the detective calling for us. I'm afraid we'd better go."

Millicent gestures back to the apartment, "Why, the bedroom contains two unmade beds. I'm sure that Felix...Mr Henriot can confirm as he looked into the bedroom, while I merely noticed through the doorway. But in truth I would imagine that there has been so many policemen coming and going that one of them, surely, would have discovered the fact"

"Ms. Broadacre is correct, Detective Grimes, Hornley had a flatmate," says Felix. He continues: "There are two beds and sets of clothing--note that the other chap has a richer wardrobe. Ms. Somerville can give us details of the flatmate. This second murder, speculates Felix, is he the absent friend?"

"True. Very well played, miss. Now, we're heading for the next site. From the description it's the primary scene - this one lies closer in time. Similar modus according to Gov. He wants the lay of these murders before tea, today. When we've surveyed the primary scene, we can put it all together."

Grimes waits in the hallway and puts on his driving gloves.

"No identification made yet, I hear. Could you tell if the flatmate had a considerably larger size than Hornley? If so we may be hunting said flatmate... An escalating number of crimes follow this brute, whomever he might be."

Grimes walks out on the stairs to the apartment building breathing in the chill of early night-time.

"On the look for mr Night-time." He muses.

" 'Mr. Night-time'?" questions Felix, following Grimes on to the stairs.

"The flat mate's clothing had the monogram B.F. and they are (were?) worn by a small man."

"Yes, I believe those crimes were committed during the late hours of day. By someone raging and capable of snapping someones neck as a twig and hurl his head at china, then gouging the eyes out. Not a lady-like manner, I'd say. Thus Mr Night-time. Makes me remember the Slaughterhouse case. It's hard not to try to hook up whatever unknown facts we have on a label. I could label it The Nighttime kilings, but to put a name to the killer, albeit fictional helps me think and to arrange all known facts in my head. We're still in the early hours of the investigation and I have yet to put the finds in an initial report. To do that I need the primary location first." Grimes seems to talk to himself as much as to Felix.

"...good thing the flatmate is smaller, that rules out him as the assailant."

"Ah, yes!--the Slaughterhouse case. It's how you got your nickname isn't it--'Gory'?"

"I, for one, don't wish to meet-up with Mr. Night-time," says Felix to himself.

"What brings you to that conclusion, Mr Grimes?"

Following Felix's outburst, Millicent looks towards him, "The 'Slaughterhouse Case', I presume that is a tale worth hearing"

Millicent thinking:   'Gory' Grimes. Excellent, more grist for the mill or ideas for my next book. I do think this time I'm on to a winer at last.

"The doc's expert survey suggested the assailant was both stronger and taller than the lad." Grimes comments. "The time, I suggest seems probable. A late cup of coffee turns to a ramble followed by an assault and violent ending in a beastly killing. Lovers' quarrel?"

Amanda picks up her coat and puts it back on. "Are you up to coming with us, Mrs. Pelletoot?" she asks. "If not, I'm sure the detective can ask you questions later, and the other police will still be here. Will you be all right?"

Following Felix's outburst, Millicent looks towards him, "The 'Slaughterhouse Case', I presume that is a tale worth hearing"

"Detective Grimes is the one to tell you; fortunately I know little about it."



"A 'Lovers quarrel,' " repeats Felix, "now that, Ms. Broadacre, would make for a controversial best seller--men in love and a gruesome murder," he doesn't enjoy salacious details, but is aware of what the public feed upon.

All Investigators,[ooc]A word on Drives: To keep the team together and keep things moving forward I'm going to suggest the following drivers to investigating Hector Hornley's demise... -- Grimes - Aside from the fact it is his job, his revenge drive pushes him to adopt unorthodox methods of investigation. We have already seen him allow the other investigators to assist. He recognises his limitations and is prepare to have the others tag along to get the job done quickly. -- Felix - Curiosity has already gotten to him and he is determined to follow this case until it is solved, helping out where he can. He is also curious about a potential partnership with Millicent his pictures and her prose might make a bestseller! -- Millicent - Arrogance has her believing that this is going to be the story that will be her big break. She's not unhappy about sharing the limelight with Felix as it will lead to better things. She also believes she can be just as good a investigator as Grimes. -- Sam - He is Grime's friend and is more than happy just to tag along with him for tonight at least. Waiting in the wings. The link to the old burned book has already peaked his interest in the case though. -- Amanda - Perhaps is the hardest to fit. She is being brought along because she needs to give her statement in the car primarily. Her sensitivity has perhaps given her the desire to give Mrs. Pelletoot the answers she deserves - she will look to follow up on the room-mate lead as soon as possible. Does that sound okay? Let me know if your unhappy with any of the above...meanwhile to Grime's motor.[/ooc]

The large Ford Model Y was parked perfectly at the curb outside the Strand apartment. Grimes opened the door for the ladies to sit in the back. It was surprising clean inside and Amanda could have sworn that she spotted Grimes wipe a smudge from the shiny black paint job with his handkerchief.

The story continues...here...