[IC] Chapter 2: Hereford

[speshul]

Tom turns to the police officer. "This ruffian mugged a cabbie outside of the Green Dragon, saw it myself, so I gave chase and did a citizens arrest" He pauses for a moment looks at the blood on his face " I didn't hit him, he ran full smack into the bike, I just secured him"

Spoiler:

Did Tom managed to get any information out or search? Tom will cooperate with the police man but try to find some information out.

[jp1885]

Mr. Pritchard

Sighing with exasperation, the Constable looks at the pair of you. Your quarry remains quiet and still.

"Oh yes? Sounds fishy to me sir..."

OOC:   Perhaps a persuade roll would be in order? So far you haven't found anything on the miscreant's person.

Everyone else

The ancient butler looks askance at Miss Knight.

"It's not my place to say miss, but I believe it was your employer, the fellow at Eton. I'm sure Mr. Yem will be able to fill you in if you'd all care to step inside."

Unless there is anything else the assembled personages wish to do, perhaps it might be wise to get out of the drizzle and into the dry?

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you, that makes sense," says Cynthia, who is already inside.

[speshul]

Looking around, Tom will ask the witnesses by using his army voice if any of them saw what happened and con confirm he didn't hit the man only secured him. he will do his best to convince the police man too. resorting to dropping names if required.

Spoiler:

[dice]0[/dice] persuade 10
[dice]1[/dice]intimidate? the crowd 20

[Zero]

Henry Joseph Lewis III carefully lowered himself from the carriage and approached the butler, top hat still perfectly positioned. He advanced slightly ahead of Miss Knight with every intent of getting out of the rain quickly.

"Henry Joseph Lewis III. Show me to your master." he said with assertion.

Credit Rating (99),[dice]0[/dice]

OOC:   That's a hard success on the Credit Rating roll.

[jp1885]

Mr. Pritchard

The crowd are suitably impressed by your authoritative voice, but from their murmurings, it is clear that none of them were in the other street when the incident happened.

"All we saw was you two running out of the alley and crashing into each other," is the general consensus.

The police constable is less impressed by your version of events.

"I dunno what's going on here, but I will not have people fighting in the street. I think it's best if you both accompany me back to the station. C'mon, up you get."

Keeper only,Odds Tom, evens the other fellow[dice]0[/dice]

After you get to your feet, he grabs the other chap by the collar and hauls him up. It is clear that the fellow is conscious, but he says nothing, merely shifting his sullen gaze between the you and the constable.

Unless you have any particular action in mind, it seems that you have no choice but to walk to the nearest police station.

Everyone else

The aged retainer nods.

"That is indeed what I intend to do sir," he replies to Mr. Lewis, clearly impressed by the man's authority. "This way..."

After your hats and coats are taken, you are shown into a modest yet welcoming parlour. The room contains a number of guests, presumably local worthies of one sort or another. They turn as your presence is announced.

"The Eton party, sir."

"Aha! Welcome welcome!"

A short, bald and rather florid fellow bears down on you, vigorously shaking your hands in turn.

"Harold Yem, solicitor, at your service! I hope you will forgive the short notice and indeed impertinence of my invitation, but when I received Dr. Preedy's telegram, I knew that our meeting would be most, if you forgive the pun, solicitous."

Before you can respond, he takes a very elderly gentleman with a shock of white hair by the arm, dragging him from a whiskey decanter.

"May I present my partner, Mr. Eustace Harrison. Well, he was my late father's partner originally, but I am fortunate to have taken over dear papa's duties."

Mr. Harrison studies you myopically through thick spectacle lenses before focusing his gaze on his large fob watch.

"Mmm? Preedy's bunch eh? Early I see - good! Too many funny things going on recently - wouldn't do to be late, what?"

[LTD1969]

I say to Mr Harrison, "I take it these people aren't here for the reading of the will, I thought that had already been done. I'm guessing these local worthies are perturbed by developments at the old squire's stamping ground?"

[speshul]

Tom follows the policeman willingly, keeping an eye on the thug.

[Mr. Handy]

"Pleased to meet you," says Cynthia. "I'm Miss Cynthia Knight. I'll say funny things are going on all right. We nearly were late. A rather disreputable chap attempted to bribe our cabbie to get us lost. When the cabbie would have none of it, the man assaulted him!"

[Whitehorse]

"Well met, Mr Yem, Mr Harrison. I'm Grigori Tereshchenko, delighted to meet you. Perhaps you could explain the occasion and indeed the strange goings on you mention? It may be that we can provide some assistance..."

[Zero]

Henry Joseph Lewis III removed his hat and overcoat shortly after he entered the foyer and presented them to the butler. He followed the others into the parlor, but initially paid little mind to their hosts and instead began a close examination of a ceramic vase which he suspected was of Chinese origin. The young dilettante had desired to expand his collection of Oriental artifacts and was thoroughly impressed with the piece. He removed the silk handkerchief from his lapel pocket and carefully cleaned a thin layer of dust which had gathered upon its rim. He glanced up as the others had completed their own introductions and finally approached the pair of men with his hand extended.

"Henry Joseph Lewis III. This piece is rather impressive. Ming Dynasty perhaps?" he said, indicating the vase he had been examining with a quick shift of his gaze. In truth, he had no idea what era the artifact belonged to, only a reasonable supposition of its country of origin.

[jp1885]

Mr. Pritchard

You and your sullen companion are taken to a nearby police station: a typically austere affair, made even more so by the black autumn night. The pair of you are plonked unceremoniously onto a bench in the holding room, but are given little time to interact before the constable appears and begins to jot down notes.

"Right, let's get this over and done with. Please state your names."

"Arthur Smith," mutters the miscreant. "I din't do nothing! We got into a bit of a scrap over a cab, that's all - no 'arm done."

You notice that his accent is different to the rural burr of the locals.

OOC:   Perhaps an EDU check will reveal from whence this fellow hails?

Everyone else

Mr. Yem bows to the assembled company.

"Oh this? A mere social soiree. When we received your employer's telegram, we thought it only polite to invite you. You see before you some of the most influential people of our fair city, but, while they may have read about the Wergyn inheritance in the papers, they have little interest in such matters unless it directly concerns them. No, they are here to sample our hospitality, nothing more."

"And to gossip if anything untoward happens!" Mr. Harrison interrupts. "Our office is broken into, our correspondence opened, our telegrams read, and now someone has tried to stop you coming here! Bah! I knew that Wergyn business was bad news - felt it in my bones I did! Mark my words, that new squire chappie is behind all this!"

"Now now Mr. Harrison, you know better than to cast aspersions like that," admonishes his partner. "Oh, Mr. Lewis, do please put that down - it's not a Ming alas - I bought it from Bainbridge's in Birmingham - but it is an exact copy and still rather expensive."

"Pah!" the old fellow scoffs. "Ideas above your station boy! You know full well that the new chappie is doing everything he can to get his grubby hands on that parcel of land! You should have seen the fuss he kicked up when I had our clerk go over there to make a map of the area. That's what why he's been snooping around. Good job I had extra copies made. In fact, I have one for you people..."

He disappears for a moment, before returning with a large piece of paper.

"Not the most accurate I'm afraid, but our clerk was uncharacteristically slapdash that day - silly fool got all spooked!"

He hands you the map...

"You can see the bounder has already diverted the brook so he can water his own fields! I'll wager that's why he's messing us about - trying to cover his tracks!"

[Whitehorse]

First things first... Lewis has attracted his attention with his mention of the vase.

Grigori very much doubts it is Ming, but perhaps somewhat later, maybe Qing Dynasty? He examines the piece...

Appraise 60%,[dice]0[/dice]

[jp1885]

Mr. Tereshchenko,Despite the look of alarm from Mr. Yem, you handle the vase. Judging by the marks underneath and indeed the overall workmanship of the piece, it is obviously the modern reproduction it’s owner claims it to be. It is still worth a pretty penny, but is nowhere near a priceless antique artefact.

[Mr. Handy]

"Our initial research showed that Jack O'Kent appears to be a reference to a legendary 'clever man' in the area," says Cynthia. "I checked the genealogical records to see if there really was a family named O'Kent in Herefordshire, but there's no record of them. I see labels on the map for O'Kent's Meadow and O'Kent's Cottage. Do you know if anyone actually lived or lives in the cottage?"

[jp1885]

"Oh, yes, old Jim O'Kent has lived in that cottage ever since I can remember and we have documents going back donkey's years granting the family rights of tenantry from the Barneby's. Wouldn't surprise me if the library held such records going back to the Norman conquest, which was when the village was founded, or so the late squire used to tell me. Funny old cove mind, O'Kent - not that I'd call him clever; he's barely literate as far as I know. Cunning though, oh yes, very sharp in that respect."

[Mr. Handy]

"Sounds like just the chap we should talk to," says Cynthia. "Have you ever heard of something called 'O'Kent's Boundary?'"

[jp1885]

"That's the name of the parcel of land that's at the centre of this legal dispute my dear.

Mr. Harrison pats Miss Knight's hand, somewhat condescendingly.

"You'll notice that's the title of the map."

[LTD1969]

I say to Harrison, "Any particular reason why the Scheld's course has been diverted?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Oh," says Cynthia, blushing with embarrassment. That'll teach me to let my mind wander, she thinks. "He diverted the Scheld to steal its water for his own lands,"