Strathmorn (everyone)

[Philulhu]

McBride shook his head. ”Please accept my apologies. I have had a trying day and I am forgetting my manners.” he said.

He pushed the door open. ”Won’t you come in? My supper can wait. It’s only cold meats and cheese. I’d ask you to dine with me but I haven’t enough in to feed everyone.”

Yes, very definitely an English accent, probably from the North West.

[Snapper]

Ascot looks at the others in silent question.

[Joajackson]

Ascot looks at the others in silent question.

And the Father Ó Shaban answered by making a negative declaration, as a sickly elderly man having a cough.

"Cough cough. Forrgiveness good Doctorr, but I think we shall refuse. Ze night in ze village seems dangerous zis days. Zere is ze dangerrous animals abound. Inshallah, but I zing we should leave beforre dark."

[Mr. Handy]

"Let's nae be so hasty, Father," says Bonnie. "It would be rude to refuse our host's hospitality. It's quite all right that we won't be able to eat here. We can always sup back at the inn."

[BoyBlunder78]

"I agree Bonnie ww can fill our bellies back at the inn later. I think we owe our gracious host an explanation on why we have called upon him at this hour. As Sir Ascot has eluded too, our interests may be connected regarding the McMorns, with both the present AND past situations."
Dr Douglas emphasises the 'AND past' to maybe tease a reaction from McBride.

OOC:   Psychology: 30 1d100

[Philulhu]

McBride shrugged. ”You came to see me but now you can’t seem to decide whether you actually want to talk to me or not,” he said. ”If you’re undecided then let me save you the worry of venturing out at night. I’ll come and see you at the pub after my supper. How does that sound?”

Ascot doesn’t get any reaction to his statement, as far as he can tell.

[Snapper]

"Thank you, doctor, that sounds an excellent plan. We'll look forward to sharing a drink later."

"It's been a long day, my friends. Shall we head back to the hotel and see what supper there is?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Aye, thank ye, we'll see ye there, Doctor," says Bonnie.

[BoyBlunder78]

"We look forward to seeing you then good Doctor."

[Philulhu]

Strathmorn Hotel, Main Road, Strathmorn, Inverness-shire
Friday 20 March 1931. 7.00pm

The party were just finishing their evening meal, plain fare but cooked well, as the Doctor entered the bar. Carrying a notebook under his arm, he ordered a pint at the bar, then carried it over to their table.

”Good evening,” he said. ”That’ll be Mrs MacPherson’s clootie dumplings you’re eating, if I’m any judge.”

[Snapper]

Ascot nods happy agreement. "If I live long enough to retire, I may have to retire here to Scotland for the food and countryside alone."

"Now, do not forget we have promised you a good scotch for your time, Doctor."

[Philulhu]

Dr McBride smiled. ”Don’t worry, I havent forgotten,” he replied. ”Now, how can I help you?”

[Mr. Handy]

"We're particularly interested in finding out more about Alex McMorn," says Bonnie. "What do ye ken about him, Doctor?"

[Philulhu]

”Alex McMorn? He was the son of Gordon McMorn, the owner of McMorn Manor,” he replied. He turned and pointed out of the window, although it was dark outside and nothing could be seen. ”That’s the big house on the hill,” he said helpfully.

”He disappeared about a century ago and the house has stood empty ever since.”

[Snapper]

"As I was explaining to some other members of the local community yesterday, doctor, we're volunteers sent here by a society down south."

"This society wants to debunk the rumours that the, ah, horrible incident was caused by ghosts or other supernatural causes. While the police are convinced the culprit has been caught, we have been considering other options."

"I'm in the big game hunting business in Africa. One theory I've considered is that some large predator from Africa or elsewhere was brought back here, as an exotic pet. Maybe a breeding pair. No offence, Miss." Ascot looks slightly embarrassedly at Bonnie.

"Something killed that sheep and it wasn't a fox. What if there's a family of these predators that have been living in that manor or nearby all these years?"

[Philulhu]

”If it were some sort of exotic creature that Alex McMorn brought back from Africa, then it would have been sighted before now, surely,” replied Dr McBride. ”It would either be very old, or it must have hibernated for a very long time, neither of which seem even remotely plausible.”

[Snapper]

"Oh, I agree. I'm not suggesting the original pet is still alive.
I doubt many animals in Africa get to age twenty, except elephants and some of the giant apes."

"No, my theory is that a <ahem> breeding pair were brought here, and generations of these animals have been quietly living somewhere about the manor."

"The obvious flaw in this theory is that no one had noticed these animals. And I'm not sure why they have become so dangerous now, either. I doubt Sherlock Holmes would approve of my theory."

"But what are your thoughts, doctor?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Supposedly there's a beastie in Loch Ness that's been there for quite some time," says Bonnie. "It's been sighted many times, but nobody's ever actually found proof of it. If it's real, it's managed to stay mostly hidden for a long while, so maybe land animals could too. They may live underground, possibly on the grounds of the manor. If nobody goes there, that would explain why they've gone undisturbed all this time. If they've exhausted whatever food supply they've been living on, that could also explain why they've come out now to prey on the sheep."

[BoyBlunder78]

Regarding current events Dr McBride you will have seen the body of the unfortunate McMorn boy, from what information we have gleamed its more akin to an animal attack rather than human, would you say?"

[Philulhu]

Dr McBride smiled. ”We seem to be drifting off to the realms of fantasy but let me give you my perspective. If a breeding pair were brought back then they could only breed with themselves, is that right? Assuming it’s a larger animal then it takes time to reach maturity and they have relatively small litters. Even so, over one hundred years? Who knows.” He shrugged. ”But even if it had bred with local animals, surely it would have been noticed by now. Animals giving birth to strange hybrids and the like is unlikely to go unnoticed. If it wasn’t reported to the authorities then surely it would have been reported to the church - such occurrences are often taken for signs of the devil among more superstitious folk, are they not?”

“And to breed from just one pair invites all sorts of other problems. You’ll see a higher incidence of birth defects and other problems. It’s quite common in small villages,” he continued, glancing up at the bar. He seemed to be warming to the topic and he looked at Bonnie. ”I’d heard the same rumours about the Loch but it seems rather far-fetched, in my opinion. That said, assuming the food supply remains available, there would be no reason why such a creature might not survive. That does, however, highlight another deficiency in your theory about McMorn Manor. Wild animals don’t respect artificial boundaries - they go where the food goes. Is it really likely that they would have had such an abundant food supply for a century, so in all that time it never had the need to hunt beyond the boundaries of the estate?” He paused and took a drink from his pint. ”It seems most unlikely, doesn’t it?”

”As for Donald McColl - I assume that’s whom you’re talking about - he’d certainly taken quite a beating. I’m not sure I’d describe it as an animal attack - I could point you to any number of records which show that humans in the grip of mania are capable of quite brutal acts of violence. It is a common issue in the cities, I believe. Were I at home, I could show you any number of textbooks that support that point of view. It seems more than likely that young McLeod is the guilty party, in my view.”