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Post by TheUdjat on Jun 3, 2008 8:55:31 GMT -5
[That seems to pretty much cover it, for what you know of London at present.]
Everyone-Saturday, January 31st, 1925With some discussion about your options, it is ultimately agreed that a meeting with Penhew should be arranged, as soon as possible. Tommy also notes that he was advised to meet with Inspector Barrington, per Lt. Poole’s recommendation.
A quick call to the Penhew Foundation establishes that it is closed on the weekends. With a little checking around, you discover that its hours are 8:30-5, Monday-Friday. It seems you will have to wait for that meeting with Edward Gavigan.
Pursuing Inspector Barrington proves far more successful. A quick call establishes that he is in his office, working hard, but a chance encounter with a newsboy quickly reveals why. The newsboy is ardently hawking a newspaper called The Scoop, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Egyptian murders again! Read all about it!” Obviously, it catches your attention. The article reads as follows:An unidentified foreigner was found floating in the Thames this Tuesday, the 24th victim in a series of bizarre slayings.
Though Inspector James Barrington of the Yard had no immediate comment, sources exclusive to The Scoop agreed that the victim had been beaten severely by one or more assailants, and then stabbed through the heart.
This series of murders has continued over the space of three years, to the bafflement of our faithful Metropolitans. Must we hope that Mr. Sherlock Holmes, though reported by Mr. Doyle to be in retirement, will one last time rise to the defense of our majestic isles?
Readers of The Scoop are reminded that this esteemed journal has a standing reward for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of the perpetrators, in an amount now risen to 24 pounds with the latest death. Be on guard!Two things immediately jump out at you about the front page article. The first is, obviously, the appearance of Inspector Barrington’s name in relation to the murders—it would seem Lt. Poole was right. If strange things are occurring, the Inspector must surely be aware of them. The second strangeness about the murders occurs only to Rebecca, who reels for a moment with the weight of it.
It is the nature of the deaths that strikes her as particularly haunting. Beaten by multiple assailants, and then stabbed through the heart... it all bears a striking resemblance to accounts she read in Life as a God, where the author recounted one of the cult’s favorite ways of sacrificing victims. Members of the Brotherhood would beat their victims with stout clubs, and when the time came to kill them, they would stab them through the heart with a single spike on one side of the club.
The little revelation sends a chill down Rebecca’s spine. The death is uncannily similar to a sacrifice of the Brotherhood of the Black Pharoah. Could the things she so recently read about be true? Could this cult still be alive, and in London of all places? [Rebecca loses 2 Sanity] [I’ll pause here before continuing to the meeting with Inspector Barrington, in case others would like to accompany Tommy or some other course of action is desires.] List of clues |
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Post by Japic on Jun 3, 2008 9:03:45 GMT -5
Being a brit citizen, Thurman would wish to accompany Tommy to see the Inspector; it might not hurt to have someone local on his side.
{Further comments witheld until then; still really busy at work, as always}
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Post by MaestroXC on Jun 3, 2008 9:10:47 GMT -5
Taking the paper from the young paper seller in exchange for some coins, Sam reads for less than a minute before his jaw drops.
"Twenty-four murders? Dear lord! It doesn't sound like there are similarities to what happened to Jackson, or poor Joe, but still...brutal."
Sam gives an involuntary sneer of disgust as he reads on.
"Here's the fellow Poole mentioned. I think I may come with you, Tommy, I'd like to speak with the Inspector myself, if he has the time."
Sam turns back to the paper, but only for a moment before noticing Rebecca's stricken look.
"Are you feeling quite alright, Miss Devereaux?"
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Post by VemuKhaham on Jun 3, 2008 13:59:37 GMT -5
Gray stands by as Sam reads the paper. He had perhaps heard of the series of murders before (or perhaps not, as he's been in London only intermittently in the last years), but only now was everything suddenly placed in a new light. "Aweful, isn't it? And it's been going on for three years now."
But unless Gray remembered it from his own reading of the papers in the past, he would be curious about one thing: the boy called this series the Egyptian murders, but the article doesn't say why. To the newsboy, he raises the question: "Hey there, lad! What's so 'Egyptian' about those murders, as you say?"
Gray would go along to the police office. If he was to get involved in this, he might as well go all the way.
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Post by TheUdjat on Jun 3, 2008 14:04:07 GMT -5
But unless Gray remembered it from his own reading of the papers in the past, he would be curious about one thing: the boy called this series the Egyptian murders, but the article doesn't say why. To the newsboy, he raises the question: "Hey there, lad! What's so 'Egyptian' about those murders, as you say?" "They call 'em 'gyptian for the victims. Seventeen o' the poor blokes is 'gyptian! Or was, rather." And then he turns back to his business. |
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Post by Yakumo on Jun 3, 2008 17:53:01 GMT -5
"Hah" Tommy laughs as he hears the news. "It figures that there are murders happening here as well, why wouldn't there be?"
As Tommy copies the article down in his journal for future reference he perks his head up upon hearing the name Sherlock Holmes, "I'm sorry, I might not read too much, but isn't Holmes a made up detective? A good one, sure, but made up none the less? The newspaper is just using the idea of Holmes to encourage Londoners that one of their own inspectors will solve the case soon....right?" He turns to Gray, "I know you have been out of touch with England you say, but Holmes isn't a real detective now is he?"
Brushing it off and satisfied to have a new clue, Tommy is happy to move on to meet the Inspector, "Hopefully he'll have some answers or at least help for us......and maybe he can tell me whether or not Holmes is actually real." While mildly disturbed if he were to learn that a person he thought was made up was in fact real, Tommy is actually a bit excited for the possibility to meet the Legendary Detective, as slim and unlikely as it might be.
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Aegea
Seasoned Warrior
Posts: 88
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Post by Aegea on Jun 3, 2008 18:06:29 GMT -5
"Are you feeling quite alright, Miss Devereaux?" Rebecca is silent for a few seconds, visibly attempting to pull herself together so that she can explain what has so distressed her. I don't understand how this could be happening she thinks almost in a strange, objective sort of way. That book is connected somehow to..to what Carlyle was doing, but...She finally says, shakily, "Thurman, you know that book I've been studying a lot, the one I got from Erica Carlyle? Wel..." She looks around at the others. "These sorts of murders were spoken of in that book...the EXACT same method of death. Beating, and...and stabbing through the heart..." She finds herself rambling a bit, something quite out of character for her, almost as if she's thinking outloud and paying less attention to who is listening. "Did someone read the book and decide to murder people in order to gain something? Or...or..." she is now muttering softly to herself, shaking her head in confusion. |
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Post by Yakumo on Jun 3, 2008 18:19:23 GMT -5
Tommy, feeling foolish for being so ignorant of the Lady's distress, lights a cigarette and offers her an unlit one. "Hey, kid don't worry about it so much right now. We can discuss this with the good inspector, if the killings' styles are identical, I'm sure he'll want to know."
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Post by VemuKhaham on Jun 4, 2008 6:00:21 GMT -5
[Assuming the answer (if my character knowledge is different, let me know)]:
Gray chuckles. "As real as your American Cisco kid, or what do they call him? Purely fictional therefore, an icon of justice for all private investigators such as you."
But to see miss Devereux in such shock quickly diminishes his wit. He lets Thurman and the others comfort her, being her closer friends, but stands by nonetheless. He will ponder on these things while they walk to the police office.
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