London Fog - 03

[TheUdjat]

Scotland Yard-

Inspector Barrington stays impressively quiet while Tommy and Rebecca speak. His face does take a bit of a sour turn when Tommy insinuates taking illegal steps, but it is gone a moment later. As he continues, and the cult angle is mentioned, the Inspector shifts in his chair, frowning thoughtfully.

When finally Tommy has finished, the Inspector moves. The first thing he does is take the cigarette out of Tommy’s mouth, delicately snuffing it on a little dish on his desk. “No smoking in my office, Mr. Cannon.”

That done, he leans back in his chair, folding his hands and looking over the group pensively. “It’s an interesting theory,” he says, after a few moments. “Actually, I find it curious that you mention Jackson Elias. It was Mr. Elias that first broached the idea that these were cult killings, perpetrated by a group he called the ‘Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh.’” He frowns. “I regret to hear that he has passed. Unfortunately, nothing came of our investigations into this. Consultations with the Penhew Foundation have assured us that the cult has no modern day equivalent, and that the killings were not, in fact, like those done by the ancient cult.” He pauses, eyes flickering over Rebecca. “Though I would be curious to see this book, Madame—though from what you say of this author, I am not certain how much stock I can put into it. I suspect the courts would laugh at me for using it as a means to solve this case.”

He smile ruefully. “But I suppose my other leads have not been working out, so I shouldn’t be stingy with what comes my way, should I? And Lt. Poole did recommend you...” He seems frankly undecided how to feel about this recommendation, after what he’s heard.

“Cult murders,” he mumbles to himself. The inspector sighs heavily. “I am not sure how all this business of Mr. Elias and the Carlyle Expedition relates to my investigation here, though it seems to have led both you and Mr. Elias to me. I find your deep interest in the investigation, honestly, a little suspect.” He looks particularly at Tommy. “Tell me, what do you hope to gain from looking into this matter? How does it further your own ends? It seems strange to me that you should appear out of the blue, with a great, complicated story and the same cult angle I’ve heard before—and with a connection to Elias, no less. Somewhat suspect, you understand. What do you hope to gain here, even willing to sacrifice your own goals to try and help me, as you put it Mr. Cannon?”

[MaestroXC]

[That will teach me to wait. I had just hit "post" on my reply to the last topic when a message came up telling me it was locked.]

Sam, sitting in a chair off to the side of the inspector's desk looks edgewise at Tommy, an awkward moue twisting his face as the fast-talking investigator tries to score a job with Scotland Yard.

At the inspector's mention of speaking with Jackson Elias, Sam's eyes widen.

"I'm surprised that Jackson Elias was willing to contact you, sir. From what information we have, it would appear that by the time he was in London, he may have been...disinclined to approach authority figures.

Nonetheless, I am glad he did; secrecy is the accomplice of our quarry; it does not behoove us to keep secrets.

I have been a friend of Mr. Elias for some years now, ever since I moved to New York after the war. I never gave much serious consideration to his researches into cult behavior, until he recently telegrammed me from London, imploring me to gather a team of investigators to meet with him upon his return to New York and to assist him in his research. He was very vague, but I did what I could to bring together a suitable group, with talents in archaeology, occult research, and practical investigation."

Sam indicates his partners in the room. "When we went to meet with Jackson upon his return, we discovered him murdered in his hotel room, disemboweled and marked with the sign of a hideous cult, which we now know to be an African sect, the Cult of the Bloody Tongue."

Again looking at Rebecca, Thurman, and Tommy, he goes on. "There were originally six of us in New York; two members of our own little group were kidnapped or killed by the cult after we discovered one of their heinous rituals, and one decided that discretion was the better part of valor. But we have followed the trail of Jackson's movements back to London, and I do not think this will be our last voyage. I personally will do all that is in my power to see that whoever was responsible for the killing of Jackson Elias and our friends in New York will be held accountable."

Sam, tense and leaning farther forward as he continues his tale, now relaxes back into his chair and folds his hands.

"That is why we wish to aid you, Inspector, because we believe these cults must be connected. You have seen their handiwork; there is no place in civilized society for madmen such as this. They must be utterly destroyed, or the death and cruelty they espouse will continue to increase and thrive."

[VemuKhaham]

Colonel Gray, content with listening and answering only questions directly addressed to him, remained seated and was silent while the others spoke. He thought Sam was a better spokesman in general than Tommy, and was quite relieved to note the subtle repudiation by the inspector of Tommy's less than legal suggestions. Meanwhile, he continued to be intrigued, even amazed, by the tales that were told on both sides of the office desk.

[Japic]

Thurman holds, he is not actively involved in the discussion. If pressed they will supply copies fo information, but no teh original manuscript to the police. They belonged to Thurman now, no need to get it confiscated as evidence.

[Yakumo]

Tommy sighs as the Inspector snuffs out his cigarette. He takes out another and puts it in his mouth and catches himself before lighting it, rather just leaves it unlit.

"I know it might seem a bit suspect, but don't you think it more curious that on two separate cases, months apart, individuals have approached you about this sort of matter? A matter that otherwise spoken in public would deem a person unhinged or at least discredited, I mean look at this, there are two people of academia background that are willing enough to speak about this with you, a police officer, when in other cases, knowing too much about a murder makes you a suspect, in this case only leads you to be believe that we have pieced together more."

Tommy looks to the others then back again to the Inspector, "That's just it though, doesn't it seem odd that we have a great and complicated story that we are all in sync on, you'd think that one of us wouldn't be on board with it right? I mean we all have other jobs, 'better' things to be doing, but this is a serious concern of ours. As for what I hope to gain here? Well, I'm starting to think that what we are looking into has more of a reach beyond Africa than I first thought, I think that if I, or we, help you, we'll get more information that we need to help ourselves. You have the saying in London too right? We scratch your back, you scratch ours?"