Pursuing the Brotherhood - 01

[TheUdjat]

SPOILER: Click to show

A couple of questions:

1. Who’s car was being used to drive around to Tewfik’s shop and the Limehouse Docks?

2. What location is most of the group staying/working/meeting at? Thurman and Grey both have residences in the area. Presumably Thurman’s equipment and books are located at his place, but is that where everyone’s been working from? Are William, Tommy, and Sam staying with one of the others, or on their own?

Just some important details it’s good to know.

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Everyone-

With new information and several leads that bring up more questions than answers, the group resolves on several courses of action to follow up. It is generally agreed that the investigators should approach Inspector Barrington to enlist his aid in pursuing Tewfik, with the overwhelming evidence impossible to ignore. Plans are made, but they will have to wait until the morning, once some rest has been had.

Tuesday, February 3rd, 1925

Bright and early, William rises to get his darkroom equipments set up, isolating a room wherever he is and putting up the soft amber light necessary to do his work. The process takes a while, and William knows he can’t approach it in too hurried a fashion, but he does manage to have the critical prints finished for Tommy’s trip up to Scotland Yard.

At the same time, Grey looks into his resources abroad to look into the matter of Shanghai. His resources out East are by no means numerous, given his focus on Africa, but the good Colonel manages to reach an associate with the Royal Geographical Society after several hours of calling around. Unfortunately, the man is not equipped to give any information—he has not the time to look into things, and the name Ho Fong Shipping doesn’t ring any bells for him. He does give Grey contact information for a private investigator in the area, however, so that he might have that gentleman look into matters—assuming Grey is willing to foot the bill.

While those men pursue their own expertise, Tommy is informed via phone that a telegram has been received on his behalf. Hurrying to the station, Tommy is pleased to discover that his telegram to Miss Miriam Atwright has been garnered a reply from the Harvard librarian. She writes:

DISTRESSED BY NEWS OF ELIAS STOP WILLING TO HELP AS NEEDED STOP SIGNED ATWRIGHT

It would seem there is at least one ally back home.

SPOILER: Click to show

By the time afternoon rolls around, the group has everything it set out to acquire for speaking with Barrington, and a meeting with the Inspector has been arranged. [Please let me know who’s going.] When the group arrives, the front office is quick to lead them back to the Inspector, who rises eagerly to greet them.

“Please, please, come in.” He is clearly excited, though much of it is quelled behind his professional air. “I truthfully did not expect to hear anything so soon—if at all—from you gentlemen. Perhaps there was something to Lieutenant Poole’s recommendation.”

SPOILER: Click to show

[You may provide specifics to what Inspector Barrington is told, if you like. I will assume he is shown the photographs and given a rundown of information attained from the Blue Pyramid and Tewfik’s abode, perhaps with an apology for violating the law (which will be kind of impossible not to talk about).]

The Inspector listens to your story carefully, nodding as you go. His face darkens on mention of Tommy and William unlawful entry into the spice shop, but he says nothing, first listening to hear how everything unwinds. His eyes widen when confronted with the photographs, which he sifts through eagerly. When the speaker is finished laying out the facts, Barrington responds.

“Gentlemen, this is incredible news. Departures from the Blue Pyramid, conspicuous items in the home of this paragon of the Egyptian community... Very valuable, to be sure. I am frankly amazed any of the natives were willing to talk to you—we could get nothing out of them. I will have to speak to those that performed the stakeout of the Club, to see how they missed this.” He shakes his head, flipping through the photographs. “It appears I owe Mr. Elias a posthumous apology. With these items, the cult angle becomes far more viable.”

“I admit I am not thrilled with the method that you obtained this evidence, but I think it will suffice for the greater good in this case. We can use the other tips to arrange a proper search of Tewfik’s flat, discover the items, and easily be able to connect him to the murders. Perhaps with some proper questioning...” He trails off when the expression of one of the group betrays a problem. “What is it?”

SPOILER: Click to show

[This is the point where somebody gets to tell the Inspector that Tommy took the items from Tewfik’s home.]

The Inspector is aghast. “You... you took them?!” A hand slams down on the desk. “What possessed you to do such a thing? Now there is nothing in his home to make the connection—in fact, I bet he has already reported some kind of generic theft to cover his tracks. Even though these photos clearly show the items in his home, he can claim fraud!” He glowers at the group. “Our best lead yet—compromised!”

SPOILER: Click to show

[Sorry to assume so much of the conversation, gents, but I wanted to move things along, and much of the conversation felt predictable. I’ll pause here to let you guys jump in.]

List of clues (Updated at long last!)

[Yakumo]

......shit....ummmm I'll think of something soon. I can put them back right? That's not against the law

[Rojito]

(Knew i shoulda insisted )

[VemuKhaham]

Content with what little information he could finally obtain, for he had indeed only few connections in the Society's Asian department, Grey was sure his fellow investigators would appreciate it if someone would be able to do some research for them in Shanghai up front. To make sure however, he decided to go along the next day to the meeting with Barrington, as well as to listen along with whatever decisions might be taken. He was however somewhat anxious about the legality issue, and had for some time doubted the wisdom behind visiting the inspector at this time, but he had resorted for now to leave the complexities of the investigation on the cult here in London to Tommy.

When Barrington learned of the theft of evidence at Tewfik's, Grey couldn't help but nod defeatedly at the inspector's anger. But things had happened the way they had happened and, Grey finally spoke aloud, keeping his voice calm (partly to prevent the situation from escalating further) though with a hint of regret only appropriate for the situation: "We cannot undo what is done, Inspector, and I do regret it, but let us not forget the facts: arresting Tewfik alone might stop one man's involvement in evil practices but it would not lead to the dismantling of the entire cult at work in the city, for he will likely not easily betray his dangerous fellow cultists. Though there may now be more reason for alertness among their ranks, we can still try to follow the far more important lead of the trucks presumed to leave the Blue Pyramid regularly; I am positive that whatever is done then is far more incriminating to the cult as a whole than anything Tewfik kept in his private abode. But what will be required will be manpower and the necessary equipment to shadow these trucks unnoticed."

Grey, seated with his legs crossed, now leaned back in his chair, trying to come accross business-like, not overly worried, so as to give the impression of self-assurance that what the group had done was to the best of their judgment at the time.

[Japic]

Feeling rather like a mishaving schoolchild brought before the headmaster, Thurman feels chastised, though deep down he knows that this man was no lord over him or his actions. He also knows that he had nothing to do with the actual theft, so the guilt at his association with the mess decreases.

Gray's words are wise, and as usual the vioce of reason when things begin to get out of hand. He mutters more to himself than anyone else, "Done is done, no taking it back."

(I'm pretty busy and don't really have much to offer here, so game on. Oh, I still have a flat and no car; so if my house is a base of operations, that's ok. It is a little cramped though for all of us.)

[VemuKhaham]

SPOILER: Click to show

[Forgot to address your questions: I think Grey's car was used, so if you want to send some evil goons upon me, that's fine.
As for the place of rest, Grey has offered his place to his fellow investigators, so they're welcome. They can determine for themselves each who stays with Grey, Thurman, or otherwise.]

[Yakumo]

"Mr. Grey is right, what is done is done, and unless you are suggesting that one man is behind a mass slaying in London, than my actions are inconsequential in the sense of this investigation. I did what I thought needed to be done." Tommy goes to light a cigarette, but leaves it dangling in his mouth, remembering the inspector's distaste for smoking in his office.

"Besides, I believe that the moment we set foot into the Blue Pyramid and asked questions the cult would be alerted of an investigation. I think I was justified in taking the items for further examination, legality be damned. This doesn't change anything, we have shown you that there is reasonable suspicion of cult activity involved in the murders and that they may be operating out of the Blue pyramid. Personally I think that The Penhew Foundation might be involved as well considering the strange artifacts that are being unregistered and sent out of the the country."

"Most of all" he adds, "there is a pattern in these trucks leaving the Pyramid, every full [new I don't remember] moon. So I say we follow that truck and see just where it is they are going and what they are doing. Last time we looked into one of these cults, we found them killing two innocent people and they took two more lives to cover there tracks and abandoned their location."