Cat feels suitably chastened by Elgin's lecture about unsuitable allies, but also sees it as an opportunity to push her own agenda.
"I've told you guys all about Mary. I know she works for the Met, but she's in Professional Standards. It's her job to keep 'em honest. 'Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?', and all that. Sooooo... I was thinking maybe instead of just feeding her information from time to time, it would be easiest if we all got together and met face-to-face."
[Cat needs to make 2 CHA/Persuade rolls, 4+ for Elgin and 6+ for Amit: 7,6]
Elgin thinks it's certainly time to bring her in all the way, but Amit can't quite shake his reluctance. In the end he capitulates with "always interested to see your latest hopeless crush, Cat."
[Scene 16 : Meeting Mary]
3 December 7:08pm
Signal failure on the Hammersmith & City line has drawn out their nervous anticipation overmuch, but at long last Mary arrives on the doorstep bearing the promised takeaway.
Cat's introductions fall a bit flat. Amit's still anxious, but [Mental save succeeds] he has to admit that the chatty woman in his living room with the Wonder Woman t-shirt certainly doesn't act like she works for The Filth, so he manages to keep his nerve. Plus there's plenty of beer in the fridge to provide extra courage where needed. Come to think of it, she's been knocking them back pretty quickly, too.
Small talk was always doomed to failure. The conversation veers swiftly towards the mysterious Mr. Frost. Mary tells of her discovery of the kitchen, and tracing its ownership back to him, which eventually leads to her explanation of the waking dreams. She reluctantly shows off her still-livid bruises.
They all compare notes on Udar and Frost, and theorise about Angharad. Elgin shows off the photos of the manuscript he tried to take.
"why didn't you tell us this before?" asks Amit.
"I was still a bit too weirded out."
Mary is equal parts curious and terrified, but convinces Elgin to let her read his rough translation of the text. She's almost relieved when it doesn't mention cannibalism. Almost.
Then the time has come to make their plans. Cat and Elgin decide it's best they try to figure out what Angharad's got up to -- without attracting the notice of any of the cults. Mary wants Amit's help to investigate disappearances in Brick Lane. Amit surprises himself by blurting out, "I was just going to make that suggestion." How much beer has he had?
As if in answer, Elgin announces the fridge is now bare. They all throw on their coats, stumble down to the off licence for spirits and mixers.
2 days later...
[Scene 17 : Amit & Mary
Investigation scene (50/50 for either table): The event is known only to a few, and an Actor must be persuaded or “convinced” to help the PCs learn about its details or gain access to the site where it occurred.
NB The investigation contains a lot more summary than proper narrative. The adventure took a detour into Police Procedural territory, which just isn't my bag.]
Monday lunchtime, Amit meets up with Mary for lunch in a pub near Whitechapel. He's got on a respectable suit jacket, bought ages ago during a brief stint selling mobiles and recently extracted from his parents' loft (and also dry cleaned). He finds Mary has beat him there and grabbed a good table. He's inwardly relieved that despite being dressed like an detective from an ITV drama, her work clothes somehow don't make her look any more like a cop than she did in mufti.
Mary has taken some notes from one of the cold case files that the coroner showed her, the disappearance of a [1d30=] 20 year old Bangladeshi [d6=] woman, [1d10=] 4 years ago. She was one of the rare cases reported missing by the family. She needs Amit to come along as translator, and the chief negotiator if it comes to that.
[Mary needed an Int/Research roll of 6+ to find family's new address: 2d6+1=8, success.
Amit uses Folie à deux to get them through the door.
Socialite Challenge: They want revenge, because they’re too weak to get it.]
Mary takes Amit to the family's new home, an (ex-?)council flat on Bethnal Green road. He charms their way inside. The family is understandably nervous that the police have stopped by unannounced, but Mary has Amit explain her job, and that she is here to right past wrongs.
They are soon showed a file of newspaper clippings. The 'facts' of the disappearance given in the press are not what really happened. In truth, the police badgered them and coached them on what evidence to give, threatening them with deportation if they talked to any journalists.
[Amit needs a 10+ Cha/Persuade roll to convince them to tell all: 2d6+2=8, spend Expertise to re-roll: 2d6+2=12, success]
The main fact reported wrongly was the time and place of disappearance. Their 'testimony' said (as the papers 'confirmed') that they'd last seen her that morning when she left for work. In truth, she came home after work to get changed and go out for the evening with a friend, a girl she'd been at school with.
[Q: Do they know who with? Likely (3+): O6 C5 - yes.
1d3=1 person, d6=f
Q: Is the friend also Bangladeshi? 50/50 (4+): O1 C6 - no. 1d10000=Turkish (1d6: 1 Turkish, 2 Cypriot, 3-5 British-, 6 dual nationality): 1, Turkish
Q: Do they know where she lives now? Unlikely (5+): O1 C7 - no.
The Other Character Is... d12=11 Someone who helped them out of a crisis = a close friend, on whom she always used to rely]
They remember the friend's name, but little else. Mary (through Amit) says they will look her up, and promises she won't rest until she sees the case solved.
Once they leave the flat, Amit seems to completely deflate. Mary takes him back to the pub for a quick pint to show her gratitude; she'd never have gotten in the door without him.
She needs station resources to get any further, and promises she'll ring when she has a lead.
[Mary's further research--
Q: Were the investigating officers anyone Mary knows? Doubtful (6): O2 C8 - no.
Q: Are they still active coppers? Likely (3+): O4 C1 - yes, and... still investigating missing persons
Q: Does the Turkish friend have a record? doubtful (6): O3 C6 - no.
Tracking her down requires an 8+ Int/Research: 2d6+1=7, spend Expertise 2d6+1=8, success
Q: Anything else happen to either of them that day? Unlikely (5+): O1 C6 - no.]
[Scene 18 : Cat & Elgin]
Cat and Elgin are really feeling lost without Amit, who has all the contacts they might need. So instead, they take a trip to the British Library, where they request a pile each of esoteric tomes for perusal in the Humanities 1 Reading Room -- then spend 70 minutes in the café and perusing the free exhibition until they can be delivered.
[Research difficulty will be the same as determine in Part 14 (What Do Legends Say Of It? A few hints exist; difficulty 12).
Int/Research 12+: C 2d6+0=6, E 2d6+2=9]
They spend the entire rest of the day poring over obscure treatises in Latin (Cat) and Sanskrit (Elgin), but no matter where they look or how deeply they read, they cannot find any references whatsoever. It's as if the Silver House doesn't exist.
"You two are back late," says Amit.
Cat grumbles something defeatist as she plops onto the settee.
"So, how was your date?" asks Elgin.
"Shut up!" say Cat and Amit in chorus.
"Actually, though, it went ok," says Amit. "I wish more cops were like her. Or maybe I don't; my arse'd be in gaol by now, innit?"
"I deffo wanna hear all about it," says Cat, "but I was thinking we needed to talk to your mate Udar again."
"No worries. Let me ring him."
[Q: Does Udar answer? 50/50 (4+): O6 C3 - yes, but...]
The call is over in seconds, with Udar saying he can't talk now, but will try back later.
[Q: Does he? 50/50 (4+): O5 C5 - yes
+Event: Move toward a thread - bring / affection]
Amit's barely put his phone away when Cat's mobile rings. She checks the number and answers, holding the phone just off her ear so Elgin and Amit can hear too.
"Angharad... um, hi."
"Hello, Cat. I was thinking about it, and maybe you might like to come with me. You seem like the kind of girl I wouldn't mind getting to know. And it would be selfish of me not to ask you along. There's so much to be gained."
"Thanks, I um, I'm not sure what to say."
"You don't have say anything now. But I need your answer in [1d8-1=] three days. Think it over."
"Yeah... ok."
"Goodbye, my Cat."
"Bye."
[Cat gets a 12+ Wis/Perception roll to gauge the tenor of Angharad's call: 2d6+1=7, no idea]
Cat stares at her mobile a few seconds. "That was... different."
"You OK, Cat?" asks Amit.
"I'm honestly freaked out a bit by the invitation. I haven't been giving off the wrong vibes when we've been meeting her, have I? I mean, Angharad's well fit, but I'm a strictly vanilla kind of girl."
"It'd be good to find out what she's up to, though," says Elgin. "Who she's dealing with."
"Why though?" asks Amit. "And why the change of heart?"
"Because, upon reflection, I'm not so sure just letting her walk off was the wisest move. These things have a way of coming back to haunt you. And at the very least, if there's another group active in the area, we need to know about it."
"Why do I have the feeling you two are going to suggest I invite Angharad out for coffee...?" sighs Cat.
By the time Udar rings back, they've decided they don't need his help, so Amit puts him off with a "Just wanted to see how you're holding up, mate". Their current plan is to pour enough liquor into Cat so she can ring Angharad back and make an invitation.
[Scene 19 : further investigations]
The next day, Mary texts Amit about her new lead, but says she doesn't need any more help at the moment. He's almost disappointed.
[Q: Does she find the friend? 50/50 (4+): O1 C2 - no, and...]
She hits the streets alone, making enquiries after the Turkish girl, but in vain. No one's seen her in weeks. Maybe went abroad, they say. Mary doesn't believe a word of it and keeps digging.
[She'll use her Leading Whispers class ability to follow intuition to a contact who can offer clues]
Mary follows a hunch, and looks up the property manager at the (second) missing girl's last known address.
[Cha/Persuade 6+: 2d6-1=8, ok
SL People Who Want Something: 1d20=They want help, to accomplish something here.]
"You're here 'cause she went missing, innit? I knew it! She ain't been by in ages, and I still got a package that was delivered when she was at work. It didn't have no sender's name on it, so I didn't know what to do. I just kept it in the post room in case she came back. It's been [2d10=]five weeks now"
"Did she seem unusual at all the last time you saw her?" asks Mary.
[Q: Did she? 50/50 (4+): O3 C5 - no.]
"Not as I could tell."
"Can I see her flat?"
"Uh... I s'pose if it'll help you find her."
Mary dons latex gloves as the property manager grabs the master key ring.
[Wis/Perception 8+ for a clue: 2d6+2=9, success.
Q: What is the clue? Efficiently / Creepy]
The flat is a studio, and so tiny it makes Mary's seem downright palatial. The state of it is exactly what one would expect from the flat of a single 20-something: dishes in the sink, DVDs on the coffee table, unmade bed, and a recycling bin filled with Tesco's Finest wine bottles.
But amongst the clutter Mary's trained eye spots something vital, a crumpled-up polaroid in the corner, as if it had been thrown there. She unfolds it and lets out an involuntary cry when she sees it is the picture of an eviscerated woman. A note scrawled on the back in biro: 'all your parent's money won't save you if you say another word'. [UNE: prejudiced - bias - wealth; +1 madness for the sight (to 10)]
She finds a torn-open envelope on the kitchen counter bearing a name and address but no stamp; the threat was hand-delivered.
"So," says Mary as she slips the polaroid and envelope into an evidence bag, "I don't suppose you have CCTV here?"
[Q: Do they? Doubtful (6): O4 C2 - no, and...]
"We, uh, we do," mumbles the property manager. "But it's a really old system, so it's been taped over by now. We only have a week's worth of cassettes..."
Mary admonishes the manager not to say anything about her visit, as it's not in the public interest to get the tabloids involved.
next post: circumventing unanswered questions
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