The Elias Home
11 East 73rd St., New York, NY
January 16, 1925

Avery stoked the fire and it crackled, adding an additional warm glow to the already well lit sitting area of the Elias household, a bright room contrasted with the darkness without that could be seen through the windows. The days were getting longer, but it was still winter. The first to return that evening was Rosalie, joining Walter and Annabel back at the mansion. Abraham had dropped her off, promising to return later after a trip to his own domicile to retrieve some of his personal effects.

---

OOC:
Walter, Annabel, and Rosalie can post in here when desired. Stanley and Leo can arrive here whenever they've finished with their investigations.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:49, Mon 24 Nov 2014.

Rosalie tramped the snow off her boots as she entered the warmth of the house and removed her coat and gloves, leaving them hanging near the door to dry.  Though the train journey had been uneventful, she was weary from travel and very happy to be back in her uncle's home.  She unpinned her hat as she walked into the sitting room.  "Good evening.  Avery, I know it is late, but would you have tea brought up?  I am chilled to the bone."

"Of course, Miss," he said, quietly shuffling off to retrieve some hot tea.

He returned with a tray of tea to offer to all those who were present. As he poured tea for Rosalie just as she liked it, he asked, "How fared your inquiries today?"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:43, Fri 17 Oct 2014.

" 'Lo, Rosalie," says Walter, crossing to join her, "Where's Abraham?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:57, Tue 21 July 2015.

"Thank you, Avery.  You're always such a dear." She took a seat with cup in hand and sat a folder of papers next to her.  "Abraham said he needed to return home to fetch a few things.  He might be around a bit later to find out how things went with everyone.  Our inquiries were very fruitful with Jackson's publisher, though I am not quite sure what to make of the findings.  We also took the train to visit Miriam Atwright at Harvard, but have nothing to show from that meeting but her promise to assist us with research.  Jackson was interested in one of the books there that they cannot seem to find, but she thought she might be able to draw on other sources to get us information about the cult that was mentioned in Jackson's notes."

She picked up the folder and waved it.  "Read through them, if you like, but there are some that will not make much sense.  I had the impression from Jonah Kensington that he was worried about Jackson's state of mind."

"What of your day?  I hope that you were resting for most of it, as the doctor's suggested.  Did you and Annabel find out anything interesting?"

Walter smiled at his cousin.

"You look worn out, Rosalie. Have you eaten?" he asks solicitously, "Let's table any talk until Leo and Stanley get back, and Abraham, if he shows up. We can have some tea and then you can freshen, while Annabel and I start looking through these papers you brought back.

"So much required reading," he grins, "Jackson would have been a Hell of a professor."

   Annabel gave a warm greeting to those that had returned. They looked exhausted to her; she could imagine how long of a trip it was. She listened as Rosalie recounted her trip and what they found. They were sure more successful than she had been judging from the papers in front of them.


  Since Leo already knew of her efforts, she spoke up. "I have been trying to find out the whereabouts of Erica Carlyle but have not had much luck. I've been waiting for a call back that might give some information but it looks like it won't happen today; she is proving to be quite a difficult person to track down."

  She looked at the folder, "at least you were very fruitful in your search. It looks like a lot to go through."

OOC:

As a reminder, since the notes were posted nearly a month ago, the papers in the folder Rosalie is presenting to Walter and Annabel (and eventually the rest of the group) are listed in the Campaign Journal under January 16th, 1925.

"We had dinner on the train," Rosalie informed Bo.  "I am tired, but not exhausted.  I should be able to last until uncle gets home.  I assume that he and Mister Bishop went out this afternoon to do some investigating of their own?"

She took a sip and glanced over at Annabel.  "The Carlyles have always been a world unto themselves, but having that much money gives them that right, I suppose.  Have you ever been to their estate?  I had the delight of being invited a time or two for one of their lavish soirées and they absolutely spare no expense.  I remember reading about the expedition in the papers, but didn't keep track after Erica's attempts to locate her brother failed."

   Annabel shook her head, "No, I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Miss Carlyle. My mother has though, she said she's quite the Lady. I will say, she's quite hard to track down, doesn't want the riff-raff talking to her I guess."

   She gives a little snort at her own joke. "Hopefully I'll hear back about something soon." She gives a sigh. "It sounds like getting invited to a party is the more easier way to meet her. It's too bad there aren't any happening now."

  Annabel glanced at the clock. "Whatever Dr. Elias and Mister Bishop are doing, it must be pretty fruitful. Hopefully they won't be too much longer."

After the too-long drive back from a too-long day, Leo re-entered his home. The door brought in a chill draft with his entrance, though in his long coat and gloves he hardly noticed the warmth into which he had stepped. After removing galoshes and overcoat, Leo poked his head into the room where the others had gathered. "I'll be just a moment folks, I need to see to Catherine." He presumed Stanley could start to fill them in while he checked on his wife. It's not that there was much useful to report to her, but he would be a poor husband indeed if she wasn't first and foremost in his mind during the worst days in both their lives.

Bishop went through  his ritual of wiping his feet and doffed his hat as he entered. Looking about the room he noticed one of their number missing.

"It was a long day. I can fill you all in while Leonardo speaks with Catherine."

Looking around the room "Where is Abraham?"

Rosalie glanced at the door as her uncle appeared, nodding at his greeting.  Her expression turned to one of sadness as her eyes lifted to the ceiling, imagining her aunt grieving in the rooms above.  Her attention shifted back to the room as Stanley's question broke through her momentary melancholy.  "Abraham returned home to collect a few personal effects.  He said he might return this evening.  Come and have a cup of tea, Mister Bishop.  Or we could ring for something else, if you'd prefer.  I'm sure Avery wouldn't mind fetching something else from the kitchen."

Bishop nodded. Rosalie's mention of tea made set off a pang in Bishop's stomach as he realized he had not eaten since breakfast.

"Something to eat. Leonardo will need to eat as well. We have not eaten all day."

After a few moments he related the details of their day.

"We started out with Lieutenant Poole. We got a list of other victims." Bishop said as he put a copy of the list down on the table. "Most were found in Harlem."

"After we met with the Chief Coroner. Spoke with him about the cases on the list. There were a few interesting details, but nothing particularly enlightening. The only real lead was that one of the victims, Buskirk, was a private detective. He was the only one who had been bound. That meant it was likely that unlike the others they had planned to kill, he had to be kept, maybe interrogated."

"We went over Buskirk's office and spoke with his partner, got a look at the file. Buskirk was looking into a missing girl from the Upper East Side who went missing in Harlem. It seems likely that looking into her disappearance cost Buskirk his life." Bishop said letting the last of it sink in.

"We need to call Abraham and let him know to be careful. You all need to consider the dangers of proceeding any further with investigation."

Walter glances at his watch to see how soon dinner might occur.

"It's worse than you know, Stan, but I'll wait on my news until Leo joins us."

After seeing to the mental and emotional well-being of his wife of several decades, Leo made his way back to the room where everyone had gathered just in time to hear Bo pushing off the discussion. "Go ahead, Walter." Leo seemed uncharacteristically withdrawn for a moment, but then focused on what the others had to say.

"Okay," says Walter, "Annabel and I went out to that Emerson Imports to try to shake something loose on Silas N'Kwane. Emerson didn't know much, but he told us N'Kwane's connected with a place called Ju Ju House in Harlem. We didn't find a listing for it and a cabbie came up empty.

"I called a guy that's... Well, let's say he's connected to certain elements with a lot of interests in Harlem. He told me that they tried to lean on this Ju Ju House and their representative got killed. They haven't pursued the matter, which tells me two things.

"First, this Ju Ju crowd must be plenty scary. Second, we might have an ally, if we have to get mixed up with Silas N'Kwane."
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:48, Sat 25 Oct 2014.

"We came up with an address in Harlem. It was in the room of the girl the private detective was trying to find. If it turns out to be the Ju Ju House I think we have an idea where to find the killers."

"Did your guy give you an address for the Ju Ju House Walter?" Bishop asked as he began to look over some of the other items gathered.

In reply to Stanley Bishop (msg # 18):

"Yeah, 1 Ransom Court."

Rosalie rose from the sofa and met Leo as he entered, hugging him and giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.  She didn't need to say anything about Jackson, because any words of comfort she had to offer would be inadequate.  "Come have a cup of tea, Uncle.  I'll send Avery to fetch you both dinner," she said quietly.  She caught the butler's eye and gave him a nod, knowing he'd have things well in hand and would know what to do.  Before sitting, she poured tea for both Leo and Stanley, but left them to sweeten it to their liking.  Sitting again with her own tea, she sipped quietly, listening to the conversation, and then looked to Stanley.  "Avery can ring Abraham, but I am certain that we are all very informed as to what this investigation could cost us.  He knows the dangers."  After all, Jackson had been killed for almost the same reason.

Without needing more than Rosalie's non-verbal gesture, Avery brought out dinner for both Leonardo and Stanley, an eventuality for which he had been prepared. After the meal was served, he cleared his throat and spoke, primarily addressing Leonardo.

"Sir, I rang up Mr. Hargrove not long ago, and it seems he has reached home safely, but the journeys of the day have left him a bit overwrought. It is my impression that perhaps he might have sought respite in the ardent spirits after his return home and may no longer be fit to operate an automobile this evening. He said he would see us in the morning," he said.

"I received a call from Mr. Philip Piggot, an old associate of yours, Jackson's, and your brother Michael's, sir. He read of the news in the paper and was most insistent that he come pay his respects. As he has been a friend of the family for some time now, I took the liberty of informing him that a short visit this evening would be permissible."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:56, Mon 27 Oct 2014.

"We found the same address in the detective's files. It was found in the things of the missing girl's things. It is almost certainly connected to these African death cult and Jack's killers." Bishop said confirming the connection.

Looking at the others and weighing the risks "I think it is time to consider calling Poole and letting the police handle the rest. I think the link between Buskirk's case and N'Kwane's business being at the same address is enough to consider it a solid lead."

But he was considered they were not close enough. If they were really going to bring an end to this the police would have to raid the place. Hit it hard with a lot of bulls bent on wiping out a bunch of foreign murderers. "We should probably confirm it by driving by and having a look at the place. But if it is the Ju Ju House as you say, we have a real break."

"We brought a map back. I would like to locate the locations of where the victims were discovered and see they fit with 1 Ransom Court." Stanley held up a map.

"I remember Mister Piggott.  He and father have kept in touch throughout the years.  He is in town?  Yes, I suppose he would want to come by if he'd read about Jackson,"  she added.

  Annabel sat quietly listening ot the exchange of information. It was all so distasteful, murders, cults, it was enough to give one a shudder. At this she spoke up.

 "I hope you are planning to go during the day Stanley," Annabel said concerned. "I don't think going to that place at night is a wise choice. Remember too," she added, "the lecture at Columbia is tonight at 8pm, we don't want to miss it this time." She looked at the clock to check the time. "Are you still planning to go Dr. Elias?"
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 14:51, Mon 27 Oct 2014.

Leo brightened a little at what Avery mentioned. "Excellent, Avery. Yes of course Phil should visit - thank you for taking that liberty. When should we expect him?"

After listening to Avery's answer, Leo turned to the question from Annabel, and nodded. "Yes, or at least some number of our group should go. If Philip isn't here quite soon, I will remain behind and welcome him."

Leo cleared off enough of the surface of one of the tables that adorned the room that Stanley could put the map down. "I suspect we'll find this JuJu House is close enough for all of these killings. Death cult indeed..."

Leo frowned as he considered and then looked at Bo. "So we may have some Italian friends willing to help us out? What about any other allies? Police? Bureau of Investigation?" He looked around at the others to see what they thought of involving the cops or the feds.

"He should be arriving soon, but if you must depart before he arrives, I shall make him comfortable until your return."

  "Oh, Doctor," Annabel said concerned, "I didn't realize how much time had passed. I fear we'll miss the lecture if we don't go now."

  Even though it was not her fault that Dr. Elias came back so late, she still felt guilty that there shouldn't have been SOME arrangement to leave in time to get to the lecture.

 Just then there was a peal of bells from the entrance and Avery walked through to the hallway to answer the door.  After but a few moments he returned with a tallish, well-dressed man of athletic and tanned appearance.

"Mr Philip Piggott" he announced to the assembled company.

"Thank you Avery" said the newcomer, no stranger to many here, who turned immediately to Leonardo.

"Leo, my dear friend, I was devastated to hear the news.  And you too, Miss Rosalie; words simply cannot express my utter dismay."

He held out his hands and took both of Leonardo's hands in a strong, supportive grip.

"If there is anything I can do to help, in any manner at all, please do not hesitate to ask.  Jackson was a dear friend and I shall miss him terribly."

Bishop began to gather his coat and hat when Philip Piggott arrived. "Perhaps if we are trying to make that lecture we should depart directly and bring Mr. Piggott up to speed."

In reply to Stanley Bishop (msg # 29):

"Shall we take two cars, Leo? Or taxis?"

Leo welcomed his old friend's handshake with a sad smile but a firm grip. His vision clouded briefly as the memory of the prior evening returned to the forefront, no longer distracted by the investigation. "It's good to see you, Phil. Thanks for stopping by. We were just about to head out to catch the tail end of a lecture. It's not necessarily the lecture that is important, but the lecturer. Or perhaps both." Leo shrugged. "If you want to see Kate briefly before we leave, we can briefly stop upstairs, though she's not in much of a mood for visitors just now."

He turned to regard the comments from the other. "The Lambda seats six - it will be a little bit of a squeeze, but neither Rosie nor Miss Ashcroft take up much room." He waited for a decision from Phil on whether to head upstairs for a brief visit to the missus, or to simply head out to the lecture.

    Annabel was in the process of getting her coat when Philip arrived. She knew about him from Dr. Elias but had never met the man. The doctor sure had a good support system of friends and colleagues. Considering the oddness of this all, the man needed all the help he could get.

  Slipping the coat on and bundling up she said to Doctor Elias, "With the state that Mrs. Elias is in, I'm sure the visit can wait till later Doctor. That may, Mr. Piggott isn't rushed and we won't be any later than we already are."

  She gave a warm smile to Philip, "Forgive my manners Mr. Piggott, I'm Annabel, Dr. Elias's assistant. As the Doctor said, please forgive the abruptness of this meeting, but it seems we've lost track of the time and are late for the lecture we wanted to attend."

Walter's a bit taken aback that he's been kept away from Aunt Kate all day, but this stranger can waltz right in and see her. Never mind.

As he gets into his hat and coat, he extends his hand to Phillip: "I don't know that we've ever met. I'm Walter Brandon, Mrs. Elias's nephew.

"I'll be right back, folks." He runs up the stairs, regretting it a bit by the time he gets to his room, winded and wincing from the hell his side is giving him.

Coming down the stairs, he says, "All set. You driving, Stan?"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:08, Wed 29 Oct 2014.

In reply to Walter 'Bo' Brandon (msg # 33):

” Yes, I will handle the wheel. , Bo, you ride shotgun .” Bishop said as he moved to the foyer and peeked out the window.

Philip looked shocked at Stanley's words.

"Shotgun?  Wha...?  What's going on here. Leo?  Why do we need someone to play shotgun?"

He quickly turned to Annabel.  "And yes Miss, I will come with you and see to Mrs Elias later.

In reply to Philip Piggott (msg # 35):

Walter opens the door for the others."

"Piggott, right? I expect Leo can fill you in on the way. Don't want to miss the lecture. One of you ladies want to sit up front with us?"

Despite herself, Annabel giggled at Philips's reaction to the saying. "It's nothing like that Mr. Piggott, it's just who gets to sit in front."

   She moved as Walter opened up the door, "I will take you up on your offer Mr. Brandon. Since 'shotgun is taken, I will ride...well I guess maybe pistol?" She gave a mirthful smile as she said it and climbed in and took her seat.

Leo let his wife know that he was headed out again, then gathered his overcoat and galoshes before heading to the car. He waited for those that were getting into the front to do so before holding the door open and allowing his niece to precede him into the vehicle. Once they were all seated and underway, he started to bring Pilip up to speed. "You know now that Jackson has been killed - we are currently tracking down those that we think were responsible for his death. There seems to be a cult that has set up shop in Harlem that might have something to do with it. Though Jackson poked his nose into a lot of different things, so we can't be certain just yet." Leo paused a moment having given Philip the very high level overview. "So...what have you been doing of late, Phil?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:49, Fri 31 Oct 2014.

 "I am so sorry that I haven't been in touch before, Leo.  Actually I've been in New York for quite a few months now.  I moved here from San Francisco after...some unpleasant incidents, which I won't go into now."

"In fact I have been so busy writing up the details of those incidents that time just seems to have passed me by."

He turned to look around at the assembled crew.  "You all seem to have managed to get really involved in poor Jackson's death; please count me in.  I will do whatever I can to help."

Bishop headed out of the house to the car. it was his habit to warm the engine, and these cold winter nights made it critical to do so. He had already prepared the car for the trip. in the trunk with the hardware he picked up from the house, as well as a few items he moved from his own car.

Their prey was dangerous, if they were going to survive they too would need to be dangerous. They would be far outnumbered , and the enemy were likely all killers.

"It is good to see you again, Mister Piggott.  I only wish it was under different circumstances.  Father will be pleased to see you, as well."  Rosalie had left her tea behind and risen to gather her coat and hat once again, bundling up for the cold weather.  "You've just arrived as we were headed out.  Come and squeeze into the backseat with me and Uncle Leo and we can fill you in on what the papers left out.  I'm sure you'll have plenty of ideas that will help us dig into these horrid events." 

Leo nodded at his niece's suggestion. "Jackson was in town yesterday and was going to stop by to wish his old man well on my birthday. But the only chance I had to speak with him was while he was in his room at the hotel. He sounded disturbed, though he put a brave face on. We decided to check on the lad, and when we got there found that he had been murdered by three men wearing odd items on their heads. They fought to the death, though they apparently had an accomplice stationed nearby in a black Hudson - the car took off before anyone knew to follow it, though."

Leo paused his recounting of the prior night's events to take a breath and calm himself. "We looked through Jackson's things and found that he had been researching the Carlyle expedition's disappearance in several places around the world. He mentioned that expedition on the phone, but not what work he had done to track it down. Jackson had items from London, Cairo, Shanghai, and here in New York. One of those items was a handbill noting a lecture to be given by Mister Anthony Cowles at NYU. The subject of it is the Cult of Darkness. We also believe there may be something called a 'Death Cult' in Harlem, though we aren't going to look into that this evening."

"Rosie went with Abraham to track down a couple more leads, one here in New York and another in Boston. Perhaps now is a good time to discuss what you found there?"

With car warmed up Bishop ushered everyone into the car, he made sure to place the ladies in the center seat.

"Phew!  That is some story, Leo."

Philip's voice was a little odd.  He sounded partly upset, probably because of JAckson's death, but there was also an element there which spoke of a spike of interest.

"I have been involved in somewhat similar things before although none seemed to be so...deadly.  But count me in with whatever you are trying to do.  Perhaps my skills will be of interest."

While he had waited for everyone, Bishop had kept his eyes peeled for anything odd. With everyone safely in the car Bishop started out for the university. It had been just about twenty four hours since they had found Jackson dead. They were getting close to the killers, but from what he had seen of what had been gather at the publisher's office Jack appeared to have become slightly unhinged. That a man of such iron character could be so shaken was as troubling as a nest of killers in Harlem.

Columbia University -  Schermerhorn Hall
Broadway Ave. h 116th St
January 16, 1925

Whether Bishop's vigilance paid off was something that he and the others would only have to speculate on. He didn't see anything suspicious, but maybe he wasn't looking in the right place. Or maybe he was.

The trip to Columbia didn't take long, and Dr. Elias was able to easily guide them towards the lecture hall, where they found seats readily available as only half the seats were taken. At the lectern near the head of the room was an older man, with a bushy beard and a belly who spoke with exuberance and an easily discerned Australian accent.

At the time they arrived, he was speaking about a bat cult that once existed among the Aboriginals of Australia. It was known across the continent, and the god of the cult was always known as the Father of All Bats. Adherents believed that by making human sacrifices to their god they themselves would become worthy enough that the Father of All Bats would appear to them. Once he was enticed to appear, he would conquer all men. Sacrifices were run through a gauntlet of worshipers who struck the victims with clubs embedded with the sharp teeth of bats. The teeth were coated with a substance derived from rabid bats. The poison was quick-acting, but victims apparently went mad before they died. Leaders of the cult reputedly could take the forms of bat-winged snakes, enabling them to steal sacrifices from across the land.

From his statements, it was apparent that Cowles believes that this cult became dormant or extinct hundreds of years ago. .

Cowles continued to speak further of an Aboriginal song cycle that mentions a place where enormous beings gathered, somewhere in the west of Australia. The songs say that these gods, who were not at all like men, built great sleeping walls and dug great caves. But living winds blew down the gods and overthrew them, destroying their camp. When this happened, the way was open for the Father of All Bats, who came into the land, and grew strong.

Cowles had the lights dimmed in the room so that he could project some slides. Each of the slides shows a few sweating men standing beside enormous blocks of stone, pitted and eroded but clearly dressed and formed for architectural purposes. Dim carvings seem to decorate some. Billows of sand are everywhere. Cowles says that the discoverer, one Arthur MacWhirr of Port Hedland, kept a diary in which he records several attacks on the party by Aboriginals. MacWhirr reportedly records deaths to victims from hundreds of small punctures, reminiscent of the earlier bat-cult.

Returning the lights to the room, Cowles tells finally of a tale he collected from near the Arafura Sea in northern Australia. In it Sand Bat, or Father of All Bats, has a battle of wits with Rainbow Snake, the Aboriginal deification of water and the patron of life. Rainbow Snake succeeds in tricking and trapping Sand Bat and his clan into the depths of a watery place from which Sand Bat can only complain, and is unable to return to trouble the people.

With this Cowles concluded his lecture, and the lecture hall began to empty as the students began leaving the building.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:49, Mon 24 Nov 2014.

    Annabel Listened to the lecture with a mix of skepticism and unsettledness on her mind. Giant Bats and snakes? She was sure it was all a bunch of of tall tales, but she was sure the cult was probably real enough. Wow, these things were all over the place it seemed. Well they were long dead and not likely to come here to New York. Still, like a good assistant, she had her notebook and took notes on the lecture just in case something might be useful.

  As the lecture ended, Annabel turned to Dr. Elias: "Well that was certainly interesting, but odd, I wonder why this lecture was important? Could this cult that is here be related to this Australian one somehow?"

Leo shrugged. "It's certainly possible, or perhaps the lecture is not as important as the lecturer. Let's go find out what he might have to say on this subject and others."

As the other people filed out of the room, Leo made his way toward the lectern and Cowles. He offered his hand in greeting. "Hello, professor. I am Doctor Leonardo Elias, an alumnus of this fine school. Do you have a few minutes to talk, or do you have other engagements?"

"Ah, Dr. Elias, good to meet you," he said, setting down the lecture notes he had been about to pick up and shaking the proferred hand.

"No worries, I've got no other engagements. Nothing that can't wait at least. I'd be more than happy to take a few questions. Most of the people that fill up this hall I think are here for some kinda extra credit, so they're not much for questions though I generally keep a little time for that kinda thing."

"What sorta thing can I help you with?"

Leo shook the man's hand, then let it drop to his side. He gestured to the others (presuming some had followed him up) "We are all somewhat acquainted to the world of cults and cultists. My son, Jackson, also a Columbia alum, was murdered yesterday by a group of men that we believe are related to a death cult. You may in fact have heard of him - Jackson Elias. He wrote several books on cults and the occult. Skulls Along the River, Masters of the Black Arts, The Way of Terror, The Smoking Heart, Sons of Death, Witch Cults of England, and The Black Power were all written either entirely or in part by him."

Leo paused to see if there was any recognition by the man.

"Well, I'll be," he said. "That's a lot to take in. My most sincere condolences. I never met your son, but I was a fan of his work. I've read those books you mentioned, and a few articles he wrote in some smaller journals. It was my work with looking into the history of the Sand Bat cult that drew my attention to his books about modern day cults."

"Any questions that I can answer for you, I would be most glad to do."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:01, Tue 21 July 2015.

Leo forced at least a small smile at the response. "Thank you for your condolences, Professor. The first question I have is what your area of expertise is. Is most of your research into cults specific to the Sand Bat cult, or do you have broader knowledge on the subject?"

Bo stands near enough that he can hear Leo's conversation with Cowles, unless they whisper. He doesn't care to meet the man. He has his back to Leo, watching the crowd, just in case.

His ribs are hurting a bit. He's beginning to feel fatigued. It's been a long day for a convalescent. He can't even remember eating dinner.

Philip was very interested to hear what the Professor had to say.  He stood, listening intently.

Bishop stood by and listened. But his mind was elsewhere. He was thinking of the Jack's killers and the threat they might pose. As the others spoke he headed to a phone to make a call to the office.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:58, Wed 12 Nov 2014.

  Annabel stood with the group, listening to the exchange. She had no idea if this professor could help them, but it certainly could not hurt to pick his brain for what he knows about cults. Cults, in this day and age, Annabel gave a slight shudder thinking of it. At least this sand bat one sounded like it was not part of them, hopefully.

"Bo, you should sit and rest," Rosalie urged.  His face looked strained to her and she could not imagine what sort of pain his wounds might be causing him.  "Come and sit with me."  She gestured to the guest chairs behind the lectern that afforded an excellent vantage of the entire hall and were within easy listening distance of the conversation between the two men.  While she'd spent much of her day on the train, Rosalie was weary from the travel and hadn't been all that keen on coming to the lecture in the first place.  Now that she'd heard the man, she wasn't quite sure what information the professor had that Jackson thought might be of use.

In reply to Rosalie Elias (msg # 57):

Bo hesitates, torn between fatigue and machismo. Then he sighs and lets Rosalie conduct him to one of the chairs, suppressing a slight groan as he sits down.

"Thanks, Rosalie. Good idea," he smiles at her.

After a moment he asks: "Do you want me to get you a pistol, something to carry around with you?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:35, Thu 13 Nov 2014.

"You've hit the nail on the head, Dr. Elias. Most of my research dealing with cults specializes on the Sand Bat cult. The only thing I know of other cults comes from things I've read, which honestly is mostly found in your son's books," he said.
This message was last updated by the player at 16:55, Sat 15 Nov 2014.

Leo nodded, though was a little disappointed that the man's knowledge was mostly limited to this single cult. "You mentioned during your lecture that Mister MacWhirr recorded deaths in a similar fashion to the way people were killed by the cult centuries ago. Do you believe that the bat cult is returning?"

"Well now, hrmm," he said, stroking his beard. "That's the heart of it. Given all of your son's findings, I don't suppose it's out of the question, the cult returning - though I never thought it should be the case before I came across MacWhirr and his slides and tales. For students of anthropology, I deliberately left that conclusion vague and unstated, so they may draw it on their own or at least think about the possibilities. As for my own view, I am afraid that this is all too similar to the modus operandi of the original cult. I cannot but think that someone is trying to resurrect it, or perhaps that it never quite went away, but only underground."

Bo speaks up from his seat nearby: "What's the link between Australian aborigines and Negroes in Harlem, Professor?"

"Link? I'm not sure there's any link at all," he said looking a bit perplexed at the question from the seated man.

Philip watched and listened intently.  He knew so little about what had been happening that he didn't want to miss a thing.

"Unless of course, you're suggesting that there's some evidence linking these men you speak of to Australia or the Sand Bat cult. I might be able to help you there. None of my work concerns Negro cults in Harlem, so I'm afraid I can't offer much guidance on the subject. That seems like something Jackson Elias might have looked into more than me, I daresay," he said.

Leo still had a few more questions for the professor, but he waited for Bo to explain what he was thinking. Perhaps there was something Leo hadn't considered that would provide a linkage between the two groups.

In reply to Professor Anthony Cowles (msg # 65):

"I don't know," Walter replies slowly, "The clubs with the bats teeth just sounded like the marks made on Jackson's head is all. Sorry. It's been a long day."

"There were teeth marks on his head?" he asked, intrigued. "Small punctures in a random array?"

"That's what I understand, yeah. I didn't get much of a look at it myself. Leo, what would you say?"

Leo nodded slowly. "Something along those lines. I don't think we brought a copy of the pattern with us, but I could probably sketch something similar from memory if you have paper and pen available."

He readily offers both paper and pen to Dr. Elias to have him draw the symbol.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 05:01, Wed 19 Nov 2014.

Leo sketched the symbol as he recalled it, though with lines and slashes rather than two-dimensional representations.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm afraid I've never seen anything like this before. I'm afraid you might have misunderstood me earlier. The bat teeth form a random pattern, whereas this was purposefully drawn," he said.

Leo frowned briefly. "Huh. I guess that's a dead end. This bat cult, though, about when do you think it went into dormancy? And when were the attacks that Mister MacWhirr documented in his journals?"

"Well, I originally thought it went into dormancy hundreds of years ago - before the British arrived in Australia, to be sure. I hesitate to put a date on such things, especially considering MacWhirr's story. That was roughly a dozen years ago - his entry was dated the 17th of April, 1912, I believe," he said.

Leo nodded. "And did you discover any other tales of this 'Rainbow Snake'? Or is there a Rainbow Snake cult or anything of that kind?"

Bishop returned from making as telephone call stood quietly watching and listening. It appeared the lecture had nothing to do with Jack's death, but Bishop would leave that to the others to decide.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:54, Sat 22 Nov 2014.

Philip listened with interest.  He had never come across any references to these cults before and he was making mental notes.

There could be another book in this!

"I'm afraid not. None of my research has mentions of the Rainbow Snake, and there are no records of such a group - at least that I have been able to find," he said.

He pulls out a business card with his contact information and hands it to Leo. "Here's my contact information in Australia. I'm leaving to return to Australia in a few days, so you can reach me there if you have any other questions. Unless there's anything further, I've actually kept my daughter Ewa waiting for quite some time. She'll start to get worried if I'm out too much longer."

Leo nodded and offered to shake the man's hand. "Thanks so much for your time, professor. I certainly don't want to keep you from you daughter - I know all too well how precious time your family is before it's too late." Leo offered the man his own business card. "If you run across anything that you think might be useful to us, please contact me at either my office or my home. Thank you again and a good evening to you."

After saying his good-byes, Leo handed the card to Annabel, though waited briefly to see if anyone else might have a question before they left the professor alone.

Before they departed Bishop pulled out a small card upon which was drawn the symbol that was carved into Jack's forehead.

"Pardon me professor. One question if you don't mind.

"Have you ever seen anything like this professor?"

"Of course I will, Dr. Elias. I was a great fan of your son's work, and once again my condolences to you and yours. A great loss to our sector of the scholarly community, small as it is," he said genuinely, carefully securing Leo's card.

He crooked an eyebrow at Bishop's question, and responded in a dry tone. "Yes, I have - a few minutes ago when Dr. Elias drew me the exact same image and asked me about it. But before that, no, I haven't seen that before."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:33, Mon 24 Nov 2014.

"Forgive me I was forced to step away." Bishop replied with equal dryness.

"It does happen from time to time," he says, agreeably. "A good evening to you all," he said, bidding them farewell as he moved to leave the lecture hall leaving the group to its own devices.

With a sigh, Walter heaves himself out of his chair.

"Well," he remarks quietly to Rosalie, "That was a bust. Let's head for home."

Settling his fedora on his head, he offers his cousin his arm.

  Taking the card from Dr. Elias, Annabel left with the others. That was a lot of information that was given them, but did not seem to be beneficial.

  "Well Dr. Elias, it looks like this wasn't very helpful in our search for answers on what's going on. I wonder why Jackson was interested in this lecture. Maybe he had the same idea as we did, that it would provide some answers?"

  The young woman just shrugged, uncertain. "Well, I guess we should get home, it's been a long day for all of us. Tomorrow is another day to find out information."

With the evenings growing shorter and the nights colder, by the time the lecture and their time with Professor Cowles had come to an end, it was in the dark of night with only street lamps and a quarter moon to provide light to see by. A light snowfall with the barest of flurries came down, but it was no more than a dusting compared to what had recently come down. Traffic was light as they drove back home, but there were a few other cars on the road.

"You see him back there, Stan?" Bo asked, angling his head to watch in the side-view mirror.

"I can see it" said Philip mildly.  "Assuming you are talking about that car that seems to be following us?"

His hand went reflexively towards his side before he remembered he was not not carrying his broomhandle Mauser.

"I don't suppose any of you are armed?"

"Unfortunately not," Rosalie said to Philip, sounding miffed.  "Though I will be soon enough, even if I have to get Bo to go black market peddling for me."  Snugged into the backseat beside him, she turned to glance over her shoulder at the car that appeared to be following them.  "That can't be coincidence."

Leo narrowed his eyes for a moment. "I'm not certain how much of a bust that was - we'll have to see how things play out. Certainly we didn't find any immediate clues concerning the group in Harlem."

Leo frowned at Rosie's tone. "I did retrieve Jackson's pistol from the police as his next-of-kin. You are welcome to have it back. In this case, I trust that Stanley is packing, and possibly Walter."

"Yes Doctor I am heeled." Bishop stated as he drove along.

"Bo you will find a forty five in the glove box as well." Bishop said.

"Best we do not jump to conclusions. It may be that Lieutenant Poole assigned some men to follow us. But if not the easiest way to deal with a tail is to head to the nearest police precinct. Given that we have the ladies with us, it might be best we do what we can to avoid any violence."

"I have a pistol," Bo says, "But we sure don't want to get into a fight if we can help it.

"If those aren't cops, I wonder who's gotten on our tail and how? None of us went near that Ju-Ju House place. Leo and Stan only talked to cops and the ME, right? Rosalie and Ambrose were way up in Boston at a library and this Professor Cowles didn't have time to set anyone on us.

"That leaves the people Annabel and I contacted, Erica Carlyle's people and the importer guy, what's-his-name."

He ponders a minute while keeping an eye on their shadows in the mirror.

"Yeah, Stan, you better find the nearest precinct house, though I doubt those guys will hang around when you do."

  Annabel listened to the others talking about the vehicle following them. From their tone, it probably was not a coincidence. "I certainly did not say anything about going to the lecture," she said shaking her head.  "Maybe these people already know about it and were there to see if it threatened to expose whatever it is thy are doing. We were asking the professor a lot of questions; maybe someone we didn't notice overheard us and got suspicious."

  Annabel turned back to look at the vehicle and felt a bit nervous remembering what happened at the hotel. "I think going to the police station is a very good idea; though we have to make sure that they don't continue their efforts after we leave it again."

"I say, you chaps.  It is certainly a good idea to head for a police station but, just in case, I wonder if you could pass me back that pistol?"

Philip's languid tone exhibited none of the concern he was feeling.

"I do have some experience of pistol shooting" he concluded, with a wry smile.

Walter opens the glove box and takes out the pistol, checking that it's loaded and the safety is on. He passes it into the back seat. He slips his own pistol from his overcoat pocket, holding it in his right hand pointed at the floor.

Leo shook his head at Walter's question. "We also went back to the hotel to see if we had missed anything. While we didn't mention the lecture to anyone, we may have been tailed from my house to the lecture in the first place." Leo paused and frowned as he had a morbid thought. "I do hope we haven't gotten Professor Cowles into any trouble."

"I have been watching for tails all day, I did not spot anyone until now. I did not spot anyone watching the house either Doc." Bishop said as he drove to the precinct house.

Realizing that the doctor and others might be concerned about the safety of Catherine and the others at the house, Bishop added "I made a call when we got to the lecture and had a some of my guys head over and keep an eye the house."

"When we get to the precinct, Rosalie, you and Miss Ashcroft and Leo better run inside. Stan and I will cover you. And Piggott, of course, if you want.

"Let's try to get a license number, not that it'll help much.

I'm keeping my rod out of sight unless it's needed. No permit."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:14, Tue 02 Dec 2014.

Before long, Bishop was able to bring the vehicle safely to the precinct house, and the car that had been driving behind them since they left the lecture picked up its speed and sped by instead of stopping there.

Leo tried to get a good look at the car as it went by. Perhaps it was the same one that had been described when he and Stanley had returned to the hotel.

Bishop did hid best to see the driver and note the plate.

OOC:

As it is night time and the car is going faster than you, I'm going to require a roll here that will be a difficult check.

If you wish to try and glean any details from this opportunity, make a Spot Hidden roll and posts the results below. If you wish your roll to be counted, kindly oblige me and make some indication of your skill % in the Reason for Roll box, as per the House Rules of the game.

This message was last edited by the GM at 18:40, Tue 02 Dec 2014.

10:25, Today: Dr. Leonardo Elias rolled 66 using 1d100 with rolls of 66. Spot Hidden (25).

Shadows that danced among the scant sources of light that attempted to illumine the night traitorously seemed to meddle with the ability of those there to easily discern anything about the car that passed them, save that it was dark in color. It might have been black, though just as easily a dark gray or dark blue.

Philip tried to look past the other passengers to see the tail car as it passed but there was too many heads in the way.  He was sure it was a car, however!



20:27, Today: Philip Piggott rolled 80 using 1d100 with rolls of 80. Check out tail car @ 55% Spot Hidden.

"Looks like they are not interested in dubious acts in front of the police station," Rosalie commented dryly.  She took note of the car as it passed, hoping to catch a glimpse of something that would tell them who was driving it, or the plate at the very least.  "Uncle, I would very much like Jackson's revolver back in my possession.  Sooner rather than later."





22:38, Today: Rosalie Elias rolled 49 using 1d100 with rolls of 49. Spot Hidden (55).

  As they stopped at the station, Annabel prepared to get out of the car, but it seemed unnecessary as the vehicle sped on by and was out of sight. She craned her head trying to look at the vehicle but was not sure she saw anything of use. She breathed a sigh of relief when it was gone. "Let's hope it doesn't come back."


21:32, Today: Annabel Ashcroft rolled 36 using 1d100 with rolls of 36. spot hidden 55%.

Walter is out of the car as soon as it rolls to a stop, his hand on the pistol in his pocket. He's glad to see that he won't need the weapon, especially since the quick movement sends a sharp pain along his ribs and brings tears to his eyes.

As the other car heads down the street, Bo lowers himself back into the front seat: "Let's get away from here, Stan."

"Yeah I think that is a good idea. But I have a couple items in the trunk that may come in handy if we run into our friends again." Bishop walked back to the trunk, looked around to make sure no one was watching and removed two items from the trunk. He used his bulk and heavy coat to conceal them as he headed to the front of the car.

He handed one, a shotgun to Bo. The second, a tommy gun, he handed to the young lady between them. "Be careful with that, I'll be needing it if things get ugly."

Ready to go Bishop got back underway and headed back to the Elias home.

Leo frowned as the other sedan passed them by, he certainly didn't get a good look at it. "Anyone make out anything about that car?" His frown deepened as he considered further. "Perhaps after the funeral tomorrow, Kate should go stay with some of our out-of-state relatives."

"I Did not see anything useful. best we got you all home, I can decide what to do from there." Bishop said getting underway.

The drive back to the Elias residence was uneventful, and within short order they were back within the large residence's drawing room, where a patiently awaiting Avery awaits with an offer of warm beverages to those that desired them. He also takes a moment to have a quiet word with Dr. Elias, handing him an envelope of some sort.

Leo smiled at Avery and nodded. "Thank you, Avery. I will see to Kate now - I will return soon."

After seeing to any of his wife's physical and emotional needs, Leo returned to the downstairs to share the news he had received in the envelope from Avery. "It seems that I have in my hand an invitation to the Carlyle Estate for a party being thrown tomorrow evening. Catherine handles our social calendar, so I was unaware of it until just now. We bury Jackson tomorrow, so I normally wouldn't be up for a party but I do want to get the chance to speak with Miss Carlyle."

Leo offered the invitation to any who would like to see - it was an exquisite invitation printed on thick cardstock with elaborate floral designs on it. The invitation had apparently been received more than a week ago. It was for the Elias Family to attend a party being thrown at the Carlyle Estate, just outside the city.

Tired from the day, Annabel perked up when she heard about the invitation. She had been disappointed that the paper never had gotten back to her; at least now they had some way to meet Miss Carlyle. If only she had know it would have been this easy.

   "That's great Dr. Elias," Annabel said with excitement. She took the invitation to look at it. She was sure it was going to be a fancy affair; she hoped she had something that would be acceptable. Handing the invitation back, Annabel frowned at Dr. Elias's mention of the funeral, it looked like another busy day. Of course she was going; looks like she was going to have to fish out a black dress too on top of a gown for the evenings affair.

 "It seems like it is going to be another busy day for us. I better head home to get some sleep and prepare for the days events. I'll be back here in time for the funeral."

Saying her farewells and taking her leave, Annabel left the mansion to head back home.

As Annabel was to depart Bishop intervened "Miss Ashcroft I do not think it is a good idea for you to leave. As was made obvious tonight we have come to someone's attention and it might mean that all of us are in danger."

"It would be better if you remained here tonight, and perhaps join Mrs. Elias when she departs after the funeral."

"Stan and I can run you over to your place, if you need to pick up a few things for tomorrow," adds Bo.

Leo nodded at Walter's suggestion. "Thank you Walter - Miss Ashcroft, I must insist you remain here tonight. If nothing else, it will keep us from worrying. Consider it a kindness."

He then addressed plans concerning his wife. "Catherine will be with other family, Stanley. Miss Ashcroft should remain with us as we consider our next steps, for the same reason that we do not want her alone tonight."

"Perhaps we should check on Mr. Hargrove. He should have turned up by now." Bishop added. It was possible the somewhat shaky fellow had already gone on the lamb, but he might have been delayed by something else as well.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:26, Thu 11 Dec 2014.

"If things are as dicey as you say, would you suggest I remain also?"

Piggott's tone was calm and collected with perhaps just a hint of suppressed excitement.

"Of course you should, Mister Piggott.  You have only just arrived, after all.  There is plenty of room for everyone.  Uncle, I will ask Avery to make up the spare rooms since you and Aunt should not be troubled with such trivial details at such a time.  Though, like it not, I have to return home for a few things as I did not come prepared for an extended stay.  If Annabel wishes to overnight here, perhaps one or two of you gentlemen might escort us home to gather our things and ensure our safety."

  Annabel hesitated as Walter called out to her. "Do you really think they would come after me?" She said with a bit of worry in her voice. "I'm not anyone of importance." she did wonder if whoever was watching the group had remembered her presence; after all, she did stand out in a crowd. Sometimes being pretty was not all it was cracked up to be.

  At the offer of 'running over to her place, Annabel lept at the offer. "That would be most helpful Mr. Brandon. If, I'm to be a guest of Dr. Elias's for a few days, there is a few things I will need to get. if the two of you are with me, I'm sure no harm will come to me. I shouldn't need much time to collect what I need from my apartment. Shall we go as soon as you are ready?"

Leo frowned at Annabel's question. "We don't know, but I would rather be safe than sorry, Miss Ashcroft. Many of the people whose murders Lieutenant Poole is investigating were also, er, not important."

He nodded at his niece's comment about the spare rooms. "Yes, and I have Jackson's revolver for you as well. Take it with when you leave." Leo disliked having most everyone armed, but it seemed prudent at the moment.

"Ready now Miss Ashcroft. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. The sooner we get going the sooner we will be back." Bishop replied.

  Annabel nodded, "Ok, let's go. The sooner we are back, the less people will have to worry about us." She looked at the revolver, "Oh, i really hope that won't be needed." It was amazing how dangerous their life had become just because of this situation.

 Annabel heads out to the car and once everyone is in, gives directions to  her place to collect her stuff.

"Rosalie!" Walter calls, "The Stanley Express is pulling out, Better shake a leg or you'll get left brhind!"

He turns to his uncle, "Leo, maybe you should ring Abraham and check on him. None of us have seen or heard from him since he dropped Rosalie off."

He goes to wait by the door for Rosalie.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:08, Fri 12 Dec 2014.

She took the revolver from Leo and kissed him on the cheek.  "We won't be but a tick.  Avery is preparing the rooms and everything else is well in order.  Be back soon."  Shrugging into her coat and scarf, she pulled on her hat and gloves as she joined Walter and Annabel.

Walter shepherds Rosalie and Annabel to the car where Stanley has the motor running. Once the women are inside, he opens the trunk and takes out the shotgun. Getting into the back seat, he lays the gun on the floor and angles himself so that he can look out the rear window.

"Let'er roll, Stan."

As the car pulls into the streets of Manhattan, he thinks about how he came all the way from New Orleans just to ride protection in a sedan. He could have stayed in the Easy to do that and been a lot less cold.

Bishop headed out and warmed up the car. He laid his Thompson submachine gun on the seat beside him. As the car warmed up he looked for other cars on the street that might also be starting up so they could follow.

He asked the two ladies where they were headed and with the addresses known mapped out a route in his head. When the engine was ready Bishop eased out onto the street and headed to the further of the two addresses.