The Elias Home
11 East 73rd St., New York, NY
January 18, 1925


Even in the early afternoon, the house was kept warm and the cold chills of winter were left without the palatial residence of the Elias family on the upper East Side. Of course, in a residence this large, it was difficult and cost prohibitive to warm the entire residence at a time, but the common areas of the house were always kept that way, and as ever Avery was able to attend to the needs of his employer's guests, warming their rooms as was needed.

Though they were not all expected back at this early hour, Avery was not long in having tea and finger sandwiches available for all.

"Miss Elias," he said to Rosalie as they re-entered. "There was a telephone call from you from one Miss Miriam Atwright of Harvard. She said she had spoken to yourself and to Mr. Hargrove recently. I informed her that you would be out for the day, but that you could be reached in the evening. Apparently she had some findings to share with you. She left me her contact information so that you could call her at your leisure." The English valet gave a small piece of paper with extraordinarily precise and neat handwriting to Rosalie which contained the contact information of Miriam Atwright.

"Oh, I was hoping that she would phone.  Thank you, Avery."  She took the paper and glanced to the others.  "Excuse me for a moment, won't you?"  Striding over to the telephone, she picked up the receiver and spoke quietly to the operator to connect her.  While she waited, she unpinned her hat and set it on the table where it wouldn't get crushed and shrugged out of her coat, leaving it draped over the back of the nearby chair.

Moretti had stood at the railing that morning, watching the harbor come into view, thinking about Jackson Elias, still trying to make sense of it. After they docked, he’d barely taken a few steps on land and there was Benny Collura, lighting up a Chesterfield, his eyes flat and serious.

”Joe needs to talk to you.”

Collura drove Moretti over to the Venezia on 116th. Joe Masseria was sitting at his usual table in the back, a pretty girl with dark hair filling his wine glass. Moretti sat down across from him, wondering if his boss was starting to believe his own press too much. A couple of incompetents who couldn’t shoot to save their lives blow a hit on him and now half the city thought Masseria couldn’t be killed. Judging by the platter of grilled sausage and peppers he was digging into, Joe thought the same.

Masseria pushed a file toward him. ”It’s not much,” he told Moretti, ”but it’s enough to get you started.”

---

Moretti closed the file and looked up at Masseria. ”You knew this was what I wanted to do when I got back.”

Joe grinned, took a sip of his wine. ”Course I did. How long you been working for me?”

”Long enough.”

”Jackson was your family. Distant family, but family. I know you practically worshipped the guy. Cederecci was one thing. This is something else.”

”Cederecci had a talent for getting in trouble.”

”True enough.” Masseria pointed at Moretti, his expression darkening. ”You do what you have to. Look as long and hard as you need. But hear me. If it looks like you’re going to start something bigger, you talk to me first. Understand? I got D’Aquilla to worry about. We don’t need to be in the middle of anything else right now.”

Moretti nodded.

Masseria leaned back in his seat. ”You’re smart. Careful. Keep it that way and you'll do fine.”

Moretti stood, picked up the file. ”Thanks, Joe.”

”Don’t mention it. But before you start in, there’s something I need you take care of for me.”

---

The “something” was Tony Piscitelli. He managed the Velvet Room on 50th. He was in his late twenties and a smooth talker. Ran cons on the street when he was young. Masseria had financed the kid, helped him build his club from the ground up. Piscitelli had a good ear for music, and the entertainment he’d brought in had kept his place popular. Not long after Moretti went to Ireland, Piscitelli had started ordering less and less liquor, telling Masseria he was losing business to some of the places over in Harlem. Masseria’s people did a little digging and found out Piscitelli was buying booze on the sly from Larry Fay’s crew. Tony was also pocketing a little extra money here and there, doing favors for the Irish.

”Go talk to him,” Masseria had told Moretti, ”Remind him how things work.”

Moretti had Collura drive him up front. The doorman knew him by sight, let him right in. An older man behind the bar spotted him, started for the back, but caught Moretti’s warning glance and stayed put, looking down as he began to polish a couple of clean glasses. Moretti stepped through the curtains into the long hall in the back and pulled open the office door.

Piscitelli was standing, counting some bills into a cigar box. He didn’t have time to turn around before Moretti had a fistful of his hair and slammed his head down on his desk, face first. There was an audible crack and Moretti felt something in Piscitelli’s face give as his head hammered the hard surface. Moretti shifted his weight, dumped Piscitelli into the nearest chair, blood running over the younger man’s mouth and chin.

”So, Tony,” Moretti asked, ”How’re the Irish treating you?”

---

Afterward, Moretti had Corulla drive him to the home of Anthony DeLuca. Masseria had known DeLuca in the old country. The boss trusted his business sense. The gray haired DeLuca helped Moretti bandage his knuckles. He wanted to know about Dubin, if Moretti had seen Dublin Castle or the Ha’penny Bridge. Meanwhile, Mary DeLuca chided Anthony the whole time. Told him he needed to talk to Joe, stop him from sending Moretti all over the world. That it was past time Moretti settled down, had a family. Anthony rolled his eyes. Moretti tried to keep from grinning. It was like having a second set of parents.

Before he left, he called his mother. Told her he was back in town, apologized that he hadn’t called sooner. ”Business I had to take care of,” he explained. He promised he’d come see her and Emily tomorrow. She told him she’d make a special dinner. He could tell them all about Ireland. Moretti tried to tell her not to go to the trouble. She wouldn’t listen.

After he hung up, he called the Venezia while he put his gloves back on. The hostess put Ray Spano on the phone. “Tell the boss: that thing on 50th. It's done.”

---

Collura dropped Moretti off on 73rd. ”You want me to wait?” he asked. Moretti told him to go on. He could walk home. Getting the city under his feet again would help him feel normal.

He looked up at the Elias house and suddenly, he felt like he was six years old again. All these years later, the place still filled him with awe. He remembered his parents bringing him here when he was little. How amazed he had been that somehow, these people who were so educated, so influential, were his relations. How, out of kindness, they had helped his family find their way in America.

Standing there, the thought hit him afresh. Jackson Elias was dead. Moretti swallowed hard, blinking back tears.

Walking up the steps, he knocked on the door. When Avery opened it, Moretti found that his voice had become quiet, the way it dropped every time he stepped inside Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

”Good evening, Avery,” he said, ”I hope I haven’t come at a bad time. Is Dr. Elias at home? I’ve been out of the country. I wanted to pay my respects.”

   Glad to be out of the cold and back in familiar surroundings, Annabel shed her hat and coat and retrieved one of the offered cups of tea. She watched as Rosalie went over to the phone and started talking with someone. Hopefully this lead of hers would bear some fresh results. She could not help but feel they were missing something, but what?

  She went over to Avery, "Avery," she said, "I wanted to let you know that Mr Grey will be stopping by around 6:30 this evening to see Dr. Elias. Just didn't want you to be caught unaware. Then again, you always seem to be prepared for everything." She gave a small smile at that.

  After Annabel let Avery know of tonight's guest, she sat in one of the chairs in the room to finish her tea. Soon though, she heard a knocking at the door.

I wonder who that could be, it's too early for Bradley.

She looked in the direction of the hall out of curiosity to see who it was.

"Very good, Miss Ashcroft. I shall ensure that I am prepared for guests," he said. "Excuse me," he said again, going to attend to the knock at the door.

Opening the door, he greeted Vincent Moretti with his traditionally dour countenance before he recognized the young man and smiled. "Good afternoon, Mr. Moretti. Please do come in. I am sure Dr. Elias will be glad to see you after such a long time, even if the occasion for the reunion is not a happy one." Closing the door behind Vincent after he entered, he preceded the young man into the sitting room to announce the arrival of a guest.

"Dr. Elias, Mr. Vincent Moretti has come to pay his respects to the family," he said.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:26, Tue 07 July 2015.

Leo had made his way to the coat closet and then to his bedroom where Avery provided him with the news that Vincent had come to pay his respects. He had been briefly surprised at Avery's knock, as he wasn't expecting anyone - Bradley Gray wasn't yet due to arrive. But Vincent was one of the family members that he had not made it to the funeral so his arrival made sense. Leo slipped on shoes suitable for greeting a guest, and retrieved his jacket before making his way down to the first floor of the house.

When he saw Vincent waiting there, Leo smiled broadly. "Vincent, it's good to see you again. You are welcome as always - come in and make yourself comfortable." Leo briefly looked around to see what sorts of gathered clues were laying about, and then returned his attention to his younger cousin, a generation removed from Leo's own. "Avery mentioned that you've heard the terrible news."

Despite the somberness of the occasion, Moretti was genuinely glad to see Leonardo. He was one of a handful of men who held Moretti's deepest respect.

He nodded in response to Leo's question. "I have. An associate of mine sent me a telegraph about Jackson. I was overseas, in Ireland, handling some business there. I just got back to the city today, earlier this afternoon."

"I'm so very sorry for your loss, sir."

  Avery announced who the visitor was and Annabel saw Vincent enter the room. It had been a while since she had saw him, but she shouldn't have been surprised. He had been one of Jackson's friends, but as far as she knew, he had been out of the country. She watched as Dr. Elias greeted the man, then approached him.

 "Good afternoon Mr. Moretti," Annabel said cordially with a pleasant smile. "It is a pleasure to see you again,  it's a shame it has to be under these circumstances though. It's too bad you were delayed, I'm sure you would have wanted to be at the funeral."   

Leo nodded at Vincent's response. "Thank you for your condolences, Vincent. I know that you and Jackson always got on well - he will be missed by many." Leo furrowed his brow and frowned a little. He hesitated to bring it up, but there was no reason to avoid such discussions with Vincent given the man's line of work. Odds were small, but perhaps he or one of his associates would know something. "Are you aware he was murdered, Vincent?"

Walter comes downstairs, still rubbing his eyes. Washing his face had helped, but the weariness lingers, as does the slight headache, despite two aspirin. It's been years since he did so much reading at a stretch and in an antique typeface at that. He wonders if he needs glasses.

At the foot of the stairs, he sees Leo and Annabel talking with a stranger. No, not a stranger, Vince Moretti! Walter crosses quickly to the man and grabs him into a bear hug.

"Eh, paisan! E'passat' tant' temp' da quand' ti ho visto. Avrei dovu' sapere che sarebbe venuto. Come sta?" (Hey, buddy! It's been so long since I've seen you. I should've known you'd come. How are you?) He releases his hold and beams at the man, a childhood friend of his and Jackson's: "God, Vince, it's good to have you here."

Moretti smiled warmly . "It's very nice to see you again, Miss Ashcroft. You're right. I wish I had been able to attend the service. Jackson was...well, he was like a brother to me. I miss him more than I can say."

Moretti nodded at Leo's question. "Yes, sir. I'm aware." He paused. Moretti knew that Leo and his family had no illusions about the nature of the business he was in, but whenever he was in their home, he always felt the need to choose his words carefully, to spare them the darker details of his associations. "My employer provided me with some information regarding Jackson's death. I suspect that you may already know that a business acquaintance of mine was killed in much the same way Jackson was. There is a group in Harlem that appears to be connected to both of their murders."

"Because of my employer's situation, he has been hesitant to approach the situation in an...openly forceful manner. But, he gave me his blessing to look into it. And that's what I was planning to do, unless of course, you would prefer I didn't. I wouldn't want to go against your wishes, sir."

When Walter entered the room and hugged him, Moretti couldn't suppress a laugh and a broad smile. "Fratello! E ' così bello vederti di nuovo!" (Brother! It is so good to see you again!) "I'm well. And you? It's been far too long. How have you been keeping?"

Bishop stood by quietly as greetings were exchanged. He was pleased to seen Vincent, but was not prone, especially so soon after Jack's death to show much in the way of happiness. He had also been in touch with Vincent regularly, so unlike some of the others this was less of a reunion.

Rather than interrupt the others, Bishop waited.

Leo nodded at the response to his question, and smiled slightly at the reunion between Vincent and Walter. He walked over to Bishop and gestured toward the kitchen table. He made a quiet suggestion to the younger man. "Perhaps we can set out everything we have collected on the table to help Vincent and Tommy understand what we've discovered thus far. Once that's finished we can determine how to proceed. As Miss Ashcroft mentioned, Mister Grey is due here at half past six. I was planning to query him about the other members of the expedition. We know their names and the basic function of most, but I hope that Mister Grey can fill us in further."

  Annabel stood to the side listening to the various introductions and responses. When Dr. Elias mentioned the clues they had collected, she spoke up.

   "I'll go and get them for you Dr. Elias, excuse me," she said to Vincent and the others as she left. Going about the mansion, Annabel gathered up the various notes, documents and books collected and brought them to the kitchen table where she laid them out for all to see. It was a lot to take in, yet, they still were stuck on what to do next. There had to be something there to work with; maybe a fresh pair of eyes would help.

"There you go," Annabel said, "I hope I did not miss anything." 

"Agreed."Bishop nodded in agreement. He was concerned about Cotton's discretion, but decided he could convince the young reporter to keep things quiet as needed.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:32, Fri 10 July 2015.

OOC:

Vincent and Thomas, with the laying out of clues by Annabel, your character will have access to the information in the various clippings and links found in the Campaign Journal.

Walter looks over the various items in a desultory way. Not having made much progrss on his assigned reading -- and with his wound troubling him less after a couple days' rest -- he is itching for some more active role. Once Vincent is finished examining the array of items on the table, Walter unobtrusively draws him and Stanley into another room.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:01, Mon 13 July 2015.

Bishop chatted in the other room
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:21, Tue 14 July 2015.

After the meeting with Blake, Tommy was glad to find himself alone in a taxi following Bishop's car back to the Elias house. He plucked his notebook out of his pocket and scribbled words avidly.
Bloody Tongue. Carlyle. Black Wind.
His mind was buzzing. Today the young reporter had heard more tantalizing tidbits in this bloody trail than he'd learned in the past month combined.

Arriving shortly behind the others he pushed a few bucks payment into the drivers hand and hurried inside to be greeted by a likable chap who named himself Avery.
"Mr Avery, a pleasure to meet you. Call me Tommy. I've been working with Mr Bishop today.". Smiling gratefully he tucked his coat over and arm and scanned the unfamiliar surroundings while Avery checked the young reporter was expected. After a few moments of patient waiting he was glad to be shown inside to join the others.

The group seemed to have gathered in a wide Kitchen and spying a new face Tommy wasted no time introducing himself.
"Afternoon buddy! I dont believe we've met? Thomas Cotton, New York Times.". He offered an eager hand, glad to meet another member of the group. "A sorry mess all this, but I hope I'll be able to help in some way.".

With introductions complete Tommy felt his eyes drawn to the table where Annabel had been carefully laying out various notes. Moving closer he started to recognize words here and there alongside clues altogether unfamiliar. For several moments he stood in silence studying the scene, piecing together the grim background of what had happened to Jackson.

Seeing Bishop's glance fall on him he raised his hands and offered a reassuring expression. "Don't worry. I told you I wont take nothin' to print without your permission. This information is going nowhere.".

Patting his pockets he found his notebook again and flipped through its scribbled comments. After a moment's hesitation he decisively tore 3 pages from its spine and laid them too on the table.

Satisfied he stood back to look around the room.
"That's a lot of information to digest..." He scratched his head thoughtfully.
"So Jackson was looking into the Carlyle expedition? And we have maps from Thurmmond which 'coincidentally' seem to show the region of Africa where they where killed. And the killings seem to relate to some African cult.
Question is, where do those leads take us?".

ooc: The notes shared by Tommy are brief summaries of the previous victims. I dont think there is anything plot critical in there unless our wonderful GM flags otherwise - though Tommy is sharing what he knows in a big to help.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:42, Mon 13 July 2015.

Moretti shook Cotton's hand. He was surprised that a reporter from the Times was in their midst, but he masked his reaction, trusting that if the family had trusted Cotton with knowledge of this delicate matter, he should as well. "A pleasure, Mr. Cotton. Vincent Moretti."

When Bo drew him and Bishop off into another room, Moretti followed.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:52, Tue 14 July 2015.

Bishop continued his private chat.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:20, Tue 14 July 2015.

Moretti, his voice low, continued to speak with Bishop and Brandon.

Bishop continued his chat speaking quietly.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:42, Wed 15 July 2015.

After disconnecting with Miriam Atwright, Rosalie hung up the phone and finally hung up her coat and hat.  She left her gloves with her pocketbook in the foyer.  Finally, she joined the others in the kitchen and began to make herself a cup of tea.  "I have a bit more to add from the Harvard library, but nothing too revealing or completely new, I'm afraid.  Most of what Ms. Atwright was able to find were things that we've already guessed."  She glanced about.  "Where are the others?  Wasn't that Vincent that passed while I was on the telephone?"

In reply to Stanley Bishop (msg # 23):

Leo nodded at his niece's report and question. "It was Vincent, yes. I was hoping to have a discussion among all of us, to discuss what we've found so far, but Stanley and Walter pulled Vincent aside. Once they are finished, perhaps we can sort through everything together."

Moretti returned to the kitchen. "I apologize for stepping away. There was a matter that Stanley, Walter and I needed to discuss."

Turning, he noticed Rosalie and approached her. "Rosalie, how are you? I am so sorry I wasn't here for Jackson's service. I was out of the country on business. I just returned today."

"Never mind that, Vincent.  I am just glad you are here.  I think we could likely use your particular set of skills."  She pulled him into a hug and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.  "Have you met everyone?  Did they fill you in on what's happened so far?"

Tommy smiled as Rosa entered. He'd been wondering where the likable girl had gotten to.
When she glanced in his direction alongside Moretti he nodded.
"Yep, Vincent and I have been introduced. And as for the tale so far...". Tommy gestured to the notes carefully positioned on the table.
"We have quite the riddle to solve.

Can I ask, has anyone tried speaking to that N'Kwane fellow? If Jackson was looking into the Carlyle expedition, and Thurmmond was exploring the region, they would surely have looked to find someone with African knowledge who they could approach?
N'Kwane might be able to help us right? Hell he might even be in danger.".

"Of course sir, Mr. Cotton, please do note that Mr. N'Kwane is the proprietor of this Ju Ju House we've heard so much about," he said.

"You can of course speak with the fellow, but I have doubts as to your suggestion that he is in danger - at least not the same sort of danger that young Jackson was."

Avery usually kept to his duties and said little, but in between it all, he had been paying attention.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:41, Thu 16 July 2015.

"We have covered this ground before. Avery is quite right, from what we have learned N'Kwane is tied up with the Juju House,  the Juju House is involved in the Harlem underworld. They appear to been in conflict with one of the murder victims, the address of the place was found in the belongings of a missing girl another of the murder victim was investigating."

"That is just for starters. The Juju House is a serpent's nest."
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:29, Thu 16 July 2015.

"Many signs seem to point to Harlem." Leo stated with a nod. "Let's talk through what we have that pertains to Jackson. We found him dead with a strange symbol carved on his forehead. One of the men that apparently killed him and cut that symbol on his forehead had a card for Emerson Imports on West 47th Street, with Silas N'Kwane's name on it. Turns out Emerson Imports is a go-between for Silas and Ahja Singh in Mombasa. Silas is the manager of the Ju-Ju House. The reputation of that particular place is that it's very dangerous."

Leo paused there and looked to the others to add some more. He knew Walter had dug into it further and could likely provide further details.

"My contact from Harvard also told me that she found that particular symbol is one associated with the Cult of the Bloody Tongue, which is feared by several African tribes, especially around Nairobi.  They are said to engage in ritual sacrifice to the God of the Black Wind.  This seems to tie in with all of Jackson's notes from his research.  If the man that murdered him was involved with that cult, then it stands to reason that the Ju-Ju House likely has some sort of connection as well."
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:35, Fri 17 July 2015.

The telephone rang, and Avery went to answer it. In a moment, he entered the room again. "Mr. Bradley Grey is in the neighborhood, and was wondering if he might visit you earlier than later, sir," he said, addressing Leo. "He said that he could be over shortly, if you were amenable to such a proposition."

Leo nodded. "Certainly, Avery. Thank you."

He looked down at all the clues they had spread out across the table before addressing the others. "Miss Ashcroft originally scheduled a meeting with Mister Grey at my request for the early evening. After we had started learning a bit about the Carlyle expedition and that they may all still be alive, I thought it would be a good idea to see if Mister Grey could fill us in on who they are."

"Very good, sir," he responded, returning to the phone with his employer's response.

Not long after, Bradley Grey was introduced again, brought into the sitting room. A partner at the prestigious firm Dunstan, Whittleby and Grey, he represented the Carlyle Estate and Erica Carlyle in a number of matters. Recently, he had encountered Dr. Elias and company at a party thrown by Erica, arranging for them to meet with Erica Carlyle. He had agreed to come pay a house call on the good doctor and answer questions for them about the Carlyle Expedition.

"Thank you for accomodating my request to come earlier than we spoke about. My schedule cleared up unexpectedly and I found myself in the area, so I thought rather than postpone our meeting I would see if I might drop in on you earlier," he said.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:11, Mon 20 July 2015.

Leo greeted Mr. Grey with a handshake and followed Avery and Mr. Grey into the sitting room. He waved aside the thanks. "Oh no, thank you for being willing to pay us a visit on such short notice. I believe you've met many of our number, but there are a couple other gentlemen you should meet. Mister Vincent Moretti is also a member of the family, and came to town when he heard news of Jackson's death. And Mister Thomas Cotton of the New York Times is a fellow graduate of Columbia that had been doing his own investigation into the string of murders similar to Jackson's." Leo gestured toward each man in turn then toward some seats.

Leo waited for the others to make themselves comfortable before explaining why they had asked Mister Grey for some of his time. "As we mentioned last night, the investigation into my son's death has led us to take an interest in the Carlyle expedition. While we've been able to make guesses as to why each person was included in the expedition, we were hoping you might shed some light on that subject, as well as provide us with more knowledge of who each of the expedition members were."

"A fine publication, the Times. However, I do hope that for this conversation that we're off the record, Mr. Cotton? If there's anything that directly pertains to any murders you're investigating, I'll gladly go on record, though I doubt you'll find anything like that. I'm here as a favor to the family," he said.

He withdrew a small black leatherbound notebook that he periodically referred to as he spoke. "Yes, I do know a good bit about the expedition and those involved. Not everything, to be sure, but probably more than most. Of course, you all must know Roger Carlyle. While the Times has steered clear of printing salacious stories about Ms. Carlyle's late brother, he has been in and out of the less reputable publications," he said. "He went from being quite the playboy around town to getting very serious about this expedition he planned, though the actual goals of the expedition were never really published."

Bishop stood by quietly. When Dr. Elias mentioned Cotton and his employer, Bishop wondered how the lawyer would take it. He also hoped Cotton had heard the lecture enough to abide the agreement.

  Annabel listened attentively to the discussion on what to do next. She just didn't understand why they just did not check out this JuJu house place if so many clues were pointing to it. Couldn't they check it out during the day when it might be safer? if they did go, she hoped she could come along, she was curious to see what kind of place this was.

  Soon time passed and Bradley showed up a bit earlier then expected. Annabel greeted him when he entered, a pleased smile on her pretty face. "I'm pleased to see you Mr Grey, thank you so much for helping us."

 She she sat with the others, listening to him speak and warn Mr Cotton about reveling any of what he was saying. Mr. Cotton seemed to be good at keeping quiet so far, but she didn't know he he had the willpower with soooo much juicy information being dumped on him. It WOULD make one hell of a story.

"Mr. Grey," Annabel asked, "does anyone still living know of the actual goals of the expedition? It was such a lot of effort to do it and so unlike Mr. Carlyle it seems."   

Tommy shook Bradley's hand and stepped back.
"No need to worry Mr Grey. I've agreed with the family that everything will be off the record until these crimes are solved. After that, anything I do want to publish would be reviewed by Dr Elias first, and I'd gladly pass you a copy too.
I can understand your concern, but rest assured the Times requires its staff to show discretion. We're not a back alley mag.".

He smiled and moved to lean against the wood paneled wall to give the lawyer space to speak. When he mentioned Roger Carlyle the young reporter couldn't help but ask with interest.
"Yes, our readership isn't one for gossip. There was plenty of talk about Roger's behavior but he was a wealthy man and could do with his time as he pleased.". Tommy shrugged. "If we went around publishing stories about what rich folk did in their spare time, we'd probably alienate half of our readers right?".

"But you say the goals of the expedition were never really published? I always assumed it was an excuse for a holiday or something. Mr Carlyle and that Penhew fellow exploring for the fun of it?".

The attorney looked sternly at the reporter. "Mr. Cotton, when I say that I'd like something off the record, I don't mean off the record until a certain time has passed. I mean off the record. Period. No qualifiers," he said.

"Do we have an understanding?" he asked Cotton.

Tommy held up his hands to appease the lawyer.
"Off the record entirely.".

"Thank you. My client wishes to be of assistance to the family in their inquiries, but at the same time wishes not to be associated with any sort of scandal, which impacted business during the tenure of her late brother Roger, so I had to insist on that," he explained to Cotton.

"As I said, Mr. Cotton, the goals were never expressly published or stated. It very well could have been an excuse for a holiday, I suppose, but nevertheless there should have been some objective - like they were after some kind of lost relic or ancient site or some such. As to your question, Miss Ashcroft, I do suppose it is possible that there is someone that knows the purpose of the expedition, but I don't know the extent of their knowledge as we have not had the reason to contact them." He turned to a blank page in his book and wrote something down on it, copying from another page. Tearing out the page, he handed it to Dr. Elias.

"The first is for Faraz Najir, an Arab who had some connection with the expedition. The second is for Warren Besart, a Frenchman who was an agent for the expedition as well. Granted, now this contact information is six years old, but if you do happen to look to Cairo for answers at some point, it is as good of a starting point as you are going to get."

Leo looked at the paper and nodded. "Thank you, these will be helpful." After a brief pause, Leo again looked at Mister Grey. "Before Miss Carlyle went to find what happened to her brother, did you or she do any extensive research into the individuals that made up the expedition?"

"I suppose it could be called extensive research," he said, "though we never really thought about it along those lines. It was preliminary research. Miss Carlyle never believed that the truth would be found in the histories of these people, but their deeds in Africa. From the conception of the trip to the execution of the trip not much time passed, so we did conduct what research we could. Where would you like me to start?"

Leo nodded at Mister Grey's responses. "How about we start with Miss Hypatia Masters." He hadn't really seen anything about her anywhere.

"Ah, yes. Miss Masters," he said, flipping to a page in his book. Looking to the family members, he said, "Some of you may have heard of the Masters family, surely. Hypatia is the heiress to the Masters Armaments fortune. She studied in Paris, Switzerland, and here in the city. Like many women of status in the city, she had dated Roger Carlyle at various times, but I don't think they went past friendship and mutually diverting company."

"She is most notorious for having dated a man named Raoul Luis Maria Piñera, a Mexican communist who was lecturing at the City College of New York on the politics of art. According to hearsay it was quite the torrid and scandalous affair. She broke off their relationship shortly before the expedition. I have never been able to discern why she was invited or went on the expedition. By reputation, she had a flair for languages and a talent for photography, so presumably they wanted to make use of those skills. Better for her if she hadn't gone."

 Annabel frowned disappointed, "I dare say, you're probably right Mister Grey. Whoever cared about the actual purpose went along with Mr. Carlyle with the rest thinking as you said, just a playboy's excursion, pity he wasn't more forthcoming to someone that stayed behind. My guess is he didn't want someone to either worry or interfere. Too bad he failed on both accounts."

 Annabel continued. "As for Miss Masters, now that you've placed the identity, I'm sure she must have come up in gossip once or twice, I just didn't pay much attention to a woman who would attract such scandal. Maybe that's why she went, to get away from the whole mess she caused hoping it would die down in a few months; poor woman, she should have just endured it."       

"Difficult to believe that such an excursion, involving so many prominent people, could hie off to the back of beyond without some newshound like our young Cotton asking some pointed questions about its purpose," Walter puts in from his corner of the room, "A rich man's picnic in Central Park would get better coverage.

"Why the secrecy, Mr. Grey? And how did he manage it?"

"All good questions, Mr. Brandon. As to why the secrecy, to answer that, I'd have to know the purpose of the expedition. When a man has a reputation as a playboy and no one takes him seriously, I doubt much weight was given to the purpose of the expedition, which was likely considered merely the latest of his whims. Roger was not a man to take seriously, and that was well known. If there was more to it than that and Roger played an active role in covering it up, having an extraordinary amount of money would be a good start in managing to do so," he responded to Bo.

"Erica believed it was that negro woman that Roger spent so much time with that pushed him into doing it. Apparently, he was having strange dreams that caused him to wake up screaming, but he refused to discuss these nightmares. That was when she recommended Huston, who she presumes must have endorsed the expedition. But she lays his obsession with this expedition at the feet of the negro woman. Apparently Roger described her as a 'queen' and a 'priestess.' He would disappear for days at a time, only to turn up wild-eyed and crazed, saying only that he had been to Harlem - presumably for an...extended liaison with this woman."

Tommy suppressed a smile at Bo's direct question.
"Oh there were plenty of newshounds gossiping and hunting rumors, just not from the Times.". Though half of those rags were probably made up rather than investigated.

"Did Erica know who the negro woman was, or what religion she was a priestess of? I dont remember a woman like that being mentioned at the time?".
He paused thoughtfully.
"But lets say Ms Carlyle is correct and Roger somehow became obsessed with this woman. Didn't the expedition go to London and Egypt first before finding its unfortunate fate in Africa? Why would some dark skinned temptress want to visit those places?".

"The expedition was also associated with the Penhew Foundation, and by extension, Sir Aubrey Penhew who also was a part of the expedition. This is presumably why they went to London. Following London, they went to Egypt, which I'm sure you know, is in Africa," he said. His tone made clear that he was not at all sure that Cotton realized that Egypt was in Africa.

"Even aside from that, they are on the way there. Most people would rather travel that way than endure a trip around the horn of Africa, where the only stops are in uncivilized lands. Any such trip would have gone there. Egypt is populated by many dark skinned peoples, as I'm sure you are aware." Again, his words were polite but he didn't sound like he believed Cotton was aware of that.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:00, Wed 22 July 2015.

Leo was glad that Bradley had brought up the negro priestess as it would have been awkward to explain questions about her without giving up his source of information. "Do you know anything about this woman with whom Roger had become obsessed? This priestess? If it was her idea, did she accompany the expedition? The papers didn't name her if so."

"Of course you are right Mr Grey. All I meant to highlight was how far apart those places were. Sure, Egypt is part of continental Africa. But it must be what, nearly 4000 kilometers between Cairo and Mombassa, no short distance?

As you say, if their final destination was always Mombassa then Egypt might indeed make a better port than around the horn. Still it took them months didn't it to make the journey? So either they had reasons to stop over for a time in those places, or they had no need to get to Mombassa quickly and enjoyed the excursions en-route.".

He shrugged apologetically.
"Anyway forgive me, I'm just thinking aloud.
What of this negro woman, do we know any more of her?".

"The official expedition itinerary was of course, to go to Egypt. Officially, the Kenya trip was only a detour," he told Cotton.

"I can't say I know much more about the Negro woman other than what Erica has mentioned in passing, though she did accompany the expedition, Dr. Elias. I don't properly know her name. I believe Roger referred to her as Anastasia at one point, only to conceal from Erica for a time that she was a negress. I think it started with an M. Something African. I would know it if I heard it, but I never wrote it down and it escapes me at the moment."
This message was last updated by the player at 15:46, Wed 22 July 2015.

Her name is M'Weru, Leo thought to himself as Mister Grey struggled to remember. "Jackson speculated that the expedition discovered something in Egypt that led them to Kenya. Not that it was merely someplace they just happened to be passing through - which reminds me of something Jackson mentioned. Do you know what the itinerary was for the expedition in Egypt?" Leo paused a moment, then added a few more questions to the mix. "Jackson also mentioned Anastasia, guessing that she is Roger's lover. His high level book outline includes Masters, Penhew, Brady, and Anastasia in addition to Roger and Doctor Huston. Did you discover whether any others went on the expedition with those six?" It seemed likely that Doctor Huston's daughter was also with them, though if Anastasia is another name for the negress M'Weru, then she couldn't also be Huston's daughter.

"I'm afraid I don't know their itinerary in Egypt, other than they set out for Cairo with the intention to make contact with Besart and Najir. I would imagine that they went to begin an investgiation. Sir Aubrey Penhew was a renowned Egyptologist, highly regarded by his peers. I'm sure he knew what he was about in that respect. From what I understand, you travel out from Cairo on camels or other vehicles particularly well suited for that terrain, find your site, set up a camp, and begin a dig," he said.

"As far as other members of the expedition, I would imagine they would hire local help in terms of diggers and porters and such people, and that they would begin an excavation. I don't know anyone by name, save perhaps for that Frenchman, Besart, though I know precious little about him - nothing that I haven't already told you."

Bishop stood by and listened to the exchange. While he was familiar with Jack's notes, it appeared that the others were doing a fine job in questioning Grey. That suited Bishop fine, because he planned to step in when they were finished and discuss matters closer to home.

Much of what Grey and Leo mentioned was still new to Tommy. Sure he'd cast his eyes over the notes laid out by Annabel, but talking about it was really helping to piece things together.

"Wasn't Penhew an Egyptologist? Perhaps he was the reason for stopping Cairo then. We even reported on rumors they'd found King Solomon's mines; though I figure that was probably just local jealousy of a well funded expedition.".
Tommy mused openly, incase his words would trigger an idea in someone more knowledgeable than himself.
He turned to Mr Grey again, his expression concerned and words gentle.
"So the expedition left Egypt and eventually arrived in Mombassa where...they met their fate. It must have been terrible for Ms Carlyle to hear the news...very brave of her to visit Kenya. Did you go with her?".

  As Annabel listened, she was not surprised that once again there was another mention of Harlem and some connection to it; this time of Carlyle's mistress. They really were going to have to make some effort to go there. Too many clues were pointing in that direction.

   Listening to Mr. Cotton's question, she added. "If you did Mr. Grey, would you happen to have the names of anyone we could contact in case we end up going to Africa to pursue this matter further? From all that you are telling us, it sounds like we may need to in order to get a clearer idea of what this is all about."

Bishop did his best to keep his expression neutral. The others were talking about trips around the globe, meanwhile a nest of villains in Harlem needed to be wiped off the face of the earth.

"Yes, Mr. Cotton. Sir Aubrey Penhew is in fact an Egyptologist, as I mentioned just now. Please do try to keep up. Also, they did not meet their fates in Mombasa. They traveled from Mombasa to Nairobi, from where they presumably set upon a safari, and subsequently met their fates," he said, correcting the young reporter.

"I did not go with her on her mission of discovery there, and I'm afraid I have little in the way of contacts in Africa. I have given Dr. Elias what I do have," he said to Annabel.

"Now, Dr. Elias, you wanted to know more about the expedition members. I believe I've told you what I know of consequence with respect to Roger and Hypatia. That leaves Sir Aubrey, Dr. Huston, and Jack Brady."

"Since we were most recently discussing Penhew, once more for Mr. Cotton's benefit, he was a renowned Egyptologist. Penhew graduated from Oxford and is credited with having founded several branches of Egyptology and has several important archaeological discoveries under his belt. His foundation underwrites that sort of thing both at home and abroad. Aside from that, a wealthy man like Roger. A real blue blood - the sort of man you'd find in Burke's Peerage. I believe he served in the Great War until he was injured. He is old money and has continued to prosper from holdings here and in Europe. That's about all I was able to find out about him without going to England myself to poke about more."
This message was last updated by the player at 13:31, Fri 24 July 2015.

Leo nodded as Mister Grey provided some information about Penhew. "Do you know how Mister Carlyle originally connected with Sir Penhew? The reason for Roger Carlyle contacting Penhew seem apparent on the surface - did he simply know of Penhew's abilities and place a call, or were there other avenues used to make that connection?"

Moretti was silent during the discussion with Grey. He remained standing, his arms crossed, listening attentively to the questions and answers. As he considered all that he had read, and the information Grey was providing about the doomed Carlyle Expedition, he couldn't keep his mind from reeling.

When he had sat down with Masseria earlier in the day, he had become convinced that Jackson had been targeted by the group at the JuJu House because Jackson's research had threatened to expose their ilicit activities. Now, he felt certain that Jackson had uncovered something much larger. Some kind of terrible cult whose influence stretched across continents. Not unlike how Masseria's authority tied back to the old country.

But it all led back to Harlem. It was where the men that had sought Jackson's life, and for that matter, Ritchie Cederecci's, had come from. And it was where Carlyle had found this mysterious woman, this "Anastasia" who had fed his obsession to travel to Africa.

All here in New York. Within walking distance of the neighborhood he'd grown up in.

"I'm afraid that neither myself nor Ms. Carlyle know anything about how Penhew became involved. My guess is as good as yours. I would surmise that he wanted a proper expert for the expedition. Neither himself, Master, Huston, nor Brady had any experience in that field. It stands to reason they wanted at least one person who knew what he was about," he said.

"All we know is that they stopped in London, picked up Penhew, and went on to Egypt."

Leo nodded at Grey's response and made a mental note to look into that a bit more, as they had acquired a few phone numbers already. "What about Mister Brady? I don't think I know much more about him than the fellow's name." Even Hypatia Masters had been noted for her photography skills.

"Jack Brady. He was a standout in that group - a different sort. He was in the Marines during the war, awarded a Bronze Star and some other commendations. Served in China and on the Western Front in France. He is rumored to have been a mercenary in Turkey just after the war, and to know Turkish and Arabic as well as several Chinese dialects. After he got back, I suppose he didn't know how to occupy himself. He had a police record a mile long: assaults and barroom brawls, petty theft, loitering, gambling, mopery, public drunkenness, and an acquitted murder charge. That's where Roger comes in," he said.

"You see, Roger befriended him when Roger was attending the University of Southern California," he said. "Roger didn't make many true friends, but he and Jack were particularly close. Around that time, Brady got into a fight and apparently throttled his opponent to death before onlookers could pull him off. Roger summoned the best legal minds in the country for the defense, who proceeded to blow to pieces a seemingly open-and-shut case offered by the county prosecutor, eclipsing the testimony of seven eye-witnesses. Brady was ultimately acquitted on a variety of technical grounds. From that time, Jack Brady and Roger Carlyle rarely were separated. Brady served as Carlyle's bodyguard, and he went on the expedition in that capacity. I'm sure his knack for languages, expertise in weapons, and talent for violence could all serve as assets in that part of the world,"

"He had a nickname - 'Brass.' Roger told me about it once. Brady apparently wore a four inch square brass plate that was covered with strange signs and inscriptions over his heart. He said he got it from his mother, a recluse in Upper Michigan, who had 'the Eye'. I don't know exactly what that is, but presumably some type of witchcraft. That thing had been dented twice by bullets, so I guess it was good for something."

"Wasn't sure until now but I served along side Brady in China, and during the Great War I was his company commander."

"He was a good man. Tough, charming and brave. never gave much credit to that brass plate, but Brady had the devil's own luck alright. Saw him come out of more tight scrapes than any man has a right. If anyone good have survived a massacre, it would be Jack "Brass" Brady." Bishop said.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:25, Fri 31 July 2015.

Rosalie listened intently, but had very little to add that her uncle had not already covered.  Bradley's insight sparked certain ideas and tied various clues together, but she was not inclined to speak of them in his presence.  While he seemed like an upstanding young man, his loyalties lay with his employer and she knew he wouldn't hesitate to report back to her anything of interest he might have overheard.  Though she doubted it would go beyond their intimate circle, the fewer people that knew the details of their investigation the better.

She threw a glance at Vincent, but found his expression unreadable -- but that wasn't anything new.  She knew from experience that he was a tough nut to crack.  While she didn't want any more of her family or friends throwing themselves into danger, she knew that Vincent could handle himself.  As her gaze shifted to the others, she realized that they could all handle themselves quite well in one way or another.  They might be unaccustomed to the horrors of murder and the rough streets, but each had a valuable skill that had already proven useful in the investigation.

He very slightly quirked an eyebrow at Bishop. "Oh? Quite the coincidence, you knowing Brady, being family to Jackson, and everything coming together as it has." He didn't spend too long lingering on it, moving on to the subject of their inquiries.

"I guess Dr. Huston's the only one I haven't spoken of much yet," he said, looking at his notebook. "He graduated from Johns Hopkins with honors and had a circulatory ailments practice for a few years. He left that practice, and his wife at the time, and went to Vienna to study under Dr. Sigmund Freud and also Dr. Karl Jung, who as Dr. Elias surely knows are noted names in the field of psychiatry. He was one of the first Americans to engage in this study. He returned and opened a lucrative practice that catered to the wealthy, charging exorbitant amounts for his therapy. Roger was one of his patients. Roger must have paid him a handsome some indeed to convince him to put aside that practice and travel with him on that expedition." He closed the book and recrossed his legs.

"I think that's everyone, other than the Negro woman that went along with them, and I don't know much about her."

"Not really. The Corps is smaller than most  folks think. Tw o old leather necks are likely to have crossed paths a time or two." Bishop replied.

"It was a curious bunch to take on an archeological expedition. I don't know too much about it, but I know it requires expertise. With one exception they had none."

Tommy had been listening carefully, intrigued by Bishop's relationship to Brady.
"I dont suppose Jack mentioned a wife, or siblings to you? Might be he has relatives he spoke to about the expedition.". The mother in Michigan might be another option, but if she was some kind of recluse disturbing her might not be welcome.

He went silent for a moment while Grey continued, then piped up alongside Stanley's words.
"Some of them were strange I guess...Roger was the money, and Jack his man so they dont seem too out of place. Penhew makes sense, and Masters, well maybe she wanted to get away from scandal and it seems plausible you'd want a photographer or linguist on the trip.
It's Huston and the negro woman that dont fit at all.".

The reporter glanced toward Dr Elias who surely knew more of such things.
"Why would Carlyle fund his head doctor to go on some playboys adventure? How bad can a few dreams be?".

Leo soaked up the new information, nodding time and again as the others chimed in. At the question from Thomas, Leo looked at the young reporter. His serious expression slowly changed to a smirk. "Psychiatrists are by far the most useful physicians." Leo smiled, then returned his face to neutrality. "As Mister Grey mentioned, not only had Huston studied psychology, but also knew medicine well enough to have a successful circulatory ailments practice. Which means that should anyone get injured during their travels, Doctor Huston would also be able to patch them up quite efficiently."

Leo returned his attention to Mister Grey. "What of Doctor Huston's family? Do you know anything about his wife or if they had children?"

"He was no longer married at the last, I'm afraid. At least not that I know of. I presumed that he had divorced his first wife. She went to live in the country with her family in Minnesota," Grey responded. "He didn't have any children that I know of," he said.
This message was last updated by the player at 13:20, Mon 03 Aug 2015.

Tommy chuckled gently at Leo's insistence that shrinks were the best of doctors, he'd know for sure.
Grey's words remained serious however and the young reporter returned to the subject at hand.
"Do you know when Huston split from his wife? I mean, did it coincide with the expedition or working with Roger?".

He frowned, thinking back to the negro woman.
"Quite the riddle that the one woman who seems most out of place in this whole thing, is the same woman we know the least about. I suppose it wouldn't be a puzzle otherwise eh?
And that she was from Harlem too...
Do we know anything more of her? A religion? Her family?  Anyone else who knew her better?".
This message was last edited by the player at 06:13, Tue 04 Aug 2015.

He fixed the reporter with a flat stare. Was the man really not paying attention?

"I've said this once before, but I don't suppose there's any harm in me repeating myself...again," he responded dryly. "Dr. Huston left his wife at the same time that he left his circulatory ailments practice, before he left for Europe to study under Freud and Jung." He didn't bother asking who Robert was.

"The negro woman, she wasn't from Harlem," he corrected the reporter. "I'm not sure who 'we' are, but I personally know very little about her, beyond what I've told you so far, I'm afraid. I'd not hold anything back."

Bishop had started to jot down notes so that he and the others would be able to add the valuable information which Grey was providing.

Despite Cotton's rejection of his observation that they seemed an odd bunch for such an expedition, Bishop felt his instincts were correct. Another thing that struck Bishop as odd, was that each time Grey pointed out Tommy's frustrating habit of not listening, Bishop found himself getting a bit rankled and wanting to tell Grey to lay off.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:55, Tue 04 Aug 2015.

"Well, I'm afraid that's all I know about what you might call the key members of the expedition that departed from New York. Are there any questions that I may have neglected to answer, or any more questions you might have for me?" he asked.
This message was last updated by the player at 15:20, Thu 06 Aug 2015.

Leo briefly looked perplexed, and then asked about the mostly unknown woman. "You said that the negress wasn't from Harlem. Do you mean that she never lived there? Or just that her origin was elsewhere?"

He shrugged slightly as he spoke. "I don't know where she lived to be honest, but her accent was African in nature, so I don't believe she was from Harlem but instead from Africa. It is, I suppose, possible that she dwelled in Harlem."

Leo nodded at Grey's response. "While we understand you didn't join Miss Carlyle on her mission of discovery, did she ever describe to you in any detail what she did while there and what she discovered when she arrived at the scene of the alleged massacre?"

Tommy shrugged at the reporters stare and clarified.
"Yes you said he left his wife to study in Vienna. I only meant to clarify that he left, as in divorced her at that time, or wether the marital split was later. Many folk leave family to study but pick up on those relationships when they return.".

Tommy hid a smile as he saw Bishop scribbling notes. The big man was astute as always, though Tommy guessed if he himself took out pen and paper Mr Grey might understandably react quite differently.

he leant forward with keen interest though as Leo posed the next question.

He shook his head in response to Leo's question. "Not in great detail, I'm afraid, but it's little more than what you surely have gathered from the articles published in the papers back then," he said.

"Suffice it to say that there wasn't anything conclusive, as the alleged perpetrators supposedly refused to reveal the burial site of the whites they were supposed to have slain. Knowing what we do of Africa, it's equally possible that the trial was a sham and those men were scapegoated, or that the Kikiyu tribesman exploited the situation to exact vengeance on the Nandi tribesman on account of some old tribal rivalry, as it was that they found true justice there."

Grey simply nodded politely at the reporter's clarification, seeming to regain some of his good temper.

Leo furrowed his brow at Grey's response. "Does Miss Carlyle harbor any doubts about whether Roger Carlyle and his retinue perished? The papers seemed to indicate confirmation, but left room for doubt. Also, do you know Missus Victoria Post?"

"Well, the official record had more holes in it than Swiss cheese, but that still left the matter of them having disappeared. Whether the official story was true or some other story, Ms. Carlyle had no reason do doubt the premise that the expedition had perished. That is, until you all came around the other day," he added.

"Now, I would say she has some reason to harbor doubts about whether her brother and his expedition perished following the revelations you all made at the party. At this stage, I'd say this is far from a certain conclusion, but I know that you are serious people with a serious purpose at hand and would not be about this on a lark if you didn't believe it to be the case. That's why I've come here after all."

"As for Miss Post, I am familiar with the young woman. She was in Miss Carlyle's employ at the time, and accompanied Miss Carlyle to Africa and on the journey back. She was a graduate of Barnard. I believe the trip gave her a taste for adventure. She is married to some professor or the other now, and accompanies him on expeditions."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:54, Thu 06 Aug 2015.

Leo nodded again at Grey's responses. His eyebrows rose slightly at the revelation that they had apparently changed Erica's mind a bit. "Jackson believed that the entire expedition still lives. I think he may be right. Or, rather, may have been right." The slip seemed to settle on Leo's shoulders a bit as the physician sagged slightly and sighed.

Leo furrowed his brow a little at the response concerning Victoria Post. The papers seemed to suggest that she had already been married when she left with Erica Carlyle. Perhaps they could track her down some other way.

"I'm sure that Ms. Carlyle hopes much the same, though I'd soon as not get her hopes up about the possibility before anything concrete is known. In the interim, I'm here to help," he said.

"But even if the expedition no longer lives, if there's a link between those that took your son's life and also that of the expedition members, bringing the responsible parties to justice would serve both of our interests."

in reply to message 85
As grey made his revelation Tommy's brow furrowed at first in surprise then excitement. He found himself glancing around the room, studying the expressions of his new friends. Some of them seemed equally enthralled. What Grey suggested opened up a whole can 'o worms.
He let out a low whistle and pursed his lips.
"Scapegoats and sham trials, phew, that's bold stuff. Sure things didn't quite stack up, but if they didn't meet their end by the hand of some African tribe, what did happen?". The question wasn't directed at anyone, but it lingered until Leo followed up with grey.

Now that's a story and a half...stay calm Tommy boy!

The reporter couldn't help but shuffle in his chair, unable to suppress a sudden rush of nervous energy.

ooc: I think this is the first time Tommy has realised jacko thought they were alive. He understood Jackson was investigating...but that they might not have died is another matter.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:33, Fri 07 Aug 2015.

The reporter's fidgeting caused Bradley to mentally speculate as to whether the poor man suffered from some ailment of the mind. Perhaps Dr. Elias could be of some assistance to the fellow.

"I suppose that's the question, really," he replied to Tommy. "If you can find out the truth in a sufficient manner with convincing proof, Mr. Cotton, you have my word that I'll go on record with you - and only you - about anything that relates to this matter, and that I'll do what I can to get Ms. Carlyle to do the same in full detail. That will give the Times an exclusive story on this matter that no periodical will be able to compete with, and the credit to you. There's the stuff of a career making story in this, I should think."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:11, Mon 10 Aug 2015.

What did happen indeed? Carlyle and his friends managed to harness dark magic, killed his attendants, and are now subservient to some dark god...it sounded crazy when Leo thought it. He certainly couldn't say it. But the files that Huston had put together...seemed to suggest it? How had the overpriced psychologist reached through time and space to affect Leo? The Doctor winced at his own thoughts.

"Yes, justice would be good. But unraveling the mystery that Jackson had begun to uncover...I feel like I owe that to my son." Or something like that.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 00:16, Fri 07 Aug 2015.

  Annabel had sat quietly listening to the conversation between the group, She piped up at the discussion of the trial.

  "I did find it rather odd the whole thing of the natives hiding the white men rather than leaving them with the others. I mean 24 corpses is an awful lot of bodies, Why bother taking the time to make them special if they did kill the whole group; and if they did, one would think they would want them found somewhere as some sort of grisly warning or something like that."

  Annabel gave a distasteful expression at that thought then continued.

   "If for some reason they survived, they are doing a pretty good job at keeping themselves hidden if they don't want to be found. Whoever goes looking for them is really going to have to work hard at finding them." She gave a frown, "I have a feeling people will think them more than a little crazy for insisting they still are alive when the case is closed." 

"I can see that you would. I won't pretend that I can relate, but I can at least imagine that I would want to know the same," he replied to Dr. Elias.

"The entire thing is rather odd, Miss Ashcroft. I suppose I can only speculate as to why they might have hidden the white bodies on the expedition, and that speculation would be that there is some strong anti-colonial sentiment in British Africa, and otherwise in other parts of Africa. It may be an expression of that, perhaps. But I agree with you that even that sort of a story is a very thin one. As a gut reaction, none of it sits particularly well for me. None of it particularly believable."

Tommy nodded enthusiastically to Grey. The lawyer was right, this could be a life changing story for any journalist who got the scoop.
"You've got me hooked Mr Grey. Though not one ounce will hit publication without your permission, and Dr Elias'.". Somehow the Carlyle's and Jackson were linked and Tommy had made a commitment to both parties.

"I thank you for your reassurances, Mr. Cotton," he said. Turning to Dr. Elias, and glancing at Rosalie, Annabel, Walter, Bishop and Vincent in equal parts as he spoke, he said, "Well, it was my pleasure to come and speak with you. I hope that the information I've provided has been of some help."

He rose to his feet. "As there doesn't seem to be anything further, I think I'll take my leave of you now. It has been a very long day already, and I have another long one tomorrow, so I best get my rest while I can." He extended a hand to Dr. Elias.

Leo nodded, stood, and smiled at the attorney. "Thank you so very much for taking the time to answer our questions. We appreciate the help as we try to determine why-" Leo took the offered hand in a firm handshake, and then allowed the others to exchange their own pleasantries with the man.

After shaking Leo's hand, he did the same with the other gentlemen present, offered polite farewells to the ladies, and was dutifully escorted out of the room and the house by Avery.

Bishop had been tempted to try and have  Bradley Grey see if he could pull some strings with the cops to raid the Juju House,  but it would only further connect he and the others to the place if something happened to the place down the road.

Tommy stood and waited his turn to shake the departing lawyers hand, noting absently how much more expensive Grey's suit was than his own attire. As the intriguing character departed Tommy paused and looked to the others.
"Well that was interesting.".

In the background he heard the door swing closed and the patient footsteps of Avery fade down the hallway. "God I wish we knew more about that Anastasia woman. Do you think he was telling the truth when he said he didn't think she was from Harlem? Wouldn't Carlyle have had a driver or something, so if he was visiting her regularly someone in the household would have known?".
The reporter shrugged. He wasn't really suspicious of Grey. After all the man had told them a huge amount, why lie? He doubt was clutching at straws.

"What we need are a few contacts in Harlem.".

As Walter shakes the lawyer's hand, he mulls over Leo's words:

"Yes, justice would be good. But unraveling the mystery that Jackson had begun to uncover...I feel like I owe that to my son."

Bo wants to bring the killers to justice, sure, but he's not certain he wants to spend his life trying to "unravel mysteries" even if that was his cousin's intention.

Well, you can only cross bridges as they come to you.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:49, Fri 14 Aug 2015.

  After saying her farewells to Mr. Grey, Annabel sat with the others discussing what to do next. At Tommy's mention of Harlem, she spoke up.

 "What we need to do is go down there, contacts or not. Too many things are pointing there, that Ju Ju house for one. Surely if we go during the day, it would be less hazardous, right? If we don't go there, then where? I don't think there is anywhere left and the longer we wait, the colder the colder whatever trail we are following is going to get."

"It appears that the rest of you have the investigation into Jack's work well in hand. But Vincent, Bo and I are not well acquainted with such things. Perhaps we three should follow up on the Juju House while the rest of you undertake the investigation into the mystery of the Carlyle expedition." Bishop said wanting to get on with the dark and dangerous work of dealing with N'Kwane and the Juju House.

Tommy thumbed open his notebook leafing through a few pages as he tried to remember if he knew anyone in that part of town.
Ezekiel Lee...no he'll be back on his ship. Ade Lima...didn't he get locked up? Resigned to the fact he was out of luck and his own brief forays into that part of town would yield no contacts he looked over to Bishop.
"I'm happy to head down there with you and ask around if that helps. Or if we need to be discreet I have a few talents in that area too.". He looked slightly sheepish. "You know, just stuff I learned as a kid.

Anyway I'll help however I can.".

Leo mulled over what he had heard from Grey, and seemed to be distracted as the others started talking. His attention was finally pulled from considering what Grey had shared, and he shook his head slightly, probably just to clear out the stray thoughts floating within.

He first responded to Thomas' question about Anastasia. "Grey just thinks that this Anastasia originated in Africa. He wasn't trying to indicate that she didn't live there while in New York."

He looked around at the others discussing a trip to Harlem. "It seems like we need to get some information from the JuJu House. I expect it will be dangerous, and am not well-versed in these sorts of things, though I know several of you are. What's your plan?"

Moretti cleared his throat before speaking, his tone quiet. "In my experience, sir, you're going somewhere you expect there's going to be trouble, and it's not a place you know, it's a good idea to case it...to scout it out. Figure out what sort of opposition you're facing."

"I've never done any kind of business with these people. If there's a way to get a look at this establishment first, learn the layout, who's there, it might help us determine the best way to proceed."

 Annabel spoke up, "Would it be odd for someone to just go during the day to the shop? After all it IS a store right, at least i guess so. People do come in to buy things. Admittedly, I don't know how many White people actually go there, I figure being in Harlem, it's probably frequented by Negroes." Maybe other people go there on occasion out of curiosity and buy an odd trinket or two."

Bishop said nothing. There was too much evidence pointing to N'Kwane and Juju House to waste anymore time. He had made his mind up that the Juju House was a front for the cult who had killed Jack and the others. He had no wish to tip his hand, much less put someone in danger by poking about the place. He was ready to walk through the front door and deliver justice to the savages within.

Tommy nodded to Annabel.
"Right. Unless who ever visits is someone they recognize. For a moment this morning Mr Bishop and I thought we were being followed...".

"We've been working on the assumption that these monkeys know us -- by sight at least -- and have been stalking us. We know that people that've poked around that shop have been murdered. I doubt any of us -- except maybe Cotton here -- can appear innocent to them." He pauses to think a moment, rubbing his chin.

"Whaddya think, Stanley, Vince, could Cotton get away with showing his press card and interviewing them for a piece in the Times about -- I dunno -- local color in Harlem? He might get past the front of the shop that way. It would be good to have a scout of the terrain before we go in."

"I honestly do not think we are going to uncover any other details on the missing Carlyle Expedition without actually going overseas," she replied to Stanley.  "Jackson has been conducting research for quite a while and you see how many open questions and dead ends he uncovered.  I think our path lies in investigating his death.  If we find out why he was killed and who was responsible, it will surely give us more insight on why he was so interested in the missing party in the first place, why someone wanted to stop him from continuing his research, and what he discovered that was so horrible."

"No, I believe that if we are going to continue, we should do it together.  Strength in numbers.  But I do think that Vincent has an excellent idea.  If we had some way to scout out the location, watch the comings and goings, it would give us a distinct advantage.  I do not enjoy the thought of storming into Harlem unprepared.  Do we know anyone who might be able to help us in that part of the city?"

A trip over seas...shes right, but how the hell am I going to afford that? mused Cotton as Rosa spoke. Though this could be the biggest story run in The Times for a decade...maybe they'll fund a small bursary...yeah, I might swing that by the chief...

Feeling the eyes of the party fall on him after Walter's suggestion he shrugged. "I'd be happy to do some 'research' for an article. New York as a melting pot. The economics of Harlem. Or just some general interest piece on exotic curio's...that might be an excuse to take a camera.
Wouldn't Vince be unknown to them too? Two pairs of eyes is better than one.".

"Alas," he looked over to Rosa to answer her question "I dont think I have any contacts in that part of town who could help us. Not looking in a random store anyway.".

"As Bo pointed out, it is likely they know most of us by sight. That includes you Tommy. You have been on this case a while, and they seem more than capable of identifying and eliminating those who stick their beaks into these killings."

"The only one they may not know is Vincent. He is local and might stand out as much among all those negroes, but he will likely be noticed. Given that the police search turned up nothing I am not sure how likely it is he will spot something odd without a though search."

"If someone is going to have a thorough look, the best choice might be a late night break in. If the place is a business, it should close at night. That would give us time for a thorough search."

"As far as going overseas, while I am not focused on following up on Jack's work, I am aware that it will likely require a trip overseas to do a proper job. That is good timing, because if we do what we need to do up in Harlem, we will likely have to leave town for a while." Bishop said.

Leo nodded at Stanley's response to the suggestions. "I don't think sending any individual on an overt scouting mission is wise, given the number of deaths that are already apparently associated with these people. And the safest course of action is to assume this house is being watched at the very least, not to mention the occasions where it's seemed like we've been tailed."

Leo scratched at the back of his head briefly before nodding. "A late night break-in seems like the best course of action. I wonder if we might not be able to get some advance scouting from other sources, though. The city ought to have some records on file - perhaps we can try to dig something up there while offices are still open. Or perhaps the police have already done some of their own research?" He looked to those that had previously spoken with Poole for their thoughts on the matter.

Moretti nodded at Leo's assessment. "Getting in at night shouldn't be a problem," he said, "We just need to be ready for trouble. People like this, they keep odd hours. We'll have to be prepared to handle whatever comes up."

"I have taken the liberty of readying your revolver, sir," Avery droned nonchalantly. "I suggest delaying any trips by a few hours, having a light repast in the meanwhile. If needed, I can gladly drive a vehicle, though we should likely not want too much of a motorcade."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:00, Wed 19 Aug 2015.

"I would prefer if I was not behind the wheel on this one. Might be needed in inside and don't want to slow things down if we need to make a quick get away." Bishop added.

"If we end up in a fight with these savages, we can't pull punches. It will be a fight for our lives. If you don't think you can stomach what needs to be done best you remain here, of stay behind with the cars." Bishop said.

"If anyone needs a weapon I might have something I can lend you."

  Annabel listened with curiosity at the exchange about the nighttime excursion.

   "It sounds pretty exiting, being all sneaky and all that. I wish I could go, but I'd probably just get in the way. Who IS going anyway? Are you going tonight? Shouldn't we take Dr. Elias's suggestion and try to dig up some information first from the city or police records?"

Tommy's expression turned serious.
Breaking into a place was harmless enough. If they found nothing then they could slip out without a fuss and even if they were detected the thrill of the escape was always fun. He'd been mischievous enough as a kid to know that.
But Bishop spoke as if they were going to war.

"We dont know the savages that killed Jackson are in there. Sure everything points in that direction, but the police found nothing and we could'a missed something right? I agree we gotta get in there and find out the truth, but they aint guilty yet Stanley.".
The reporter paused. "Still, I suppose there aint no harm in preparing for the worst. If we disturb someone a few weapons should make them less keen to pursue if we gotta scarper quick.".

He pursed his lips thoughtfully when Annabel spoke of city plans.
"Poole knows we are suspicious of the place but cant act to help us. We could ask him to help us out with plans or whatever, but that's kinda gonna make it obvious we broke in...

I still like the suggestion of someone scouting the place. Vincent is unknown to them. How do you feel about walking around the area to case it Mr Moretti? Even knowing the entrances, exits, scale of the place would help.".

Bishop shook his head slightly in disbelief "Maybe you have not been paying attention,  but we have plenty of evidence tying the Juju House, N'kwane and the cult to the killings. I have no doubt they are killers. The police have made it clear they are not going to do anything about it."

"If we get into trouble up in Harlem, it will be kill or be killed .. or worse. If you hesitate it could cost one of us our lives."

"As far as scouting, other than walking past the place, I think it is a risk. When we go by tonight it would be a good idea to have Vincent walk the block first.  If they got a speak running in there, be could if we eye balled any look outs." Bishop said.

"I can walk the block. See what I can see." Moretti shrugged. "Someone gets suspicious, asks questions, I can act like I've had one too many at someplace down the street."

"Then it seems we are agreed. We should get some rest - tonight could be interesting.".

Walter looks toward his cousin: "Rosalie, do you feel up to driving a backup car?"

"Say, Vince," he asks his old and 'connected' friend, "Any chance you could get a sawed-off or two delivered?"

"I wouldn't be your best option for a fast getaway, but I wouldn't mind driving if you need me to."  Pleased that their plans were going to be set in motion, Rosalie gave half a mind to what she'd need to bring with her.  Jackson's gun would be going along, for certain.

"I could drive, if you need me to. I'm not the best driver, but I'm pretty good. At least, I had a lot of practice driving the family car around the estate before I came to the city to work with Dr. Elias," she offered.

At Brandon's question, Moretti began buttoning up his coat. It was a good suggestion. Moretti knew from experience how devastating a sawed off shotgun could be in tight quarters.

He nodded at Walter. "Let me go look up someone I think could help us out."

"Where should I meet you later?"

Leo nodded at Avery's suggestions, and smiled at him - at this point he could almost read Leo's mind. "On top of things as usual, Avery." He then turned his attention to the others, happy to hear them dicuss their ideas even if they seemed short on any concrete plans. "If we don't want to look for any background on the Juju House, then I suppose we'll just go in with guns at the ready. Vincent, if you need any funds for your search, I can get whatever you'll need." Leo felt some trepidation at what they were planning, but also a tingle of thrill that they might get some measure of vengeance for Jackson's death.

"I am thinking we drive up in two cars. Avery driving  your car, I will drive mine. We can cut across the park to make sure we are not followed."

"Once we get up there we can drop Vincent and let him walk 138th street. If he likes what he sees he and Tommy will head back to the Juju House. With Avery still driving your car and Annabelle driving mine we will go around the block and drive in the other way."

"Vincent and Tommy will enter the place. Meanwhile Bo and I will back them up and act as look outs. If things go bad Bo and I will go in heavy. Meanwhile the rest of you will remain with the cars."

"We may need an alibi. Our story will be that Tommy eager to find a story went up there on his own. Afraid for his safety we drove up to find him and bring him home." Bishop said.

"You ok with that story Tommy?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:58, Sun 23 Aug 2015.

Tommy frowned. The 'alibi' worked well for the rest of the group but would land him straight in it. Still, he was the outsider here and that wasn't likely to change until he proved himself.
"Sure, the story works for me.".
He hesitated for a moment before leaning closer to Bishop.
"And ah, well there is one other thing. From time to time an intrepid reporter needs to get into places he shouldn't be found. I'm not saying I'm an expert in any way, but if we find a little lock that needs a tickle to open I might have a few talents there.".