"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.".