Singh Goes to the front of the shop and makes sure that the shaqdes are drawn on the windows and door. He glances at the items displayed on the shelves in the shop.

When Miss Cynthia starts upstairs, he follows as far as the foot of the staircase.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:14, Sun 06 Nov 2011.

Howard steps behind the counter of the shop and looks for any books or ledgers.

Tewfik al-Sayyid's "Foreign Spice Emporium"

After making sure that there is no one outside looking in, Imran quickly drew the shades.

From the outside there were no windows, stairs down or coal chute to indicate a cellar or basement. Inside, Cynthia paced the floor and looked as best she could for any evidence of hollow floorboards or a trap-door under the one carpet, or other false wall hiding any way down without finding anything.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/97/tewfik.jpg/

Darragh was true to his word: upstairs was as deserted as down stairs. A space like this would usually be subdivided into two or more flats. While modest, it appeared that only one person (a man) lived there in a single somewhat-spacious flat (for the area).

Despite the wet miserable weather the flat was kept hot by an oil heater, easily 90-100 degrees. There were a couple electric lights as well as oil lamps (neither were lit).

There was a parlour in front, bedroom in the rear, kitchen and indoor bathroom in between. The flat was decorated in muted yellow and blue, and in both parlour and bedroom were numerous pillows, rugs, and incense burners on low tables. The kitchen had a stove (still warm to the touch) and sink, but no ice chest. On the counter were numerous bottles of spices, ingredients, seasonings and crust of unleavened bread. Dishes and pots were in cupboards, etc. Nothing jumped out at her (figuratively or literally).

There was an ancient tome left open on a low table beneath a shelf filled with ornately painted figurines that she easily recognised were ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (Ra, Annubis, Osiris, Isis, Seth/Set, Thoth and Bastet). Carefully keeping it open to the original page, Cynthia paged through the tome. With mounting excitement she realised this book written in an ancient Arabic language seemed important! If only she could understand it.

Tewfik al-Sayyid's "Foreign Spice Emporium"

12:00 PM

Over the next hour, the investigators poked around. Their efforts didn't seem to be overly systematic or directed to any particular area for any discernible aim.

Maybe it was the sheer strangeness and transgressive nature of poking around in someone else's home while they were away, trying not to disturb anything noticeable. Perhaps it was the overwhelming smell of spices and herbs that permeated the air and drifted up the stairs.

Downstairs, Howard looked for and found a ledger, but no other books. It seemed to be a legitimate record, written in Arabic. Maybe the numbers meant something, he couldn't be sure.

"I say, Webley, shift the crates and boxes around in the storeroom," Howard calls quietly, "Perhaps they conceal something." There must be a cellar to the building. He contempkates taking the ledger, but knows it will be missed.

He searches under the counter for any sort of switch or hidden compartment.

Howard Lampton rolled 30. Spot Hidden  35.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:01, Fri 11 Nov 2011.

Singh climbs the stairs to aid Cynthia in searching al-Sayid's living quarters.

Imran Singh rolled 8. Spot Hidden  50.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:01, Fri 11 Nov 2011.

In reply to Howard Lampton (msg #37):

In a sarcastic tone, Phil replies, "Yes, boss."

Cynthia completes her search of both upstairs and downstairs. The only thing of note discovered so far is that book.

"Suppose we should take the book with us? It's not as though he'll suspect it's us, and even if he does, what can he do?"

Yeah, without a clue of what else to look for, well, I don't know what else to look for :P Empty warehouse, empty room, no secret doors, no bodies. I assume Lampton would recognize anything from My Life as a God. I am having difficulty imagining how large this place is, and how long we'd have to search to feel like we did a thorough job, though.

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg #40):
Imran shrugs at Cynthia's suggestion about purloining the book, "Why not? Even if it does not help us, it may hinder him and the cult. We shouldn't stay more than another half-hour, I think, Miss Holloway. We don't want to be pushing our luck."

12:30 pm.

Scotland Yard

Darlington could tell there was something off or wrong about Tewfik. This bastard should be quaking in his shoes, a modest businessman and foreigner pulled into a detective's office, yet the man was showing barely concealed anger.

The telephone on his desk rang and he banished Tewfik to the corridor to wait while he took it. The man's eyes contained noticeable fury, yet he complied without outward complaint.

It was Dr. Weston. He, Fulty and Storm had been in the London city and county archives and library all morning, searching out the paper trail of their quarry. They found some outdated floor plans for the small warehouse and no basement was included in the blueprints. They were still following up on other avenues of research: the titles and properties owned by Gavigan, Penhew and the Foundation.

Tewfik al-Sayyid's "Foreign Spice Emporium"

Time passed in the dim, dusty store.

Upstairs, Imran and Cynthia kept looking for anything else of significance. The book was kept at the same page, ready to go.

Aside from the book in the parlour, they noticed in the bedroom a smallish mirror about the size of a dinner plate that looked... wrong. It was old, the silver gilt was peeling away and the surface a little warped and wavy. The subtly asymmetrical frame was some kind of unidentifiable metal, worked into strange shapes.

Downstairs, John-Marc made a call on the shop telephone to Darlington's office at Scotland Yard.

Again, Darlington sent a fuming Tewfik out into the corridor to take the call. In a circumspect manner, Darlington confirmed that Tewfik was with him and he'd telephone the shop when Tewfik left his office to give them some advance warning.

Darlington also passed on that city records showed no old basement or cellar in the warehouse.

Leaving the ledgers and records behind, Lampton and Phil shifted around crates and boxes in the rear storeroom to examine the floor. With considerable effort, they discovered a small trapdoor in the floor concealed beneath a keg of granular but mundane salts. It wasn't large enough to admit a person but certainly large enough to keep a shoebox. Unfortunately, the trapdoor was locked and the cover was of the stout floorboards. It could be broken open with some effort.

Does the trap door seem to take a conventional key? Have we seen any keys in any drawers?

Cynthia checks also in the stove and in the heater. She pulls up the rugs and checks under there. Given the width of the floor, is it possible for secret cubbies to be hidden in the floor of the second level? She also hits the normal hiding spots; the tank of the toilet, under the bath tub, under the bed and so forth.

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg #43):

There is no drop or false ceiling, and by looking across at the stairwell it was clear the wooden upstairs floor had no room for any but the smallest compartment. If there were any, it would take hours to discover as each board would have to be examined.

As it was, there were no obvious compartments and they didn't find anything secreted in and around the bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, etc. in the upstairs.

Cynthia came downstairs to examine the trapdoor with Lampton and Phil. Several of the floorboards were neatly cut and they removed them, exposing enough space for the small trapdoor, secured by a padlock and hasp. There was no sign of a key elsewhere, but the lock could be picked, the hasp broken or unscrewed, and so on.

Meanwhile, Howard gave the book she found a looking over.

I suppose we should also check the ceilings of the second floor for anything?

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg #45):

The ceiling of the 2nd floor is wooden with support beams. It looks like it's just the underside of the roof but time seems to be running out and to check for sure, measurements would have to be made inside and out.

Howard glances at the Qu'uran that Singh is carrying. "What have you got there, Singh?" taking it from the other's hands, he glances at several pages, "High-quality work, but just an ordinary Koran, I think. Hm. Can our chief cultist be also a devout follower of Islam?" He returns the book to Singh.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:34, Sat 12 Nov 2011.

Once Cynthia completes her check of the other odd spots, she moves on to check the second floor ceiling for any more possible hidey-holes, odd bits of carpentry and so on.

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg #48):

1:00 pm

Tewfik al-Sayyid's "Foreign Spice Emporium"

There doesn't seem to be any place to hide anything in the roof. It seems to be a water-spotted plaster ceiling of poor but old construction. There are a few patched areas and areas of repair but they don't seem to hide any compartments.

Upstairs, the only object of note is the mirror, around the size of a dinner-plate.

Downstairs, Lampton and Webley mulled over how to access the hidden floor compartment. They could break the hasp, unscrew it or try and pick the stout lock.

Darragh kept a look-out in the alley, John-Marc looked out the front windows, keeping hidden. This was not a very popular shop, no customers came up and tried the door, no pedestrians even glanced their way. To have the whole building, even a small one, to himself Tewfik should be at least moderatly busy but even Friday during the day there was little foot traffic in the area and no potential customers to turn away.

Scotland Yard

Darlington could do this all day! Tewfik, however, looked like he was barely containing his fury. Certainly, the man was mad, that much he was sure about. No normal person would be that put out by questioning from a Scotland Yard detective unless they were either powerful or insane, not always mutually exclusive. The foreigner dressed in his shabby suit with fez and cane didn't look wealthy or well-connected, it was therefore the other. Tewfik could barely contain his rage and contempt.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 08:52, Sun 13 Nov 2011.

Howard goes to the back door and looks out, "I say, Mr Darragh, do you think you might step in here and give us a hand with a padlock? I'm quite willing to pay a reasonable fee for the assistance."

Cynthia spends her remaining time then with the mirror; trying to work it out of the frame, turning it around, knocking it gently, examining it for indications as to its history and so on.

1:10pm

Tewfik al-Sayyid's "Foreign Spice Emporium"

Darragh poked his head in the rear door at Lampton's summons.

"Oi 'ill gie it a try. Someone shud watch de alley, yeah?"

He cracked his knuckles, pulling out his lockpicks and going to work on the hidden padlock. After about ten minutes of effort, he was unable to pick the sturdy lock, which was of high quality.

"Shoite. oi canny git it."

Upstairs, Cynthia couldn't shake the impression there was something wrong or different about this mirror. She couldn't say why, other than the angles seemed oddly inexact and non-squared. It seemed of antique manufacture, although the iron frame was newly hand-wrought and set with weird images. There were no makers' marks or stamps and it was of what she'd consider a reasonable weight.

Keeper's Note: if no one volunteers or is directed to watch the rear when Darragh is inside, it is unguarded.

Lampton steps into the alley to keep watch.

Cynthia will take an etching of the mirror.

(I assume she's already checked that she can't remove the glass, there's nothing behind it, etc. Does she need to make a lore check or something to see if she can recognize its significance?)

1:30pm

Tewfik al-Sayyid's "Foreign Spice Emporium"

Muttering under his breath, Darragh worked on the lock downstairs. "Shoite. Bugger. Shoite." He couldn't seem to get it no matter what he did.

Upstairs, Cynthia made a careful etching of the mirror frame designs, wondering if she'd seen them somewhere before. This was a good idea, taking a photograph would be better but they didn't have a camera along.

Outside the back, Lampton didn't observe anyone. Out the front JM didn't see anyone, either.

"I suppose we now have to decide if we're willing to practice destructive entry. Is anyone skilled with his hands?"

Would it be possible to start the screws, pop them with a crow bar, then screw them back in afterwards so it appears they weren't tampered with?

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg #56):

Mid-curse, Darragh looked up and blushed when Cynthia came into the rear storeroom. "Pardon me French, ma'am. Me struggle an' strife 'as tried ter break me av de 'abit ter curse."

"Possable? Aye. It wud be gran' ter luk at but fale loose whaen yer unlocked it. Chucker yer 'av a pry boozer on yer? Oi 'av a screwdriver."

He showed her the screwdriver he carried in a small satchel along with the other tools of his "former" "trade".
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 01:26, Tue 15 Nov 2011.