Not seeing any other reason to stand after Dr. Elias started talking, Annabel resumed her seat to listen to the conversation. She was curious to see what Miss Carlyle had to say after she learned the facts of why they were here.

Bishop considered speaking up, but felt that it would be better of others laid out the case that Elias' murder was somehow connected to her brother's death. While Bishop had looked over Elias' notes, it seemed better if someone more expert the foundation of the case.

Rosalie closed the book in her hand, but kept it in hand.  "It is something of a thin thread, Ms. Carlyle, but we thought you should hear of it.  As you are already aware of the public circumstances surrounding my cousin's passing, I will spare you the details.  Suffice it to say that those of us that knew him well are most interested in finding those responsible for his murder.  I am certain you understand the sentiment."  Her eyes drifted to the books briefly as she collected her thoughts.

"My cousin was an expert in the occult and was in the midst of research for his next book.  During his investigations into the disappearance of your brother's expedition, he interviewed a man that told him he'd seen Jack Brady alive and well in Hong Kong just two years ago.  He surmised that if Mister Brady was alive, then perhaps other members of the expedition were alive.  At worst, Brady would be able to give an actual accounting of what truly happened."

"Also included in my cousin's notes was a particular phrase mentioning your brother and the books that are in his safe.  It might seem rather silly, but we were wondering if you might know of a book or books that your brother left behind that might pertain to the occult or other tribal traditions in the area where the expedition disappeared."

Erica turned and listened carefully as Rosalie spoke, though she looked curious. "A thin thread indeed, Miss Elias. In a courtroom it would be called hearsay, and outside of it third hand information at this point. But let us assume hypothetically speaking that Brady is alive, it would contradict the current accounting of things, in which all the expedition members perished in darkest Africa. If Brady was in Hong Kong, I should be surprised. He was fanatically loyal to Roger. Roger saved him from certain conviction of murder, back when Roger was spending a semester at the University of Southern California. That seemed to bind Jack to Roger, and Roger trusted the man absolutely."

Erica tapped her chin thoughtfully, and rested her hand on one of the many easy chairs that could be found in the library. Elsewhere there were tables, reading lamps, ashtrays, and spittoons. There was an elaborate High Victorian iron fireplace on the far wall, a magnificent teak and slate billiards table at the back of the room, and the bookshelves held several hundred volumes. Erica studied the shelves. There were leather bound complete editions of Trollope, Dickens, Bulwer-Lytoon, Mrs. Radcliffe, Francis Parkman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, the earlier works of George Washington Cable, and other fosterers of culture during the previous hundred years. Nearest to them was a shelf that contained mostly old reference works in English and French.

"Towards the last of his time here, Roger constantly read several very, very old books, though I'm not sure which ones they were. There are some occult books on that far shelf, but they seem much newer than the ones Roger was reading. It's possible that he left the books here, but if he did I couldn't easily tell you where they might be found."

Leo looked over at his niece as she spoke, pride in his brother's offspring causing him to smile a bit as she did. Once she had completed her summary, Leo returned his gaze to Erica, nodding a few times as she spoke. He briefly looked over to the shelf she indicated, but then addressed the heiress. "I apologize if it pains you to recall, Miss Carlyle, but would you be willing to recount what you discovered when you searched for your brother's lost expedition? It may help as we try to understand why Jackson was murdered." It still pained Leo to say those words, but he tried not to show any emotion on his face.

"Not much, I'm afraid," she said readily, but with a slight frown, exchanging a glance with Bradley.

He shrugged a bit, and gave her a nod.

"Our expedition was able to find no trace of him, and no reliable witnesses to say anything other than that there were some whites matching in some respect the particulars of the expedition who were killed along with the others that were with them. Some tribesmen were able to locate the burial site, and it was quite grim," she said.

"There was a trial of sorts after I left, but I'm no more convinced that the court in Kenya found the truth than did I. I believe my brother and his expedition perished there in Africa, though I believe the details surrounding the event are lost to that dark place."

Pondering, Rosalie glanced inside the book in her hands briefly and then to the shelves, trying to puzzling over something.  Looking back to Erica, she asked, "Ms. Carlyle, would you mind it terribly if we had a look around your library while we are here this evening?  I know the connection is tenuous, but my cousin's murder is somehow related to your brother's expedition.  It is possible that there might be valuable information located somewhere in one of these tomes that could help us immeasurably."


19:57, Today: Rosalie Elias rolled 38 using 1d100 with rolls of 38. Idea (75).

Bishop had waited for a chance to lay out what he hope was a persuasive case. Now seemed like his chance. If he spoke now he would buy time for Rosalie to look about the library she mentioned as well "Miss Carlyle, my name is Bishop. I am a member of the family, but I am also an operative for the Pinkerton Agency."

While much of what you have heard might be dismissed as academic or hearsay, Jackson Elias' death and his murderers are very real indeed. Jackson was not just killed, he was mutilated in what appears to have been some sort of ritual. His killers appear to have been connected to an African death cult .. likely the same one responsible for whatever happened to your brother. Jack's murder was not their first. They have killed at least six others, likely far more."

"It is unclear why they are here in New York. It is unclear how long they have been here. But the threat is very clear."

"Our goals are two fold. The first is to discover and bring the killers to justice. The second is to complete his work. It seems likely that Jack was killed to stop him from finding the truth and sharing it with the world. Based on what I read of Jack's notes the men brought to justice for your brother's death were nothing but scape goats."

"I don't know if your brother or any of the others survived or suffered some other unknown fate. I do know that Jack's research indicates that their is a chance they did. That Jack and Roger were both victims of the same blood thirsty cult half way across the globe certainly lends credence to Jack's theory. What we hope to accomplish here tonight is to gain your assistance in accomplishing both goals so that we can find justice for Jack and Roger ." Bishop said concluding his case. He had probably been a bit long winded but would not have another chance to recruit Erica Carlyle to the cause.

20:50, Today: Stanley Bishop rolled 59 using 1d100 with rolls of 59. persuade. (65)
This message was last edited by the player at 03:55, Fri 13 Mar 2015.

"Please, if you can find something of use in the library, spend as much time as you like here," she said to Rosalie, before turning to listen to Bishop's entreaty, a pensive but unreadable expression on her face as she listened.

She was quiet for a moment after he finished speaking, but did not break eye contact with him. When she finally spoke it was in a quiet but serious tone. "You seem sincere in your belief that the death of Jackson is somehow related to my brother's death - or supposedly his disappearance. In truth, I am surprised to know that Jackson was researching the fate of that expedition. He must have been quite circumspect in his inquiries, as I usually am kept well  informed as to matters of that sort."

"I'm still unsure, however, what you want of me or what type of assistance I might provide."

Bishop nodded with understanding "It would start by sharing what information you have on your brothers and the rest of the expedition. As you just stated you have you stay informed on the matter. You went to Africa and looked and investigated the massacre. You also no doubt have other assets allocated to discovering what occurred."

"Second, while we have our own resource and contacts, you no doubt have your own connections that might open certain doors for us or keep certain matters out of the press and the courts."

"I hope that clarifies matters Miss Carlyle."  Bishop said.

"What I keep informed of is any inquiries concerning the family, so that I am aware of them and prepared before they touch the media, and have the opportunity to evaluate the potential harm they may do the family name or the company. I don't actually attempt to stay informed on the Africa situation. As far as I and most other people were concerned, it came to an end a few years ago," she clarified. "As such, I have no assets allocated to discovering what occurred. I attempted to do so on an expedition in years past, but that was the end of that."

"It is possible that I have connections that might be of assistance to you, but as far as keeping things out of the press that is more difficult of a matter - reporters have a tendency to be dogged, and some are not susceptible to influence. I wouldn't count on that. Keeping them out of the courts is far more of a thing to ask. If you are planning some manner of illegal conduct, you may wish to consult an attorney beforehand." She sounded disapproving at the last bit.

"In any case, if there is any inquiry more specific, I can still take a few more minutes. As to any other contacts or connections you may wish to avail of as you look into this, you may speak to Bradley about it," she said.

"The other reason we came here was to warn you of these murders. If they are connected to the cult responsible for your brother's fate, no matter how unlikely, we could not in good conscious not come to you with a warning." Bishop said as if a weight was taken off his shoulders.

"I know this might sound alarmist, but these are desperate and dangerous types. Best you take precautions until they get the justice they deserve."

"I appreciate your concern, Mr. Bishop, and I thank you for it. I believe my security is adequate. I had to double the guards that patrol the compound and watch the house since the attempted break in into this library a few months back," she said.

Bishop raised an eyebrow. He thought of the slain bookseller and of the librarian who had warranted a visit."An attempted break in? These cultists appear to have an interest in books. Is there a section of this library for your brothers books? If so were any missing?"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:23, Wed 18 Mar 2015.

Rosalie placed a hand on Stanley's arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.  "I believe Ms. Carlyle answered that for us already.  There are many books here that might be of interest to us and the research that Jackson was doing.  She's given us permission to peruse them during the party.  I think we should do just that and let Ms. Carlyle and Mister Grey rejoin the party guests.  Unless someone else has another topic they'd like to broach, it would be rude to keep them any longer."  She glanced to Annabel and her uncle to see if they had more to add or questions that needed asking.

  Annabel had kept quiet through the conversation, not having anything pertinent to add to it. After all, thee others were the ones that had done all the research. As she saw that the conversation was winding down, she quickly said.

  "Before you leave Miss Carlyle, I wanted to thank you for inviting us to your lovely home and party; and for helping us out. it was also nice to see you again, though I don't know if you remember me. Annabel Ashcroft, we were at Barnard around the same time."

"Yes, I'm afraid I must return to the party, else I would be the poor host for ignoring my other guests. I thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. Though I may not be able to properly see to it myself, you may pass any inquiries my way through Mr. Grey. He may be able to put you in touch with people if you wish to investigate this matter in Africa, or otherwise if you wish to notify me of any important findings, he will be the channel for that," she said, speaking after Rosalie.

"I bid you all good luck, and to be safe."

As she was leaving the room, she smiles to acknowledge Annabel's thanks. "Yes, now that you mention it, I did think you had a familiar face. It is nice to meet you again, Miss Ashcroft. I'm glad you've found a way to enjoy the party despite all the tragedy of late."

With that, she left the room with a hushed word to Bradley Grey.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:33, Wed 18 Mar 2015.

After Erica Carlyle departed the room, Bradley Grey remained a moment. "We're prepared to offer you some assistance in this matter as you pursue it, as Miss Carlyle mentioned."

He produced a business card, and gave one to Bishop. "Please contact me here with any inquiries as you pursue this investigation. Remember, at all costs, please keep Miss Carlyle's name out of your inquiries, or you will find here only a closed door. Good luck," he said, turning to leave.

Leo watched as Stanley and Rosalie did an expert job of passing along the information that they had and requesting it in kind. He was a little disappointed that she didn't have more knowledge concerning what was discovered in Africa. He felt like there might be some connection to what was now in New York that perhaps she knew about, but was unwilling to share. He inclined his head respectfully to their hostess. "Thank you so very much for both your invitation to attend and for your attention to this matter. To allay your concerns - we have no intention of taking anything to the press about this. We will be glad to take a look through the books you have on hand here, and thank you for that opportunity as well."

After they had taken their leave, Leo looked around at the others, interlaced his fingers, and cracked his knuckles. "Let's get down to work, shall we?"

Rosalie closed the library doors once Erica and Bradley rejoined the party, giving them a little privacy for their search.  She waved the book in her hand at Leo as she passed.  "I might have something that would give us a leg up on that, Uncle."  Retracing her steps, she moved to the section of the book case where she'd found the Poe novel.  Reaching into the darkness beneath the shelf, she felt about until her fingers found the latch she'd seen and she gave it a try.  "I think... that Carlyle's safe... might be... right behind here.  And he conveniently left the combination."

Now Stanley understood why Rosalie had cut short their chat with Carlye.

"Very resourceful of you." Stanley said as he moved to the door. He moved to lock the door, if not lock was present he jammed his foot against it to keep anyone from walking in on the others opening the safe.

  Annabel watched Miss Carlyle go, not sure what to think about the whole exchange. Well, at least she remembered me. She turned to look at what Rosalie was doing and was surprised to see a safe appear at her location.

  "Wow, that's lucky I guess. Now to get it open; anyone know how to crack a safe," she half joked. How were they going to get that thing open?

The fingers Rosalie used to pull on the latch came back covered in dust, but when she had pulled at it she had felt something click hard and heard a noise - and the heavy bookshelf itself came forward, opening out towards the room like a door. It had to be pulled forward a bit more to reveal what was behind - the front door of a safe, which had clearly been embedded into the wall.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:39, Thu 19 Mar 2015.