Moretti poured a single finger of Scotch and drank it. "I'll come with you, Mr. Cotton. I didn't get to see too many sights last time I was here in England. Too much business to attend to." He grinned as he set his glass down. "Besides, you need someone to help keep you out of trouble."

Walter wipes his fingers and lips on a napkin and finishes his tea.

"I'm ready to go back with you, Leo. Sight-seeing tomorrow sounds like a fine idea, but Millicent brings up a good point: How much longer do we stay in London before getting on with...things?"

Leo shrugged at Walter's question. "I don't know. I think we're mostly playing it by ear - we'll see what is discovered later tonight and discuss next steps back at the hotel. Once we're out of next steps in London, we will move on."

"Awww, thanks Vincent. Good to know I'll have someone to watch over me. Though I'm pretty sure it's a date.". He winked.

He glanced at the time, eager to explore the Minster area ahead of the meeting and not to be late.

Moretti smiled. "Don't worry. If that's what it turns out to be, I'll slip away like I was never there in the first place." He clapped Cotton on the shoulder. "Last thing I want to do is get in the way of your good fortune."

  Millicent nods at the list, "I think what you wrote sounds just dandy, count me in. I'm sure they will be... um, interesting."

  She looked with a bit of surprise at Bo's remark.

  "Well Mr. Brandon, I meant how long here in the club, but you have a point. "We need to decide how to go about things now, but as they say, tomorrow is another day. Speaking of which, it's not too far from that, shall we head out and make plans for then, never too early to plan,"

"I would not a bit of sight seeing, been a while since I've been to London." Bishop said absently. He was impressed by Tommy turning up a lead. But concerned it might have come too easy and could be some kind of trap.

Truth be told he would rather have gone out dancing with Rosalie.

After enjoying the delights of Egyptian cuisine, their tea, Scotch, dancing, and the hookah over conversation, most of them departed for the hotel. Tommy, Vincent, and Millicent decided instead to wander around Soho, making for the York Minster, just a couple of blocks away from the Blue Pyramid.


Flags of both the United Kingdom and France flew outside the pub, and a few folks milled about chatting outside.

  Having a slight buzz from the booz, hookah, and the anticipation of what was to come, Millicent was in a pretty good mood. She hummed a little tune as they wandered.

  "This has been a rather enjoyable evening," she said to her companions. "And I wonder, is the best yet to come? This little meeting of yours has me intrigued Tommy dear, though a bit late isn't it? I wonder what her reason is, despite your obvious charms",giving the man a mischievous smile.

"Her reasoning is obvious! Hotshot reporter T.dog Cotton is in town!". He laughed, enjoying the cool evening air.

With a frown, he turned more serious. "Still, as much as I hope she only wants me for my looks, she mentioned 'information' after I touched on the subject of the killings. I expect she is hoping more media attention will help encourage Scotland Yard to crack the case.".

Seeing they still had a little time before the meeting he gestured to the others that they take a stroll around the block. It would do no harm to be familiar with the streets near by incase Zubaida wanted somewhere more discreet to talk.

"Two questions. First, do you guys want to sit with me, or watch from a short distance? If she is looking to draw attention to the story I dont think she will mind you being there.
Second, are we agreed that if the matter arises we will be honest about what we are doing in London? Investigating the ritual murder of Jackson Elias...who was himself investigating these killings?".

Moretti was quiet for a moment. Shaking his head, he said, "There's no real reason for Ms. O'Connor and I to try and conceal our presence. The young woman saw us both with you at the Pyramid. If she's halfway perceptive, she'll see us in the pub. If we're sitting elsewhere, it might make her skittish, wondering if something else is going on. I honestly don't think she'd be surprised to see that you didn't come alone."

He frowned. "I think we need to get a sense of your new girlfriend before we drop Jackson's name. Maybe initially just leave it at we have a 'missing relative' who we learned had been looking into the killings. She may have known Jackson if he paid more than one visit to her workplace. But let's just see where the conversation goes before we mention him."

Moretti grinned. "If this is just about your looks, I'll make sure to spot you cab fare before we leave you and Zubaida to your evening. Just be sure not to drink too much."

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 56):

[Great picture!]

 Millicent nodded, "I agree with Vincent here and stick together, though I hope she doesn't think us as kind of odd as wanting to stick around on your little get together. But if it is all innocent like, we'll leave you two to it," giving Tommy a wink.

 She then became a bit more serious. "if this odd woman is going to tell us something, I do hope it's just information and not getting us involved in something more sinister, like taking us to the place of the next killing or something. I really would rather not have my evening ruined by a dead body;" giving a grimace at that.

Tommy grimaced. "A dead body? That's not the sort of date I'm hoping for. But still, if Jackson was investigating these murders, it was for a reason. We owe it to Leo to follow up whatever lead Zubaida may have for us.".

He gestured toward the pub as the rounded the corner.
"Come on, lets get settled. I'll buy us all a 'pint' while we wait.".

They sat at a quiet table at the York Minster that gave them a view of both the front and the back door and the bar itself. Over the new few hours, they shared a few drinks. When the appointed hour came, Zubaida entered, dressed more properly for English society than she had been inside the Blue Pyramid. Looking about the place, she looked to the table where they sat, finally finding it with her eyes, and came to join them promptly, taking the fourth empty seat.

"Thank you for waiting," she said. "You ask about murders?" she said to Tommy, though she took in both Vincent and Millicent. She kept her voice low and quiet, and her eyes swept past the group to survey the rest of the bar's patrons before looking back to them.

Tommy waited for Zubaida to settle, noting that even in this more casual setting bereft of the allure of her dance, those dark eyes still sucked him in.
"I'm a reporter - I ask about alot of things. But yes, we saw the story of the murders, vicious as they are. The police don't seem to be making much progress. Do you, or the community know something?".
He leaned forward to listen carefully.

Before speaking, she looked around cautiously once again. "Yes, bad people. Brotherhood of Black Pharaoh, my. boyfriend called them. They kill my boyfriend," she said.

"Once a month after midnight near Blue Pyramid, a truck comes and maybe twenty customers get in. I don't know where they go. I think outside city," she said.

"Do not mention my name in newspaper story or they kill me also," she said.
This message was last updated by the player at 18:27, Tue 20 Dec 2016.

The Black Pharoah
There was that name again.

"I'm so sorry Zubaida. I didn't know you had lost someone you loved.".
He looked carefully between Millicent and Vincent, choosing his words carefully. They'd agreed not to give too much away.
"You are sure about this? Why did your boyfriend go with them? Is it always the same customers who take the truck?".
Tommy looked around the pub cautiously, suddenly looking for faces he might recognise from the Pyramid, concerned Zubaida may have been followed.

"And don't worry, your name won't appear anywhere. More than that, I'll only write what you feel is safe. But first we need to get to the bottom of this thing. Why has no one told this to the police?".

Moretti took a sip of his stout before speaking up. "And if I might also ask, ma'am, the arrival of this truck. Does it happen on the same night of each month?"

  Millicent gladly accepted the offered drink from Tommy, she had a feeling she might need more than one this night. Soon the woman arrived and took a seat with them. Millicent listened to the conversation with interest sobering at the mention of the cult and their dealings despite the feel of the alcohol in her system. She REALLY didn't think a couple of drinks were going to cut it, not at all.

  "I take it you've seen this happen, many times from the sound of it, and no one from the club thinks it's odd, your fellow dancers, anyone? HAS anyone ever said anything about it?" She kind of suspected if anyone got a bit nosy, it would be one of the last things they did.

"I am certain. He did not go with them...I do not know why they kill him. Maybe he is asking many questions about them. I do not look to closely at those going on the truck. Also it is dark in the club, hard to see all the faces. Perhaps some same, some different," she said. "Only one I recognize - the spice merchant. Tewfik al-Sayed."

Turning to Vincent, she answers him in turn. "It happens early in each month. Not the same day every month, but not to different."

"Nobody ask questions or calls police. Everyone is afraid," she said to Millicent.

It's the twenty-ninth of January, Moretti thought soberly, Not long until the truck makes another appearance.

Silently, he repeated the name Zubaida had given them to himself, committing it to memory. Although he kept his expression neutral, inwardly he felt a cold horror settle over him. Everything that madman Crompton had claimed was true. He had brought the cult to England and somehow, they had managed to survive to this day, keeping to the shadows, committing the same kind of atrocities described in Life as a God.

Had they known that Jackson was aware of their existence?

Glancing around the room, Moretti was suddenly aware of how far away from his home he was. And in the same instant he knew, with dark certainty, that he would never see it, or his family, again.

Returning his focus to Zubaida, he asked, "This merchant, al-Sayed. Does he have a store or an office somewhere? Maybe a warehouse?"

Barrington's name crossed his thoughts. At some point, when they had uncovered enough solid evidence, they needed to involve the Inspector.

  Millicent frowns, "That doesn't help much, it means we'll have to watch that place for at least the next week for the truck if we want to follow up on this. I don't know if the others will want to spend that much time here."

  Taking another long swig of her drink. Milly gave a sigh; for not the first time since arriving, she really wondered what she was getting herself into. Grey better pay one hell of a bonus by the time this is all done.

  In the meantime, it sounded like they were going to be spice shopping. Just great, the stuff always did make her sneeze.

"How about voices," she asked the dancer, "although it's dark, sometimes talking can give someone away. Anyone sound distinctive?"

"He has a shop on Wardour Street, not far. Soho," she said. She didn't respond to Millicent's comment on this not being helpful, but shook her head in the negative to the question about whether she recognized any voices.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:54, Wed 22 June 2016.

Moretti nodded at the information. "Zubaida, I know people are afraid. With good reason. And I know it took a lot of courage for you to talk about this with us."

"Do you know of anyone else that's been affected by this Brotherhood? Anyone that might be willing to share what they've experienced?"