Leo took another clinical look at the body. He had to think about it that way rather than as his friend and family member, at least for the moment. His condition was....

"He appears to have died of asphyxiation. There isn't any physical trauma, save perhaps to his jaw. No sign of physical struggle." Leo's voice was flat as he spoke. He looked over at Millie.

Leo looked over at Bo. "What are we going to do about the car? This thing is going to attract attention, and we've got a body in here with us."

"Pull over to that curb, Milly," Bo says quietly, pointing to a space near a telephone booth. He turns around in his seat to look at Leo.

"Can you sit him up, Leo? It'll be less conspicuous.

"Asphixiated, eh? Is his gun on him?

"I think we need to return the car to the hotel and tell them somebody hit it when it was parked. Stan... I think we put Stan in his bed and let the maid find him in the morning. The cops can make of it what they will."

Leo searched for any sign of a weapon on Stan, then sat him up.

OOC:

When they found Stanley, they would have found a small snub-nosed pistol on the ground. I didn't specifically call it out earlier, but we can assume they picked it up. It's also hard to move him without noticing the Burgess Folding Shotgun he wass carrying on him.

Leo nodded at the question about Stan's weapons. "I picked up his pistol, which was on the ground." Leo used a handkerchief to hand it to Bo. "He still has the shotgun on him as well."

Bo sniffs the barrel of the pistol, then puts it in his overcoat pocket.

Stepping out of the car, Bo crosses to the phone booth and calls Avery, apprising him of the fateful events and instructing him to come down to the side entrance of the hotel in fifteen minutes and wait for them with a large suitcase.

"Milly," he says getting back in the car, "Drive to the side entrance, the one by the elevators. Avery and I will break down the shotguns and put them and Stan's pistol in a suitcase. Then Avery and I will walk Stan inside and up to his room like he's passed out drunk, while you and Leo park the car and follow with the suitcase to Leo's suite.

"Everyone clear?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:27, Wed 29 Mar 2017.

"I'm on it," she said, having recovered a sense of self-possession during the drive. She was generally regarded as a hard-nosed, capable woman among those she did business with.

Thinking back over the last few nights, she could hardly credit her behavior - constantly complaining about the cold weather and yearning for warm pubs. In fact, while she was complaining about such trivial things, Stanley had been laying dead in the street, and the thought brought her some shame. But there was no use lingering in that shame. The best she could do for these folks in their time of loss was whatever was needed at the moment.

Like clockwork, Avery waited there with a suitcase, a stoic expression on his face, though his eyes held concern.

"The suitcase, sir," he said, handing it forward.

Leo nodded. "It's as good a plan as any."

---

When Avery arrived, Leo gave him an appreciative nod. "I'll be up soon. And thanks, Avery."

He slid back into the front seat after the others were out, and nervously tapped on his leg as they moved the car to its parking spot.

As Leo gets back in with the suitcase, Bo pulls the limp Stan out of the back seat. He had already laid the folding shotgun on the floor, drawing Leo's attention to it.

With Avery's help they hoist Stan up with their shoulders under his armpits so that his feet barely touch the ground. As they approach the doorman, Bo starts a chorus of California, Here I Come, interrupting it to say, "Thanks, Cap," as the man opens the door for them.

Waiting for the elevator, Bo laughs as though Stan had muttered something funny: "You said it, pal." When the car arrives he gives the operator Stan's floor number. They prop his weight against the rear wall as it starts upward.

Leo did as suggested, and found a spot for all their firearms in the suitcase. The more legal of the firearms (i.e. the shotguns) he placed in the main carrying compartment. The pistol he slid into someplace that wouldn't be noticed during a cursory inspection.

Once the packing was done and they were parked, he returned to the hotel with Millie.

Once they were all back in the hotel, Avery poured a brandy for each of them.

"To be brief of necessity, Mr. Moretti has informed me that they have reason to believe that we are all in some manner of danger," he said. "In that spirit, he has procured a 'safe house' for us to stay in temporarily, and has provided me the address."

---

OOC:

To expedite things, let me know if anyone objects to the idea of going to the safe house, or if everyone's in agreement with that plan.

If you agree to do that, then I will proceed with a new thread.

If there's an objection, then we can play out the phone conversation with Tommy as he calls, and then figure out what would be next.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:32, Fri 31 Mar 2017.

Leo nodded. "I was just about to suggest we find new accommodations and do so discreetly. As usual, Vincent is way ahead of me."

---

No objections at all. Completely in agreement.

With Avery's help, Walter gets Stanley to his room without incident. Pulling back the covers, they lay him on the bed and undress him completely. Bo sends the valet away and examines Stan's skin thoroughly for any sign of trauma.  Then he pulls the covers up to Stan's chin.

He goes through the room and Stan's clothes and wallet carefully, collecting any weapons, notes, books, anything the police shouldn't find.

He arranges Stan's clothes like a drunk man had taken them off -- coat sleeves inside out, pants wadded up with a shoe caught in one leg, other shoe kicked across the room. He pushes one sock under the covers by Stan's feet.

He stands for a minute looking down at the familiar face. He leans in and kisses his cousin's forehead: "G'night, sweet prince. Sorry I -- "

He bundles up the items he found and slips into the hallway, letting the door close behind him without locking. He goes to his room to stash the goods, then down to Leo's

Bo enters the room and pours a whisky.

"We can't go anywhere until the cops come and ask us about Stan. And then we'll have to tell them where we're going.

"I think our story's that Leo, Stan, and me went out drinking. Leave Milly out of it. We started out in the hotel bar. It's busy enough and we've been there enough that they won't remember if we were there early tonight or not. Then we hit a bunch of places, we don't know which ones, some cabbie took us to them. We got pretty drunk, especially Stan. He was feeling sick, so we brought him home, and Avery helped get him up to his room. Left him there. That's all we know.

"If you're up to it Leo, we should go down to the bar and talk it up, plant the idea in the barman's head."

He drinks his whisky in one gulp.

"Does Rosalie know yet?"

Just then, the telephone rang.

"Yes, Mr. Cotton. The others, yes...let me give the phone to Dr. Elias or Mr. Brandon," he said.

He held the phone for one of them to take.

"Cheers Ave's.".

Tommy waited on the line for the familiar voice of Leo.
"How's things doc? We're over at the pyramid.".

Leo looked over at the others, pausing a moment while he considered what to say. "Things have...been better." Without a secure line, he didn't think it was a good idea to announce Stanley's situation. "We can head toward the Pyramid as well, in a little while. We can catch up there."

Tommy frowned, sensing Leo's hesitation.
What they'd read at the foundation needed to be told, no matter who might be listening. Doing his best to be at least a little cryptic he spoke quickly.
"We are fairly sure the Pyramid party starts tomorrow. But we read bigger news at the museum; the Americans have been spotted and our adversary seeks revenge...be careful ok?"
Tommy paused. If Leo was afraid the line was being listened to it made sense to be wary with the address of the safe house.
"Y'all recall the ice cream guy we met today?" The 'scoop' was a tenuous pun but one Leo would recall for sure.
"Forget the pyramid, Get your things packed and meet by Mick's office in one hour sharp. Make Sure you ain't followed.".

Leo nodded, not that Thomas could see him. "Right, Americans in town, Pyramid party is tomorrow. We'll get a few things packed up. One hour, right. No tails. See you then." Leo waited to see if there was anything else, then gave the phone back to Avery.

"Looks like we've been followed from New York. We're going to head someplace besides the pyramid to meet the others. Not sure if we have much time to hang at the bar for appearances' sake, Bo." He paused. "We need to figure out a way to not be tailed when we leave tonight. Which probably means not taking the wrecked car."

In reply to Dr. Leonardo Elias (msg # 115):

Walter hangs his head for a moment, then blows out a deep breath.

"We can't all disappear when the cops are going to find Stan dead in his bed tomorrow morning. They'll hunt us down and throw us in the clink."

He thinks again, tapping his fingers on his empty glass. He looks his uncle in the eyes.

"My advice is to get out of England now. Tonight. Get across to France or Germany. All of you, out of the reach of these crazies and of Scotland Yard. Then get passage back to America. Go West. Let the heat die down. Live.

"I'll stay here and try to sell my story to the cops, buy you some time. Please, give this up. Jack's gone. Stan's gone. Let's not lose any more family, Leo."

"Not new Americans in town...the existing ones have been spotted by Gavigan. Stan and Bo we think-be careful ok?".

Tommy put down the receiver and headed back to the other thread.

Leo nodded. "Leaving England rather quickly might be good for us all. But it won't be without you, Bo. Let's go have a drink, then talk loudly about going out on the town to enjoy the night. If they interview the barkeep, perhaps that's the last they'll see of us. And in the case of Stan...the truth is on our side, Bo. That counts for something."

The physician pressed his lips together. "This is bigger than our family, Walter. And at this point - we wouldn't be safe in New York. I think we've gotten to the point of kill or be killed. There's no guarantee this will blow over. We may need help to deal with it, but no. No we're not going to go hide out in California and hope everything ends up okay."

Bo had never seen anyone win an argument over "Stern Leo" as he thought of his uncle when he saw that face. He shrugs.

"Truth is no defense against cops, Leo, but maybe it'll turn out okay.

"Let's skip the bar for now that idea probably wasn't going to pan out anyway. An hour's not much time to pack and get-- Where are we going now?"

Leo nodded. "We are set to meet by Mick's office. We are to avoid being followed."