Moretti gave his eyes a few moments to adjust, mindful of the time and the possibility of someone entering the alley and stumbling upon him. Crouching in front of the door, he set to work, keeping his mouth open as he did so. An odd act, he recognized, but a habit he'd picked up from Ray Spano, who'd insisted that it helped one's hearing, better enabling a thief to perceive tell-tale noises in a quiet environment.

As he sought to make the lock bend to his will, the song persisted in the back of his mind, winding softly through his thoughts.

"Well I am Death, none can excel
I'll open the door to Heaven or Hell
Whoa, Death someone would pray
Could you wait to call me another day?"

07:23, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 61 using 1d100 with rolls of 61.  Locksmith - Locksmith 70%.

07:23, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 37 using 1d100 with rolls of 37.  Locksmith - Locksmith 70%.

Despite the darkness, he managed to pop open the lock to the back entrance of the Blue Pyramid. In a moment that seemed ominously similar to his entrance into the spice shop of Tewfik al Sayed, he found himself in a storage room. Rather than racks of spices, close examination in the darkness revealed that this room contained cooking staples, and there was an array of hookah pipes to one side of the room, as well as cases of tobacco for use in them.

Moretti felt an uncharacteristic chill move through him as he examined the room and its contents. Almost a mirror image of the spice shop. A place where O'Connor had faced incalculable harm. A place where he'd failed those he was tasked with protecting, leaving a potent weapon in the hands of the Brotherhood.

"I'll close your eyes so you can't see
This very hour, come and go with me
I'm Death I come to take the soul
Leave the body and leave it cold"

The pain in his side gnawed at him and he stifled the need to cough. Taking his flashlight from his coat pocket, he switched it on, cupping his free hand over the top to lessen the glare. Slowly, he ran the beam over the floor and shelves, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

Once he'd examined the room to his satisfaction, he moved to the nearest door that led deeper into the restaurant.

Yeah...no.

16:27, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 99 using 1d100 with rolls of 99.  Spot Hidden - Spot Hidden 60%.

Vincent finds himself in the kitchen, with a stove, counters, shelves, and a refrigerator among other things presents. A careful examination of drawers and shelves finds cooking ingredients, utensils, dishware, glassware, and cookware that one might expect in a restaurant's kitchen.

The only exit to the room is a pair of double doors that lead outwards, presumably towards the dining and entertainment area of the establishment, based on Moretti's experience as a patron; he had seen these very double doors from the other side.

Finding nothing unexpected within the kitchen, Moretti moved quietly through the doors into the dining area. He kept the beam of his flashlight low, careful not to let it illuminate the windows that looked out onto the street.

Vincent enters the dining room of the Blue Pyramid, and as his flashlight danced across the room, he could almost see the image of all of them sitting at one of the tables here, Zubaida dancing for and near them, and young Tommy attempting shamelessly to flirt with her. Of course, it was completely empty now. Gone were the lights, the perfumed hookah smoke, and the scents of strangely spiced and yet appetizing food and teas. That Blue Pyramid was full of life. This room didn't resemble the same place, though he knew that in reality it was in no way physically different.

A brief surge of sadness washed over him as the ghostly memory of the Elias family's gathering played through his thoughts. Somehow, despite the fact that it was such a short time ago, it felt like an image that came from better days. Before he'd left no doubt in the minds some that he cared for about what manner of monster he truly was.

Oh, Death how you're treatin' me
You've closed my eyes so I can't see
Well you're hurtin' my body
You make me cold
You run my life right outta my soul

Another cough tickled his chest and he cleared his throat softly to fight it down. Moving to the center of the room, he slowly took in the area as a whole, looking for any doors that might lead to some manner of office or staff area.

Once he'd fixed the layout in his mind, he stepped over to the area where it appeared that bills were paid and money received.

There was a door that lead to an area that from its external dimensions could only have been another room or area on the eastern side of the building.

Also, there were two doors on the northeastern side, one labeled 'Ladies' and the other 'Gentlemen,' indicating lavatories.

Keeping his flashlight low and moving quietly, Moretti ventured to the eastern door. He paused to listen for any noise on the other side, then tried the knob.

12:02, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 69 using 1d100 with rolls of 69.  Listen - Listen 25%.

The door opened without difficulty in a room that appeared to be a dressing room. There were chairs near counters, mirrors, cabinets, and a wardrobe. There was another door that lead into a separate room further within.

Moretti paused, running the flashlight along the counters, looking for anything that he might have seen Zubaida wearing, either when she was here dancing, or when he and the others had met with her outside of the Pyramid. Stepping over to the wardrobe, he opened it, taking a moment to peruse its contents.

20:03, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 29 using 1d100 with rolls of 29.  Spot Hidden - Spot Hidden 60%.

He finds a variety of women's clothing here neatly arrayed, though likely not typical for London. These were the outfits that the belly dancers wore. As he looks over them, to his untrained eye, none of them particularly stands out from the others. They all look exotic and foreign and he can't quite make out whether Zubaida was wearing a particular one of them or not.

He pushed the wardrobe door closed, giving the dressing area one last look before stepping over to the next door and slowly opening it.

Inside the next door, he found a small office, with a desk, file cabinets, ledgers, and the like.

Moretti moved carefully through the office, taking a seat at the desk, intending to search its contents first. Taking a deep breath, he stilled his mind focusing on the task before him, intent on being patient and thorough.

Starting with the loose papers on the desk's surface, then moving to the drawers, Moretti scanned through any documentation he discovered, looking for any references to the Misr House, Egypt House, the Brotherhood, Gavigan, or the Penhew Foundation.

Examining the papers in the Blue Pyramid, he found an immaculately maintained ledger noting various transactions. Aside from that, he found various receipts for cooking supplies, delivery bills, invoices, statements of credit, and the like.

OOC:

There is nothing here that seems to link back to Gavigan, Penhew, or the Misr House. The closest he could come would be some receipts for cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and pepper from Tewfik al-Sayed, but even that seems a stretch, as it would be only natural for a Middle Eastern restaurant to purchase spices from a nearby Middle Eastern spice shop.

"Mannaggia," he said softly to the darkness. He remained convinced that someone at the Pyramid was aware of the Brotherhood, or perhaps even connected to it, but clearly there wasn't any documentation that overtly acknowledged the relationship.

Nonetheless impressed with the thoroughness with which the owner tracked his profits and expenses, Moretti returned his attention to the ledger and the statements of credit. Searching through the documentation a second time, he focused on customers, looking to see if there might be one or two that were extended credit, or regularly paid for the meals of large groups, on a monthly basis, around the end or beginning of the month.

OOC: Just in case I wasn't terribly clear in my description, Moretti is looking to see if there is an individual that accumulates a large bill around the time of the monthly Brotherhood gathering. He might also look to see if any significant bills were being "forgiven" around the same period.

Vincent found that around the start or end of the month on an irregular date, one day will always be significantly more profitable than the average. But those dates don't show anything being forgiven or ignored. It seems more as if these dates see higher volume of sales of food, shisha, and refreshment.

Moretti closed the ledgers and returned them to their place. Standing from the seat he had taken, he walked around the office a final time, searching for anything out of the ordinary that might attract his attention.

22:02, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 57 using 1d100 with rolls of 57.  Spot Hidden -
Spot Hidden 60%.

OOC: Are there any other exits that lead elsewhere in the restaurant/building, or is this the last room in the row?

Feeling the desks and the cabinets for hidden openings and compartments, he concluded that there were none. The office was what it seemed to be, as best as he could tell.

OOC: Other than the entrances to the lavatory from the restaurant, Vincent has gone through all the doors from rooms that lead to other rooms.

Feeling the desks and the cabinets for hidden openings and compartments, he concluded that there were none. The office was what it seemed to be, as best as he could tell.

OOC: Other than the entrances to the lavatory from the restaurant, Vincent has gone through all the doors from rooms that lead to other rooms.

Moretti made his way back to the dining area, stopping at the area where money was received as guests paid their bills, searching for any business cards, notes, or correspondence that stood out.

That done, we walked through the dining room one last time, absorbing it's details, looking for anything important he could have missed when he first entered.

12:20, Today: Vincent Moretti rolled 43 using 1d100 with rolls of 43.  Spot Hidden - Spot Hidden 60%.

Vincent finds nothing not standard for the operation of such a business. Suppliers for tobacco, teas, and various other miscellaneous foodstuffs are all available. Nothing stands out as familiar to him. His last pass at the dining room is even less illuminating, if that was possible.

Recognizing that there was nothing to be found at the Pyramid, Moretti exited the restaurant through the door he entered from, making certain it was locked and secure before making his way back to the street, wary for anyone that might show interest in his movements.

Tucking his hands in his coat pockets, he walked at an unhurried pace back to the call box. Once there, he phoned the hotel. When Avery's familiar voice came on the connection, he assured the valet that he was safe, explaining that he had one last important errand to contend with before joining up with the others at the safe house, or whatever other location they chose. He listened closely to any information or instructions that Avery had, then ended the call after reiterating that he would meet the others as soon as possible.

His call done, he began walking briskly, keeping to the shadows as much as possible, his path taking him back to the Penhew Foundation.

Arriving back at the Penhew Foundation, Vincent found things much the same as he had left them when he had left.