John-Marc checked the last of his gauges, he'd already finished his manual walk around and had been setting up in the cockpit as the Major was helped within.  He pulled his headgear around tighter and buttoned up the last few togs on his coat before flipping the switch for power and gave Karlheinz a thumbs up for contact.

He grinned to himself as the Biff's sometimes tempermental 270 Horsepower of the mighty Rolls Royce Falcon III Roared to life, and Karlheinz quickly retreated.  John-Marc patted the cockpit combing of his Bristol Type 14 F2B, saluted Bergmann and after a grin back to the major, started taxi to the strip, a cursory look around for any flag offs or other aircraft and he gunned the throttle, the exemplary light scout almost seeming to leap into the air as eager as a horse off the starting line.

He made on pass of the airfield, got his bearing for his flight, and after a waggle of his tail to Karlheinz, proceeded to climb to calmer air.

Phil moved down the rear alley, transferring his Luger from his trousers to his coat pocket and began counting houses so he knew which one was the right one.

Turning from Mrs Shipley to Miles then back again the Counts asks;

"Would it be possible for Mrs Holloway to have another look at the large piece in the studio again ?"

He tries to stay back if it looks like both Miles and Mrs Shipley are going up stairs.

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg #131):

"You're playing some kind of game here. I don't know what, but I don't like it. You got a good look before, you can decide now if you want to buy."

Miles stood in the door to the kitchen, arms crossed.

In reply to Miles Shipley (msg #132):

"Game... no game just thought if Mrs Holloway is handing over such a large sum she may wish to see if any of the other works complement the one she is purchasing."

He looks away and swirling the tea in his cup adds;

"The one piece then... Mrs Shipley when the reporter came the last time did she say when she would be back... seems the girl maybe missing."

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg #133):

Miles scowled. "I don't know anything about any woman. And your friend has seen quite enough. If you are not buying then mum will see you out."

Ignoring Miles the Count leans in closer to Mrs Shipley;

"You remember Mrs Shipley, the young girl from the scoop came to write about Miles you let her in, did she she say where she was going after she left ? Maybe at the door ?"

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg #135):

This time, Mrs. Shipley answered. "No, I don't recall where she was going. I told you all this before! I've asked you to leave unless you were buying. Let's not hear of any more foolishness and if you are buying, then pay me and be on your way."

With little else to say Bathony sat back in his chair and waited for Mrs Holloway to pay and collect her purchase. There was something incredibility odd about this couple but he had little experience in such things. If they had the girl apart from physically restraining them as he searched the house he could see no way to force the issue.

London

Phil trod down the back lane. The rear wall was very tall, about 8-9 feet high and made of crumbling brick. He carefully counted off the addresses, and near the end he came to the rear gate of 6 Holbien Mews. The gate was locked from the inside.

Brisfit (Bristol F.2B)

The twin-seater climbed into the dreary sky, leaving Lympne Aerodrome behind. There was a layer of overcast far overhead as they banked and flew north towards the Isle of Sheppley. Reaching Whitstable they soeared out over the dark water using a map and compass. With luck they should reach Mersea Island, south of their destination, in about a half hour (the leg from Aerodrome to Mersea Is. being 50 miles).
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:16, Tue 27 Dec 2011.

JM settled in on the navigation route over water, and then took them above the clouds for smoother air, he checked his watch and marked the start of about 30 minutes, holding his airspeed at about 100 knots indicated.  He settles back for this short leg of the flight and while holding his heading yells back to the Major.

"30 minutes over water!  Relax for a bit!"

He looks around idly, enjoying the sunlight playing over the cloud tops.  England is very pretty, he contemplated, as long as you can get above the clouds.

"I shall have the one with the mountain, there's no question of that. If you let Mr. Singh in, he'll help you wrap it and move it to my car. And I will happily pay five hundred pounds for the piece in the closet, easily twice what my competitor is paying. Your son is skillful enough, he can make another, and I'm sure Mister Crowley will understand the delay. I won't be here to pick it up tomorrow, and such a rare find is well worth the price. Also, please bring down the one with the two moons in the background. I'm of two minds of it still."

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg #140):

Miles looked a lot less agitated when Cynthia made her decision. "I'll get the temple one and the painting with two moons, both for £200. The one in the closet isn't for sale. Mother, did you lock the front door? May I have the key?"

He took the key from her, and, passing the front door, unlocked and opened it (leaving the key in the lock as was usual). "Sorry, Mister Singh? I don't know why you were locked out. Please come with me. Your Mistress has a couple paintings upstairs for you to carry out."

Miles started up the stairs, with Singh (hopefully) in tow.


OOC: If it's okay with everyone, let's just assume you take the "temple" painting and another, for £200. (Not the closet painting.) Hey, it's not like you have limited funds! We could dicker a little more back and forth but the Shipleys' patience is obviously quite at an end. If Molly is here, then they're too canny to blurt it out and probably aren't going to let you anywhere she could be accidentally found. If she was able to (if she was here, etc.) she'd have made some kind of signal to you by now.

The Count did not move from his seat as Miles left to fetch the paintings. He continued to play with the tea in his cup before addressing Mrs Shipley;

"And there we have it Madam sale made. As to the missing girl I'm sure the Police will require a search of the premises as this was the last place she was seen before going missing. Shouldn't be too much of a bother I believe them to be thorough and efficient."

He tried to sound like it was just some advice, nothing more.

"Thank you, Mr Shipley."

Singh follows the artist upstairs. He helps wrap the canvasses, making sure it takes as long as possible, 'accidentally' ripping the paper and tangling the string, knocking over a jar of soaking brushes, backing into a stack of blank canvases, and otherwise giving Phil as much time and cover as he can.

He insists on carrying each painting himself -- "They are, after all, sir, Miss Holloway's property and I her servant, is it not so?" -- clumping slowly down the stairs with first one, then the other.

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg #142):

Mrs Shipley waited eagerly for the check, trying not to hover over Cynthia.

"Wot? Oh, right. I do 'ope they find her. I'm sure she'll turn up some place, probably one of them dreadful flappers, flaunting their beaded dresses everywhere and all."

In reply to Imran Singh (msg #143):

Up in the attic, Miles waited impatiently as Singh bulled about. "Careful there, you bloody wog! Don't... touch... anything.... fool..." He muttered to himself.

In reply to Miles Shipley (msg #145):

Not knowing anything about lockpicking Phil tried the rear gate and couldn't get through. He then tried to climb up the rear wall.

12:59, Today: Phil Webley rolled 1 using 1d100. Climbing.
12:58, Today: Phil Webley rolled 23 using 1d100. (Lockpick)

Rear Alley, 6 Holbien Mews

Using some vines and ivy climbing a trellis, Phil was easily able to climb over the rear wall into the garden. He swung over and jumped down. It was overgrown by long brown grass and tangled bushes, dormant after the winter's frost and flurry of early spring snow. There were some rotted crates and a trash bin. An almost overgrown cobble path led to the kitchen door, a clothesline sagged from the kitchen window to a post in the middle of the yard.

From where he stood by the rear gate he could see the rear door to the kitchen and a small barred window to the basement. The rear gate was closed by a key lock so he couldn't unlock it from the inside. He might be able to climb up the rear wall with the help of the bin and the crates. If they held his weight.


Keeper's Note: At this point I'm going to take Phil's narrative to another thread or probably PM to preserve an element of mystery as to what's going on with your comrade!

In reply to John-Marc Falcon (msg #139):

Storm, chilled but not yet freezing, peered out and around. From in behind JM in the observers/gunner's cockpit, Charles' voice was almost completely whipped away by the slipstream. "Holy smokes! You can see so much from up here! I hate to say much more than on the back of a horse! I wouldn't be surprised if they made some kind of "Air Cavalry Corps" some day!"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:14, Sat 31 Dec 2011.

Inside the House

Singh brought the purchases down to the parlour, Miles close behind.

Everyone met in the parlour, Miles and his mum waiting on the payment to proceed.

Before moving off to the parlour if the Count got a chance to riffle Mrs Shipley's knitting basket with out detection he would. Otherwise he waited for the exchange of money to be made.

Cynthia isn't quite sure who should be paying. The count seemed so eager with his money. She feels a little bad buying it for herself if he wanted to pay for her ;)

Singh stands patiently with the bundles.

Inside the House

Mrs. Shipley left her basket unattended for a fraction of a second on the table. Most of the time she kept it with her, so the Count took what little opportunity presented itself to have a peek. There was nothing suspicious inside: balls of coloured woolen yarn and a pair of knitting needles. She stepped back in to fetch it before proceeding to the parlour.

After receiving the payment from Cynthia, Mrs. Shipley and Miles saw the group out the front door. There was no word of goodbye, just a door shut perhaps a little too quickly behind them.

The taxi was waiting, engine idling. Phil was nowhere in sight.