Molly sighed.  She really did want to see it but she knew that it would be impossible.  Imagine, an investigator not wanting to see it!

Instead Molly nodded and patted the officers arm.  In a good "female" role voice she thanked him.  "Oh thank you sir.  Please tell me when it's all quiet in there.  After your men have secured it, the office will be the safest place for me."

The side door slammed open, letting in Singh and the others. The lascars in the office complied with JM's command, and the Bobbie on Molly's arm (MacDougall) left to perform his duty.

Chabout and the 4 lascars were the only occupants of the warehouse. Inside the office, Chabout continued to struggle and gasp as he lay on his front. The Bobbies ignored the dying man as they secured the other prisoners.

A pool of blood spread from under Chabout across the floorboards as be bled out. His gasps slowed, then stopped. He began jerking around, emitting a ghastly choking rattle inside his throat. Then he was still.

Keeper's Note: SAN Checks for the Count and JM for witnessing the death, although this is not a particularly severe one!

As he put both of his revolvers into his coat pockets, the Count could not take his eyes off the dying man. He had seen death such as this and worst then this, but it seemed like a life time ago now. he wondered if the streets of London may have taken the edge off his war.

As the two lascars are removed from the office the Count begins a thorough search beginning with the corpse at his feet.

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg # 192):

Now that she wasn't restrained and she could hear the men being secured, Molly slipped into the office.  Once she saw her team searching bodies she started to search the office itself for anything that might give them clues.

JM stood fixated by the sight of the man dying.  He'd seen death before in the War and afterwards but somehow the brutal nature of this death or perhaps the accumulated horrors of the last few weeks suddenly struck him.

Cynthia waits patiently, with her gun at the ready, for the officer to open the side door.

The door was bashed in shortly, to find Darlington already in the open space of the warehouse holding 2 lascars at gunpoint.

JM avoids the bloody corpse and moves the two prisoners out to the middle of the warehouse where they can be put with the others.

The Count rolled Chabout's corpse over. The front was soaked in blood, still oozing from the bullet holes (his heart had stopped pumping blood but gravity still worked to drain out the fluid). There was a terrible smell as the man's bowels and bladder relaxed in death, releasing their contents. Despite the distasteful chore of searching the body, there was nothing to find.

Cynthia, Singh, Karlheinz were in the main warehouse now, along with some of the bobbies. The captured lascars were sitting with their hands on their heads in the open space in the middle of the crates.

Cynthia addresses Mr. Singh, "It looks like things are in hand over here. We'd best check over the entire building to be sure there are no other surprises before we get down to work." She knows Mr. Singh will complete this to his satisfaction, and more effectively, if she's not hovering over his shoulder, so she'll get a blanket (from the little bedroom if necessary) and cover up the corpse.

"Come on with me, Karlheinz," Imran says, turning to check out the shadowy recesses of the large space. He approaches all corners warily, revolver pointing ahead and kirpan naked in his off hand, just as he did when clearing a trench. He keeps an eye out for any crates that might contain weapons or ammunition.

"Miss Fuller, I believe we are looking for some kind of ledger or similar account book to better know what has come through the warehouse. I hope it is just here somewhere, but there may be a safe."

The Count continues his search.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:01, Sun 09 Sept 2012.

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg # 201):

"Ahhh.  Good to know Count.  I shall look for those items then."  Now that she knew what to look for, Molly started over in a more systematic search.

The warehouse was filled with boxes and crates that could contain any number of items. However, the building did not contain any more assailants.

Darlington ushered out the bobbies, who were busy securing the captured lascars in the back of the paddy wagon.

The Count examined several crates, all of which seemed to have writing stencilled in German. He recognised the words "MAUSER GEWEHR 98" on one longish wooden crate with rope carry handles.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:08, Sun 09 Sept 2012.

Having finished his circuit of the warehouse, Imran joined Darlington, carrying a prybar he had found.

"Shall we open it, sir?"

Cynthia focuses on the office and bedding area, checking through for important documents or artifacts, especially evidence to connect this back with Gavigan. She especially checks around desks for secret or locked compartments.

JM searches the office area as well.  At the news of the crates he looks them over.  "Rifles in there although why they need military arms is beyond me."

Leaving Darlington to open the crate, Singh goes to the office. He stands in the doorway, his eyes flicking across it as the others conduct their search.

Imran Singh rolled 58 for Spot Hidden 50.

In reply to Imran Singh (msg # 207):

It looked like someone was certainly getting ready to fight a war!

In the crates they found more war materials. There were crates of 7.92mm ammunition for the rifles. As well, there was a box marked Stielhandgranate. Opening it, they found 20 German stick grenades packed in straw, there was a second box of grenades.

What's in the office?

Give the number of arms in a box, can we estimate the number of boxes to figure out how many people they were preparing to arm?

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 209):

GM Note: sorry should have been more specific about the office!

Weapons-wise, there were 20 Mauser and 20 Lee-Enfield rifles, all used, with a considerable quantity of ammunition for both (as well as bayonets). In addition there were 40 hand-grenades and 5 Luger pistols with 3 magazines each. There was also a pair of Stokes "trench" mortars of uncertain repair but no ammunition.

There was no papers of any significance in the office. No papers, documentation. Apparently, this was the kind of enterprise that one didn't generally keep records for.

However, there were two battered trunks containing personal effects and clothing (men's and women's, generally shabby or cheap and gaudy). This included outerwear like coats and wraps, shoes. They found another with personal jewellery (watches, chains, necklaces, many rings (from plain wedding bands to jewel-encrusted monstrosities). There was a percentage of costume jewellery but much was real. There were dozens of ladies' purses and men's wallets.

Inside the other crates were very interesting items. There were several barrels full of what Singh and JM knew was raw opium, several thousand ampoules of Morphine (war surplus), kilograms of Turkish hashish and cannabis and other unidentifiable powders. All these drugs were prohibited in the UK under the recent Dangerous Drugs act.

Throughout the warehouse was also wood crates cardboard and boxes of what looked to be larger stolen valuables like silver and gold settings, fine china, shaving kits and razorblades, cosmetics and compacts, many bottles of perfume, cologne and eau-de-toilette, humidors with cigars, boxes of tailored cigarettes, loose tobacco and packs of rolling paper, pipes and pipe tobacco. All showed a range of quality. The brands and makers seemed to be typical of the UK and a few from France.

There was a great deal of normal artwork, such as one might find hanging in a homes. A few even looked like they were valuable. None appeared to be from any master or well-known artist. In the corners lurked a number of sculptures, statues and busts, some marble and at least one was gold. Some looked old, some ancient, but these were the "normal" kind of artwork.

Finally, boxed and crated for shipping were a half-dozen hideous pieces of artwork like paintings and sculptures. No books, tomes or scrolls.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:09, Sat 15 Sept 2012.

"Arms and drug smuggling. The wallets and jewelry perhaps suggest petty theft? Perhaps also fraudulent goods? My my. How long will it take to get a proper inventory of all of this?"

She'll also pull Ms. Fuller, the Count, Mr. Falcon, and Mr. Singh aside separately and ask them, away from the bobbies, mentioning that, should any of this equipment look like it could be put to better use than sitting in an evidence cabinet, we may want to grab it now, and in fact, arming some of our new friends prior to the raid could be quite handy.

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 211):

"Yes indeed it would seem Mr Gavigan and Mr Tewfik were planning some sort of armed insurrection."

He looked into each of the boxes lingering slightly longer over the box containing the stick grenades.

When he was called over by Miss Holloway, he listens before adding;

"The grenades are by far the most useful, followed by the mortars. The rifles and pistols could also be very useful as they are top quality and our armoury is piecemeal at best. As for the personal items I think they may be from the cults victims, but that is just a guess. There is so much of it I hope I am wrong."

"I hope Detective Darlington would be accommodating in our endeavours to be better armed for the raid on the estate. I believe they would only need one or two examples for a conviction, unlike the narcotics. We should ask him about the more hideous art as well."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:17, Sat 15 Sept 2012.

JM nods in response to Cynthia.  "It would be appropriate to turn these weapons on their owners when we raid the mansion.  Darlington, can we appropriate some of the arms to assist in the raid?"  At the sight of the miscellaneous dry goods, JM frowns.  "I fear that the personal goods may be of victims who were kidnapped for nefarious sacrifice."

At the Count's and Mr. Falcon's hypothesis, Cynthia's eyes go wide and she begins looking through the items with some degree of haste.

Any sign of Phil's ... chicken sack? Anything clearly from Phil?