The moon is poking out from behind a billboard for Zesta Gum...the Hot Chew! It leaves long shadows along the sides of the buildings, like streaks left from oily fingers on previously clean glass.

Haddigan Square at 1 AM in the morning is a bit like the cheese warehouse when someone left the door standing open.  Lots and lots of rats scurrying around.

The Eustace Casey Courthouse sits at the corner of Dunler and Haddigan Avenue.  It's six stories of concrete and secrets.  A drunk is sleeping in an alleyway on one side of it. Inside are three security guards.  Bill.  Tom.  Harry.

You've done your research.  So you know.  There are five ways in.  The front doors of course, though they are locked.

A side entrance.  Also locked.

A loading bay door around back.  Locked

There are fire escapes running up the sides of the Courthouse.  There are various doors on various floors leading out onto the fire escapes.  They should also all be locked.

And if you follow the fire escapes up to the top, there's the roof.  There's a door up there that leads inside too.  It's also locked.

On the fifth floor are the chambers of Judge Melvin Wyman.  He was the one who presided over the trial of Victor Bernard.  It was in his court that your father was shot and killed.

The little voices that sometimes carry you tidings brought you some tidings yesterday.  Judge Wyman has a full transcript of that trial.  The recorder's office said the transcript was lost.  Then they said they'd found it but it was sealed.  Then they said it was lost again.

You don't know what happened after that day your father was killed. You've heard different things. About a surprise witness for the defense.  About some arguments involving evidence.  You've never quite understood why the jury found Victor Bernard innocent of all charges.

But now, maybe. Just maybe.  You can find out.

You just need to make your way to the fifth floor.  You need to find a way into Judge Wyman's chambers.  Then locate that transcript.  And of course, not get caught by Bill or Tom or Harry.  Or at least Harry.  Bill and Tom make money moonlighting for a local gang is what you hear.

Alright.  So you are outside the building.  Which entrance would you like to try?

Mmmm... cinnamon-y, thought Van.



That is... very, very suspicious, thought Van.



Damn' right I don't understand it, thought Van.



UP seems to be the main direction to start with. Any security guard (dang, why are there three in the middle of the night?) would have the largest expectation of people attempting to come in on the ground floor.

Van will check the doors on his way up, as he doesn't know that they're locked, just that they should be.

If all the doors on the way up are locked, including the one on the roof... Van will want to investigate windows. After all, when he first... got... Calvaros, he'd chased someone out a window onto a ledge. So... let's (if necessary) see if they remember to lock all the windows around here...

(EDIT:) Also, if a door or window DOES seem like it might be unlocked, Van will study it first to see if it seems to have any alarm wires or anything attached first before actually opening it. Let me know if you need me to roll for that.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:54, Sat 08 Oct 2022.

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 2):

You silently stalk up the fire escape, checking doors on each floor as you go.

None give off the fire escape.  The first four floors seem to just be regular locks on the inside.  Floors five and up all seem to be alarmed.

You clamber up onto the roof.  The door up here is propped open with an old marble ashtray.  The ashtray is filled with butts.  At least one of the guars must come up here for a smoke.

Checking through the doorway, you can see a stairwell descending to the sixth floor.  Listening intently, you can hear some voices.  Not close.  Indistinct at this point. But you can tell there is more than one of them.

At the bottom of the stairwell is a light.  Looks like the lights in the sixth floor hallway are on.

Niiiiiice, thinks Van.



Van silently steps inside the door, noiselessly letting it close again on the ashtray. He waits to see if the guards will go away... If one or both sounds like it's coming up for a smoke break, he can always step out again. If they do seem to go away, he can attempt to stealth his way downstairs...
This message was last edited by the player at 00:14, Sun 09 Oct 2022.

Sorry.  Thought this posted earlier.

Just to keep things clear, I am going to assume you are not using one of Cav's powers unless you reference Cav or your shadow.  So when you say you will "stealth" your way down the stairs, I am going to assume it is normal sneaking.

The stairs are old.  Now that you consider it, this building might have been built last century.  The risers creak slightly.  Not enough to echo in the stairwell.  But enough to be a bother.

You make it to the landing.  The voices do not sound like they are advancing or retreating.  You crack open the door to the hallway so you can hear them better.

The hall runs right and left.  Across the way is a door labeled Maintenance.

The voices are coming from your left.  From what you recall of the schematics you studied, the buildings elevators are that way.

"So I tell her, "Look.  I don't care if she is your sister.  She can't just move in and start takin' up our couch as a bed."  And she gets all huffy on me."

Laughter from the other voice.  "C'mon Harry!  Have a heart!  Where else is your sis-in-law gonna freeload if not offa you!"  More laughter.  "Seriously though, is she good lookin'?  Maybe I could take you off your hands if she's built."

"Wife'd kill me if I pawned her baby sister off on some mook like you.  Anyway.  You check this floor?"

"Nah.  Not yet.  I'm just abou' ta."

"A'ight.  I'll head down to three then.  I think Bill's on five."

<goldenrond>"Yeah. Yeah."</goldenrod>

"Sooner we get it done, sooner we can dig inta lunch.  My missus sent along some blackberry pie.  She even added a couple a' slices for you mooks."

"Does her sister cook as good as she does?"

More laughter.  You hear a door open and then keys rattling.  One of the voices is on the move.

"I swear.  That guy's so on the level, he makes the horizon look crooked."

Someone is definitely coming this way.

(Oh. Well I mean, no, that's not what I meant. I WOULD have meant that, but I am under the impression that the bonus (rolling 2 dice instead of just 1) that Van gets for Stealth is tied to him using Cav to help. Therefore, I absolutely did mean that he would be using Cav's help.)



Ugh. Sounds like I'd better back up. They could be coming for a smoke break. Van backs up to the rooftop door...

(If the stairs are really that squeaky, he'll roll for stealth if he has to-- and yes, I do mean Cav-stealth. In fact, I assure you, any time that I say "stealth" or "sneak" and Van is in costume (like he is now), I will absolutely mean Cav-stealth, specifically.

Now, if you tell me "nah, Van's stealth bonus isn't necessarily tied to Cav nor to being in costume," then that's a whole other thing. But for now I presume that that's not how it works. Is it?)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 6):

Nope. That clarification is what I needed to know.  Then I will assume all bonuses are active when you are Judge Midnight.  Thanks

The shadows seem to move under your feet, softening your steps as you move back up the stair well.

You can hear the jingle of the keys.  They're moving faster than you would have thought...

...and then pass by the door to the stairwell. Wherever he's going, it's not for a smoke break.

Whew!

After an appropriate amount of time seems to have passed, Van descends once more to peek out that door facing the Maintenance door for a new peek/listen.

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 8):

To the left, the hallway runs about thirty feet and comes to the elevators.  The door to the emergency stairs is next to it.

To the right, the hallway continues down a ways, with two more sets of doors set across from each other.

This floor is more or less built around a rectangular hallway.  There's six rooms in the center space, with roughly twelve rooms along the outer ring of the hallway.  You're in the southwest corner of the rectangle.

You can hear the keys rattling down to the right.  Seems like the guard...probably Tom...is checking the doors along the hallway around the northwest corner.

I need to go down one floor... so... Van heads left, for the emergency stairs...

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 10):

The stairwell is bightly lit.  Annoyingly so.  You cast more shadows than you can cling to here.

You slide down the risers...these are much more solid.  You could probably jump up and down on them and they wouldn't make so much as a peep...and towards the fifth floor.

As you are rounding the landing, you hear a door open below you.  Keys jangling.  Someone coming up the stairs.  They aren't close.  At least two floors down.

The fifth floor door opens with the slightest of creaks.  But not loud enough that whoever is below should be able to hear.  You step through and keep the door from loudly closing.

This floor seems to be a bit of a mirror image of the sixth.  The elevators are nearby.  The hallway is another rectangle.  If you read the schematics correctly, and of course you did, Wyman's chambers should be catacorner to the corner you're in now.  You can get there going left or right.  The distance should be equal either way.

The lights on this floor are mostly out.  Only emergency lights are on intermittently down the hallway.  Plenty of places to hide here.

As you start towards the chambers, you hear the "keys" coming up the stairwell.  They come to a stop outside the fifth floor doorway.

Don't know if I mentioned this before, but I am bad with maps. Like babytown-frolics kind of bad.  That being said, here's a map.  Tried to mark out the areas that are lit.
 Hope they show up.  Let me know which way you go to head to Wyman's office.  Let me know if there are questions.  Thanks.

Bah. Van heads for the middle of the long nearby hallway, which is the darkest part of it.

Hopefully, if guard leaves the stairwell on this floor, he'll start walking straight ahead, or else get preoccupied with checking a door nearby. If he makes a left and heads straight for Van's location without stopping, maybe Van can use Cav's help to just hide in the gloom...

The doorway opens.  One of the guards steps through.  He is coming your way...

So let's have our first roll of the game please.  Stealth check with your bonus.

Also, question about "What Have You Sworn?".  I was thinking this is an active ability, not a passive one.  That is, Van has to trigger it.  It doesn't just kick in like Spidey Sense.  Is that a fair statement?  Or is is passive?  It's your power so it's your call.  I just need to know so I can adjudicate when to require rolls from you please.

Thanks.

(--I was thinking that "What Have You Sworn" would be something that Van has to actually activate consciously.

I will mention, though, that the range of "50 feet" means it works through walls and doors and windows:
* if Van sees someone through a window less than 50 feet away
* if Van hears a guy talking on the other side of a door (or shouting on the other side of a wall)

As long as Van knows where someone is, if they are in range, he can try to trigger the power.

--As for the roll, let's see:

11:44, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 4 using 2d4.  shadowy stealth check..

So, two 2s. Looks not-good.

SO: Once Van is sure the guy's seen him, he's going to want to rush the guy and try to punch him and knock him out.

You want a roll for that now, or not yet?)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 14):

Thanks for the clarification and barriers not blocking makes sense.  As long as Van knows they are there and they are within range, I agree.

The guard stops and seems to peer into the darkness.  He swings a flashlight in his hands up and flicks the switch...

I would say a 1 would be an automatic spot.  2 means he sees a shadowy something or other.

And yep.  Make that attack roll please.  Thanks

(13:53, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 7 using 2d4.  Punching time..

OOPS. It was a 3 and a 4, but the dice roller needs to be set for the default of "record each die." I'll try to remember to do it manually until you set the default.

...Fortunately, with 2d4, there's really nothing else it COULD have been but a 3 and a 4, so you don't have to just take my word for it...

So anyway, a 4: big success.)

Van leaps forward and punches the guard squarely on the jaw--

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 16):

I trust you.  Besides, you literally designed the system yourself.  If you can't fudge it, who can?  Just kidding.

I'm not too worried about you cheating on rolls.

The guard manages to click the flashlight on as you connect solidly to his cleft chin.

The blow is enough to send him backwards.  He lands on his butt, the flashlight rolling out of his grip and bouncing against the wall.  The beam illuminates you and your shadow, which is half on the wall, half off, leaning forward like something alive.  Wrapping itself around your shoulders, chest and legs like a fog.

The guard manages a "Wha'...", and then his eyes roll back in his head.  He flops down, knocked out by your haymaker.

Van gathers the flashlight (quickly turning it off if it's still on), and the man's body.

Van will want to move the man's body out of sight of the elevators and the stairwell door as soon as possible.

Van will REALLY want to hide the body in a room different from the one he's going to, but he probably doesn't really have time to futz around with the guard's keys, if they aren't labelled properly-- the most important thing is to get to the right office, and get what he's after...

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 18):

The keys are suprisingly easy to figure out.  He seems to have a master key for each floor.  You find the one labeled "5" and stuff him into the nearest office.

You slither down the hallway towards Wyman's chambers.  Opening the door, you step inside.

His chambers are divided into two rooms.  A smaller, front room with a tiny desk and lots of cabinets.  That is probably for his clerk.

The larger room in back has nicer furniture.  His desk complete with pictures of his family.  A pleasant looking, motherly looking wife.  Two sons, both of whom seem to be married.  Or at least there are women smiling in the photo frames with them.  One of them holds a baby.

There are cabinets in here as well.

So you will need to search.  I'll need you to tell me what order you search in.

Clerk's Desk
Clerk's Cabinets 1-5
Wyman's Desk
Wyman's Cabinets 1-3
Other

Tell me what order you want to search these places please.

Thanks

FIRST Wyman's Desk
SECOND Wyman's Cabinets 1, then 2, then 3

THIRD Clerk's Desk
FOURTH: Clerk's Cabinets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

FIFTH: Other

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 20):

My apologies.  I don't know why I did not see your post when I updated Thursday.

Wyman's desk contains most of the usual stuff.  He's got a dog eared copy of She Sighs Longingly At The Moon in one drawer.  Apparently the Judge likes a little risque in his literature.

The cabinets take a little time to crack open.  The locks aren't cheap.  You skim through the various files inside.  No sign of the transcript.  You do see an interesting looking file labeled Mayor's Promise on it though.

You move into the clerk's space.  The clerk's desk takes no time at all.  There's nothing there other than pencils and clean steno pads.

You start on the cabinets.  That's when you hear voices.

They're down the hall, getting closer.

You can make out:

"Whaddya mean someone decked ya?"

"Shhh!  Jeez.  They might still be around."

(I wondered about it, too, but I figured maybe you got tired or sick before you got to mine. That happens to me a lot as a GM. I figured you'd get to it in the next go-round.)





...Without so much as glancing at Mayor's Promise?




1. Are the lights on in the office currently? Hope not.

2. Please tell me Van remembered to lock the door behind him again as he came into the office.

More after I find out the answers to 1 and 2.

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 22):

Don't ever hesitate to kick me if I'm late in responding.  I've been known to think I responded but didn't actually.  Thanks

Mayor's Promise looks like it's a set of documents related to a land deal of some kind.  Looks like several lots out in Surreyville, not far from where they've broken ground on the new stadium.  The details look convoluted.  It will take a while to sort through it all to make sense out of what's going on

Feel free to take the file if you wish.

You'll have to tell me the answers on both questions.  Does Van have a flashlight?  And did he lock the door?

Usually I will assume that if you didn't say it, you didn't do it.  But since this is a test run...and you would reasonably have enough time to tip toe over and lock it now...I'll let you mulligan if you like.  Do let me know about the flashlight.  Not sure what "standard" gear va will carry as Midnight.

If he's not carrying a flashlight...well.  He'd have to have some kind of light source so he could take that glance through Mayor's Promise.

Thanks

Oh, that sounds important. Van will take that and look it over later.





Van brought a flashlight.

The door is locked.

(Having established those things, I guess) Van had better head for the window, in case he needs to duck out onto the fire escape (hopefully just temporarily)...

Does the window seem to have an alarm wire running to it?

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 24):

Good news, bad news.  The good news is the window is not alarmed.  Bad news is the fire escape doesn't hook up to this office.  If you go out the window, you'll literally be on a narrow ledge.

You can hear the voices much more clearly now.

"Shit."  Sounds like they are just coming around the corner outside.  "Check Wyman's door."

The door knob shakes.  "Locked.  But did they take your keys?"

"Never mind that.  We gotta make sure that timer's still tickin'.  If things don't go down when the big guy wants 'em to go down-"

"Alright.  Alright.  It's in the supply closet."  You start to hear footsteps heading to the west, but one pair stops.  "Hey.  What about Harry?"

<yellow>"Screw Harry.  He always like ta be all high an' mighty.  Well he can be all high an' mighty on his way to the moon.  Now hurry up.  We gotta make sure it's good ta go and split outta here.  I don't wanna join in the rocket ride.  Capisce?"

Ohhhh dear. The Big Guy? The Timer? So Long Harry? The Rocket Ride? Not good.

There's a timer going to blow this place up. They're not worried now, but they're worried about SOON. Got to follow them so I can find out which supply closet we're talking about-- it might be the door I've seen, or there might be a supply closet on every floor for all I know-- or every other floor.

Step 1: Let them lead me to this timer.
Step 2: Probably let them clear out so I can--
Step 3: Stop the timer (or the bomb) somehow.

Although if I have to beat one or both of these guys up, fine, because then I could ask them questions...

As stealthily as possible, Van follows the men (keeping the mayor's plan with him), so they can lead him to the supply closet.


(By the way, I think What Have You Sworn? should work if the target is unconscious. (Dead, I'm not so sure about.) Just tossing that out here now.)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 26):

They head down the hall to the south and stop outside the second door on the right.  One of them fumbles for some keys while the other one scans around and behind them with a flashlight.

Let's have you give me a stealth roll please.  And of course you get your +1

The one with the keys opens the door and steps into the room.  The other goon stays out in the hall, continuing to shine that flashlight around.

After about a minute, the first goon steps back out.

"We got problems."

"Whaddya mean we got problems?"

"The bomb...it's gone."

The two of them sort of stare at each other for a moment.

I would say What You Have Sworn would work on someone asleep or unconscious, yes.  Dead...only if it was an actual ghost.  Once the spirit has left the body, all pledges and commitments are null and void.

(11:41, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 4 using 2d4 with rolls of 1,3.  stealth.

Success, but with a possible small complication.)




Well, the next thing they're going to do is going to either be to run away and leave their posts, or go looking for Harry to see if he's found the bomb... If it's the first, that'll make my job easier-- if the second, I guess I'll follow them, because who in the world is in here besides me and these two and Harry...? A janitor...? If Harry's found it, then I might have to save him from these two...

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 28):

So I was thinking that when you rolled 2 die, you would get to keep the better result.  So I would assume that was a 1 or great success.  Am I misunderstanding the proposed system?

Bill and Tom, or Tom and Bill...you aren't sure which one is who...stop staring at each other and scurry down the hallway.

"You think maybe Harry took it?"

"Why would he?  But if he did..."  You see the speaker...let's say he's Tom...reaches into a pocket and pulls out a hunting knife.

"You serious?"

"Either Harry took it or someone else did.  You wanna be the one to tell The Big Guy "Uh...sorry.  We kinda lost the bomb you wanted us ta plant"?"

The one you're supposing is Bill sighs.  "Okay.  Harry was gonna buy it no matter what.  But we gotta find that bomb."

They start to move towards the stairwell.

They seem to give up all pretense of stealth as they hit the stairs, rushing down them.

"Harry's supposed ta be on 3 now, right?"

"Yeah. How long we got on that timer anyway?"

<goldendrod>"I think about thirty minutes."</goldenrod>

They are near the third floor landing...

I will pause there in case any of that changed your plans

(Yes, but only slightly. High number is GOOD. Low number is BAD. So I ignored the 1 and kept the 3.

Cross-reference with earlier when Van punched the guard out with a 3 and a 4, keeping the 4:

quote:

<Orange>(13:53, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 7 using 2d4.  Punching time..

OOPS. It was a 3 and a 4, but the dice roller needs to be set for the default of "record each die." I'll try to remember to do it manually until you set the default.

...Fortunately, with 2d4, there's really nothing else it COULD have been but a 3 and a 4, so you don't have to just take my word for it...

So anyway, a 4: big success.)

See also our rMails where I was first pitching this system to you:

quote:

If I want to do something that's at all challenging, difficult, or risky, I roll 1d4.

1: Pretty bad
2: little bad
3: mostly good
4: very good

Then you tell me what happens based on the roll.

If what I want to do involves one of my special things (jump to a really far rooftop, but I've got my special rocket-books on), I roll TWO 1d4s, and take the highest result.

)




Van will just keep following them...
This message was last edited by the player at 14:30, Sat 29 Oct 2022.

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 30):

Sorry.  Was flipping my results chart for your game.  That's what happens when I try to post too late at night.

Bill and Tom open the door to the third floor and head through.  This floor seems a carbon copy of the fifth in terms of layout.

"Harry!" Probably-Bill bellows out.

"Hey!" Probably-Tom hisses.

Bill shrugs.  "If he took it, he won't answer.  If he did-"

"If he took what?"

A third watchman steps out of an office, shining a flashlight on Bill and Tom.

"What's up?  Somethin' going on?"

There's a moment of silence.  Bill slowly nods.  "Yeah.  Someone jumped Tom."

"What?  Didja call tha cops yet?"

Tom and Bill look at each other than towards Harry.  "We should scope out the place first ourselves."

"That's not procedure!  I'll use the office phone in here."

Harry turns to head back into the office he came out of.

Bill nods at Tom.  Tom flips his flashlight around.  It's one of those long, heavy ones that must hurt like hell when they smack you.

He rushes forward towards Harry, raising the flashlight over his head like a club...

That's it, it's violence time.

(08:45, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 5 using 2d4 with rolls of 1,4.  Stop the bludgenoning of Harry.

Whew! 4! Big success.)

Judge Midnight figuratively flies out of the shadows, punching the heck out of Tom. "Nobody touches this innocent man," says Van, trying to do his Very Serious Judge Midnight voice. It'll help that they just saw my shadow wrapped around me...
This message was last edited by the player at 13:49, Mon 31 Oct 2022.

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 32):

Everyone seems surprised.  Except for Tom.  He's too busy falling to the floor to be surprised.

Your bonus here is Bill is surprised and stunned for the mo.  You may punch again Sir.

(11:16, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 5 using 2d4 with rolls of 1,4.  Punching second guy-- I hope..

4, YESssss! Big success.)


Judge Midnight successfully takes care of the second guard who knows about the bomb, POW! "These two guards were paid to plant a bomb-- in a custodial closet. They were about to attack you because they think you found it and moved it. Do you know anything about it? They think it's going to go off in less than 30 minutes... If you don't have it, then we've got to find out who does, fast!"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 34):

Harry blinks and then seems to snap out of it.  "A bomb?  What?  No! Of course not! Who'd put a bomb in a courthouse?

"Wait!  There's a clerk working late on the second floor! I saw him when I was making rounds!"

Harry starts to dash for the stairwell and then stops, looking back at Bob and Tom.  "I can't leave them to die.  I'll get them outta here.  Can you tell that clerk?"

Craaaaap. I guess making sure lives get saved has to come before destruction of property... "Yes-- but what're you going to do, drag each of them to the elevator, and then drag each of them outside? What if they wake up? Wait--tell you what, if they wake up, tell them they've been out for more than twenty minutes, and that the bomb's about to go off-- they're sure to run for it and ask questions later."

Just to try to be sure that Harry is as honest as he seems, though, Van looks carefully at Harry. What Have You Sworn, Harry...?

(09:19, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 5 using 2d4.  What Have You Sworn?

UGH. It was a 1 and a 4, but the darn dice roller isn't yet set to the default being Record Each Die. (Only the GM can set Record Each Die as the default.) Willing to take my word for it, I hope?)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 36):

I am certainly willing to take your word for it.  Experienced players, particularly ones who GM a lot all know half the fun of the game are the bad rolls.

Harry is a simple man.  He's sworn a vow of marriage to his wife and has never strayed.  He considers that he took a vow to perform his duties as a night watchman faithfully and has done so for several years.  The only oath he's ever broken was when he was eight years old and promised his dad he wouldn't play near the street but did.  A car hit him, and he spent months in a cast.

---

You come down to the second floor.  Once again, it's that rectangular hallway around the perimeter.  As you come around the corner, you see the lights in one office are on.  The door is wide open and someone has turned a radio on in the room.

Looking through, you are greeted with a gruesome sight.

A young man in his twenties is tied to a chair.  Someone removed his shirt and took a belt or whip or something similar to him.  They took off his shoes and stuffed his rolled up socks into his mouth to keep him quiet while they tortured him.  He still seems to be alive.  He's breathing in hoarse gasps through his nose.  Sitting on his lap is what has to be the bomb.  It looks like a box alarm with several sticks of dynamite attached to it.

On the far wall, someone has spray painted a poem by Frost:

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Huh. Doesn't prove Harry's not mixed up in this bad business, but it sure seems that way to me. Moving on...



Damn. That's not good--

--FIRST: Van moves in, making sure no one else is still in the office in question.
--SECOND: Van checks the bomb-- how much time is there?
--THIRD: if there's more than 5 minutes, Van removes the socks so the guy can breathe and maybe talk.
--FOURTH: If there's more than 5 minutes, Van LOCKS THE DOOR BEHIND HIM and will try to stop the bomb safely unless Sock Victim warns something about it being rigged to go off if anyone tries that or something

IF turning off the bomb isn't obvious, Step Four will be a science-y wires-y electric-y roll-- but let's see how the above four steps go, first.

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 38):

You glance at Socks-In-Mouth.  He seems to be breathing, though his eyes are shut and twitching.

You move quickly to the bomb...

...Less than 90 seconds left on it.

Is there ever oodles of time still remaining?

The mechanism doesn't seem like it should be too complicated...

Let's see you make me that Science-y roll.  Of course you get the bonus.  Maybe you can see at a glance which wire to pull out

(09:13, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 5 using 2d4 with rolls of 1,4.  some days you can't get rid of a bomb.

WHEW!)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 40):

With a quick, practiced eye, you can see that the mechanism is a rather nasty one.  But it's like someone took a page out of the Anarchist's Cookbook.  You snip off two wires.  The timer stops at 47 seconds to go.

You unstuff the vic's mouth.  He coughs weakly and mumbles something, still kind of in a daze.

"...Carlo...I don't know nothin'...'s not me man...someone else tipped 'em..."

Well that's interesting.

STEP NEXT: Van LOCKS THE DOOR BEHIND HIM, making sure no one jumps out and sneak-attacks Van.
AFTER THAT: Van looks around this office carefully to make sure there's no one else in here with him and this poor guy.
AFTER THAT (presuming no one else IS in here): Van turns off the lights.
AFTER THAT: Van tries standing behind the guy and saying: "It looks like you're going to survive to see tomorrow. But you know where to find me, later on, right? Say it! Show me you remember where I'll be!"


If this guy thinks I'm still Carlo, let's see if we can get him to say where Carlo can be found...

Oh, and then I should try WHAT HAVE YOU SWORN?


(09:39, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 5 using 2d4 with rolls of 3,2.  What Have You Sworn, Sock Guy?

Hm. 3.

--Highest result is 3: Van gets only a vague sense of whether or not another character within 50 feet of him is trustworthy, not necessarily more than that.

Oh well.)

Trustworthy?  The only reason this guy would take out an insurance policy is so he could set his house on fire.

"...no Carlo.  Don' get mad a' me..."  He mumbles something.  "I'll ask Ella.  She'll know how to get...in touch...with ya..."

That seems to be all you're going to get out of him.

Well, that's one name more than I already had, I guess... Huh, now I need to decide what to do with this bomb. I can't leave it here, or The Mad Poet might RE-activate it for all I know.

Van unlocks the door and peeks out in the hall. If no one's around, maybe he'll just take the bomb with him-- after all, he still didn't find what he came here for originally in Wyman's office yet.

If Harry's out in the hall, he and Van can compare notes.

If no one's out there, Van can head back to Wyman's office. I guess taking the deactivated bomb with me for now...?

Van pauses before he sticks his head out into the hall. What office IS this that Mr. Socks here is in, anyway? What office is it? Maybe that might be a clue of some kind?

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 44):

The legend on the office door is Family Court Records

No sign of Harry.  When you get up to the Fifth Floor again, there's no sign of any of the security guards.

As you poke your head back into Wyman's office, you can see flashing lights through the windows.  Down below, a cop car is parking on the side of the street.  Looks like Harry called the Blues.

You should have a little time before they make it up to five...

If I recall correctly you still had the Clerk's cabinets and "Other" to go through.  You probably have time to search one or the other safely.  Searching both of them is going to require a stealth roll to not be heard.

Huh. Family Court. What does that suggest to me? What's important about Family Court? A divorce, or child custody, or both. If I had to bet on just one, I'd bet on child custody, but I don't know enough about Family Court stuff-- maybe it's divorce. I'll just make a mental note of that for later...




Ugh. Tough choice.

Before all this bomb stuff, I would've done the clerk's cabinets next. But now... this whole building just smells rotten. The kind of smell Calvaros really hates. Lies, hypocrisy, secrets, and corruption. So... what does that tell me? It tells me that what I want might not be filed in a cabinet, like the rules say, but that it might be hidden, like a dirty secret...

Van searches "Other."

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 46):

Good ol' Calvaros.  His nose knows.

Under a chair in one corner, there's a bump in the carpet.  It's a small strongbox.  Not strong enough.  Or at least the lock isn't.

Inside are three documents.  One is the transcript you're looking for.  One seems to be some kind of payment ledger.  The last is what seems to be some kind of blueprint copy.

You don't have much time to study anything.  You can hear feet outside.

Escaping?  You can head up to the roof or try to stealth your way out.  Or another solution I may not have thought of.

(Up to the roof? Why not take fire escape down to ground level?

Sounds like it's not that simple? But why, exactly?)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 48):

Well you do know there are cops arriving.  And Harry would have called in a bomb threat.  So the number of cops arriving may be more than you previously saw.

But mostly, I just want to know how you plan to exit the building.  Don't want to assume you're planning on going Route A when you would prefer to go Route X.

(Van would prefer to just go down the fire escape (TAKING his new documents with him for later perusal of course).

He's hoping that "bomb threat" means "cops rush into the building, but aren't focused on watching for people coming out-- because a bomber would already be long gone," eh what.)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 50):

Gimme a roll just for giggles please.  Thanks

(11:04, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 6 using 2d4 with rolls of 3,3.  sounds like a stealth roll for leaving the scene safely?

Result: 3. Mostly good.)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 52):

Yep on the stealth roll.  Sorry for not stating it.

You skulk down the fire escape, having to "blend" into the shadows twice as a cop comes climbing up the other way.  There are at least eight police cruisers parked on the curb.  A couple of cops are setting up a road block.  Others seem to be dressing in the weighty asbestos lined suits bomb squads use.

Obviously Harry told them about the bomb.

Even at this time of night, there's a small crowd forming to watch on the other side of hte street.  Mostly winos.  A couple of men in suits.

You slip into a nearby alleyway.

Anything else you want to do here?  Or ready to move on?

Thanks

(Nah, let's move on. Van (and Calvaros) is(are) eager to study his(their) 4 documents at his(their) leisure...)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 54):

OK.  Before we move on

Wanted to test run the system.  It gives me an idea of how things will shake out.

One observation is that I doubt you will be suffering the consequences of rolling a 1 much during the game.  The mechanic where certain activities give you an extra die pretty much seems to negate that X factor so to speak.

I'm fairly OK with that.  This particular genre works best when the hero can take on 4 guys at a time.  I would however like to make it clear that you will run into "peers" during the game.  Individuals who are on more or less the same level as you. That is, I'll be running them based on the same mechanics.  Can't make things too easy on you after all.

Any comments on your side about how things went?  Anything annoy you, etc.?

It certainly does seem to for Van's strengths, yeah-- punching, sneaking, science...




Nope. I was surprised at how lucky the rolls were. As you say, rolling 2d4 and getting snake eyes is a bit hard, but I was a bit surprised there weren't more 2s, and surprised how many 4s there were. But since we were dealing with a bomb, I wasn't about to complain about the 4s...

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 56):

One more side note then.

Giving you a choice.  I can let you steer what direction you want Van to go...i.e. have him settle down to look over those papers and maybe the newspaper.  See what interests you...or I can run a story.  Just picked up an old Shadow magazine reprint for inspiration.

Thanks

Yes, this one, for now. Let's see how Van and his shadowy partner do with only the guidance of their documents, the newspaper, and their own detective work for a while.

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 58):

It's a few hours later...only two until sunrise...when you get a chance to put your feet up.

You set the files you obtained on your lap and start perusing.

The transcript for Victor Bernard's trial both lights up some of the dark corners from your father's last day.  But it doesn't answer many questions.

Bernard was on trial for taking bribes from local gangs.  Specifically, he allegedly took payoffs to not press charges on two strongarms who were under investigation at the time.  The two men, Al Devone and Marco Alfons, were being investigated regarding an attempt on the life of Gary Seuter, grandson of Susan Seuter.  Bernard was accused of destroying evidence and providing information to Alfons on other ongoing investigations.

Your father's testimony was related to the attempt on Seuter's life.  He had been there when it happened.  In fact, he had saved Seuter's life by pushing him to the ground shortly before shots were fired into the room they were in.  Your father had spoken to police and Seuter during the investigation.

According to the transcript, your father was shot just as the prosecutor was moving him on to another area of testimony.  A subsequent conversation your Dad had with one of the cops on the Seuter case, Reggie DeWitt.  The transcript reads

Prosecutor:  And it was two months later that you were contacted by Detective DeWitt?

Yes.  He called me up and wanted to talk to me again about the night someone tried to shoot Gary.

Do you know why Detective DeWitt wanted to talk to you again?

Well.  He wouldn't say on the phone when he first called.  But he said something wasn't making sense with the time line and he needed to know how I-

Hey!  That guy's gotta gun-

The transcript just reads Shots were fired.  Court was dismissed for the day

---

The payment ledger and the blueprints seem connected.  The blueprints are for Haddigan Stadium over in Surreyville.  Though they don't look quite right.  You realize after studying them that they seem to be an alternate set of blue prints.  The ones presented here are a little less elaborate.

The payment ledger tracks payments being made to a "GG".  Looks like "GG" got about $45,000 in total over a year and a half period.  The dates align with when the first proposal for Haddigan Stadium were presented up to the date the proposal was approved by the city council.  The payee is listed as "Blue St Inv".  But that's about all.

Yes. That's what happened. But... before the gun was spotted, things had turned into a blur. Looking back... The killer could have fired earlier. It was to stop the answer about... "something wasn't making sense with the timeline, and he needed to know how Dad..." what? How he know to push the boy to the ground? And... how did he know?

(I want Van to ask Calvaros, in his mind, if Calvaros had anything to do with Dad.

I'll roleplay it, but I need your answer. Possbilities:
--No
--Yes
--Calvaros refuses to reply at all
--Calvaros replies but won't give a straight answer)




So... it... feels like... like... Someone's built something secret...?



Ugh. So many unanswered questions. The bomber. The killer. The stadium. GG. Blue St Inv. Street? Probably? What's Inv? Inventory?

(Is there a Blue Street in town?)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 60):

Did you want to me to play Cav in the back and forth here?  Or did you want to handle both sides of the conversation?  The answer Cav will give is vague.  He either doesn't know or he's being cagey.

He has never given you a straight answer when you've asked him about it before.

You check a local road atlas.  Blue Street....there is one.  You've never heard of it, which is odd.

It looks like it's more an alley than a street.  It's in West End.  Part of the docks that borders the Myersville area.  From the atlas, it only runs about three blocks, really just a short cut (or alley) between two of the larger avenues used to access various warehouses.

(No)



"Calvaros... did you know my father? Did you warn him, that time?"

"Time is not the same for me as for you. I am eternal."

"Yes, but did you help my father the way you help me?"

"I am the spirit of vows and promises. I help all who are true."

"Yeah, sure, but did you warn him actively, directly, like you do with me?"

"I help all who are true. I act actively and inactively, directly and indirectly. I must punish those who break their word. You and I do not sense reality in the same way. You see people. I sense truth and promises."

"I give up... for now, anyway."






Sounds... industrial.

GG, Judge Wyman, Carlo, Ella, Blue Street, Robert Frost, Detective Reggie DeWitt, Dad. What does it all mean?

...Van has noted that when he starts thinking in circles like this, sometimes he needs sleep, often followed by breakfast.

(What's Van's daytime schedule likely to be like? Or should I be telling you that?)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 62):

Good job with the Cav convo.  Couldn't have been less helpful myself

And I'll let you drive his daytime schedule.  And his next step.

Thanks.

(The way I'd like it is that Van-- like his father before him-- has a building on the edge of the commercial district (near where it borders the industrial district) where Caldwell Electrical Designs operates-- about a dozen electrical engineers working on things to get patents, and maybe two dozen sales guys and secretaries and clerks. They work on patents, then sell bigger companies on the new patents, and make money that way. Every day or two, Van checks in on them, often for less than half an hour, sometimes just on the phone. They've got their own building because no other building was wired for heavy electrical use as needed-- regular office space didn't have nearly enough sockets, let alone being wired for the kind of fuses needed.

I figure Van's worth a little less than half a mil, say 400 thousand give or take. A lot of it's not liquid-- he couldn't really work up a 100,000 ransom for anyone even if you gave him three (business) days. On the other hand, being worth 400 K was already more than insane back in this time period.

I think his employees think Van spends most of his day talking to bankers and stockbrokers, and that his bankers and stockbrokers think he spends most of his day working with his employees, so he's really got most of the day free, so he's free to spend all night out as Judge Midnight (if he needs to) and then get in decent hours of sleep in the daylight hours.

So yeah, I think he's gonna sleep, then call and check in with the business, and then maybe go drive around that neighborhood where Blue Street is, make sure he doesn't get lost if he has to have a foot chase or car chase (pursued or pursuing) later tonight?)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 64):

A car chase?  In this game?

Heavens to Betsy.  What an idea.

That all sounds good.  Is his "Midnight Lair" in the office building then?  On some inaccessible floor?

Your engineers are being good little worker bees.  Clarise, the receptionist who more or less acts as your secretary, gives you the run down.

"Cliburn's team is working on that new socket project...You're supposed to know what it's all about.  And Milgreen's team is still in development phase on that new battery design.  Lemme see...

"Oh.  Bixby's team is asking for a budget review.  They wanna take on that contract for the lighting design at the new stadium.  His last project's done.  Clark in Sales needs you to come by in the next couple of days and sign some contracts.  And you don't pay me enough.

"But that's about it Boss."

---

You do a U-turn at the end of Casey Avenue and slowly drive back up it.  You would've missed Blue if you hadn't seen the small sign in your rear view.

Blue "Street" really is an alleyway.  And it's not wide enough for a car.  Two guys walking shoulder to shoulder would find it a tight squeeze.

There's a small sign set against one wall that reads BLUE STREET YA MUGS.  That's it.  But it fits with the map in the atlas.

The alleyway stretches between several larger warehouses.  The only non-warehouse building is an abandonded two story that looks like it may have held some kind of small factory operation at one point.  There is a sign outside the old building. But the post it's hung on has fallen over.  You'd have to get out of your car and walk over to pull it up to read it.

The doors of the building are locked and chained.  Blue Street runs up against it's back wall.

(Oooh, I hadn't decided that yet. Hmmmm. I think that would be a little obvious... I was just thinking in a secret basement under his home?

I'm trying to think about if there's something cool down there, like... what if... (googles subway history) what if they started to build subway stations around 1894 but it turned out to be too expensive and the project was abandoned when a new mayor got elected... maybe Van's discovered (maybe Cal told him??) that one station was under, or almost under, his house...?? So he's got a secret lair down there...?)






"One, I'll come by soon and sign some contracts. Two, please arrange for yourself to get an extra 25 cents an hour starting tomorrow. Three-- tell me more about the stadium project, please, will you? Now, I mean. I might take a more active hand than usual in that personally."



Greaaaaaaat.



Not suspicious at all...




Van Caldwell really shouldn't be here. Judge Midnight, on the other hand, is definitely coming back tonight...

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 66):

A OK on the abandoned subway station under Caldwell Manor.  But I would like some specifics.  Not necessarily a map, though if you want to that's fine.  But let me know a little about the arrangement down there please

Clarise squeals at the raise.

"That's why your the best boss ever!  Well, that and the fact you're never here.  But thank you Boss Guy!  You are the bee's knees!

"All I know about the stadium thing is there's some kind of open contract out on it.  Apparently they want to play ball games at night, if you can believe it.  The stadium wants someone to design a lighting system for night games.  And they want it be cost effective both on the front end and to run.  You want me to find out more?"

---

Not sure if I mentioned I'm not great with maps before.  But, I'm not great with maps




You come back later that night...What time are you arriving?...skulking down Blue Street towards the old building.  You're about a block away, between two warehouses, when you hear voices.  There's a cross alley that comes out just across from the gate to the old building.  Voices are coming down that alleyway.  Two...maybe up to four men.

"Quiet youse. We jus' gotta do what we get paid ta do."

"Ah, c'mon.  This place is so frickin' weird.."

As you watch, a group of six men are leaving the alleway and heading towards the gate into the abandoned building.

(Mmmm. I googled "abandoned subway station lair" and got this, amongst other things:

https://media.sketchfab.com/mo...a48c7c896367e5b.jpeg

The game Fallout gives a better idea as far as what I'd want size-wise, though

https://static.wikia.nocookie....st?cb=20150324174441

Though there shouldn't be any traincars down there, nor all those benches obviously

I want a bed, a medical self-care station, two or three cleaned and pressed Judge Midnight outfits, three different workbenches for tinkering and for maintaining the Magnetic Glove... let's see...

There will of course be tunnels, but they'll be blocked off (by him, when needed) after a few dozen feet each way... The only exits should lead to his basement, and one narrow, locked emergency-escape exit to the (lower-elevation than his lair, so he'll never need to worry about flooding) sewer system.

How's that?)




"Yes, definitely, please and thank you. I feel fairly confident about making it thrifty to run... less sure about the front end. But we'll see-- I definitely want to know more."

---

Not sure if I mentioned I'm not great with maps before.  But, I'm not great with maps

You come back later that night...What time are you arriving?...skulking down Blue Street towards the old building.  You're about a block away, between two warehouses, when you hear voices.  There's a cross alley that comes out just across from the gate to the old building.  Voices are coming down that alleyway.  Two...maybe up to four men.

"Quiet youse. We jus' gotta do what we get paid ta do."

"Ah, c'mon.  This place is so frickin' weird.."

As you watch, a group of six men are leaving the alleway and heading towards the gate into the abandoned building.</quote>

Ohhhhhh that's too good an opportunity to miss.

Let's follow them for now and eavesdrop more, just for starters. Let me know if and when you need a stealth roll.

I figure Van gets there around 11 pm by the way??

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 68):

The link to the Fallout image just goes to a blank shot.  So I wasn't able to see it.  But I think I got the gist on what I need regarding the Midnight lair.  Thanks.

One note on the lighting system bid:  we are at a time where night games weren't played.  Stadium lighting didn't really exist, or at least not well enough for game play.  So this bid will be to basically pioneer stadium lighting.

One of the men produces a ring of keys.  He fiddles with the lock on the gate.

You notice some of the men carry tools.  Crow bars.  Hammers.  Saws.  The gate swings open with an appropriate squuueeeaaall and the crew shuffles inside.  Mr. Keys swings the gate shut behind him

Trying to skulk in before the gate shuts?  Or going to climb the security fence?

(Yeah, no, I got that already--)



(Probably the latter. Does it have barbed wire at the top, or any other spikey bits? Presumably not electrified? Let me know.)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 70):

Sorry.  Just didn't want to make assumptions on the lighting thing

You give a quick once over on the fence.  It's tall...about eight feet high.  The top does have barbed wire strands.  Two of them.  But it does not appear electrified.  At least the bird perched on it isn't frying.

Oh damn I hate barbed wire on top of fences-- I don't even want to try to use Calvaros' help to try to jump that. Let's get shadowy--

(09:07, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 6 using 2d4 with rolls of 3,3.  Get in the gate sneaky and fast.

Mostly success, but with a small complication)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 72):

You slip through the gate in the shadows cast by the little moonlight filtering down overhead.

Your only option to have done so though was to slip in amidst the men as they single-filed through the gate.  There's a brief moment where you touch the arm of one of them.

He glances behind him, stopping for a moment to rub the back of his neck and look around the space where you're no longer there.

"Wha's up with you?"

The guy shakes his head at the question from the one behind him and shuffles forward.

But he glances back one more time.

The line of men aren't heading for the main door, which is still chained shut.  Instead they are heading around to the far side of the building.

You spot a window on the opposite side that's been busted in.

You can follow the men around the side or slip in through the window.  Or something else if you want.

I can always slip in the window in a little bit... let's see where these guys are going first...

(New stealth roll? Or not yet?)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 74):

Not yet.

You follow the line of workers around the side of the buidling. At the back corner is what looks like a storm door sunk into the ground.  Mr. Keys opens it up and the line of men starts to go down stairs into what is probably a basement.

The one guy you brushed keeps looking around nervously.

If you follow them down, I will ask for a new roll

Bah. Let's go try the window for now-- making sure it's not trapped nor alarmed first--

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 76):

The most dangerous thing about the window is the broken glass littering the ground outside it.  You pull yourself over the sill and into a hallway.

The first floor seems largely unused.  Rooms smelling of mildew are mostly empty except for a single chair or a rusty metal table pushed against a wall.

There's a main stairwell in the middle of the floor and two side stairwells on the east and west end of the floor.  The main stairwell and the east one head up and down.  The western one only heads up.

You can hear faint sounds from below.  It sounds consistent with the men down there doing whatever.  They sound louder at the east stairwell, which fits as it would be closer to the storm door they went down.

There is an upper floor.  You think...think...at one point you hear some soft foot steps from up above.  But you can't be certain.

Time to check on what goes on down below later. The soft steps above are either Van's imagination, or something else, but definitely not one the type to be one of the mooks he's just seen. Maybe a captive? Better sneak upstairs and check...

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 78):

Which stairwell are you headed up please?  Central, Eastern, or Western?

You pause at the bottom of the stairwells.  The sound of the steps was faint. You were standing at the central stairwell when you heard them.

It sounds like the steps came from far away. But whether to the east or west, you can't be sure.  Whoever it is, they sound like they are at one end of the building.  If there is anyone up there that is.

Let's try western. Van heads as quietly as he can toward the west-side stairs, and (carefully, watching for possible traps) up them. Sneak sneak sneak.

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 80):

If there are any traps, they consist of bits of debris, rat droppings, and one dead pigeon.  You make it up the stairs easily and quietly.

The stairs end in a hallway.  Looking down it, it seems this hall probably runs the length of the floor.  Rooms open off it on both sides.

About three doors down, on the right, the doorway is shut.  But there's light spilling out from underneath it.

You can faintly hear what sounds like someone humming.

Yeah, okay, let's investigate that...

Carefully approaching the door... checking to see if it's trapped... then testing quietly to see if it's locked... If it is, Van will knock very quietly. If it's not... Van will still knock very quietly. But finding out first will tell him something...

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 82):

The door isn't locked.  It can't be.  The knob's been removed.

You can see through the hole the knob used to sit in.  It's another mostly-bare-except-for-the-trash room.

Except there's a large chair...like one from a barber shop...set up in the middle of the room.  Someone is in the chair, covered in a white sheet.  They are twitching.

Beside the chair, an elderly man is standing, holding a hand drill.  He's got a miner's lamp strapped around his head.  A smock covered in what looks like dried blood is hung around his neck.

He's standing there, blinking sort of vacantly.

Suddenly you hear a voice.  It sounds like it's being broadcast over a speaker.

There is no progress without pain.  One must cut to drain the abscess. Do you remember where to put the drill?

There's a pause.  And the elderly man slowly nods.

Good.  Now then.  Let us cleanse.

The old man slowly starts to lift up the hand drill.

This is either a completely innocent misunderstanding, or something deeply sick. Can't take the chance... Van enters the room, enough to get a good look at who or whatever might be in the chair. It is to be hoped that maybe the old man won't hear...?

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 84):

You slowly open the door.  And it crreeeeeaaaks...almost like the hinges have been rusted on purpose.

There are quite a few odd things going on in the room.  Odder than what you saw through the knobhole.

First, the person under the sheet is just that.  A man.  He's middle aged.  Looks like a banker with thinning hair and the stare of a man who's been too long a bureaucrat.  Someone has put some kind of brace into his mouth to keep it open.  He's moving, but feeblely.  Your guess is he's drugged.  Not enough to knock him out.  Enough to keep him from putting up too much of a struggle.  The man's wrists and ankles are hand cuffed to the chair.

There's also a bit of a resemblance between the man in the chair and the old man.  You could be looking at a father about to perform impromptu dentistry on his middle aged son.

The old man is definitely out of it.  His stare is much more vacant the closer you get.  He's acting like a puppet whose strings you can't see.

There's a speaker and some kind of odd looking camera set on stands.  They are on the wall the door you came through is set into.  So you couldn't have seen them before hand.  The camera seems the hand cranked type movies are made on.  But there's no crank.  A soft hum is coming from the casing.  It seems to be working on it's own.

The voice you are hearing is coming from the speaker set next to the camera.

Bad thoughts are like sweets.  The sugar gets into the gums and rots the teeth.  Pus fills up the spaces that created.  The gums must be cut into to open those spaces up.  The pus must be squeezed out.  We hurt to heal.  That is what love is.

The old man is bringing the tip of the hand drill towards his probably-son's mouth.

Okay, so this is definitely evil, not just a misunderstanding.

Judge Midnight quickly steps forward and removes the drill from the man's hand. Let's see what that gets us...

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 86):

The old man puts up no resistance.  He simply blinks at you, looking as blank as unmarked paper.  The guy in the chair makes sounds like he's begging and shoots you looks like he's pleading for you to let him out of here.

Slowly, the voice comes back over the speaker.  Well.  It seems Evil has has many servants.  Some are as old.  Let's see whether good can overcome.

Attention.  All hands.  There is an intruder on the third level.  Repeat.  Intruder on the top floor.  A bonus to the man who takes his life.

Van wondered if that might happen, what with the camera. In any event, the heat is on now...

(I'm gonna roll to use Calvaros'-boosted strength to snap the chains on the guy's handcuffs keeping him in the chair, otherwise he's going to be even more of a hostage than he already is when the bad guys get here...

12:57, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 6 using 2d4 with rolls of 4,2.  chain-breaker--.

Whew! Did it.

I know he's already drugged, but still.)

Any windows in this room? Any chance of getting these poor dopes out onto the roof?

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 88):

It's an interior room so no windows.  You didn't see the a roof entrance from the stairwell you went up.  If there is one, it'll either be by the central stairwell or the eastern one, aaaallll the way on the other end of the building.

Van wrecks the camera.

(Seems like the easiest way would be to push it over as hard as possible, kinda putting his weight on it as it falls.)

No need for stealth anymore, after all, for all Van doesn't want Mr. Frost listening in. (And yes I'm aware that breaking the camera might not fix that problem, but it's a start. If Van sees any microphones or other audio-detecting gear, he'll try to break that too real fast (yanking on wires/cords, say).)

Presumably our now-freed dental patient has taken that thing out of his mouth. If not, Van does it for him. "Can you talk? Do you know who's behind this or what it's about? Can you walk?" Judge Midnight asks the guy...

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 90):

So noted on the camera

There is an obvious speaker and microphone.  You make quick work of them.

Dental Patient seems a bit groggy but he rubs his eyes and manages, "I...My name's Wally.  I..."  He looks over at the old guy.  "Dad? Are you alright?"

"Dad" seems much more out of it than Wally is.

"I'm not sure what's goin' on here.  I went to bed.  There was a knock on the door.  My Dad was outside.  I was worried cos he'd shown up at midnight.  I brought him inside.  Went to make him a drink because he seemed kinda scared of something.  Than...someone musta plugged me from behind.  Everything went black.  Then I woke up..."  He nods at the chair.  Then looks back at "Dad".

"Something's wrong with him.  He's not acting like himself."

You can hear footsteps.  Men running up stairs, though they seem a little bit aways.

Okay, it seems obvious that these two aren't going to be able to run nor help fight anytime soon. "Look, here's the update, Wally: you've both been kidnapped by persons as-yet unknown, and your father has been drugged or somehow mesmerized or something, probably both. If we survive this, I'll need to know who you are and what enemies you could possibly have, or who might stand to gain from having you dead or tortured. For now, please just keep your father from hitting me over the head from behind or anything, because I'm about to fight a number of men to keep you two safe. Understood?"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 92):

Wally seems confused, but no more so than you.  He nods at your instructions and puts an arm around his Dad, both to secure him and keep him close.

You want to interrogate Wally more now?  Or work your way out of the building first?

(No time. Let's deal with the bad guys and get Wally and his father out of here.)

Van quietly moves toward the door, placing himself between Wally and Dad and the door... Van expects the baddies to find him in here any second...

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 94):

You can hear them coming.  The first of them must have reached this floor, but the good news is they seem to have come up the Eastern stairwell.  So they have to run down the length of the building to get here.

You can send Wally and Dad down the stairwell you came up.  Assuming no one's coming up that way, they should be able to get out on their own.

Or you can try one of the other doors at this end of the hallway. You probably still have time to relocate the three of you before the goons arrive.

Those are just suggestions.  How do you want to proceed?

It's tempting to send Wally-&-Senior (W&S from now on) down the western stairwell, but Van has since realized-- what happens if I get them outside? Then the three of us would be trapped by the fence and gate, which he presumed was locked again once these guys came in. (If I'm wrong about THAT, then yes, tell me immediately.) Then the bad guys could surround Van (and W&S) from all sides.

Here, Van has a chokepoint-- only one at a time can come through that door, certainly not three. This way, Van can guard W&S, too-- he's NOT going to let anything happen to W&S if he can help it.

So Van's just biding his time-- the first person to open that door is gonna get it, and then the next and the next. Maybe by then Van can put the fear of Judge Midnight into these mooks.

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 96):

Ahhh...and here I was hoping you'd fall for it.

Fine Mr. Logical.  One at a time it is.

W&S back up.  The first goon comes grumbling through the doorway...


Let's save ourselves some sanity.  Make me three combat rolls.  I'll take it from there.

Unless you want to roleplay out the combat.  But there's going to be about eight guys.

Your call

Thanks

(No no, let's save some sanity:

15:41, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 5 using 2d4 with rolls of 1,4.  combat roll 1.

15:42, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 8 using 2d4 with rolls of 4,4.  that first one was a 4-- here comes Combat Roll 2:.

15:42, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 6 using 2d4 with rolls of 4,2.  DOUBLE 4s, nice (not that it matters)-- now for Combat Roll 3:.

Whew! At least one 4 for each! Judge Midnight tears into these guys!)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 98):

With fists of molten justice, you barrel through these guys like a church lady guzzles Sunday punch.  The kind made with sherbet.  And rum.

As the last one falls to the floor, you hear a blaring sound.  It's like the intercom at a public school.  You cannot stop love.  It will settle on all shoulders and lift this city upwards to joy.

Wallace Clover.  The hate will be squeezed out of you some other day.

And then everything goes quiet.

Van checks back on W&C. "You all right? I mean, comparatively speaking?"

(Presuming the answer is-- vaguely or specifically-- in the affirmative, Van will ask the following): "So, here's my side of things: a very cryptic madman tried to blow up one or more floors of the courthouse. A clue led me to this back-alley-street, and the men I just put the Fear of Truth into led me to this building, specifically. Said previously-mentioned madman has plans for this city-- mad plans, by definition-- and I want to find out what they are, stop them, and stop him. Also, he specifically seems to have a problem with YOU, Wally. Any idea what the madman is, or what that... issue... he has with you might possibly be?"

(While I'm at it, I'll try using What Have You Sworn on Wally, not because I think he's gonna lie to me necessarily, but just in case it sheds light on some aspect of Wally's life he doesn't associate with a madman trying to torture and/or destroy him.

09:57, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 3 using 2d4 with rolls of 2,1.  WHWS: What Has Wally Sworn?

Aw, HECK.

--Highest result is 2: Van gets nothing, and the NEXT roll after using this power is -1 die (or, if it's at 1 die already, -1 from the result) because this temporarily wears Van out.

Guess I won't check anyone else, too... not just YET, anyway...

Guess I'll wait and see how Wally answers my questions.)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 100):

Wally watches you drop the goons with a bit of an awed expression.  He then gulps when you turn to him and ask.

Dad still seems vaguely out of it.

Wally shakes his head slowly.  "What?  I mean...that's a lot ta take in.

"Look.  I really appreciate your help. But I don't know much about any a' that.

"It's like a told ya before.  My Dad showed up on my doorstep at Oh-Dark-Thirty.  I let him in.  Someone sapped me.  I woke up there on that table.  Dad was all..."

Wally gives his father a concerned look and then turns back to you.

"I...really don't know what any a' this is about mister.  Really.  No clue."

"...What do you do for a living, Wally?"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 102):

There's a pause.  "Accountant.  Book keeper really.  Have my own office.  Just do some books for small business types is all."

"Uh-huh. Well since the previous thing I caught this madman doing was trying to blow up the city's building where records are kept, I think someone's either trying to cover up his own tracks... or to disrupt business for a rival... So either a client of yours, or an enemy of a client of yours... Ah... your 'small business types' wouldn't happen to have any ties to organized crime that you know of, might they Wally...?"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 104):

Wally's face goes a little pale.  He licks his dry lips and glances at his Dad.

"Can we...can we talk about this after I get my Dad to a hospital?  I'm a little worried what he mighta been given."

"Okay, that checks out-- health concerns first. We're in a building surrounded by a fence with barbed-wire at the top and a gate that I feel certain is currently locked, so I guess my next step is to see if any of these guys in the hall have the keys on them..."

Carefully, making sure he doesn't get ambushed doing it, Van checks the hall, then starts going through pockets collecting keys...

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 106):

They all have keys, though one guy has a key ring that looks like the typical janitor's key ring.  Heavy and jangly with all kinds of keys hanging from it.  You feel confident that this is the key ring you need.

You also find a note in the same guy's pocket.

Finish the others after the burial.  You are the only eyes and ears that can be trusted

You get father and son downstairs and outside the gate.

Wally holds his Dad up and glances at you.  "I gotta find a phone and call him an ambulance.  If you wanna talk, come to my house.  Tomorrow I guess.  I dunno if the cops are gonna wanna talk to me or not.  657 Exler Way.  We can talk then."

(1. I presume (he asked the EiC out of character) that it's safe to presume that W&C don't need an escort nor lookin' after to get dad to a hospital safely?

2. If that's safe to presume... is Van now allowed to go check out the lower levels of this building?)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 108):

Wally seems quite eager to get away from here.  And maybe get away from you.  But you doubt he's the type to ditch his Dad in an alley.  You should be able to find Wally again.

You head back into the building.

The basement level is filled with old junk.  Boxes full of old documents, all of which date back fifteen years ago and seem irrelevant to anything going on today.  There's piles of trash and old chairs stacked in corners.

At the eastern end of the building, you find where the goons were working.

They seem to have broken a hole through the floor and into an old steam tunnel.  It looks like they were busy stringing lights along the tunnel, putting in support beams to keep the roof up, and otherwise stablizing it.

In the room the hole was dug into is another camera and microphone set up like there was upstairs.  They seem to be on, but whoever is watching from the other side isn't saying a word.

Is the camera placed so that the person on the other end can see Van, or is it possible for him to reach the camera without the other-end person spotting him?

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 110):

You do spot the camera before you enter the room.  It's not hidden per se.  So yes, you can sneak around it if you make me a stealth type check.

But you can't approach the hole without being seen by the camera.  At least, not unless you do something about the camera first.

Van, without moving in front of the camera at all, silently studies the setup of the camera and whatever cables might be attached to it... (This seems like pretty darn sophisticated stuff for the era, and I'm hoping that Van, something of an electronics expert, might be able to get a new clue from looking it over.)

(05:22, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 4 using 2d4 with rolls of 2,2.  I happen to know a lot about electronics..

Fail. Two 2s. Not a catastrophic failure, but not useful...)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 112):

The set up is more sophisticated then you have seen before.  But all you can tell is that there is a wire for both the mic and the camera, which seems to extend down into the hole.

As he did up above, Van breaks the camera and the microphone. Might as well cost this guy money, on top of everything else.

(When Van is certain he's thoroughly disabled the camera and mic, he'll go check out the old steam tunnel, try to see if he can tell where the workers were headed-- because it seems obvious that they want to break into the basement level of some not-terribly-far-away building...

So, you need any rolls for any of the above yet?)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 114):

Nope.  Thanks for offering though

They broke in at a point where the steam tunnel corners.  One leg of it travels north.  The other west.  Lights are strung up along the northern route.  But the western route seems to have had more traffic coming down it.

Which one you want to lookie-lou first? Brightly lit North or Less Light/More Footprints West?

(Let's (carefully) check the north direction first.)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 116):

And you die!

Just kidding

The northern portion of the tunnel heads on about 20 yards, and then ends in another cross junction, this one heading east-west.  The lights only head up to the junction.

At the juncture, there's a large crate that's been opened.  Inside are hard hats with lights fixed on them.  Miner's helmets.  Some picks and shovels are leaning against the wall.

The east-west junctures turn out not to go too far.  The east one dead ends and the western one has been collapsed.

At both points these side halls end, there's a hole in the ceiling.  They both lead upwards into the same empty warehouse.  You figure it's about a block from the abandoned building you started in.

Huh. Empty. Hm. ...Maybe they've already cleaned it out?

OH. Maybe THAT's why there's more traffic down that other passage...?

Van goes to check out that other direction, the western route (slowly and carefully, watching for traps or whatever...)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 118):

The western passage goes quite. A. Ways.  Really.  You probably walk at least half an hour.

The passage seems to go under some kind of main road.  From the map in your head, you'd guess it's Lexington Ave., one of the busier commercial roads.

Shortly after that, the passage ends.  At a ladder.  The ladder goes up to a hatch.

They were clever about it.  The hatch is disguised as flooring.  If you weren't coming up through it, you wouldn't have guessed it was there.  The flooring is part of a...suppply closet.

You seem to be in some kind of office building. But you aren't sure which one.  There's one door into the closet.  You sneak over to it and peek outside.

It's another warehouse.  But this one seems official looking.  There are two Army MPs talking to each other not far from you.

This seems to be some kind of military warehouse.

You do know the army has a couple of supply depots here in the city.  But you haven't heard they had anything worthwhile in them.

At least...that's the official story.

Okay... so the first warehouse is empty because it's waiting to be filled... by whatever they're gonna put in this one. Hmmm...

Van goes back to his point of origin and lets himself out... locking up behind him... but taking (all) the keys with him.

On the way back home, though, he (not wearing the mask) gets copies of the day's newspapers (morning, afternoon, evening editions)... wants to see if the courthouse thing was covered, and what they said about it-- or if it was covered up...

It made the front page in all three local papers.

The stories vary to some degree, but all indicate a bomb threat had been dealt with by police.  As of this morning, no group had taken responsibility.  Police had declined to comment on an ongoing investigation.

All three papers also have a second story that looks intersting.

A man named Horace Greenberg was murdered yesterday at a Little Bay nightclub, in the middle of the floor show.  Witnesses say a toy car being driven by a mouse drove across the stage floor in the middle of the main act's rendition of Chica Chica Boom Chic and driven under the table Greenberg and his guest were seated at.  There was then a small explosion under the table, or more accurately under Greenbaum's chair.  His dinner date and a waiter were injured.  Greenbaum was pronounced dead at the scene.

We've reached the end of our test drive.  I'm fine with the system as is.

Any comments/concerns/wishes for the game going forward?

Thanks
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:30, Mon 30 Jan 2023.

(Not really... unless... should we talk about "leveling up"? Or not yet...?)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 122):

Ah yes.  I forgot about that.

I'm going to give you one XP for finishing a storyline, or some part of it.  So in this case, you finished the what I guess is the prologue of the larger storyline.  So you get one point.  I'll also award extra points if you manage to accomplish something I wasn't expecting.  So for example, you fleshed out Van's backstory with the bit about his business.  So I'll give you one more point there.  2 total for what we've done thus far.

I will probably cap XP at 3/storyline by the way.

Here's a suggestion on what to do with XP.  Let me know what you think.

First, you can buy an additional dice.  4 XP = 1 dice.

You will assign that dice to either an existing power/stat or a new one.

If it's a new one, you got one die in it.  We would discuss the new power/stat.  And I'd haved to approve it.  But that way you can find new facets of Cav's powers.

If you assign the dice to an existing power/stat, you can roll multiple die as you have been doing on some rolls.

How does that sound?

Mokay to all that so far



Well, if it's a new power that humans can't do, then yes, I have 1 die in it. If it's something humans can do, I should have two.

Example:
--Right now, IF you decided that Van needed to try to roll to persuade someone (say, to try to bribe an orderly to let him look at a patient's file or something) (just to pick an example that humans can do), he'd roll 1d4.
--But if he took "Talking people into stuff" as a level-up thing, he should get 2d4 at it.

Yeah?




Oh sure

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 124):



So for "skills" (something any normal human could be expected to do) as opposed to powers (something only Van can do), what we are talking about it this:

As a default, Van gets a 1d4 to try.

He can assign an extra die to a skill set (fighting, persuasion, legal knowledge, etc.)by assigning XP to it.

That sound about right?

If so, we need to give you some extra die in certain skill sets to reflect what we know about Van thus far.  Like he's 2d4 in the following:  hand to hand combat, stealth, electronics...what else am I forgetting?

If this is all something we've covered before, my apologies.  I'm trying to get another game up and running, work is crazy, and I'm operating on very few brain cells at the moment.

Thanks.

It's all on my character sheet:


TRAIT: "Possessed by the Spirit of Promise-Keeping."
--Van is compelled to do his best to keep any promises he makes. If something forces a delay, he feels compelled to get back to trying to keep it as soon as possible.
--Van feels compelled to make others keep their promises that were made with good intentions. Spirit inside of him HATES corrupt public servants. If something forces a delay, he feels compelled to get back to trying to do something about them as soon as possible.
--Van feels compelled to stop lawbreakers and/or those who create chaos. If something forces a delay, he feels compelled to get back to trying to do something about them as soon as possible.

(Feel free to have Calvaros give a penalty to Van's rolls if he delays for too long-- Calvaros might even take over-- maybe controlling Van's body, forcing him to walk to certain dangerous neighborhoods in the city to pursue a criminal-- maybe Van might not even REMEMBER doing so, suffering blackouts while Calvaros uses his body.)

POWER: Burst of strength/speed: Calvaros can grant Van a burst of
 superhuman strength or speed-- BUT the NEXT roll after using it is -1 die
(or, if it's at 1 die already, -1 from the result) because using this power
 temporarily wears Van out.

AMAZING EQUIPMENT: Magnetic Glove: As Judge Midnight, Van uses a glove
with sophisticated circuitry that can:
--repel metal projectiles (ANY metal, not just iron/steel), or
--yank metal out of the hand of someone who doesn't expect Van to do it (this requires a successful roll).
----Van must actively activate these two modes-- as a default, neither is "on" all the time.

POWER: What Have You Sworn? Roll 2d4:
--Highest result is 4: Van knows what another character within 50 feet of him
has sworn, and whether or not they have upheld that vow.
--Highest result is 3: Van gets only a vague sense of whether or not another character within 50 feet of him is trustworthy, not necessarily more than that.
--Highest result is 2: Van gets nothing, and the NEXT roll after using this power is -1 die (or, if it's at 1 die already, -1 from the result) because this temporarily wears Van out.
--Highest result is 1: Calvaros takes over Van's body briefly. When PC comes back, the NEXT roll after using this power is -1 die (or, if it's at 1 die already, -1 from the result) because this temporarily wears Van out.

SKILL: Fisticuffs: Van gets +1 die in hand-to-hand combat. (Maybe he ONLY gets it when in his guise as Judge Midnight?)

SKILL: Stealth: Van gets +1 die when sneaking around, trying not to be noticed. (Maybe he ONLY gets it when in his guise as Judge Midnight?)

SKILL: Endurance: Van gets +1 die when resisting the effects of gas, hypnosis, electrical shock, intense cold, nausea, passing out (except when Calvaros is trying to take over his body), etc. (Maybe he ONLY gets it when in his guise as Judge Midnight?)

SKILL: Science (electronics, physics): Van gets +1 die when rolling to do anything with electrical machinery or wiring (disabling an alarm system or a bomb, say) or physics.
Van will have invented the Magnetic Glove himself.

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 126):

Thanks.  And sorry about that.  Things have just been crazy.

Okay.  You good with the advancement plan/leveling up parameters then?

Yes

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 128):

Okay.  So 2 XP for the intro story.  Back to where we were then:



You have a lot of questions. But not many answers.

The transcript you "borrowed" gave you lead with this "Detective Dewitt"



You have those blueprints and payment ledger indicate something might be going on over at the stadium.

And now you've got mice blowing up patrons at a night club.

This city is just nuts.

Letting you drive here.  Where would you like to start first?

(Honestly, Van is most concerned with 1. That guy who knows Carlo and Ella, and 2. Wally. But it's not QUITE time to talk to Wally yet...)

Van is feeling a little frustrated. He wishes he had a contact... somewhere. Someone in a position of power. Someone he could say "hey, there's a secret army warehouse that has a secret door in the floor of a supply closet, might want to do something about that," someone he could ask "hey, who is that Sock Guy from the courthouse and what sort of medical condition is he in (and where is he now)?"

Van thinks. Army? No. Police? Nah, too corrupt-- might get someone who's already on the wrong side.

...Van looks at the newspaper. Who wrote that story about the mouse-car-bomb? What's the reporter's name? (If more than one paper wrote about it, pick the paper with the best reputation.)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 130):

Ezra Wilkins.

You've heard the name.  He's a reporter for the Morning Tribune.  Got in trouble exposing some corruption at the Labor Bureau.  And he's written a number of stories about corruption in the police and bribery with the new medical firms.

Sounds like you may have a new friend worth meeting.

How do you want to approach him? You can find out where he works easily enough.  And you can find out where he lives, etc. easily enough as well

Van drives to a pay phone, to call the Morning Tribune offices. Probably the guy doesn't work the midnight shift, but someone has to put the early morning edition out, so one never knows, does one?

Presuming Wilkins won't be at work in the morning, Van will call him first thing in the morning... or rather, Judge Midnight will.

IF it turns out that Wilkins won't be at work until after sunrise, Van will go home and get some sleep.

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 132):

By the time you get out of that hole in the ground and get home, I would imagine the sun has risen over the yardarm.  And so...

"Hold please," says a bored sounding receptionist.

You listen to clicks as your call is routed through the switchboard.

"Mr. Wilkins.  Your party is on line."

"Thelma?  Wait Thelma.  Did you ask them their name?"

There's a clunk as Thelma hangs up.

Wilkins sighs.  "Morning Tribune.  Ezra Wilkins speaking.  Whatcha got?"
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 01:38, Tue 07 Feb 2023.

Van tries to use the lower register that he uses when wearing the Judge Midnight mask: "Ezra Wilkins? I have some information for you that you're going to find very interesting. How much do you really know about the bomb in the courthouse? I know about it, because I'm the one who stopped it from going off, but I want to know more-- I want to find the man who put that bomb there in the first place."

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 134):

There's a long pause.

"Mac...I get a lotta cranks who call me up.  You say you were there.  Gimme somethin' to prove it.  What floor was it on?  Where was it located?"

Van (still using his lower register) tells him the answers-- including where the bomb started, and where it ended up. "And I'm concerned about the guy in the chair who had socks stuffed in his mouth when I found him-- is he all right? Is he in a hospital?"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 136):

Another long pause.

"Yeah.  He is.  Can't get any info on him though.  Least not yet."

A third pause.

"Okay Mac.  Let's talk.  But I don't like doin' that over the phone.  Where and when?"

"Which hospital-- oh. Tonight. ...Somewhere... safe." Van would like to point out the building where he found Wally&Co, but he's afraid some of the same guys would be around, and it'd turn into a fight to keep this guy safe... "Outside somewhere, but somewhere we could talk without anyone noticing us... nor eavesdropping..."

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 138):

"You know where McGill Park is?"

Of course you do.

"There's a statue there of that dog who saved that platoon from the bomb in WWI.  That's out in the open and far enough away from the trees no one should hear us.  And no one goes to that park at night.  The parking lot isn't far away from the statue.  I'll be there at eight.  I'll hang around until eight thirty and then walk back to my car. You can either come up to me at the statue or meet me at my car.  It's a blue sedan with plates numbered TV 0215."

I'll let you tell me if that sounds acceptable or not.  If not, feel free to pitch a place.  You can make up the details as you like
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:36, Sat 11 Feb 2023.

"Yes, that's fine... Wait." Van suddenly realizes, this isn't going to work. He wants to tell about the military secret storage closet door NOW. And if he does that, he doesn't want anyone knowing exactly where and when he can be found... "I just realized... I don't think this is going to work. The information I have is so hot, I don't want anyone to be able to predict where we're going to meet. Why don't you like talking over the phone?"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 140):

"Because you never know who might be on the other end of the line.  I mean...how do you know you're talking to the Ezra Wilkins right now?  Cos someone else you never met and couldn't see told you you were?"

A sigh.

"This is the world we live in.  I like to see a man's face.  At least it can give me an idea if he's lyin' to me or setting me up for something."

Hell with it. "Well, before I go... I'm trusting you to be Ezra Wilkins... and I'm also trusting you to tell the U.S. military that last night, I discovered that the warehouse in town they're getting ready to put something in has a very well-disguised secret trap door in the floor of a utility closet-- just the sort of thing that a mad bomber could use to steal stuff out of there and put in his own storage area that I also found. When they find the trap door, they'll see what I mean."

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 142):

Assuming you are giving him the address

"What?  Military warehouse?  Ya gotta give me more details than that!  Hold on.  Lemme finish writin' that down...

"So whadda I call ya?  Mysterious Phone Guy?  I don't need a real name.  Just...whadda I call ya?"

(I didn't think Van KNEW the actual address yet, but if you think so, then sure, no reason not to give it to him)



"Judge Midnight. I judge oathbreakers. And anyone who gets in the way of that. And don't say anything, I know how it sounds, it's not 100% my idea. I'm like a detective, but haunted. It's a whole... thing."

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 144):

You being you, you'd probably have some idea of the area.  There is more than one military warehouse after all.  Eh.  It'll give him somewhere to start

There's a pause at the other end of the line.

"Mac...does your doctor know you're making phone calls?

"I'll check out the tip first.  Even loonies get it right every so often.

"Any oathbreakers I should know about?"

"Yeah, I know how it sounds, but the more you hear about the stuff I'm putting a stop to, and how I'm able to do it, the more you'll understand what I'm talking about. Ask Bill and Tom, the two corrupt guards who were bribed to look the other way at the courthouse, about exactly how I was able to keep punching them and knocking them out. Or ask Harry, the honest watchman, who saw me do it at one point. Ask any of them about my shadow and see what they say-- or just watch their faces when you bring it up."



"Other than Bill and Tom, the crooked courthouse guards, I know that the guy with the socks in his mouth is up to his scalp in some kind of very bad business, but I'm not sure yet what nor how exactly. I don't even know his name yet, do you?"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 146):

"Socks in the mouth...And ya want me to not think this is a windup.

"Tell ya what buddy.  I'll check out your story.  Gimme a call tomorrow morning if you're intrested."

Anything else to add?  If not, what would you like to look into the rest of the day?  Or are you taking the day off?

Even Judge Midnight's need their work/life balance.

"Yeah, he was stuck in a chair with the bomb ticking right in front of him when I found him, he was in bad shape."





(Van will call in and see if they need him at work for anything important. If not, he's going to bed, and will go in to work in the mid-afternoon, say around 3:30. Then he can sign that stuff that that gal wanted him to sign.

...We need a private thread somewhere of just people's names and who they are...)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 148):

Okay.  Van catches some Zs.  And we do have such a thread

link to a message in this game

Look down at the bottom.  I need to update it with Ezra...and just did.

Traffic may be murder, but you live in the same building as work.  So your commute is a few flights of stairs.

Clarise is seated at her cubicle right inside the front door.  She looks up with her professional "receptionist" smile.  And that turns into her genuine smile as you come in.

"Well there's the boss man.  Hey Sir.  I put the contracts on your desk.  Also you got a message..."

She hunts up her memo pad.

"Lana Colby.  She says to tell you it's Loony Lana."

Lana Colby.  That takes you back.  A next door neighbor for a few years when you were around 10.  A little tom boy of a girl.  She wasn't the kind of girl who was afraid of a few spiders, that was for sure.  She was crazier than the last Mardi Gras before the end of the world.  Hence the nickname "Loony Lana".

Her family moved away.  It's not like eleven year old you would keep touch.  You heard a few things about her over the years.  Nothing amazing.  But there's a number for you to call her back at.

(Oh! Can we also put the names of the two people Sock Guy mentioned? A woman and a man...)



Sure, okay. (What did he hear? Rumors of Lana's wild behavior?) Van carefully reads the contracts, looking closely for any fine print or "gotcha" clauses before signing. If everything seems totally legit, he signs.

Then he calls Lana...

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 150):

Carlo and Ella.  Done.

The contracts are fairly straight forward.  One of them is not the best negotiated. You think your team could have been a bit more aggressive.  But it's not poorly done.

Lana.  The last you recall, she had gotten engaged to a guy, but it had fallen through.  Actually she got engaged a couple of times and they had fallen through.  Lana had become a bit of a professional girlfriend if you know what I mean.

Is she trying to hook up with a new sugar daddy?

Lana doesn't waste any time.

"Van?  Oh thank you for calling me back.  You're a real life saver.  You're in electronics right?  I have ten thousand shares of New Day Technologies I need to sell in a hurry.  Are you interested?"

New Day?  That's a big fish right there.  One of the larger medical companies that bloomed up in New Oslow over the past decade.  They specialize in cutting edge surgical equipment.  The shares are going for premium.

How did Lana get 10,000 shares of it?

And why are your Midnight senses tingling?

Wait.  Horace Greenburg.  That guy who got blown up by the mouse-car.  He is one of the two founders of New Day Technology.

I'll trust my team and sign all the things that need my signature anyway. For all I know the other side were huge jerks and this is just the best that could be done.




"Well, I'm interested, but it would depend on the price, because-- ...wait, didn't something recently happen to one of the guys who founded New Day Tech?" Van pauses briefly. "...Lana... are you in some kind of trouble? Do you need help? --If you aren't at liberty to say right now because someone in the room on your end might be listening, then just say the words 'I think this could be a really good investment for you.'"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 152):

There's a pause.  "I think this could be a really good investment for you."

"Yeah, yeah, okay, thanks, that tells me a couple of things. ...What if I asked you to come over here, to my office, to discuss it? If that won't work-- though I hope it will... then somewhere downtown... somewhere public."

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 154):

She exhales, apparently in relief.

"Your office?  Sure.  I can do that.  What time do you close?  I can be there in an hour?"

It's almost 4 now.  The office will start to empty around 5 with people going home. But a lot of your guys work overtime.

Not sure how public you want this to be.  You should have a few guys in the office if she comes over now.  Otherwise, you can suggest somewhere tonight or have her come in tomorrow

"Ugh. Yeah, get here as soon as you can. Tell whoever's with you that you wanna act now while I still seem like I might be in the mood to buy, before I have time to reconsider. DON'T bring them with you if you can possibly help it. On the other hand, I'd prefer you get here fast than mess around with not trying to be followed. Anything else I can do to help you in the meantime? I mean, that you're able to tell me?"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 156):

There's a pause.

"See ya soon Van.  And thanks."

You deliver the contracts to Clarisse.  It looks like one of your teams will be burning the midnight oil tonight.  The team working on that thing for the stadium lighting.  Otherwise, everyone else seems to be planning on going home.

Clarisse knocks on your door five minutes before five.

"Hey Boss.  I'm going to head out.  I'll leave a note for your friend to come to your office directly.  Alright?"

It's not until ten to six there's a halting knock on your door.

"Van?  You in?  It's me.  Lana."

She's all grown up now.  Very blonde, probably real.  Her figure would let her work as an hourglass model.  Lana walks like a woman who knows she's good looking.  Quite a bit of difference from the tom boy you grew up with.

"Thanks again Van. You're a life saver.  I...I'm in a spot of trouble.  I have some shares in New Day.  I'm willing to sell them on the cheap.  I just need to get out of town fast because of a jam.

"I can sell these to you legit. So don't worry.  No scam.  Here,"  She hands you some documents.  "So you can see it's legit."

The documents prove that she acquired the shares from Horace Greenburg about a year ago.

"Part of the price for you maybe-probably getting me to buy these is you telling me exactly what kind of trouble you're in. Who was listening to you speak on the phone? What do you know about what happened to Horace Greenburg? How did you happen to get these shares?"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 158):

She gives you a look like she had spoiled ham for breakfast and then sighs, collapsing onto the seat you offer her.  She takes a cigarette case out of her bag.

"You sure you wanna know?  Once you know..."

She settles back in her chair. And since I know you wanna know

"I met Horace a few years ago.  I'd been running with Clem Witherspoon and his group.  Just some friends out for laughs kinda thing.  Nothing serious.  Horace was a friend of Clem's father.  He was very mature and dashing.  And yes, rich.  I am who I am Van.

"So I got the shares pretty much like you think I got them.  Horace and I had a wonderful time for the last two years.  And then he told me he wanted to stop.  That he wanted to save his marriage.  So they could be true to each other again."

She shrugs.  "I mean...it wasn't love. Between me and him I mean.  So I was fine with it.  And he'd been good to me.  So we said our goodbyes and I went off to find a new scene.

"Then two weeks ago someone put a mouse in my mailbox.  It was horrible.  I went out to get the mail and there was this mouse inside the box.  And while I'm not the biggest fan of mice, Mickey included, I felt bad for this one.  Someone had blinded it Van.  They'd gouged it's eyes out.

"It wasn't the only time either.  I was playing tennis with some friends.  When I went into the locker room to change, there's another mouse in my locker.  This one was blinded too.

"Then...the thing with Horace.  You probably read about it in the paper."

She shakes her head.  "So you get it?  I'm scared.  With what happend to him.  And me getting some mutilated mice.  I think there's some sicko who's zeroed in on me.

"I think if I get out of town, things might cool down.  That's why I wanna sell my shares.

"I couldn't talk about it on the phone because my uncle was in the next room.  He doesn't know about the affair.  Or about my plans to leave town.  I told him I wanted to liquidate the shares because I was afraid news about what happened to Horace would devalue the stock.

"Please Van.  I'm willing to take pennies on the dollar.  But I know you won't do me wrong.  Please Van. Help a kid out."

"...I'm hoping that the only connection between you and the mouse-fiend is the shares, since... well, the thing with Horace. I don't know how exactly anyone will find out you've sold the shares... I guess the same way you got them in the first place. It seems strange to me that no one's contacted you and TOLD you to sell your shares, since someone apparently doesn't want you to have them... I don't know. I don't get any of this, exactly. I wonder if someone will show up to buy them off of me... or if I'll just start getting mice..."

(Van doesn't want to cheat Lana, but he doesn't want to pay any more than the shares are actually worth, either. What are they actually worth, total, more or less? And how liquid is Van-- enough to buy them tonight, tomorrow, in a few days, a week...?)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 160):

Lana seems confused herself.  "You think the shares have something to do with it?  But Horace gave most of them to me ages ago."

She shrugs.  "Honestly I thought it had more to do with the break up or something.  That's about when it started.  But that's not important.  I just need to get."

New Day is doing well.  It's one of the larger medtech firms.  By your estimate, the shares are worth around 75K.

I'm assuming Van is superhero rich.  That is, he can do what he needs.  Sure you can buy 'em.

"...I'll buy them. Do you have the paperwork for it with you now?"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 162):

She shakes her head.  "I have my lawyer drafting the agreement.  But he won't finish it until the morning.  Can I come by with them when your office opens?  And thanks Van.  You don't know how much this means to me."

Next steps?

"Wait-- where are you going? Let me get you a hotel room somewhere-- anonymously. I don't want to scare you unnecessarily, but if you go back to wherever you live right now, I'm afraid mice with dynamite strapped to their backs may visit you in the night." Van pauses. "So I guess I'm saying that I'm afraid that any scaring I did of you in that last sentence was sincerely necessary."

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 164):

She blinks and then laughs.  A really bellyshaker.  "I'm sorry," she says, wiping her eyes.  "Maybe it's the nerves. But it's just...how did my life come to this?"

She nods.  "Yes.  That might be for the best.  Thanks Van."

So setting her up in a hotel around the area under an assumed name?  Anything else you want to do for her?

"Honestly, now that I think about it, I would go to the police, if I were you. Tell them you have shares of the company that was recently involved in a mouse-explosion. When you tell them you've already started getting blind mice, I think they'd listen to you-- and want to guard you. I'll help you with that, if you want... Unless you don't trust the police. Not all men are immune to bribery and corruption, even public servants. Although of course they should be," Van adds for Calvaros' benefit.

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 166):

"I...I don't wanna get in the press.  Honestly I don't want the affair all over the society page.  It's not just for me.  His wife. I'd rather she not find out about the affair like that.

"I know.  I know.  I shoulda thought about that before running around with her man.  Yeah.  I'm a terrible person. But I'm not that terrible.  Maybe that doesn't make sense. But...I guess I feel like I owe it to Horace. Not to add to what his wife is going through.  Can you get what I mean?

"You think I can trust the police to be discrete?"

"...I... don't know, honestly. It's your call. I'll understand either way."

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 168):

She thinks about it and finally shakes her head.  "I...I think I'm just gonna cool it for tonight.  No one knows where I am.  So I don't think it'll be a big deal.  And if I keep my door locked and don't do anything silly, I...I'll call my uncle and tell him I'm staying with a girlfriend tonight.  And I'll ask him to pick me up in the morning.

"I should be by in the morning about 10.  Will that work?"

She's going to check into The Beckstedter Hotel, right around the corner.  Room 510.

Just in case you were curious.

"Hm. First-- don't say which girlfriend. If you have to say which, give a made-up address. Anyone who could make an explosive mouse-car might be able to find a way to listen in on the phone. Call him from here. ...Say, who is your uncle, anyway? What does he do for a living?"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 170):

She picks up the phone on your desk.

"Uncle Clarence?  Clarence Seuter.  He's...well. He's one of the Seuter family.  I think his dad was the cousin of Susan Seuter.  He works as a president in one of the Seuter's...

"...Oh! Hi Uncle Clarence.  No.  I'm fine.  Decided I'm gonna stay over at a girlfriend's tonight.  The address here is..."<pink>

She lies without a hint of hesitation.  You think the address she gave is for the department store down the street.

She smiles awkwardly as she hangs up.  <pink>"I'll call him the morning and have him meet me for breakfast at the hotel. Then we'll go to the lawyer and then come straight here.  After that...I'm on a plane.  Where to not sure yet. I'll decide that at the ticket counter."

"Wait, the Seuters? That's... important. Political, in this city, anyway. Um, this is a big deal. Can I meet you at the lawyer's office?"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 172):

She blinks, surprised, but nods her head.  "Sure."

Giving you the address, she makes plans to see you there about 9:30 AM.

She will head to the hotel.  Doing anything else tonight?

"Before you go-- you were saying-- what exactly is your uncle president of...?"

(Want to go see Wallace.)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 174):

She seems surprised you're asking.  "Hmmm?  Oh.  Uncle Clarence runs one of their construction companies.  They're pretty busy building that new stadium."

You mean Wally the Dental Patient, right?

Wally lives in a small townhouse at the end of a row of identical townhouses.  He's apparently a family man.  His wife is tucking their two girls into bed, telling them Grandpa is going to be just fine.

Grandpa is asleep in a guest room on the second floor.  Wally sits in a chair by the bedside, watching his father breathe in and out.

There's an open window right behind Wally.  Conveniently so.  You can enter into the room no problems.

Or you can ring the doorbell as Van.  Your call

"Um. What a coincidence. My company has been hired to do the lights for that stadium, so they can have games after dark. ...In case you couldn't tell from my tone, I'm starting to think maybe it's not a coincidence at all." In fact, Van already didn't think it was a coincidence, even before this new information came along, but there's no need (thank goodness) to explain his thought process that far back...



(Yes.)




(Let's go Dark Knight: window.)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 176):

Wally doesn't seem to hear you as you set foot on the floor.

He's resting his head on his hands, like he's in prayer.  Or regretting something.  Whichever it is, he seems too into it to have heard you.

(No response to the first parts of my previous post?)



"Wallace," Judge Midnight says just softly enough to make Wally aware he's there.

(I was gonna try using What Have You Sworn-- first on the gal, and then on Wally-- but I realized I still have a penalty from the LAST time I tried to use it. So... not yet, I guess.)

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 178):

Lana only makes a non-commital noise when you mention the coincidence.  Lana isn't stupid. But she's not one to think about things long term.

Lana wouldn't have much to say on that topic.  Sorry

---

Why not give Sworn a shot?  What's the worst that can happen?

Wallace jumps out of the chair, trying to twist in mid air and almost tumbling back on his father.

He stares at you, wide eyed, before he seems to recognize you.

Glancing down at his father to make sure he didn't wake up, Wallace nods towards the door.  He takes you out into the hallway and points at the door at the end of it.  It opens into what must be the master bedroom.

"Sorry.  I...wasn't expecting you.  Or maybe I was and just forgot.  Had things on my mind.

"Anyway.  Thanks again for saving our asses.  That..."

He shakes his head.

"You drink?  I need a slug.  Scotch?"

There's a minibar on one side of the room.  He heads over to fix himself a high ball.

Van stares at Wally and tries to discern what Wally may have sworn...

(Well even though I think Lana's even more likely to die soon, I think I'm even more likely to find the results of WHYSworn on Wally to be useful, so I'm'a try it. At least it'll get rid of my penalty.

12:34, Today: Van Caldwell rolled 4 using 1d4 with rolls of 4.  What the heck-- WHYSworn on Wally..

NAILED IT!

...AND i got rid of that darn penalty that was hangin' over my head!)
This message was last edited by the player at 18:36, Fri 17 Mar 2023.

You get all Calv-y with it

Wallace Baumgarten has sworn the following

A wedding vow to Constance Green          Upheld
Typical wedding vow


An obligation to his employer:            Both upheld and betrayed.  This is a gray
Western Reach Electronics                 area.
To due his duty in preparing
their account ledgers.

A promise to his deceased mother          Betrayed
to do only the things she'd be
proud of.

A personal pledge not to get              No longer able to keep that vow.
his family involved.

Van makes an effort to try to pitch his voice low and sepulchral like Calvaros: "I'm not here to drink with you, Wallace. We need to talk about the account ledgers."

Let's see what kind of reaction that gets.

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 182):

Wallace goes pale.  He then opens some whiskey and takes a slug right from the bottle.

"I...

"Look.  I could say I was just doin' what I was told to do.  But that's...

"My boss has been embezzling.  I caught him. But he offered me some money if I kept my mouth shut.  And I..."

He shrugs.

"I got stupid.  The baby was sick and they were making it sound like consumption.  We didn't know what to do.  But that turned out to be wrong and I didn't stop doing it.  Covering it up or taking the money.  So.  It's not like I can make an excuse.

"But a month ago I start gettin' these weird messages.  Here."

He walks over to a desk drawer and opens it, pulling out a sheet of red paper.

There's writing on it, block letters written out in white paint.

THE COUNCIL OF CITIZENS FOR TRUTH

You need to do the right thing

Or

It will be done for you

"...Like blackmail, but without an extra extortion demand. Someone knows what you've been doing, and they're threatening you to stop doing it... except I'm not convinced that they're just doing it for moral reasons-- not just moral reasons. I think this is about money-- not getting money from you, but... I think someone's trying to corner the market on electronics companies in this part of the country. I think maybe someone thinks they can buy out Western Reach cheaper if they show it's unstable. It would fit with... that explosion in that nightclub the other night... with the toy car..."

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 184):

Wallace looks confused.  "The what?  The toy car?  Wait.  You mean that Strong Arm thing?  I...I guess?  I dunno.

"No one's ever asked me for money.  But I guess what you're saying makes sense.  If there was a scandal, the stock could tank and they could pick it up on the cheap.

"But if that's the case, why'd they go after my Dad?  Why'd they make him...try to do that to me?  Y'know.  The whole dental surgery thing."

"This is about money, but the mastermind behind it is also totally mad. A sadist. Gets off on cruelty. I don't really pretend to fully understand his diseased mind as yet. The important thing right now is that you're not safe as long as you keep living here and covering up for the embezzling. I think you need to go to the police, tell them everything, and demand protection. They'll be much more interested in the person behind all this-- the person who tried to bomb the courthouse-- than they'll be upset about you and what you've been doing."

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 186):

Wallace is quiet for a bit.  Then slowly nods.  "I guess...that is the only way this will be over.

"But I want my wife and kids to be safe.  I'm gonna get them out of the city first.  My Dad too.  My uncle and aunt are upstate.  I'll make arrangements for them all to go there once Dad wakes up.  I..."

Apparently he doesn't know what else to say.

"Make your arrangements quickly, Wallace Baumgarten. Start immediately. This madman is hard to predict-- outside of 'will do cruel and violent things sooner or later.' If he's kidnapped you and your family once, he may very well do it again, or something more explosive-- and I can't work on finding him and protecting you at the same time... so you need the police for that."

Van half-turns to go. "Before I go... is there anything else you can tell me that would help me? Anything at all?"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 188):

Wallace nods slowly and vaguely, like he's just realized the height and weight of the colossal mess he's made with his life.

You aren't sure he's going to answer and then he says, "There was...one thing odd.  My boss.  When I caught him...the way I caught him...was he was making weird payments.  Payments that didn't make sense, given what the company does.  He was buying bulk tickets for games at the new stadium. But the stadium hadn't even been built yet.  When I confronted him...and after I took the bribe money...he stopped doing that."

"...What's your boss's name? Where can I find him? I need to talk to him." Judge Midnight tries to hide how eager he is to follow up on that detail.

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 190):

"Carl Pensley.  I'll...hold on.  I've got his address."

Pensley seems to live in an apartment over in Midtown.

"...Fine. ...Remember, I have warned you: get your family to safety, then yourself-- to the police. SOON. As soon as possible. Start now. This city is no longer safe-- for any of you-- without protection. ...I'm going to go now, and see what I can do to make it a safe place for people to live in again."

Judge Midnight leaves.

(Let's see... oh dang, I need to meet with the reporter. Let's go there, quick.)

You head to the park.  A couple of flat foots are walking the beat around it, bragging about whey their kid is better than the other guy's.

You see Wilkins sedan.  He seems to be waiting in the car, probably because of the cops.

He's smoking a cigarette and reading a letter or something.

He'll try getting in Wilkins' car.

Wilkins almost jumps off his seat.

"Jeez a' Pete!  Mac!  This ain't a taxi!""

But then he peers closer at you.

"Uhhh...You're not normal people, are ya fella?"

"The mask is because I'm 'on-duty' as Judge Midnight. Drive somewhere, please-- wherever you want, for now-- there's a couple of guys walking around, and I don't want to get noticed."

(This is presuming he was able to get in. If not, pretend he also said "Let me in, please.")

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 196):

I actually wish I had thought to have the car doors locked.  That would have been a fun scene to do.  But no.  They weren't.  You're inside the car

Wilkins blinks at you and then mutters, "Ya don't want them to see ya?  Wonder why?"

But he starts the car and backs out.

"So any particular destination?  I hear St. Mary's Asylum will take new patients any time of day."

He pulls on to the main road, glancing at you.  "You ain't got a gun.  Least not one you're aiming at me.  And I recognize your voice.  So I guess this is us meeting, huh?"

"Yeah. And I don't need a gun, or I haven't yet. So first, you tell me what you've found out, then I'll tell you what I've been up to since I called you."

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 198):

Ezra pulls onto the main drag and starts toddling down it, like a fat man looking through the menu of the best steakhouse in town.

"First that guy with the socks in his mouth.  The whole courthouse thing.  You musta been there.  Two of the security guards are locked up tight.  The other one's squirreled up at home, not talkin' ta no one.

"But I did hear that a guy was found with socks in his mouth.  He's in the hospital.  The cops have him under round the clock lookie-lous.  I can't get close enough to him to get an ID. But I did see he had a visitor.  Derrick Carlo.  A shyster who's working for the city.  He handles a lot of the city's contracts with outside vendors.  Not someone I would expect to show up at hospital room under police guard.

"That warehouse.  The Govies aren't saying much about it.  But I do know Army Intell sent a bunch of officers into town this morning.  One of 'em is a major, though I don't know of what.    All I've been able to hear thus far.  Least about what we talked about.

"So?  Spill with the gravy."

"Eh? They're locked up? Under arrest?"




"The first thing he said when I took the socks out of his mouth was: '...Carlo...I don't know nothin'...'s not me man...someone else tipped 'em...'"




"But you did pass along that they have a trap door in the floor of a storage closet or whatever, right?"

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 200):

Ezra answers each in turn.

Ezra nods.  "Two guys in the klink downtown.  Apparently each guy says the other one talked 'em into tryin' to blow up the courthouse.  Neither of 'em is smart enough to even spell the word BOMB, much less make one.  So the cops are playin' 'em off against each other.  Trying to find out who the big brain actually was"


He considers for a while.  "That's...actually a bit of a surprise.  I knew something was maybe hinky cos Carlo showed.  But Carlo's always been kind of a straight shooter.  He actually campaigns against corruption.  That's one reason he's in the position he's in.  Kinda odd to think he might be tied up in something like blowing up a courthouse."


Again a nod.  "I did.  But no one's saying nothing to me about what I passed along.  I only found out about the Intel guys through a third hand source."

"Good-- but I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for that to work."




"Maybe he's being used, manipulated. Or... maybe Sock Guy was telling the truth. 'Someone else tipped 'em--' The important part is who 'them' is that Socks is saying got tipped off. Who or what Socks thinks 'they' are, I mean. I'm convinced that Socks is a very untrustworthy guy, but maybe Carlo was using him. ...Or, maybe Carlo isn't as trustworthy as he's always seemed. Or maybe Carlo's good at heart, but being blackmailed. Or tricked. Too many possibilities. ...Where does Carlo live? If I could see him, I could maybe tell. ...Maybe."



"Okay, fine. As long as you told them. If they're so stupid that they hear that and they don't go check for trap doors, then to hell with them-- but I don't think they're that stupid. So. My turn." Without mentioning the names of Van Caldwell nor Caldwell Electrical Engineering, Judge Midnight tells Ezra about Lana-- about how she got the stock shares, about how she's looking to sell the shares fast and run far, about her mouse deliveries-- and about her very-suspiciously-important uncle. "I'm concerned that she's in much bigger trouble than she realizes, but there's only so much I can do about it. I can't watch her personally for the next dozen hours until she gets out of town, and I don't know if the police can be trusted to do it either-- if courthouse guards can be corrupt, why not individual police officers?"

"But then there's another thing." Again without mentioning Caldwell Electrical Engineering, Judge Midnight tells what he's learned about Wally. "That upcoming stadium is important to all this, but I don't know how exactly yet. It's going to be bad, somehow, I'm convinced of that."

In reply to Van Caldwell (msg # 202):

Wilkins is quiet as he changes lanes and chews on what you've told him.

"Some of that all ties together.  I'm...not sure how this Lana and the SAD stock ties back to the stadium yet.  But maybe I don't have enough dots to connect.

"Well.  First things first.  Damsals in distress and all.  There's two cops I know are on the level.  Bixby Halloway is a detective.  And Sarge Allgood...Oscar Allgood.  They're about the only two I'd trust.  I can give Sarge a call.  If Bixby's the dick on that bomb that killed Horace Greenburg, I can drop a hint to him.  If not, I'll ask Sarge to keep an eye on her.  I'll dig more into the stadium."

He glances at you.  "Kinda curious.  What's it to you if this all goes wrong?  You got an invite to this party?  Or you just crashin'?"