[IC Thread] Delving the Mists

[Telsar]

Spoiler

Natalie looks a bit perturbed that the old woman can’t even keep track of a simple room number, but doesn’t say anything. The competence of the security here is more important, and the soldier’s initial suspicion of them was a good sign. As long as this guard isn’t asleep when we get up there…

Natelie heads upstairs (with Orum presumably) and looks for the room with a guard, once again showing her ID when they see him. She’ll ask the guard if the patient has had visitors lately, as she’d like to talk with the poor girl’s family. Then she’ll quietly enter the girl’s room, to see the victim for herself.

 

[Salzorin]

Spoiler

Not wanting to come back completely empty-handed, Salzorin decides to take some time to follow the man to see at least the area which he is headed to. I'll follow him. ((trying to stay off the streets if possible.... travelling by rooftop if possible.)) I'd like to confirm where he's headed, but if this begins to take much too long, then I will yield my efforts to return back to the morgue. I don't mind being somewhat late to that meeting though, as I don't really have a fondness for perserved flesh.

 

[Fangor the Fierce]

Anton looks suprised that Arthur ran off so quickly after leaving out too much information from his description of the murder.

"Alyson, I'm a little better with the living. If you'll check out the suicide I'll check into the stabbing."

After reading the information on the stabbing, Anton turns to leave, "I'll be back here by an hour past sundown so we can go meet with Mr. Pettigrew. If anyone can't make it back by then send word so we know you're all right."

With that, Anton heads out the door.

With a slight nod of agreement, Alyson turns to the others, "I will meet back here when I am done. Kalri, let's get a move on."

Grabbing the file, and perusing over it quickly, she begins to think to herself, not caring that the others are still there. I guess I would need to speak with this Seth person. He would have first hand knowledge of the scene as it was. The body would also prove valuable and then a visit to the landlady.

Grabbing her belongings, she turns to Madeline, "And where can I find this Seth Greensfield? I would need to be speaking with him as well as visiting the apartment building in question."

Spoiler

Once answered, she will head out to talk with the guard. She will not be armed, as that would be too threatening at this time. She will make her way to the location given by Madeline and have Kalri assist her.

 

[Gramcrackered]

Spoiler

Orum marches noisely ahead of Natalie about the area, though the solider is quick to move backward a few steps whenever the woman begins asking questions. As they approach the patient's room he steps to one side of the door and assumes a stiff stance, eyes locking on an empty space ahead.

"I'll just wait out here - probably be better for Ms. Duffin this way. I can think of little to ask her anyway."

As Natalie walks on in a sudden thought occurs to Orum. He calls out for her to wait a moment longer, though it's a few long beats before he hesitantly speaks again.
"Well...perhaps one thing. If you could find out why she has not been healed yet? I imagine she simply does not have enough money, but perhaps something can be done about that."

 

[Cerebus13]

Salzorin:

Spoiler

The man moves briskly down the alleyway and onward always keeping to side roads and streets. He occasionally glances over his shoulder but never breaks stride long enough for you to climb up onto a rooftop. The sun is almost gone from the horizon before the man stops near a dirty run down building. Casually strolling about he darts his eyes back and forth for a few minutes before going around to the back and opening a large cellar door. He travels down the stairs into the gloom and pulls the doors shut behind himself.

Fangor:
Madeline guesses that the best place to find Officer Greensfield would be at the police station that you visited this afternoon.

Spoiler

You and Kalri travel to the police station as Madeline instructed. After mentioning Seth Greensfield's name to the officer at the front desk he says, "I'm sorry but Officer Greensfield didn't come in today due to some pressing family business. I'm afraid we can't give out his home address in order to respect his privacy, but he should hopefully be back in tomorrow or the next day. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

You also notice Anton walking off with another officer to go speak about the stabbing at the tavern.

Telsar & Gram:

Spoiler

You both head upstairs to a long hallway that is lined on both sides with doors. The hall is quite wide and several people in white robes walk along it and from room to room. A few men clad in armor quietly march along the corridor glancing at you quickly from the corners of their eyes.

The rooms themselves are not numbered and either have a shut door to maintain privacy or the door is left open and a large sheet is used as a curtain to allow better ventilation into the room. About three-quarters of the way down the hallway you notice a guardsman with police insignia on his armor. He takes the identification papers that you show him and nods after reading them for a moment.

In response to Natalie's questions the guard says: "She had visitors about two days ago I believe. I wasn't on duty at the time since we switch out about every 12 hours or so...but I think I heard another guard mention a middle-aged man and woman who came to visit her for a while. One of the nurses said that Ms. Duffin has a son so it was probably him, but you'd have to ask at the front desk for his name.

*quote*"Well...perhaps one thing. If you could find out why she has not been healed yet? I imagine she simply does not have enough money, but perhaps something can be done about that."*quote*

The guard ponders over this for a moment then shrugs. "I don't think it is an issue of money because the priests around here only seem to take donations from people who have the means to give it, and they never refuse healing to anyone. My guess is that they lack the ability to heal her 'ead up properly because it was really smashed up when they brought her in here. Can barely see the poor woman's face now for all the bandages wrapped around it."

Natalie quietly lets herself into the room and shuts the door behind. She notices a bunch of wild flowers sitting in a clay vase on a table next to the patient's bed. Near the vase is a scrap of paper with this written on it:
Get well soon mum.
Love, Robert

Upon stopping to examine the patient Natalie is surprised to discover that Ms. Duffin is quite a bit older than she had first thought. She looks to be at least fifty or sixty years old with wisps of white hair sticking out through the bandages that swaddle her swollen face. The woman looks thin and frail lying in the bed, but the only injuries that are still visible are covered by the bandages on her head.

 

[Gramcrackered]

Spoiler

Orum blinks with some surprise at the news that the woman is simply beyond the cleric's ability to heal. Admitidly, he wasn't an expert on the matter, but he had always thought it pretty simple. Put your hands on a wound, mutter some prayers, poof! All better.
It had always been a source of comfort to know that when running after a dangerous criminal, even if things went bad, you could always get patched up one way or another - provided you had enough money or were due it for other reasons. Of course, death was pretty much it for you, but the news that you could linger on in a quasi-living state, neither truly here nor there...
That was just damn unsettling. It hinted too much at the undead for his liking.

Realizing he's let his mind wander quite a bit, Orum shakes his head and nods sternly at the guard who spoke. "Er...I see. Thank you. I suppose we'll just have to wish her the best then."

 

[Pyrex]

Anton stands up and shakes his hand. "Thanks for coming down. My name is Anton, I've been asked to look into the stabbing at the Boar's Whisker last night. I was hoping you could fill me in on what you've learned so far."

 

[Telsar]

Spoiler

Natalie thinks to herself, If I had some medical training, I’d see about removing those bandages. Hard to tell the extent and nature of her injuries like this.

Natelie gently presses her hand to Ms. Duffin’s, a small show of support. She whispers to her, “Ellen. I’m with the police. We’ll find who did this.”, and watches for any sign of a response.

Then, if there is a window in the room, Natalie will go to it, open it and look out, seeing how easy it would be for someone to climb up here. She’ll make sure she leaves the window securely fastened.

Natalie then leaves as quietly as she came, saying to Orum, “She has a son, Robert. Robert Duffin, presumably. We’ll need to locate him, but we probably don’t have time for that before our meeting.” She’ll also tell him that Ms Duffin is older than we expected. “Her age and the fact she has a son might mean this was something done against him, a payback or extortion of some kind.”

When they go back downstairs, Natalie will talk with the Ezra acolyte, asking how often Ms. Duffin’s bandages are changed, as Natalie would like an opportunity to see her injuries close up.

 

[Fangor the Fierce]

Spoiler

When hearing that Seth is not in for the day, she gets a little frustrated.

Spoiler

"Then who else was working with him on the suicide case? I am looking into this case and need to talk to any officers that were working with him."

Spoiler

While glancing around, she notices Anton, talking to another officer.

Spoiler

"Anton, any luck with that stabbing?"

 

[Cerebus13]

Telsar & Gram:

Spoiler

Natalie opens the window and looks down out of the building. There are no balconys on the second floor at all since this is a rather simply made hospital, so a determined assailant would have to scale the bare wall. The only possible quick way up the side would be to use a grapple to attach a rope to the roof of the building, but she thinks it wouldn't be that easy to get one to hold properly.

Natalie pauses for a moment to speak to Orum then the both of you go back downstairs to speak to the acolyte.

"We change the bandages once a day to check for signs of infection and swelling of the brain. Due to the extent of the injuries to her head we couldn't risk our prayers being used to heal them, or else it may damage her brain further when the bits of her skull that were broken are fused together again. Some of the more skilled physicians here thought it would be best to allow the broken bones to heal naturally so as to not put any extra pressure on her brain. We already fear there is some damage that has been done to her mentally, and unfortunately that cannot be healed with simple prayer." She thinks for a moment. "If you give me a few minutes I can find a nurse to go upstairs and change the bandages earlier if you want to examine the injuries for yourself."

Pyrex:

Spoiler

Kinar scratches his head for a moment as if he was lost in thought. "Unfortunately I've been having some trouble finding all of the different people who were involved in the brawl there. The fight started with three people including the victim. The other two were named...Onar Dyem and Goilon Lurilis if I remember correctly. I think speaking to them would be the best course of action to take, but I haven't been able to track them down yet. The tavern owner, Red, told me that those two had only begun coming to his place very recently and thus he didn't know them very well. Lately I've been asking around the neighborhood of the tavern but haven't had any luck so far. I'm sorry we haven't found out anything more but since we haven't found any information that makes it seem like this was a planned murder...we may have to consider it a consequence of the brawl and just bury the poor soul."

As you are speaking to the officer you notice Alyson come into the police building and speak to the man at the front desk.

Fangor:

Spoiler

The man seated at the desk shrugs at your impatience. "This incident wasn't given that high of priority because it was pretty obviously a suicide. Greensfield is investigating what he can about the note, but hasn't turned up anything of particular note yet. The last thing I heard him mention is that he was interviewing some prostitutes who had spoken to the victim before, but I didn't catch their names. Your best bet would be to come in again tomorrow and try to speak to him then."