Resurrection City 2: The Adventure of the Iron Knives

[ShortAssassin]

"Supposed criminal? For my part, I was under the impression that we weren't formally suspecting you of anything, just wished to question you." Richard chuckles. "No, you have our word we won't be strangling you or any such unsavoury thing."

Finally hearing some reassurance from one of these fellows, Will looked at Hewitt. "I suppose ye all look too fancy to be gettin' any blood on yer clothes anyhow. A'right, I will come with ye to this fella's," he pointed at the Baron "'ouse and answer some questions. But I tells ye, if I gets a feelin' I don't like, I be leavin'."

 

[Old Fezziwig]

"I been upgraded from supposed criminal to gentleman. Well bless my soul, thank ye sir!"

"No one has accused you of any crimes, Mr. Robinson. In case you would like to hear it from my mouth as well, I have no intention of strangling you or otherwise causing you harm. You might have information that could help us solve a murder. If you do, we'd all appreciate your assistance. Again, no one here is accusing you of any crimes. My apologies for being brusque -- my line of work doesn't always bring out our most pleasant or polite selves, I'm afraid."

 

[JimAde]

"Very well," Trevor says. "If you'll all come this way, my townhouse is only a few blocks." He turns on his heel and starts smartly down the pavement.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

The constable goes about his business as the company, numbering six now, walk down the street and around the corner to Baron Walsingham's house. Along the way, they chat idly about harmless things like the weather and the cricket game they saw that morning. Passing another paperboy selling his wares, the six eventually come to Trevor's house.

 

[JimAde]

"Cooper!" Trevor calls as they enter. "Cooper! Ah, there you are my good man. We've five guests for lunch. Get Millie started on it would you? We'll be in the drawing room." Once Cooper has taken hats and canes, Trevor leads the way to a comfortable withdrawing room furnished with a leather davenport and several chairs graced with lace antimacassars. "Please, gentlemen, have a seat."

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

"I suppose we should allow the inspector to tell our little tale," Dr. Hewitt says as he sits. "I saw an odd story in the paper today. Perhaps you've seen that story about that dreadful affair down in Pimlico, with the babies in the post and all? Dr. Verdain was mentioned in the article," he says. "The same man in all those letters of Mr. Pellgraine's. Quite unusual. Apparently he's in Avebury."

 

[Old Fezziwig]

Diggory nods, removes his jacket, and sits down. He rubs his eyes thoughtfully before he begins. "We had been at a cricket match out near Chiswick. While we were waiting for a train, a man, one Horatio Cartwright, approached us -- he recognized Mr. Shaw. When he got on the train, a blind man sat down in the same cubicle as him. The train neared Chapham. As it entered the tunnel -- do you know the tunnel, Mr. Robinson? -- there was a cry in the dark, a thud, and then the emergency brakes. To make the story short, both men, Cartwright and the blind man, were dead, Cartwright's hand on the brake and the blind man's hand on a knife in Cartwright's chest. A letter in Cartwright's pocket was addressed to 'J. Oldacre Esq., 23 Jermyn Street, Westminster.' We were headed there to investigate when you dashed out with that package." Diggory shrugs and leans back in his chair. "I think you see the basis of our concern, Mr. Robinson."

OOC: Right now, Diggory is intentionally leaving out the bit about the blind man's eyes -- if any of the others try to bring it up, he interrupts firmly yet politely. The inspector doesn't believe right now that it's of any benefit to bring it up to Robinson.

 

[JimAde]

"If the police have the name and address of this Verdain character, have they picked him up yet?" Trevor asks. "Those letters were written, what, 50 years ago? I had assumed he was long dead. Either he must be ancient by now, or it's a different Verdain. Son or grandson, perhaps?"

[OOC: Has Trevor ever heard of anyone else by that name? Probably not if he's just a random doctor in Avebury, but you never know.]

 

[ShortAssassin]

Diggory nods, removes his jacket, and sits down...

Robinson raised his bushy eyebrows "Stabbed by a blind man? That be one 'ell of a lucky shot if yer askin' me. But who do ye think started it? Was it the blind man stabbin' at Mr... Cartwright that caused Cartwright to pull the brake, or was Cartwright to start somethin' by pullin' the brake and then gettin' stabbed by the blind man in return? Or was it somebody else in the mix, doing both and settin' it up to look that way?" Robinson looked around at the group. "Was there anyone else in there with them?"

"As for our scrappin' earlier, I apologize. Like I said, where I be from, ye run first, ask questions later when ye's bein' chased by strangers. I see now ye had legitimate reason to be givin' chase."

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

"Was there anyone else in there with them?"

Dr. Hewitt speaks up. "There were, but I highly doubt they had anything to do with it. A young man named Ben Grantham and a young lady. The lady had fainted dead away when the train came to a halt." He clears his throat. "As to the order of what happened, I'm afraid it seems impossible to say. Everything happened in the dark." He pauses. "What was that you had when you came out of Oldacre's? Have you any idea?"