Day 2 - Palmer & Pickering

Nov 8, 2023 1:37 pm
You all spend the evening, and a fine dinner, discussing yourselves and your ideas regarding Harold. But it's clear you'll need more facts because speculation can only go so far. You retire to your rooms after an eventful night.

The next morning you each awake to a message waiting for you with a front desk clerk, a hostel worker, or motel employee as your situation dictates. The message is from Ingrid asking you to meet at the law firm of Palmer & Pickering, Attorneys-at-Law. She needs your help with a matter regarding her missing father. A meeting has been scheduled for 10am with an address in downtown Boston.

Palmer & Pickering is a prestigious legal firm with offices overlooking Boston Common, the oldest city park in the United States. Their office walls feature paintings of formidable old partners and maps of Boston dating from the Revolutionary War. A secretary has you take a seat until all of you arrive. At ten past ten a door with "George Pickering" in gold letters on the frosted glass opens and out steps a man. He is a dapper gentleman in his 60s, with thick glasses and an unfashionable suit. He still possesses a keen, analytical stare, which he slowly
applies to each of you in turn as you introduce yourselves. That finished, he nods to himself and says, "Well then, step into my office please." He steps aside and directs everyone into the well-appointed but functional room. Five grey fabric chairs have been arrayed in a semi-circle opposite a heavy wooden desk of mahogany.

After everyone is seated, Pickering brings you up to date with the facts. Memphis the Great disappeared about a month and a half ago, and his mansion has been lying empty ever since. Recently, the bodies of three burglars were discovered by the house’s caretaker. The police have completed their investigation (which Pickering admits to exerting some pressure on the police to finish quickly and hush-hush), determining that the burglars must have quarreled over their loot, and then killed one another. Pickering explains that he doesn't believe the official story and something strange happened in the house and wants the truth concerning the break in and the murders of the burglars. To this end, has asked the person who discovered the crime scene, the caretaker, to the offices so the investigators may begin their work immediately. He then calls for tea and coffee. "Now then, any questions before you begin?"
Nov 8, 2023 1:37 pm
After taking several sips of unusually-good tea - a taste Barrington picked up in his time over in Europe during The Great War - he speaks up:

"As I think you know, sir, all five of us here were at Harold's performance last night - that we saw Ingrid while we were there - and that the evening was beset by strange unexplained occurrences."

"While there, I couldn't help but notice a lot of tension between Harold and Ingrid, more than I would have expected from just the evening's incidents."

"With Harold, Ingrid, Memphis the Great, and us somehow all tied together with things now - and as we were invited here at the request of Ingrid, would she be available to meet us, to fill us in on recent events? Whether she could give us some information on any recent strange behaviour or happenings around her, Harold, or Memphis the Great?"
Nov 9, 2023 10:46 am
Mr. Pickering nods along to Barrington's questions. "Yes, Ms. Schwartz did tell me of your meeting and that's why she's called you hear. I hardly believe a stage accident is a strange occurrence though. As for Ms. Schwartz's relationships, that is none of my concern. I am employed by Memphis the Great. Ms. Schwartz is only involved because she is his daughter and currently the only relative we have contact with. I am afraid she is occupied for most of the day but, as I have said, I have the caretaker here for you to interview. Then you may inspect the crime scene and hopefully find some answers there. You should have a pretty busy day, I would think." The lawyer takes a sip of his coffee.
Nov 10, 2023 1:45 am
"Why would you want our help though? Most of us are strangers to Memphis. How could we help?"
Nov 10, 2023 3:56 am
He ponders Idella's words for a moment. "Because strangers are exactly what we need. People without skin in the game, without history, without assumptions. You can look into this matter completely unbiased and uninfluenced. Ms. Schwartz thinks you are level-headed and reliable and those are the two qualities we need most. I need to know what happened in that house and there is no one in town who's judgement I would trust."
Nov 10, 2023 12:21 pm
"Objective eyes makes sense, Sis." John looks around the room at the others. "Anyone have somewhere else they need to be? Otherwise, I say let's get started."

KCC

Nov 10, 2023 12:38 pm
Charles takes up the mantle of doddering old man once again, as he so often does around those he hasn’t quite had a chance to assess just yet. Once he got the lay of the land, he would fit himself into whichever role was most beneficial to him.

"This loot, as you say; what was it exactly? The men died over it, according to the police. The official story, of course. But the loot must have been of sufficient quality for the police to be satisfied with the explanation." he says, sounding every bit his age, in stark contrast to last night.
Nov 11, 2023 9:30 am
Yuna continues jotting short-hand notes in her notepad while looking up every few moments to nods and catch the attorney's eyes. "That's what you hire me for, looking into your client's disappearance. I would certainly like to have a look around his home and this issue of the burglars leaves some threads to pull. Do we know their identities?"
Nov 11, 2023 10:41 am
Barrington leans back from the desk, and continues enjoying his tea - it seems like the other members of their impromptu party have got this in hand.

He is very keen to help investigate what is going on with Memphis the Great, and by association also hopefully Harold. He's worried about both of them, both as colleagues and as, not exactly friends, but people he appreciates and cares about. He's not doing this for the money - although he is curious about the fee he can expect from a fancy law firm such as this.

In addition to checking out Memphis the Great's house today, he'll definitely want to also catch up with Ingrid and Harold. But for now, he thinks, let's see how this here situation plays itself out.
Nov 12, 2023 4:06 am
The lawyer sips his drink and answers, "Yes, it was in the papers. They were the Leary brothers, known criminals of petty theft and burglary. As to what 'loot' they were after, I can only guess that because Memphis is a wealthy man they were seeking money once word got out that he had disappeared for a number of weeks."

Pickering sets his cup down, stands up and straightens his suit. "I think it best if I bring in the caretaker, Mr. Madison, now and you can ask him any further questions." He strides to the door of his office and beckons to someone standing outside. A man only a little younger than Pickering walks in hesitantly, wearing a cheap suit, while his hands reveal a life as a manual laborer. He bobs his head in a small bow. "Hello, I'm Caleb Madison, and I work for Mr. Memphis."
Nov 12, 2023 5:22 am
"I note you say 'work', Mr. Madison. Mr. Pickering and yourself seem not to have written Memphis off yet. I'm curious, after so many weeks missing, why? Was it common for the man to disappear for days at a time?"
Nov 12, 2023 10:41 am
The man dips his head in the affirmative. "Oh, yes, ma'am. For weeks. Mr. Memphis was a world traveler, searching for mystics and shamans and magicians from countries the world over. Usually he would always inform the staff when he was going to be traveling, which he didn't this time. But disappearing for a few weeks is not out of the ordinary at all."
Nov 12, 2023 12:18 pm
"I see. And what are your duties while he is away for such periods?"
Nov 12, 2023 12:34 pm
"The usual. Keep the house and grounds clean. Mostly landscaping, gardening, dusting, sweeping, airing out the rooms, that sort of thing."
Nov 12, 2023 1:51 pm
Thank you for taking the time to come and meet with us, Mr Madison. I've got a couple of questions for you:

Had you noticed any strange or unusual occurences or visitors to the house in the weeks before Mr Memphis was last at his home? Perhaps a change in Mr Memphis's routine or demeanour?

While you are looking after the house in Mr Memphis's absence, are there any areas of the building or grounds that you are required to keep away from, that you don't have access to?
Nov 13, 2023 10:14 am
"For the first question, no, sir. No one has been to the house in quite some time. There were never any unusual occurrences until the burglars will killed in the prop room. Strangest occurrence of my life! For the second question, I don't go up to the attic where Mr. Memphis keeps his library. It doesn't need much cleaning and he tends to that himself. I can't say I don't have access to it, but I never go up there and I think that's how Mr. Memphis likes it."

KCC

Nov 14, 2023 3:42 am
"You say that Mr. Memphis was a world traveler. A… a searcher for mystics and shamans and magicians from countries the world over." he says, gesturing with his hands as if the words were a newspaper headline.

"Did he ever return with off trinkets from his travels? Souvenirs, perhaps? Or gifts from those that he had met on his globe trotting journeys?"
Nov 14, 2023 4:53 am
Yuna narrows her eyes at Charles's question, but shifts her gaze to Mr. Madison, curious about the answer and what Charles may be getting at.
Nov 14, 2023 8:01 am
"Well, yes, of course, sir. What world traveler of Mr. Memphis' means wouldn't come back with souvenirs and mementos? I don't quite see what this has to do with the robbery and murders. Surely you don't think the robbers were after some knickknacks from Spain or Bhutan, do you?"

KCC

Nov 16, 2023 8:47 am
"Yes, yes. You’re quite right! How often do we fill our bags with knick knacks and trinkets from far away places. Soon to be broken or forgotten.

Are those the kinds of artifacts that your employer returned with? Nothing that wasn’t to be touched? Nothing that took pride of place in a collection somewhere?"
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