Day 2 - Palmer & Pickering

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?"

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.

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."

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."

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."

"The usual. Keep the house and grounds clean. Mostly landscaping, gardening, dusting, sweeping, airing out the rooms, that sort of thing."

"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."

"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?"