A case for Scotland Yard

DeletedUser28032

Replacing the old black Trilby hat upon his head, Jack waited for the others to leave the room before making his way out of the building preferring to miss the ensuing scrum through the corridors and for the cabs loitering outside.
Stepping onto the pavement a few moments after the first cab with the toff inside had departed Jack blew into his cupped hands trying to blow some warmth back into them as he stepped out of the relative warmth of the station "Should have stayed in bloody Africa" he mumbles to himself before looking at the girl stood waiting for him outside "Well looks like you're with me then...well come along I haven't the money for a cab so we'll be walking from here" he said stuffing his hands deep into his pockets before turning to head down the street without waiting for DS O'Shannon to join them, after all he was a big boy and he knew where they were headed so could meet them there if required.
"So tell me girl how did a street urchin manage to get a job with Scotland yard?" he asked over his shoulder with the barest hint of amusement in his voice, curious to hear the answer as she was the only oddity within their little group of Detectives freelance or otherwise.
 

DeletedUser25825

Brynn looked toward the tall man who said they were going to hoof it. If she felt bad about not being afforded a ride, it didn't show as she moved to shuffle through the snow alongside him. As she walked, her head constantly moved around as she mostly paid attention to the alleyway entrances and other places where there was either escape, or potential danger lurking about. When he asked her about her qualifications she merely shrugged her small shoulders. She said, "Can't really say guv'nuh. Detective Inspector Filps and me... we go way back we do. Ee's been tryin' to pinch me goin' on three years now ee 'as."

Brynn walked silently for a few moments and then added, "Truth be told, he 'as caught me on occasion. I'm a good girl I am, so's not much to keep me on for tryin' to stay from starvin' with a bit of nicked bread right? So's the dear inspector let me go. Course ee uses my army on occasion. I'm the ruler of the street children you see? Not much of anything goes on in certain parts of the burg without me knowin' somethin' or other on it on account of my children tellin' me." It wasn't really clear if what she was saying was truth or not, but she definitely seemed to believe it.
 

DeletedUser13682

The rest of the gathered investigators, official and private, left the room, leaving Peadar alone. Not wanting to be left behind, he quickly hurried outside, where Jack and Brynn were starting to walk. “Hey, wait for me!” he shouted out, and ran to catch up with the pair. “There’s no need to walk anywhere in weather like this. We can just hire a cab. I’ll get it this time. They may not pay me much, on account of my Gaelic blood giving the higher ups the green eyed monster, but being a DS gets me enough pay to afford a hansom when the weather gets bad like this.” Peadar walked to a waiting cab, and gave them the location of the bar. “Get in, fellow detectives,” Peadar said with a small laugh, and a jovial look toward Brynn. “We don’t want to catch our witness after he’s fallen down drunk, now do we?”
 

DeletedUser31931

Esay overheard the address of the palace and swore as Smythe pulled off into the distance, he summoned over a taxi, gave it the same address and then headed off. As he sat in the taxi he thought over the case, this was almost certainly a professional job, and most professionals don't just come into a city without being noticed. He made a mental note to ask around and see if there was anyone who had arrived in London recently and wasn't looking for work.
 

DeletedUser

The Princes Residence
The DI was the first to arrive at what appeared to be a large detatched town house on a street of equally fine houses. It was on the very outskirts of central London and he guessed that the weekly rent for such a place would easily be in excess of a standard DI's yearly wage.
The door swung open as the cab reigned in and a rather elderly butler dressed in a fine green serving suit was in the doorway. 'Evening sir. We have been expecting you. I have taken the liberty of organising the staff in the drawing room but would be happy to answer any questions you have while we are on our way.' The butler stepped aside to allow Albert access out of the snow then offered to take his jacket and hat.

By the time Esay arived the door had already been closed and bolted.
'Psst,' came a voice from around the gate of a nearby house.


The Docklands
When the party of investigators arrived at the Docklands, the pubs were in full swing. Gin soaked sailors and drunken dock workers were already starting to fill the gutters and urchins were already relieving them of anything of value. The whole place stank of blood, sweat and urine.

The Leaking Duck itself was actually one of the more restrained of the pubs and the clientel seemed content to restrict themselves to falling unconcious at their tables.
The sign outside also advertised rooms at a reasonable price and a free room to anybody who could complete the Dreg Barrel Challenge.

'What yer lookin' at yer pack a .... What ever ya are?' slurred a heavy set man as he stummbled out the doors and nearly walked straight into the investigators.
 

DeletedUser31931

James heard someone try to attract his attention as he pulled up. He decided that it was worth it to see if they had any useful information about the disappearance. He walked over towards the voice and turned the corner into the gate where the voice had come from.
 

DeletedUser

'Stop there!' The voice ordered as Esay approached the shadowed gateway. 'Who are you and what are your loyalties?'
A shape was moving in the darkness, shifting from one foot to the other. It was hard to make out any features but the voice sounded gruff and dry as well as being nervous and with a hint of fear.
 

DeletedUser

"Indeed." Albert replied to the elderly butler, he followed the servant through the door and into the hallway.
Taking off his top hat and placing it on the hatstool, Albert proceeded to walk down the corridor, following the butler towards the drawing room.
"Now," Albert began. "I'm a busy man, so I'll cut to the chase. Tell me everything you know about the Prince's disappearance, evidence, witnesses, suspects and so forth. Come on. Speak up." Albert demanded.
 

DeletedUser

'Come on. Speak up.' demanded the detective. The only reaction the butler displayed was a slight bow of the head. 'Indeed sir.'
The butler walked at a slow pace, leading the DI through the hallway, passed the library, drawing room and dining room, towards the back of the house. The entire building felt somehow still and silent. There was no sign of life.
'The last I saw of Prince Costello was yesterday morning. He was taking breakfast alone before several meetings which he had planned for the day. I am afraid I shared few words with him at the time as I was busy relieving the staff of their duties.'
The butler eventually came to a stop at the end of the hall. A set of stairs lay in front of them, leading down into darkness.
 

DeletedUser31931

Jame listened as the voice spoke and was perplexed. Why was this voice asking him what his loyalties were? In this neighborhood they were all nobles and should have nothing to fear unless.... Jame's hand shot out and grabbed where the man should be, if he was there he would drag him out. If not then god knew what would happen.

(OOC: I'm leaving it in your hands English.)
 
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DeletedUser

Outside the Princes House

James hand shot forward and was greeted with soft cloth. The figure yelped as he was dragged out into the light by his baggy jacket.
The figure appeared to be a young man with a chubby face and a tangled mop of red hair. Despite his apparently bedraggled and unkempt appearence he looked healthy and his clothes were of good quality. Esay guessed at upper lower class, possibly a minor servant.

'Please don't hurt me,' the man squealed.
 
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DeletedUser

Albert listened as the butler explained the last time he'd seen the Prince.
The servant led him to a set of stairs leading into darkness.
"You expect me to go down there?" Said Albert, sounding almost shocked. "I will not do so, bring the servants up here, at once!"
So, the butler had last seen the Prince when he took breakfast. If the Prince hadn't left the house, then either he was still inside or had been kidnapped by whatever party did not want an alliance between the British and Italian governments.
 

DeletedUser25825

Brynn was very quiet during the taxi ride to the docks. Her wide smile explained the thrill she was experiencing as she stared out at the buildings as they moved by them in what was most likely her very first ride... ever. As they arrived at the location they sought, she pressed in closer to the two men. This was not her element, and while she knew she was technically on her own if things got hairy, she didn't want to lose these two either.

Brynn wrinkled her nose at the smell. She was used to all sorts of filth from living on the streets, but this was different. This was the stink of humanity at some of its worse, and it offended her at a very base level. She turned her attention toward the portly man who stumbled into their midst, and she being a master pick pocket, watched the man's actions very closely. Brynn had nothing to worry about losing, but she had no idea what her partners had to lose. It was a classic pick pocket tactic. Stumbling drunk, bumps into people and gets shoved away without a second thought.
 

DeletedUser31931

Esay grabbed the man and thought Gotcha! pulling the man he out revealed a medium sized man who had nice clothes but a scruffy appearance, so upper-middle class he guessed. "Who are you?" James asked fiercely "And why did you call to me out the shadows?" he shook the man, If he didn't spill the beans through threats perhaps a knife would make him.
 

DeletedUser28032

Jack nodded in understanding as the girl explained how she had come to join the team as he heard DI O'Shannon calling for them to wait for him, turning to watch as the Irishman hurried along the snow covered path to join them.
Jack hesitated as Peadar offered to pay for a cab but got in all the same when it drew up along side them. Although he was several steps higher on the social ladder than Brynn was he was far from being wealthy his wages disappearing almost as quickly as they appeared some weeks and didn't like accepting charity even if it was only a cab fare making him determined to pay the Irishman back in one form or another.

Arriving within the docks Jack was assailed by the putrid stench of sewage and human effluence, helping Brynn from out of the carriage before heading towards the Leaking Duck, navigating his way through the throng of thieves and inebriated sailors as he went, occasionally glancing down at Brynn to make sure that she was still close by not wanting to lose her within the throng despite his protestations about her pulling her own weight.

Standing outside of the half-timber tavern its flaking sign declaring it to be the Leaking Duck Inn he narrowly avoids being knocked over by the large heavy set man, his breath stinking of cheap gin "Unless you want to lose a kneecap I suggest you get out of here" Jack growled at the man seizing him by the collar as his pale blue eyes bored into those of the drunk.
Although he wasn't a big man, his time in the army had made him hard and lean, the unmistakable bulge of pistol within his coat pocket adding to the threat.
Releasing his grip on the man he watches to see if he would do anything stupid before going into the pub and heading straight for the bar "Any of you want a drink? I am buying" he asks the others deciding that they may as well make the most of the situation and also by buying a drink they were less likely to scare off their snitch by looking like a pair of coppers.
 

DeletedUser

Inside the Princes Home

'Oh I am afraid you misunderstand Inspector,' said the butler with a grin. 'There are no staff anymore, at least none who you can talk to. Now I had hoped this would be easy but you are clearly an awkward man.'

The smell of stale blood wafted up from the stair well and the old butler smiled in a very sinister way before producing a wicked looking knife.

'Most awkward indeed.'


Outside the Princes Home

The man squealed again. He obviously wasn't used to confrontation. 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' he whined. 'I just wanted help. I escaped but they will be after me. He is still in the house but the others left to find the master. They could be anywhere. Please keep me safe. Don't let them get me.'
By the end the young man was almost sobbing.


The Docks

The drunk was indeed drunk, the gin was clear on his breath, even above the stench of black teeth rotted from years of neglect. Brynn watched his hands closely but he made no attempt to filch, instead he looked more like he was eager to fight rather than steal, though she doubted that he could manage either in the state he was.

There was something odd though. It almost missed her attention but as the man lumbered around a glint of polished silver sparkled under his jacket. It wasn't visible long but it was there.

The next thing the drunk knew he was being grabbed roughly by a lean but fierce man who's fiery eyes almost made him think twice about his desire to fight. 'Who ya grabbin' the drunk protested and he was about to go further until he caught sight of the revolver. 'I'll let ya off tha once,' he added as if he was the one doing the favour and then he lumbered off.

Inside the bar the three moved to a small corner table and Jack bought the drinks. The woman behind the bar was an ugly, scab covered creature with no teeth and tangled hair. She watched the three suspiciously before hobbling over and asking 'Aint seen ya's ere before. You after summet special?'
It wasn't clear but there was a possibility that she was flirting with the two men.
 
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DeletedUser

"Ah." Albert replied, he was surprised, but did not show it. "I am afraid I may have to disappoint you sir. If you kill me then nothing but more investigators will rise in my place, I have contacts you know. And besides, I must protest at your manners, you are a most terrible butler. And by god I shall make sure that you do not murder me, and if you then may you end up on the gallows by dusk." Albert spoke.
Before the butler could reply he swung his cane, aiming for the butler's head, Albert wasn't a strong man, but the cane was topped with an iron knob, and an elderly man like the butler would surely black out after the hit.
 

DeletedUser31931

"What did you escape from? Who will be after you? And who is he?" Esay had guessed who the master was by now and it sounded like his kidnappers were still in the house. If Albert was in there then he could be in trouble... he decided that if Albert couldn't look after himself then he shouldn't be on the case and anyway James felt no loyalty to him or any of them. "Tell me, tell me now!" he was angry, he wanted responses, the man was talking in riddles and James didn't like riddles, the man was soon going to find out just how much James didn't like riddles if he didn't explain things.
 

DeletedUser25825

Brynn watched the maneuverings of the drunk man, made a calculated summary of his intentions, and deemed his intentions as tom foolery. She managed to get jostled into the quick fray between Jack and the man, squeaked in soft surprise, and squirmed out before she could get hurt.

After the drunk moved on his way, Brynn entered the inn with the other two. This was very much out of her element. She knew better than to dare to go into the adult world, and she moved all the closer to Jack and O'Shannon.
 
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DeletedUser

Inside the Princes House

The old butler moved with surprising speed. His lung with the knife was spoilt by the DI's sudden movement but he still managed to lean back out of the path of the swinging cane. The butler hissed and spat in frustration before leaping forward and grabbing Albert in a tight grapple. He fought like a feral cat, teeth and fists everywhere.

The two struggling men edged closer and closer to the lip of the staircase.


Outside the Princes House

For a moment it looked as if the man might feint, his face paled and his legs buckled. If it wasn't for Esay's grip he would have fallen.
'It's the butler,' he said at last, his voice distant and weak. 'He killed everyone. I don't know where the master is. He got away I think. He might even be one of them. I really don't know.'
The young lad finally collapsed unconcious into the snow.
 
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