Realistic or Modern Occult Detectives : The Red Truth

[Grosso Nerdo]

London, Kensington Police Station, Kerberos Offices
It was late, close to 10pm. William said he felt a vision coming all afternoon but since it took so long to arrive, you started to wonder if waiting was really worth it. Hopefully it won't be a simple case of a stolen bike like last week, that was pretty pathetic, yet it helped increase the credibility of the team. A great deal of efforts and favors needed to be levied to create the squad so, while we certainly do not wish for people to commit crazy serious crimes, solving a big case would help cementing Kerberos's reputation.

The sound of William's cane echoed through the hallway, getting louder as he approached the lounge where you and the rest of the squad kept busy. The door opened. Maybe he had finally given up on his vision and you simply go home. Fortunately, this was not the case.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long but I feel this case will be worthwhile." William had a bout of coughing. When did he have his last glass of water ? His voice was hoarse.
"Listen to this, An item of great value, both monetary and occult, is forcefully taken from the 'Lovers Suite' at the 'The Lovers Lodge'. I looked up the address of that Lovers Lodge, it's a bit far from here. I need you to go there right now. I got the feeling this is bigger than anything we've done so far. I'll stay here for a while longer, give me a phone call once you've finished with the initial search."

The Lovers Lodge... You think you had heard about this place before in a folk tale, but you are unable to remember, maybe you'll ask people when you've arrived.

 

[Lucipurr]

It was late afternoon. Hours had passed since they spoke to Flagstone about the possible case. Frederick was growing anxious in anticipation, was there coffee anywhere? He was struggling to stay awake. He hadn't bothered to speak to the rest of the squad and sat alone in a secluded corner. Maybe it was best to call it a day, there's always tomorrow. But they were on stand-by, Frederick just hoped this investigation would be better than the previous. A stolen bike; some kid had gotten in over their head and it didn't last more than a few hours before Balderson shook the truth out of the child. Frederick wasn't much help on that case, he felt it was overboard to send the Kerberos squad to investigate something as simple as a stolen bike. But, Flagstone was the head honcho. Frederick had to sit back and listen if he didn't want to go back to his tedious job as a physician.

The sound of Flagstone's cane slowly approached the lounge. So much time had passed that Frederick silently hoped they would be released, but that hadn't been the case. There was indeed a case, but did it have to be another theft? Frederick groaned under his breath, when was he going to get his murder case! Nevertheless, he kept his attention on Flagstone until he finished. Something of great value, one with monetary and occult worth? Not to mention it had to be somewhere called The Lovers Lodge, wasn't that some kind of folk tale? Of course, he didn't put it past Flagstone to send the squad to a location that wasn't exactly made to exist. (Despite being in this position, where the occult was ever persistent, Frederick still had a hard time believing.)

"Balderson, Raven." Frederick looked in their direction. "You two have children, do you not? Then I'm sure you must know something about this Lovers Suite?"
Frederick hadn't had the time to mess around with love, and as much as he was aware, neither had Flutter. So, why not question the two who had children? They were bound to know more than he could possibly muster.

 

[Grosso Nerdo]

At the mention of the Lodge, The Policeman and the Alchemist minds will race to a well-known folks tale.

More than a century ago, a man and a woman of rival families loved each other. Alas, there was no way for them to meet openly for the consequences would have been dire. The man asked the owner's of the Deer's Lodge, as it was called back then, to make some changes to a particular room. A small balcony extension was added, and the locking screw of the window was exposed to the outside. This way, the woman could book the room for the night on a false pretense and the man could come and see her in the middle of the night, bypassing the surveillance by jumping from a nearby roof onto the balcony and opening the window from the outside using a simple tool. This way, the lovers could love each other in impunity.

The Lover's Suite is none other than that particular room. It is said that the spirits of the happy couple look upon those that decide to meet in that room and protect them from harm. It is a popular spot for romantics.

 

[Gurokawa]

Another burnt-out cigarette was firmly pressed into the glass ashtray on the desk next to where Clyde sat. He used his index and middle finger to rub at his temple as his other hand fumbled through his vest pocket. He lost track of time long before the sun had started to set and by then he was already halfway through his cigarette carton. He finally fished out the crumpled little box and opened the flap to see only one shriveled cigarette left. Clyde hesitated a moment, thinking if he should just stop for the night before he shrugged and took the little cancer stick between his teeth. The flick of his lighter echoed in the quiet room as he lit the cigarette in silence, taking in a long drag from it. His thoughts lingered on Mary-Alice for a moment, how he’d have to pay her nanny extra for how late he was staying out. Once he finished his last smoke he’ll have to call it a night. Probably ask the team to fill him in on anything important in the morning.

His mental plans were quickly interrupted once the familiar clicks of Flagstone’s cane approached the lounge. A case coming in right as he thought of returning home to his daughter was rather ironic and Clyde felt that whatever higher power it was that gave Mr.Flagstone his visions had an unamusing sense of humor. Still, it was a job he was hellbent on doing so he paid close attention as Flagstone spoke of their next case.

Lover’s suite. A place that he was all too familiar with how the tale went, Elizabeth had been obsessed with the city's historical sites when they first moved. Both paranormal and realistic. Why someone would want to steal something of great value based off of folklore was beyond him. He wasn’t even sure if there was anything of great value to snatch from the lodge. Clyde perked up once he heard his name being called. He removed the cigarette from his lips, tapping it against the ashtray to remove the residue.

“I’ve heard of it.” He stated simply, leaning back into the chair to continue his smoke. “Liz had mentioned it a few times back before we split. Never had the chance to take her.”

Clyde removed the cigarette again, opting to let out a puff of smoke as his fingers fidgeted with it. His eyes cast down to the floor as he wandered his mind, trying to recall the folktale as he thought aloud. “What I don’t understand is what could possibly be stolen from the suite that is of physical value…the entire tale revolves around two lovers. No mention of a mythical item or expensive jewelry."

 

[BuggaBoo]

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~ "Posie" - Mariposa Milinda Crooners - The Detective ~ ​

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Dark eyes widened as she flipped the page and spied the fancy little number drawn dancing across the advertisement.

The dress being sold was snazzy enough: tassels, sequins, frills. But the image of the flapper lass...? The hemline a bit too short of the knee was an understatement. Curly cues pulled up at both corners of the woman's lips as she took another drag from her cig before resting it down into the groove cut out in the ashtray. A slow, low whistle she let out whilst exhaling the full plume of smoke across open the magazine pages.

"Thinkin' I need to clip out this ad and pin it to my wall for further investigation, I do..." said Posie beneath her breath. A hint of a giggle lined her smokey-sounding voice and more than just a twinkle danced in her dark eyes.

The distinctive sound of Flagstone approaching.

Immediately Posie rolled up the magazine before awkwardly placing it just beside her fedora on the small circular table. Tan cheeks flushed, a small nervous smile pulled at her lips as she shook out her raven locks. A quick inhale she took, stood then straightened out her grey trousers and white blouse. One hand reached down and snatched up the smouldering white tabacco stick and the other tucked a thumb into her suspenders at chest height. Her hip bumped out and leaned up against the table. Nothing out of the ordinary.

No one was thinking naughty thoughts here. Just Posie standing here smoking cigarettes, cool as a kitten on a colourful kite.

Flagstone was a good bloke. Maybe a bit too too starchy around the collar, but always meant well. And efficient. Aaaaand maybe a mind reader too. No proof of that yet, but better to clear impure thoughts about dancing girls from your mind rather than one day he announcing very unfortunate news to all; some very detrimental facts about Posie in her life behind closeted doors. Yeah, better safe than sorry.

The Prophet:
"Listen to this, An item of great value, both monetary and occult, is forcefully taken from the 'Lovers Suite' at the 'The Lovers Lodge'. I looked up the address of that Lovers Lodge, it's a bit far from here. I need you to go there right now. I got the feeling this is bigger than anything we've done so far. I'll stay here for a while longer, give me a phone call once you've finished with the initial search."

A smile and nod she had graced the prophet, but of course her eyes scanned more than just his outward demeanour. He was serious when he said this was 'bigger' than anything they had done before. That really got the Spaniard woman's pulse going. Then of course, Dr. Knock-You-Down had to pipe up.

The Physician:
"Balderson, Raven." Frederick looked in their direction. "You two have children, do you not? Then I'm sure you must know something about this Lovers Suite?"

"Really, Doc? Thaaaaanks. How do you know I don't have kids...?" the false huff in her voice cracked as she let out a small laugh, "I babysit the lot of you rather well, don't I?"

The Policeman:
“I’ve heard of it.” He stated simply, leaning back into the chair to continue his smoke. “Liz had mentioned it a few times back before we split. Never had the chance to take her.”

Clyde removed the cigarette again, opting to let out a puff of smoke as his fingers fidgeted with it. His eyes cast down to the floor as he wandered his mind, trying to recall the folktale as he thought aloud. “What I don’t understand is what could possibly be stolen from the suite that is of physical value…the entire tale revolves around two lovers. No mention of a mythical item or expensive jewelry."

Posie cleared her throat and cast her gaze downwards until the humour escaped her eyes. Whenever Clyde brought up Liz, she always felt a bit tense and uncomfortable; divorce did not seem to be a joking matter.

"Don't always have to be of value to hold something physically, mate. The word 'Lover's' seems to forebode a theme here, yeah? Perhaps there's more worth to something that you don't just hold with your hands... but with your heart too."

Dark eyes could not help but dart back towards the big policeman to gauge his reaction. Out of them all here, she supposed he would be the most sympathetic with such a statement. Posie cringed whenever Clyde talked about Liz, but hung on his every word when he spouted off about Mary-Alice. Posie was sure that the girl's love for her father was something worth more than anything he could ever hold.

Another drag from the cig. Another plume of smoke exhaled. Once more another clearing of her throat. "And if anyone would like, I could ask around too, yeah? She's a good bean, but me lil' sis pokes her nose around goods and wares in the 'lost and found' area of the city too, d'you know what I mean..."

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[Grosso Nerdo]

Flagstone listened to the squad while he approached the lounge's window. He opened it a little bit, the air outside was chilly, it was pretty dark and the rain didn't improve the situation. The cigarette smoke was slowly attracted outside as the cool air ushered the warmth of the room away. He scratched his chin and leaned against the window frame, looking back toward the squad. He listened to their conversation in silence, forcing himself to smile at Posie's little remarks. He was sure a younger William would have found her positively amusing and tried to emulate that reaction.

But then, her words scratched his mind, like chalk on a blackboard.

Another drag from the cig. Another plume of smoke exhaled. Once more another clearing of her throat. "And if anyone would like, I could ask around too, yeah? She's a good bean, but me lil' sis pokes her nose around goods and wares in the 'lost and found' area of the city too, d'you know what I mean..."

He reacted strongly, taking a step forward, his cane producing a tap louder than usual. His facial expression didn't change much, his eyes seemed a little more authoritative, is all.
"I understand the usefulness of an informant. I really do... But with so little info about the case, we don't know how dangerous of a task 'snooping around' might be. I'm not telling you not to ask her. It just might be best to wait until you've learned about a few more facts, we might not need her to take any risks at all."

William walked to the door, having regained his composure.
"I know you must be a bit sore from all this waiting around, but the Red Truth we got so far suggests the crime might be happening; Right; Now. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how good fresh evidence can be for an investigation. Frederick, you have the keys to the car right ? Clyde, Mariposa, you got your guns ? Yes ? Then let's get out here people."

 

[DapperCharmer2.0]

Erskine had been at his work station all evening. The others had seemed to be a bit tense, or perhaps eager to return home, from all the waiting they had been taking part in. The time hadn't taken nearly as long to pass for Erskine; he'd been far too wrapped up in his latest concoction. He knew from experience that blood changed when exposed to air; a slight change in colour and consultancy. That meant it must have some kind of unique property to it. He wanted to concoct something that reacted to that property. If he could do something like that, maybe they could detect even the smallest amount of blood in a room; even if the naked eye couldn't see it.

Of course, the tapping of a cane broke Erskine from his work trance. He moved to join the other, suspecting Flagstone had news. Listening silently, Erskine allowed the information to wash over him. He'd heard if the Lovers Suit before. Not because he had a child, he'd conceived her back in Dublin, but because he'd made a point to research all the places near here that were haunted. And that suit was said to still be home to a pair of spectral forces. Of course they were kind spirits, but who knew if that would still be the case once they had something stolen from them.

At the request to move, Erskine was already scrambling to pack up his mobile lab. Within a few moments he was at the door. "You heard Flagstone. The sooner we get up there the better. Especially the spirits will be most active at midnight. I'd very much like to have that place investigated before then," he noted before heading straight for the car.

 

[Grosso Nerdo]

The car ride was short, but long enough to create a sense of anticipation. The sign "Lover's Lodge" came into sight, the building's thin side was exposed to the road, it looked old but well maintained. It was two stories tall, which was good, but hardly impressive for a hotel. On it's left, a small post office and on the right, appartement buildings. The squad found a nearby spot to park the car and rushed toward the entrance, running from the rain.

A corridor led directly to a flight of stairs going up, on the right side, a doorway led toward a small office, probably the reception judging from the brass bell on the desk. No one was there. There was sound coming from upstairs, multiple voices spoke loudly, they sounded concerned. Then, a loud banging sound, someone was apparently slamming his fist hard on a wooden surface.
A gruff voice bellowed "Miss Moore ! Are you in there ?! Can you open the door ?.. She's not answering... Maybe we should..."
It was followed by a younger voice, this one sounded clearly the most panicked. "Lisa ! Please ! Talk to me. It's Barnes !"
All of this sounded bad, the squad quickly got up the stairs, to the first floor, near the end of the hallway that was in front of them, they discovered three men, grouped in front of a door.

A young academic, wealthy looking. Quite panicked.	A pudgy man, stout and confident.	An employee, nervous and jittery.

As the squad approached the group, they turned to acknowledge them. The pudgy man seemed relieved.
"Ah ! The police ! What a fortunate coincidence ! I'm glad to have you here." He gestured toward the door in front of him.
"There is a lady in the Lover's Suite and she isn't responding to our calls, we are quite concerned and we'd like to check on her. But... we've been having trouble opening the door, she left the key inside the lock on her side. We've been trying to push it off with our master key. Her key and the master key are the only keys for that room. We've been considering just busting the door open at this stage..."

 

[Lucipurr]

There may have been some bickering in the car. Frederick wasn't a huge fan of cigarette smoke and there seemed to be some adamant smokers beside him. Sure, he could stand it when inside a building BUT Frederick was driving, thus, he would be making the rules! "I'll have you know that my professional opinion states smoking is terrible!" Of course, no one would take such sentiment seriously (even from a Doctor). After all, it wouldn't be known until the 60's that smoking was damaging. Not to mention the parking situation was a nightmare!

Now onto our regularly scheduled program:

The drive was long, Frederick wasn't used to investigating so far out from their typical area of expertise. Maybe this was their chance to find something big, or maybe it would be another flop like the last case. Either way, Flagstone was right, this case garnered Frederick's attention more and more. Something about this case felt different though it was hard to pinpoint what. Upon reaching the Lover's Lodge, the was a sense of astonishment. Lover's Lodge? So the silly folk tale was true, or perhaps, it was built around the folk tale. It didn't matter. Frederick made his way inside the small building reasonably unimpressed. For a famous hotel, it wasn't as lavish as he believed it to be. In face, it was plain. They must profit primarily off the folk tale.

After being rushed to the second floor due to an immense amount of panic and fumbling, Frederick listened carefully to what the pudgy man had to say. Amongst his words was a red truth, which he mumbled to himself on repeat trying to decipher it's meaning. It was farfetched but perhaps one of the keys led to the back entrance. "We have two options then," He spoke, "Either Balderson breaks the door down or we could try the back entrance. What did that folk tale say, something about a special window?" Frederick was leaning towards breaking the door down, at least it would be the simple option.

 

[Grosso Nerdo]

The man shook his head from side to side, he crossed his arms in disaproval.
"There is the Lover's Way, yes. It involves taking a ladder up to the post office's roof and jump onto the balcony. But with that rain, it is way too dangerous, you could easily slip on the tiles, plus, you have to be quite athletic to make the jump."

The younger man took a step forward, his face was still filled with concern.
"Just bash the door down ! Please ! I'll pay for it ! She might have hurt herself !"

 

[BuggaBoo]

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~ "Posie" - Mariposa Milinda Crooners - The Detective ~ ​

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As soon as she got out of the car, the first thing she did was to pull out her infamous black notebook. A simple nod Posie donned her squad before casing the outside of the buidling, scrawling and drawing upon her notebook's pages trying madly to balance her umbrella at the same time.

A minute later the pencil hung from the corner of her mouth. For a moment longer, dark eyes glazed over in thought then suddenly they popped wide and glinted. A curt nod she tossed the open air before snugging her fedora down and scurrying her way through the main entrance whilst fighting her umbrella closed.

The man shook his head from side to side, he crossed his arms in disaproval.
"There is the Lover's Way, yes. It involves taking a ladder up to the post office's roof and jump onto the balcony. But with that rain, it is way too dangerous, you could easily slip on the tiles, plus, you have to be quite athletic to make the jump."

Posie shook herself off, trying to make herself look presentable despte the rainwater trailing behind her. She eyed the two speakers up and down then glanced at the third. The woman tipped her hat in greeting then immediately displayed her credentials.

"Heeeeello gents, how about we slow things up a tad and catch a breathe first, eh? I am Detective Crooners. This is Constable Balderson and Specialist Raven. Seems like you've made acquaintace with the good Dr. Bramley already I see..."

A friendly smile she flashed them before puling out that little notebook.

The younger man took a step forward, his face was still filled with concern.
"Just bash the door down ! Please ! I'll pay for it ! She might be have hurt herself !"

"Sir, please. Now that you know we have a Doctor on premises, please try to put your mind at ease? But first we would need, from each of you, an account of what has transpired so far. If doors need to be broken down... with the sheer amount of gents here, I am certain that can be accomplished. With ease I'm sure. But before we start damaging property, how's about some names and stories? Whaddy'a say, mate...?"

Posie motioned towards the bespectacled man and gave another encouraging smile and nod. The moment any started speaking, she would first lick the tip of her pencil as always then start jotting down notes madly into her notebook.

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[Grosso Nerdo]

The young man raised his hands to his temples and starting walking up and down the hallway. He was too tense to talk right now. Thankfully, the other gentleman was here to fill the Detective in."Hmpf, My name is Marvin Aleksandar Takarov. T.A.K.A.R.O.V; I am the owner of this here lodge. This is my housekeeper Calvin; And the young man is Mr. Bronvale. The lady that booked this room is called Lisa Moore, as far as I'm aware, she is Mr. Bronvale's girlfriend. She booked the suite for this night, the 18th. Mr. Bronvale came in the Lodge, knocked at her door and with no response, came to find us. There is a phone in the room, we've been calling but she hasn't responded, so we got here and tried again, still nothing. Frankly, I think nobody's inside." said Marvin, his voice as gruff as ever.

Lisa Moore, a romantic girlfriend


Calvin... The name and face sprung to the Detective's mind. If this youngster was Calvin Vanman (and he was !) that meant she knew him. A petty thief, had been arrested for stealing jewelry from hotels he worked at. Very curious to find him here... The standards of this 'fine' establishment seem to be going down every minute.

 

[Gurokawa]

The car ride to the hotel was uneventful. Besides the usual nagging from Frederick about his smoking habits, Clyde’s mind was focused on the case at hand already trying to imagine what they would be dealing with once they had arrived. As he left the car, Clyde started assessing his surroundings. Nothing out of the ordinary stuck out to him, especially with his limited field of vision due to the rain. The building looked undisturbed and quiet. Though in Clyde’s line of work he was quick to learn that looks could be deceiving. He was right in that assumption when the group had made their way into the building, only to be met with their first conflict of the night.

The frantic scene before him and the others was one he’d seen a few times before. House calls and upkeeps on loved ones weren’t new to Clyde, however, he’s never had to assess one of these instances within a hotel. While he fumbled to remove his soaked overcoat, Clyde managed to lift his hand and muster up a tight smile in greeting as Posie introduced him. His smile quickly disappeared though as she began to question the men. His brows knit together in thought as he listened, something in particular not quite sitting well with him.

“Did the couple not arrive here together, Mr.Takarov? Was there no one who made contact with Ms.Moore before she entered the room?” Clyde asked, making his way closer to the door. He leaned down to assess the knob, his index finger resting just under his chin. His eyes scanned the simple knob, trying to piece together whether or not they would be able to dismantle it rather than kick the door in. The less property damage the better.

He stood up, folding the heavy overcoat over his arm as his gaze wandered to where Mr.Bronvale was pacing. The man obviously was in no state to be interrogated further, stressed out witnesses were ones that Clyde had issues dealing with. They often spread misinformation due to not being in a proper headspace. He opted to keep his focus on the pudgy man, turning his attention back onto the doorknob.

“Before I take my colleague up on his *tempting* offer,” Clyde gave Frederick a pointed look, his voice laced with brief sarcasm. “I’d like to know if there’s any way of taking this lock apart.”

 

[Grosso Nerdo]

Takarov turned toward Balderson. He seemed momentarily impressed by the man's stature, maybe somewhat jealous. He scoffed and raised his hand to his moustache which, admittedly, was pretty impressive too. "Ms. Moore was alone, I checked her in at maybe... 7pm ? I didn't see her leaving after that, but I'm often in the back so she could have left between that time and 10:45pm, which was when Mister.. Uh... Bronvale. Came to ask us for help and it's now.... uh." He looked at a small watch strapped under his wrist "11:08pm"

Bronvale seemed to momentarily regain his composure at the mention of his girlfriend, he approched the Policeman, hat held in front of him. "I was supposed to meet her at around 10:30pm. It is our last night together before she has to return to Belfast." He jerked his head toward the ceiling, apparently back to being concerned. Suddenly he seemed to be struck by a realization, he took a step closer to Balderson, a bit too close for comfort. "Wait ! I remember she mentionned me she had bought some kind of trinket from a antiquarian, she said it looked ancient and valuable and she wanted a second opinion..."

 

[DapperCharmer2.0]

Admittedly, Erskine had tuned out a little bit to all the information that was being shared with the group. Of course it still entered into his consciousness, but he didn't feel the need to join in with the conversation; since it did not related to hauntings or alchemy. So instead he just examined the door; he was studying the type of metal that had been used to construct the lock. It didn't look too dense, even showing some subtle signs of weathering. Erskine figured he could get through it easy enough.

The Alchemist's ears picked up at the mention of an ancient trinket. Without turning his attention away from his bag, Erskine spoke up, "unless she dipped that trinket in salt water with a priest as witness, I'd wager that trinket my be cause of this. But maybe that's just my inate distrust of antiquities." He pulled a small vial out from his bah and very carefully poured it over the lock. Standing back, he watched as it slowly bubbled and melted away. Turning to Clyde and smiled with a gentle smirk. "There, locks taken apart."

 

[Grosso Nerdo]

Takarov, seemingly satisfied, pushes the door open. "Ah finally. Miss Moore ?... Are you in... Oh my god !" He quickly exited the room and pointed inside, he was shaking. Upon seeing the owner so panicked, Barnes tried to push past the squad to get inside the room. "What is happening ?! Please let me in ! LISA !" it wouldn't do any good to let him in considering his state of mind. Meanwhile, Calvin, the housekeeper, was perfectly happy to stay out the way.

The lover's lodge was a relatively small room. The entrance was located on the eastern wall. On the western wall, a thin rectangular window through which the post office's roof could be seen. The window was closed. There was a small stone balcony, only large enough for one person to stand onto. In the middle of the room, the body of Lisa Moore was laying on a bed. She appeared to have been bleeding from a wound on her stomach. Her face was frozen, eyes and mouth open wide.
At the bottom of the bed, her luggage had been upturned, clothes and papers were all over the floor.

Another door is located on the south door, it led to a small bathroom containing a bath, a toilet and a simple wooden cabinet.

 

[BuggaBoo]

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~ "Posie" - Mariposa Milinda Crooners - The Detective ~ ​

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The name and face sprung to the Detective's mind. If this youngster was Calvin Vanman (and he was !) that meant she knew him. A petty thief, had been arrested for stealing jewelry from hotels he worked at. Very curious to find him here...

Posie reached down to wipe and shine her black flats then true to her nickname, in a Flutter she was somehow right in front of the 'housekeeper', invading his personal space. And was there any doubt that she was poised with her pencil and notepad?

"Heeeeello, mate. Calvin is it? Didn't catch the last name however if memory holds correct, I distinctly remember another with the same name cuffed up for... oh!! The circumstances were rather similar? Pity.

Well, that said, I do believe the charge was something like 'unlawfull entry and larceny?' Dreadful.

Cannot seem to recal if there was a conviction however, thinking back... yes... yes, I do believe that it was stated that repeat offenses could have rather dire consequences in terms of time served. Tsk-tsk."

At this point, Posie was emphasizing certain words and dark eyes pointed in a certain direction until Calvin got the hint and stared at what she kept looking at; the shining badge of Constable Balderson Gurokawa .

"So what's at stake then? Just a conviction for stolen property? Dunno. So here... How about you work with the good Detective and come clean with your version-- rather your intimate knowledge of what is really happening. Calvin, if you seek some kind of understanding from the long arm of the Law before this precarious situation gets us tossed into the deep end--"

Standing back, he watched as I slowly bubbled and melted away. Turning to Clyde and smiled with a gentle smirk. "There, locks taken apart."

A The dark eyes of the woman glinted and she eagerly held her notepad, an encouraging smile held at her lips. It did not last long.

Tarkarov: "Ah finally. Miss Moore ?... Are you in... Oh my god !" He quickly exited the room and pointed inside, he was shaking.

A glance to her left was all it took. A million thoughts flooded the Spaniard-blooded woman's thoughts at a million miles an hour. There had to be a Red Truth in there.

"Dr. Bramley! Doc, we need you on scene stat!" Lucipurr

Upon seeing the owner so panicked, Barnes tried to push past the squad to get inside the room. "What is happening ?! Please let me in ! LISA !"

Posie leapt over to the doorframe pointing towards Bronvale as she went, "Clyde! Erskine! Gents, we have to cordon off the crime scene to procure evidence and signs of foul play!"

There was no sense trying to mix words now, she saw all she needed to see in the eyes of the prone and still body of Ms. Moore.

Posie choked back the tears much too easily nowadays. Not even a second thought. How many more young ladies would she have to find dead just so she would push papers and bring forth evidence only for the perps to literally get away with murder? How many more?

White teeth gnashed together. Fire ignited in black-irised eyes. A line in the sand.

As she pushed to keep the bespectacled young man out of the room, she glanced, no, she was shaking as she deathglared at Calvin, all good humour and encouragement a faded memory, "Think carefully about your story... There will be interrogations of suspects related to this crime scene. Stakes are raised! We are in the deep end now, Vanman!! Homicide best case scenario, but I swear whatever we find in there, if it's murdrer I am nailing the culprits to the wall and pushing for maximum punishment!! Think carefully, when we ask you for your story next, you better have an alibi too!!"

There was no way she was strong enough to push back and hold the triggered (understandably) Mr. Bronvale. She could only hope the other fellas of the squad could hold him in check. All she could do was try to offer words of reason. Whatever good they would do.

A calming breath releasing outrage and aggression.

"Mr. Bronvale... Sir, please. I cannot know what you are going through right now. I could not even bear to imagine. But we need you more now than ever, yeah? Ms. Moore cannot attest to what transpired. I'm sorry. I'm so dreadfully sorry for what happened to her. But we need her voice right now. The voice is that of reason and truth. That is how we will help tell her story; me, you, my squad. It's why we are here.

We are here to help.

Now, you've been introduced to Dr. Bramley. An expert in his field and no one better I would trust to help those stricken to tell their story by uncovering the truth. Please let him pass. Please let him do his work. I'll be right here with you until I'm needed, okay? I'm here for this, mate..."

If it seemed like Posie stated a similar spiel before that was because she had done it before. Time and again. And if it seemed like Posie was sincere with her words that was because she did mean every word each and every single time.

Regardless, she truly believed she would find a Red Truth in there. She just needed to be patient. And she needed Doc to get a Time of death and Cause of death before anyone else messed with the crime scene.

"...we will catch whoever did this."

---

---

 

[Lucipurr]

Information was being tossed around between both parties while Frederick waited patiently in the back. Balderson and Crooner asked questions, Raven fidgeted with the doorknob, and Frederick kept his ears open for information prevalent to him. His job was that of a physician, so his ability wasn't particularly valuable in interrogations. He was amused by Cronner's apprehensive questioning of Mr. Vanman, however. The man was practically dancing in his seat while she rapidly fired different remarks, the poor fella wouldn't recover from this- thankfully, Frederick was a medic, not a psychologist, so that wouldn't be his concern.

The voices soon went quiet once Raven successfully opened the door to the room. There was a slight disappointment when Balderson didn't kick the door down as suggested but only so much can be done. Everyone began to squeeze their way inside, and amongst the rustling, Frederick was the last one to witness the scene. The room was much smaller than he had anticipated for something nicknamed the Lover's Suite, not to mention the disastrous state everything was in. What caught his attention and compelled Crooner to call for him was the corpse laying in the middle of the bed. The situation was pitiful. The poor girl, who was identified as Ms. Moore, was killed in a rush. Whoever did it didn't take their time, and they were desperately searching for something hence the sprawled suitcase (or so Frederick thought).

"Keep in mind everyone is a suspect," Frederick reacted to Crooner's remarks towards the employee. "That includes Mr. Vanman, Mr. Tarkov, and the bereaved Mr. Bronvale. Make sure we get all of their statements."

He was able to make his way over to the deceased and brought out a leather bag, something he carried around with him everywhere. It contained a handful of medical supplies from gloves to scalpels, whatever he needed to get a basic idea of the condition of an individual. While everyone continued to play their part, Frederick began to do his and started examining the body.

 

[Grosso Nerdo]

Calvin seemed really eager to make his exit, but Balderson's stature and Possie's gaze made it impossible for him to move away from the scene. He did muster up enough of what he could make pass for courage to speak :
"Bloody hell woman, no need to shout me background in front of the guvnor..."

Takarov was fidgetty. "I hope this won't find its way to the papers..." He whispered to himself, apparently more concerned about the lodge's reputation than his dead guest. Maybe it was just his nerves... Thankfully, Barnes Bronstone didn't hear him.

Indeed Mr. Bronstone had managed to catch a good look at the inside of the room and at his murdered girlfriend. He deflated very quickly, like a puppet whose string had suddenly been cut. He would have no doubt collapsed on the floor if there was no one around him onto which he could hold. "... God. I should have.. been there. He warned me.. I didn't listen.. Fuck."

The Physician was able to discover much about the victim. First, Lisa Moore was killed by strangulation. The stab wound on her stomach has been dealt post-mortem and the body wasn't moved. The stab wound was around 10 cm deep and wasn't very wide. Probably dealt with a knife or a similar tool.

A small blue book had been thrown on the floor, it had fallen partly under the bed. This book seemed strangely out of place, it was bearing no title and the bit of text that could be seen appeared to have been written by hand.

 

[Gurokawa]

Clyde wasted no time jumping into action as soon as he heard the panicked cries. He did his best to keep Mr. Bronstone away from the scene of the crime since it was his girlfriend that was the unfortunate victim. But the man was persistent and managed to push past Clyde’s tall stature. Adrenaline was a hell of a drug.

He hoped that Posie’s words at least provided some slight comfort, but he knew there wasn’t much consolation they could give due to the given situation. His arms reached out to catch Mr. Bronstone as he wavered, ushering the man away from the crime scene.

“Come on now, my team can handle it from here.” He kept his voice calm and leveled, despite the many thoughts rushing through his head. There was no doubt in his mind that the murder suspect was after the same mystical item they were, and poor Ms.Moore was probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Clyde lowered Mr.Bronstone onto the floor, allowing the man a moment to sit down and process. He listened to his incoherent mumbling, a particular word stuck out to him which caused him to pause.

“He warned you…?” He questioned, kneeling down next to the man. “I know you’re in distress right now Mr.Bronstone, but any information you have could help us apprehend the person responsible for your loved one’s death. Did someone speak to you before you entered the lodge?

 

[Grosso Nerdo]

Bronstone was still out of it, but managed to find an answer. "Harry... My brother. He's the one that introduced us at a party he was hosting. He did warn me that he felt like Lisa wasn't who she seemed... and that I'd find only sadness in pursuing this relationship. He warned me again earlier today... I was telling him about our rendez-vous, he was supportive but told me to be careful."

Strangely, Clyde could tell that this Red Truth did not originate from his gift. It had been revealed much earlier. Barnes didn't seem to realize he was speaking it and didn't understand its significance but he must have been told that Red Truth for it to appear in his speech. The truth felt somewhat weak, it was not very precise and anyone could be said not to be, in their hearts of hearts, who they appear to be. Perhaps it was the result of a budding occult gift ? The Policeman had, when he started noticing his powers, discovered similar truths so that could be it.

Barnes moved back and sat down on the carpeted ground, leaning against the wall. He probably won't cause any more problems for the investigation, but it would be a good idea to keep an eye on him in case he faints. Thankfully, Takarov was already dealing with him, trying to cheer him up with, admittedly, little tact : "It's alright boy. You'll... uuh.. You are still young... The police is gonna... do their thing."

 

[BuggaBoo]

---

---

~ "Posie" - Mariposa Milinda Crooners - The Detective ~ ​

---

Posie breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Clyde had collared Bronstone and escorted him out from the crime scene.

But not even a heartbeat later she winced when Doc piped up about everyone being suspects. You have to play good cop, bad cop. Doc here was playing 'No cop.'

"Thank you, Doc but don't think that helps calms him..." she uttered in sing-song out the side of her mouth, projecting at the good doctor. Dark eyes then darted over to the dishevelled young man and she reached over to him, "You're in good hands, Mr. Bronstone. Constable will see to you. I'm going to help Ms. Moore tell her story, okay? I'm right there if you need anything."

After tucking up the remainder of her hair neath her hat, Posie donned her gloves. She turned to Takarov and just glared at Vanman before speaking, "No news is good news right now, gents. We don't need the blood-suckers from the papers catching wind of this at this stage. But please try to recall anything that could be useful to put a quick close to this case."

A tip of the hat, and then Posie stepped cautiously into the room.

---​

A smile and nod she cast at Frederick and left him to his own field of expertise upon deducing what he could about the body. The frantic yet familiar scratching of her pencil scribbling in her notebook sounded out as she took notes and made quick drawings of the room and possible exits and line of sights.

She double checked the door to concur that it was the key was blocking the master key from working, all the while noting to see if there were any bloodied footprints or prints of any kind. The window was previously noted as the 'Lover's Way' in and so she inspected closed window seeing if it truly had remained closed all this time. Without opening the window, Posie inspected the balcony visually the best she could despite the dark and rain; of course, actually going out there was best, but she could not risk messing up the evidence the Squad found here. But she noted the sightline to the post office, writing down possible eye witnesses.

Humming softly, she did an inspection of the cabinet in the bathroom as well as opening up the lid of the water container of the toilet. One of the cases she was on before she signed on with Kerberos had her finding a murder weapon hidden in that area of a toilet. Once she was done, she returned to Doc's side.

Using her pencil, she prodded through the remains of the suitcase and pages. Then dark eyes widened, glinting when she saw it. Posie squatted down and reached under the bed and pulled out the blue notebook.

"Heeeeello there my new little friend... I'm Detective Crooners..." despite the cute little intro, Posie's eyes and face were of utmost seriousness as she leafed through the notebook.

Dark eyes slid sideways towards Frederick, the pencil lolling from the corner of her mouth, "Wanna' compare notes...? Ready when you are, mate."

---

---

 

[Grosso Nerdo]

She double checked the door to concur that it was the key was blocking the master key from working, all the while noting to see if there were any bloodied footprints or prints of any kind.

A key was indeed in the keyway, a little heart-shaped keychain was attached to it. Takarov was able to confirm that this was the guest key for the room. No footprints could be found anywhere in the room, no blood was spilled on the carpet either.

she inspected closed window seeing if it truly had remained closed all this time. Without opening the window, Posie inspected the balcony visually the best she could despite the dark and rain; of course, actually going out there was best, but she could not risk messing up the evidence the Squad found here. But she noted the sightline to the post office, writing down possible eye witnesses.

Looking out from the window, two details caught the Detective's attention. A metal glint in the street below the balcony and a few drops of blood staining the window frame located on the outside. She couldn't see the other side of the frame very well from the inside, opening it might yield more information.
As for eyewitnesses, only someone directly on the roof of the postal office would be able to get a good view inside the room.

Humming softly, she did an inspection of the cabinet in the bathroom as well as opening up the lid of the water container of the toilet

After a cursory inspection, the cabinets didn't reveal anything out of the ordinary but, as she touched a tube of lipstick, Posie suddenly felt something strange about it. She opened it and inspected it thoroughly, revealing its true nature : This was a 1-shot concealed firearm, it belonged to Ms. Moore and was never used.

Using her pencil, she prodded through the remains of the suitcase and pages. Then dark eyes widened, glinting when she saw it. Posie squatted down and reached under the bed and pulled out the blue notebook.

This suitcase had a false bottom, it had been discovered by whoever looked through it. In that compartment, there was a circular indentation, about 4 inches in diameter, like something was designed to fit here. Whatever was here had been stolen. The secret compartment also contained a french passport, the picture on it resembled Ms. Moore but her name wasn't present, instead, the passport was for a certain "Roberta Lacroix". Whether that passport was genuine or not, Posie couldn't tell, but someone at the station probably could. A few letters were bound in a stack, with seemingly mundane contents.

The contents of the blue notebook were entirely handwritten. It took a moment for the Detective to understand what she was looking at : A codebook, this one allowing to encrypt or decrypt secret messages hidden in text. That could mean... She went back to the letters, among them, she found one which text matched the codebook, the other ones were probably decoys to hide this particular one. The hidden message was the following : "Target : Shard of the Key; Owner : Mr. Gondolphi, Teacher of History; Cover : Exchange Student. Deliver home."