"I'll looks at them back at the lab along with the remnants of potion. Maybe the ingredients will hint towards something." Corynne comments looking at the confections. "I think I've gotten all I can from her body while without taking her back to HQ. Someone want to see what Alice has drummed up outside?"
Az looks at the tray of confections with curiosity, wondering if his recent studies might be of benefit in this situation. [b]"Az has been studying The dwarf picks one up and gives it a sniff, then pinches off a small piece of one of the gooey balls and taps it to his tongue, giving a slight taste.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Nodding at Corynne, Ellena steps past the guards and outside to scan the street for their erstwhile marine. Trying not to show it, she's also relieved at not having drawn 'Move the body' duty, and to be back in the sun. That room was a lot colder than she remembered it being.
Ellena steps outside as Alice has just managed to turn away a pestering old geezer who was babbling nonsense, evidently looking for a spot of celebrity. She sighs in relief once she spots the blonde girl moving out of the consulate.
"Oi, Ellena! What'd you find out?" Stepping away from the crowd, Alice moves closer to her colleague to share her information. "I got maybe half a lead. Apparently our victim jumped out of the window, then somebody shot he a couple times. By a very dark figure, according to a driver who passed by. Then an old man with a goatee picked her pockets as she was bleedin' out and ran away to the alleys. There were signs of a scuffle there, a clot of blood and this deed for a barge. Might be worth checking out."
Alice stretches as she puts away her notebook. Getting hungry. It should be lunchtime soon.
Ellena shrugged. "Maybe... we know where she lives, works, and eats- ate lunch. She drugged the Consulate employees, but they're still lying for some reason - someone not her was stabbed upstairs, and they shot her body after she died. Definitely a murder, though - Corynne got her to finger the 'Shadow Man'. The others have one or two other things to check out, but they said they'd need better equipment to do it."
The chocolate is high quality and tastes delicious.
"Hmm...it certainly is tasty. Do not plan to take full bite, though, is for sure! We also learned she worked at Sechim's Alkahest & Etchings and spent much free time at Thinking Man's Tavern....is same place as on chocolates box. Is definitely a place we should check out I am thinking."
"Yeah, that lines up with what I've heard, especially if this Shadow Man was the black figure that was spotted behind her. And the Danorans are hiding something, what a surprise. They have cleaned the other blood pool, I guess, shame. Why did she drug the employees, though? And where did she have lunch? I wouldn't mind a bite, myself."
"At a guess, she was like as not hoping to distract them while she went about other business." Miselle considered. It seemed unlikely she would target an Embassy just for shiny trinkets, and the vast leap suggested a connection with Gale. "I suppose we could lunch at the Thinking Man," she mused out loud, "And see what can be learned as we dine."
"Is probably best plan we will get with what we know now. Ach, Thinking Man's tavern, eh? Will not be as good as Silver Moon, Az is sure." he muses aloud, stroking his beard.
It's an hour by carriage to the main docks of Bosum Strand, and the Thinking Man's Tavern is only a few streets away from there. It's easily recognizable by the large assortment of flotsam and jetsam assembled by the entrance. From the right angle, the sculpture resembles a sitting man deep in thought.
The tavern is a rather large three-storied building. Inside is a kitchen, bar, common room with tables, and a game room with dartboards and a pool table. There's an upstairs balcony with more seating, and the topmost floor is a chair-filled 'thinking room' with several chairs and an ornate fireplace. In all, the Thinking Man's Tavern can comfortably hold almost 150 patrons at a time. At the moment, though, it's almost empty with only a few diners.
Az heads to the Thinking Man's tavern with anyone else who plans to make their way there, making sure that they have the box of chocolates with them so that the proprietor of the business can be questioned about their origin and make.
While he's passed by it a number of times, as close to the docks as it is, the dwarf has never really given the place more than a passing glance. The building always struck him as needlessly large for a tavern, though he also understood that bigger meant more customers. He would rather be in a tavern a third that size with a more home-y feel.
Once inside the building, Az waits for the others to come in after him, imagining it better for those who came this direction to stick together and present a cohesive front.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Oh, they gave you chocolates?"
Alice's hand moves darts to the sweets carried away by her colleagues, grabbing one. They were very kind to bring them to me.
But as she's about to bite into the candy, Ellena is quick to snatch it from her hand, gasping in alarm.
You have never seen Alice look that shocked and betrayed, not even on the Coaltongue.
~~~
As the group moves towards the tavern, Alice shares what she learned: the blood in the alley (which she passes to Corynne for further analysis), the barge deed, the accounts of the old man with a goatee who stole from the victim, the dark figure and the after-jump shots.
"I say we eat first, ask questions later." she says in a low voice. "I think I'll take the rump steak."
"Agreed," Miselle added. It would help identify the mood of the place and give them a few minutes.
Also, she was hungry. "What do they have by way of roasts..?"
"Makes sense. I have a contact in the area that has a....hand on the pulse of the area. After we eat I'll see if she's heard anything about any of the people involved, then head back to the lab to run tests on the evidence." Corynne says taking the blood sample and stowing it safely.
"Some food would be nice..." Ellena mutters, stealing a second glance at the pool table. "I think I'll try the soup."
Food
Chicken Sandwich
Sausage Rolls
Fried Green Tomatoes
Leeks
Artichoke
Drinks
Pale Ale
Barley Wine
House Red Wine
30yr Whiskey
Absinthe
Schnapps
Goat Milk
Herbal Tea
Coffee
-----------------------------------------------
Az is quick to order the sausage rolls and friend green tomatoes, a treat that he didn't recall having in Drakr as a youth but one that he found quite palatable here in Risur. They probably weren't as good as the Moon's, but that might be his bias as well. To go with it he first orders the 30-year whiskey and some coffee, "black as a devil's heart" as he calls it, to chase it down with.
After downing the whiskey in one go, he slams the small cup back on the table and releases a pleased grunt of breath. "Aaah! Now that puts hair in dwarf's beard! Az will say this about the place, they have good taste in whiskey!" he says in pleasure.
Waiting for the coffee and food to come out, Az looks around the table at the others. "Az has contact in area, too; a woman who works at different tavern, a bit further into Strand. Is seeming to me like best first step is just to ask if they know about box of chocolates. Find out if these are actually from here, or if box was just used as cover for them. If is here they are from, they are probably not cheap box. If is special order, owners may know who ordered them."
"It does seem odd, no, that an item in a branded container is not listed for sale..." Miselle considered, and ordered a chicken sandwhich and some coffee. It was perhaps roasted. Both the chicken and the coffee.
"We can ask the cook later... are you all sure it's a good idea to eat here? The chocolates were drugged... Ellena whispered, the growling in her own stomach making her look longingly at Az's tomatoes.
"No idea." replies Alice with an evil grin, a chicken sandwich lying untouched on the plate in front of her. "That's why I'm waiting until Miselle finishes hers."
On display behind the bar, you see several boxes of chocolates. They're priced slightly more than you'd expect, but that's not particularly surprising considering the tavern's ambiance and menu.
Miselle eats her food quite merrily. It didn't occur to her that it might be drugged until Alice mentioned it, but she paused for only a moment before continuing. Swallowing, she shrugs. "I have had stranger days."
Corynne orders the fried green tomatoes and schnapps, shaking her head with a chuckle at Alice's use of Miselle as a test subject, and even more so at the pretty Danoran's reaction.
I suppose if I spent most of my time around things that might blow up, poisoning wouldn't seem like a big deal either.
"I doubt anyone would have the gall to poison a group of Royal Constables last seen walking in here." she says, taking a sip of her drink.
Corynne turns out to be correct. None of your meals are drugged or poisoned.
"Alright." Alice washes down the last of the sandwich with a gulp of herbal tea. Bleah. Beats drinking on the job, but feels like cabbage soup.
Going to the counter to pay, she reaches for the RHC badges and places it next to the silver. as soon as the publican approaches her.
"Thanks for the food. I'm Constable Kildare, of the RHC, those are my colleagues. We'd like to ask you a few questions about a woman by the name of Nilasa Hume. A regular of yours, I've heard? What can you tell us about her?"
And did something happen recently? But let's ask a few questions at a time, gauge the responses.
With a flagon of goat milk, Ellena steps to a table near the door and sits watching everything while the others question. In retrospect, they probably should have someone around the back - little late for now, though.
The publican frowns in thought for a few seconds as he takes your money. "Hmmm... Pretty half-elf, right? Don't know much about her, I'm afraid. She was here in the evenings, usually, and that's Barb's shift. She'll be here in two or three hours once she's done at the factory."
"Can you tell us more about the boxes of chocolates? Do you sell many of them?"
Hearing that the victim's co-worker would be in later in the evening, Corynne begins to plan her next few steps. Head back to the lab when they were done here, come back later in the evening and meet with her contact, which was better off done out of uniform anyway.
"They're fairly popular. We typically sell a dozen or so boxes each week."
"Did Nilasa buy many of them? They do look delicious," Miselle asked inquisitively.
"I wouldn't know. Like I said, she's normally here in the evenings, and I'm day shift."
-Posted with Wayfinder
"Alright, folks, get going as we said? Catch you later."
Downing a coffee, Alice walks out of the tavern, stretching and enjoying the salty air. I love living by the sea.
"The barge should be registered, the competent office should be a good start. Beats having to stalk the canal."
"Aye, we will find what we can at tavern. Is you and me again, eh?" he asks, looking over to the blonde. "Ready to go when you are. Az will be gentle-dwarf. Ladies first." he says with a slight grin as he steps to the side of the door and sweeps his hand toward the exit.
Ellena settles up and takes a long look back at the bar before stepping through the proffered door. Do we really want to leave the innkeeper alone here? I mean, the others know better, but...
"Factory or Tavern first?"
Miselle nodded to the others cheerfully, retreating to the lab to run the tests needed.
"True, and if any recent changes have occurred they might have an idea of it. Might be worth it to question anyone else who is there regularly to see if activity's been unusual lately." Corynne says as she walks alongside Alice.
The barge is named "La Princesa" and is owned by a factory in Bosum Strand.
The RCH laboratory is well-equipped, and there's a technician available to assist as needed.
Miselle examined the invisibility potion and gained the clues about it. It should not be hard to track down an Alchemist related to badgers - maybe a wizard with a familiar? It shouldn't take too long to do so.
Her skills with magic were less impressive, however. "Can you help me with these samples?" she called out to the technician.
"Let us go to check factory first. See if that gives enough time for night shift to come in at tavern."
Nodding, Ellena (and presumably Az) stepped off through the streets and towards Parity Lake.
The technician came over with a comprehensive list of substances.
As you arrive, "Sechim's Alkahest and Etchings" is noticeably different from the rest of the district's lake-side factories. While all contribute in various ways to Risuri military and naval resources, your target building is the only one not being protested.
The cannon bore factory to the immediate left is surrounded by a small mob of women singing traditional Risuri folk songs, thick metal chains are wrapped around the doors leading inside, and several off-duty police officers are guarding the entrance. The firedust factory to the right bears an identical scene - as do the three smaller factories across the street.
While Heward Sechim's factory has a trio of guards stationed at the entrance, however, it appears to be running at full capacity, and there's no mob present.
"Princesa? Like Princess? Oh, Ellena won't like the comparison."
Alice heads towards the spot where the barge should be.
"Hmmph. Already, there is a strange thing going here. We should be asking one of the officers about it." Az suggests to his companion, heading over in that direction.
Miselle ground her teeth. Something...there was something there, but they hadn't quite gotten it.
The barge is docked in its assigned berth. At the moment, it's empty, and there's nobody around.
One of the guards steps forward to intercept you. "Excuse me, but this area is off-limits unless you're a factory worker."
Whatever the substance is, it doesn't appear to be in the reference book - and that's informative in and of itself.
Ellena looks up at the guard, swallowing a stutter and doing her best to be heard above the singing. "We need to speak with Sechim, please, about a factory worker. We're with the RHC."
Corynne snickers as Alice comments on the correlation with her nickname for Elenna. Looking around and noting the absence of anyone she glances over at Alice. "So how do you want to do this? We'd cover more ground both searching the barge but it might be smarter for one of us to be a lookout."
Alice rests her hand on the hilt of her rapier, glancing around in search of old men with a goatee. "How about you check it for harmful magic, then I'll start canvassing it?"