Hopefully, one of the others was better on the medical side of things. Messer had tried to improve his skills and had done...something, but medicine still escaped him.
Instead, he pulled on a glove, and began reading the body using Psychometry. Or more the imprint of the last moments her spirit would have left in her clothes. Maybe it would tell him something.
Alsah renews her detect magic to see if any magic is on her body, or if she has any items of interest. She also casts whispering lore
Security Chief Lebrix nods to Adam, "Oh course, I'll take you upstairs once you've completed your examination. We'll be releasing the body to you, so please take it with you when you leave."
He points to the seated guard, who becomes even more distraught as the party starts to paw and investigate the cadaver, "Braden here will be happy to answer any of your questions, though perhaps outside would be better."
Pulling back the cover reveals a pretty young woman in bloodstained clothes. Glass wounds mar her arms, two large puncture wounds are in her abdomen and there are gunshot wounds to the back left thigh and shoulder.
Odd. Her face has been healed by magic. After she died. And she was under the effects of an invisibility spell. There is a third magic but...I don't know what it means. She quietly says to the others. She shrugs. Maybe if I could study it more
Alsah steps back and thinks.
Preach was troubled by this, muttering softly "I wasn't aware it was possible to heal post mortem but why bother? To conceal something perhaps... But what?"
The more they uncovered the less this felt like an ordinary open and shut case.
"I suppose it's more repaired than healed. And she was scared, panicking when she died." Messer reported, shivering.
So why was she here? And if she stole something, where is it? Or was she discovered before she could act and bolted?
Alsah looks at the window.
Maybe we are mistaken about the jump. Was she so scared that jumping was preferable? And scared of what?
Alsah crosses her arms, her cat nuzzling her. Absently she petted its head.
A lot of questions. Let's get some answers
"But why bother going through the effort to hide the wounds if they were going to release the body? Unless they're just trying to buy time to get us out of here while they clean up whatever it is that's worth killing someone over. Messer, do you want to take a look around while we take care of that tedious and extremely long paperwork?"
The woman adds a notation of her observation while taking down the details Alsah discovered with her magics.
Moving in with the others, she whispers her to the others, "Lebrix's revelations, are, too rehearsed. He is not happy about something as well, more than Miss Hume's death."
She replies to Bryn's query with speculation, "By the time someone else takes a look at the deceased, they perhaps thought the magics would have disapated and no one would be the wiser of actual wounds?"
Turning to Messer having been briefed of the group and working with them these last few months asked quietly, "Could you use your ability to commune with her?"
Unless somebody objects, Preach pulls the sheet over the body and he stepped outside to talk to Braden.
Trying to sound sympathetic he starts the interview by saying, "Hello Braden, I'm Adam Buchanan with the RHC. I understand you were dating Miss Hume, please accept our condolences. This must all be very difficult for you, however we have a duty to determine what happened here and that means we need to ask you a few questions about Miss Hume."
He started gently asking, "Could you tell us how and when you met Miss Hume?"
Next he asks, "Did Miss Hume ever talk about work, yours or hers?"
Finally he asks, "Recently has Miss Hume's behaviour changed at all? Has she done anything that seemed out of character or surprising?"
Alsah will note down the answers
Bryn brings over a chair and water for the boyfriend of Miss Hume as Preach asks his questions.
Braden sniffs and looks at you with red rimmed eyes:
"I met Nilasa at Thinking Man’s Tavern down in Bosum Strand, I would go there after work and I would see her around. We started to get friendly, and started dating about three months ago. She works," he pauses for a moment to collect himself before continuing. "She worked for Heward Sechim at his alkahest factory. He and the whole crew would show up to the tavern together some nights."
He smiles sadly and shakes his head. "No she was the same old Nilasa. Nothing but smiles and joy. She was always so kind to everyone. She even brought candies for the staff when she came to see me."
He starts to shake his head.
"None of this makes sense. Why was she even upstairs? Master Lebrix says she was a thief. Was she just using me?"
"I shouldn't think so," Messer said, not entirely honestly. "There are a lot easier, faster ways to get into somewhere than to become friendly with the staff." It was fairly unlikely, but still. It was absolutely an angle they'd need to consider, and they'd need to check those candies out too.
Preach shrugged, he wasn't quite so sure as Messer but he didn't want to upset Braden so he asked the next logical question, "We've heard Mr Lebrix's version of events but that leaves many questions like how did she get up there? Was it of her own free will or was something else going on? Did someone help her? I know you want answers Braden, help us help you, who do you think we should talk to? Surely somebody saw her, or could have seen her?"
Perhaps you can tell us what happened today. When did she arrive?
"Do you know where she was staying? We will have to take a look at her for additional clues. You know, procedural stuff."
The woman watches from one side as her colleagues ask there many questions. The answers Braden gives are rerecorded in her book, yet she does have an interesting query of her own she will ask when the others have their answers.
"Thank you for your time. I know this has been a difficult time for you will all that has occurred. A question I have for you, has Security Chief Lebrix asked you not to tell us anything about Nilasa?"
In response to Adam: "I imagine that she just sneaked up the stairs? They're not really guarded and everyone was helping themselves to the treats that she brought it at the time." He thinks and says, "Master Sechim perhaps? He might know more about her? I can't help but feel that everything she told me was a lie."
To Alsah, "I came in my usual time. I don't recall anything out of the ordinary happening. People coming in and out on official business. Meeting with the Consular and the like. Nilasa came some time later, with the treats, we said some hellos, she wanted to make plan to meet this evening. We chatted a bit, I went to grab a snack and I guess I got distracted and lost track of her. I kind of assumed she just left to make it to work on time. The there was some shouts and screaming from upstairs and then the gunshots and more screams..."
To Bryn, "Said said she rented a room and had a roommate, so I've actually never been to her place. Her boss, or work colleagues might have a better idea as to that."
To Millicent: He looks a little taken aback by the question, "No. Lebrix is a good man." He pauses and then adds more quietly, "But I don't think he's happy with what going on."
If there are no more questions, Braden excuses himself, leaving you alone in the room with the body.
Preach sighed and admitted to the other constables in a low voice, "I feel bad for him, either he was used or he lost a girlfriend in the worst way imaginable. Ah well, nothing we can do about it now and besides we have a job to do. We have a gap where her movements are unaccounted for, perhaps this Master Sechim can help."
He then looked at the corpse and suggested, "Still while we're here we might as well check her pockets..."
Carefully he started removing any personal effects she might have brought with her, making a small pile for the constables to inspect.
Alsah sighs and speaks quietly It is sad.
She helps Adam search
But is not much help
He said there were shots. Was she hit?
The woman nods to the others and joins in looking over Nilasa
After the group inspects the body, Bryn asks, "Lebrix, where can we find her boss and co-workers?"
Adam finds a bail certificate in her pocket. The document is from the Parity Lake police station, and reveals that she was picked up in a contraband raid recently but released on bail, paid by one “Heward Sechim.”
Bryn finds an empty potion vial tucked into her top. A little residual fluid remains inside.
At Bryn's question, the security chief says, "Nilasa's? I don't really know. Didn't you ask Braden about that?"
"Is there anything else I can do for you Constables?"
Alsah looks at the others. It was likely they have discovered what they may.
The woman looks to Lebrix and asks, "Could we see the room and floor that Miss Hume, departed the embassy?"
Preach nodded, "Indeed. Mr Lebrix Sir, if you would be so kind as to walk us through what happened from your point of view that would be much appreciated. We'd also like to interview Master Sechim if possible."
Lebrix begins leading you back to the main foyer, towards the stairs to the upper levels. Consulate staff flit about performing their duties.
Lebrix says, "As I mentioned before, I noticed that Nilasa was missing and went upstairs to check on things. I wouldn't say I had a bad feeling about her, but this job makes you suspicious of everyone. I found her pilfering the place. She made a break for the window and shot her in the leg, trying to stop her, but she just kept going. She leaped through the window, and just kept going. Never seen the like before. Though she was going to clear the fence, so I shot her again. The second hit dropped her out of the sky and she landed on the railing spikes."
Eventually, you make it to the fourth floor gallery. A broken window looks over the courtyard.
Preach's eyebrows short up, "Wait. She was going to clear the fence?!" cried Preach before adding in a normal voice, "Sir if I hand't have examined the fence and her wounds myself I wouldn't have believed you. Do you have any notion of how she might have attempted such an incredible feat? I take it she didn't sprout wings..."
"Is it common within Danor, to shoot, and shoot to kill, for those that commit theft?" the bard asks in a way that she is genuinely wondering Danor law on such matters... and of course she does wonder why he shot to kill, on his second shot, considering his first shot was very precise to disable.
Bryn will take a few moments to talk to the staff to see if any oddities pop up in conversation as well.
Curious. The staff seems undisturbed after all these events.
To Adam, Lebrix says, "Wouldn't have believed it, if I hadn't seen it myself, but no, she did not spring any wings. Maybe she's that terrorist that your all looking for?"
To Millicent, he says, "Honestly, it wouldn't be my first choice, but in the moment I didn't know who she was, or what else she'd stolen. If I'd known she was just an ambitious thief, I wouldn't have taken the second shot."
The young woman nods at Lebrix's reply as they continue their way to the room in which Miss Hume jumped from.
Bryn returns to the group after talking to some of the staff.
"Somethings odd. Although I wouldn't expect Nilasa to have been friends with everyone, there are a few who appear to be hiding something. Also, I couldn't find an in with the receptionist, but she might know more. Maybe someone more familiar with fashion could find a way to talk to her?"
Adam frowns at Lebrix's reply, "Perhaps. Certainly something very peculiar occurred." Changing subject he added brightly, "Anyway, could we speak to Master Sechim please?"
Eventually, you make it to the fourth floor gallery. A broken window looks over the courtyard.
The woman looks about the room in question as she makes her way to the window.
Coming to the window she looks through the broken window to the ground below...
Preach asks LeBrix, "Sir, Mr Braden mentioned Nilasa brought candies when she came to see him. Are there any left?"
When the group gets a chance to talk amongst themselves, Bryn updates everyone with his findings, "I suspect a lot of the staff is using some form a drug. That receptionist could barely notice anything but the buttons on her shirt. Keep your eyes open. Maybe our deceased was some form of dealer? Or caught wind of the operation?"
That seems a little unlikely. I don't think embassy staff are big drug users
Preach nodded, it really didn't seem likely. Still what if the candies had been laced with something?
Looking around the room, Millicent notices that one of the rugs seems out of place, moving it aside reveals some bloodstains near that window that couldn't be clean up fully. From above, nothing else telling is revealed, but it's even more clear that it is impossible for someone leaping through the window to reach the fence, let alone clear it. You do see that the city police are still on the scene, keeping the crowd of onlookers back.
On Preach's institution, you are able to confirm that those employees that Bryn had flagged as being under the influence were those that had some of the candies that Nilasa had brought in. A few still remain in the box, which is marked with an ink stamp with the icon and name of the Thinking Man’s Tavern.
Preach thanked the staff when they produced the box of candies. He sniffed one of them suspiciously, and chewed his lip before saying "There's a faint whiff of something beneath all the sugar but I can't tell what, might be nothing. Still I think we should take these back to the station and get an expert to test them."
The woman noted her findings in her small notebook and joins Adam to see what he and the others have found.
She whispers to the others, "From what you have said... I would say they are laced with Feypepper, a mood elevating drug."