The Mind's Eye.P4

Beginning of 'The Mind's Eye': https://wjr5oakley.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-minds-eyep1.html

Essie Vance [Whitney], Peter Graves [Jordan], Phillip Vance [Aaron]

Recap: They personally witnessed Frankie’s death. Saw the tentacles! And realized the new lights at fault.

0130, Tuesday, April 25^th: When Peter finally joined the others he relayed the news, “Sgt Nolan was pissed you drove off. I told him how you frightened seeing the body and just left in panic. Told him I’d bring you in later for questioning. Keep it simple and near the truth. Phillip and I were on a case and you along for the thrill ride to watch us bust a bootlegger when it turned into a rival mobster hit.” Phillip tossed and turned all morning unable to sleep; he was too used to telling the whole truth. Thus, he looked like death-warmed-over when Peter pounded on his door at 0930. [Extreme First Aid] Essie and Marina drugged him full awake with a pot of extra-strong coffee.

1000, Police Station: Sgt McMillan looked up from the counter and mumbled thru his half-eaten sugar-donut, “Yeah, Sgt Nolan made a note about a female witness coming in to give statements on that Caruso murder. Oh, you’re another witness? Take a seat in the interrogation rooms and I’ll get someone to take your statements.” Peter stayed in the lobby.

Essie was calm… until McMillan put Phillip in a separate room. She nervously drummed her fingers on the desk as sweat dripped from her forehead for what seemed like an hour wait. In truth, only 7 minutes when Lt Landon walked in. She actually was calm in her answers admitting the trio was there to witness the event. Landon looked up from his copy of Sgt Nolan’s report, “Well that crosschecks with Mrs. Cilauro mentioning 3 people came to her apartments Sunday night and you the same 3 seen last night. That clears Nolan’s concerns.”

Phillip’s interview was just as straight forward. Meanwhile, Peter lit up a cigar as he waited in the lobby and chit-chatted with McMillan, “Yeah, tough to lose my stoolie like that.” Back-and-forth chatter till McMillan added, “Say, do you happen to know anything about gunfire on Walnut around 0300? Residents mentioned seeing a man in the shadows earlier. The beat cop found 5 shell casings and 3 of those new lights shot out.” Their chatter ended when Essie entered the lobby shaking Landon’s hand, “I can’t thank you men-in-blue enough for all you do.”

1100, Plans: As they regrouped in Peter’s car, Peter spoke first, “I still want to take out those damn lights, but Sgt McMillan mentioned an increased police presence. We’ll have to try late at night again.” Phillip offered, “You have the map. We could drive out there and try to find that cave.” But Peter revealed what he’d learned while waiting on them, “I looked at the city map pinned to the police-station wall. Showed outlying districts too. Couldn’t find any towns named ‘Sudbury’ or ‘Wayland’. I think we’ll need an older map. Maybe do some research at the library?” Essie chimed in, “We also have those samples we wanted analyzed. We could swing by the Science lab on campus.”

Orne Library: Essie showed her MU staff badge to gain entrance with here guests. Peter headed for the City Archives Section, while Phillip searched in the Geography Department for references to local caves. Essie asked the librarian, “is there a particular section devoted to local legends and lore?””

Within the first hour, Peter came upon the Essex Country Atlas of 1872. He gathered the others to show his find as compared to Duncan’s crude hand-drawn map, “Here’s Sudbury and a hill to its northeast.” But Essie wasn’t satisfied as she was on a lead about legends. 

Took her another couple hours before she plopped two books in front of the others, “Here’s a book on Essex Myths that mentions the ‘Sudbury Disappearance’ and a farming community called ‘Crawford Rise’. Look at your map… 

Crawford Rise is named to the southeast of Sudbury near Eye-Bone Hill. THAT has to be the hill with the cave! Remember, in Duncan’s diary he said he was blindfolded when the stranger took him to the cave. So, his drawing was but a guess.” 

She opened the other book (titled Indian Mythologies) and pointed to a referenced chant, “People missing, taken as food for some spirit. A ritual chant to save the people by returning the spirit to its sleep.” As for Phillip’s accomplishments: more tired eyes to add to his sleepless night red-eyes.

1400, Science and History: Essie checked out the books before they headed across campus to the Science Dept to drop off the samples for analysis. Dr. Eckers was quite interested at their stories and those printed in the books Essie revealed, “Is there a number where I can reach you when I have results?” Peter gave Eckers their PI Agency number, “If we’re not there, just leave a message with the operator.” Since they were so close, they swung by the History Dept to look up Professor Avebury (of the SEU club). Luck that he was in his office between classes. “I’ve never heard of these local tales before. Sounds like a good research project for some grad-students. I’ll get them right on it. I’ll call you if they come up with anything more revealing.”

1430: Peter held the car door open for Essie to get in; thus, it was she who found the crumpled letter on the front-seat. “It has to be from Duncan! He too realizes it’s the lights causing all the troubles. He has a plan and needs our help. Says he’ll contact us soon but to destroy this note and tell no-one else.” Peter was hoping to add the letter to his collection of evidence till he looked up when he heard the flick of a lighter. Essie was already lighting the edge, “He said destroy it.” And that is when she noticed the silhouette of someone watching them from afar, 2 buildings down. “I think that’s Duncan!” Peter gave chase but soon came back alone, only to find Phillip crawled into the back of the car whimpering about bubble visions as he rubbed his eyes. [Delusions per failed Spot-Hidden and the side-effects of his Insane Vision per failure.]

A Long Drive: Peter navigated while Essie drove west out of town. West thru Concord then southwest thru the small town of Sudbury and further south as they looked for a road access to Eye-Bone Hill. But they soon realized there was no road… they would have to park and walk. “Too late for a walk now. Already 4pm and sunset is around 5:35pm. We could come back tomorrow with a canoe to paddle down the river that flows near the hill.” Finally, Phillip was able to shake off his headache and delusions, “Yeah, let’s get back. I’m worried about Walnut residents sitting on their porch or at their windows on lookout and thus exposed to those damn lights!”

1630, Shopping: Back in Arkham, Peter stopped at a hardware store to shop for a replacement shotgun (Phillip had lost the sawed-off shotgun in the alley during Frankie’s death). Phillip decided on one too. Essie stayed in the car till she heard a local print-boy selling newspapers. Should she have been surprised to find another article about Walnut Street? “Another death on Walnut. This time in broad daylight around noon today! Police think it was mobsters trying to eliminate witnesses, although the victim was a blind man named Wojtek Predowski who lived across the street from the alley where Francis Caruso was murdered.” She looked up in time to see the men returning, Phillip flexing a new slingshot.

It was 4:45pm when they turned onto Walnut with the intent to interview Mrs. Cilauro again. A city maintenance truck, and men on scaffolding around lights at the far end of the street took precedence. Essie stormed out of the car to get right in their faces (well, ankles), “Do you have any idea the effects those lights have?! Have you not read about the deaths around here? The hallucinations and suffering these poor folks are enduring?!” But the men huffed back, “Mam, you are interfering with official city work on order by the mayor himself. By the sound of it, I’d almost guess YOU the one who shot these lights out. Where’s that police officer when you need him?” Luckily Essie stormed back to the car and did not hear their off-color jokes about her flareup.

Crashing Down: But Peter did hear their grumbling about only having 2 bulbs to replace the broken three. “Sounds like there is a limited supply.” Which encouraged Phillip to slip out his slingshot and load a metal bearing. He looked around to make sure the coast clear. [Extreme] “PLINK! CRACK! CRASH!” The bearing penetrated the glass-pane facing Phillip and rattled around inside the lamp, pinging off the metal frame. Streetlamp glass shattered as it fell onto the sidewalk below. [failed Group Luck and their extreme Listen] From the scaffolding, they hear yelling, “HEY, WHAT’S GOING ON OVER THERE?! WHO BROKE THAT LAMP?!”

Peter sauntered toward the workers climbing off their perch, “Did you see that kid with a slingshot? He ran into that alley.” Essie just hunkered in the car. Phillip began to casually walk north to get away before someone found the slingshot on him. He ran into the beat-cop responding to the noise, “What’s going on? What’s all the ruckus?” Phillip thought about continuing to leave but realized he’d look suspicious, “Uh, I was just coming to find you. Yeah, someone busted another light.”

The cop met the workers around the busted light. “Damn kids! We ain’t got more replacements.” The cop ran to the corner police-box to call it in, “Chief ain’t going to be happy. Damn kids must have waited till I had to piss.”

Peter could hear Essie silently gasping for breath in the car, “What’s wrong?” She admitted, “I’m beginning to see bubbles. Not quite jellyfish. Oh God! I think I have that ‘higher sight’ Duncan wrote about in his thesis!” Not only was she panicking but Phillip too… not for seeing bubbles… but for not seeing! “Where are they?! I can’t see them. Are they sneaking up on me?!”

Thus, it was only Peter to interview Mrs. Cilauro. But she wouldn’t answer her door, “Go away! No, I’m not unlocking this door? Someone crazy is out there and it could be you! No, I didn’t see the murder across the street. Neither did his brother Chris, who cared for his blind brother.” Peter happened to look across the street and saw someone putting a blanket up to cover the front bay window of the Predowski house.

By now Phillip had gained enough composure to join Peter as he crossed the street to the house. Chris Predowski reluctantly opened the door, “More cops? Didn’t you get enough evidence? Like I told them, happened while I was out shopping for groceries. I’ve been caring for my brother 40 years now. Blind since birth and crippled as a child, confined in his wheelchair. But that didn’t stop him from sitting in front of the bay window day and night listening to the kids play outside. But then complaints of headaches and seeing things. Right? Seeing? Him? But then for someone to come in while I was out and murder him?!” Peter offered his condolences, “We’ll get to the bottom of this. In the meantime, keep your window shut and covered. That blanket is a good idea.”

When they got back into the car to update Essie, she concluded, “Incorporeal creature can get inside his small house. Wojtek too must have gained this 2^nd sight. Just like Michael Farr can see even though blind. Too many cops to shoot the lights out now. You know what this means… we’re going to have to kill the mayor.”

CONCLUSION: https://wjr5oakley.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-minds-eye-conclusion.html