Crimson Letters.P2

(Essie/Whitney, Peter/Jordan, Phillip/Aaron, Jimmy/Graham, Riche/Jon)

1:30pm Saturday, Sept 1^st, School of Medicine #8: Peter tossed his fresh-lit cigarette aside as he gave chase to his suspect (across the busy street) who bolted after making eye contact per the PI’s call for “Anthony Finders, where are you?” Peter dodged thru the traffic, holding up his badge to slow a few cars with his eyes still on his culprit who dashed between houses across Boundary street. The sound of rattling trashcans guided the PI left, where he saw the student (in his campus sweater) standing from the jumble of cans before taking off again. Peter pressed harder as the student slipped between the next houses. He caught up and tackled him just before the student tried to cross the street again.

“Umph!” Peter teased him now as he helped the student to his feet, “I just wanted to ask if you know Flinders?” Without even waiting for an answer, the PI cuffed him (one link to Anthony, the other to himself), “The jig is up, Anthony.” 

Anthony protested, “I didn’t do anything wrong. You can’t arrest me!” Peter smiled, “I’m not arresting you. Just tired of chasing your sorry ass. But the police might want to talk to you about that break-in of Leiter’s cottage weeks ago.” Anthony tried to act innocent, denying any break-in, “I’m just as interested finding the Witch papers as you are. When I overheard you speaking about them in Lei…” He clammed up.

2pm: Peter met the others on the steps of the School of Medicine building, “Look who I found. Let’s go inside to chat.” Again, Anthony protested his cuffs. Peter rectified the situation, “I’m sorry. Does it pinch?” Peter removed the link on his wrist and clasped it to Anthony’s other wrist, causing the student to howl. Peter counted to ten before uncuffing him. As Phillip stood in the doorway (to block his escape), Riche flashed cash, and in his French accent, “You interested in making money? How you say, scratch the post and we itch your back.” Anthony rubbed life back into his wrists, “I’m here to help.”

Phillip asked, “What makes you the expert on the papers?” Maybe Anthony saw an opening, or just wanted to show off as he blathered, “I’m kind of a fanatic about witches. Try to read everything I can on the subject. Even slipped into a few Society (SEU) meetings and heard more gossip before they kicked me out. The papers relate to Keziah Mason during the 17^th century witch trails. They are a combination of court proceedings and her own writings. Did you know she’s the only accused to actually admit she a witch? They say she mocked her accusers and cursed them as they piled wood at her feet. She laughed even as the flames climbed her clothing. It wasn’t till the end that she screamed denials, claiming to be someone else.”

Peter first checked the bathroom window locked, then suggested Anthony take a break, “I’m sure I scared the piss out of you. Want to clean up?” They used the isolation to chat amongst themselves. Peter started, “I don’t trust the weasel. Don’t pay him anything. I wouldn’t be surprised he killed Leiter to get the papers for himself. The fact he’s tailing us implies he doesn’t have them… yet.” They discussed where-to next: Hibb Roadhouse to find Leiter’s girlfriend, or to his cottage. When Anthony finally stepped out, they offered, “Care to take a ride?” Anthony sat in the front seat between Essie driving and Riche at the window. As they approached Leiter’s cottage (Franklin Place) they saw the reddish haze that enveloped the house. Their thoughts turned to possible fire.

Leiter’s Cottage: But as they pulled up on West Pickman Street, the haze/fog dissipated. They stood on the front lawn prodding Anthony, “We’re not cops; so, admit it. You broke into Leiter’s house weeks ago. Did you try to set it afire before we arrived to find evidence on you?” Jimmy answered the student’s denials with threats of “sidewalk for lunch.” Peter clinched his teeth fighting the urge to punch the man in the face. Riche stifled a chuckle at Anthony’s comment, “Why lie when Riche offered me money?” Flinders finally relented, “OK, so I broke into the house. I knew something was going on. Prof Leiter kept having a late-night visitor in his office and carried boxes of items he put in his car. I figured he was stealing parts of the Hobb’s estate collection. I just wanted to see what other items he had.” No one verbalized thoughts he wanted to gather blackmail evidence to convince Prof Leiter to take him on as assistant.

Peter and Essie stepped to the porch with key to enter as the others rounded the house as they prodded Anthony, “So, you got in thru the back door.” And that’s when they heard the back door slam and heard footsteps running. Riche led Anthony to the door as Phillip and Jimmy rushed to find the source of the commotion. They just caught sight of someone jumping off the backyard 6’ fence. Phillip rushed to the fence and, on tippy toes, tried to peer over it to sight the departing burglar. Jimmy used his associates’ back as a ladder to try to climb up and over: [Climb-94, bonus 84] he slipped off, knocking both to the ground. Jimmy aided Phillip who vaulted over and took off in pursuit of the departing figure. [Affected by Evil-Eye: his Luck halved] Jimmy unsuccessfully searched for a tree/barrel/crate/something to aid his climb. Faster, Phillip closed on his prey and soon grabbed her by the wrist. He was the good-cop to Peter’s bad-cop and thus not as anxious to slap cuffs on her… till she kicked his shin.

Meanwhile, Riche found the backdoor locked (while the burglar ran out that way, the door lock engaged when it closed) and returned to the front porch. Essie and Peter were already inside, scouring the place that was in a state of semi-organized chaos with items boxed and stacked. Whether that was by Leiter or Professors Fallon and Roach wasn’t known. On a coffee table, Essie found a calendar with an entry for Aug 11^th “get tickets Lucy and I.” She also found various (incriminating) papers hastily burnt in the fireplace. 

Peter’s “Ah Ha” remark caught her attention as he showed her the telegram he’d found, “There’s more to the Witch papers than we’ve been told.” And that’s when Riche entered with Anthony questioning, “What did you find? See, someone else says Keziah is real. A curse?! I’m not surprised. Wick? Haven’t heard that name before.”

Jimmy ran into Phillip leading the cuffed girl along. She stopped in surprise, “Mr. Skora? Please tell this man to let me go! I need to get out of town! Now, before those other men find me again. I’ve never seen them before, but they say they are from Atlantic City and came to collect on Prof Leiter’s debt. They won’t believe he’s dead.” It dawned on Jimmy his boss’s news that the Atlantic City mob had cordially announced their presence in town. Something about collecting a gambling debt. [Charm] It all made sense as he reassured Lucy (Stone), “You’re in good hands now. They won’t hurt you.” (He didn’t tell her how the hoods were using her as bait to draw Leiter out.) Lucy’s face blushed as she saw Jimmy glancing in her purse where the envelope of money bulged ($1,000), “It’s Charles and my escape money. He was going to take me away to start a new life. Please, let me go. I won’t say anything.” Jimmy’s answer was to take the envelope “for safe keeping.” [In other words: for her to not try to run away.]

As the trio (Jimmy, Lucy, Phillip) climbed the front steps, Jimmy presented their newest addition to the household, “Let me introduce Charles’ girlfriend.” But that was when Phillip bent over to pick up a trampled letter dropped thru the front door mail-slot. “It’s a letter from Arkham Sanatorium as notice of admission and request to visit regarding the case of one C. Hunter, of whom Professor Leiter had assumed temporary guardianship.” Lucy spoke up, “I remember Charles talking with a Cecil at odd hours of the night. He was an art student kicked out of school a few years back. Charles said he commissioned him to paint a few pictures. I may be blonde, but I knew Charles was forging things to pay off his debts. Just like the $10,000 those mobsters say he owes.” Whether the whistles were at the amount or for her looks… Anthony chimed in, “See, I told you the professor was a crook.” Lucy sneered, “He wouldn’t be in debt if he’d taken me with him those last trips. Always said I was his ‘good-luck-charm’.” She led Jimmy to the office where the hidden safe in the floor was exposed, “Charles gave me the combo. I heard you guys talking outside and bolted.”

[Accounting] All the while, Essie posed over a set of History Department accounting books, scratching her brow. She called Jimmy over and before long, he found the book-cooking pattern of repeated influxes of cash in the thousands of dollars and its rapid removal, the sums involved being far beyond a university professor’s means. “The payments are made to a Mr. Hunter who must be his forger. So, there is a career in Art.” Essie picked up the envelope that fell out of the book, “Two train tickets to Canada.”

The panic squeal from the front window caught their attention as Lucy cried, “They’re here! Those mob men I told you about. They must have followed me.” Jimmy recognized the classic black sedan parked in front, “I’ve got this. Peter/Phillip, if you’ll join me. Essie/Riche, take the kids and get out the back.” [Funny in that they each a few years older than Jimmy.] Jimmy stepped onto the porch, “My boss said there were a couple of Atlantic City boys in town. And Lucy just told us about your interest. What can I do you for? Trust me when I say Leiter is dead as a doornail at the morgue.” But Oaks and Shaunassy didn’t believe him, “You understand with a $10K debt, we need eyes on and maybe an ear as proof to our boss.” Jimmy handed over the watch, “I took this off his body. But if you need more, I can show you to the morgue.” Peter excused himself (as he thought Essie needed help with that snot-of-a-kid Flinders). Which meant Jimmy and Phillip climbed into Oak’s backseat for the ride-along.

Morgue: As Jimmy and Phillip climbed out, the hoods opened their trunk to remove their ‘violin’ cases, “Force of habit.” Dr. Wheatcroft was surprised, “Back so soon?” This time, there was no stairwell moisture or piles of worms. Once Wheatcroft opened the appropriate slab, the boys pushed the doctor aside to get a better look at the body. 

Oaks didn’t flinch but Shaunassy quivered at the gruesome visage. They scanned the arms for the expected scares and even forced the mouth open to look at the dental works. 

Oops! And that’s when the body sat up, eyes opened, and mouth chomped on Shaunassy’s neck!

[Sanity] All hell broke loose! Shaunassy gurgled without vocal cords as blood spurted onto the zombie who continued to rise and climb off the slab. 

Oaks scrambled to pull out his Tommy and began blasting as he backstepped. Phillip and Jimmy bailed for the door and pushed for all their might (forgetting it was ‘pull’ from this side). It didn’t help that the doctor was just as eager to get out. His overweight 300lb body slammed against them in their futile effort to escape as bullets echoed throughout the enclosed room, muffling Oaks’ screams. And drowning out Shaunassy’s dying gasps. Phillip’s screams to “Back UP!” even with his 1911 pistol pressed to the man’s forehead meant nothing to the crazed doctor who could hear the zombie mere feet away at his back. Phillip tried/failed to shove the man away. The doctor staggered back when Jimmy drove his knife into the doctor’s chest. Enough separation for them to slip out, lock the door, and bolt for the stairs. Leaving the doctor’s face plastered in the little glass window insert of the door. Jimmy offered a one-finger wave goodbye before Wheatcroft was yanked backwards out of sight and out of hearing. They tried to act casual as they mingled with students exiting the school building for their next classes. [Luck that neither stepped in Shaunassy’s blood to leave a trail.]

4pm: Phillip climbed into the driver seat of the hoods’ car but realized no key (in Oaks’ pocket). He was about to hotwire the car when Jimmy thought better, “Leave it. Campus police will find the bodies. Without their car outside, police will suspect accomplices.” They dusted their prints and strolled down the street to eventually arrive back at the cottage. Where they found the others gathered at the dining table with Riche serving lunch. “Just in time for PBJs. No ice, the refrig meats spoiled. Bon appetite.” Jimmy took Lucy and Anthony aside leaving Phillip to tell the others about their zombie encounter.

Peter offered options, “Deal with the zombie or go to the Sanatorium to interview Cecil.” But Riche reasoned, “They are already dead. Why waste time at the morgue?” Good point. Let the police handle it. Essie teased, “We could call Prof Roach and suggest he check on Lieter’s body.” Peter theorized out loud, “Cecil was forging the booklet/papers. Cursed as this Wick fella says, Cecil goes insane and thus at the asylum. He’s locked up; so, who/what killed Leiter?”

Jimmy re-entered with Lucy and Anthony and found Riche taking a few awards/ trophies off the shelves (items without personal name that he could display as his own). Jimmy whispered to the others, “It won’t take long for the Atlantic City mob to realize their boys are late to report. They’ll send more.” Anthony just happened to be close enough to Peter who was adding notes to his journal. He saw the human-faced rat sketch, “That’s a witch’s familiar! Where’d you see that?! It could be a witch or warlock as it’s master. Supposedly witches/warlocks could see thru the familiar’s eyes to thus gain its vision and even use its sight to target people for their spells.”

TO BE CONTINUED: https://wjr5oakley.blogspot.com/2023/04/crimson-lettersp3-conclusion.html