Andrew Keetling is Missing.P3

Jimmy (Graham), Peter (Jordan), Essie (Whitney), Riche (Jon)

11pm Thursday, 18 Sept, 1924: They struggled to sleep on the train per the adrenaline rush of Riche's death scene. Thus, when the train arrived at Muskrat Rapids at 11pm, they rushed to find a hotel in this small mill town that supports the larger industrialized Pittsburgh 40-miles northwest. 

Friday 19th: Midnight and even Riche fell asleep. Only Essie made it to 7:30am breakfast. When the others finally stumbled out of bed, they grabbed dry toast and an apple before heading out.

Essie used her charm to gather info from the hotel owner. She learned the storied past of Josephine. No-good harlot that slept with every boy in her classes. Constantly in trouble. Glad when she left for Boston years ago. Her mother lives all alone in that rundown mansion. "Now that I think about her, haven't seen Jane in town for weeks." When Essie called the operator to connect to the Garsetti house, the operator didn't even try, "Jane hasn't come to town for normal grocery shopping. Her hair stylist thinks she's on vacation."

Riche found a small store selling paintings. Nothing out of the ordinary. "Do you have anything by Josephine Garsetti?" That drew laughter and contempt, "We were glad when she left to Boston 2 years ago. That harlot only painted trash. How she won a scholarship... probably slept with her teacher. If we had our way, we would have tarred and feathered her on her way out town."

Peter didn't have any luck in the small-town library. Repeat history of the taboo Indian lands the Garsetti built on. No newspaper articles about missing persons or cultist style deaths.

Jimmy visited the local bar, "Anyone seen Josephine and her boyfriend? They wronged me and I want revenge." He too found folks with unkind memories of Josephine, "Join the club mister. She wronged just about everyone in town." And that's when Jimmy noticed the 3 men sitting in the dark corner with their backs against the wall and able to watch the front door. 3-piece suits and fedoras... one starred at Jimmy. Jimmy tipped his hat as he left. And checked out the green Packard parked at the curb.  MA license plate with dirt and grim to record their long drive.

11am: They rented a car to drive 12 miles out of town to the Garsetti property. The last mile on a dirt road that led to the 2-story house on the knoll. An old wooden fence enclosed the overgrown yard around the rundown Victorian mansion. Peter and Riche took time to cast Flesh-Ward on themselves (12 and 14 respectively).

Peter got out to open the gate as Jimmy parked inside the fence. As Peter and Jimmy circled to the back door, Riche and Essie climbed the porch. With no answer to their knock, Essie called out, "Mrs. Garsetti, magazine subscriptions for sale." Still nothing. When Riche found the door locked, Essie looked through a window and saw the empty Livingroom. The window wouldn't budge... old paint caked shut.

Meanwhile, Jimmy recoiled from the stench wafting from a covered well. Peter removed the boards and shone his light down, spotting the decaying body of an old woman with her leg broken at a 120-degree angle. Worse, her throat was cut, and her face covered in bite marks. Reminiscent of the Boston police report of those cult sacrifices. "We got a dead body!"

The boys joined the others on the porch. Jimmy managed to kick his foot through the door, needing help to get free. Riche put his hand through the glass and unlocked the door from the inside. At least his cast armor protected him from the cut.

They entered the foyer open to the 2nd floor. Peter checked the closet and found men's boots and a fancy coat (interior label: AFK). In the coat pocket: another matchbook from the Sailor's Club and a folded love note from JG.

Riche led the way up the stairs, spotting a fog bank starting to billow from the 2nd floor landing. [Failed opposed POW- Drain Youth] And that's when Peter suddenly felt weak and stumbled on the stairs, causing Essie to ask, "Are you OK?!"

Unaware Josephine hid in the fog while casting, they cautiously climbed, with Peter getting weaker. But this time he was close enough to hear spell-cast words and saw Riche shaking off some kind of mind attack. "She's here!" He moved beside Riche and fired his sawed-off shotgun in the general direction of the sound, trying to clip the witch.

Once on the landing, Riche saw movement and thrust with his cane-sword hitting something hard (considering his wrist twisted per defection). [DEXfail 93] Jimmy tried to rush forward with his tommygun but tripped on the loose carpet, falling flat on his face.  His tommygun clattered across the floor out of sight in the fog.

Peter tried to move forward as well, but recognition of his failing health [CON down to 16], he retreated, "She's killing me!  I need to get out of line of sight." Essie followed him into a nearby room thinking she could cure his wounds.

Riche pressed closer hoping to see more than just a silhouette. Maybe see the dark stone in her hand or in a pouch on her waist. At least he saw enough to lung again and drew blood.

Jimmy had had enough: his friend was dying... she needed to die! He rushed forward with both pistols and fired on contact. Close enough for Josephine to knock one pistol aside. But one was enough, considering he fired 3 shots per gun. Josephine collapsed dead. Obviously dead because the fog lifted.

Riche stepped over her body, retrieved the pouch holding the stone, and pressed down the hall looking for Andrew. 

He found him in another room: bound, gagged, emaciated, and near death with two broken ankles to keep him from escaping.

Meanwhile, in the middle bedroom, Peter was frustrated as he searched Josephine's bedroom. To the point he crafted a torch out of a chair-leg and stripes of bed sheets. Essie silently watched him light the room on fire.

It wasn't till Riche fireman-carried Andrew into the hallway that he smelled the smoke. And saw Peter exit his room with the lit torch, on a mission as he stepped into another room. Essie helped Riche down the stairs, "We need to get out of here before Peter traps us."

Peter stared at the empty room ready to torch it too, till the ceiling began to shimmer and bulge and take on a greenish glow of tiny dots. That slowly turned to eyes that coalesced into a limbless torso, oh so reminiscent of that painting in Andrew's office. 

What was it titled? Dweller in the Void? [Sanity failure, 20% trigger of Bout-Of-Madness: Rage] 

The Dweller smiled at Peter and Peter smiled back as he lit the curtains and carpet and strolled back into the hallway splashing whiskey from his flask as he torched the carpet and stairs as he descended.

1pm: Jimmy was already at the front door window, staring at the green Packard parked outside the fence. The same 3 mobsters from the bar leaned against the car. Jimmy whispered the incantation, then watched as the leader looking mobster started to cough. His convulsions got worse as he spit seawater that also bubbled out his nose. His partners were helpless to aid him. When he collapsed, drowned, the burly thug jumped behind the wheel, started the car, backed up almost running over his live partner, then spun the wheels kicking gravel as he sped away, running over his dead boss. Leaving the other lacky on foot chasing the car down the long driveway.

Jimmy and the others boiled out of the burning house and watched the mobsters' departure play out. 

Jimmy search the boss's pockets before dragging the body to the well to toss it in, "Jane Garsetti can use the company. As for those guys: this note and the telegram have Zeek stink all over them."

Riche interrupted, "We can face Zeek later. Right now, we need to get Andrew to a doctor!"

CONCLUSION: