RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away, Chapter 2

[alhoon]

ALLEY:
"A cat or anything similar, like large rat wouldn't explain the smell of blood. No, I think it's something worse. You said you smelled blood behind the house? Can you lead us there?"

Raen seems to be taking the comical little things seriously despite their mannerisms and appearance.

[ewancummins]

ALLEY:
"A cat or anything similar, like large rat wouldn't explain the smell of blood. No, I think it's something worse. You said you smelled blood behind the house? Can you lead us there?"

Raen seems to be taking the comical little things seriously despite their mannerisms and appearance.

THE BACK STREET

The boogeymen lead the party into the back street.

Looking about, the investigators see houses and shops, mostly darkened and closed for the night.
A few puddles of muddy water linger in depressions left by missing cobblestones, evidence of the shower this morning.
But no beast.
No people in view, either.
Silence hangs over the deserted moonlit lane.

Smezel waves his hands. He sniffs.
"Blood. You smell?"

But even as the party steps into the street, a strong breeze rolls up from the direction of the river,carrying the scent of damp wood, fish, and clay.
Nobody smells blood--at least not so strongly he can be certain of it...

[ewancummins]

INSIDE THE GEHRMAN HOUSE


Thom converses briefly with his friends' wives, getting filled in on the evening's events, and then goes to help Horsnby clean up the pantry.

The serving-man says,
''Please, sir, it isn't necessary that you do such work."

[kintire]

Kat raises an eyebrow at the gremlins, but says nothing. After her recent experiences these are small fry. She makes no remark but follows behind, keeping a close eye on the little things... though her impassive expression fractures at the plump king stuck in the pipe!

"I smell just damp night. But feel free to show us where this blood is coming from. Maybe quietly..."

[Adam]

The man tosses back the dregs of his ceramic cup, grimaces, and then coughs.
" Messers?"
He sounds as rough as he looks.

Bennedict flips open his notebook with a pencil, looking towards the man with a skeptical eye.

"I would hear your statement first, then follow up with questions, if that works for you, Mein Herr," he says. He gestures with the end of the pencil. "I understand you were here when the murder happened, and the victim was your tenant. Please, in your own time, tell me what happened."

[ewancummins]

The man tosses back the dregs of his ceramic cup, grimaces, and then coughs.
" Messers?"
He sounds as rough as he looks.

Bennedict flips open his notebook with a pencil, looking towards the man with a skeptical eye.

"I would hear your statement first, then follow up with questions, if that works for you, Mein Herr," he says. He gestures with the end of the pencil. "I understand you were here when the murder happened, and the victim was your tenant. Please, in your own time, tell me what happened."

THE BOARDING HOUSE KITCHEN

The man begins a slurred but intelligible account,
"Yes, m'sieur. She rented the garret from me, m'moiselle Anabelle did. Pretty whore. She did some sewing too, for extra money.
He rubs his eyes.
"I saw her at noon. Back from the river market, I think. She had a covered basket with her. Or maybe she was out trying to get her old job back, at the Lorelei? I recall she said something about that. But it's all foggy now. I just remember that I saw her then. Later, I heard her. With a man, I guessed. I can hear a lot through the floor. I've told her not to take customers up to her room. I don't run a brothel. No license. But sometimes she...euh...well, sometimes the rent comes late. I have to get paid somehow. Anyway, I heard her moaning. Thought she was working. I didn't know she..."
He coughs.
"I went up after my supper and jug. The noises had stopped. I was short of nails for the cabinet down here, the busted one over on the right. Well, I saw her door was open. So I was sure he'd gone. Stuck my head in to sass her about turning my respectable house into a harlot's crib. But she was lying there, sleeping. Her hair all combed out. Only she wasn't sleeping. I peeped under the edge of the blanket--dropped it straightaway. Lady's shield! Blood. So much. I knew then she was dead. So I sent my servant boy to the gendarmes."

[ewancummins]

Kat raises an eyebrow at the gremlins, but says nothing. After her recent experiences these are small fry. She makes no remark but follows behind, keeping a close eye on the little things... though her impassive expression fractures at the plump king stuck in the pipe!

"I smell just damp night. But feel free to show us where this blood is coming from. Maybe quietly..."

THE BACK STREET


The boogeymen skulk about the alley mouth and the drainage ditch that runs along the near side of the back lane.
They poke into muck, finger cracks in the stones, and point out little clumps of trash.
But no beast, no tracks.
Nothing like that.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

BOARDING HOUSE KITCHEN

Dorgio nods, listening to the landlord's tale.

"You say you did not let her sell yourself, but surely there are women of the night in this neighborhood. Perhaps you know them, perhaps not, I stand as no judge there. But tell me sir, and this is important--who do you know in this part of town with beautiful hair? Especially courtesans, but not only them."

[ewancummins]

BOARDING HOUSE KITCHEN

Dorgio nods, listening to the landlord's tale.

"You say you did not let her sell yourself, but surely there are women of the night in this neighborhood. Perhaps you know them, perhaps not, I stand as no judge there. But tell me sir, and this is important--who do you know in this part of town with beautiful hair? Especially courtesans, but not only them."

''Hair? "
He blinks.
"Oh, yes! He combed her hair out. Sick bastard! Let me think, m'siuer...Ah, you could look for Melisende. She's got a bum leg, limps like an old soldier. Fair to look at, though, and got a head of long, glossy, chestnut hair. Really soft, smells nice from the perfume she uses. Must be bedding a smell-seller. I let her bathe in a bucket out back, in the warm months. Small consideration."

[Adam]

"You saw none of her patrons," Bennedict asks from behind the notebook, "You wouldn't know one if you saw them?"

He flips back to the first page of the notebook, pulling out an old, folded piece of paper. He opens it, revealing an old sketch of Jon Maytr. "This young man, for instance? He would be older now, grown into manhood."

[ewancummins]

THE BOARDING HOUSE KITCHEN

"You saw none of her patrons," Bennedict asks from behind the notebook, "You wouldn't know one if you saw them?"

He flips back to the first page of the notebook, pulling out an old, folded piece of paper. He opens it, revealing an old sketch of Jon Maytr. "This young man, for instance? He would be older now, grown into manhood."

The man stares at the picture for a minute.
"Maybe. It's hard to say if I've seen that one. Maybe I have. About the others, well, I didn't keep track. Boatmen, a lot of them, some young and some older. They come and go. Like I told you, m'sieur, I don't run a bawdy house. She met them in the streets. Most days, I'm indoors for hours."

[Adam]

He nods again and tucks the sketch away, making another note in his book. "Notice anything else going on around the house that was out of the ordinary? Odd characters hanging around outside? Odd noises in the night?"

[ewancummins]

BOARDING HOUSE KITCHEN

He nods again and tucks the sketch away, making another note in his book. "Notice anything else going on around the house that was out of the ordinary? Odd characters hanging around outside? Odd noises in the night?"

''Hmmmm...no, I don't think so. I mean, besides the moaning."
He slumps into the chair.
"Did she suffer? I hate to think she needed...Well, was it quick?"

[Adam]

"Difficult to say," Bennedict says. He puts one arm out and pats the man on the shoulder. "You shouldn't feel guilty. There was no way for you to know what was happening."

He looks to Dorgio. "Anything else?"

[alhoon]

The back alley
Looking around, Raen addresses the group. "Whatever that beast was, it must have gone away. The blood smell could be from its recent meal. Let's move back to the house. In case it chooses to return, we shouldn't leave the mother and kids alone."