Part 7: Premonitions? Or the Obvious?

Max (aka Jenny) and Brian (aka John) are absent. Denny (aka Bartholomew) drops out of the campaign due to his real-life work.

Monday - Wednesday, 12-14 November: Remembrance Day over, it’s time to get back to real work. Oliver greets his secretary, “’Morning Marge. Hope you and your hubby had a relaxing weekend. So, who’s my first patient?” Breakthrough with some treatments as Oliver actually listens with a hint of belief and understanding of his patients’ worries and fears. And with his lunch hours open, Oliver takes time to research. His trip to the Royal Society to ask about Malcolm Quarrie. “He left years ago.” Another day check at Malcolm’s home at 12 Morten Street. The young couple, “He sold the place back in ’26. Seemed upset and left in a rush. Said something about leaving the island. Yes, he left a few boxes…basement if you’d like to look.” Searching turns up Malcom’s copy of Alex’s book and Quarrie’s own book.

George too finds odd jobs around the docks to help pay his bills. And cash to buy a gun. Of course, AFTER he pays the police bribe for the license to carry.

Oded spends his time reading Der Wanderer Durch Den See, trying to learn a spell. Lunchtime finds him wandering the streets to relax; until his eyes play tricks as he’s drawn to a pipe tobacco ad. Smoke rings rising from the pipe. But these rings coalesce into the yellow sign! Oded pulls his blade to slash the smoke and poster. More earnest to read and research. To the library studying astronomy. Just when does the Taurus constellation reach its zenith? The first week of January.

Dinnertime finds the allies comparing notes at their favorite locale.

Thursday, 15 November: Only one patient for the day gives Oliver the afternoon to drive to Pembroke college still in pursuit of Quarrie. Admissions greats him with apologies, “I have no record of a professor Quarrie. What department? Literature and History; you want the King Henry building, first floor, last door on the right.” Oliver labors to walk the sidewalks, finding the building and room. The nameplate identifying the professor behind the desk as John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. 

Oliver asks, “Excuse me, professor Tolkien. I was hoping you could direct me to professor Quarrie.” Fingers scratching his chin till memory serves him, “Malcolm. A bright student till ’26 but no professor. Wrote an interesting thesis about British Gods. What’s become of him?” Another dead-end.

Meanwhile, Oded spends his morning continuing to read the book and spell. Confident he’s learned the correct subtext and enunciations of a spell titled Bespeaks the End of Days. He clears his mind to chant (8 Sanity loss). Oded recoils at the heat that confronts his vision. A large man tied to a chair being consumed by a wall of flames. The stench of burning flesh assaults Oded’s nostrils. Then recognition…Oliver! Then darkness. Lost. Wandering. Hours before Oded regains his senses, finding himself on foot, no winter coat, one shoe missing, his sock soaked in god knows what filth as he recognizes the slum streets. “The fool is in trouble. He needs my help!”

5:30 and George and Oliver are already seated when the waitress approaches, “Doctor Richardson, you have a call.” Oliver excuses himself finding his secretary on the line. Marge’s tone quite stressed, “Sir, the police are here. A sergeant Johnson. Something about the death of a Mr. Estes.” Oliver gasps into the phone (POW failure 88) as he envisions his hand in the murder about to be revealed. (Hard Know) Last week the sketch artist Roberts said they had another suspect. Maybe Sergeant Johnson is from another district? Oliver leery of getting George involved, “Excuse me, my secretary says I have a late patient.” Oded arrives, about to park, when he sees Oliver’s distinctive Bentley pull away. He follows.

Sweat beads on Oliver’s brow as he parks behind the police car in front of his office. He climbs the stairs entering his office, finding the policeman bent over stoking the fireplace. Oliver tries to maintain his calm as he asks, “I…I’m Dr. Richardson. I understand you have some questions about the Estes case?” Complete surprise as the officer wheels around slashing the hot poker across Oliver’s face.

Coombs

The police cap falling away to reveal his greasy-haired assailant, “Coombs!” Oliver backs away as Coombs kicks over a gas can then pulls curtains aside to reveal a tortured Marge tied to a chair. Coombs tips the chair, spilling Marge into the puddle of gas. With cigarette lighter in hand, Coombs explains, “You’re still needed, not your secretary. So, what is your decision about Mr. Roby’s release? Tell me you recommend his release.”

Oliver rushes to Marge’s side with his medical bag as he barks, “Bastard, it’s me you want.” Reaching into his bag, Oliver spins around with his Webley pistol, “Blam!” [Firearm 92]. The shot so far off the mark, Coombs stands and laughs. Even when Oliver pulls the trigger again, “Blam!” [Firearm 93]. But enough noise and confusion to allow Oded to rush through the front door wielding his curved blade, [Brawl 00]. Oded having slipped in the gas puddle, opening his defense for Coombs to slash him across the face with the red-hot poker. Fortune that Coombs sees himself outnumbered, which convinces him to smash the window with the poker to then jump outside. Oded in pursuit.

Oliver panics as he sees Coombs flick his cigarette before exiting. [He does not realize the cigarette was never lit.] Thus, Oliver rushing to free Marge from the chair, uses a scalpel to cut off her gas-soaked clothing, and drags her to safety. Only then noticing the deep scars Coombs carved into her back. The ‘King In Yellow’ runes. Meanwhile, Oded catches up to Coombs climbing into the police car. A swing and miss opens Oded for the crushing right-cross that knocks him to the curb. [CONsave] Momentary tunnel-vision that clears in time for Oded to roll out of the way of the police car speeding away.

Oded limps into Oliver’s office finding the doctor applying aid to Marge, “He got away. Got a few extra bandages for me? You’re lucky I had a vision of you threatened by fire. Sorry I couldn’t help your secretary. Now let’s get her to the hospital. I’ll let you file the police report. Just be sure to describe Coombs WITHOUT a Persian complexion.”

Friday, 16 November: It’s 4am when the bobbies find the abandoned police car; the real officer Johnson dead and stuffed in the trunk. Scotland Yard vested in the pursuit of a cop killer, “Be on the lookout for a Mr. Coombs. 6’4”, 267 pounds, age 34, greasy slicked-back black hair.” Meanwhile, between patients, Oliver scans the moldy books of Quarrie found at his old home. Disappointment when Oliver fails to find notes in the margins or critical underlined passages. Not even loose slips of papers between the pages. It’s 2pm when Oliver calls the London police to learn of the abandoned car, “I’d suggest you call the Weobley police to warn them of a potential plot to break Mr. Alexander Roby out of the asylum.” Oliver then calls the St. Agnes asylum only to learn, “I’m sorry, Dr. Highsmith has already left. He’ll be back Monday.”

Evening finds the trio gathered for dinner. Oded tells a haunting vision that has Oliver nodding in memory of the same vision weeks ago, “As I crossed the street, I felt someone starring at me. I looked around to find a man in a pallid mask focused on me. I stopped to see his next move only to see a woman walk thru his body. She shuddering as if hit by a cold blast. The man’s frame fading as if but smoke.”

Saturday, 17 November: Oded coordinates their next move, “This calls for stealth. Sorry Oliver but maybe you should find John for a visit to the library. George can join me and my order as we drive to the Clare Melford farm to load those stones onto trucks to hide them from the cult.” Thus, with his library card in hand, John brings Oliver as a guest to the Seven-Sister’s Library on Seven-Sister’s road. 

Oliver pauses in front of a painting depicting the ‘Seven-Sisters Cliffs’. He finds the librarian restocking books. [Failed Library Use 99; push 47 – phew!]. The elder librarian Heather scrunching her nose, “1925? Mr. Edwards? I worked here but I don’t remember…wait a minute. The gentleman in fine suit. Yes. Astronomy. Researching constellations and stars. Wanted to know when the star Aldebaran was closest to earth.” Heather ambles to the row and shelf retrieving the American Farmer’s Almanac…2^nd week of December. Inconclusive. Either 1928 or ’29.

Hours later, with trucks parked on the street, Oded sneaks along the path to the copse of trees on the farm. The stones gone. Deep ruts imply them loaded onto trucks. Same ploy to approach farmer Jennings, “Yes, I’m with the same men. Has there been anyone snooping around since we moved the stones?” Jennings answers, “No one since you moved them 2 days ago, loading them on those Herford-Hauling-Company trucks out of London.” Oded returns to his men and orders their return to London where they find the trucking company. Closed. Oded breaks in to retrieve the log books, “Maybe we can find an accountant who can decipher these records.”

Sunday, 18 November: A day of rest. Remember, Oded and Oliver are healing from wounds inflicted by Coombs days ago.

Monday, 19 November: 10am when Oliver gets a relieved return call from Dr. Highsmith at St. Agnes, “The tension is over; we found the asylum murderer. It was nurse Clarke. Friday night he attacked his shift partner nurse Evans; slit his throat. Pints of blood everywhere. But somehow Evans miraculously survived as was able to stab and kill Clarke. Ironic that Evans protested my instructions to arm the nurses on their shifts. Lucky for him he had a knife to defend…speaking of Evans. What’s he doing here? Actually walking after such traumatic wounds. Here with his lawyer; greasy-haired man looks the weaselly part of a lawyer. Excuse me while I greet Mr. Coombs.” The phone suddenly going silent, leaving Oliver screaming into his receiver, “That’s no lawyer!” Mimicking Oded as a fortune-teller, Oliver calls the Weobley police, “Get out to the St. Agnes asylum now! Dr. Highsmith has been killed. There is more mayhem there.”

Meanwhile, the hired accountant analyzes the trucking books, “The truck order called in by an M. Evans from Weobley. Delivery to Nottingham for transfer.” With George playing the part of Evans, he and Oded drive to Herford-Hauling-Company to confront the secretary, “My shipment hasn’t arrived. I’m hoping you can provide who had it last.” Maud fumbles thru the cabinet till she finds the record, “We delivered to Nottingham. A Mr. Quinten Spence signed for them. Unhitched the trailers to hook onto his own trucks.” Oded thinks to then question one of the Herford drivers, “They drove north. Spence had a Scottish accent.” From his book readings, Oded is already thinking Hadrian’s Wall in Scotland per the Roman recordings of their encounter with Shug Niggurath.

[Idea roll 09] Oliver has another idea as he slaps his forehead, “Nurse Evans with his throat cut almost full through. Yet he’s back at the asylum in 2 days. Miraculous healing! I’m sure he’s gone already but maybe we can find something he left behind.” A quick call to the Weobley police who confirm, “We found Dr. Highsmith beheaded. And the patient Alex Roby gruesomely murdered: face skinned, fingers amputated and gone, his teeth knocked out."

They’ve already missed the 10:20 train; so, they pile into Oliver’s car for the long 6-hour drive to Weobley. All in agreement, “That wasn’t Roby’s body.”

It’s evening when they arrive in town; Oliver pulling up to the Red-Lion pub where indeed they find nurse Price. “My day off when the patient riot occurred. Still haven’t figured how they got out. Most of the patients are being farmed to other locations which puts me out of a job. Nurse Evans? Out of a job too and worse, probably won’t get a settlement from his injuries. He lives over on Drover street.”

Oliver drives to the neighborhood, letting Oded and George out. Evans’ house dark. Doors locked and windows nailed shut. George picks the lock to the shotgun house. Oded searches the rooms while George checks the mail. A bill from a tailor for Evans’ uniform alterations. A reader’s card renewal notice…for Montague Edwards. George announcing, “Evans and Edwards are one-in-the-same.” Oded checks the bathroom cabinet to confirm only one set of toiletries.

Oded looks down to question why the floor so rubbery. The floor swollen from being wet over a long period. Blood seeps from the wood. Oded shutters [Sanity check] from the realization that much blood must be from several people, “What the hell?!” More search finding sharp instruments purposefully placed to cause harm. Razor-blades upright in chair cushions. Self-mutilation. “What the hell?!” They retire to their rooms at the Red-Lion pub.

Tuesday, 20 November: Oliver makes a morning call to the Weobley police, “With Dr. Highsmith deceased, and me having worked with him for some of his patients, I offer my services to help close out St. Agnes. Please call ahead to your officers guarding the place to let them know I and my associated will be there shortly.” Official clearance that lets them search the asylum files. Oliver going thru the motion of looking at patient records. Oded scanning employment records regarding Evans. Hired October 1927 with proper references. George looks closer, “They are all forgeries.” A letter of reprimand for Evans caught bringing pencils to Alexander Roby. “OK, then where are all the notes, letters, and sketches Alex drew?” An empty folder labeled ‘Patient W’ suggests someone took them.

“We’ve got a week before Bacon is supposed to go on his little jaunt. Maybe he’ll lead us to the new location of the stones and the coming ritual. From what Oded and Oliver have found, between Taurus’ rising and Aldebaran’s zenith, the ritual could be as early as mid-December thru the 1^st week of January. Then again, they could be off their calculations by an entire year.”

Next Session: https://rigglew5totk.blogspot.com/2019/09/part-8-bacon-ghouls-and-train-ride.html