The Glass Cannon Podcast - Time For Chaos S1 | E13 – Death House

Episode Date: May 28, 2025

A startling new lead pushes the investigators deeper into the mystery. Watch the video here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/i5IFKqKlLOU⁠ For a limited time, use code "TFC" to save 15% on Cthulhu products at ⁠⁠⁠chaosium.com⁠⁠⁠. Access exclusive podcasts, ad-free episodes, and livestreams with a 30-day free trial with code "GCN30" at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jointhenaish.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join Troy Lavallee, Joe O'Brien, Skid Maher, Matthew Capodicasa, Sydney Amanuel, and Kate Stamas as they tour the country. Get your tickets today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hubs.li/Q03cn8wr0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For more podcasts and livestreams, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hubs.li/Q03cmY380⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Watch new episodes when they premiere every Friday at 8PM ET on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/theglasscannon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, starting July 11th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whoa! Is that the new Kia Sportage? Yeah, I just got it. I love the updated styling and the distinctive LED lighting. And check this out. No key needed with digital key on my phone. Oh. And I can check it remotely on the Kia Connect app. I heard it also comes in a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. It does, with a quiet ride and unbelievable fuel economy.

The new Kia Sportage is here. Visit kia.ca to learn more. Kia, movement that inspires. The Hot Honey McRispy is so back at McDonald's with juicy 100% Canadian raised seasoned chicken, shredded lettuce, crispy jalapenos, and that completely craveable hot honey sauce. It's a sweet heat repeat you don't want to miss. Get your hot honey McCrispy today available for a limited time only at McDonald's. You are listening to the Glass Cannon Network the premier source for role-playing game entertainment. I'm gonna go to bed. Hello everybody, happy Friday. It's time for Chaos. Now we took a couple weeks off and then we had an episode last week, which was episode

12. But what you, the audience, may not realize is we have not recorded in almost four weeks, like three and a half weeks. I have not seen these people, we have not played together, and for a game like this, that's wildly dangerous, because there's so much information, if you don't think about it constantly,

you're gonna forget. But the information I'm most interested in is what has everybody been up to for the past few weeks since I've seen you? I want to know what is your summer been like? Rob, what have you been up to the last three weeks? I went to the Oregon coast, my family, to hang out with some in-laws. And we were staying right near the Goonies, the Goonies beach. Is that Astoria, Oregon?

Yeah, well, yeah, we were just south of there, I think, but we went to Haystack Rock, which is where the One-Eyed Willys ship, and probably sails on its own past. And then I did a quick trip to New Orleans to remind my parents what I look like. And that was that. That's a fun trip. How was, what's the weather like in Oregon this time of year? Is it balmy? Oh, it's, yeah, it's the luaus. You get off the plane, they put one of them, they put a lei on you. It's very tropical. No, it's gray and moist all the time from what I understand. It's weird because as you're like, you know, we grew up on the North Shore of Massachusetts and there's obviously big beaches.

The beaches in Oregon, it's like nobody is swimming, which was crazy. But you're hanging out in like beach towns, which are very like, you know, beach towns all around the world are probably very similar in a lot of ways. And yet no one's doing anything in the water because it's rightfully so it's, you know, frigid. So it's a strange, like the impression of a beach. I was just in the Outer Banks. Well, I guess we'll jump to me. I was in the Outer Banks for a week and we drove because we didn't want to fly with two kids. So instead we drove for 10 and a half hours. And the beaches down there are, they're beautiful and the waves are just brutal. It's not like East Massachusetts beaches where it has like a low tide. There's no low tide out there. But you forget how weird beach people are too. Beach people are, there's too much sun. Beach people are weird

people. There's a lot going on. Yeah. Especially like the year rounders, the people that choose to live on that beach. All you know, like, you know, there's hurricanes that come through. It's just, it's weird beach people. What have you been up to, Nora? Since Gen Con, super exciting stuff. Troy unpacking lots of boxes. Fun. Going furniture shopping. You know, all the adult things that I forgot about in the week that we got to hang out and game a lot and be around lots of merchant toys and RPGs.

And now I'm back trying to unpack and make this place look nice. Yeah, that was a big move. You moved like right before GenCon and then went to GenCon and then came back and had to finish like the unpacking and all that stuff. Yeah, I moved and then I had a data unpack and then a data pack for GenCon and then I flew out and then came back to like building furniture and Oh, gross.

unpacking boxes. Did you have the fun thing where you like have a couch already, but then you move to a place and realize that couch will not fit or do what it needs to do and then have to get a new couch? No, I was fortunate enough to like, though the last place I lived in was this, was a huge house that was already fully furnished by the time I literally just had to go in

with my bedroom stuff. Oh, great. And so I had the opposite of like, Oh, I've got nothing to fill this space. So, except for my bedroom. Also daunting. Yeah. So. You're like one of those rate my space posts where it's just like a futon and a television leaning against the wall.

Yeah. Super, super high ceilings, one little tiny table. Do you like the new place? I love it. It's gorgeous. Uh, but there's now some streaming troubleshooting I've got to put up with and figure out. But figuring it out, it looks nice.

I built a fireplace. I got an obnoxiously huge TV. So I can't wait to get the couch. I saw just like a fully veg. Yeah. Yeah. Sitting on pillows on the floor, not as fun. Not as fun. As a coach.

Kate, I think you moved too, didn't you? Am I making this up? I didn't move. I'm in the process, the lovely, amazing, fun process of buying a house right now. And I'm also fun employed. So it's like a great, you know. Fun employed. Great time to buy a house.

Yeah. I figured why not. Trust myself out as much as possible. Wow. Congrats. Did you find one? Did you put an offer in that got a good price? I figured why not. I stressed myself out as much as possible. Wow. Congrats. Did you find one? Did you put an offer in that got accepted and all that?

Yeah. We got lucky with the location that we're moving to. We found someone who's selling who's not absolutely money hungry and insane for lack of better term to think of. It's been really great working with the seller and getting contract signed and spending $1,000 a day on random things. Didn't we have an episode that was two or three episodes ago,

which now obviously is a year and a half ago in real time, where you were like, weren't we talking about whether or not you were ever going to leave Brooklyn? Yeah. And you were like, I don't know. And then cut to. One of those things And you're like, I don't know. And then cut to- It was one of those things where I'm like, you know what? I'm just going to buy this house.

I'm going to put an offer in and see what happens. And it's happening. As one does. That's exciting. The thing that they don't tell you, well, actually they do tell you if you ask around, it's like once you've signed that paper and you've done it all, you'll realize I don't have any money left. Oh yeah.

And that's okay. Everyone has that feeling. So if no one's told you that, just don't be nervous when you have no money left. I'm nine steps ahead prepared. You know my brain. I'm also anticipating the problem that Nora currently has of I'm not going to have furniture for this whole year. That's okay.

It's good to have a place of your own. A place where you can lay your head and call it your own. You gotta have land. Land. Land. In the woods. You acres. Side dirt.

Way from prying eyes. Ross, what has your summer been since we've seen you last? Cause summer, sorry to tell you, it's coming to an end. I hate summer, so I'm glad. What about you Ross? Was this the summer of Ross? Summer 11 had me a blast. Everybody was talking about this big Ross summer, big times for me. I got to say, you mentioned the Outer Banks. Were these the Outer Banks of the Carolinas? They were indeed. Okay. Well, it's interesting that you went on that little diatribe about the weirdness and oddity of beach people considering

that's where I am from, sir. Wait, you're from the Outer Beaks? Yes. Beach person? I'm a beach person. You probably picked up my totally chilled out beachy vibes this whole time. That I'm kind of a chilled out laid-back surfer dude. Beachy stash. Yeah, just a chilled out beachy stash. Yeah. Beachy stash. Just a chilled out beachy stash. Yeah. My folks live in a little town called Maneo, which is on Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina. And that's where I like went to high school and stuff. Get out of here. So the experience, it is a weird experience living in a beach town in the off season because

you're in a, you're in a town where 85% of the buildings are vacant. Mm-hmm. And you're just kind of like walking around in the chilly, moist air waiting for summer to start in beachy solitude. It's very strange. Yeah. You know, we went to an ice cream stand and I had the kids and my brother-in-law and my wife and this shirtless kid comes up and goes,

you're about to eat the best ice cream in all of the Outer Banks. And it was just like Hershey ice cream. It was not that special. I was like, all right. And he's like, what flavor you got there? And I was like, I literally want to kill you if you ask me one more question.

You weird beachy. Get away from me, kid. You weird beachy. Oh, Yankee LaValley impervious to its southern charm. Hey, mister, what sort of flavor you got there? Oh, it's the best ice cream in three counties. Wanna see something I stole from the marina later? I told you, you're an accomplice now.

Yeah. Oh. That's my experience at the Outer Banks. He could have been 13 or 28, I have no idea. Yeah. The first kid I met when my family moved to the Outer Banks. He could have been 13 or 28. I have no idea. Yeah. The first kid I met when my family moved to the Outer Banks, knocked on my door, opened it up and was like, you want to come out and play?

And the first thing he told me was like, you want to see some flares I stole from the Marina? Amazing. Yes, I do. Old one-eyed Timmy, they called him. Well, the summer is coming to an end, which is great because I hate it. And fall is right around the corner. And let's be honest, the end of season one of Time for Chaos is coming faster than you probably think.

Or not. Sometimes we start going off topic and you guys rob a DMV. So maybe not. I don't know what you're talking about. Yeah. But- The DMV had it coming. They took it. Find more DMVs, done. It was literally in existence for like a year and a half.

Let's do a luck roll here. What is everyone's current luck? I'm curious. Oh boy. Oh boy. Like firepower sheets. Right. 42 right now.

I need a graphic that comes in, it's like luck roll. Yeah. Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum. Luck roll time. 71. 71 luck, that's a lot of luck. 36. 36, you're the, yeah, when I need a group luck roll,

I just ask Kate. Uh. Uh. Ross, what about you, where you at? 60 luck. 60 luck, okay, right down Broad Street, Rob? Yeah, 42. 42, okay. All right, so Rob and Kate, you guys have a great chance 60 luck. 60 luck. Okay, right down Broad Street. Rob? Yeah.

42. 42. Okay. All right, so Rob and Kate, you guys have a great chance of improving your luck here if you fail this luck roll. How did everybody do? Okay. Oops, my die.

I finally failed. I failed this one. I rolled a 77. I got lots of luck, baby. Right back where we started. And got us 10 more points. I want to see these dice. They're right here.

Loaded dice. I got lots of luck, baby! Right back where we started. And got us 10 more points! I want to see these dice. They're loaded. It's right here. She's bad, baby. That is insane. Okay, so you got an 81 now, luck? Yeah. She's untouchable. Bulletproof. What could go wrong? You know what's nice is like, if you ever need to like, you know what? Add 50 to that roll.

You can actually afford it. Yeah. What about Rob? Did you pass fail passed a slash failed so I got six extra points. I'm at 48. Okay, Ross That's a big fail for you boy Ross B It's not no no more luck for me. It's they stand it steady at 60. Okay And Kate I remain at the bottom of the luck pool. I rolled a 14 under 36. Oh my God.

Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum. All right, and I wanted to do a sanity check. We haven't really checked in on sanity lately. I'm curious what everybody's sand is at. Yes. I don't like that you're asking these questions. Yeah, I don't like it either. Yeah, I feel like you're just taking inventory.

He's like, who do I need to destroy this episode? I'd just like to do a little check in on everybody's mental state, cause I'm a friend. It's as if these will become important soon. Right. Makes me nervous. Vaughn's sanity is pretty shaky at the best of times,

and today's no different. The Sanity is at 36. Oh man. The same as Kate's luck. What is Feyrouz's Sanity on? I'm at a C plus, I got a 78. 78, okay, that'll pass. Carter?

55. Okay. Not in the best of worlds right now. And Margo Sauer. I may be the unluckiest, but I am the sanest. I have 90 out of 99. Damn, okay. All right, I got to get working on you.

No, you don't. See, I should have lied. Yeah, it's going to be really interesting to see how this season shakes out. Who will survive? Who will die? And who will go insane? It is now Tuesday, January 20th. You've been quite busy since basically witnessing the murder of your friend Jackson Elias on

Thursday, January 15th. And when last we left our intrepid investigators, Carter and Vaughn had just caught wind from a man named Art Mills, who is a friend of Hilton Adams, who is the one that is sitting on death row for one of these murders. He was in the Harlem Hellfighters during the war as was Hilton.

So you meet up with Art Mills and you find out from him that among several concerns that their sort of investigating group had before Hilton was incarcerated. Something about Juju House seemed to be of interest. A possible lead was there that couldn't be properly investigated because Adams was arrested shortly thereafter. Of course, Carter and Vaughn learned this just as Margot and Feyreuse were at Juju House talking with the shopkeep

and you had just pulled out the mask you found in Peru to show this man. Yeah, I rolled a lucky roll to see if I could do that and it feels like it's not a lucky thing to have done. Well, you had it on your person. Yeah, you were worried. Did I leave that in Peru? But no, you brought it with you and you carry it with you everywhere you go, evidently. In your satchel. So, to kick things off today, this is probably gonna get a little dark, so content warning, but imagine for a moment

pitch black darkness and you hear a faint sound at first it it starts to grow and grow and to realize it's not like a round shaped sound so much as a hum, a thrumming that you can almost feel more than you can hear. It's an odd sensation. This throbbing continues and it starts to grow. And as you hear it, it pulls you in two different directions. Like in one way, you almost get that sick feeling like your bowels are loosening from a steady vibration that enters your body but then there's

also something oddly satisfying about this feeling maybe it's sexual maybe it isn't but it's very powerful nonetheless Margo you open your eyes and standing before you is an enormous stepped pyramid. Standing tall, enormous against this dark purple blue and black sky. Covering the pyramid as far as you can see are bodies, bodies of men and women, shadows of shapes that seem to be even larger than human, and they're all naked as far as you can see in various states of intercourse. And it's every possible combination. It's man and woman, man and man, women and women, threesomes, foursomes. Everyone is just going at each other in every way possible.

And as you stand there, you still feel that thrumming sound and you hear these other sounds now, sounds of pleasure, sounds of passion. But then you also start to hear like animal sounds, roaring and moaning and you realize there's some bestiality going on as well. And amongst this throng of bodies I imagine you see like, again I this is gonna be graphic but I think it'll help paint a picture. It's like a guy and a bison going at it. And at the moment of climax, someone comes in with a machete and just like hacks at the

bison and blood just explodes out, sprays all over the man that it was copulating with, all the people below and then you turn away from that and you see two women going at it with a man and the man's wearing a mask that looks like the face of a bat we'll say and it's almost as if they both ritualistically pull out these knives with long blades and they just stick it into the chest of the man they're fornicating with and drag the knives down and just his intestines spill out,

blood again pouring out on everyone below and people just scooping up the blood and rubbing it on their bodies while they continue to have intercourse. And then one by one, you see thr throngs of people if they're not having sex they're just killing people and everyone is just basking and bathing in all of this and as this is happening that thrumming is Continuing and something begins to come into focus at the top of the pyramid. You can't quite see it at first

Is it a shape? Is it like a triangle? Or is it like some sort of body? You're not sure, but you're pulled away from that because you realize there's someone standing next to you. So you turn with a start and you see Jackson Elias standing there. And he's just smiling calmly at you. But you look down and you see that his chest is ripped open and his entrails are spilling out onto the ground below. And you look up and just under the brim of his hat, you see that symbol carved onto his forehead and blood is just like leaking down his nose into his mouth.

And he just reaches out a hand to like, grasp yours. And he says to you in a voice that is like, his but also not his. It's like, and become with me, a god. And we pull back from there and everything gets really dark.

And then you just see almost like eye holes looking at this scene. And then the eye holes come into view and you see it's this mask that you found in de Mendoza's hotel room back in Peru. And, Marga, you're holding it out to this shopkeep and his eyes are bulging out of his head. are bulging out of his head and he's like this is quite beautiful it does not look like it came from my people yet it is similar in design to many of my my treasures. Where, may I ask, did you find this? Oh, um, wow, I've just been having so much fun traveling lately. I just, how did I find this? Just on one of my travels.

Find a lot of things, this is my favorite. Can't remember. Does it look familiar to you? No, not really, but it does look quite precious. I'm sorry, we're so rude. What is your name we didn't get your name? Silas, Silas Nikwane. Pleasure.

But this mask, you do not know where you found it. Where do you travel where something such as this would come into your possession? I was just all over the world. You know, I'm from Europe, so there. Here, below here, South America, maybe Africa. Maybe estate sales, maybe rummaging through attics. I go where the wind takes me. from the from the from the

from the from the from the from the from the from the from the from the

from the from the from the from the from the from the from the from the

from the from the from the from the from the from the from the from the But perhaps a try before you buy. What? I do not understand. She's like staring at Fae'ry, she's like. I don't know, maybe he wants to try it on. Everyone has a price, yes?

I would be honored to add something like this to my collection. Are you sure there is no price that I could pay for such a beautiful mask or mirror, whatever this is? I'm really quite attached to it at the moment. I would love to get your cards. We can keep lines of communications open. Perhaps I have something else. You may, you may not, but you tease an old man

showing me such a treasure as this and pulling it away. Please, you are welcome to come here any time if you change your mind. You say you are from Europe. What brings you to New York? What brings you to Harlem? Oh, I'm just here with friends, exploring. I've never been to New York, so just going around to all the different boroughs and little

enclaves and just exploring. That's just what I like to do. He looks at you, Feroz, and you. What brings you to New York or do you live here? Well, I don't live here, but I do like to visit friends on occasion. Very well. Well, if there is anything else I can help you with, let me know.

And I just kind of like pull Margo just away for a second. Isn't there something maybe you, is there anything that we can show him that maybe he could recognize, any symbols? Do we have anything? What about your notebook? You always are taking notes of drawings and relief. Oh yes, yes, yes. I just turn back around. Would you, now this is not something I have in my position,

but is this, as she opens up her notebook, is this pattern at all familiar to you? And what's the image of? It's the one of the gold panels that we had put back into the temple. He says, no, I have not seen such a thing. Was this also something you found at an estate sale or on the side of the road in your travels? Well, it was something that I had seen that sparked my interest and I had no idea what the symbolism meant.

You see that as my specialty. Yes, no, this is not African in nature. I am not familiar with it. Well, perhaps if we take your card and there's something that should come up in the future. But of course. Now I don't believe that my friend, Saur here, is interested in selling such an item. Well, as I said, if you change your mind, you are welcome to come back.

I would pay a handsome sum for something as beautiful as that from women as beautiful as you. Here is my guard. And he hands you a card says Silas Nekwane, owner proprietor of the Juju House. Come by any time. Certainly. Thank you.

She like hastily wraps up the bass again and stuffs it in her bag. Good job. And you leave? Yes. You go back into the alley. But there was that boarded up pawn shop next door. A couple of drunks lingering around towards the end.

You start to walk out and you turn to look back at Juju House and you see one of the sheets that was covering the window. And it's just Silas Nkwane watching you. And then he lets go of the sheet. Margo is very paranoid and on high alert right now. Do you think he really didn't recognize any of those objects? I think he's lying.

I did not make a psychology roll, but I do remember him saying that some of this matched stuff that he has in his shop, but then at the same time saying he doesn't know what it is, but really, really, really wants it. Something's not right. Something's not right. And I just feel like I'm not sure what information is safe to tell him.

But I feel like in order to get answers from him We would need to give a little and I just didn't know what is safe to say Perhaps we reconvene with the fellows and Yes, see if they found out anything maybe they have some more information We cut from there to Vaughn and Carter zipping uptown Because I think you guys are around 137th and Lennox and then Carter and Vaughn you were I think further east I can't remember so it's not too far but you've got to like hustle across and I would say, give me, who has worst luck?

Ross or, Carter or Vaughn? I was at 48. Yeah, it's Carter's got the worst luck. Okay, Carter, give me a luck roll. Let's see if you just happen to run into Margo and... Yeah, 66. 66. Yeah.

Yeah, so like two ships passing in the night, maybe you get up in the direction of Juju house and I Can't remember what time of day it is by now But if you get there and you see the same court That they did There's just a sign that says out for lunch Backing back in the.

Jesus Christ, Vaughn, you can move, man. How do you move with all those cigarettes in your body? With with great difficulty, old boy. Where did I? I should have never eaten that club sandwich. And I don't know what you're talking about. The revivifying effects of tobacco only serve to energize my spirits. If anything, it's for want of them that I'm just having a drink.

Can I have one right now? Oh, you're not supposed to spare me. So I think seeing the sign, maybe just kind of peeping, but there's no way of like seeing inside through the window with the sheets. Yeah. There's no way of seeing inside through the window with the sheets. Yeah, you just see some curios in the window hall, obviously African in nature, and the hours, but there's a little handwritten sign that says, out for lunch, be back in an hour. What does that mean? That could mean he's got the girls and he's...

What does out for lunch could mean? Out for killing. Just a little bit of sacrifice, here we go. Quite right, Tillinghouse. If our friends came here, there's who's to say that they're not in there right now? Undergoing what sort of travails? I don't know, I don't even wanna think about it, man.

I knock on the door. Yeah. Good call. Knock on the door, boom, boom, think about it, man. I knock on the door. Yeah. Good call. Knock on the door. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. No one answers. You also don't know when that sign was turned. That hour could have been 59 minutes ago,

or it could have been five minutes ago. Does Carter see a strangely eaten hot dog? Hot dog whereabouts? God, someone ate a hot dog from the middle, can I heathen? Hot dogs aren't necessarily my line, but I at least know you don't attack them like a cob of corn. Exactly. And are those folks that were just kind of lingering in the courts still here? No, you don't see anyone hanging out there now.

There's just a couple drunks that were bouncing around. But no, there's some foot traffic on the main street there past where the pawn shop was. And approach the drunkards and perhaps taking... The. We don't need to be derogatory. These gourmets. If you look around, you can still find one of them just hanging out, leaning on a trash can. Excuse me, old boy. I don't know how long you've been relaxing here, but I was wondering if you saw two ladies enter that particular establishment. Guys like, yeah. Perhaps one would have been about yay high, sort of a fashionable...

I said, yeah, but you want to know about them. Well, well, you've established that they've gone in. I'm asking you if you saw them come out. Yeah, I saw two ladies come in there and they left. Oh, my God. Thank you. You've been ever so charming. And I'll give and I'll give him some some money. A tuppence. Money.

It's a tuppence? Money. He ate tuppence. No, yes. Spin that if you make it across the pond. Psych your mind, got you. Loser. No, I'll give him some, I mean, it's the 20s, so, I mean, a quarter is not as insulting as it would be.

You saw Penny in half and throw it to him. Here you are, sir. Here's a, hey, Penny. half and throw it to him. There you are, so here's a... Hey, Penny. He just takes it. Eugh. I don't know how reliable the source is, but that at least gives me some peace of mind. All right, all right.

So they walked in and they walked out. Apparently, probably said nothing about this hot dog corpse. I guess we just go for a stroll. I don't... Is there a plan to meet up afterwards? Were you going to go back to the Waldorf Astoria? I can't remember what your plans were for the day. Earlier in the day you met Rebecca Schozenberg

at the Lafayette Theater where she introduced you to Millie Adams, Hilton Adams' wife. You spent some time there and that's when you split off, Carter and Vaughn going to speak, look for Hilton's old investigating buddies and then obviously Margo and Faeruz went to Juju House, but now you're all just kind of wandering in Harlem. Yeah, I mean, you want to talk about extending the season, Troy, we could just, this whole session could be us

trying to find each other. Margo, Polo. Troy, we could just, this whole session could be us trying to find each other. Margot Polo. Bottle episode and the bottle is Lennox Ave. Like we would have a reconvening point. I feel like it's the mid afternoon. Kind of. Yeah.

It's, it's yeah. Mid to late afternoon at this point. You spend a good time, a good amount of time at the theater with Millie and Rebecca. And she said that they would get back to you through either the wall. I can't remember if you said the wall door, if we're to call Ramsey to let you know if she's able to set up a meeting with Hilton. And also your lawyer friend, Jackson's lawyer, who's now your sort of go-to person is going to try to get you a meeting with Erica Carlisle Roger Carlisle's sister

Perhaps we make our way back downtown Yeah, it's fine the ladies I Mean our ladies though not our They're not belong to us. No woman can belong to a man. And what I mean is the two women who we are our compatriots that we're friends with, you can be friends with women these days. What are you looking at?

Just talking a little whino. Yes, of course. It's a friendship of our little cohort. It's platonic. It's kind of like, yeah. Yes. So you had downtown. Yeah. And Margo and Faeruz, what were your intentions after you got out of Juju House? Well, I don't know if that was helpful at all. I, we didn't have any other errands for the day, so I suppose we should meet Bella's back at the Waldorf?

Yes, that feels like a good idea. I just feel very exposed here now after seeing him like, lingering in his window. I just feel safer and a bigger group. I feel like we're missing something. Maybe we just have to see what maybe they found something out. I don't know. Yes. I always

sneak back in there later. I do want to have some fun. But yes. Let's let's yes the boys first. I do want to have some fun. But yes, let's, let's, yes. And so you head back to the Waldorf Astoria. By now it's later in the afternoon, closing in on early evening. And you see Carter and Vaughn are there as well. Maybe you guys are hanging out in the lobby. And when you arrived Vaughn, there was some messages for you from Ramsey.

So if you call back Ramsey, you get good news. It appears Millie Adams was able to secure you a one-on-one with Hilton tomorrow, which would be Wednesday the 21st. It sounds like it's a very small window for guests, so you've got to get there and you'll have about 30 minutes to chat with him and then that's it. There'll be more rules, it seems, once you get there, but that's the plan. Your meeting in Austin at Sing Sing Prison is at 11.30 in the morning.

Right. And then, Ramsey was also able to secure you a meeting with Erica Carlisle's lawyer, a guy by the name of Bradley Gray. He didn't know what your availability was, whereas Milley got you that time. But if you call him back and let him know when you want to set up that meeting, he can set it up. So that could be tomorrow, that could be Thursday.

But his office, I think it's on the Upper East Side. His office is Dunstan, Whittleby and Gray. Oh, it's West 57th Street, so it's a house kitchen area. Okay, Dunstan, Whittleby and Gray, very well. If we're all together, with Liam Gray. Very well. If we're all together, it seems as though seeds are coming to fruition. My god, girls, so glad to see you. I just want the record to show that we almost saved your lives. Yes. What?

We ran like two bats out of hell. You smell like strippers and cigarettes. The strippers, I want more of a detailed explanation of what that is, but definitely cigarettes because it's now that we live in this era. But yeah, so look, we went to this place that I want to again point out, there were no strippers. You're also very bar-sick, Menti. Because there were no strippers Of sandwiches which they had in abundance

They did and we were talking to some some some guy Vaughn in this dude really trauma bonded it was real sweet and Anyway, he said that juju house was like the center of What they you know, they they knew something was up with juju house Hilton Adams and his whole crew. And so we tore ass across Harlem faster than I've ever run in my life. Vaughn was in the back. He barely could keep up. Anyway, we got there. And you weren't there. And so we nearly busted the door down. But then a wino, a very helpful drunk told us that you're fine. So anyway, just again, credit where credit's due, we did nearly save your life. Something's very odd about that place

and I can't really quite put my finger on it. I don't know how it's happened, but I showed him my mask, our mask. He was showing me his mask and it was, it's not a euphemism, it's actual mask. I don't know what's going on. What? So I showed him mine.

And he said that he had never seen anything like it before, but at the same time really wanted to buy it. For somebody who has never seen anything like it before and couldn't really tell us what it was, he seemed like he was about to throw a lot of money at us. The tone in the room changed, and when we left, after nothing came of that, he didn't seem to want to give us any information.

Us two, we left, and he was watching us as we went, and now that you say they are like a center. Yes, Art Mills, the colleague of the lamented Mr. Mr. Hilton Adams, said that his party believes that the epicenter of the murders for which Mr. Adams is currently taking the blame may have been the Juju house itself. And so now you're telling me that its proprietor was caught having an inordinate amount of interest for a cultic mask that we found in Peru.

This may be a language thing, but when you say at the center of murders, do you mean to say that, like, maybe that's where they all happened or overpl planned or that they have something to do with making the murders? When I spoke with the red cloth, yes, Mr. Mills said that he had encountered those blackards as well. And some asshole ate a hot dog from the middle out. But that wasn't an asshole, that was Margo. Uh-uh. I ate a hot dog from the middle out. What? That wasn't an asshole, that was Margo.

Uh-uh. I ate my hot dog. Is that traditional? I thought you came from the realm of sausages. Yeah, don't you eat sausages every day? Sausages, not hot dogs. Don't know what you put in those, but it's not meat. That's not to think about.

Yes. There are certain eldritch mysteries into which the mind should not probe. And the one is. What hot dogs are they talking about? Quite correct. Don't look too deeply into the hot dog. Yes.

Anyway, back to the cult. We, um, I think that the Juju house may be, uh, uh, maybe where they have their dark and curious meetings, where they plot their various deeds. This is my theory anyway. Call me paranoid if you wish. have them dark and curious meetings where they plot their various deeds. This is my theory anyway. Call me paranoid if you wish. I'm feeling brave and curious. Do we just go back during the day? Do we do a DMV break in and piss on his desk?

Like, I don't know about the pissing part, but we'll see how much I drank. We'll see. Yes, we can discuss tactics, but a break in for sure. Mixturation still under debate. Yeah, I mean, we got- Are you saying that we should do that as soon as tonight? Well, I'm not going to sleep tonight. I go to sleep, but first of all,

I think someone's going to kill me for this mask. Second of all, every time I sleep, I have like these really like nice dreams at first and then they become very not nice and I'm just like not down to... I've been having bad dreams but it's fine. I don't know. What sort of dreams? What sort of things are you seeing? I'm sure we've heard it all. I mean I'm sure you're all having the same dreams. No, I've been sleeping fine.

What have you been dreaming about? That's not necessarily how dreams work. Well, just because we all did the same things. Pyramids and lots of- What else? Fornicating. Fornicating, what? Excuse me?

Just like lots of vets. Yes, well surely only humans are involved. Roger, too. Yeah, I mean we've all had an occasional sex dream. I mean, that's not, you know. It's perfectly natural. Yes, I don't think you should. It's perfectly normal.

Yeah, no shame if you feel that. But the pyramids? Dreams? No? I mean, you know, every once in a while. Have we? Have we? Yeah.

No. Okay. Not like this. I'm sure you've been haunted by what you saw in Peru, haunted by Jackson Elias' murder and that fight with the guys jumping out of the window with the crazy headbands, but only Margo has been having these recurring nightmares that are starting to mesh with everything else that's happening. Yeah, tell us all about it, Margo. Here, wait, let me take a big sip of water.

In great detail. Sorry. I don't know, I'm feeling kind of, don't know, maybe later. I totally understand. Don't want you to think anything of me. These aren't, it's not coming from me. It's just these dreams.

I feel like they're not stirred, because of the mask. I don't. Because of the mask. When you have these dreams, are they when you're sleeping? Or are they just, I think so. Maybe, mostly.

Because as far as waking nightmares go, we've all seen some strange things. Yes. Mm-hmm. You just know that dreams can be messages from the subconscious, or so my counselors have led me to believe, but there is a...

There is, um... mysteries to be unraveled about yourself and your soul. Attend to them maybe maybe begin journaling. Oh I am. My journal is very very cursed because of the details I have in it now about my dreams. I don't think that's what they are. I thought we were all having these at the same time and now I just feel really weird. Maybe one day I'll tell you about them, but I just kind of maybe want to break into the juju shop now. It's like getting sweaty.

All right. I know that I will not sleep very well this evening for I'm absolutely thrumming with excitement the prospect of bearding the fellow who kept me out of Sing Sing last time when I waltzed into my mandated interview. Oh, I can't wait to meet them. I'm just going to be sweet. I'd love to stop for donuts on the way and just be eating them like, nah, look at me

with my donuts. Very strange American eat pray love tour. So you've got that thing. Hot dogs and donuts. You've got the meeting with Hilton Adams 1130 a.m. sharp. You're on the train that's going to take you about an hour to get out there.

You want to give yourself enough time. So it's early to rise on the train. I don't know. You got to decide if everybody's going to go or just some of you or one of you however you want to do it. And then if you want to contact Ramsey, he may be able to set up a meeting with Bradley Gray,

Erica Carlisle's lawyer tomorrow as well. The longer you wait, you may not get that appointment until Thursday or Friday, but you might want to put it off until then as well. You got a lot of things in the oven. You've also discovered a million other things. You've got some other leads as well. So.

Let's get Bradley Gray on the books. Let's say Thursday. I love that this is part of this game. Opening the date planner. Meeting a schedule. Uh-huh. Yeah, Thursday. OK, that's two days from now.

Yeah, let's get that set. Let's, we'll see. We'll go to see Hilton. I mean, we can decide who's going to see Hilton. But tonight, we case out.'s going to see Hilton. But tonight we case out. We case the Juju house. Keep an eye out. Yes, so we case it and then I'll catch the train up to sing the sing in the morning.

And anyone who wishes to join me. Who needs sleep, honestly? You sleep on the train. Yeah. I must admit that since our adventures in years past, sleep is never entirely deep. It's all right. Seems to be the way things are these days. Yes. So is your plan to all go case the joint tonight? Under the cover of night?

Yes. Okay, tell me what you're thinking of doing. Okay, so let's talk about this core real quick. Are we talking break in? Are we talking watch? I would love to break in and see if there's any specific occult items that maybe had not been on full display. We had a key on him.

So perhaps we can find that and see in that back room. There's anything maybe we can pretend to be drunkards on the streets to case the joint before we decide to break in. Yeah, I got a couple of fake noses we can buy. If those of us who are most skilled at skulking make their ingress into the Juju house, and those of us who are perhaps more skilled at looking can act as lookouts in that little courtyard.

And then remember to find anything that might be exculpatory or exonerating for poor Mr. Adams. Murder weapons. On a scale of like one to a hundred, like how good are you at sneaking? Oh, like on a hundred scale? Like if I was to express it in terms of a number? I'd say I'm like a 37. Let's see here.

I confess that since my wound, this is going to sound way too specific, but a 24. I put it at a 24. Like, if I had to express it numerically, that's how. I would say the glass is half full for me, and a little above half is 56. Are we talking like specifically like our like a stealth, like how big stealth around?

Yeah. What word are we using? Okay. Stealth sounds good. Yeah, I got it. I would say I'm a 60ish. Ah, this makes sense. The DMV, that's time. So we did have experience in that, yes. I mean, yeah, it depends.

Do we want the people who are best at sneaking to sneak in or if we're looking for things in there. Well, Feyruz has a good looking. Oh, and I think my curiosity has the best of me. I have to be inside. I have to see what is in. And you know what, to be honest, this Fae Ruse has shown me she's got a lot to learn about breaking into places.

So this could be a great follow up tutorial for her. And I'm happy to take it upon myself to show her the ropes. She's got potential. Well, thank you, Tilling-ass. I'm sure we could all enrich ourselves greatly with your mentorship in various capacities. Frau Lansauer and I will make good your protection by keeping an eye on the street.

They'll have a bottle that's resharing, pretending to be drunkards outside, I guess that would be fun. There's no bad ideas. I'm sure we can be drunkards. We could find some secluded place to secrete ourselves. Just cartoonish red cheeks. Should anyone give you any trouble, anyone out on the street, anybody being, you know, anyone of the non-server variety, write for the kidneys. Just there's no reason to knock them out before they know it.

I'm going to be packing tonight. Am I the only one with this inclination again? Oh, a weapon. I thought you meant the arrow. Oh, I see. Is that the slang now? No, I didn't know that in your command of the English tongue, you had managed to acquire the particular terms of phrase of the gangsters of Chicago.

It's just my study of study of New York and the cities and what they talk like. Yeah, I'm bringing my gun and my knife I never leave home without it. Yes, Frowline Capone and I will be packing as they say out in the courtyard to make sure that your back is well and truly covered. All right. All right so you're going to head up to Juju house, all four of you. And you see that like it's a bad idea. He was doing a lot of reading while we were planning. Um, I know I'm just trying to figure this out.

All four of you going and you're going to see what it's what the situation is and possibly break in. Yeah, I think we watch it for a little while, see if there's any activity, you know, we're not gonna just go flying in through the front door right away. No, yeah, but with the hopes of pillaging something. What time do you plan on going there? I mean, Harlem's happening these days, right?

So I think we gotta go, we gotta go late. Did we? We gotta go late in prime, drunk time. Oh, how about on the card he gave us, when's the closing time for the shop? We should definitely go a couple hours after that, I would say. Closes at five p.m.

Oh, that's really early. I'd say we go midnight. It's clean, it's dramatic. Yeah, let's go midnight. Yes. Yeah. I was, hmm. Midnight. Okay.

Grab a drink and a speakeasy, baby, just to calm your nerves. And we'll do a crawl. Stave off the shakes. And you make your way uptown to Lennox Avenue and 137th Street right around midnight. Four of you are rather... ...spicuous? What's the opposite of conspicuous? I can't think of the word.

I think conspicuous is what we are. Inconspicuous would be. Thank you. Inconspicuous is what we're hoping to be. But you stick out a little bit. It's dark and it's late. You go by jazz clubs where you hear loud music, people dancing, smoke spilling out of windows. As you start to approach ransom court, everybody roll a spot hidden. Okay, here we go. Hell yeah.

30 under 62, that's a hard. Hard success. Hard. I rolled a 22 under 80. Another hard. I failed. Failed. Two fails.

We've been there before, so we know what's left. You've been there before, you know what's up. As you start to approach, maybe both Margo and Feru like put their hands on Carter and Vaughn as to say, hold on a second, because you see a number of people entering the alleyway. And if you stand there for a second, a couple more come. What are they wearing?

Looks like they're wearing suits. Looks like the first group was three African American men and then the second group was one black guy, one white guy. Does it look like they're just out and about having a night on the town or? Possibly. But you know there's nothing down there except for Juju House and that boarded up pawn shop. Now there are tenement buildings above, right? If I haven't mentioned that before,

like above the pawn shop, just like any New York building, like the bottom floor is your business. And then there's apartment buildings up there. But when you were there, you don't remember seeing any entrances to apartment buildings. Those entrances were all on the street.

Perhaps we keep an eye out on what they're doing. Happening place, F. Yes. Maybe we can pretend we drunkenly are just walking by and seeing if we see where they're going. Now I realize that, Yes. I realize that

sneaking and skulking may not be my forte, but I have not been seen by the proprietor at this time. Perhaps if I was to stumble in and get a sense of who was there. Yeah, act like you're a tourist. Yes. It shouldn't be too hard. It's barely a lie.

Yeah. And then just you're looking for directions. You were following a group of people who looked like they were going into a secret desk club, club maybe and you know, you're just looking for a place to whet club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club, club kind of walk over to just kind of get the vibe. So Vaughn splits off from Carter, Farrous and Margot and starts approaching the entry way to the alley. You get there and you turn and you look down and you just see that door leading into Juju House

and a figure standing outside all in shadow just moonlight really lighting this court, ransom court, just standing there with a bowler hat on. Okay. And Vaughn is like, again, putting, trying to like, easing into his best, like, drunken and bewildered Englishman on the town sort of vibe. Just walks straight up to this figure. He's like, all right, Vaugh sport, I know where the action is. I hear the password is Lindbergh. Stand aside and let me in, there's a good chap.

I'm sorry, can I help you? Oh, well, I was hoping that you could help me. I hear that this is one of the most happening spots in town. Yeah, just looking to wet my whistle, if you understand. A little bit of raising the wrist, if that sort of thing is allowed here. What do you say? I think we understand each other. You'll stand aside and let me in. Now, there you go, sport.

As a good fellow. Puts his hand on your chest. Big meaty palm. Can I get a good look at this guy now? Yeah, he is African American, big thick neck, bowler hat, wearing nothing fancy for a suit. And you can feel from the pressure on your chest that he's very strong. And he's like, Sorry, we're closed.

Oh, I understand. I understand very much your clothes. Yeah, no admittance. Yes. But um, I think we both know how these sorts of things work. So here's how it's going to work. You can see that I'm a non threatening customer, and I'll just walk in. You never were the wiser and then I'll go in and have whatever sort of bathtub your gene you're whipping up in the bathtub back there. What did you say? It's not that kind of place. Now step aside if you want to speak easy. There's one two blocks down. Don't make me ask again. Oh. No need to get nasty on the spot. Just trying to find the best in town.

I was told it was right down here. I must have gotten turned around. The first time in town, don't you see? You were told the wrong thing. Now get out of here. Yes, my apologies, I assure you. Cheers, cheerio. And I'm just kind of like stagger out of the alley and then kind of let my and then walk over to where the buddies are.

I can picture you like keeping your face on and then immediately turning the corner and the face goes away. Yeah, just like wobble, wobble, wobble straight and then walk up to them like, well, wobble, wobble straight and then walk up to them. It's like, well, it's locked up tight as an old drum, rather imposing chap at the door. A hand about the size of a fry pan couldn't kept me out. Is this a jazz club? Hmm?

Is it a jazz club? Not from where I was standing. Didn't hear a strain at all coming from anything resembling Big Spider, Beak of the like. No, and did I hear anything there? Anything from inside? Anything that would tell me what sort of stuff was going on inside?

Speech? No, no, it was very, very quiet. Killing. But are we watching those people that had entered the alleyway, are we watching them enter into this establishment? We'd seen them enter the courtyard and when I went in they were gone and it was just the guy standing in front of the door, is that right?

Yeah I imagine you're standing on 137th Street and you're just seeing people enter the alleyway from your view and then when Vaughn got there, there was just this one guy. And at this point, you've seen now like six people go down there. And he was standing at the door to Juju House? Yeah, in fact, one other person just goes in now down there. I'm wondering if I can like try to remember from being in there, did it seem like there might've been

another entrance or like if I go around to the backside of the street, I can assume like there's a window. Um, it seemed actually very small. Um, certainly, uh, seven or eight people in there would be very, very tight, especially with all of the things that were all the bric-a-brac and knickknacks, uh, and artifacts that were laying around. Uh, now there was a, uh, a curtain there was a curtain behind the cash register area that you thought may be a storage room

or maybe where the proprietor lives, but you have no idea what the size of that is. A lot of people wouldn't fit in the main part of the shop itself. And was there the access to the upstairs units would have been a separate door, right? You know, enter through the store and then go up. Yeah, I know to like apartments and stuff. Yeah, no, there's entrances to the apartment buildings on the street where you are, actually. I wonder if there's some sort of basement and maybe we can get there another way and that's where everyone is because I

remember it's really small in there. I don't all these people can we take a look around and like see if there's some sort of like you know those you know in New York they've got those trash hatches go down and maybe there's a window. Yeah, give me a group luck roll. Okay, you know what? All of us are just the lowest. Just the low.

26. Fail. Y'all I rolled a 9. 9 under 60. 49 over 36. Unfortunately, assuming Kate is still the lowest luck, group luck is whoever has the worst luck rolls. So this is what I'll say is you see like a block and a half away a staircase leading down. If you check it out, it's bolted shut. Now we could just wait a little further away. We could just wait it out to what we think the last straggler is that goes in. And then we take that dude out.

A little interrogation, maybe? Or just take him out and peek in. A little interrogation, maybe? Or just take him out and then peek in. Oh. You're saying take, I must press on you that this was a very imposing. Right, frying pan hands, right? Yes, but seeing as we're packing,

perhaps we can be a little more convincing than we would be otherwise. Uh-huh. Surely he is outnumbered. At least. Also keep in mind, don't forget, you're going off of a couple of leads here before you start murdering people.

You should make sure you've got the right people. Not saying you don't or you do, just something to keep in mind what your characters would actually do with the current information that you have. Well, we've heard that Juju House is potentially a nucleus of what's going on. If he can't get in there. That dude was super shady about the mask.

Very much so. And all these weirdos are going in there at midnight into a store. There's a locked door. Mm-hmm. That maybe we can try to lock pick. What store has a security guard? And then there's the abandoned pawn shop. I don't know if we can maybe get to there.

Maybe they share a basement. Don't know. Maybe gets in there, maybe they share a basement. Ah. Oh no. But the pawn shop is in view of the bodyguard, right? Well there's the street facing entrance, which the bodyguard can't see. And then there's a door that is right next to the door of Juju house in the court. So if you tried to get in there, the guy at the door would see you. However, if you went in, if you

were able to find a way in from the street, you could, you would assume that you could potentially come around and be able to watch what goes on in the court from the pawn shop. Or we can try to casually pick the lock at the front entrance. Or we can split Zappati into both. I just know Margot really wants to act like a drunk. No, her eyes are really lit up. Chance, the artist in her, the performative side.

Well, you want to check out the pawn shop first and see if what the situation is from the street. No one can see you there. Yeah. Yes. All right. The one can see you there. Yeah. Yes. All right. The front door is all boarded up. You see that, you know, this is something you might be able to pull the boards off

or kind of jimmy your way in past the lock. Oh, right. So the pawn shop is like completely shut down. Like, I don't even know. I mean, it's like, yeah, you can. You remember Margo and Faeruz when you walk by during the day, you looked in and it was

completely empty in there. The benefit of doing something like this at night is there was a lot more foot traffic than there is now. So you wouldn't attract as much attention breaking into an old abandoned pawn shop than you would do today.

Let's do it. Let's do it. Let's try and grab at the wood. Do you wanna do like locksmith to try and jimmy past the old lock or do you wanna try and just barge your way in? With strings. Faeruz, come over here for a second.

I just wanna show you something. Right. How to hic a lock. Is this a lesson? Oh, absolutely. Yes. Here we go. Now, if I remember correctly. So I'll tell you right now,

I'd have better luck kicking this door down than the child at lock room. Pick this lock. I just remembered some beginner's luck last time, and I just want you to know how really hard it is. Are you sensing tension, Vohne? I'm sensing some tension. To do this. I haven't been thinking about this at all.

All right. So I'm gonna go ahead and pick this lock. You're the expert. Let's see. Let's have a lesson then. A little trapper keeper of tiny lock picks. Pull it out. I'm gonna roll this real quick.

Ah, yes. A 13 under 43. 13 under 43. Roll this real quick. Ah Yes 13 under 43 13 under 43 hard success Listen pick what are we listening for? Success There it is and You're able to jimmy one of the boards aside and the entry into the pawn shop is

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Workday, moving business forever forward. You have broken in to this abandoned pawn shop that shares a back door in this area where the entrance into Juju house is. Imagine you quickly slip inside past these boards and close the door. When you enter you hear like the scuttling of critters on the you know scurrying because no one has clearly disturbed this area in a while. It's dark. It's dusty. You can taste the dust in your mouth the second you close that door that suction of wind just like blows dust up into all your mouths. It's also bitterly cold in here because it's January and this place hasn't had

heat in a while. You see as light starts to stream in through the window and your eyes adjust you see like rat droppings all over the place. Like the floor is covered in rat shit. And then there's just empty shelves and empty glass cabinets. If you like try to fuck with one of the light switches, nothing turns on. But you don't think anyone saw you get in. You move around feeling rat droppings crunch underneath your feet, maybe something crawling

over it from time to time, and you get to the back door that you think opens up onto the back area of Ransom Court. Does the stealthiest among you want to try and crack the door to look? I mean, we're here for a reason, right? Yeah, heck yeah. Is there any, sorry Troy, did I miss, is there any like the stuff, it's just junk? Is there anything that looks like a...

Mini gun? Uh, like a... Yeah, is there like a bludgeoning weapon? Some kind? Roll a spot hidden. I'm sure you could pull off one of the boards. Or like a table leg or a chair leg or something. Oh, 27 over 25. Spend two points.

There is a glass case that's been shattered and there's some rather large shards of glass that you think you could use as like you needed to. But yeah, it's been completely cleared out whenever this pawn shop closed down. Well, I'm not gonna put a shard of glass in my hand. Carter's not the brightest bulb in the ceiling box. Yeah, in the bread box. All right. But if if I'm the one with the stealthiest stealth,

I'll stealth this door right the fuck open. OK. Well, you're gonna open it well, I guess that's the only way we can really There's no back window, but if you could crack the door. I hope that nobody sees you Peek it up. Okay. All right here it goes Everyone Double check Everyone, double check. Yes! 56 under 60.

Oh, hell yeah, nice. Regular success. That is regular, yes. The door is like, stuck a little bit. But you're able to pop it open after you lift up one of those big wooden bars and another bar, there's like two of them, you crack it open and it makes like a little bit of sound. But you look out there and you see this big guy that Vaughn was talking about standing there and it's a very weird view, you know, like you're just looking through this slit,

you see two more people come up guy talks to him can't hear what they're saying and you know what if I roll a listen roll feel free you know really 46 under 63 baby regular success oh god you always undercut it with the whole regular Qualifier Based on your distance there. You can't really hear anything other than like Maybe welcome back Sounded like somebody said welcome back

And maybe codder which was weird right it was in a weird accent Possibly unrelated. Did you see last night's welcome? No, that wasn't out yet. I'm working on this script for a pilot called Welcome Back, Cotter. No, he- Series of novels.

He lets those two guys in. And so now you know there's almost a dozen people in there that you've seen go in. You don't know how many other people. So you just keep watching. And around like 1.30 or so, the guy guarding the door goes in as well. So you keep watching, yeah? I mean unless anyone wants to try to now go in, but it seems like they could shut the door or whatever.

I mean we maybe could at least go up and peek into the window. Listen. Yeah. Yeah, well I'll let you know, you've got to be listening more than just regularly good. I don't know what that means. You've got to hard listen. You've got to listen good and listen hard kids. Listen.

I'll try. I know there are, most of you are better than me at listening and stealth But I don't want to put anyone in the spot do it Do it. Okay, Margo tries to Leave the door so go through the door that I popped open Yeah I like crawl over as quietly as she can keep in low and Trying to get up to the wall so she can just kind of like get against it and kind of try to look over or However, if there's a window somewhere

Mm-hmm and listen at the same time. All right, so you Stealth out give me a stealth roll to start So sweaty Okay, okay 66 over 37 And I imagine you don't want to spend luck to, all of your luck basically to turn that into a success, but you tell me. It would definitely be like 29 points and I have 36. So not yet.

Okay. So we'll say that as you go out, the door is really rusty on its hinges. It's like, as it opens up and it echoes throughout the court. And so all your your fellow investigators are like, what the fuck? And you're able to shut it back, just leaving it a crack and you're out there. No one makes any movement on you. No one makes any movement on you. You think you see maybe some shadows in the area at the end of the court? That might just be your imagination.

What do you want to do? Okay. Everything's cool for a second. No one comes out. No one yells. I'm going to still like stay low, try to get up my back up to like the wall so I can peek over slowly, see what I can see and also listen. And Troy, we can keep an eye on her through the door.

We got to show her. I want to get up to the wall, listen first and then peek up. Okay. The doors are very, very close to each other. So once you get outside, after making that scene, you can very easily get to the window of Juju House and the door. So you get up there.

Give me a listen, Ro. Okay, no problem. That's, okay. 24 over 23, I'm spending a luck. There you go. 24 over 23, I'm spending a luck. There you go. Um, but wait, maybe should I make it hard? I'd have to go down to 12.

Um, I'm gonna do that. I'm going to make my 24 a 12. Okay. For it to be a hard success. So. It's a bold move. But fortune favors the bold. In Call of Cthulhu, seventh edition.

Not so much first. I don't know, maybe it does. And maybe like my thing is that I'm trying to listen, but I'm a little freaked out over the noise at first. And then I just kind of take a breath, calm down, and just maybe find a crack, put my ear up to it. Put your ear up to the crack of the door and you're really trying to hone in. You hear a sound behind you again.

Something back there, maybe it's just a rat that ran out of the pawn shop. And you listen and it's like you can't hear anything until suddenly you do. And it sounds like something from one of your nightmares. This like hum almost. This consistent humming sound. It starts to like echo in your ears. It's like... So with a hard success you really try to listen in and it sounds like several voices. Like wailing or singing. All these sounds are overlapping over one another and it sounds so distant that you can't quite make it out.

But it does sound like several voices all at once. OK. I think she gets a little freaked out from hearing the humming, shakes herself out of that and tries to peek over to the window and see if she sees anything. You look at the window and that sheet is still up and the little sign for when the hours are. They opened at 9 a.m. Now it's quarter to two in the morning.

That's it, I just see the sheet. You see a little place where Silas was peeking out at you, but that has been closed again. Crap. Okay. I feel like I've exhausted everything I can do, so I sneak back to the crack in the door and just say what I thought I heard, as confusing as it sounds. But I can't see anything. What do we want to do?

Should I do something else? I'm already out here? Uh, I get, no, I mean, just, does the door open? Oh, I did not try that. You can retcon that if you want to try the door. It was locked. I'm shocked. I don't know how to pick the lock.

Okay, what do you guys want to do? You can always break the door down. I mean, I can try to pick the lock and see if we can. Sounds like there are several, I mean, we saw how many people went down there. I mean, there's a great number of them. They're making lots of weird noise. Not to be accused of cowardice,

but a better time to break in and search the place, maybe during the day, during one of these gentlemen's protracted lunch breaks when there's less of a crowd down there. Are you curious to know what they're doing down there? Devilishly so. But I don't want to be hacked to bits in the bar. Break in in the Zenfats. We knocked the door down in Zen-fats. Ah, I hadn't fought that far yet. Listen, I know you American traps just want to kick down the door and go in guns blazing like the bloody cavalry, but um... They may be incredibly dangerous, they may be armed.

On the other hand, it may be something completely harmless that we've misjudged, in which case, it'll be us back in the bloody cell. Oh, come on, it's midnight and they have a doorman. With a thick neck and frying pans for hands. Oh, I agree. I think something terribly unsavory is going on. Well, okay, all right,

let's just backtrack here for a quick second. What are we hoping to learn? Because at this point I feel like we've got a pretty good sense that these guys are up to some shit that seem fairly dangerous. This juju house, this is a hub. It's a hub of very nefarious activities. But I feel like we know that right now. Yes, but what are they doing? And why does that man want that mask so badly? How about this?

If you can open the lock, I'll follow you in. Well, that implies that I'm going in first. I don't know how that feels. Oh, no, no. Not you. I'll go in first. Beerus, not you. Let's, okay, let's just, I'll just try to pick the lock real quick.

We'll see if we can crack it it open maybe here a little bit more But without just going in and trying to kill like 15 people I realize I will sound like a absolute ass for bringing this up, but perhaps Perhaps we involve Lieutenant pool Perhaps we involve Lieutenant Poole in this affair. What?

Ew! Ew! What if he's involved in this? What if it goes all the way to the top? How do we know we can trust him? I think that everything we've heard implies that Robeson is the one in whom the claws of corruption are sunk deep. I got the impression that Poole, while being something of a a hard case is at least on the up-and-up

He's such a dick. He's like a fool cup. I understand, but if we must provide legal proof if Adams is to be freed. Sure, but we gotta hear more. What are we supposed to do? Tell him that there are a bunch of people went into the store and started humming in the middle of the night? He's not gonna care. Better that he sees it with his own eyes rather than hears it from us. Do you have your camera with you? Yes, I always have my camera with me. Then we take pictures of what's going on in there, and then we show it to him.

And if that fails, if we have found out, then we go guns blazing. Don't you need one of those big flashy lights, though? Not if it's not dark in there. And also, I mean, you just adjust the ISO, and you turn down the, you open up the aperture. Don't worry about it. It's not one of those cameras

you have to like hold the shovel over your head and wait for 15 minutes. No, it's one of these new fangles, Kodak, it just holds it. Oh, great, okay. It's small, yeah. And I got my GoPro, so it'll be fine. Maybe they have really good lighting down there,

we don't know. There's a chance. Either way, Freiliner sours an artist and doesn't need to do a bloody 19th century diggerotype once she's down there. Out here all alone, talking through a door. Come out, someone come out. One time I went to an amusement park and everyone dressed up like cowboys. And I just remember it took a long time to get that thing back.

Oh, I love going to the fair and dressing up like I'm so nostalgic for 40 years ago. 40 years ago. 40 years ago. You guys, this is no sit time. It's vintage. Okay, all right, I'm gonna go pick this fucking lock. Right, and Vaughn will draw his pistol, which he has brought. And Faerys will draw her pistol. Yeah, and- My hand on mine.

Carter's got a lightsaber. Just prefer to use it when there was less of a crowd. But if you swear blind that you can be quiet, then. I can swear even doubly blind that I can run real fast. So if this goes south, we're out of here. Your powers of retreat, Tillinghast, I am assured. OK, here we go. Go on out there. Do You have to stealth again, too

You don't have to the door you don't have to stealth to the door Hmm now What is oh ten I got a ten. Ten, okay, great. Um, that's a extreme... success. Extreme success. You know, Troy, you like pointing out my regularities.

Carter moves cat-like to the door. I warmed that door open for you. I got all the squeaks out, so you won't mind. You did, you worked it, you worked it got all the squeaks out. You did you worked it you worked in the jar now Where the proof is in the pudding the locksmith That's a 36 under 43 36 under 43, that's a regular success regular success You go to Jimmy the Lock to get into Juju House and two things happen. You unlock the door.

Yes. But just as you do, you hear police sirens coming from the distance, getting closer. And then you see, I don't know if they had the red and blue lights back then or not, but let's just say they had something that you can tell that they are parked very close and you hear police doors closing. However, you have a moment to look inside and the thing you notice is there is no one in the room. What do you do? I try to like somersault back to the other door. Yeah, I follow him in there, try to get back to the other door

before the police come. And you keep the door open or do you shut it? I should shut it. Maybe the police call. Maybe it's unrelated. A little crack. Okay, okay, I heard them. I want to see which police it is.

All right, a little crack. A little crack. I want to see which police it is. All right, little crack. Little crack. You see like flashlight beams coming around. They're looking, they're scanning around. Looking. The lights flash in front of the open door to the pawn shop door.

Maybe the guy starts walking over closer to the pawn shop. Do you guys do anything? Do we- Do we- Back away from the door? Lay real low and just- Wait, we left the pawn shop door open? A crack to so we could see. Not the crack of the pawn shop, but the juju house you left closed.

Oh, right. Gotcha. Okay. and we left the pawn shop door open? Hide behind, a crack so we could see. The crack of the pawn shop with the juju house you left closed. Oh right, gotcha, okay. Try to hide behind a table. You shut the door or you keep it open?

How close are they? Are they far enough to where we can potentially shut that door and they won't notice? 15 feet away. The stealthiest among you would feel pretty confident to shut that door. they won't notice? 15 feet away. The stealthiest among you would feel pretty confident to shut that door. They're walking towards you. You feel that light, that light beam

is getting bigger and bigger. It's now going through the crack of the door and spreading light on the back room of the pawn shop. Someone report a break in at this pawn shop. Can we go back out the other door that we broke into? Mm-hmm. Let's get the fuck out of here. Yeah, let is, oh I'm sure. Can we go back out the other door that we broke into? Mm-hmm. Let's get the fuck out of here. Yeah, let's go.

All right, so start heading towards the opposite end of the building, so the other door. You shut that door, or do you leave it open? The door that we broke into? Is there already shining a light in the back door? Leave it open, man, you can't let them. Is there already shining a light, yeah, there already shining a light in it.

All right, so They get there and you see that light is getting bigger and bigger and bigger and you guys come around to the front What's the plan here you can get right out that front door, but you don't know if oh There's a if they're gonna be running right into more cops There's no like shop window out front where we can like see if there's cops. Give me a spot hidden. Okay. It's a dusty old window, you're looking out there.

A dusty old window, is it? I'm gonna get cops out there. You know what? And can I do a spot hidden for hiding places? I don't see anything. I don't see anything. I wanna spot hidden for hiding places. I'm not, I hate all my dice.

I rolled a 30 under 80. Okay. Hard success. You do a spot hidden, it's one police car, and you don't see anybody in it, and you did see two beams of flashlights. So you think, if you're going to go, you got to go now. Let's go. Let's go. Go.

Go. You make it out that door, slam it. We cut back to that cop down in Ransom Court, notices the door to the pawn shop's open, just like opens it up and goes inside. We cut to you knuckleheads running around Harlem. Judge, judgy. I'm running sweat.

That's my new thing, I call everybody a knucklehead. I love it. I'll come home, I see my boys, I'm like, what are you knuckleheads doing? Nuggies. Lots of noogies that just say it's boofy. Jokers is fun too. You're now in Harlem, I imagine, just, even though it's cold out, you're just got like flop sweat from that encounter. What the hell is going on at Juju House? Something bad. I'm now more assured than ever that this is where the this is where those murderers are holding their

their obscene rituals. I bet if when we talk to, um, uh, Hill? Poole? Oh, Hilton? No, the guy on Death Row. Adams. Hilton Adams. Adams.

Hilton Adams. Oh, that's right. Hilton Adams. I feel like maybe we can get some more information about, you know, if there's like a secret code word and we can send someone else next time or just how to get in there. Yeah. Yes. And then I guess Vaughn is right.

We should tell fucking Poole what's going on. I mean, who knows? That knucklehead cop might've found something. That knucklehead cop, Robeson, who we keep hearing about. I believe he's one of them. Yeah, that would suck. Who saw us break into the... Yes, who made the call?

Maybe they have a lookouts. Who indeed? You know, no one else knew we were going. We're not blabbering to anyone. You said there were apartments, tenement apartments up above, yeah? Yeah. Maybe someone in the upper stories saw someone break into the abandoned pawn shop. Yes, but who would call in for an abandoned boarded up pawn shop? Abandoned boarded up. Yeah

Well, it's very simple Speak easy first. I think is an order get rid of these shakes little cocktails at the local speakeasy hmm, and Then night falls on New York City Wednesday January 21st. That's a wake up. 9am. Good lord, I'm late for my train.

Marco wakes up real sweaty and still sexually confused. The old 5th Avenue rooster is crowing. What's the plan here? You do have an early wake up you had a long night I imagine especially if you hit up speakeasy maybe you didn't do that I don't know the point yeah Carter definitely did you think I'm gonna go through almost getting pinched by the coppers yeah all right so Carter's been real rough shape because I would imagine you have to get up around 7 7 38 latest if you want to get over to 7, 730, 8 o'clock at the latest

if you want to get over to Grand Central Station. It's not too far from the Waldorf, but still, you don't want to miss this. They made it pretty clear to you that it's a half hour window and you don't know if that starts the moment you come or if you got to hit your appointment time. Yeah, Vaughn gets on the train just being like held up by coffee. When Carter came out of his room at the, when're all hanging out he had put the his mask on the wrong side of his face Walked out And some egg sandwiches on these bagels oh

egg sandwiches on these bagels. Oh, those travel well. Let's take those. Well, you eat the bagels now and then we're bringing the donuts to the prison so that we can, you know, have them then. Have them, have them then. Are all four of you going? Yes.

It's up to you? Yeah. Okay. You don't have a meeting with, assuming that Ramsey can get this meeting with Bradley Gray. That meeting's until tomorrow. Right. You'll probably find out if you've got to head out of the Waldorf early,

you imagine that he's going to set that meeting up this morning, and hopefully you'll have a message from Ramsey upon returning. I mean, alternatively, guys, I could go, and if anyone wants to join me, that's great. I could go to Poole while you guys are going to sing sing. Yeah, you guys really hit it off last time. That would be a good idea. Yeah, that's right. I was suggesting it.

It just felt like it's fertile ground. You're the man. I got a feather touch. But perhaps we'll wait. Perhaps we'll wait till the evidence we've collected is more substantial, I think. You're right. I'm better start going to the prison.

Let's go. So hungover. I'm going to have to gills, old boy. Oh, yeah, I'm hungover. A hungover Carter with powdered sugar all over his face from Margo's Donuts. Vaughn, Margo and Feruze hop on the train to Sing Sing. If you guys are at all interested in this, I have signed this interesting, especially playing with a game that has some mystery to it. Sing Sing was built over the course of three years back in 1825 to 1828 and it was built

by other prisoners from New York's second prison called Auburn at Gunpoint. So they built the entire prison with guns pointed on them. Sing Sing became the city's third penitentiary at the time, and it's where the phrase going up the river originated because it's along the Hudson River. So whenever you hear that, oh, I was sending up the river, it's because of Sing Sing Prison. It was originally next to the village. It was known as Sint Sink or Sink Sink on the East Bank of the Hudson River,

30 miles north of New York City. The prison's reputation was so bad about the way the prisoners were treated there that in 1902, the city itself changed its name from Sint Sink to Austin-ing there that in 1902 the city itself changed its name from Sid Sync to Ossening so that it would be sound different from the prison that was named Sync Sync. In the early 20th century is when conditions started to be a little bit better when the warden at that time instituted these sweeping changes to try

and like replace the original overcrowded and crumbling brick cell houses. He brought in educational programs to reform and retrain the inmates rather than just the brutal punishment that they were facing before these changes were instituted. But despite his changes, he still presided over the execution of 303 prisoners during his 21 tenure at Sing Sing. The first prisoner was electrocuted in 1891 in the specially built, quote, Death House, where death row inmates were kept in a stone prison within a prison. The electric chair was nicknamed Old Sparky and it electrocuted three other men that day that it electrocuted its first. By 1916 every execution in New York State, which is huge, you know, Buffalo's six hours away, it all took place at Sing Sing. so much so that they had to build a second death house in 1920.

And that is the one that you are visiting today because in 1922 is when it came into operation. So you take the train, you get off at Austin station, I drive by it anytime I'm going to the city and you get to that same door with those cops are and the cops see you Margo and Vaughn again. Oh hey look who it is! Look at these two! You selling Girl Scout cookies? I already got mine from my neighbor. Who your friends here? They work for the New York Times too? Look at these faggots! They're back! The English guy and the German girl,

they brought some friends. Where are you from, honey? You from Sweden? What about you, half face? So charming. Yeah. So we got a letter of introduction now from... Describe to me again what our past key is.

You've got an appointment. So, yeah, you've got an appointment from the wife, but like maybe they haven't put two and two together yet. So they just see you and they just mocking. Yeah, Carter, Vonn and Margo. I was like, you guys can go ahead and do the honors here. It seems like you've earned it. I go up with my donuts in hand

and I say we have an appointment, sirs. Oh, do you now? I'm sure if you check your books, dear man, you'll find our name in your ledger at 10 o'clock. Oh, let me check your books. So you got Thin Mints, those are out in 1925. I'll take some Thin Mints. I just Googled it and the Girl Scouts were started in 1912.

So I imagine you were selling cookies by at least 1914. So let me check your books! Mr. Mollers! Dosey Does! I don't know what the fuck he's saying. I myself was one of Baden-Powell's best and brightest. I'm familiar with the scouting organization. I'll check my books. What's your name? names of Villiers representing The affairs mr. Adams who are here to see I have in my my accompaniment means sour

Is she brawn and that over there is stealing hands? Villiers tilling ass to broad sour. Yeah, oh, she's gonna make fun of our names Too proud and sour yeah, oh you're gonna make fun of our names Books hold on let me check my books. What is your name? Full mouth of doughnuts just scowling Officer Fitzpatrick respect the bad trick me check my book fear fun tilling ass cutter To What an appointment what time to say your point was 1130 Hold on one second. Yes get to work

You know you actually do have an appointment here, so. Oh, look at that. So, yeah, we'll let you in. I guess you will. Excellent. You've been ever so helpful. I'll do my best to put in a good word with your superiors. I'm not a zero stars. Let him know you're doing such a wonderful job at this very, I'm not a zero stars Off-line to know you're doing such a wonderful job at this very I'm sure Such a fulfilling job that you have sitting here taking names down and bringing people in and out back and forth

No, no, I'm going on in your life Don't those jobs usually go to us women We don't have women cops here. Anyway, you have an appointment. Don't push your luck, because I can take this pen. Ah, it's a pencil. Shit. Just gonna say I could just cross it out.

I could find a pen and cross it out. No need for that. A crack up job fix, Patrick. We'll, um. You have been so helpful. And as she goes and takes his tie and wipes off the powdered sugar on her mouth, throws it back down.

Not gonna lie, that was pretty odd. All right, come on in. We're gonna check you all for weapons. No weapons allowed in the prison. So if you have weapons, please put them in the box here. You'll get them on your way out. But we still have to pat you all down. Is anyone gonna try and sneak weapons into the death house?

That seems like a bad idea. No. When he says that, she's like, no need for the pat down. And she takes out her gun and like just slams it on the table, gives him a wink and then heads in. So all our pistols come out. It's like an armory's work of guns. Oh and here's this knife.

Yeah knife. Carter has the shattered glass from the pawn shop. I thought it would come in handy. As I said we're from abroad, one can only be too careful. Anything that could be classified as a weapon is confiscated. And then you're escorted into the building itself. There's actually a hill. You get out on the grounds outside. So you go past this gatehouse and you're outside.

And there's a hill that goes right over railroad tracks that lead to the second part of the prison where the death house is and you get to this building and it's a two story building but it's pretty long all in, and there is another guy standing outside. He is another officer. He's short, stocky. He's got salt and pepper hair that's got like a military cut, and he waves off the officer. I'll take it from here. Hi, I'm Sub Warden Brunton.

Can I have your names here? We're going to be spending some time together. I just want to, I don't want to be rude. What is your name, Miss? Looks at you, Fae Ruth. Miss Gibran will be, well, suffice. Don't we should have her name tags? Yes, we've been talking about doing name tags, but it's just we have a lot of prisoners to

kill and so it just it really ties up our day. Miss Gibran and you young lady? Margo Sauer. Margo Sauer, Miss Sauer and you sir, points to Vaughn. Vaughn Villiers. Mr. Villiers and you sir? Carter Tillilly. Mr. Tilly, yes. Once again, I'm brought in, George Brutten on the subordinate here.

I understand Mrs. Adams arranged this visit for you. She's a she's a real nice lady. I've had the pleasure of meeting her a bunch of times and I. Truthfully, I feel really bad for her. She seems sweet and the reporter, too. You you know, Miss Ch really bad for her. She seems sweet. And the reporter too. You know Miss Schozenberg? Yes.

That's right. Both very nice young women. Anyways, Mr. Adams, I'm sure he'll be happy to have some company. So right this way. And he walks you down or in the direction of a hallway past the door. As we're walking, a support in Brunton, I understand that in your capacity it is not for you to judge. That is left up to other members of your August justice system.

But in your personal opinion, does Mr. Adams have the character that would imply the disposition capable of doing the crimes for which he is accused? Mr. Villiers, is it? Yes. I've been subordinate here for a few years now, and before that I worked the front where you came in for another 15 years. I've been here a while, and you'd be surprised what some of these people are capable of doing. Some of the nicest men I've met here did unspeakable things. Unspeakable things. And you'd never know to talk to them.

Now maybe coming in here when they know that the end is nigh, they have a different outlook on life. I'm not sure. I will say that Mr. Adams is very kind and it's really not for me to say whether he's innocent or guilty. If I was a judge, I don't know. I don't see how a guy like this could do it. But also if they tell me I'm the one that has to pull the switch in a week, I'll do it because

that's my job. I understand. Do you understand? Let me explain to you, and he's walking you down right this way, let me just explain to you how things are going to work here. You're going to have 30 minutes to speak to Mr. Adams on the dot. I have a stopwatch. You can speak to him through the bars of his cell.

You cannot exchange any items with the prisoner and you cannot make any physical contact with the prisoner. Any attempts to do either of those things will result in the interviews termination and your removal from the premises. Do you all understand that? Uh huh. Yes. Okay.

Great. You seem like nice people, you know, but I gotta enforce the rules. So anyways, he's right up here. He just walks you down this dark, dark hallway. There's just little buzzing lights every once in a while. Bzz, bzz, bzz. I think Carter especially, being an oppressive, it's not, it's like his nightmare, obviously,

for all the shit that he has gotten into in his life. So he's really, between the hangover and being here, he's not doing great. Yeah, I mean, how many times in his life was he one bad decision away from ending up in a place like this? Right. It's cold in here, obviously it's mid-January,

it's been a horrible winter, and they don't divert their best heat to the death house. their best heat to the death house. So he takes you down and points you in the direction of a small cell. There's like a single bed and like a little sink area and a bucket. And you see sitting on the edge of the bed an African American man with very strong features and a muscular build, although it looks like he's probably lost some weight since he's been in prison. The clothes are kind of hanging off of him oddly and the clothes are a classic like black and white striped denim prisoner's uniform.

He has short dark hair that's lightly peppered with gray even though you know this guy is like in his late 20s early 30s and you can see in the light that's shining past the bars his face is creased with lines. I think I actually have a picture of this I can show you right now. If you look on roll 20, that's Sylvan Adams. And he says in a low voice that will sound like all of my NPCs. Now let me see if I can do a new voice. He's like, I would shake your hand, but I don't think that would go down too well. Hey, Mr. Brunton. And George just gives like a not unfriendly grunt, and then he takes a few steps back to give you a little privacy

But he's still like eight or nine feet away from you and just has his hands folded in front of him You approach the cell and He isn't even really making eye contact with you he just says I'm sorry to hear there's been another murder. We're sorry to hear you're still in here. Are you now? What do you know about me? Well, we spoke to your wife. And we are of the high opinion that you do not belong in this place.

Well, I share that opinion with you, as does my wife, as do my hope, many people. Although most of my friends have abandoned me. Maybe not. Speaking of your friends, Mr. Adams, by the fortune, recently meeting your comrade, Mr. Arthur Mills. How is he? Is he old enough? Holding up is how I put it. He seems rather, rather tight. But he informed me as to the nature of your work around Harlem, trying to discover for yourselves the mystery of the murders plaguing your community. Takes a deep breath. Yeah, I mean, I think a lot of of people the people who put me here maybe

they thought that those murderers were gonna end by putting me in here but now there's been another one and I'll tell you right now there'll be more unless the perpetrators are stopped we completely... We too had a friend that... Was killed at the hands of whoever is behind this, we believe. Somebody who's wearing... A red fan? He looks up, makes eye contact with you. Hmm.

Well... eye contact with you? Hmm. Well, if Millie vouched for you, I suppose I can tell you what I know. I don't even know where to begin, but from what I understand, people started disappearing

long before they were turning up dead, just vanishing out of thin air. Truth be told, I think these disappearances were going on for years, although how long I couldn't say. I only started noticing them when I came back from the war in 1919. But they could have been going on a lot longer than that. Once I'd spotted that something was going on there were some other people in the area where I hung out with people like Art, Jackie, Needham, Douglas, we all started noticing that it seemed like people in our community were being targeted.

And we started to look for a pattern. And at first it wasn't clear until we realized that all these disappearances were taking place on a monthly basis. And they all took place, all the people that were reported missing all took place during the dark of the moon when you think about it makes sense perfect time to grab somebody when you can't be seen but I always felt it was something else to it now that's just the disappearances, the murders. They didn't seem to have any fixed schedule, but they did seem to happen in response to

something specific. I'm sure that the last one, well, the eighth one, I suppose, now that there's been nine, I think that one happened just to frame me. Why you in particular? That I don't know for sure. I think it's because I was poking my nose into somebody else's business. Here I thought I was helping helping we all thought we were helping The juju house

Juju house to Millie tell you about that We've heard that name come up a lot from various people have been talking to you and we've actually been there to see What's going on. And we'd love to know what you discovered before this last eighth murder happened. It seems to be maybe what the trigger was. And if there is something that you held back from your comrades, from the police, even from

Mr. Schoenberg, because you thought it might strain credulity, just know that we are particularly open-minded to matters of esoteric quality. From what we saw last night, it looked like there was a gathering. If that means that one more person is going to get murdered, if we can stop that, you have to tell us. A gathering? Yes, they were either wailing or singing. There was a low hum that just like reverberated

through my body. I didn't know if I was hearing it or feeling it. I knew, I knew there was something going on there. Maybe it was discovering that, that put me here. Well, as we continued looking into these disappearances, we discovered another pattern. None of these abductions or murders took place within a two block radius of West 137th Street between Lennox and the Harlem River, apart from the one that saw me arrested. Now beyond that all the abductions fanned out in a

rough circle for about a mile west of the Harlem River. Now the locations, the bodies that turned up, those were spread out all over the place. And I heard that your friend was found down in Chelsea. Is that true? So either they're changing their patterns and getting desperate, or your friend got too close to something like I did.

You know early on when I was put in here I was a little more skeptical of who I could trust but by all accounts I don't have much more time left in here so I'm putting it all on the line. How many days do I have left Mr. Brun and George Brun just acts like he doesn't hear, puts his head down. There was this doctor, Lemming, Mordecai Lemming. They interviewed him when all these murders and abductions were taking place and he said it had to do with an African death cult. I figured he was just a racist, but we were following up on every lead.

So my friends and I started doing some research, went down to the New York Public Library, and we kept finding mention of this cult that goes all the way back to Kenya, called the Cult of the bloody tongue. Now the only place in all of New York City that has any ties to Africa is Juju house. It's run by this old man's got to be in his 70s, maybe older, Silas Nkwane. What do you mean?

Well, he receives regular shipments from Africa every month. They come into a place called Emerson Imports down on the docks. I don't know what he's getting, but that seemed to be the only link to Africa. So maybe this lemming just wanted some attention. Maybe he wanted to throw some more negative energy towards the community up here in Harlem. But if there was a connection, we wanted to know. I didn't manage much surveillance of Juju House before the police came for me, except for one night. One night I knew somebody that lived in one of the buildings above and they let me come

in and watch down on the court Then I saw a man come out Late 30s, maybe early 40s muscular shaved head African man Came out so I watched him come out and then I ran downstairs and I followed him. I followed him for a while and he went into a little coffee shop on 139th Street and 6th Avenue called Fat Mabel's. It's a speakeasy at night, coffee shop during the day. So I started asking around a little bit, coming back the next day seeing if anybody knew about this guy and everybody was very mum, didn't want to talk to me about them.

In fact, some of them even warned me to walk away, stop asking questions. But I got a name. Makanga Madari was this gentleman's name. I am certain that following this man was the moment that whoever was behind these murders and abductions decided I was becoming a threat. Did you... At the moment you made that breakthrough with Mr. Madari, did you have a sense that you were being watched?

Followed? That... Whether his associates were aware of your investigation? Cops were coming around every once in a while. Robson's men, yeah. They were giving me a hard time telling them to leave the police work to the police. And I always acquiesced. Didn't want to get in trouble. But we kept pushing.

Then I followed this guy and the locals don't even want to tell me about him now my friends are my old friends they were more paranoid than I was I wanted to know the truth but then again I'm in here and they're out there. They said that they recovered your knife from the scene, but maybe it's not really... Where would it be? Is there a way for us to find it? It wasn't my knife that was used to murder the eighth victim. I had more sense than to take my bolo with me on patrol. I knew that all the previous victims were killed by knives. I

was gonna take a large knife out there. So I carried my army issue revolver with me for protection anytime I went on patrol. When the police came to my house, they searched and found my knife, and later it was covered in the victim's blood to secure my conviction of that I am sure. You'll never find that Bolo. That's what put me in here. That's why the appeal didn't work. I was set up, and I think I was set up by the cops so either the cops are the ones doing the killing or the cops are the ones turning a blind eye. Is it your opinion Mr. Adams that it was Robeson's men who planted this physical evidence on your name? I think Robeson's dirty. I think Robson might be the head of this whole thing.

Wouldn't surprise me, but then there's this other fella, Makanga Madari. He's not the old man that runs that shop, but he walked out of there like he owned the place. And as for the Emerson Imports, was this a place that you and your compatriots surveilled as well or just a place you heard? We went down there. They didn't really take kindly to us being around, so we just watched. It's just an importer-exporter. Boats come in, but they seem to be the only ones that are supplying stuff from Africa to Juju House. We looked around.

There's just no one else with any real ties to Africa like this in the city. Brun speaks up. Two more minutes. Your notebook, it was confiscated, maybe gone. Is there anything in there that you remember that might be helpful in finding out who did this, exonerating you? No, I mean, if you found the notebook, that would exonerating you? No, I mean if you found the notebook that would exonerate me, other than that you just have to find the real killers.

I think it's my only chance. But then the notebook would exonerate you though. It's just your accounts. How would it be proof? It was dated. It was dated. It had all of my reports of everything that I did. I think that that alone, along with the fabric that I tore off of that person, you mentioned

the headband that they were wearing. I stopped someone that had that same thing. They took that too. You just saw someone out during the day with this on? Where? No, it was at night. At night. I stopped someone from being abducted or killed or otherwise. And as I was beating them off, the only... not beating them off, that would have been... As I was beating them off, being abducted.

As he was running away, I noticed he had... We beat off three of them in a hotel. So what you do on your own time is your business. But I'll tell you, this man has a great link to beat one of them off. He had a weird plunged out a bloody window. Fucking headband on. Got it. Got it. Oh, wait, I got one. Hey.

Yeah. Is there any? What do you think these people, the people that got abducted, no shared qualities, nothing that they were doing, were they always in a specific place that was similar or anything tied together, the victims? Talked to for any specific reason? Every walk of life, every walk of life, the only thing that they seem to have in common was that it all happened in a certain area around Harlem, except for this area right around Juju House. So they'd just be walking down the street and boom, gone.

Darker the moon, monthly. The Darker the moon tended to be where these people were being taken. Now mind you, there were eight murders at the time I was arrested. But there were dozens of disappearances where the bodies never showed up. And as far as I know, those people were never seen again. And that all happened in my area.

Now why some were killed and some never returned, why some bodies were dumped. I couldn't figure it out. If I could get out there on the street today, I could figure this out. But I'm trapped in here. All right, folks, we got to wrap this up. Thank you, Hilton. Thank you all for coming.

And he grabs on the bar. He's like, please, just get me out of here. Get me out of here. If you can go somewhere tonight to check, where would you go? Juju house. Something's going on at Juju house. Very well.

Your wife sends her love. Brunley's love.ley's faithful and resolute. As shall we be. That's enough. That's enough, folks. Come on now. I don't want to have to enforce the rules. That's enough.

That's enough. And he walks you back down that long hallway. Outside, you have to climb the hill to get back and you look up into the sky and it's sunny out today and you wonder when is the next day when it will be the dark of the moon. Maybe we'll find out next week. I don't know. But that's this week's episode. It's going to be in like 20 days. 20 days from now. It's got to be 20 days. But that's this week's episode. Look, I'm gonna die.

That's gonna be in like 20 days. 20 days from now. That's gotta be 20 days. Yeah, definitely, we're definitely not recording again in 20 minutes. We're definitely not gonna go upstairs and change our shirts and come right back. Nope, not at all. Not at all. Goodnight everybody!

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