(Reliquary) Wholesale Investigations

[Yumyumcrow]

"Take it now," Sophie waves them out once the transaction has been completed. Her suspicious face softens as the money pours in. One small victory, it seems.

Gerald and Chris are now the proud owners of a fine Louis XV chair and a disturbing marionette. The clerk assists them in escaping the warehouse with their purchases and returns to her paperwork. Outside, it is still dark and the parking lot is still very empty. It is relatively quiet too - there appears to be a lull in the traffic growling by on the highway. There is only the shop, their vehicle, a masculine bike with thick saddlebags tucked away in a corner by a side door.

As Chris has correctly deduced that the warehouse's security camera's are compromised, he can easily reach the bike unobserved. Sophie is obviously security conscious: the saddlebags are custom made and designed for a modicum of security. He has two options - pick the small padlocks sealing the bags [Dexterity + Larceny, requiring 2 successes to open] or simply rip the bags apart using [Strength + Athletics, requiring 3 successes to physically crack open - these bags are well made]

[Gerald Baker]

Outside the shop, Gerald grabs the chair and offers Chris the marionette without really thinking about it. Life on a ship had hardened him up for the rigors of manual labor. He hefts the thing up onto his shoulder, padded side down, and walks towards the Mini Cooper. Idly, as though this were really just a shopping trip, he asks "Would you mind terribly giving me a ride when we are through here? I walked." Silence and being unoccupied are a terrible combination. He'd rather speak than idly wait for the Reeve to conclude his business. He spares a glance in Chris' direction to see what the man is up to.

[Chris Wooding]

'Thank you.' Chris says to Sophie, before shortly waving her goodbye.

The chair just fits in the Mini Cooper, with the backseats down. It's a small car, but also a BMW, and things always work out somehow.

'Yeah a ride is fine. But first I want to check something.' He scans the parking lot for Sophie's bike. He makes his way over. 'There may be some useful info about special items. I guess what we're looking for is already taken.'

Ever since being locked in a hidden closet in a mansion, by a ghost, Chris carries some simple lock-picking equipment with him. Call him lucky, but he manages to open the bags efficiently. Then of course there's one question: are the papers inside?

[Dark Passenger]

Aaaand the roll:

   picking the padlocks

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2015-05-07 15:53:54		Chris rolls 4 to Dex + Larc for saddle bags (10 Again)		1, 9, 10, 4, 1		2 successes

[Yumyumcrow]

The Shadow has to rummage around for a bit. The file from Sophie's memory fragment is there, squashed and bent at the bottom of the bag. Battered, stained, dog eared and thick with notes and cheaply made photographs.

The paperwork pertaining to the Mr. Punch marionette, the camera, and the reliquary are there. It is a trove of costings, histories, warnings, buyer descriptions and other notes related to the purchase and sale of the artefacts. A quick glance intimates that Mr. Punch and the camera are still locked in a securely stashed safe, awaiting sale.

The reliquary is gone, sold at the beginning of the year - cheaply - to one Limey Joe. The paperwork gives a good reason for the quick sale: a curse really seemed to follow the reliquary. It had reappeared on the north american market only a year ago and had gone through a number of hands; each previous owner had suffered break ins or physical violence. Two had died (one in a car crash, the other from a "failed kidnapping and ransom"). It could be that Roberts, the owner of the warehouse, may yet make that three dead.

Limey Joe has an address on the southern edge of Sacramento, out towards Elk Grove - a saddlery.

[Chris Wooding]

There's the curious Shadow side of Chris that screams to go back to get the Mr. Punch and the camera, but they're probably of less importance now.

The reliquary however, now that's something. 'A supposedly cursed item is sold here. To one Limey Joe. There's even an address,' Chris looks up to Gerard with a smile. 'It seems like we don't have to waste time going to the hospital.'

He takes pictures of several important pages, but when he has scanned most things, he puts them back in the bag. There's no need to raise poor Sophie's suspicion.

Ready to start wrapping up?

[Gerald Baker]

Gerald gives the Shadow a moment to take care of his business unimpeded before curiosity gets the better of him. Joining him by the girl's bike, he peers into the saddlebags as Chris manages to get them open. All paperwork, by the looks of it. Or, at least, paperwork seems to be what catches the Reeve's eye.

"Fortune smiles on us, then." he says, returning the smile. Most people don't even like to visit their own kin in hospitals, right? Reminds the frail creatures of their own mortality. Even if the assumption is wrong, Gerald is pleased to forgo that little step in the process. "Shall we go? Before this woman comes poking her nose at us." He chuckles softly, eyeing the Mini Cooper. "If you could drop me off by [location] at the docks...? The marionette is yours to keep, of course, but I need to bring that chair to it's new home."

Fine by me. Sorry for the delayed response.

[Yumyumcrow]

In a growl of gravel the mini exits the parking lot and rejoins the Highway. They chase a relic and transaction months old...

And thats a wrap for this scene. Let me know what you wish to do next

[Chris Wooding]

​'At the docks? Sure.' He smiles, it's the least he can do.

Interesting location.

Just drop our stuff now.
Go to Joe's saddlery on a following day? So that we have a chance to feed

[Gerald Baker]

Sounds good. Look forward to the next chapter