Derek Reporting to the Prince

[Derek Menzies]

Alessandra

Equipment: Smart Phone, Running Shoes

After having spoken to Alessandra in Court, Derek has been mulling over the details in his head for what he wished to say to the Prince. Overthinking things is a bad habit of his and it gave the nights an ominous air. He had already confirmed the Prince's announcement alongside Jack that the Harpy and Sheriff had vacated their offices. It left a huge power vacuum with the Domain's hierarchy. And in the wake of grumbling from the Domain's Dragon population, it left some suspicions on the fate of Ms. Simmons and Ms. Moretti. After all, the social pressures on the Prince had started with their public tiff. And though Derek had been convinced of its peaceful resolution, he came to discover just how much tension had built up on the following months.

No matter. None of these things had anything to do with Derek. Though he is aware of its importance going into this meeting. Context is everything.

He is uncertain whether he should dress up. Invictus value appearances, a sense of status. But She didn't strike him the same way as his Sire. As a Gangrel he assumes She values the appearance of Strength and the expectation of Respect, only made more apparent in the recent revision of Laws. Instead he forgoes that for his usual black hoodie and gray jeans and sneakers. He isn't a Deputy anymore, for one. Nor a member of the Invictus. And he is far more comfortable in this attire. Any comfort would be needed to get through this without devolving into a manic valetudinarian.

At the appointed time he knocks on the Prince's office door and awaits her answer before entering.

[Alessandra]

The center of the room contained a desk that was a rich dark mahogany. It was large enough for her to work on multiple things, but not too large to overshadow her.

The butterflies were placed here and there, adding her own unique style to the room.

On the desk was the standard items on it, papers, small lamp, a computer. There was also a tall glass dome. Beside the glass dome was another one, this one held the same brightly colored butterflies, but had a darker, sinister twist to it. There was a skull in this one, with the butterflies placed artfully around it. Another skull with butterflies on it was placed on a shelf behind her.

There wasn’t really art on the walls. But there were shadow boxes placed around the room with various colors of pinned butterflies. Some blue, some green and some a mixture.

Maybe not something you would expect from the Savage, nor would many expect or know that she pinned them herself. Next to cleaning her guns, it relaxed her.

Playing softly from speakers placed around the room was Beethoven.

The wall behind the seating area had a new painting on display, called A Witches Sabbath. Which had only recently arrived.

Two chairs sat in front of the desk, new chairs actually. They looked quite comfortable, but the selling point for Ale? They were skulls. There was also a seating area was set in one of the corners. Which had two chairs and a couch around a coffee table. There were lamps on that offered a soft and comfortable glow, nothing too bright.

Sitting behind the desk was the Savage, folders and paperwork spread in front of her. Cain, ever present, laid on the floor beside her, ears perked, body tense, ever on alert. The Prince wore a black button up shirt and black leather pants.

The knocked alerted her to Derek’s arrival, Cain’s head lifting, eyes fixed on the door.

“Come in.”

[Derek Menzies]

The door opens a few seconds later and Derek appears, nervous with his Beast reacting timidly to the Prince's own. Steeling his will, he moves into the room, eyes lowered and bowing respectfully to the Prince. The presence of Cain is no less discomforting as both predators would be more than a match for his thin frame.

"Y..your Grace, Prince Alessandra. I..would like to thank you once more for agreeing to speak with me."

He allows himself to glance about the room. Most of it looked familiar since Derek had been invited here once before, though the painting behind the seating area is new. His gaze lingers a moment there before continuing.

"If I may get right to my purpose in coming, I shall deliver my report on the matter concerning one, Diego Martinez, a.k.a. The Accountant." He holds back his eagerness to unleashed the detailed account that has been formulating in his mind since they had scheduled this meeting. Though it is only the first of many subjects he wishes to speak on tonight, and he doesn't wish to waste the Prince's time with idle pleasantries.

[Alessandra]

The Savage offers a smile to Derek. So far, he seemed polite and pleasant.

“Please, come in. Have a seat.” She gestures to the chairs before closing folders. “How have you been?” asks the Italian, enjoying not having to wrestle her Beast. It was always a welcome change.

“Of course!” right to the point. That was always good. “Ah, I had been wondering what had come of him, so I’m very eager to hear what you have.”

[Derek Menzies]

Derek hesitates a half second as he considers the chair but then moves to seat himself. Not hurriedly but not slowly either, as one might rip a bandaid off. His hands tap against his thighs as he sits at the chairs edge.

“After receiving your orders, I spoke at length with Mr. Garcia concerning a means of approach along with a Ms. Verne. Mr. Scott could not be reached and I assumed he moved on shortly after his arrival. After researching the web for information we concluded that direct observation would be required. We staked out the Fuego restaurant, though Ms. Verne disappeared shortly after our rendezvous, I can only assume that she did not feel up to the task.”

Derek knew that the request the Prince placed upon these Kindred had already been mired in disrespect and disobedience. The Mekhet pauses a moment to allow the Prince to weigh these factors.

“Mr. Garcia remained with me and we entered the restaurant as we caught no glimpse of other Kindred who might sense us. He as patron and myself as a fly on the wall, masked in the shadows that are our namesake. We both found evidence that a meeting was planned for an important guest and we left to plan accordingly. Other than that information we did not hear or see any mention of Mr. Martinez’s involvement in the restaurant.”

“Our planning involved recruiting among your subjects to prepare for possible eventualities. Unfortunately none that were asked were willing to participate and Mr. Garcia abandoned the effort after a disagreement between us. For that, I apologize. When the meeting date came I discovered it had been cancelled and any further efforts to observe the restaurant have yielded no results. I might venture to assume that our quarry had become aware of our attention and quit the Domain as a result. Either that or they are exceedingly cautious and I was simply poorly equipped to investigate them.”

In other words, failure. Derek is keenly aware of this. “I accept whatever punishment you deem fair for my weakness. I am not a very compelling leader, I know, so I could not convince the others to aid me in a more thorough effort.”

[Alessandra]

There was a brief look of confusion, very brief, “I was not aware that Ms Verne joined, but an extra set of eyes is always good.” See, this is why people needed to keep her up to date.

She always found it fascinating how the Mekhets were able to work with the shadows like they were. A useful, yet dangerous, skill to have.

Interesting, “I wonder if the restaurant was simply a meeting place then.” She wonders out loud.
“Really? No one else was willing to assist? Who did you ask, and did they give a reason?” it would be good information to know, if he shared it. Then a shake of her head, “For some reason, it does not surprise me he abandoned the effort. And there is no need to apologize, you cannot control the actions of another. But it is good to know he abandoned a task I requested of him.” Something she wouldn’t soon forget.

“Now this is an interesting change of events. And I’m curious as to what the exact reason could be. He did lose the Kine he had in play, so that could have tipped him off. But, I don’t deal in speculation.” It was iffy and didn’t give reliable results.

“I see no reason to punish you. Despite the setbacks, you still went ahead with the task asked of you. Though if you had come to me, I could have made sure you got some help with it.” Or at least know why no one would step up. “Being a leader isn’t all about being compelling, it helps, but it isn’t the only thing. You went to them while doing something I requested you do, that should have been enough to get others to offer aid. The fact it didn’t is unsettling to say the least.” And something she was not happy with. “But the blame is not on you.”

[Derek Menzies]

"Ms. Verne volunteered her services, though it turned out to be a fleeting offer," explains Derek, who isn't entirely certain of the circumstances of her involvement.

As the Prince presses him with questions, Derek hesitates a moment before answering, seeming to choose his words carefully. "Madcap, Ms. Vitale, and Mr. Prosper. Madcap refused because he believed it to be a personal matter of Your Grace rather than a concern of the Domain. Ms. Vitale had been called away unexpectedly, as was Mr. Prosper."

Conveniently all members of the Ordo Dracul in the wake of the controversy over the perceived slight against their Grand Wyrm. Derek decides not to point this out along with all the other vitriol that was shared by the aforementioned.

"I realize it's entirely convenient to say so about members who have left the city and cannot defend themselves, so I would understand any skepticism in naming them. However, in regards to Ms. Vitale and former Deputy Prosper, I would say I held them in high esteem, so I would not speak ill of them unnecessarily."

He seems to look visibly relieved when the Prince reveals her decision for leniency. "You are most merciful, Your Grace. I admit I determined that requesting aid would paint me as incompetent when I wished to earn your favor. Yet the results speak for themselves. In the future I will not delay in coming to you or your officers for assistance."

"And that leads me to the next matter I wish to share with you. It extends beyond the scope of the task you gave me. As you know, I served as Deputy to Sheriff Moretti for a brief stint. During this time I assisted her in the investigation of the company, Echelon, particularly a woman by the name of Erika Alten under their employ. Recently I accompanied Sheriff Moretti and Keeper Wood on a direct investigation of her apartment in the hopes of gaining access to her devices. May I ask, had Ms. Moretti or Keeper Wood briefed you on these events?"

He looks nervous about bringing this up but also determined to follow the reasoning that brought him here. Hopefully the Prince is already aware of the threats...

[Alessandra]

There was a brief chuckle, “For some reason, that doesn’t surprise me about Mr. Madcap.” He seemed less eager to help the Domain and only do what Lina told him. “But I thank you for letting me know, I’ll keep it in mind for the future.” Worthless.

“I’ve already formed opinions on those you’ve mentioned. But I can understand what you’re saying. I’ve learned through the years that everyone has an opinion on someone else, and it’s always best to form an opinion about someone for yourself. Though I share your high regards of Ms Vitale, I was looking forward to getting to know her better and working with her. I hope she makes her way back to the Domain in the future.” Nothing is said about Prosper.

“I’m not some eager Prince looking to punish people every chance I get. I know we all make mistakes and there are often circumstances out of our control. One should not be punished for that.” She had made far worse mistakes and was granted mercy. “Incompetent?” a smile and hake of her head, “Not at all. If you don’t have the man power to get something done, I am more than happy to make sure you do. If you wish to earn my favor, then keep doing what you’ve been doing. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you.” It was true, she had yet to hear someone speak bad about him.

“I’ve heard mention of Echelon, but not of this Erika Alten. What does she have to do with the investigation? I know we had the, unfortunate, incident at the Coroners office.”

[Derek Menzies]

A flicker of a genuine smile creeps over his expression at the praise, only to be dashed by a concerned frown. So both Lina and Mable had said nothing to the Prince. Had She been kept out of the loop entirely?

"The Coroner's office..." he starts, somewhat confused. "I recall in Ms. Moretti and Herald Jack's briefings a toxin of some concern to us. And a Kine, a Mr. Cummings associated with Echelon found dead. I'm afraid I haven't been briefed further on that investigation. Erika Alten, however, holds a middle management position and had been tasked with acquiring prostitutes using company funds through Merchant National Bank. Though it was not certain who the intended clients were. Ms. Moretti had infiltrated the ring and had gotten close to Ms. Alten."

He continues, "In order to acquire more information on Echelon, we, that is, Ms. Moretti, Keeper Wood and I, attempted to infiltrate her apartment as I mentioned. Unfortunately the apartment was a trap. An ambush. We found a murdered woman in the apartment bedroom, unidentifiable. Also, I discovered a number of cameras that were transmitting footage wirelessly. All three of us were caught on camera. The apartment phone rang, also bugged. And Moretti answered it. An unknown man spoke with her, who knew her name, and accused her of having killed the woman in the bedroom. A moment later the windows and doors were remotely shut, locking us in and intense lights were activated. Then two shotgun wielding soldiers in body armor burst in and tried to kill us."

He's really surprised that no one had mentioned it yet. It's not something one forgets easily. He shivers even thinking about the ordeal.

"We survived and escaped. But the threat remains. Not only is it a danger to the First, but it's possible that Hunters are already involved or that Echelon is very aware of our investigations into their activities. I believe they only expected Ms. Moretti to be there and that her alias was compromised. It could be why she left so soon after the incident, to lure them away from the rest of us."

He hopes anyways. He can't imagine a Kindred like Lina would up and leave without some warning. Derek grows silent, waiting for the Prince's reaction to what had been shared so far.

[Alessandra]

A single nod, “Keeper Wood and Mr Exlibrist were sent there to scout the location. From what Miss Moretti told me in a letter, Mr Exlibrist got himself shot in the head. Which has sent Herald Jack and Keeper Wood seeking information at the Man in Black.” It wasn’t good. “Acquiring prostitutes? Not a business I know much about. I’d be interested to know how it all ties in. I do know Miss Moretti said she left all her white board and notes in the Reeve’s office. If you need access to them, please let me know.” Seems she was going to have to take a look at them herself.

“If it was a trap, she, or whoever she was working for must have known they were being looked into and followed. Were you able to find out where the camera’s were transmitting?” she looked thoughtful for a moment, “I wonder if whoever set that up is connected to the Hunter’s we’ve had in the area. Either way, it means being extra cautious moving forward with the investigation. We should also make sure everyone is aware that the Hunter threat might not be done. Everyone is careful from now on.” This was going to have to be taken care of.

“Whatever the cause, we need to get it taken care of. Secure the safety of those within the Domain. Are there any other leads?”