Episode 25
Episode 25 - Minus a Conspicuous Corpse
The Agents have arrived in Northampton, tracing the last known activities of missing FCC Agent: Clemson Mallory.
Adapted from a scenario by Thomas DiPaolo.
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Transcript
Hello?
Speaker B:Which time is it?
Speaker B:Who is it?
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker C:I.
Speaker A:Situation green crystal ball.
Speaker A:Sorry, honey, I have to take this.
Speaker D:Let's get rolling and we can discuss it on the way.
Speaker D:Ryan's gonna get in the driver's seat.
Speaker C:How far are we from the Hotel Northampton?
Speaker A:Northampton is a two hour drive west of Boston.
Speaker E:Oh, easy peasy.
Speaker C:Want to get some hotel rooms there?
Speaker E:Yeah, seems very reasonable.
Speaker B:Might as well.
Speaker E:While we're driving, may I suggest this really great podcast I recently discovered?
Speaker E:It's called Sorry, honey, I have to take this.
Speaker D:Seems low quality.
Speaker E:It probably.
Speaker A:The title's too long.
Speaker C:I hear they're a bunch of assholes.
Speaker E:It seems.
Speaker D:Wait, does that spell it seems?
Speaker E:Really?
Speaker E:It does.
Speaker E:It spells.
Speaker E:Shit.
Speaker E:They're.
Speaker A:They're Reddit.
Speaker E:Their subreddit is called Shitcast.
Speaker A:So what's Reddit?
Speaker E:Who said that?
Speaker D:I know who.
Speaker D:Is there someone else in here?
Speaker B:Check the drunk out of the stereo.
Speaker D:Yeah, we'll.
Speaker D:We'll get a hotel.
Speaker D:We'll get hotel rooms closer to the.
Speaker D:In the.
Speaker D:In the.
Speaker D:In the city.
Speaker A:I mean, it sounds like you want to get hotel rooms at the Hotel Hampton.
Speaker E:There's no reason not to.
Speaker A:Yeah, so.
Speaker A:I mean, not the rating for you to.
Speaker E:Oh, that's a good point.
Speaker E:That's a good point.
Speaker A:So TripAdvisor rates Hotel Northampton as a 3.5 out of 5.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:Too low.
Speaker A:That's.
Speaker D:Yeah, that's Ryan, and he feels like Prentice is going to back him on this.
Speaker D:We're going four star up.
Speaker D:So what else is in the area?
Speaker D:Apprentice can do the googling while we.
Speaker D:While we're on our way.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker A:He finds you a fancy hotel.
Speaker A:It's called the Crystal Ball.
Speaker A:It's a Northampton original, and you book rooms there.
Speaker A:And it's six stars.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:They.
Speaker E:They only have five.
Speaker A:It's that good, though.
Speaker A:They had to make a new star for it.
Speaker C:I truly believe that you are their God.
Speaker D:How about.
Speaker D:How about bad news, guys?
Speaker D:Based on the.
Speaker D:Based on the search, I think Northampton Inn is going to be our best.
Speaker D:Our best bet.
Speaker D:We'll just get rooms there.
Speaker C:Look, man, I've been sleeping on a cot next to a beach for the last couple months.
Speaker C:It's fine.
Speaker A:You guys get rooms at the Hotel Northampton.
Speaker A:You set it all up.
Speaker A:They have availability.
Speaker A:The clerk is very nice and polite.
Speaker A:I assume we're going one room per agent, or are we being frugal here?
Speaker D:One room per agent.
Speaker A:Look at that.
Speaker A:Big money.
Speaker A:Big money.
Speaker C:Thank you, Ryan.
Speaker C:Appreciate it.
Speaker A:Oh, shit.
Speaker A:Is that.
Speaker A:Is that on the Ryan Platinum Visa?
Speaker A:Or what's going on there?
Speaker D:Ryan.
Speaker D:Old Ryan.
Speaker D:Old shrug.
Speaker D:And, you know, take that on the chin.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:He'll pay for him.
Speaker A:Fair.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker E:He knows it's.
Speaker E:It's.
Speaker E:It's a good deed to supplement military income.
Speaker A:So, as you're driving west out of Boston, Ryan and company, you have an opportunity maybe to reacquaint and meet this new face, this Agent Cain.
Speaker A:Give you the opportunity to do that.
Speaker A:Or we can keep things chugging forward.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E:Prentice.
Speaker E:As they get going, Prentice is in the.
Speaker E:He's setting shotgun to Ryan.
Speaker E:He looks in the or, turns around in his seat to look at Cain and says, look, I don't know what you do, but you're replacing someone who I feel was pretty unreplaceable.
Speaker E:And I don't want you to get the wrong idea that I think you're gonna do a bad job or anything, but the bar is pretty high, so don't fuck this up.
Speaker B:Well, I'll do my best.
Speaker D:No one's irreplaceable.
Speaker D:You'll be fine.
Speaker D:Tell us more about your experience.
Speaker C:Where do you see yourself in five years?
Speaker B:Well, I've been doing this for a while now.
Speaker B:Long while.
Speaker B:Seen more than I care to admit.
Speaker E:But I think we all can say the same.
Speaker E:So I guess welcome aboard.
Speaker E:And my condolences for what you may have seen.
Speaker A:That's an about face for Prentiss.
Speaker A:He was just, like, super aggro.
Speaker A:Now he's like, oh, well, he.
Speaker E:He was unsure of whether Cain was a noob or not.
Speaker C:Prentice got it.
Speaker C:Prentice.
Speaker C:Quit fucking with a newbie.
Speaker B:Newbie.
Speaker B:Darling, I got some news for you.
Speaker D:Sounds like she's been around the block.
Speaker D:She's.
Speaker B:She's been around long enough that she's got that look in her eyes.
Speaker D:Ryan's gonna look at her in the back mirror.
Speaker D:I've only been on one operation with these two guys.
Speaker D:Our last one was a challenge, but it's a good team.
Speaker D:We're excited to be working with you.
Speaker D:I'm sure you've worked with a lot of different agents over the.
Speaker D:Over the time.
Speaker D:So anything that is of, let's say, your particular expertise, just step forward, make yourself known, make your skills known.
Speaker D:And.
Speaker D:And we'll do the same.
Speaker B:I can do that.
Speaker C:When the shit hits the fan, after the fan, you can count on us.
Speaker C:Can we count on you?
Speaker B:I am.
Speaker B:Back down yet?
Speaker B:Ain't lost a fight yet either.
Speaker B:Still here.
Speaker D:But like John just wanted to say, when the shit hits the fan after.
Speaker C:The fan, yes, I did.
Speaker C:I didn't Want to say that he.
Speaker A:Said he's got all of Clint Eastwood's lines from all his movies up right now on his screen and he's just like going through, check, check.
Speaker E:So back to my question.
Speaker E:What do you do?
Speaker B:Well, good with people normally.
Speaker E:We could use that.
Speaker B:Don't gotta worry about taking care of me.
Speaker B:I can take care of myself.
Speaker B:If it comes down to it, I can.
Speaker B:A little bit of this, a little bit of that.
Speaker B:And a badge.
Speaker E:Excellent.
Speaker E:I don't think we've had a badge before.
Speaker A:What does Cain look like?
Speaker B:She's a tiny little thing.
Speaker B:Five foot three, maybe 115, 120 pounds.
Speaker B:A lot of sass in a little package.
Speaker B:You can see the edge of a couple of tattoos peeking out of her shirt and she's got a couple of pink streaks in her hair.
Speaker B:Nothing too blatant, but they're definitely there.
Speaker E:I'm glad that the sasquota is being maintained.
Speaker E:That's.
Speaker E:That's a must.
Speaker A:Y'all roll into Northampton around 4:30 in the morning, check in to the hotel.
Speaker A:It's a beautiful hotel.
Speaker A:Honestly, for a 3.5, even Ryan has to kind of nod and under his breath, admit, not bad.
Speaker D:Not bad.
Speaker D:You can cut that head right after you just say admit.
Speaker C:Have to.
Speaker A:Agents, you can turn in for the remainder of the evening or do something else.
Speaker E:You let me know before.
Speaker E:Before we enter our rooms, Prentice is going to put his hand over Ryan's wrist and say, hey, are you feeling okay?
Speaker D:Fine.
Speaker D:You?
Speaker E:Oh, I'm great.
Speaker E:But you don't look well and I just.
Speaker E:I wanted to talk to you before go to bed and.
Speaker E:But you know, kind of to the side here.
Speaker E:If there's anything medical that you're concerned about, you can tell me.
Speaker E:You don't look good.
Speaker D:Yeah, it's good to see you too, man.
Speaker D:Ryan's gonna pat him on the shoulder and head to his room.
Speaker E:I wasn't joking.
Speaker E:As he gets the door shut in his face and Prentice goes to his room.
Speaker A:Got it.
Speaker A:So y'all are gonna kind of settle in, get some sleep, meet in the morning.
Speaker D:Out of character.
Speaker D:Ryan's basically just being.
Speaker D:He's.
Speaker D:He's headed towards a crazy denial road now.
Speaker E:That's.
Speaker E:That's very apparent.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:Okay.
Speaker D:Just.
Speaker B:I wasn't trying to farm with.
Speaker D:Cut off the, the improv for.
Speaker D:On purpose.
Speaker D:It just.
Speaker A:That was a, A non.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:And for, for an in character reason.
Speaker A:Got it.
Speaker D:Correct.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker A:Good.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Okay, Agent.
Speaker A:So we're, we're gonna go and get settled in, get a Few hours of shut eye.
Speaker A:Correct.
Speaker A:I won't bother you with exhaustion rules unfairly since I threw you into this.
Speaker A:Let's say you got some decent rest on the, on the red eye flights, or at least your, your prior period was full of wonderful rest.
Speaker A:You get up around 6:30 in the morning to meet downstairs.
Speaker A:There's a hot breakfast being served.
Speaker A:This is your time to get ready and discuss how you want to tackle your program directives.
Speaker E:Well, let's see.
Speaker E:We've got a radio station we could look into.
Speaker E:We've got this hotel we can look into.
Speaker B:The librarian.
Speaker E:We've got a librarian.
Speaker D:Well, we're here, so I'm happy to go cozy up to the, the manager, see if we can get any information.
Speaker A:About FCC Agent Clemson Mallory.
Speaker A:Let me go ahead and make him available to you.
Speaker C:Oh.
Speaker E:Oh, man, what a face.
Speaker E:He definitely looks like an operation.
Speaker C:It won't let me close the images of him.
Speaker C:I can't get rid of it.
Speaker C:You got to let me close this, Chris.
Speaker A:Yeah, so that's actually a trauma in real life you're suffering from.
Speaker A:You will always see clips and Mallory forever.
Speaker A:Now close.
Speaker C:It won't close.
Speaker B:That is nightmare fuel.
Speaker A:There's Snedar, if you guys have forgotten what he looks like.
Speaker D:Damn, he seems like the kind of guy that's going to steal someone wife.
Speaker D:Hell yeah.
Speaker C:I could close his picture, so that's good.
Speaker D:Okay, so Ryan's gonna say, I think that while, while we're here, let's cozy up to the manager, see if there's any information we can glean about Mallory when he was here, just to, you know, leave no stone unturned.
Speaker D:And then it makes some sense to do some work on tracking down that radio station and seeing how many libraries there are around here if we need to go find a librarian.
Speaker C:Yeah, it feels like if Mallory's already been on this case for a while.
Speaker C:I understand that shutting down the pirate station is the primary objective here, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel if Mallory's already done the work.
Speaker C:So, yeah, let's track down the librarian and see if we can get some insight into what he was working on.
Speaker C:For all we know, he still has a room paid for here.
Speaker A:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker E:We could maybe get a look at what's going on in there.
Speaker D:Sounds good.
Speaker D:Ryan's going to go walk over to the, the front counter.
Speaker E:Apprentice puts his hand out for like a hands in thing and.
Speaker E:And as Ryan walks off and then he draws it back in, he, he'll have his.
Speaker A:He'll have his time to try again, I hope.
Speaker B:Yeah, I.
Speaker B:I should probably also check in with the official people working the case just so we've got legal tie ins.
Speaker D:It's a great idea.
Speaker D:Ryan says from across the room.
Speaker D:I'm just kidding.
Speaker C:Across the lobby.
Speaker C:Great idea.
Speaker A:You walk up to one of the clerks who's manning the pretty long and elegant desk at the Hotel Northampton.
Speaker A:She looks up at you and smiles widely.
Speaker A:Hi, sir.
Speaker A:Everything all right with the room?
Speaker D:Fantastic.
Speaker D:Everything's great.
Speaker D:The.
Speaker D:The breakfast is amazing as well.
Speaker D:Thank you so much.
Speaker D:How's your day going so far?
Speaker A:Oh, I love to hear it.
Speaker A:Actually, it's going quite well, sir.
Speaker A:Quite well.
Speaker A:Do you have a busy day here in Northampton?
Speaker A:Are you here for business?
Speaker D:Business of sort.
Speaker D:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker D:Some challenging information in my line of work.
Speaker D:We recently discovered a missing persons that we're investigating.
Speaker D:He was last known to have spent some time here at this hotel as one of your guests named Clemson Mallory.
Speaker D:Anything that you might be able to help me with?
Speaker A:Oh, are you with the.
Speaker A:The police?
Speaker A:She looks.
Speaker D:Yes, ma'am.
Speaker A:Okay, I'll have to go get the day manager and.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think, I think we, we have a process we have to go through.
Speaker A:If you'll just.
Speaker A:Right here, sir.
Speaker A:I'll be.
Speaker A:I'll be right back with you.
Speaker D:Sounds great.
Speaker D:Is there any charisma boost my person might be able to.
Speaker A:Your face?
Speaker A:Not.
Speaker A:Not just.
Speaker D:I know.
Speaker D:I was kind of wondering if the bald head is a kind of a negative to charisma.
Speaker A:No, it's not just a bald head.
Speaker E:It's a no hair body.
Speaker C:It's killer.
Speaker A:He's not, he's not nude in showing off his no hair body.
Speaker A:He's just showing.
Speaker E:But like he's got no eyebrow hair.
Speaker E:He's got like.
Speaker A:I thought he probably got some sharpie on there by now.
Speaker D:I'm gonna be super slippery.
Speaker D:Do you.
Speaker D:If you guys don't think that my slippery ness is gonna come in.
Speaker E:I'm gonna win the Olympic swimming.
Speaker D:I'm gonna be so slick.
Speaker D:Like Frank coming out of the couch.
Speaker B:The amount of pity that he would evoke should count for something.
Speaker C:That's right.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:He's kind of got it.
Speaker A:He's may have an information, an infirm vibe to him that people might, you know, develop some empathy for.
Speaker A:She returns with an an older woman who's wearing a blazer with a name tag that says Hillary on it.
Speaker A:Tiffany here tells me you're with the state police.
Speaker A:Is that correct?
Speaker D:That is.
Speaker D:Extends his hand.
Speaker D:Agent Trowbridge, My Name's Hillary Perkins.
Speaker A:If you'll follow me, we can.
Speaker A:We can go to my office and.
Speaker A:And go ahead and hopefully answer your questions.
Speaker D:Fantastic.
Speaker D:Lead the way.
Speaker A:She takes you behind the clerk's desk into a small and rather relatively neat office.
Speaker A:But it's nondescript.
Speaker A:This is obviously a place that guests don't typically see.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Your name, sir, and if I could see your badge.
Speaker A:She pulls up her laptop and begins typing.
Speaker D:I don't remember his first name.
Speaker A:Lieutenant Trowbridge.
Speaker D:I just say that she asked for my name.
Speaker D:I don't have a first.
Speaker A:Do whatever you want, man.
Speaker A:This is your game, okay?
Speaker B:Make one up before Chris makes one up for you.
Speaker D:Yeah, Ryan Trowbridge.
Speaker D:All right, and then the head's the badge.
Speaker A:I just need your.
Speaker A:Your badge number now.
Speaker A:So you don't have a badge.
Speaker A:You have a piece of paper that Snedeker specifically told you to be very careful about.
Speaker A:So you.
Speaker A:You hand that on over to her.
Speaker D:No, it.
Speaker D:Ryan absolutely would have memorized it, because a good agent knows their badge number, so he just rattles off the badge number to her.
Speaker A:Got it.
Speaker A:Got it.
Speaker A:So roll your intelligence, please.
Speaker D:Oh, that was a critical failure of 100.
Speaker D:It's the worst one.
Speaker D:It's a.
Speaker D:I think we call them super critical failures.
Speaker A:You realize you are in this room with what amounts to a photocopy of someone drawing a pension who was purportedly one at one point, the msp, and you have no idea what's on that piece of paper.
Speaker A:You have not memorized a bit of it.
Speaker A:You just got up out of bed, had a pretty nice warm breakfast.
Speaker A:So before you say anything, you kind of stop and you look.
Speaker A:Your eyes wider than you'd like, and you feel your ears burning a bit.
Speaker A:She stops typing, and she looks over at you with a concerned look.
Speaker A:Officer, your badge number, please.
Speaker D:Ryan is gonna start to have a coughing fit.
Speaker D:Really selling it.
Speaker D:Going to.
Speaker D:Okay, go to stand on the desk, head down towards the floor, roll your kids, and with the wild gesticulation gestures, try to fish the paper out of his.
Speaker D:Me.
Speaker D:Dude, I got another failure on a target of 90.
Speaker D:I rolled a 93 in the coughing fit.
Speaker D:Trying to get the paper out of his pocket to be able to read the number, and it just seems like he can't.
Speaker A:The paper does actually come right out of your pocket.
Speaker D:Oh, fuck.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Out of your grasp.
Speaker A:And comically fly through the air on an unseen current and slide under her desk, out of reach.
Speaker A:And Hillary stands up and she comes to your side.
Speaker A:She goes, officer, are you okay?
Speaker A:She seems a little disbelieving.
Speaker A:She puts her hand cautiously on your back and pats it as if you were a baby trying to be burped.
Speaker D:I.
Speaker D:I'm sorry.
Speaker D:I'll be fine.
Speaker D:I.
Speaker D:I've been unwell, as you can see.
Speaker D:Gesturing to his bald head and eyebrowless face.
Speaker D:I've.
Speaker D:I've been going through some treatments, but I can't stop working.
Speaker D:So forgive me for.
Speaker D:It's nothing contagious.
Speaker D:I promise.
Speaker D:You'll be fine.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:She stands back a bit and holds her hands close to her chest as if she's just accidentally picked up something disgusting off the floor.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker E:It was you.
Speaker E:So disgusting.
Speaker A:That's fine.
Speaker A:What's your badge number, Officer?
Speaker D:I.
Speaker D:My badge.
Speaker D:I'm staying here at the.
Speaker D:At the hotel.
Speaker D:My badge is up in my room, so I can go.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker D:Grab it or.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker A:I'm gonna need to go ahead and.
Speaker A:And get that information before we can release anything about our guests privacy hacked and all that.
Speaker A:I'm sure you know that.
Speaker A:She says.
Speaker A:She looks at you very suspiciously.
Speaker D:Yeah, no, I.
Speaker D:I absolutely understand.
Speaker D:My.
Speaker D:A colleague of mine is staying here as well.
Speaker D:If.
Speaker D:Maybe I'll ask her to join me.
Speaker D:She can get you the information you need while I run upstairs to grab my badge.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And you're working with the other detectives, is that correct, sir?
Speaker D:Working with the state police.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:The other detectives.
Speaker A:She looks at you.
Speaker A:She's starting to.
Speaker A:There's a little bit of fear creeping into her voice.
Speaker D:No, I'm brand new brought in.
Speaker A:But you're.
Speaker A:But you're with the.
Speaker A:You're with the Massachusetts State Police as well, right?
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker D:Just gotta sign this case this morning though.
Speaker A:Okay, but you're not coordinating with the.
Speaker A:The lead investigators on the case.
Speaker A:She starts to back away from you and move behind her desk.
Speaker D:I will be.
Speaker D:Let me go ahead and get my colleague and I'll be right back.
Speaker D:Ryan leaves the room.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:You kind of speed walk out of the office, back down the back hallway to the front of the hotel, past the lobby desk and speed walk your way back to the breakfast nook where the rest of the agents watch you just glide across the floor very quickly.
Speaker A:On approach you other agents, you see Ryan looking out of sorts.
Speaker A:He normally just seems cool as a cucumber, even under great duress.
Speaker A:But right now he does not seem to have that demeanor.
Speaker E:What's wrong?
Speaker E:Just shit your pants?
Speaker D:Yeah, that, that, that, that didn't.
Speaker D:That didn't.
Speaker D:That didn't go well.
Speaker D:Someone else?
Speaker D:Kane, you said you're great with people.
Speaker D:How about you?
Speaker D:You go back there, just say that I'm.
Speaker D:I'm.
Speaker D:I'm out of my mind.
Speaker D:I don't know what I'm talking about.
Speaker D:That was.
Speaker D:Ryan's trying to hide his obvious embarrassment.
Speaker D:I.
Speaker D:I think I left something in my room.
Speaker D:I.
Speaker D:Excuse me.
Speaker D:And then he just walks away.
Speaker D:Heads back up to his lap.
Speaker E:I think he shit his pants.
Speaker B:Certainly looks like it.
Speaker D:Dude, that sucked.
Speaker A:Not good rolls.
Speaker A:Ryan goes to the.
Speaker A:Hey, at least you didn't fall for building.
Speaker A:Ryan goes to the elevator bank and disappears in one of the first elevators that opens.
Speaker A:And you three are left in the breakfast nook.
Speaker B:Alright.
Speaker B:Kane's gonna finish her orange juice.
Speaker B:Stand up.
Speaker B:Well, I suppose I better go clean up his mess.
Speaker B:Hopefully it's not a literal one.
Speaker E:Well, I sure hope not.
Speaker E:Don't sit in the same chair.
Speaker E:Just don't.
Speaker B:No, no.
Speaker B:Definitely no.
Speaker D:Out of character.
Speaker D:If Kane happens to see the piece of paper that I dropped and she's in the office and she doesn't know you dropped it.
Speaker A:Doesn't have any idea that exist.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:Even maybe she sees it.
Speaker D:Chris.
Speaker A:Well, she's got a.
Speaker A:She's got a.
Speaker A:Yeah, maybe she does.
Speaker A:Agent Kane approaches the lobby desk.
Speaker A:There is the young woman, Tiffany, and actually the older, who was identified as a manager, a day manager, Hillary Perkins as well.
Speaker A:They're actually.
Speaker A:They look very concerned and they're talking to one another.
Speaker A:And as you approach Agent Cain, it's.
Speaker A:It's like a light switch turns on.
Speaker A:They both look at you and smile these giant smiles and say, oh, Miss, how are you this morning?
Speaker A:Is the room all right?
Speaker B:Everything is absolutely lovely, actually.
Speaker B:Ms.
Speaker B:Perkins, you're the day manager, correct?
Speaker A:Hillary looks over at you.
Speaker A:Yes, I am.
Speaker A:How can I help you?
Speaker B:FBI Agent Lask.
Speaker B:I was hoping I could speak to you for a moment.
Speaker A:Of course.
Speaker A:Of course you can, Agent.
Speaker A:Did you say FBI?
Speaker A:I'm sorry.
Speaker B:Yes, ma'am.
Speaker A:She whispers that acronym.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker A:I'll be right back, Tiffany.
Speaker A:Follow me, Agent.
Speaker A:She takes you back behind the lobby desk.
Speaker A:And then she stops and she turns on her.
Speaker A:Actually, can I see your badge first?
Speaker B:Certainly.
Speaker B:And she'll go ahead and pull it out, hand it over.
Speaker A:She seems hesitant to take it, but she does finally.
Speaker A:She looks at your face, looks down at the badge.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker A:Sorry.
Speaker A:We get some real.
Speaker A:We get some interesting people here sometimes.
Speaker A:Follow me back to my office.
Speaker A:She takes you back through a hallway and into the same nondescript minimalist office that I described previously and motions for you to take a seat.
Speaker A:Across from her desk, which houses nothing more than a laptop.
Speaker A:She sits down.
Speaker A:FBI, huh?
Speaker A:Is this about the.
Speaker A:Is this about what's going on with Mr.
Speaker A:Mr.
Speaker A:Mallory.
Speaker B:Mallory?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Yes, ma'am, it is.
Speaker B:I don't need much from you.
Speaker B:I understand you're busy and it sounds like you've had a difficult morning already.
Speaker B:If you could just tell me if he is still checked in here, I'm happy to provide whatever information you need from me to that formally.
Speaker A:Well, yes, his room's been paid through, well, the month he's still checked in, but my understanding from what the state police has said is that he has been missing for several days.
Speaker B:He hasn't checked in, to my understanding, nearly a week.
Speaker B:I just arrived this morning, so I'm still getting up to speed on everything.
Speaker A:Oh, my.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Do you need to go up to, like, look at the room for, like, clues or.
Speaker B:If I could.
Speaker B:That would be just lovely.
Speaker A:Of course.
Speaker A:I'll actually take you up there myself.
Speaker A:I think that's most appropriate.
Speaker A:I do need to take your badge number and put it in our system.
Speaker A:It's a Privacy act thing.
Speaker A:It's for the owners and the management.
Speaker A:Before I go ahead and give anyone that's not, I guess, and not employee access to one of these rooms.
Speaker A:I'm sure you understand.
Speaker B:Oh, certainly, certainly.
Speaker A:She takes on your information, it only takes a brief moment.
Speaker A:And with your law 30, you know that this is appropriate.
Speaker A:This is not out of character, out of sorts.
Speaker A:And the last two agents and the breakfast nook, Prentice and Paris, are original remnants of Cell P while you watch new Agent Kane, at least new to you.
Speaker A:Led by the hotel manager, it looks like, to the elevator bank.
Speaker A:And together they enter one of the elevators.
Speaker A:What do you two say to one another?
Speaker C:I think she's.
Speaker C:I think she's.
Speaker E:Bingo.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker C:Apprentice.
Speaker C:What have you been up to for the last few months, man?
Speaker C:I haven't seen you, haven't heard from you.
Speaker E:Oh, just keeping my head down, doing.
Speaker C:The work, you know, Feeling okay after.
Speaker C:After everything that happened.
Speaker E:I'm okay as okay can be.
Speaker E:How about you?
Speaker E:How's that leg?
Speaker C:Oh, man, I.
Speaker C:I don't think I'll be scaling any buildings anytime soon.
Speaker C:I still don't know what happened there.
Speaker C:I hold the record, or still hold, of one of the top five records at the course back at basic and.
Speaker C:I don't know, figured I would have had that building.
Speaker C:Should have been nothing but.
Speaker C:May have been raining or something.
Speaker E:We all have tough days.
Speaker A:1 in 100 chance something like that would happen.
Speaker C:Yeah, just.
Speaker C:I tried to keep finding those beach cocktails.
Speaker C:The more neon, the better.
Speaker C:That's about what I went with.
Speaker C:You sure you're all right?
Speaker E:I'm fine.
Speaker A:So I don't allow players to role, persuade or human on one another, but you're more than welcome to take whatever you'd like from the way he's responded.
Speaker A:You two sit and finish your meals in relative awkward silence.
Speaker A:It's not common for you to.
Speaker A:To not speak openly.
Speaker C:Sorry, Chris.
Speaker C:Can I add one more thing into that exchange?
Speaker C:Paris looks over at him and says, hey, do you have anybody.
Speaker C:Any from the program or from, you know, elsewhere?
Speaker C:Just approach you outside of this for anything else?
Speaker C:Any other operations?
Speaker E:Prentiss eyes narrow down to slits and he says, no.
Speaker E:Is this something you've experienced?
Speaker C:No, just.
Speaker C:You know how it is with all this undercover and aliases and flying around last minute.
Speaker C:Maybe a few too many coconut cocktails for me.
Speaker E:Are you being watched?
Speaker E:Aren't we all to some degree, But, I mean, your line of questioning has me concerned.
Speaker C:Right as rain, princess.
Speaker C:Right as rain.
Speaker C:Don't worry about me.
Speaker C:Sorry, is Relic slipping into my.
Speaker C:My character here?
Speaker C:Is that what's happening?
Speaker B:You're good.
Speaker A:No, I thought.
Speaker A:I thought.
Speaker A:I feel.
Speaker A:I feel pure Paris right now.
Speaker C:Right as rain, princess.
Speaker C:Thank you, though.
Speaker C:It's good to see you again.
Speaker E:Yeah, likewise.
Speaker A:SA When Agent Kane is let into the.
Speaker A:I almost said 14th floor, but that's too much of a callback.
Speaker A:The 8th floor room of Clemson Mallory.
Speaker A:Anne has gracefully thanked and dismissed the day manager.
Speaker A:She goes ahead and as you all properly exchange your burner numbers with one another, texts the group and lets you know that you should meet her at this room in order to review any articles or evidence that Clemson Mallory may have left behind that will help you locate the pirate radio station you've been sent here to shut down.
Speaker A:One by one, you each emerge from the various parts of the hotel where you are and make your way to the room to meet with Agent Kane.
Speaker A:Before long, all four of you are together again, the door of the room closed behind you, and you're in a small and comparatively to your own humble room of what looks like a very neat and tidy man, who, of course, is not not there.
Speaker D:Ryan's going to turn to Kane and say, great work.
Speaker D:Sorry about the.
Speaker D:The fumble.
Speaker B:It happens.
Speaker B:We got it cleaned up.
Speaker B:That's all that matters.
Speaker A:You four start to look around.
Speaker A:Each one of you practiced at maybe entering hotel rooms.
Speaker A:Now this one is minus a conspicuous corpse, which is a relief to three of You.
Speaker A:But this is not an unfamiliar scene, and you all start to carefully take things in, not necessarily touching anything.
Speaker A:Is there any preparation anyone wants to make from a forensic standpoint, or are we not really caring about that right now?
Speaker A:I just would like to know.
Speaker B:Gloves.
Speaker B:Definitely gloves.
Speaker A:So Kane goes ahead and slaps on some nitrile gloves.
Speaker E:Oh, do you have extras?
Speaker B:Of course.
Speaker E:Oh, perfect.
Speaker A:You have one other pair, and that is given over to Prentiss.
Speaker D:Ryan's fine without gloves.
Speaker C:Paris is cautious.
Speaker A:The place is spotless.
Speaker A:And you four did notice there was a do not disturb hanger on the doorknob.
Speaker A:The bed is made.
Speaker A:There's a tidy stack of what look like handwritten notes on a desk.
Speaker A:You see a laptop charger here as well, but no sign of the accompanying computer.
Speaker A:Closet door is open.
Speaker A:It's just a sliding affair, but you see a black suit, black shoes, and what looks like a set of equipment on the floor.
Speaker A:It looks complex, large.
Speaker A:Definitely not a hotel installation.
Speaker A:Otherwise, there's not much here.
Speaker E:Guys using?
Speaker E:Right.
Speaker C:Paris, while looking in the closet, slides a suit to the side and looks at the wall behind the closet, behind the suit.
Speaker C:Just, you know, he gives it a once over, sees this clean, nods to himself.
Speaker A:Mm, lovely.
Speaker E:Okay, so Prentice is gonna start thumbing through these notes.
Speaker A:You walk over to this conspicuous stack.
Speaker A:It's a thick stack.
Speaker A:And let's take a look at your character sheet here, Prentice.
Speaker A:You've got a bureaucracy 70.
Speaker A:You have an accounting tin.
Speaker A:You take a look.
Speaker A:And definitely handwritten.
Speaker A:It's expansive.
Speaker A:It's shorthand, like, proper shorthand.
Speaker A:And it's something you've seen before.
Speaker A:You're not fully familiar with it necessarily.
Speaker A:You kind of think back to some of the times you've had to decipher this before.
Speaker A:Learn.
Speaker A:Learn a bit of its ins and outs, and you go ahead and roll that bureaucracy.
Speaker A:For me, It's a success.
Speaker E:48 of 70.
Speaker A:Kind of screw up your eyes and start to remember, letting these little tidbits come back to you as you think.
Speaker A:You see rhyme reason here.
Speaker A:It's almost like deciphering hieroglyphs, but you kind of smile to yourself as you.
Speaker A:You start to grab some meaning out of.
Speaker A:Out of this.
Speaker A:What are others doing?
Speaker A:While Prentice is staring and kind of flipping through these.
Speaker A:These pages.
Speaker D:Sorry, did you say what, like, his luggage was somewhere visible?
Speaker A:No, actually, there's no luggage here.
Speaker D:Any personal belongings or anything?
Speaker A:There is a toothbrush in the bathroom.
Speaker A:No toothpaste, and looks like a bar of used soap and tin foil.
Speaker D:Okay.
Speaker D:Brian's Gonna just start going through the hotel furniture, opening drawers just to, you know, generic once over of everything.
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker A:Go ahead and roll your search.
Speaker D:This is going to be a failure of 48.
Speaker D:Target 25.
Speaker A:Check your search.
Speaker C:Paris is also, I mean, following suit.
Speaker C:Just searching the place.
Speaker A:Yeah, go ahead, give it a roll.
Speaker C:17 out of 22.
Speaker C:I passed.
Speaker C:My gosh.
Speaker E:Well played.
Speaker D:Well done.
Speaker A:Excellent, excellent.
Speaker A:See, you both start kind of looking through everything methodically.
Speaker A:Behind furniture, underneath beds, behind framed pictures of inoffensive, you know, floral arrangements.
Speaker A:And while you're doing this, I noticed Kane has a sigint of 20.
Speaker A:Is that.
Speaker A:Am I reading that right?
Speaker B:That is correct.
Speaker A:So one thing Kane notices from my initial description.
Speaker A:You recognize that equipment?
Speaker A:It's basically something that can allow tracking down of source signals.
Speaker A:This must be some of the equipment that Mallory was using to get lines of bearing to try to pin down the source of wxxt.
Speaker B:That'll be useful.
Speaker B:I mean, how big is that equipment?
Speaker A:About the size of two large briefcases.
Speaker B:Well, might not be a bad idea to move that to one of our rooms.
Speaker E:Do you know how to use that?
Speaker E:Says Prentice.
Speaker B:That's what the Internet's for.
Speaker B:Sure, it's gotta be a YouTube video or something.
Speaker E:Oh, I'm sure you're right.
Speaker E:Oh boy.
Speaker E:A five hour YouTube video explaining how to use that.
Speaker A:Kane, you kneel down and start to take a look at this.
Speaker A:It's nothing you've used before, but you recognize the equipment with your 20%.
Speaker A:At the same time, Paris and Ryan are thumbing through everything, going through the meager, meager belongings.
Speaker A:General oppression you get Paris, is that he wasn't just staying here.
Speaker A:I mean, where's his luggage?
Speaker A:All you have is a suit, pants and some shoes.
Speaker A:He's gotta have something else somewhere else.
Speaker A:But there's no indication of where that could be.
Speaker A:Maybe the papers that Prentiss is reviewing have some clue.
Speaker A:He seems to be studiously thumbing through them.
Speaker A:Prentice, this is some sort of transcription of what seem like as you decipher this stories.
Speaker A:And it takes you a moment to soon realize that these are from the broadcast from wxxt.
Speaker A:And it sounds like, well, Clemson was writing down in great detail what was being said on these broadcasts.
Speaker A:And it looks like there are these just like long winded stories being told.
Speaker A:Sometimes you'll see that certain old country songs would play in between.
Speaker A:So there was some music on it, but a lot of it was this host, this person that Clemson has noted as Zeke.
Speaker A:This host would partake in hour long ramblings at a time about his own personal past.
Speaker A:As you kind of scan over some of these details, he would talk about what was a frequently horrific childhood.
Speaker A:You can see that Mallory took great care to actually underline the most disturbing parts, which is where your eyes are first drawn.
Speaker A:As you look through this shorthand, you can see also highlighted, well, lots of recurring names.
Speaker A:There are many of them, in fact.
Speaker A:Virginia Willoughby Abrack and Geist, Anne Gere, Janet Pound, Benjamin Stockton, Jebediah Blacksty, Father, Shine Face.
Speaker A:They repeat over and over again.
Speaker A:They apparently appear in these stories again and again and again.
Speaker A:None of these names, though, have any meaning or notation other than their highlighted emphasis, and they mean nothing to you.
Speaker A:It just seemed to be characters in Zeke's frequent narratives that Agent Mallory was so involved in.
Speaker A:I'm gonna go ahead and read you an example of one of these disturbing parts.
Speaker F:I couldn't have been more than eight, maybe nine or so.
Speaker F:Papa didn't take note of our birthdays and really was without the bottle, so I don't think I could reckon my real age, but it's close enough.
Speaker F:He was still a God fearing man, though, and wouldn't have taken kindly to it all, sober or not.
Speaker F:Abra King Geist looked our age, but we knew he was older.
Speaker F:He talked like he come out of the antebellum.
Speaker F:Showed the kids all sorts of secret places.
Speaker F:Best rocks for nightcrawlers, how to catch a fat toad to put a scare into the schoolmistress.
Speaker F:What kind of moon to watch for if you went cursed or some such fool witching.
Speaker F:Abraham had a bit of a reputation, I suppose.
Speaker F:Kid said he could turn into a rat with little hands, a face, and speak to the devil in the clear grove once a month to send a baby to its grave and claim its soul.
Speaker F:Well, not sure how I ended up with him and Jenny Willoughby, but I was in the dry beds behind the crushstone quarry and I saw them huddled over something.
Speaker F:I thought, please, God.
Speaker A:Please God, don't.
Speaker A:Don't let it be another.
Speaker F:Please God, no.
Speaker F:Excuse me.
Speaker F:I wanted to walk away and just forget it, but I couldn't.
Speaker F:I knew I'd have to look again in hell if I hadn't been right.
Speaker F:It was something sick, tiny and mewling.
Speaker F:Just stretched out with its insides pinned to the ground with rusty nails, quivering like with blue roomy eyes.
Speaker F:I ain't forgetting until my true grave ever can.
Speaker F:Just turned and smiled.
Speaker F:He put his hands on my shoulder and pulled me even closer.
Speaker F:He must have seen I was shaking and said Zeke, it's part of the whole deal.
Speaker F:This is what God made here on this earth.
Speaker F:And it ain't right to not gaze upon his works and wonder.
Speaker F:Jesus helped me.
Speaker F:That click.
Speaker F:Something clicked.
Speaker F:He was right.
Speaker F:And I watched God's creation right there until the sun went down below the horizon, but covered my ears to the crunching, slapping sounds coming from Jenny as she kept chewing, chewing and scooping up the gristle bits.
Speaker F:Most I like.
Speaker A:Roll your sanity, please, Prentice.
Speaker E:It's amazing that he was able to notate the accent as well as the stress in the voice.
Speaker A:It's an audio medium, sir, so yes, he was able to do that.
Speaker A:The phonetic spelling is.
Speaker A:Is impeccable.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker A:Do I need to ask if you wish to project any potential loss?
Speaker E:Absolutely.
Speaker A:1D4, please.
Speaker A:That is minus 4 to your willpower.
Speaker A:N minus 4 to a bond.
Speaker A:That brings you down to 4 willpower.
Speaker A:Another hit like that, you're gonna spiral.
Speaker D:His willpower is 8.
Speaker A:Correct.
Speaker A:I need you to roll sanity again, please.
Speaker D:What?
Speaker D:Oh, my God.
Speaker A:Oh, no.
Speaker D:That's so rough.
Speaker D:Oh, man.
Speaker B:I don't think I've ever had players roll sanity back to back like that.
Speaker A:All right, so you are about to enter a difficult state due to your past trauma.
Speaker A:The Delta green mechanics allow us to do something similar to projection here.
Speaker A:To suppress such a state.
Speaker A:However, it does require a willpower role.
Speaker A:Let's bring up those mechanics and review them before you potentially commit to them.
Speaker A:Okay, so repressing insanity.
Speaker A:You may attempt to repress an acute episode of a disorder by spinning willpower points.
Speaker A:The amount is always 1d4.
Speaker A:Roll the die and reduce your willpower by that much.
Speaker A:If your agent has at least one willpower after spending the 1D4.
Speaker A:Describe how a bond might help your agent keep it together.
Speaker A:Reduce the bond by the same amount.
Speaker A:Make a note to describe later how the bond becomes strained as your agent takes too much support from it.
Speaker A:Now attempt another sanity roll.
Speaker A:If it succeeds, your agent does suppress the insanity or disorder, so you get another chance at that sanity rule.
Speaker A:That's what it gives you.
Speaker A:But it costs a big spend.
Speaker E:You said it's 1D4.
Speaker E:Again.
Speaker A:It's a 1D4 to attempt to suppress.
Speaker A:You may still fail.
Speaker E:Right.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker E:Nice.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker E:Two.
Speaker A:It does.
Speaker A:It does.
Speaker E:And I'll take that.
Speaker E:Also from Ahmad Ferrari, since he is the one with the most.
Speaker E:So I feel like the bond would then be stronger.
Speaker E:That he's drawing on Ahmad Faradi being his long time business partner along with Rodrigo, but the one he respects far more deeply.
Speaker E:Lately because of his abstaining from judging.
Speaker E:Judging prentices over spending and whatnot, when they would go out.
Speaker E:So he.
Speaker E:He respects him more.
Speaker E:And he's drawing on his long business relationship with him, his.
Speaker E:His respect for him as a.
Speaker E:As a colleague and confidant.
Speaker E:How he can so deeply trust him to talk about these kinds of things with him, these issues that he's having right now as he's trying to pull himself through a freak.
Speaker E:A fucking freak out.
Speaker A:Mm.
Speaker A:Yeah, you're.
Speaker A:You're thinking back to what a rock this.
Speaker A:This gentleman is in your life and how you wish he was here.
Speaker A:And as you do, you get that additional chance.
Speaker A:However, you're back in that.
Speaker A:You're back in that warehouse.
Speaker A:You drop the papers.
Speaker A:They scatter across the floor, and you fall to your knees.
Speaker A:There's a loud pounding in your head, a drum beating, beating, beating.
Speaker A:And you hear the wings of the things above.
Speaker A:They're scattered, scattered in the room above this one, beating against the ground, threatening to break the ceiling over your head.
Speaker A:Suddenly you feel like you're enclosed in a small space as the sound just keeps getting louder.
Speaker A:Keeps getting louder.
Speaker A:The rest of you, look over.
Speaker A:Gosh, y'all are extremely worried when you see him fall to the ground, dropping these papers, clutching his head and making this quiet touching sound that almost sounds like he's grinding his teeth or trying to say something.
Speaker A:You're not sure.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:Something's wrong.
Speaker C:Paris runs over to him immediately and picks him up, tries to put him on the bed and look him in the.
Speaker C:In the face.
Speaker A:His eyes are rolled back.
Speaker A:You see the whites of his eyes.
Speaker A:Instead, he's clutching his temples.
Speaker A:He's grinding his teeth.
Speaker A:There's a little bit of blood coming out of the side of his mouth.
Speaker D:Get some.
Speaker D:Get something in his mouth.
Speaker D:Ryan's gonna take off his.
Speaker D:His belt and jam it in between his teeth like a bite.
Speaker C:Chris, is there something I can roll in this situation or just.
Speaker C:Just act it out.
Speaker A:It's psychotherapy, but I don't think Paris is trained in that at all.
Speaker C:No, no, just.
Speaker C:This is more just like a.
Speaker C:I've.
Speaker D:Got 10 on that.
Speaker B:10 is base.
Speaker C:All right, let's see.
Speaker C:Here we go.
Speaker C:Apprentice.
Speaker C:Hey, hey, listen.
Speaker C:Listen to me.
Speaker C:Listen to me.
Speaker C:Remember, Prairie, focus.
Speaker C:Focus on my voice.
Speaker C:Remember?
Speaker C:Prairie, come back.
Speaker C:Come back to this moment.
Speaker C:Prairie's holding us here.
Speaker C:Remember?
Speaker C:I, I, I.
Speaker C:You gotta stay with me, man.
Speaker C:You can't.
Speaker C:You can't go on me, okay?
Speaker A:At the same time, Ryan and Kane are opening his clenched jaw.
Speaker A:The leather belt is sliding between his teeth, which Prentiss clamps down on with a ferociousness.
Speaker A:Roll your psychotherapy, Paris.
Speaker A:Plus 20%.
Speaker D:Oh, wow.
Speaker B:You didn't even need the five out of ten.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker E:Kind of wished you would have failed.
Speaker B:Just because then one of us could build it up.
Speaker D:Yeah, that's fair.
Speaker B:We'll have other chances.
Speaker E:Yeah, plenty.
Speaker A:Prince starts to breathe more regularly.
Speaker A:After about 30 seconds of you half whispering, half shouting at him.
Speaker A:The belt drops from his mouth.
Speaker A:His eyes fix upon you.
Speaker A:His.
Speaker A:His pupils now back where they should be, and his left hand is grasped on your shoulder.
Speaker A:Paris.
Speaker A:It's as if something has changed completely in his demeanor because he.
Speaker A:He looks up at you with recognition.
Speaker A:And his hand drops away.
Speaker A:His brow furrows.
Speaker A:Prentiss.
Speaker A:For you.
Speaker A:You've blacked out a bit.
Speaker A:You heard beating drums.
Speaker A:You remember feeling like the things were above you again, the things that shouldn't be.
Speaker A:But you're on the bed now.
Speaker A:You've got three agents looking down at you.
Speaker A:Paris is almost holding you like a babe.
Speaker E:I.
Speaker E:It was too much.
Speaker E:It was too much.
Speaker A:The other agents not sure what to say.
Speaker A:You look over at the strange shorthand notes that are now scattered across the blue carpeted floor.
Speaker A:Clemson Mallory's hotel room looks like.
Speaker A:There's lots of notations and highlights there, but you're not sure what could have harmed Prentiss in such a distinct and dramatic way.
Speaker D:Ryan's going to go over and take a look at the notes.
Speaker A:Accounting 50.
Speaker A:Bureaucracy 50.
Speaker A:So, Ryan, this is obvious shorthand to you.
Speaker A:I'm sorry, What?
Speaker D:I was going to say sorry.
Speaker A:No, no, no.
Speaker A:Actually, because of.
Speaker A:Because of your skill level, you don't have to roll at all.
Speaker A:This is just something you recognize.
Speaker D:Oh, got it.
Speaker D:Okay.
Speaker A:And so you take a look, and it looks like Clinton Malley was using classic shorthand.
Speaker A:And much like I described to Prentiss, it looks like transcriptions of stories.
Speaker A:And you put together quickly because Clemson Mallory was incredibly, almost compulsive about these notes, that this was coming from wxxt.
Speaker A:The underlined passages seem to be very disturbing anecdotes.
Speaker A:Highlighted areas seem to be repeating names.
Speaker A:You're looking at this.
Speaker A:What are the other agents doing?
Speaker C:Paris looks down at Prince's book.
Speaker C:Hey, bud, how about we.
Speaker C:How about we get you back to.
Speaker C:Get you back to bed still?
Speaker C:Let's take a.
Speaker C:Let's take a beat.
Speaker E:No, just.
Speaker E:Ryan, don't.
Speaker E:Don't read that.
Speaker E:There's.
Speaker C:It's all right.
Speaker C:Hey, princess.
Speaker C:It's okay, man.
Speaker C:It's A.
Speaker C:We're all professionals.
Speaker C:It's.
Speaker C:It's good.
Speaker A:Just.
Speaker C:Let's.
Speaker C:Let's.
Speaker C:How about you and I go have a.
Speaker C:Have a.
Speaker C:Let's head back to your room, we'll have a drink.
Speaker C:Let's.
Speaker E:It's African geist.
Speaker E:Jenny Willoughby.
Speaker A:That.
Speaker C:We'll get to it.
Speaker C:We'll get to it.
Speaker B:Are you okay, sugar?
Speaker C:Paris, like, forcefully carries him out of the room.
Speaker E:Shouldn't read it.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker E:You just.
Speaker E:You shouldn't.
Speaker B:Don't got a choice, sugar.
Speaker B:You go rest.
Speaker A:Paris, you.
Speaker A:You go ahead and take care of Prentiss.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker A:He's.
Speaker A:You've never seen him like this before.
Speaker A:Kane and Ryan, stay behind.
Speaker A:Ryan.
Speaker A:Your brow furrows as you scan over anecdotes about very sordid and honestly, horrible things.
Speaker A:Multiple childhood sexual encounters with an older woman, various tales of self abasement, living in abject poverty, additional animal mutilation stories, fascination with fire and ash.
Speaker A:It's just a long, depressing narrative of human awfulness.
Speaker A:You roll your sanity.
Speaker D:I will be projecting.
Speaker A:It's 1D.
Speaker A:Four.
Speaker A:You're gonna lose three willpower and three from one of your bonds.
Speaker A:Which bond is suffering?
Speaker D:Abdul Rahman, my childhood friend.
Speaker D:Which, by the way, actually, what was the thing about bonds dropping too low, or does that not matter?
Speaker A:How low is your bond drop?
Speaker D:He's at four right now.
Speaker A:Once he gets to zero, that is a lost bond.
Speaker A:You will never be able to draw upon it again.
Speaker A:And really, it means you've completely cut ties with this person or just, you know, reversed any goodwill you had.
Speaker E:Use up all your.
Speaker E:All your second chances.
Speaker D:So he's at one now.
Speaker A:Take a note of that wherever you keep your personal notes for a potential home scene if you survive this operation.
Speaker A:All right, Agent Kane, as he's looking through this shorthand mess.
Speaker A:What?
Speaker A:What are you doing?
Speaker B:Hey, Ryan.
Speaker B:Did y'all finish looking through all the drawers and cabinets and whatnot?
Speaker D:Did we?
Speaker A:Pretty much.
Speaker A:You didn't find anything.
Speaker A:Except that it's likely Clemson Mallory was staying somewhere else.
Speaker D:Okay, and real quick, Chris, did I get any resistance to violence from that?
Speaker A:Unfortunately, that was a sanity from helplessness.
Speaker A:But you do get a check to your sanity from helplessness.
Speaker A:Thank you for reminding me, but you don't want that one.
Speaker A:Go shoot somebody in the lobby and see if you don't go crazy.
Speaker A:And if so, we can put another check up there.
Speaker E:Gets you much coveted.
Speaker A:Yeah, just go on a shooting spree.
Speaker A:You'll get there real quick.
Speaker B:Not that coveted.
Speaker B:Trust me.
Speaker D:Projected back at a top two.
Speaker D:Anyway, sorry.
Speaker A:So Prince had a similar role.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:He failed.
Speaker A:And so he did not receive a check.
Speaker A:And if he had had multiple checks already in helplessness, they would have been reset to zero.
Speaker B:So Kane's gonna gather up whatever papers are left on the floor and prod Ryan along.
Speaker B:Say we should probably grab that equipment and move it back to one of our rooms.
Speaker B:And all these notes, I.
Speaker B:I was the only person let into this room.
Speaker B:Let's get out of here before somebody realizes there were more people in here.
Speaker A:You two gather what seems to be the.
Speaker A:The most notable objects out of Clemson's nearly empty spartan room.
Speaker A:As Ryan picks up the very last piece of paper of these handwritten notes, these meticulous shorthand notes, his eyes are level with the hotel bed in table.
Speaker A:He sees a flashing red light.
Speaker A:Someone has left Clemson Mallory a voicemail on his hotel room phone.
Speaker G:Hi there, this is Janet Pound from over at the Northampton Public Library returning your call.
Speaker G:I'm actually on vacation right now, taking kind of an extended leave.
Speaker G:I've been focusing on a personal passion project, really sort of deep diving into the local genealogical records, shoring up a lot of my own knowledge gaps.
Speaker G:And so the timing is actually pretty good.
Speaker G:I think I'd probably be able to give you a much bigger picture than the assistant librarian, and I'd love to provide some answers on the specialized histories that you're mentioning in your book.
Speaker G:If that sounds good, we can walk and talk.
Speaker G:I can actually show you a few points of interest out here on the MM trail.
Speaker G:We can meet up at the trailhead in Hollyoak any morning this week.
Speaker G: -: Speaker G:Hope that works for you because I'm really focused right now and this is about it for meeting options.
Speaker G:So if you want to know more about Stockton and Ann Gair and the so called Northampton Coven, take it or leave it.
