Shades of Baker Street: IC (Open)

[House of Judah]

James Cooper

"Be cautious as you do so. Poisonous gasses often suppress flames, but they may flare up again when the poison is removed."

[Barapam]

R.R.

"Certainly not, inspector. Now let's see what this metal piece is..." He grabbed the fire iron next to the fireplace and began to dig in.

"Great... appearantly I might burn my face off!" he thought to himself in response to James' warning.

[The Mizarian Empire]

Arthur Finnegan

Having fetched a rag, Arthur had started to fetch the poker before he stepped away, another individual started rooting about in the fireplace. He made his way back towards the door after someone mentioned Cyanide. He'd never tampered with the toxin before, but he knew enough individuals with fewer scruples than he to know what it could do to someone when fully exposed to it's effects. He took note of the front door's lock, not the finest design he'd ever seen and likely...."If I had to hazard a guess, I would say Mr. Isaac's assumption of a a picked lock to be correct. If these individuals were indeed poisoned via gas, and the constable was not awake...with everyone sound asleep, and so late at night, it would be child's play to gain entry for someone with the right know-how, key or no." Arthur concluded, he stepped back into the home however and knelt down to take a few blades of the grass in his hand "That being said....was there any grass found in this orphanage you mentioned before? scattered around as it is here? Perhaps the killer may be using it as his 'calling card'? a way of showing off his work? " he asked inquisitively.

[Anowa]

Baynes looked thoughtful of Mr. Finnegan's question for a moment, "Now that I think about it yes, there were clippings around the orphanage... I think we just confirmed that they're connected." He stood from his spot beside Rogers and continued, "So we're looking for someone with access to poisonous materials and who can pick locks. That will narrow it down significantly, although we'll need to find out what the material is to pin point it."

Isaac was a different story outside, he was currently looking up at what seemed to be a damp label hanging off a branch in a shrub outside. The problem? it was about three feet taller than he was, and he didn't feel like trying to climb a shrub that particular day. He looked over at the others assembled and called over, "Quinn...", Isaac certainly hoped that was the girl's name "...you mind helping me here?"

---

Case, Scene 1: Constable Smith's Home
Clues Found: 4
Grass
Picked Lock
Smell
Chest afflictions
Oddities Noticed: 0

[Anowa]

R.R.

"Certainly not, inspector. Now let's see what this metal piece is..." He grabbed the fire iron next to the fireplace and began to dig in.

"Great... appearantly I might burn my face off!" he thought to himself in response to James' warning.

As Roger began to dig around in the ashes, he pulled something free, it was the blackened and slightly melted remains of a large tin can. If one were to pay particular attention to the burned areas on the outside, they'd notice that adhesive remains had boiled onto the exterior. The fire remained dormant, seemingly content with the current oxygen levels. The contants of the can would remain a mystery for now.

Baynes shrugged, "Well that confirms it, they were poisoned. But what's with all the grass? And why didn't the family all wake up?"

---

Clues Found: 5
Grass
Picked Lock
Smell
Chest afflictions
Tin can
Oddities Noticed: 0

[Charlia]

Baynes looked thoughtful of Mr. Finnegan's question for a moment, "Now that I think about it yes, there were clippings around the orphanage... I think we just confirmed that they're connected." He stood from his spot beside Rogers and continued, "So we're looking for someone with access to poisonous materials and who can pick locks. That will narrow it down significantly, although we'll need to find out what the material is to pin point it."

Isaac was a different story outside, he was currently looking up at what seemed to be a damp label hanging off a branch in a shrub outside. The problem? it was about three feet taller than he was, and he didn't feel like trying to climb a shrub that particular day. He looked over at the others assembled and called over, "Quinn...", Isaac certainly hoped that was the girl's name "...you mind helping me here?"

---

Case, Scene 1: Constable Smith's Home
Clues Found: 4
Grass
Picked Lock
Smell
Chest afflictions
Oddities Noticed: 0

"Sure," Quinn said, hurrying over. "You need me to get that, I assume?" Reaching up, she gently worked it loose from the branch, making sure it didn't tear. She had a very careful touch when she needed to, and the label came off in one piece despite its wet nature.

"Here you go," she said with a grin, feeling happy to be of use.

[Anowa]

"Sure," Quinn said, hurrying over. "You need me to get that, I assume?" Reaching up, she gently worked it loose from the branch, making sure it didn't tear. She had a very careful touch when she needed to, and the label came off in one piece despite its wet nature.

"Here you go," she said with a grin, feeling happy to be of use.

Isaac carfully took the label, "My thanks." Looking it over Isaac frowned, the dampness had managed to wash away a fair amount of ink from the label. The only discernible script from the paper were the letters P and H, as well as an address. Isaac didn't know London like the back of his hand, but he knew the address wasn't a home, but a shop. In fact it was rather close to Blackburn's Tavern, Isaac's old place of employment.

"I think we found our next stop after we're done here. We had best help the others inside, I doubt we'll find much else outside."

With that, Issac procured a wet rag from the bucket man, and entered the home, announcing to those assembled, "Quinn and I found our next stop after this. Hopefully we can finish up here soon.

Baynes chuckled, "You lot found out more in ten minutes than the rest of Scotland Yard did in three hours. You'll privatize the Buckingham Guard at this rate."

[House of Judah]

James Cooper

James looked at the pools from their origin, then faced back up the hall, he took a quick look around the hall for any signs of disruption, then back to the chalk outline of the constable, to determine if his destination lay with the door or the fireplace or some other location. He turned back, stood and entered the master bedroom.

[Barapam]

R.R.

R.R.

"Certainly not, inspector. Now let's see what this metal piece is..." He grabbed the fire iron next to the fireplace and began to dig in.

"Great... appearantly I might burn my face off!" he thought to himself in response to James' warning.

As Roger began to dig around in the ashes, he pulled something free, it was the blackened and slightly melted remains of a large tin can. If one were to pay particular attention to the burned areas on the outside, they'd notice that adhesive remains had boiled onto the exterior. The fire remained dormant, seemingly content with the current oxygen levels. The contants of the can would remain a mystery for now.

Baynes shrugged, "Well that confirms it, they were poisoned. But what's with all the grass? And why didn't the family all wake up?"

---

Clues Found: 5
Grass
Picked Lock
Smell
Chest afflictions
Tin can
Oddities Noticed: 0

Roger shrugged as well. "I don't know. I'm not too well-versed in the poisonous gas department, I'm afraid... but I guess that the gas could have caused them to fall asleep in the first place. As for the grass... maybe to cover up the smell? Or just a way for the murderer to mark his 'territory', so to say? Clearly, it must've been planted after their deaths, otherwise I can't see why it still would be lying around... tell me again, has anything been stolen?"

Roger rose up again. He needed to stretch his legs. No matter how much he hated the fact, he wasn't a young man anymore. His health could perhaps be better if he stayed away from all those sweets too, but that was something he rather didn't think about. Luckily, his thoughts were needed elsewhere at this moment.

"What about the other rooms?"

[Anowa]

Roger shrugged as well. "I don't know. I'm not too well-versed in the poisonous gas department, I'm afraid... but I guess that the gas could have caused them to fall asleep in the first place. As for the grass... maybe to cover up the smell? Or just a way for the murderer to mark his 'territory', so to say? Clearly, it must've been planted after their deaths, otherwise I can't see why it still would be lying around... tell me again, has anything been stolen?"

Roger rose up again. He needed to stretch his legs. No matter how much he hated the fact, he wasn't a young man anymore. His health could perhaps be better if he stayed away from all those sweets too, but that was something he rather didn't think about. Luckily, his thoughts were needed elsewhere at this moment.

"What about the other rooms?"

Baynes scowled, "If something was stolen we'd have no bloody clue, no one to say if anything's missing. As for the other rooms, the dining room and kitchen are bare of anything useful, just pots and dishes. No grass in either of them, just the den."

---

James Cooper
He turned back, stood and entered the master bedroom.

The room was completely normal, however the bed was a bit off. Upon one side there were a fair more amount of pillows,they were arrayed in a position that would have their user sitting upright while asleep. Judging from the uniform on the bedside table, it was Constable Smith's side of the bed. While the other side had a single fluffed pillow.

[House of Judah]

James Cooper

"And what had you awake at night as your family, slept, Constable?" James picked up the copper's uniform and made a quick examination of the pockets and compartments.

[Barapam]

R.R.

"That leaves the bedroom then. Who went there? Was it... oh, what's his name... James... Cooper? Well, I suppose I should go and see if he needs some help. I don't see anything else here anyway..." Rogers said in response to Baynes. There could still be something more to find here, but sometimes it helped if you went away for a while and then returned, at least in Rogers' experience. Therefore he decided to head over to the bedroom.

"Mr Cooper, have you found something?" he asked as he entered. He saw the same thing as James: The pile of pillows and the lone one, and the constable's uniform James was examining.

[Anowa]

Searching the uniform proved fruitless, it had recently been cleaned if the lack of dirt and lint made anything clear. Baynes walked in after and sighed, "I knew Smith had sinus problems... But I never knew it warranted upright sleeping. I'm surprised Mrs. Smith didn't suffocate when she rolled over."

Isaac decided to dip into the kids' room, what met him was a saddening sight: tin soldiers lay upon the floor, scattered about in a state of play, lincoln logs served as small sceneries among the battlefield of play. "...Bastards..."

The bed's weren't quite what one would call a bed, more along the lines of low hanging cots. Isaac furrowed his brow before backing up into the hall. His view scanned between the children's beds and the Wife's place of rest.

"Smith was higher up than the rest."

[House of Judah]

James Cooper

"Which strengthens the possibility of cyanide, or perhaps cyanogen. Unlike cyanide gas, cyanogen is gaseous at room temperature and then forms cyanide inside the human body. They would both be heavier than air, so the closer to the ground one is the more rapidly one would die. So... the children die first, then the wife. They would have suffered fits, which likely would have woken the constable. Having trouble breathing, he gets up, stumbles to the door before falling."

[Anowa]

James Cooper

"Which strengthens the possibility of cyanide, or perhaps cyanogen. Unlike cyanide gas, cyanogen is gaseous at room temperature and then forms cyanide inside the human body. They would both be heavier than air, so the closer to the ground one is the more rapidly one would die. So... the children die first, then the wife. They would have suffered fits, which likely would have woken the constable. Having trouble breathing, he gets up, stumbles to the door before falling."

Baynes stood still for a moment, "That's... devious. But cyanogen isn't soluble in water at this temperature... If it were cyanogen then we'd be dead by now. You are on to something however, and that's very good. I believe that's everything we'll be able to discern here, coroners are biting at the bullet waiting to clean this house out. Health hazard and all that."

---

Clues Found: 6/6
Grass
Picked lock
Grassy smell
Chest afflictions
Tin can
Can label
Oddities Noticed: 1/1
Poison is heavier than air, and soluble in water, and more than likely gaseous around room temperature.

[House of Judah]

James Cooper

"I am sure there is some detail we overlook that Sherlock Holmes would undoubtedly found within seconds of entering the house. But we are not the late great detective, unfortunately, and may yet need some new clue to draw our attention to what we miss now. There was mention of another location to visit, perhaps we should continue there. Inspector, what is the location?"

[Anowa]

Baynes looked over to Isaac who was reexamining the label.

Isaac informed the team of it's location, "It's somewhere in Westminster, close to my old place of employment, I know the area. We should best head there with haste, we don't want to waste a second."

---

It took a little over an hour of walking, but they had found the location, "Fleischinger Garden supply... I expected something more sinister." Isaac remarked.

Baynes responded, "It always seems like it should be, but it never is. Come on, we should head inside, someone should look around the building as well."

The building was a single story, and the small crack between it and the next building was just big enough for someone of a childish stature to fit through, it might pay off for someone to go around back to check the trash. The windows were stained yellow, either from a lack of washing or for decoration was yet to be seen... They also had yet to be seen through. There was no telling what was on the other side of the door, it would likely be best to proceed with a slight amount of caution.

[House of Judah]

James Cooper

James quickly examined the door and frame around it. He recalled a time when his former guardian and employer had devised a device that would subtly prick a man upon his turning of the knob, subtly injecting a poison that would leave the man dead an hour later. After satisfying himself that no similar device was present, he would begin to reach to reach for the knob, pause a moment to consider, extract the cloth from his pocket and hold it near his face (just in case), then turn the knob and open the door.

[Anowa]

The door opened with a creak, not the kind that indicated lack of maintenance, but one of aged hinges. A bell attached to the door chimed, and the woman behind the counter looked up from her paper. She began speaking in a German accent, "Hello sir, what is it you need help with today?" The helping smile on her face seemed genuine.

Behind the woman upon the shelf were several cans and jars filled with liquids, powders, and crystalline materials. Most likely samples of fertilizer, pesticides and the like, all were clearly labeled. There was a door to the woman's right behind the counter that was closed, and most likely locked. To the entrance's left was a planter, filled with a single species of grass. there were three sections, one was healthy, one was very green and lush, and the last was dead. All had a tin hanging from a nail below, below the only empty canister was a damp area covered in a white powder.