With a day and a half before their departure abroad, each investigator spent the rest of Monday preparing for their impending departure from London. Professor Smith accompanied Mr. Corning to the London Zoo, securing a leave of absence for him from his employer. Mr. Corning then spent the rest of the day saying goodbye to his daughter and mother. Mr. Lake informed his business partners he would be traveling for a period of time, promising the possibility of new business opportunities from his travel. He also requested his solicitor draft a will for him, having recently learned they are fashionable amongst the elite. Miss Sutcliffe drafted a telegram to her quiet village, notifying them she would be away and conjuring a story about seeking a sunnier climate for her health. And Madam Zorba met with her son, imparting her confidence in his ability to manage the carnival while she was off pursuing mysterious matters of grave import. Concerned for their upcoming journey, she performed a tarot card reading, divining that the group would not be followed. She also determined her son would competently manage her carnival business while she was away.
On Tuesday, the investigators continued to follow up on clues related to the mysterious Blood Red Fez, hoping to uncover its connection to a recent murder. One group - Madame Zorba, Miss Sutcliffe, Mr. Lake, Mr. Corning, and Professor Smith - traveled to the home of the murder victim, Mr. Devore, in the Rotherhithe neighborhood. Devore had been a fez aficionado, known for his large collection.
Outside Devore’s small house, a ruddy-cheeked Bobby with a thick mustache stood guard, stalwart in his duty to secure the crime scene. Mr. Lake attempted to glean information by questioning a passing bread delivery boy, but the lad knew little more than hearsay. Meanwhile, Miss Sutcliffe approached the officer directly, laying on her gentlewomanly charms. She engaged him in friendly chatter, taking keen interest in his work and raging against the decline of manners in modern London. Playing up their roles as proper English ladies of a certain age, Miss Sutcliffe indicated she and Madam Zorba were simply beside themselves to see such violence befall their good neighborhood. Might the gracious officer allow two respected women, so invested in the community’s safety, to glimpse the scene, if only to settle their fluttering nerves? She assured their discretion, flashing the charming smile that so often granted her entry to London’s finest social clubs and art salons. And so the Bobby relented, unable to refuse the pleas of such upstanding ladies.
Inside, the house was ransacked - fezzes strewn about haphazardly, furniture smashed, and signs of violent struggle. Madam Zorba managed to spot an untouched roll-top desk. Opening it, she found two key pieces of evidence: a letter indicating that someone in Constantinople was willing to pay a large sum for a book called “The Whispering Fez” that Devore had possessed, and Devore’s financial ledger. Zorba stealthily pocketed the ledger before they made their exit.
Meanwhile, Herr Oskarson was absent, having already gathered several old books from the university library in a previous outing. Most were in languages he could not read. He spent this day working with a professor, attempting to translate the texts, hoping they might shed light on the fez’s occult history.
Reconvening at Professor Smith’s house that evening, the investigators shared their findings over dinner. Paging through Devore’s ledger, they could see that he had indeed purchased a copy of The Whispering Fez some years prior. Herr Oskarson also shared what translations he could piece together - though fragmented and vague, they indicated some ancient, dark power associated with the fez.
Sensing mounting danger, Professor Smith provided each investigator with a small pistol, hoping to even their odds, and suggested they all stay the night together in his flat. Madam Zorba did another reading, affirming that staying the night at Smith’s would be safe. The following morning, they set out by train, resolved to continue on their original quest and reach Constantinople. But a palpable unease hung over them, knowing their foes likely still lurked in the shadows…
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