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nWoD [IC]: Waiting for the Man

JacquesCousteauJacquesCousteau Registered User regular
edited December 2008 in Critical Failures
The basement is quiet for what seems like an eternity after the mention of Hannah, even with Oisin’s hopeful words. Before anyone has the chance to break the silence he steps forward and tosses an issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer on the table that has a small article circled in red pen. It reads:
[B]Repeat Offender Eludes County Police[/B]
Percy Picket continues to evade police after being released from Riverside Correctional Facility late August. He has been convicted multiple times as a sex offender but according to police is not a violent man. He was last seen in early October in Philadelphia but has failed to report to his parole officer since. Anyone who has seen Picket is urged to call the police immediately.

A photo is included at the bottom of the article:
Offender.jpg

“Now, I’m not saying it’s anything yet, but the times sort of seem to fit together,” Oisin says, his shotgun still over his shoulder. “It’s a long shot but at least it’s a start. Does anyone have any ideas where to start looking or what to do next?”

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JacquesCousteau on

Posts

  • DE?ADDE?AD Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "I -- I wouldn't even know where to begin," Adam says, squirming in his chair in a vain attempt to get comfortable. He subconsciously shoots a sidelong glance at Hank, but quickly remembers himself and moves his eyes back to the paper.

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  • RainfallRainfall Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Tara shrugs, glancing at the paper. "Jeanne's family left town, right? Maybe there's something in their house. Hannah and Jeanne were, like, best friends."
    Her mother shoots her a quick glare and the teen quiets down.
    Only here because I wouldn't shut up. I can help, mom.

    Rainfall on
  • cytorakcytorak Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Brent nods at Tara. "Maybe we should start by looking around their house. I'd rather not get mistaken for a burglar if they come back unexpected."

    cytorak on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "Hah. You getting mistaken for a burglar? You look like an undercover cop."

    Brent turned to see Hank scratching the head of a dog that kept looking around the room nervously.

    "You aren't though. Because narcs don't come looking for a guy like... what's his name, Picket? Not violent my ass. He'll be worse than when he went in. He's scared now, and pissed off. He's not going to hide for long. A guy like that never stops in one place much... but you can't throw a rock in Philly without hitting a scumbag. I got ten bucks says me and the dog here can find him."

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • delrolanddelroland Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Sniffing at the air a bit, Caleb catches no scent of Dove. After looking towards Hank for a moment, Caleb walks a short ways away and lies down under one of the tables, his head resting on his front paws.

    delroland on
    EVE: Online - the most fun you will ever have not playing a game.
    "Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
  • DE?ADDE?AD Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Adam nods at Hank as he leans forward to lift the paper from the table. "I, uh, I don't doubt your ability to find the man, but I'm curious as to..." Adam rolls his tongue about in his mouth absently, reading the article over again and checking the next page for any sort of continuation. He shakes his head and looks back up at the group. "Do we know, huh, I mean, do we know what sort of crime he was put away for? 'Sex offender' is a rather, well, a rather vague term, really. Do we even know if children are, uh, compatible with his 'M.O.' as it were?"

    He sets the paper back down and begins to fiddle with his rather expensive looking watch. "A rotten character, certainly, I'm just wondering if he's likely to have taken them. The children, I mean."

    DE?AD on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "If he was in the pen for something he did multiple times, he was bad enough for this. But really... I don't give a shit if he's the guy or not. There's two ways you find the type of sicko that does this kind of thing. You track him, or you trap him."

    Horseshoe on
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  • RainfallRainfall Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "Trap someone? How are we going to do that? Set out another one of the little kids as bait? Nuh-uh." Tara glared at Hank from across the table.

    Rainfall on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "You never use real bait, kid. You find the type of place where he thinks he's safe to grab something. And then you place a decoy where he'll see it. Then you wait. If you dig up enough stuff, even the most paranoid weirdo will bite the hook."

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • JacquesCousteauJacquesCousteau Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Oisin's voice joins the others, "I've already called the police for more details on Picket but they've refused to divulge his crimes. They spouted some bullocks about 'disrupting the investigation'. Whatever the case, we know the children went missing when they were alone and that the last people to see them didn't tell the police anything unusual."

    JacquesCousteau on
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  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "God damnit. See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. It's right in front of their goddamned faces and they're out there looking for evidence. A guy like this doesn't leave any. He looks for an easy target, finds out where they go and waits until he thinks nobody's looking."

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • DE?ADDE?AD Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Adam scratches his chin at Oisin's comment. "Refused to... Huh, well, police participation or no, if he was put away once I'm sure there's something about the, uh, the nature of his crimes online. One of us should, uh, explore that avenue of investigation, while Hank... while Hank sets up a trap, I suppose." The twitter young man glances back and forth between Hank and Tara quickly. "Without real bait, of course."

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  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "Look, professor. We gotta do this together. This guy does his best when people are minding their own business and ignoring each other, as usual. It's too easy for criminals to get away with shit because people don't stick together anymore. For all we know the cops are trying to play "To Catch A Sicko" or whatever right now... in fact it's more likely they'll be doing that because they can keep their fat asses behind their desks. You're probably a smart guy, even if you're scared of your own shadow... we're going to need you."

    Horseshoe on
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  • cytorakcytorak Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "Decoy? Are you gonna carve a kid out of a tree stump and put a sailor suit and over-sized lollipop on it, Hank?" Brent sighed. "I agree we need to work together, but I think investigating clues and finding out more about this guy is in order before we rig the box, string, and carrot."

    cytorak on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "No shit, Sherlock. We can't figure out how to catch this guy if we don't know anything about him. I'd like to see if the pup here can pick up his scent, myself. We know where this sonofabitch has been, and I trust my buddy's insticts. Don't I, Caleb?"

    The dog whined a bit from under the table.

    "I didn't name him, by the way."

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • cytorakcytorak Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Brent thought for a second and said, "I could go to work and look him up in the Red Cross donor database. If ever gave blood AND gave them his correct address, he might be hanging around his old haunts. That is, if we can't find anything in the paper or on the web."

    cytorak on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "Blood seems like this dude's thing, if that one crime scene was any indication... anyway of knowing when a guy withdraws blood? He might be more into taking than giving, I think."

    Hank paused to shake a cigarette from his pack of Lucky Strikes.

    "Anyway, I like how you're thinking. What kinda screening do they do before a guy comes into Red Cross for that sorta thing?"

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • cytorakcytorak Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Horseshoe wrote: »
    "Blood seems like this dude's thing, if that one crime scene was any indication... anyway of knowing how a guy withdraws blood? He's into that, I think."

    Hank paused to shake a cigarette from his pack of Lucky Strikes.

    "Anyway, I like how you're thinking. What kinda screening do they do before a guy comes into Red Cross for that sorta thing?"

    "If he walked in off the street to a church or community center," Brent began,"they ask for a valid ID and take your temp, blood pressure, pulse, and a drop of your blood to make sure you have enough iron to give. You fill out a questionnaire that asks you things like 'Have you ever paid for sex with a gay monkey in Nigeria?', but we don't make them run on a treadmill or turn and cough."

    "After the blood's collected, it's tested to make sure they didn't lie about having any blood-borne diseases, and then it's divided into the components of red cells, platelets and plasma and stored until it's delivered to a hospital."

    Brent looked around and felt a bit sheepish. He hadn't meant that to be a delve into the inner workings of his job.

    "Anyway, like they say on the TV shows, blood's really hard to get out without some heavy duty cleaner and a lot of time and scrubbing."

    cytorak on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Hank laughed a little at the comment Brent made about the monkey. The guy seemed alright. Kind of a boy scout, but hard. He couldn't figure out if he was an ex-cop or an ex-soldier. They probably wouldn't let a con work for the Cross.

    "That's a good start, buddy. Anyone else got some ideas while we're in the information gathering business?"

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • DE?ADDE?AD Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "It, uh, it would seem that the information gathering is really our best, the best option we really have at the moment. Right?" He glances around at everyone in the room, then shifts his fiddling hand from his watch to his the cuff of his sleeve. It's a very slight movement, and even Adam doesn't really seem aware of it. "Short of... Hunh." He glances down at his sleeve in mild annoyance, finding his cuff caught in the clasp of his watch. This distracts him for a good few seconds before he finally returns to his earlier sentence, already in progress. "Short of sicking, hh, sicking the hounds on him."

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  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "That's right, professor. The hounds. Me and the pup right there. The hounds need the scent though. I think you and the boy scout here are going somewhere with that."

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • delrolanddelroland Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Unnoticed, Caleb lifts his head a moment, his nose twitching a bit.

    delroland on
    EVE: Online - the most fun you will ever have not playing a game.
    "Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
  • DE?ADDE?AD Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Adam busies himself with rolling up his sleeves. "I - I suppose so. Once we're done here I guess I'llsee what I, uh, what I can find online."

    DE?AD on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "Like what?"

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • DE?ADDE?AD Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "Well, I figure it, huh." Adam rubs his face and leans forward in his chair. "It would help if we, uh, knew something about the nature of his crimes. Even if the, uh, 'joint' made him worse, it may still give us an idea as to his general means of operation. The paper says that he's not a violent man, so, assuming they're telling the truth of course, removes, um, removes rape as an option - well, non statutory or date based rape, anyway. For, uh, for all we know he could be a serial exhibitionist with or, uh, somewhat more worryingly, a pornographer of the, um, of the child variety."

    Adam rubs his chin and leans back again. "I, hh, I just figure we need to know exactly what, or who, we're hunting, as it were."

    DE?AD on
  • delrolanddelroland Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Caleb, sight unseen, belly crawls quietly towards a nearby table. While no one is looking, he hops up, planting his front paws on the table and grabbing an unattended hamburger between his jaws.

    delroland on
    EVE: Online - the most fun you will ever have not playing a game.
    "Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
  • cytorakcytorak Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Brent was getting restless. "So, should we adjourn this meeting, do a little research and meet back here in a day or so? I think we might be spinning our wheels just sitting here."

    cytorak on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "Like I said... I think we should stick together a bit. We're going to come up with better ideas together than we are separate. And I don't think anyone wants to run across any surprises on their own. You or me could take this guy ourselves, Brent. I don't know about anyone else."

    Hank lit his cigarette and tried to be a bit more helpful.

    "Look, I'm a security guard... it's why I know about some of this stuff. Maybe you can all go to an internet cafe and put your heads together. I'll go swipe a few cans of mace and meet you there. At least then everyone has a real basic level of protection."

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • DE?ADDE?AD Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "I guess I could, uhm, tag along with Brent while he checks out the -- the blood bank's records. We could stop at a internet cafe on the way I, uh, I suppose." Adam's eyes flicker back and forth for a moment before he glances down at his watch.

    DE?AD on
  • RainfallRainfall Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "Jeanne's parents did ask me to water their plants while they were away. I guess I should probably do that, they might be mad at me if they come back and their gardenias are dead." Tara looked around, slightly nervous. It was somewhat obvious to anyone paying attention that she wasn't being quite honest.

    Rainfall on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "Jesus Christ. Haven't any of you ever... gah! If we split up we're not going to make it any easier to find this guy... and the kid especially shouldn't be going anywhere without someone protecting her."

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • delrolanddelroland Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Caleb walks up to Hank, sits down right in front of him, and barks once.

    delroland on
    EVE: Online - the most fun you will ever have not playing a game.
    "Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
  • cytorakcytorak Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "Why don't we all pile into a vehicle, stop by the Red Cross, an internet Cafe, and Jeane's house? Safety in numbers, and we can get one step closer to finding this guy?" Brent said, impatiently.

    cytorak on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "That's what I'm talking about right there. Let's do this. Who's got a van or S.U.V. type of thing?"

    Hank leans down to Caleb and scratches him behind the ear.

    "That's right buddy. You ready to go?"

    Calebs ears stood up at the word go. It usually meant getting to ride in a car.

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • DE?ADDE?AD Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "I've, uh -- my Escalade's out front if that will work," Adam says, fidgeting in his seat.

    DE?AD on
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "Huh. I had you pegged for one of those 'low carbon footprint' kind of guys."

    Horseshoe on
    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • DE?ADDE?AD Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    "Well, it - it is a, uh, hybrid."

    DE?AD on
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