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Sep-10-2012 20:17

CASE/ RP TITLE : "Devils In the Nectar"
CASE CLASSIFICATION: Homicide
DATE: 13 November 1934
LOCATION: The Sahara Nightclub, New York City, New York

VICTIM NAME: Janie Eugenides
VICTIM AGE: 23
VICTIM PROFESSION: Chorus Girl (read: exotic dancer), employed at The Sahara Nightclub, NY

CAUSE OF DEATH: Lethal poisoning (unknown compound)
CRIME SCENE DETAILS:
Victim found in dressing room of nightclub, slumped over makeup counter. Apparent distress of victim- discoloration of face, swollen tongue, rash on arms, forcible evacuation of stomach.
NOTE: Bottle of red wine, overturned on counter before victim.
NOTE: Bouquet of flowers on counter before victim. Addressed to "JUNO- Thy voice is like sweet nectar'. from AMBROSE BIERCE.
NOTE: Victim discovered by fellow chorus girl, VERA ELSPETH.


NOTE: Due to staffing demands, case has been turned over to private investigations agency.

Sep-22-2012 03:23

"First off, who was here at the time being when..." Vulkie began, while looking in her trustful notepad, "Janie Eugenides was murdered?".

Molly gave her a cold stare back and then began to laugh. Vulkie raised her eyebrow, asking "What's so funny? It's a perfectly normal question".

Molly replied by saying: "I assume that you haven't had a case for a long while Vera? Look around, all the people that are here, sitting, were at the club during the time of the murder" and she continued to laugh.

Vulkie gave a forced little smile, and carefully continued with the next question.

"Can you tell me a bit more about Ms. Eugenides? Any lovers, any family etc." Vulkie asked.

"Well, I do know that she had an eye out for my husband, Mr. Maltese. Unfortunately, I can't develop any further int0 the matter, Veronica..." Molly replied and Vulkie noticed the cold stare that Molly gave to her. The stare of... jealousy.

"Right, we'll leave that subject for the time being. Now, would you be so kind to introduce me to the rest of the people? I'd like to ask them a few questions too. I assure you, Ms. Maltese, that the killer will be caught. And for future reference, my first name is Victoria... Try to remember that." Vulkie added, and Vulkie gave another forced smile.

"But of course, Victoria, now, who would you like to meet first? We have another detective here in the house, a Mr. Heimlich VonVictor. I believe he acquired some evidence from the scene. There's also Vivien Sharp, she discovered Janie at her dressing room. And there's a regular in the club tonight, Ms. Riza Hawkeye. She can probably tell you a bit more about certain... events going on." Molly replied.

"I'd like to talk with Vivien first, if you don't mind?" Vulkie asked and Molly whistled for the bouncer, who brought Vivien to a table...

Sep-23-2012 21:51

"This the private dick?" Vivien asked, holding a still-smoldering cigarette to her lips. "I expected something a little more...pulpy."

"Pulpy? Really Vivien, you do invest too much time in those ten-penny magazines. Time you could be devoting to your footwork, if your dream of being the headline act is to be realized." Molly said sharply, her half-lidded eyes barely concealing a look of warning. Vulkie looked from one to the other, noting the tension, but Vivien just gave a booming, full-throated laugh.

"No need to get your feathers all a-ruffled, Mrs. Maltese." Vivien said, casting a wink in her direction. Her bright green eyes disappeared in an ink blot of kohl liner and false eyelashes for a moment, a look that was almost grotesque in the lighting.

"Lets cut to the chase here, princess." It took a moment for Vulkie to realize she was talking to her. Vivien leaned her elbows on the table. "I was the one who found poor Janie, and no that doesn't mean I killed her. No I didn't see anyone around her dressing room. I walked in to see if I could borrow her lipstick and found her like...like she was." For the first time her bravado slipped, and Vulkie could see the fear and uncertainty in her eyes. "I don't understand it myself...but I sure hope you catch the guy behind this. Nobody deserves to go that way."

Sep-24-2012 14:54

"If you allow me to say so, Ms. Sharp, you don't seem to be very grieving over the fact that one of your fellow chorus girls is dead. One would rather say that, if you have worked with a person together so long, that some sort of emotion would be aroused. But I detect no emotion from you or Mrs. Maltese about this horrible crime.." Vulkie replied coldly, while the two women stared at her furiously. Vulkie probably hit a snare, because in an instant, she got a reply from Molly, who said: "How DARE you accuse us of not grieving over her? It's just that we haven't had the time to go over the whole situation..."

"Madame Maltese, I didn't mean to offend, I just bluntly said and noticed that neither of you showed any sort of emotion. One would say that people would cry or be angry over it, but from neither of you, any emotion is detected... it seems as if you are happy about the fact that poor Janie, yes, poor Janie, was murdered. Now, I don't know the motives yet, but I assure you.." Vulkie replied, while staring at both of the women, with a small eyebrow raise, "I will, WILL, discover those motives and make the right assumptions".

Vivien looked at Vulkie and was about to speak, when Molly interfered and said: "Go back to your dressing room Vivien. Let the detective and me alone for a bit. I need to discuss something with her". Vivien immediately left the table, while Vulkie shouted: "If I have more questions, I know where to find you!".

Then, Molly turned towards Vulkie and began to softly speak, in a threatening matter: "If you ever dare to accuse both of us without knowing the situation, I will make sure that they'll get your badge and you'll be bonjoured out of New York before you can say "Au revoir". Am I making myself... clear?". Vulkie replied, by saying a small yes.

"Now, detective, who is it you want to see next? We still got Mr. VonVictor and there's also Ms. Hawkeye..." Molly asked Vulkie.

"I'd like to speak with Mr. VonVictor next" Vulkie replied.

Sep-24-2012 17:57

Heimlich VonVictor stood in the center of the carpeted area in front of the stage. He was an older gentleman of about sixty; tall at about six feet with long snow white hair and a pungent aroma of tobacco about him. He wore a brown tweed suit, on which he had pinned a New York City Police badge. He took a final drag from his cigarette and tossed it on the ground. In one seamless movement, he ground it into the carpet and looked over at the two women who had just entered.

"Listen sweetheart," he barked out, grabbing Vulkie by the arm and leading her towards the door she jsut came out of, "you need to understand that one of your fellow performers has just been murdered here. I don't need you messing up my scene and contaminating my evidence. Go rehearse a number or something."

"Mr. VonVictor!" Molly called, "Dear... sweet Mr. VonVictor..." she cooed as she caught up and ran her hand along his arm, "This is Vanessa the detective that the Pinkerton Agency sent over to investigate the awful events of tonight."

"Detective!?" Heimlich shouted as he released Vulkie as if in repulsion, "Land sakes! I leave the force and the whole thing goes to hell! What's next, they're going to be letting Negroes into crime scenes?"

"I am now in charge of this scene," Vulkie said with disgust towards the vile old man, "and you are under my jurisdiction Mr. VonVictor." Then, turning towards Molly, "And again, it's Victoria!"

"Listen, Princess," Heimlich spat back, "they may have given you a badge and a gun and let you play cops and robbers, but you had better let a man handle a man's job. " Then, indicating a table with four bags on it, "Besides, a tenderfoot like you would overlook everything I've already collected."

Sep-25-2012 07:34

Vulkie grabbed Heimlich by his collar and carefully whispered in his ear: "If you ever DARE to call me Princess again, you will regret it. Do we understand each other?". Heimlich nodded and Vulkie gently let Heimlich go, who in turn sat on a chair by the table with the evidence.

As Vulkie observed the bags, she noticed that they were all tied up with some rope and with a good knot in them. "Would you be so kind as to untie the bags, Mr. VonVictor?" Vulkie asked politely and Heimlich barked back by shouting: "Do it yourself, you lousy piece of nothing!".

Vulkie raised her eyebrow and made a note of the attitude that Mr. VonVictor seemed to display.

As Vulkie untied the bags and spread the evidence on the table, there were four important pieces of evidence:

1. A bottle of red wine, which was empty.
2. A bouquet of flowers, roses perhaps?
3. A note that was attached to the flowers, signed by a Mr. Ambrose Bierce (probably a bogus name).
4. A cigarette butt, which was forcibly put out, perhaps stepped on.

"Mr. VonVictor... You are absolutely sure that this is all the evidence there is on the scene?" Vulkie asked to Heimlich.

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure. You can say many things of me, but I never, EVER, overlook any piece of evidence." Heimlich replied, with a bit of hesitation in his voice.

"Then I would like you to accompany me towards the dressing room of Janie Eugenides and explain the whole situation to me, where you found her, where the evidence was found etc. . I hope you can still remember all that?" Vulkie said. Heimlich nodded and stood up.

As the "detectives" went towards the dressing room, Heimlich bumped into a woman who seemed to be really intoxicated. "Go away, vile woman. We are on an investigation! Leave us be" Heimlich said and the woman just plainly stared at him, while she "wobbled" her way back to her table...

Sep-25-2012 18:14

Molly watched the two detectives go with a complacent expression, but when the doors closed behind them her face turned dark. How dare that little Frenchie nitwit air out her personal business, such as her husbands unfortunate penchant for staying late nights with Janie? And then to say that she, Molly Maltese, was not properly grieving?

Well so what if she wasn't? That little tramp deserved it. After everything Molly had given her as a mentor- sisterly advice, generosity with choreography and numbers and she had gone and sunk her hooks into her husband?

"If you ask me, she deserved what she got." Molly grumbled, tugging at the fingertips of one glove, but froze when she heard a rolling laugh. Turning to her left, she saw a woman, clearly very inebriated but looking at her with a cocked chin and bright eyes.

"Careful, Malteesh. Thatsa dangeroush thing to say at a crime scheen." the woman slurred, than chuckled into her glass as she took another swig. Face flaming, Molly whirled on her heel and stalked across the club floor, chin held high. She was headed for the gilt doors at the far end, which led to the backstage dressing rooms. She was to have a word with Vivien.

Sep-25-2012 19:26

Completely miffed that there would be a huge loss of tips, Kesla scanned the room.To her right sat Molly, talking to Vivien and an aggressive looking lady detective.Vivien then sashayed away as a burly man with a badge approached them.

Since she had not yet been questioned or released, Kesla decided to go backstage towards the dressing rooms to see if she could catch a glimpse of the crime scene.

Kesla noticed Janie's dressing room door was shut,but she could here muffled conversation and shuffling on the other side. She quickly dashed past Janie's dressing room, and rushed into the larger dressing room all the other chorus girls had to share.

On the right, there were racks of costumes, and the walls displayed shelves filled with headpieces and shoes of all colors and sizes. On the right, there was a counter with one large mirror running the entire length. Bare bulbs outlined the mirror and the counter was cluttered with cosmetics and accessories.

Kesla darted past the counter and slid into the first of three curtained dressing stalls situated in the back.She drew the curtain tight behind her and moved aside some hanging costumes,revealing a small crack in the wall that gave her a clear view of Janie's dressing room.

She peered through the crack, and took notice of Janie draped over her vanity, arms hanging awkwardly towards the floor. Her face looked purple and swollen, not at all resembling the posters out front that featured her as the star act.

She could also see the detectives as they rummaged through Janie's things.The woman looked exasperated as she listened to the old man ramble on about women in the workplace and being positive he collected all the evidence.

The woman suddenly looked over and walked toward the closet that barely hid Kesla's peering eyes from view. Kesla held her breath for a few heartstopping moments, praying that she hadn't been discovered.

Just when she thought she would pass out from fright, the burly man said "Look here, girl, I think I've found another clue."

Distracted by the gruff man calling h

Sep-25-2012 19:29

Distracted by the gruff man calling her girl, she shook her head and turned her attention to him.

Kesla thanked her lucky stars and silently tiptoed out of the dressing room, and hurriedly returned to the bar out front.

Sep-25-2012 21:09

Therian watched all the other girls sob as they sat at the tables from the shadows of the curtains. She stepped back further as the two Detectives walked towards her. They past without seeing her. She watched them as they walked toward Janie's room. It had been mere seconds before Kelsa slipped past the door. Ignoring Therian completely.

She raised an eyebrow and slowly followed her. Kesla walked into the dressing room and stayed a moment. Therian heard her footsteps and moved out of sight. Kesla passed and she moved back into the light...

"What was she up to?" she thought and heard the distinct sound of Janie's dressing room door open. She froze. No time to hide.

"Hey!" she heard a man yell. Slowly she turned and found the hard glare of two detectives on her...

Sep-26-2012 18:02

“Sad isn’t it?” Edward asked as he quietly came up behind a strikingly beautiful woman.

“What?” she asked.

“How someone will just...pull the trigger on someone else’s life and end it so abruptly.”

The woman turned to face him. She reeked of Alcohol and was obviously drunk.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” he said. “Edward Carlyle, toxicologist when needed, slash, private detective.” He extended his arm to shake her hand.

She looked down at his hand and back at him. “Charmed,” she said blankly.

Ed felt like an idiot while he kept his hand extended as she said that. He put his hand down and there was a silence between the two of them. Finally he spoke. “May I ask your name?”

“If I told you my name�"”

She was interrupted by Ed. “I think we’re going to have to learn each other’s names anyway. After all, it is going to be a very long night.”

She sighed either in frustration or annoyance. “Riza Hawkeye,” she said.

“A beautiful name for beautiful woman,” Ed said. It was his sad attempt at flirting, but sometimes it worked.

Riza moved faster than he had ever seen. In the blink of an eye she grabbed him and pinned him against the wall, with her arm at his throat. She moved her head towards his ear and whispered, “Not on your life.”

“What a woman!” Ed thought to himself.

She let him go when a voice boomed in the room. “Riza Hawkeye?”

“Yes?” Riza said, sounding very annoyed. She staggered as she turned around.

Molly Maltese came closer with another woman at her side. “This is Violet,” Molly said. “She’s with Pinkerton Agency Detectives. She has some questions for...well both of you now.”