When evil stirs....

[Tinker]

Mattie was setting about the complicated lock system of the shop's door as Butcher's voice sounded in the thick London night. She cocked her small, dark head in the direction of his voice, taking in the details he was sharing and noting the sadness badly concealed in his tone as he did so. The lanky fennec spoke as she turned towards both of her new sleuthing team mates, she tried to focus on the words that were coming from his mouth but her eyes were stolen away to his ear where he subconsciously fiddled with the solo perforation. She realised she was still staring a good few moments too long after he had finished speaking and cleared her throat nervously as she redirected her gaze to some point between the mens shoulders, a single long fingered hand pointing down the cobbled street at their backs, "If we nip down there and along the way there's a couple of short cuts that would take us to the Thames. Might be able to catch a few of the locals that might have caught a peep or two of what happened that night, as well. I've got plenty of shiny things that should help in loosening their tongues if needs be."

[Maxx]

"And I've got a pocket full of shillings that will carry us a little farther than something shiny might," Butcher said.  "Don't worry.  I'll be keeping my hand on my purse.  Of that you may have no doubt."  The boar turned in the direction Mattie had indicated and started off in that direction.  At that moment he seemed like one of the locomotives he controlled; slow to start but damned nigh impossible to stop once he'd build up a head of steam.

[Tinker]

"Extra  pennies is exactly what I. . ." Mattie trailed off as the boar trundled off into the direction she he had pointed towards, her mouth hung loose for a few moments before she continued the sentence in a more deflated tone, "Meant by shiny things."

Her gleaming copper eyes flitted between the fast descending figure of Butcher and the fox that stood there with her, still quite taken aback by his sudden departure, "Bloody hell, he's in a hurry. We best go after him, I suppose."

There was no way her shortened stride could even begin to catch up with the quickened pace of the engineer, so she dropped forward on to her knuckles and turned her head once more towards Nolan, as if asking his permission before rocketing off at a break neck speed in a gallop on all fours.

[Maxx]

It didn't take long for the trio to find the area where the badger had met his end.  It looked like so many areas of London.  Under the grime there were signs of the grand old lady's former glory but one needed to look closely and it was glory long faded.  Still there was a faint hope lingering that the grandeur of the past might one day revisit.

Here too lurked the denizens of the shadows, cast offs and left behinds, small fish that banded together in the hopes that the larger predators would be deterred by force of numbers.  Sometimes it worked.  Sometimes it took more force.  It was why smart people never came here alone or unawares. 

Eyes watched them from the shadows, trying to determine if they were predator or prey or if they belonged to that nebulous category that were to be left alone.

[CrowsEye]

Nolan tried not to swallow audibly as he took in his surroundings. The bleak look of the buildings and alleyways in the waning light drained the color out of the world and made everything look like a gritty version of a nickelodeon that the now intensely uncomfortable fox had once seen. He fumbled though his pockets quietly until he found the rosary he kept on his person for emergencies of the supernatural variety. He weaved it through his fingers and he began to fervently pray a verse that his grandmother had taught him when he was just a kit. Having finally finished, he was able to speak and  found his voice.

It broke at the beginning of his sentence, belying his discomfort. "So, what exactly should we be lookin' for then? He hadta have been dead when 'e was dropped in th'river, so that means that 'e was killed before bein' dumped. Did 'e have any strange wounds or anythin'?" The nervous fox was only making speculations that made sense from one of the many mystery novels that he was so fond of.  Not knowing a lot about crime or the inner workings of a madman, he could only assume or conjecture. Anything else was simply not his area of expertise.

[Tinker]

The pint-sized primate came to a complete and perfect halt, her small, lithe body still canter-levered forward on her knuckles and her long tail curled into a tight spiral that was held high at her shoulders. Her metallic eyes seemed to glitter with an other-world quality in the pea soup gloom that clung about the gaslight street lamps that were dotted along the bank that dropped straight down to the Thames. She seemed impervious to the sinister atmosphere that was created by those which had chosen to stay under the cover of the deep shadows and observe. She sauntered to the very edge of the pavement, a single long hand rested on the wrought iron railing as she precariously jutted a good quarter of her body into the air above the murky depth of the Thames. The free hand slid the goggles that had sat perched on the top of her coal dark head and adjusted them over her eyes, flicking between various lenses until the required filter was found.

Mattie turned her head slightly, her eyes still shielded with deep green lenses and brilliant brass, as the first stuttered and strained tones of the lanky fox sounded into the still London air, "If there were anything or real curiosity or value left behind from the event, it would be long gone by now, and so much gets dumped in the river that she's thick with murk and muck."

The Capuchin cocked her head slightly as some of those that were cloaked in the darkness were now slightly more visible with the aid of her goggles, "I would put a pretty penny or two on at least a pair of eyes or two having seen exactly what happened that night and that even those that did it weren't aware of them."

Her long tail slowly unfurled and took the place of the hand that was acting as her safety line as she utilised both hands to lift the goggles and return them to perch on the top of her head, "Just means we got our work cut out for us, Sirs. Not everyone round here has a tongue so loose as to gab for coppers...not when you could lose that tongue for doing such a thing."

[Salamanth]

   The bar was smoky dim and Minnie was finishing helping her mother with the last of the dinner rush. The Spotted Dog was slowing down only those getting down to serious drinking there now. The young magpie threw off her apron and pulled on a greatcoat and wrapped a muted muffler about her neck.

   "I be going now Ma," she told her mother and headed out the kitchen door into the foggy night. Her eyes darted checking the shadows to make sure she was alone before started a route that was as twisted as the alley ways and the houses that leaned over looking overly tired and in danger of collapse.

   The truth Minnie had not been heading in this direction on her nightly forging trips not since the night she had inadvertently witnessed the disposal of a body. The hackney cab had pulled up the horses shod hooves echoing in an area at an hour when all should of been quiet but the lap lap of water at the moorings of the pier. That in truth was what had made Minnie scuttle for cover and peer cautiously over the eaves of the warehouse she had been sneaking around . A  shrouded figure had thrown the white badger into the cold, dark, swirling water not that he felt the cold.

   Minnie was young but growing up near and around the docks made one grow up fast and it was not like she hadn't seen bodies before. Why just a month ago she and her family had attended the wake for Granny Murphy even if they were not Catholic like the whole Murphy clan. They had propped the old lady in her rocker and put a pint in her hand as her well-wishers saw her off to the great beyond but that was the way of the Irish or so Ma had told her.

   She scuttled along a gutter and made her way to the river muttering to herself about the fact there just wasn't anything like a ghost. Then why did she see that old badger when she got close to the river those vacant eyes staring up at her accusingly.

   "I dids whats I could fer ye," she said "Didn't I hooks ye and drags ye where the bobbies would finds ye so yer kin didn't has to worry and ye would gets a good decent burial?" she whispered into the fog finally arriving at her destination, the old deserted warehouse that overlooked those inky cold waters of the Thames.

[CrowsEye]

The fox's ear [the one without the hole in it] twitched and turned like a satellite, homing in on the speech that was steadily getting closer. His ears then pressed against his skull, and in a flash, he had pressed Mattie against a wall and unceremoniously grabbed Butcher by the collar of his shirt, pulling them all into the shadows. He whispered, quickly and breathlessly. "Sorry about tha', mates, but I hear someone headed this way, and I think they seem t'know somethin' about our pale-furred friend..." His speech ran hot and smelled of warm whiskey, but didn't reek of it. A long finger pressed against the tip of his snout, and he winked, letting his friends know he needed them to be quiet. One ear pulled away from his mat of hair and turned towards the footsteps.

When the little bird came around the corner, one of Nolan's lanky hands burst out of the shadows and forcefully [yet gently at the same time] clamped her beak shut and pulled her into the shadow with the rest of his friends. He quickly began to explain himself, his voice soft. "Now, I ain't goin' t'hurt ye, and I ain't a robber, so ye don't have to worry about that. Now, I heard you mutterin' t'yerself somethin' about movin' a body." His head cocked to one side, and his eyebrows raised up and out of sight into his mop of hair. "Care t'share a little more, luv?"

[Tinker]

Being snatched from the riverside and gracelessly thrown to a wall then only to be pinned by someone who was easily twice her height would have normally thrown Mattie into her signature simian rage, but this was different. This was done with thoughts for her safety and her preservation. One hand spider-walked up the roughly hewn stone of the building until it touched the cold brass of her goggles, her dexterous fingers skimming across the treasured, functional accoutrement. Once she was satisfied that no harm had come to the goggles, her hand dropped to hang limply to her side, her tail shifted slightly to allow some degree of comfort as the lanky fox held her tightly to the stone, her eyes closing in hopes that she could catch a whisper of what his tall ears had caught. It was futile, with one ear pressed to the building and the other to Nolan's chest, all she could really hear was the thundering boom of his panicked heartbeat. When he whispered his apology and explanation, she didn't so much hear it was feel the vibration through his chest.

A soft sigh of a portion of the air that was still in her lungs slipped past her lips as the Fennec grabbed the passing bird from the alley, smushing her face further into his chest as he did so. She had no idea what he was doing and her curiosity was soon sated as she felt his voice address someone new to the group.Her brow furrowed with tale of what the stranger had been saying to provoke Nolan's sudden apprehending and she squirmed slightly to get a better look, but she was stuck fast. Satisfied the stranger wasn't a threat, along hand reached awkwardly until it connected with the cloth of the fox's jacket and she tugged at his elbow a little lazily as her muffled voice was almost lost in the layers of his clothing, "Uh, Mister Stoneback? Who've you got there and uh. . I am having a bit of difficulty breathing."

[CrowsEye]

Looking down into his chest at the uncomfortable Mattie, he made an apologetic face and pulled away from the wall, giving her space to breathe. His face was practically glowing, his embarassment shining that much on his face. "Sorry, lass. I was just worried about ye. Might have been a bit of an overreaction..." At that, he looked over to the girl who's beak he had clamped in his fist. Letting go and blushing harder, his face now practically giving off its own heat, he apologized quietly and quickly stepped back from her, stuffing his hands in his pockets and avoiding eye contact with her. He probably would have started whistling 'inconspicuously' if he wasn't trying to keep quiet, despite his discomfort. "Everyone's all right, yeh?" Nolan finally spoke, but apparently to his shoes.

[Tinker]

As soon as Nolan took the tentative step backwards to release Mattie, she dropped back, soundlessly on to her bare feet. She self consciously dusted herself down, even though not a speck of dirt was on her small form. The blush that sat on her cheeks paled in comparison to the inferno that was blazing across Nolan's muzzle. Her copper eyes swiveled up to meet his and she gently shook her head, "Yes, its quite alright, Mister Stoneback, no harm done."

Her metallic gaze shifted to the young bird and she cocked her head ever so slightly, "You mind telling us why you snatched this young lady from the alley?"

[Salamanth]

   Not many could say they had caught Minnie so off guard. the squawk she gave when her beak was grabbed and held tight . She narrowed her eyes as the fox  holds her and she aims a few punches his way struggling with him to break away. if she gets free she will run..what with the small monkey and another in the shadows big fellow break away and run is her best choice and nothing cowardly at all in the act.
  "Care to share wot? How could he know, he couldn't have her heard her talking to her unseen companion after all he was but an uncomfortable memory and yes she was speaking out loud but whispering no more mumbling to herself then speaking clearly and loudly. She tried to place a well placed toe of her boot to the foxes shin  next, glaring the whole time.

[Maxx]

"Ease up,"  Butcher said.  "Grabbing somebody like that isn't going to win you any friends.  Let her go now and maybe we can talk with her like civilized folk. Sorry Miss," he said to Minnie, touching his cap.  "We're here looking for some help finding out what happened to a friend of mine.  He was a white badger and somebody dumped him in the river not far from here."

[CrowsEye]

[[OCC: Actually guys, in my last post, Nolan had already let go and stepped back. Just to let you know.]]

[Maxx]

OOC:  Nods.  Butcher is just repeating the point.

BIC:  "Good lad.  Now give the little Miss some space to breath.  You're not a prisoner and you're free to go if you like."  The big boar knew better than to try and smile at the magpie.  His smiles were hideous things to behold.  "The badger was a friend of mine and I want to see justice done and the law doesn't seem too willing to do much."

[CrowsEye]

Nolan elaborated on Butcher's explanation. "Sorry about th'sudden...uh...jostlin' I gave ye, miss. I didn't mean to frighten ye, I thought ye might have been someone...bigger."

He realized what he'd said and pulled his hands out of his pockets and waved them in front of him frantically, a sorry look on his face. "Not that I'm sayin' that's bad, not at all! I've just always been a big fellow, so anybody not as tall as me just seems...well, ye get the idea. I'm sorry. I'm Nolan, and I was helpin' me friend here find out about his friend, the one he mentioned. I heard ye mutterin' somethin' about yer dead friend, and thought that ye might have had something to do with it. Once again, miss, my apologies, and if there's anythin' I can do t'make things right, I'll do it without a second thought." He fidgeted awkwardly his eyes hardly meeting hers, but his voice filled with a bashful honesty.

[Salamanth]

    The hand leaving her beak seemed to calm down the rather flustered  Minnie and she took a few minutes to straighten her coat and muffler. She nodded to Butcher and raised a skeptical eye to the fox Nolan. She quickly sized the trio up and came to the conclusion they were out  of their usual haunts. hell if it weren't for the fact she had grown up in these streets and alleyways she too would be out of her depths here.
  "Perhaps I do perhaps I don't know sumpin' " she answered "but you don't gets nuttin' for nuttin' " she said with a sniff and crossed her arms over her thin chest looking from one to another of the trio feet shuffling a little from side to side as if she was not use to staying still for any great period of time.

[Maxx]

"We might be convinced to provide you with something by way of a trade,"  Butcher said.  He was a long way from his circus days but some things you never forgot.  The coin danced slowly but steadily across knuckles that looked too thick to perform such a delicate feat.  "We'll see how much what you tell us is worth."

[Salamanth]

   Oh sparkly! Minnie's dark eyes fastened onto the coin and she gave a soft intake of her breath a very soft whistling noise being made and then she gave her head a shake. "Might? but what you may think insignificant coulds be wot's gets me killed" the little magpie stated firmly. She shuffled restlessly again and then sighed as if she was hearing someone or something no one else could.
   "I tells ye what I saw then ..." the tiny magpie shook her head again "I has a right to the coin I do!" the tone was aggrieved almost angry but then she nodded. "I will tell you but not here where any wharf rat can hear us."
  She looked towards Butcher again and the coin "Keep your quid gov I think I do not have a choice here" but the regret was evident in her eyes and her voice.

[Maxx]

"You tell us where you think you can tell us away from prying ears and we'll go there, if we think it's a safe enough place,"  Butcher said.  "Nolan here has a keen ear, as you might expect, so he'll let us know if we're being followed.  Or overheard.  At least he might if he ever cleaned his ears."

Butcher reached up and pulled a coin out of there foxes ear.  He offered it to Minnie.  It wasn't the quid he'd been spinning but it was a thrup'ny bit.

[Salamanth]

   The coin was taken flipped into the air caught and vanishes in a pocket of the coat . She nodded and turned back from the direction she had been coming from. She looked about and then up.
    "We be fine..I will takes you to The Spotted Dog" she stopped  checking the side alleys  before leading the three friends to the tavern. She signaled for them to follow and she slipped behind the pub and entered the kitchen rather then the public entrance. She waved to the cook, a chubby older magpie, who nodded to Minnie a raised  eyebrow when  the youngster looked at her companions.
   "We have some business to conduct Ma" explains Minnie quickly and pulls out a chair at the table the staff eat at. 'have a seat and I will tells ye whats I can'

[Maxx]

Butcher tipped his hat at the old magpie.  "Evening, Mum," he said in a voice that was deep but still low enough to be considered quiet.  

Minnie's mother gave the group half a curtsy and left them alone.  They looked honest enough, if a little rough around the edges, except for the simian.  She'd have to keep an eye on the little monkey, lest there be less silverware in the house than there had been in the morning.  Shiny objects attracted many eyes and not a few of those eyes were attached to hands with a more than normal affinity for finding things that didn't belong to them.

[CrowsEye]

Nolan beamed winningly at the young magpie's mother, along with a small wave, finally quietly turning his attention to the task at hand and waited patiently.

[Salamanth]

   Minnie looked at the three a bit uncomfortably knowing her ma would have no problem keeping an eye on the simian as she was use to making sure wandering desires for the bright and shiny did not lead one to far astray. A deep breath and then she started.
    "I has this talent for finding things others are looking for" she says softly "I can hear..it is hard to explain...here voices telling me where this and that is hidden" Minnie looked towards where her mother was serving up several bowls of the stew they were serving that day and slicing thick slabs of bread and then back at the table.
     "I goes out to find these things for clients which is wots I was doing that night. I was about where we meet up when I heard hoof beats...which in that neighbourhood  is well unusual. it was enough to send me to find cover but I also watched." She looked at her mother then and stood up heading to the hearth and filled a large Brown Betty teapot. "Anyone else feel like a cuppa besides me."

[CrowsEye]

Nolan's fuzzy brow furrowed in thought, waving away the offer of tea politely. "Ain't even been a fan of the stuff after one of me sisters gave me hot water with a 'tea' made up of dandelions and dirt...for 'robustness'. Thanks, though. Now, you say you watched...can I ask what ye might have seen while ye were hidin'?"