Look to the Future Part Nine: February 15-16, 1926

Finale!

Ron and Vivian

Ron calls Vincenzio and is castigated for causing trouble in Boston (in other words, his whole vendetta with Mikey, and being arrested and bailed out by Mr. Cacciatore’s lawyer). Ron  is suitably cowed. He tells Vince that he and Vivian will probably be coming home soon before handing off the phone to Vivian. Vivian speaks to her father and to Luca, assures them that she is fine, and hangs up.

The group decides that Vince is a far more terrifying potential foe than anyone they have yet faced.

Meanwhile, Ron has asked Vito, who is still in the house, to help him pack up everyone’s belongings and load them into the cars. He is quite paranoid that Vince is going to send someone to check on the house, and he doesn’t want to be caught living here with stuff belonging to five people who don’t belong. Vivian also helps once she’s off the phone, and the three of them soon load up everyone’s cars.

Ron then calls up Kane at the apartment and lets him know that they are coming over. Then they bid Vito a fond arrivederci and drive to Kane’s place.

Kane’s Place

The entire group crams into Kane’s studio apartment and talks about the day’s events. Johnny and Judge Putnam describe their search of Bryan Slim’s house and show off the treasure trove of knowledge that they have found. Then Kane, Dr. Black, and Mikhail describe what happened in the basement of the LTF building. Dr. Black reveals the message he pulled off of the group’s strange telegraph machine and Johnny becomes immediately possessive of Dr. Black’s future gun. Mikhail drops the bombshell that he has $15,000 in cash that he liberated from LTF, as well as the LTF bank book. There is much discussion about what to do with the money, and if the group should go to the Eastern Bank to try and withdraw the more than one million dollars LTF has deposited there. After a long discussion, they decide this is too risky. The judge, however, plans to freeze LTF’s assets once he gets back to New York, so that the group (and any subsidiaries) cannot use it.

The "Telegraph" Message Dr. Black Found

While Vivian pores over the new bits of information the group has collected, everyone else tries to decide whether to go to Syria or Scotland next. Valid cases are put forth for both places, but the group remains indecisive about the destination of their next mission. They agree to think it over on the drive back to New York City and part ways. Mikhail and Kane make a last stop at the Clark place in New Hampshire. The rest travel to Arkham to once again avail themselves of the books at Miskatonic University.

A Creepy Scroll with a Drawing of the R'lyeh Disc

The Clarks

Kane and Mikhail arrive at Stephen Clark’s mountain cottage only to find that he is preparing to drive back to Boston to resume his work with the museum. He tells them that he is also bringing all of the recent paintings with him, to see if the Boston Museum will be interested in using them for a follow up exhibition. He also asks Mikhail if the two paintings he loaned the group can be returned for this purpose.

Kane and Mikhail discover that, while Stephen is in Boston, he has hired a live-in assistant named Mrs. Harris to watch the place and take care of James. Both Mikhail and Kane are very suspicious of Mrs. Harris, and both search her room and her purse (separately) to see if she is on the up-and-up. They find nothing untoward, but this just raises further questions.

James is in good spirits and is scheduled to be visited by a doctor later in the week. He hopes to be weaned off of some of his medications. Mikhail surreptitiously checks all of his bottles while Kane checks the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, just to make sure that James isn’t on anything weird.

Before leaving, Stephen tells them that last night was the first night in a while that he didn’t have dream visions. Well-rested and relieved, he tells Mikhail and Kane that he is working on a “thank you painting” for the group. It’s not finished yet, but he will send it along when it is. After he leaves, Kane slips into the studio and finds a half-finished painting of a landscape of an indeterminate place.

Realizing that they can do little else, Kane and Mikhail soon depart for New York. Upon arrival, Kane calls up Mrs. Harris’ agency and confirms that she is indeed an employee there.

An Excerpt from the Sandy Slopes of Syria

The Library

Professor Armitage

The rest of the group arrives at the Miskatonic University Library, only to discover an Arkham police officer stationed by the door. The officer tells the group that, due to the recent theft of an artifact from the library, he has to search the bags of everyone who leaves the premises. Ron almost gets into a fight with the officer, but the group somehow manages to get inside without incident.

The group spends the afternoon looking up information on the Nameless City and the Knights of the Outer Void, with mixed success. Judge Putnam asks after Professor Armitage again and manages to get himself and Johnny a meeting with the professor and a look at the Necronomicon. Once again, Professor Armitage vigilantly polices their use of the book, but permits them to look up information on the Nameless City and on a method to destroy Carl Stanford’s anchor.

Realizing what the group might be getting into, Armitage tells Judge Putnam that he can be reached by telegram should they encounter something beyond their skills to handle. The judge thanks him, and he and Johnny take their leave. They return to the library to find that Ron has not caused any incidents. After a cursory once-over from the police officer at the door, they drive back to New York City. 

This brings the second adventure of the Shadows of Yog-Sothoth campaign to a close...