Cannich Part Four: March 21, 1926 (Morning)

Detective Inspector Liam MacDougall

Dawn Preparations

At dawn, several constables and a supervising DI from Inverness, Liam MacDougall, drive into Cannich and part outside the Slaters Arms. DI MacDougall coordinates efforts with his own men and with Constable MacNeil.

Tammas MacIvar, Postmaster of Cannich

The group eats, exchanges notes about what happened the previous evening, and makes plans for the day. They are visited, briefly, by Tammas MacIvar, who drops off two telegrams—one for Judge Putnam and one for Mikhail. The judge’s, from his correspondent Christopher Edwin, is a semi-coded warning that Bryan Slim has beaten them to Scotland by a narrow margin. Mikhail’s, which is from Stephen Clark, describes that Stephen’s frantic painting has resumed. Stephen reports painting standing stones, robed figures, snakes, and similar.

Making Telegrams is Fun STOP

Shortly thereafter, Luca checks in with Ron and Vivian. Mr. Potafiori is still doped to the gills, but Luca vows to stay behind and keep an eye on him, instead of helping with the search. He also notes that Russo, Rizzo, and Yacavangelo are also staying behind—the big reason why he wants to remain at the inn.

Father MacBride enters the Slaters Arms and gives a heartfelt, though a touch halting, blessing for those searching for Seamus MacRae. He also says that he has suspended church services for the day, but will keep the church open for any tired searchers looking for comfort and spiritual guidance. Shortly after the priest gives his blessing, DI MacDougall explains that volunteers will gather at Muchrachd and be assigned to various search details.

Anne Chantraine gives a brief announcement, saying that searchers are welcome to stop and rest at Mullardoch House, which is owned by her cousin. 

Constable MacNeil tells the group that, once the search party has left town, a smaller group of constables will be conducting a thorough investigation of the Hancock house.

The group learns that Fergus MacInnes and Wully MacMurdo will be staying behind at the inn—Wully because he’s not much for walking, Fergus to keep the place open for the searchers and to watch over Wully. Maggie MacNair, the inn’s waitress, will be accompanying the group, however.

Kane tries, unsuccessfully, to tempt Wully to join the search party with promises of alcohol. Wully refuses, but does answer Kane and Judge Putnam’s questions about “standing stones” in the area. Most of what he says seems to be nonsense—according to Johnny—as he talks about druid rings and ogham trees and things that are clearly Irish and not Scottish.

On their way out of town, members of the group note a few things of interest. Dr. Black sees Tommy Haynes, the Londoner, drop back from the search party that is mustering to Muchrachd and turn back toward Cannich. Ron notices that, despite all protest to the contrary, Fergus closes the front door on the Slaters Arms the moment the search party is almost out of eyeshot. Ron decides to double back.

What Ron Saw

Ron stealthily approaches the Slaters Arms. He is unable to get a good look at the bar area of the inn from the closed front door, so he tries to sneak around back. As he does so, he notices that Tommy Hayes also appears to be sneaking around the back. Ron pulls back out of view just as Tommy approaches the inn’s kitchen door and is met by Fergus, who invites him in.

Ron creeps over to the kitchen door in the hopes of overhearing anything that Fergus says to Tommy. He manages to hear a few out-of-context words—mostly Tommy asking Fergus what’s to be done now that everyone else is out of town. At this moment, Ron is ambushed from behind, bashed on the head, and sent into dreamland.

At Muchrachd

The Charismatic and Personable Duncan MacBain

The searchers are divided into smaller parties and assigned to constables. The protagonists’ group gets to stay together and are assigned to Constable MacNeil and DI MacDougall. Conveniently. They proceed to the location that Pushok had discovered yesterday, hoping that they might find evidence or that Pushok might pick up on some hitherto unknown clue.

Both policemen are devastated to discover that someone has semi-randomly dug holes throughout the muddy area where Seamus MacRae’s scent trail abruptly ended. They are then shocked to learn that it was Mikhail himself who came out here in the dead of night with a shovel and started digging around for clues. DI MacDougall rakes Mikhail over the coals for a bit, and accuses him of disturbing a crime scene. He soon understands that Mikhail was just trying to help, and continues with the investigation.

Pushok does not find any further scent trails. Johnny, who seems to be increasingly in touch with dark forces, realizes that a Gate spell has been cast in the area recently, perhaps explaining the abrupt end to the trail. He alerts the group to his findings in his usual subtle manner.

Vivian notices that a figure is watching them from a distant hilltop. Mikhail remarks that the same (or similar) figure was also watching him, Pushok, and Constable MacNeil on the previous day. Constable MacNeil seems a touch taken aback by this, as that this mountain, Creag Dhubh is claimed to be “owned entirely” by Duncan MacBain, the last of the MacBain sept in the region. MacBain’s claim is not true, but that does not stop him from threatening any “trespassers” with his shotgun.

Unbeknownst to the others, Johnny had also ventured out the previous evening to see if he could find the spot where Seamus MacRae’s trail ended. It seems he missed it entirely. Instead, he used the Powder of Ibn-Ghazi to reveal a ley line, which went up the side of Creag Dhubh. He ascended the mountain, only to be nearly shot by MacBain. He was then able to overhear MacBain talking with another man, whom he recognized as Bryan Slim.

Johnny privately informs the group of this as they continue searching the countryside.

DI MacDougall deems MacBain’s behavior to be just suspicious enough to warrant investigation. With Constable MacNeil’s help, he leads the group to the slops of Creag Dhubh, only to be encountered by a shotgun-wielding MacBain. MacBain, to put it briefly, is a colossal dick. He not only does not care that there is a missing child, he claims that children going missing is good for him, because it means fewer damn townies trespassing in his lands!

Discourse with MacBain goes rather poorly. This is not helped by Johnny secretly throwing the Voorish Sign and then flipping MacBain off (which is responded to in kind), or by Johnny revealing the ley line leading up the mountain. It also doesn’t help that Dr. Black continues to make, perhaps well-intentioned, but inflammatory comments.

The meeting ends when MacBain refuses to permit the policemen to search his mountain for signs of Seamus MacRae. DI MacDougall vows to return with a warrant. Mikhail, remembering Johnny’s tale about MacBain shooting a rabbit instead of Johnny, asks if a brace of rabbits might be enough to permit a search of the property. MacBain grudgingly agrees before departing.

By this point, Johnny has decided that MacBain is another sorcerer that needs to die, and so he begins to put plans into motion.

What Happened to Ron?

Ron awakens with a battered head, hands tied behind his back, on one of the couches in the Slaters Arms. He is accused by Fergus and Wully of sneaking about in the kitchen and nicking stuff, which Ron flatly and angrily denies. Ron notes that Tommy Haynes is observing this conversation, and attempts to coerce the Englishman into giving him an alibi. Tommy refuses, but seems very uncomfortable about the whole thing, and asks Ron to take it easy.

Ron discovers that Wully smacked him over the head with a cutting board. Then he and Fergus tied him up and went for the constables. Wully and Fergus stay far enough away from Ron so as not to fall victim to the legendary “Sicilian Headbutt,” and so Ron can do little but vent his temper on the two men. He is further goaded into a rage by some unpleasant, and frankly racist, statements by Fergus, which only makes Ron more angry and unhinged in appearance when the cops show up.

The two constables escort Ron to the constabulary, where they ask him to empty his pockets and prepare to lock him up in the village’s one holding cell until DI MacDougall returns. Upon realizing that Ron has piano wire and brass knuckles in his pockets, they force Ron to undergo a pat down. Ron reveals the enchanted knife in his boot, for which the constables congratulate him. He does not, however, reveal that he has a gold cigar case that he took from the Hancock house. When the constables find it, they explain the gravity of Ron’s situation and, very politely, lock him in the holding cell.

Ron attempts to become friendly with one of the constables, Constable Thomas, even going so far as to offer him a hefty bribe. Constable Thomas refuses the bribe, as all proper coppers should, but doesn’t seem to hold the attempt against Ron at all.

A little later, Constable Thomas allows Tommy Haynes, of all people, to enter the constabulary alone to speak to Ron. Tommy tells Ron that he is sorry he hung him out to dry, but he does tell Ron that he knows he didn’t do anything wrong, and that he is on Ron’s side. Ron thanks him for the information.

The Return to Muchrachd

DI MacDougall returns to Muchrachd with the rest of the group and Constable MacNeil. He commandeers a police wagon to take him to the constabulary, so that he can ring a judge in Inverness to get a warrant for Creag Dhubh. The rest of the group decides whether they’d like to stay in Muchrachd, resume the search, go back to Cannich with the Inspector, or do something else.

While milling about, Mikhail and Johnny see an adorable little girl playing in the dirt, oblivious to the cares of the adults all around her. They go up to speak with her and learn that a) her name is Nellie Thompson and b) she has a secret. Apparently, she saw a figure in a hooded coat climbing out of the MacRae house a few nights ago holding a small bundle. She mentions that the figure walked somewhat funny, with a “sliding stride.”

Johnny, realizing that this is important evidence, informs DI MacDougall and asks him to interview Nellie, which he does. Mikhail continues to talk to Nellie for a short time after, allowing Nellie to pet Pushok and ask questions about the group. When Nellie asks about “the pretty lady,” Mikhail informs her that that’s his friend, Vivian, who is a musician.

At this point, the girl grins an unsettling grin, says that she would “love to hear Vivian play the violin someday,” and then runs off for home.

The group splits at this point, with Judge Putnam, Kane, and Johnny going to Mullardoch House, and the rest going back to Cannich in the police wagon.

Nellie Thompson, a Perfectly Ordinary Little Girl

Ending Actions

Kane, Johnny, and Judge Putnam arrive at the palatial Mullardoch House. They are welcomed by Annie Chantraine and briefly introduced to Ian MacLennan, gentleman farmer, owner of the property, and probably a minor lord of some sort. Johnny decides to go back to Cannich for the car (and the gate box) in preparation to search the home of Duncan MacBain and, you know, probably kill him.

Vivian, Mikhail (and Pushok), and Dr. Black return to Cannich, where they learn from Luca about Ron’s recent mishaps (and also that Luca won $10 from the Jimmies in a game of cards). Vivian and Dr. Black talk to Ron about what happened, and Dr. Black promises to gather evidence on Ron’s behalf. Mikhail, meanwhile, goes to see if he can find his trapper friend, Robbie MacLaren, and arrange to purchase a couple of rabbits.

Laird Ian MacLennan, Gentleman Farmer