The Mob War Part 4: June 9, 1926

Ron Goes to the Pokey

Ron is transported to the police station and booked. Mikhail and Kane arrive shortly thereafter to help him. Kane does quite a good bit of fast-talking, managing to convince the arresting officers that he is Mikhail’s paralegal.

As they are going to talk with Ron, a young man in a very nice suit approaches Mikhail. The man introduces himself as ADA Springer, who will be the prosecuting attorney in Ron’s murder case. He tells Mikhail that he would like to speak to Ron and his defense team as soon as possible.

The meeting is soon arranged and, while Ron, Mikhail, and Kane all dine on sandwiches and police station coffee, ADA Springer explains the reasoning for his meeting. He says that the evidence will easily allow him to charge Ron with Murder One, but he is willing to drop the charges down to Murder Two, or even Manslaughter, provided that Ron cooperates with him. The meeting quickly ends when ADA Springer says that all Ron has to do is turn state’s evidence against the Bernouse Family. ADA Springer tells Ron to think about it a little longer, as he’s due to be arraigned by a night court judge in a few hours’ time.

ADA Springer Makes an Offer Ron Can Refuse

The Arraignment

AKA: Geoff Uses 30 Years of Watching Law & Order.

Ron’s arraignment is quite speedy, and seems to have involved ADA Springer pulling strings to get a judge out of bed and back into the courtroom to preside over it. Mikhail enters in a plea of Not Guilty for Ron, while ADA Springer officially charges him with Murder One. He then requests that Ron be remanded, without bail.

Kane launches into a lofty speech about Ron’s character and his ties to the community, stating with 100% certainty that Ron will not only not be a flight risk, but will remain in the city and behave himself until the trial. The exhausted judge questions Kane and, upon learning that the man is merely a paralegal, orders him to sit down and shut up.

Mikhail rallies, however, and manages to get Ron’s bail set at $10,000—a princely sum for 1926, but still well within the London Group’s means. Mikhail also informs the judge that Ron, still sick and weak from his use of the Ouroboros Ring, asked for medical care during his arrest and has not yet received it.

The judge, wanting to end the hearing as quickly as possible, orders ADA Springer and the police to have a doctor visit Ron in the Tombs, where he will remain, pending bail.

Mikhail is presented the people’s discovery documents and reads them. He learns that Judge Bartlett—a name that is familiar to him—is going to be presiding over Ron’s trial. Mikhail remembers that Judge Bartlett was also the judge who reversed Judge Putnam’s injunction on Look to the Future.

At Judge Putnam’s

While Ron’s criminal drama plays out downtown, the remainder of the London Group try to figure out what to do next. Numerous plans, many of which involve Mythos sorcery, are floated and then almost immediately discarded as being too dangerous, too impractical, or both.

Kane and Mikhail return later that evening and discuss what happened at the police station. The group realizes that they have enough money to pay the full amount of the bail, and Judge Putnam authorizes Mikhail to take a cashier’s check for $10,000 down to the courthouse the next morning.

Mikhail also tells the group that Judge Bartlett will be presiding over the case. Several of the other members, especially Vivian, suspect that this is no accident.

The Tombs

Ron is evaluated by a doctor, who can find nothing obviously wrong with him. Ron then demands his one phone call and calls Vince. The two have a very, very frosty conversation that leaves Ron demoralized and possibly ashamed.

Ron's New Home...At Least for a While

Thursday, June 10, 1926

This morning, the Society section of the newspaper mentions a soiree that is to be thrown this coming Saturday evening at a theater downtown. The theater is in the process of being renovated thanks to a generous donation from James Bianco, who is hosting the soiree to raise additional monies for the theater.

The London Group, realizing that this might be their chance to strike at “Big Grin” and Anne Chantraine, start thinking about what they could do to use this social gathering to their advantage.

Mikhail Dimathias, Esq.

Mikhail spends the wee hours of the night and morning reading up on the details of the case. He learns that one of the key witnesses to the crime is the doorman of the building in which Gabriella Puglisi resided in. He also learns that the People plan to call numerous other witnesses, including Ron’s wife, Connie.

Mikhail also learns that Ms. Puglisi’s autopsy was conducted by Dr. Manson, a city forensic pathologist. Realizing he needs to double-check these findings and gather further evidence, Mikhail deputizes Dr. Black and asks him to pay a visit to the Coroner’s Office.

Once that’s done, Mikhail pays Ron’s bond and has him released. He accompanies Ron over to the guest house at the Bernouse residence, where Ron is currently living. Both men notice the inconspicuous, unmarked police cars parked out front. Ron is ordered to remain in the house as much as possible, and to call the police department if he plans to go anywhere or do anything outside. Mikhail leaves Ron to stew in his own juices.

Mikhail is about to go over to Central Park, to interrogate the doorman at Ms. Puglisi’s building, but is by Kane Eastman calling out to him from the lawn of the Bernouse house. It turns out that Kane had, without telling anyone else, came over to inform Vincenzio Bernouse about Ron’s case. Kane tells Mikhail that once Vince discovered that Kane was merely a “paralegal,” he demanded to see Mikhail right away.

The Bernouse Estate

Mr. Potafiori, Finally Recovered from His Ghost Attack

Things are quite tense around here in the wake of Ron’s arrest. Luca is being run ragged on various errands, Mr. Potafiori seems desperate to talk to Vivian about something, but is also afraid to approach her, and the air is thick with unpleasant tension.

Mikhail and Kane’s meeting with Vince goes surprisingly well. The head of the Bernouse Family is not happy, but he seems to take everything that Mikhail and Kane tell him in good stride. Mikhail notes, to his dismay, that when he brings up the doorman a significant look passes between Luca and Vince. After a moment, Vince shakes his head. Mikhail takes this as Vince sparing the doorman an ugly and anonymous death—at least for now—and vows to question the man the moment it is convenient to do so.

Vince tells everyone present that he is, unfortunately, unable to help Ron directly at this time, for a variety of reasons that he doesn’t discuss further. He says that he would very much appreciate it if Kane and Mikhail could “do their best” to get Ron acquitted. He also, asks them to tell Ron that he likes him a lot and that he hopes he’s okay.

After Kane and Mikhail leave, Vivian arranges to relax in the kitchen for the rest of the morning and to “put on a pot of coffee just in case anyone needs it.” She speaks to Luca, who is relieved to have some time away. She also speaks to Mr. Potafiori, finally, who tells her that he has been looking over to the Future’s ledgers and has found several payments from the group to Judge Bartlett. This confirms Vivian’s already deep suspicions.

Central Park

Mikhail stops by Gabriella’s apartment (and the murder scene) to talk with the doorman. She finds him friendly and somewhat talkative. The doorman tells Mikhail the following facts about the case:

• Ron visited on the morning of the murder and left about an hour or so later.
• Ron visited the building several times over the last few months.
• The doorman knew Ron was paying for Gabriella’s apartment.
• There was an altercation, several months prior, between Ron and Gabriella, which resulted in a broken lamp and some blood on the carpet.
• Ron seemed fine when he left.
• Ron was dressed in a new suit. 

Mikhail also learned that an Italian the doorman had never seen before—one Fredo Albanese—visited Gabriella sometime after Ron left. He stayed for only a few minutes and left quickly.

Mikhail, now realizing that the doorman has provided him with at least some circumstantial evidence that could lead to reasonable doubt, proudly and happily walks around the corner and back to his car. He notices a strange flickering light from down an alley behind Gabriella’s building and goes to investigate.

The flickering light turns out to be an assailant cloaked by an invisibility spell, who blocks Mikhail’s retreat from the alley and tries to assassinate him with a silenced pistol. Mikhail calls for help, but no one comes. He then attempts to stab his assailant several times, to no effect. At last, Mikhail pulls out his .45 automatic and fires a blessed bullet into his attacker, who both dies instantly and becomes visible. Mikhail notes that he is a young, shabbily dressed man with curiously empty pockets.

Mikhail’s single gunshot draws quite a bit of attention, and soon onlookers and police officers arrive at the mouth of the alley. The officers on scene arrest Mikhail, who offers no resistance. They take him downtown, question him, and let him go once it seems like Mikhail was the victim of a “mugging gone bad.”

A Photograph of Mikhail's Attacker

The Coroner’s Office

Dr. Black makes an appointment to see Dr. Manson, one of the New York City coroners. Dr. Black arrives at the Coroner’s Office shortly thereafter, to find Dr. Manson in the midst of eating his lunch. The coroner continues to eat noisily while he produces Ms. Puglisi’s body and personal effects for Dr. Black to examine.

Dr. Black looks over the body and the autopsy report and finds that all the evidence is consistent with Ms. Puglisi being brutally strangled to death. While Dr. Manson chomps on his sandwich, Dr. Black inspects the bruising around Ms. Puglisi’s throat and notes that there is an unusual circular indentation on the side of her neck.

When investigating Ms. Puglisi’s personal effects, Dr. Black notices that, among the evidence in the paper bag, is a pair of large, bloodied shears, which she was holding in her hand when the police discovered her body. Dr. Black is worried that these scissors will implicate Ron at trial, and decides to do something about it.

He sends Dr. Manson out of the room to get him a cup of coffee and then does the following things to tamper with the chain of evidence:

• He drops the bloodied scissors into his doctor’s bag, replacing them with one of the many pairs of scissors strewn about the Coroner’s Office.
• He borrows an inkwell and some wax paper from Dr. Manson’s lunch and uses both to get an ink impression of the circular mark on Ms. Puglisi’s neck. He discovers a shape—something that looks vaguely like the letter Y—in the middle of the circular mark.

He manages to do all of this just before Dr. Manson returns with the coffee. At this time, Dr. Black drinks, thanks Dr. Manson for his hospitality, and suggests that they go outside of the Coroner’s Office to get food the next time they get together.

Catching Up

Dr. Black, Vivian, and Kane meet up with Judge Putnam and Johnny to discuss what they’ve learned so far. Vivian identifies the mysterious symbol that Dr. Black found as being an imprint of the lodge ring worn by members of the Order of Silver Twilight. Vivian supposes that whoever strangled Ms. Puglisi a) wasn’t Ron and b) was wearing the ring backwards, so as to hide their cult affiliation more easily. Vivian also makes known what she has discovered about Judge Bartlett, which leads Judge Putnam and Johnny to make a social call at Judge Bartlett’s to gather evidence.

Do You Remember Me? From the First Chapter? I'm Back! Hi!

At Judge Bartlett’s

The judge and Johnny are received rather warmly at Judge Bartlett’s by both the judge himself and by his manservant, an older gentleman named Seymour. Seymour and Johnny, realizing that they have a great deal in common, nod at one another in long-suffering understanding.

The two judges take tea in the living room and engage in easy conversation. Though they have known of one another for many years, they have never become properly acquainted until now. Judge Putnam thanks Judge Bartlett for his hospitality, and goes on to explain in greater detail what happened surrounding his injunction of Look to the Future. Judge Bartlett is quite sympathetic, and says that he would have likely done the same thing in Judge Putnam’s place. Judge Bartlett goes on to discuss about how awful “those Italians” are, descending into racial slurs and saying that they’re, “even worse than the Irish.”

While the judges talk, Seymour invites Johnny back into the kitchen for some commiseration. On the way, Johnny passes through a hallway lined with publicity pictures, featuring Judge Bartlett smiling with many members of the New York City political and cultural elite. Johnny notes, to his utter lack of surprise, that one of the pictures shows Judge Bartlett smiling and shaking hands with James “Big Grin” Bianco.

Once they have reached the sanctity of the kitchen, Seymour says that his last name is “O’Brien,” that Judge Bartlett knows this, and that the judge constantly puts down the Irish, in part, to keep Seymour in his place. He then offers Johnny some wine from Judge Bartlett’s personal store, which prompts Johnny to slip out to the car and bring in a nice bottle of champagne that Judge Putnam stows there as an impromptu gift, in case one is ever required.

The two manservants drink, chit-chat, and play cards, using pennies and nickels as ante. After Johnny purposefully loses to Seymour for several games, he casually takes a $50 bill out of his wallet and puts it on the table.

Johnny explains, in a roundabout way, that he’s looking for information on Judge Bartlett’s involvement with “Big Grin.” Seymour replies, in a roundabout way, that he is fine with taking Johnny’s money and reporting back to him with anything he learns about the judge. The two men smile, and the money disappears from the table.

Then, moments later, Judge Bartlett rings a bell to summon Seymour so that he can fetch Judge Putnam’s and Johnny’s coats so that the two of them can depart.