Cycle 1063 (Winter): Day 5

[atpollard]

Jacques Bonnet, Remy Hernandez, Mercutio Routledge, Samuel Linkletter, Josephine Baxter-Smith (Green Grape)
Cycle 1063 (Winter): Day 5: Shift 1: Hour 8:00 [Hamlet of Gwynedd: 45N,25W]

As the group quietly entered the cellar, the walls were lined with a vast array of wines and spirits on the racks that lined the walls. The center of the room contained neat stacks of crates and kegs and barrels with a trap door in the ceiling above that suggested a cargo hoist lurked on the main floor. There was a narrow stair leading up and a sleeping dog with a monstrously large head near the foot of the stairs.

As you examined the contents of the room, eight bells rung the start of the new shift and Day 5. A moment of panic subsided as the great hound slept through the loud noise and never even started to awaken. Only its snore assured you that it was not dead.

A cursory examination by the Doctor confirmed that the beast was drugged and would not be waking any time soon.


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[atpollard]

Jacques Bonnet, Remy Hernandez, Mercutio Routledge, Samuel Linkletter, Josephine Baxter-Smith (Green Grape)
Cycle 1063 (Winter): Day 5: Shift 1: Hour 8:10 [Hamlet of Gwynedd: 45N,25W]

The top of the stairs leads to an unlocked door in the back storage room at the Green Grape Wine and Spirits, a shop (#11) in Company Town run by Gretchen that sells spirits wholesale and retail. Doctor Linkletter had previously learned at Andovan’s Dry Goods that Gretchen currently leased the building from Edwin Belsey (owner of the Gwenydd Hotel) but had almost saved enough to purchase the building.

Including the basement, the building was a tall structure of three and a half stories. The basement, the shop on the main floor, living quarters for Gretchen on the second floor and an apartment for rent in the attic.

[Urson]

Jo
Jo stays to the side, trying to keep out of the others' way. Interesting that the building belongs to the main competitor of The Grog...

[Zhym]

Mercutio follows along, trying to, well, follow along.

[AsenRG]

"Why is the hound drugged?", Remy asked in a whisper.
"If it's the main competitor that's stealing from the Grog...why did he drug his own hound?"

[ffilz]

Someone trying to frame the wine merchant? But folks have been trying to take down the Grog...

[Monsieur Rose]

Jacques

"The more we look around, the more it seems that someone is trying to run out everyone here. Or start fights. Which would be a good cover for something. What that something is, I'm not sure."

He looks to the others. "This doesn't feel right. Look around. I don't think the wine is here. Someone drugged the dog to use the tunnel, probably leaving the same way."

"Anyone know Gretchen? I don't think she had anything to do with this, and could maybe help shed some light on the situation. I don't want to surprise her with a handful of strangers lurking about her drugged dog."

Jacques suggests one person going upstairs past the dog, to find Gretchen.

[ffilz]

What does Doc Linkletter know about Gretchen?

[atpollard]

Jacques Bonnet, Remy Hernandez, Mercutio Routledge, Samuel Linkletter, Josephine Baxter-Smith (Green Grape)
Cycle 1063 (Winter): Day 5: Shift 1: Hour 8:20 [Hamlet of Gwynedd: 45N,25W]

Doctor Linkletter (and anyone else that has spent time shopping at Andovan Drygoods) has heard about Gretchen from Mrs Andovan. Gretchen was widowed young, but had a good head for business. She built a wholesale import/export trade by locking in long-term contracts with manufacturers and bulk consumers. She leases the current structure from Edwin Belsey (owner of the Gwynedd Hotel) but expects to have enough money saved to execute her option to purchase the building and own it herself. Edwin has raised her rent along with that of most of the merchants in Company Town. Gretchen operates a small retail shop in the front of the warehouse that sells by the bottle to locals.

The main floor is divided between a large storage space and the small retail shop. Gretchen is currently in the retail space.

While the group was wandering about the basement and warehouse areas, Mercuito observed familiar label. Examining closer, he discovered half a dozen crates of wine with a label that Edwin served at the Gwynedd Hotel and claimed was their private label House brand.

**********

A bell at the front door and announced the arrival of a visitor. From the conversation, Gretchen seemed to be engaged with a customer in a corner of the Shop. The distraction provided an opportunity for one or more members of the group to slip unnoticed into the shop. Opening and closing the door to ring the bell disguised your stealthy entry and was greeted with a friendly …

“I’ll be with you in just a moment. Please, look around.” said Gretchen.

The group casually listened as the cook from the “Broken Rudder” discussed the libations that the restaurant would be needing both for cooking and for the customers for the coming week. From the conversation, it seemed mostly to be adjustments to a standing order to add a few more of this or a few less of that based on sales and inventory, plus a discussion of substitutions for items that had run out or which were late in arriving. Of course, Gretchen mentioned all the new arrivals and discounted specials that the Restaurant might want to consider.

The order concluded with a handshake and Gretchen closing her ledger, followed by a toast. The toast seemed the chef’s favorite part.

Gretchen then turned her attention and a warm smile towards you “Shopping for yourself or looking for a gift?”

**********

Gretchen was happy to engage in small talk as she showed you around her shop. You discovered that Gretchen had no hard feelings towards the Grogg and Tankard. Gottard was one of her best customers. She had to start importing Ales by the barrel and tun since Gottard opened up his place. His business is a large part of the reason that she has made record profits the last two cycles.

Gretchen lives alone, except for Beowulf her guard and Caela, a boarder that rents her attic apartment.

An interesting fact comes up during conversation that Caela works as a cook at the Grogg and Tankard. She is the cook missing a finger … she said she cut it off in a cooking accident. Gretchen preferred when it was just her and Beowulf, but Edwin insisted that she rent the room to Caela.

“As soon as I own the place, she gets her notice.” said Gretchen. “That sour faced cook gives me the creeps.”

**********

(OOC: What happens next and what else she says depends on what you tell her.)

[AsenRG]

Remy looks around.
"I'm not seeing Beowulf...or is he silently watching us without me knowing? Now that would be a great guard!"

[atpollard]

"I'm not seeing Beowulf...or is he silently watching us without me knowing? Now that would be a great guard!"

"Beowulf isn't good with strangers, so he usually prowls the warehouse and wine cellar. I only let him in the store at night." Gretchen laughed "Beowulf is a great Mastiff, trained to guard the place. I take care of the customers and he takes care of uninvited would-be burglars. He's probably in the cellar enjoying the stone floor."

[AsenRG]

"I'm not seeing Beowulf...or is he silently watching us without me knowing? Now that would be a great guard!"

"Beowulf isn't good with strangers, so he usually prowls the warehouse and wine cellar. I only let him in the store at night." Gretchen laughed "Beowulf is a great Mastiff, trained to guard the place. I take care of the customers and he takes care of uninvited would-be burglars. He's probably in the cellar enjoying the stone floor."

"Oh! Well, that's still a good guard, I just thought it's a more talkative one. As for enjoying the stone floor, every man has his own little pleasures...", Remy smiled.
True enough, they'd even seen him doing exactly that. But he didn't feel like informing the proprietess about that particular detail!

[Urson]

Jo
Jo has never been good at the social interactions most women handle almost instinctively- too much time fabricating metal parts and discussing technical details with the black gang by the furnaces. She listens closely to Gretchen's speech about Caela- can she determine anything more about the dynamic between them? Maybe intuit a reason for Gretchen's distaste?

[Zhym]

Mercutio likewise finds himself unsure what to do in situations like this when no one is injured and nothing needs fixing (which are two aspects of the same problem, aren't they, just that one involves repairing machinery and the other flesh?). It always seems like the wrong word could lead to something disastrous. So he stands by and listens while the talkers talk until there's something in need of repair.

[Monsieur Rose]

Jacques

He looks around and remarks. "Where is Caela now? I ask because I would like to discuss something in private."

He smiles reassuringly at Gretchen. "Not to worry. I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding."

[atpollard]

Josephine: (She listens closely to Gretchen's speech about Caela- can she determine anything more about the dynamic between them? Maybe intuit a reason for Gretchen's distaste?)

[Jo has seen Caela working at the Grogg and Tankard, although you have never spoken. She is a slender woman with sharp facial features that always seemed unemotional to everyone around her. Caela struck you as just not a "people person".]

******

"Where is Caela now? I ask because I would like to discuss something in private." said Jacques.

Gretchen replied "Fortunately she is at work. So I have at least 8 hours before I get to see her scowling face again."

[Monsieur Rose]

Jacques

"Ah. Good, good." Jacques smiles at Gretchen and continues. "We have encountered some strange happenings around town lately and would like your impression of them. But first, could you show us to your cellar? I believe that something is amiss with your inventory and you would be the best person to identify it."

He bows formally and graciously motions for her to lead the way.

[atpollard]

Jacques Bonnet, Remy Hernandez, Mercutio Routledge, Samuel Linkletter, Josephine Baxter-Smith (Green Grape)
Cycle 1063 (Winter): Day 5: Shift 1 [Hamlet of Gwynedd: 45N,25W]


Jacques followed Gretchen to the wine cellar where she was very concerned at the sight of an unconscious Beowulf. Demanding to know what you had done to her companion, you carefully explained to a shocked owner about the theft and secret tunnels. Her surprise at the discovery of a secret door in her cellar seemed genuine. Jacques and Josephine assisted her in taking an extensive inventory of the hundreds of bottles in her cellar.

The inventory took hours and it was nearly Shift 2 when you finished. Gretchen kept detailed records and all of the missing bottles were located and identified among her stock. Gretchen insisted that she knew nothing about this, she had no idea how they came to be there and she would happily return them to Gottard … both a friend and a good customer.

******

As Jacques and Josephine inventoried, Remy and Linkletter scouted ahead on the tunnels. Entering at the Wine Shop, the tunnel continued for another 500 feet to the south. Here the well-constructed tunnel terminated in a ladder to the surface with a well concealed door located behind Building 7 in Company Town (the Restaurant, Clothing Shop, and Jeweler).

Far more curious was a new tunnel that was being dug from this stone-lined manhole another 400 feet further south. This new tunnel was barely 3 feet square with crude and mismatched lumber just barely shoring up the hole. Crawling to the end, Remy could see where whoever had constructed it was still digging further and the work was fresh where it stopped. Remy guessed that whoever was digging ran out of shoring and stopped until he could get more wood to brace the tunnel. The color of the Earth resembled the soil in the Tanner’s wheelbarrow.

Remy and Linkletter climbed up the ladder and exited behind Bldg 7. From here they estimated the Bearing and Distance to the end of the small tunnel … placing it just shy of the bank (#3). They returned overland to the Green Grape to share their discovery with the others.

******

Mercutio took advantage of this time to head over to the Gwynedd Hotel (#8) and transport his remaining personal belongings to the new House (#2). As Mercutio was walking from the Green Grape (#11) towards the Gwynedd Hotel (#8), he passed who he thought appeared to be Caela heading in the opposite direction … from the Gwynedd Hotel (#8) towards the Green Grape (#11) … which was odd if Caela was already at work at the Grogg and Tankard (#19). Of course, the woman had a hood pulled up and was hurrying in the shadows at the edge of the Walkway, so Mercutio couldn’t be completely certain who he saw.

What Mercutio could be completely certain of was what he saw when he went looking to settle his final bill. Unable to locate the proprietor or a hostess out front, Mercutio ventured into the back of the house. There he caught a glimpse of a Frenchman gathering some food from a cook and heading back towards the staff quarters. Mercutio will never forget the face of the man that attempted to kill him on the beach.

He delivered his possessions to the house and returned to the Green Grape.

******

So many things seemed to point back to Edmund and the Hotel Gwenydd. Doc Linkletter remembered a passing comment from his chess games with the mayor (#27) about “Old Edmund” once “being up to mischief” … Perhaps it might be time to find out what “past mischief” Edmund had been up to.

[AsenRG]

Remy tried to sum up the feelings of everyone when he asked:
"OK, so how are we going to do that? Remember the guy who tipped us in...he was scared. I'd take it he had reasons."

[Urson]

Jo
Jo presses her lips together. I do apologize- I suppose I am focusing on the wrong thing, again. I am fascinated by this tunnel you have found, heading toward the bank. From your description, it sounds like it is some opportunist- someone who has access to the other tunnels, and is trying to make his own use of it.
As for Edmund- let us first collate all we know of the man. This may give us a starting point.