Mean Streets - The Tough Times of Darrin McCoy

[Grognardsw]

"McCoy has been acting like an addict in withdrawal," answers Agent Watson over the phone. "At night he screams and rants in that cult language. You can see him at the Providence jail."

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

"Taxi!" Archer said from the street curb. He climbed into the machine, slammed the door with his right hand and said, "Providence jail, mac."

[Grognardsw]

The taxi



drives Archer to the prison



where Irish gangster and suspected cultist Darrin McCoy is incarcerated. Archer is escorted into the visitor's room, where a counter and partition separates the private eye from the prisoner. McCoy looks worn and tired, but wild-eyed and bearing a distinctive cut carved on his forehead.



He stares at Archer.

"You're still alive. I'm sorry, you were so close to release."

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

The detective starts into the prison and sees where this is leading. "Hold up," he says, early on. "I need to make my one phone call."
Archer calls Watson. "I need you to pull some strings here to put me in the same room as McCoy. An interrogation room."

[Grognardsw]

Archer waits about 15 minutes while the BOI arranges Archer's interrogation room. He is escorted inside. A guard waits outside.



McCoy sits there, mumbling under his breath.

[Inferno]

Is McCoy handcuffed?

[Grognardsw]

Yes

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

Archer walks in and locks the door behind him.

He stares at Archer.
"You're still alive. I'm sorry, you were so close to release."

Archer hangs up his hat, takes off his jacket and puts it over the back of his chair and sits down.
"That's right. But not you. You're far from release now, huh? And in a lot of pain. Isn't that right?"

Archer paused to let him talk.
Then: "What's that on your forehead?"

[Grognardsw]

"My pain isn't important," McCoy answers. "The truth will out and in its reality consume the world's pain. You were close."

"The mark is solidarity."

He stares at Archer's prosthetic hand, licks his lips, then bites the lower lip hard enough that blood starts to flow.

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

"Yes," Archer agrees cheerfully as he memorizes the shape of the scar on Darrin McCoy's forehead.

Then, "You know why I'm here."

[Grognardsw]

"Still looking for him? I thought you had, but then..." McCoy pauses, looking momentarily (...Psychology roll...)

Archer studies the new scar on McCoy's forehead, getting a better view up close...



"Lloiger azrai glo-glak ioeroq," McCoy starts a gutteral muttering in the cult language that continues for 30 seconds. He sucks his bleeding lip. "Yr nhhngr..."

"You will you have you will you have," McCoy sucks his bloody lower lip. 

The man seems unhinged.

(Know. roll for symbol.)

[Inferno]

Know:(60%): [1d100] = 40, Psychology:(15%): [1d100] = 26

[Grognardsw]

Archer, though no egg-head, remembers that the swastika is a religious symbol used in many cultures over thousands of years, from ancient Greece and Troy though to druids and Celts. The gumshoe doesn't remember specifics of its meaning however.

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

Archer nodded like it all made perfect sense. "And where's Carcosa?"

[Grognardsw]

"He was and is and will be here," McCoy responds enigmatically, tapping his forehead.

"Let me go and I will bring you there. I can blow open your case."

McCoy looks over his shoulder.

"My life is in danger."

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

"Let me go and I will bring you there. I can blow open your case."

"Again?" Archer smiled with just his mouth as he pretended to consider it.

"My life is in danger."

"Really? From who?"

[Grognardsw]

"Danny Walsh," answers McCoy. "He thinks I squealed. He has connections inside. If you want my help, get me out."

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

Archer smiled carelessly and leaned back. He slowly opened a pack of cigarettes, placed one in his mouth, lit the end with a match and pulled the smoke deep.

"Like you helped last time?" he laughed his lungs empty of smoke. "You keep 'helping' me, I'm gonna run out of hands.
"Nah. Your credit is no good here. If you want out, you talk first."

"And you'd better hurry. If Danny Walsh wants you dead, you're not long for this world." Archer smiled idly as he lazily stood up to go.

[Grognardsw]

McCoy gets a wild look in his eyes and jump-lunges across the table trying to bite Archer's face. His hand-cuffed body doesn't have the balance and he just thumps into Archer, but is still snarling in attack.

McCoy lunge bite [1d100] = 43 Miss.

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

Archer kept laughing as he languidly kept rising. He just happened to move beyond McCoy's range as he slowly put on his coat and hat, still watching him with contempt.

"That's what I thought," Archer grinned around his cigarette, eyes glittering with malice. "You've got nothing."

Archer began to leave.