| Business Call |
| Summary: | Constance comes calling on Sheriff Mayfield at the request of her grandfather. |
| Date: | 6 December 1941 |
| Related: | None |
| Players: |
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Morning in the courthouse has Everett downstairs doing some tidying up. After doing some much needed filing, the sheriff has out a broom and is currently pulling it across the floor as he works on rounding up some non-existant dust bunnies to wrangle and making sure that everything is ready to have a mop applied to it at the end of the shift. With it being sort of quiet at the moment, he's using the moment's peace to his full advantage to get things squared away. A newspaper sits on the edge of the desk, along with a stack of papers for recent land transfers, homesteads, and a few other odds and ends that need his attention.
It was a busy and exicting night at the clinic for the good doctor and his staff. Word has already reached every corner of town that Mrs. Collins gave birth to her first child, a healthy baby boy. With new births comes a small amount of paperwork which needs to be filed with the town hall. Once that is done she heads down into the sheriff's office, looking to speak with him since Mr. Collins is one of the deputies in town. Despite the fact that she has been up all night, Constance looks fresh and tidy. "Good Morning, Sheriff." she greets politely with a gentle nod of her head as she approaches where he is doing his work.
There's no denying that Miss Styne is a beautiful woman, and probably the subject of many rumors of romance about town. The Sheriff himself hears the voice and the broom comes to an end as Everett offers up a smile as he heads towards the side of the desk for the dustpan. "Morning, Miss Styne." he greets Constance, and grins a little more easily. "If you're down here, I'm assuming Deputy Collins didn't pass out from the shock of becoming a paw." he comments as he sweeps up the small pile to toss into the bin. "What can I do for you?"
Not that the Sheriff would ever go against the good doctor's thoughts, but.. ahem. The Sheriff arches his brow. "Someone snooping around?" he asks curiously as he sets the dustbin back in place. "I don't have anything pressing on my desk at the moment. You want me to come over now and take a gander, I'll be happy to escort you." His accent is more the local Tennessian dialect as he moves to get his gun belt and put it on. "If you don't mind the company, that is? You can fill me in on how Missus Collins is doing, while we walk?"
Constance gives a single nod at his clarification "Yes. The staff has reported seeing a figure lurking in the gardens in the early morning." she explains "They have also found footprints coming to and from the gardens and around the basement entrance and the back windows." she takes a few steps back as he begins to gather his things "Well if you don't have anything terribly pressing. Though I know my Grandfather would like to speak with you about it as well." there is another nod but she doesn't go into details about Mrs. Collins just yet, though continues about the snooping situation "We thought that perhaps one of the servant girls was sneaking a suitor in, but it would seem they all have, what is the word you use, alibis?"
"Wouldn't be right proper to have your girls snooping about with boys, true enough." Everett offers as he grabs his coat to pull on before he gives a nod. "I can follow in my car, if you want?" he suggests, allowing Constance to remain proper - plus he can drive back into town when he was done. "Have you had any of the locals causing you issue?" There's an apologetic smile offered, it's not that he doesn't doubt the woman's innocence, but there's no telling if an unknown suitor has made his presence known, if not seen.
"My grandparents try to discourage such behavior, but there is only so much that can be done. They are all proper ladies though and I trust that they have nothing to do with it." while the Stynes have hired one or two locals, most of the small staff is from the north east. "There will be no need for your car sheriff." the Stynes do like in town, within what at the time would be considered easy walking distance "It is a fine day for being December. And the fresh air will do me some good. It was a long sleepless night for me." she tightens her wrap around her to prepare to go outside "I have had no issues with any local gentlemen." she is assuming that is what he means by the question.
Everett gives a slow nod of his head, taking a mental note of her responses before he grins and pulls on his jacket. "A walk sounds fine, just make sure you're good and bundled, that chill can sneak up on ya." It did on his former wife and claimed her life, as he grabs a notepad and a pen. "Let me just put out the sign that I'll be back in a bit and I'll accompany you back to your grandparents' place." he promises as he turns the office sign from 'Open' to 'Closed, Back Soon'. Once that's done, he opens the door for her so that she can lead the way and he can follow after her. "You seem to have your ear to goings on of your household. You got any theories?" he checks to see if she might know what it could be. Not that he expects her to, but sometimes he can get insight to something that might seem innocent but overlooked.
"Thank you for your concern." Constance tells the sheriff, though she isn't all that worried about it herself, getting ill that is. She hasn't been sick once in the long years she has lived here, and hasn't aged all that much either. Which has a few silly rumours as well, from jealous women. "I do pay attention. I want to make sure they are happy and healthy. To do that I have to know things." she does have a few, but will only mention the normal, mundane ones. "Someone looking to break in is a possibility."
She is still as attractive as she's always been since he was a teen, at least. But one doesn't flirt with the doctor's granddaughter. And he's been trying to handle his own life. "That's true." he says simply. "We tend to get a lot of drifters around this time of year - those looking to find some winter's work out in the forest with Butler's. Or heading further south to find some warmth and a good meal. The usual vagabonds and vagrants, I'll make sure to get Deputy Collins to keep a closer look in on your place when I'm done checking it, that was you and your grandfather can have a little extra peace of mind." he comments as they step out into the chilly air and he grins amicably. "I'd come calling myself, but that would set tongues to wagging."
There is a nod at his explanation that if could be a drifter "Grandfather is quite generous. If the person would just knock on the kitchen entrance they would get a warm meal at least. There is no reason to be skulking about and setting the girls to shivering." Constance follows the good sheriff up and out of the courthouse staying the proper distance from the man "Oh leave Mr. Collins alone. He needs to spend time with his wife and new baby. Send one of your other deputies instead." she gives a sidelong glance at the comment "And Mrs. Higgins has plenty of wag her tongue about."
"You make it sound as though I have a bevy of deputies to send, Miss Styne." Everett chuckles. "And it sounds as though maybe I should take advantage to pass by your place more often myself." It's an innocent flirt, feeling out the waters, perhaps as he shakes his head. "Drifters can be an odd lot. They don't want to humble themselves with asking at times, they see it as humiliating. They have their own code they leave themselves near a place. Have you seen any strange markings on poles or trees around the home?" he asks curiously.
"Well maybe not a bevy Sheriff Mayfield, but you do have a few." though perhaps none to spare since he will be down one for a day or two. "If it is the line of duty I am sure Grandfather would appreciate it." as they walk west toward the more up scale part of town where the wealthier families live, Constance keeps her arms wrapped around her, helping her wrap stay tight around her "I do not make it a habit to examine trees or poles. So if there are any markings on them I am not aware of it."
Little do either of them know how low he may be on deputies in a couple of days. Constance's careful rejection of the offer is noted, and Everett nods. "Of course, Miss Styne." he offers about it being in the line of duty. "I'll take a look while I'm there, then." he comments as they approach the Styne home. His hands stay in his pockets, a nod given when they pass by local residents, a few words offered in greeting and a chuckle at an offer to come over for Sunday dinner since he's looking lean. He's not a cook, and probably eating more at the diner than at home.
Well Constance is certainly no fortune teller to be able to even guess at that. Perhaps it is just being much more old-fashioned than most ladies of her age…what ever age that is. No one is quite sure about that one. There is much speculation "That would be quite kind of you." she replies with a nod as she heads through the fence gate that surrounds the large victorian home. It isn't quite a mansion, not like the Butlers and Coopers have, a place that large would be quite excessive for just the three of them. "You will stay for tea?" it doesn't seem so much like a question as an imperative "Grandmother will insist on it." the Stynes are quite British in thier manners. Probably comes from being from New England.
"I wouldn't mind staying for a cup, Miss Styne." Everett says as he pauses at the fence as he watches her for a moment. "Give me a couple of moments to poke around here. You can let your grandfather know I'm here, but I want to see if there's any markings around here that might hint at what could be troubling you." he comments. Plus it will give him a chance to regain his senses around the woman as he takes his hands out of his pockets to start to poke around the fence to look for any of the hobo markings that drifters leave each other around a house of this type.
<FS3> Everett rolls Search: Failure.
"Grandmother will be delighted." the elderly Styne woman does love company, if only so she can press her own agendas onto people, as a prominent member of the Ladies Auxilary the Styne matron has /views/. Constance gives a polite nod then turns to walk the path toward the house and up the steps onto the large veranda. Someone must have been waiting for her as the door opens immediatly. There she speaks to the tall, lanky man dressed in a butlers uniform.
Nothing seems odd as the sheriff walks the grounds of the Styne household. The gardens are of course dormant, nothing growing there in winter. There is a small greenhouse in the back though where plants do grow. It is locked up tight though, from the outside. As for any drifter markings, there are none to be found around the Styne household.
Taking his pen out of his pocket, Everett chews on the end of it thoughtfully as he pokes around, not finding any markings that would suggest that it was drifters that are coming about. With the gardens dormant for the winter, it's harder to find footfalls with the rows having been walked through plenty of time by staff and anyone else. He starts his search on the outer lines of the home and starts to close in as he moves towards the areas that Constance had mention her grandfather had brought up for the reason for him coming out here.
<FS3> Everett rolls Search: Good Success.
Most of the foot traffic that comes from the rear of the house, servants, deliveries and the like most likely use the footpaths, but there are some old tracks through the gardens, most likely made by the gardner or other staff. There are some more recent foot prints where there shouldn't be. Around the baywindows in front and the small basement windows in the back.
Kneeling down near the bay windows, Everett makes the first note of the out of place prints and breaks out his pad. He starts to make careful notes in the dog-eared and well-worn book, making a rough sketch of the footprint and noting that it appears to be a bare human foot and he lowers his hand to take a measurement of it and makes a note on that in his pad as he rises up, and checks the window to make sure it's locked before he makes his way around to the basement and finds yet more of the footprints. And he starts to make more notes, finding yet more of the footfalls there as he starts to take more of his detailed notes, squatted down as he does so.
The footprints are on the larger side, most likely male, but they aren't deep set so the person can't be all that heavy, probably of average height and build. There are dirt smudges to the panes, as if whoever it was, was testing the windows, specifically those looking into the basement.
Everett makes a better note of the footprints by the window and then reaches up to wipe away some of the dirt from the window to take a look inside. He didn't bring his fingerprint dusting kit with him - it's an expensive kit to use and only hits on known crimials and takes several weeks to get back from the state database as he peeks within to see if he can find out what may have held the person's interest.
There doesn't seem to be anything unusual in the basement. The part the window looks into seems to be used as storage. Mostly for preserved foods and goods of that nature, being directly under the kitchens that make sense. There is a shelf or two dedicated to wines and other spirits, but other than that nothing of real interest.
"Huh." Everett says to himself. Finished taking his notes for now, the Sheriff frowns again as he takes in the barefoot marks once again and then dusts himself off as he puts the pad away before he moves to the door to knock upon it to come calling properly and not just barge in on the family. He's polite after all.
The door to the house is immediatly opened before the second knock even lands. "Welcome sir." the butler greets "May I take your coat?" he holds out an arm in case the Sheriff wants to releive himself of it. "Madam Styne and Miss. Styne are waiting for you in the parlor. Right this way."
It's obvious the Sheriff isn't used to the higher class society as he takes off his coat finally and Everett offers it to the butler. "Thank ya." he manages as he takes in the interior of the house and has to stop himself from whistling lowly as he follows after the butler once the coat's taken care of. He double checks to make sure his revolver's secure and on his hip tight, and snapped into place so there's no chance of an accident as he steps into the parlor to make his presence known to the two women.
Once the butler leads the Sheriff into the parlor where the two women are sitting in wingback chairs conversting quietly. "Good Morning Sheriff Mayfield." the older woman greets politely. She too looks younger than her 70+ years, but not shockingly so, perhaps its good genes that keep the Styne family looking so young. "Please have a set." she gestures to another nearby chair that is part of the conversational arrangement the chairs are in "Constance tells me you were looking around for evidence of who our prowler may be?" as the Matron speaks a tea trolley is pushed in by a maid of middle years who quickly departs once her delivery is complete. As the youngest female in the room, it is Constance's job to serve the tea so she gets up to do so. "How do you take your tea Sheriff Mayfield?"
"Looking as lovely as ever, Missus Styne." Everett offers politely and sincerely to the matriarch of the family as he moves to take a seat. "Yes'm, she said that your husband heard there was a prowler about so I offered to come take a look to see what I could find before I turned it over to one of the deputies to keep an eye on your place." He starts as he moves to fish his notepad from his pocket. "Mind if I ask a few questions? Nothing too personal, just seeing if you may have noticed anything off yourself in the past few days."
A smile is offered to Constance, turning a little warmer with those blue eyes as he looks up to the younger Styne and comments, "Plain's fine, if you don't mind." he responds as he glances into his pad. "I know the weather's been a bit of a fright as of late, but have you been out of the house and seen anyone odd lurking about?" he asks as he turns his attention back to the older Styne.
(We faded here to pick up with the nighttime observation.)