Finder's Fee

Two of the A's find out the ritual killer's name

Date: 10/20/2018	1337 Temple Street, Corktown
Cast: Arthur Aster Storyteller: Alexandra
Aster could travel out and find the woman in person... but it makes more sense for the 'agency' to attempt a phone contact first, and only escalate as necessary. And oh would you look at that, the phone call is answered. So Aster puts on her best, cheeriest, customer-service, I've-called-like-fifty-people-today voice and says, "Hi, this is Donna from Hawkins Realty. Am I speaking with--" Faux pause, as if she has to check a list. "--Libby?" Arthur goes onto southwest.com to start checking flights, and will make sure to get Aster premium boarding by the way. He does listen though. There's a pause on the other end of the line. A sign of momentary confusion as the contact works to make this come to some sort of sense. "... Yes?" comes the eventual reply, "I'm sorry. Why are you calling me?" Aster forces a smile, to make sure her voice comes out with that 'professionally-required smile' tone. "Wonderful! As I said, I'm from Hawkins Realty. My employer has recently been subject to a class action lawsuit by tenants and former tenants. We're required to pay out an award to one Michael Plainview, but we haven't been able to contact him. All we've been able to find is your contact; if you can provide information leading to finding him so we can fulfil our fiduciary responsibilities, then there is a $200 finder's fee as well." Arthur is ready to take any notes as needed. Another pause. This time, longer. A momentary murmur of a voice being blocked by a hand. Then, the voice on the other end of the line. "I'm sorry, I think you must have the wrong information. I- I think you must have some wrong information." Aster frowns. She locks eyes with Arthur and mouths, 'playing dumb'. "You're absolutely sure? The superintendent had you listed as a family contact in case of emergency. This is Libby Plainview, correct?" And she rattles off the phone number she'd dialled, just in case. "I-" Another pause, briefer. "No, that is my number. I-. My. My half-brother doesn't use the name 'Plainview'. And that's my maiden name. Michael never used it. He wouldn't have used it one anything he gave to you. I'm sorry. You must be looking for someone else." Arthur takes a deep breath, and hums. "Try to get his name," he mouths. Aster wrinkles her nose. Of course that damn obituary was lacking in proper surnames. "Ugh, fucking Der--" And then a sudden pause. "Uh, please don't tell my supervisor I swore? It's just... incorrect recording of information is part of why we /have/ this class-action hitting us. With how Derek handled his tenants' details, it's a wonder he even got the phone number right. And our company will get in even hotter water if we can't get this award to Michael, so it would /really/ help us out if you could give us any information? Even just so I have the right name. Hey, pinging every 'Michael Whatever' means more hours on this contract for me." "Long-Claws. He goes by Long-Claws. That was his fa- I, look, I don't really know who. I don't know anything about how to get in touch with him. And you're better off just leaving your company to pay whatever. Michael isn't- Just. Leave it. Trust me. Goodbye," and the line disconnects. Arthur sits up "Uh... Aster.. Long Claws. Alma was telling me that this guy is a shape shifter. Some sort of cat I think she said? That would track." "Long-Claws?" Aster repeats, as if incredulous -- but making sure Arthur hears it. She frowns when the phone disconnects and stares at the handset. "Well, you get to keep your finder's fee, Arthur. Long-Claws -- and I think she was about to say 'that was his father'. So now back to spirit -- or, uh, 'alien' lore, to try to find one called Long-Claws?" Arthur rests his forehead on his hand, thinking intensely. "That's not a name that would be viable to search for online. Two common words. But if I combine it with Cherokee... maybe it's worth a shot." Arthur will then try exactly that search. Long Claws Cherokee. "Or..." Here Aster grimaces and shivers, her arms drawing around herself. "You said shapeshifter, right? What if it's like a werewolf? Except, a werecat." She forces her breath to stay slow, even while contemplating werewolves and her... experiences with them. Arthur click click click. "Nothing. Well a werecat would make sense. I'm not sure what they are, or what to properly call them, but we'll go with that name for now. So if he's a werecat, who do we know that knows werecats?" Aster shakes her head. "I don't even know if werecats /exist/," she says. "But... from what little I know about wereWOLVES, they're very spirit-y. So whether this Long-Claws is a cat spirit or cat shifter, spirit knowledge is what's important. Which, to me, means Maya." Arthur chuckles. "Well, if we do go see Novak, let's meet someplace indoors, away from snooping drones that lead to her having a meltdown." Aster raises an eyebrow. "Novak?" Arthur nods. "Maya Novak, of the Dreamspeakers. I have her card scanned if you need it." Aster blinks. "...huh. All this time I've known her, I don't think Maya has /ever/ given me her surname. She's always just been... Maya." Arthur shrugs. "I ran into her ina professional context. She was giving a performance." Aster nods. "Fair enough. I met her out clubbing, which is kind of a different context. But yeah, I know her and how to get in touch with her. I'll see if I can grab some face time tonight." Arthur nods. "Excellent. Do you think it's worth trying the other two? Maybe under the... alternate name?" Aster hmms. "Libby sounded /really/ spooked. Do you think the others would be any different?" Arthur shrugs. "Maybe, but she thought we were on the wrong trail because we gave the wrong name. What if we gave the right name?" Arthur Adds "Spooked people slip things." Aster grins. "She slipped the 'correct' name, yes. Think we'll use the same cover again? Call the brother and father -- well, stepfather -- about the class action?" Arthur nods. "But give both names. Give Long Claws, alias Michael." Aster nods. "Or 'Michael Long-Claws'. Though I wouldn't be surprised if he's off the grid entirely, if he's using a name like that. You have the phone numbers for those two?" Arthur replies. "I have the Facebook info." He'll then hand it over. "The whole thing is weird. He may have committed a crime that traumatized them." Aster flips through to the phone numbers. "What I know of shapeshifters? Yeah, trauma is pretty damn likely." She dials for the stepfather first, already slipping back into her customer-service persona. The phone rings a few times before there comes the voice of an older man. He sounds like he may have just woken up. "Um. Hello?" Aster already has that plastic smile and saccharine tone in her voice. "Hi, this is Donna from Hawkins Realty. Am I speaking with--" Faux pause, as if she has to check a list. "--Jacob?" "Um, yes, Jacob Plainview. Speaking. How can I help you, miss?" he asks, shaking some of the sleep from his voice. He clears his throat. "Wonderful!" Aster says. "As I said, I'm from Hawkins Realty. My employer has recently been subject to a class action lawsuit by tenants and former tenants. We're required to pay out an award to one--" Here, she feigns a pause and a slightly confused tone in her voice. "--Michael, er, Long-Claws, but haven't been able to contact him. We just have the family contacts he left with his superintendent. If you can provide information leading to finding him so we can fulfil our fiduciary responsibilities, then there is a $200 finder's fee as well." Another pause. The vibe immediately turning a bit colder. "I'm sorry, miss," with his voice cleared, he still sounds raspy, "We don't speak any more, Michael and I. I'm not sure why he would've given you this number but- I'm sorry. If you do manage to get in touch with him would- Would you mind passing along a message for me?" Aster blinks. "That is terribly unfortunate. Makes two dead ends today." In case the daughter ends up calling, it'd all tie together into a neat little package. "Um, I'm not really supposed to break from the script, but I can try this once without the supervisor getting too grumpy. What's the message?" Arthur is ready to take this message down! "I... Let him know we're all doing fine. His family. And we miss him. And-" a break for a moment. "And I understand what happened. But- I'm sorry. You didn't call to listen to me ramble. This is. Michael. Michael..." The sentence seems to end there, in a long sigh that ends in a bought of silence. Aster nods to Arthur, confirming that the message is noted. "Okay, I've got that down. Um. It doesn't sound like you'd have any leads for me? It's just that my company's going to get in even /more/ trouble if we can't find him to pass along the award." Arthur inhales deeply, pursing his lips. Poor guy. But he writes it all down. "I'm sorry. Like I said... Michael, um. Michael doesn't want to be found be. Least of all by me. I'm sorry I couldn't help you more. Frankly, I'm surprised he would put me down on anything, anywhere. We... We weren't close. Step-father. His mother-" a moment's pause again. When Jacob's voice returns, it's rougher. "I'm sorry. We didn't get along." Aster mmns, nodding -- it won't be visible on the other end of the line, but it shifts her voice a little. "Well, thank you anyway for your time. I'll pass this along to my supervisor and see what he wants to try next. Have a good night, Mr. Plainview." "I, uh. Thank you. Good night," and the line disconnects. Arthur rubs his face again. "These people have been hurt. Let's not contact the brother." Aster sets the phone down, letting out a breath. "Sounds like 'commit a traumatising crime' is right, Doc. And still sounds like Maya's our best bet for this spirit-y stuff." Arthur nods. "Take her this information. Alma's suspicions. What they've said, how they're acting, the tribal connections. The mutilations. Every clue we have. You never know what's relevant with this mystical mumbo jumbo." "Maya's the one who got /me/ involved," Aster says. "And it was Alma's information that got me on the Jessica Plainview trail to begin with. But for all Maya knew, it was Michael Plainview. Let's hope Long-Claws means something to her, yeah?"