Hisa Momoi
Location: McLampet Manor
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain
"Man... that's quite something."
Sakura echoed Pyry's whispered words with a nod.
About twenty minutes or so later, the quartet of Hisa, Pyry, Sakura and Gradient were hiding in the bushes near the McLampet Manor proper, gazing upon the old, venerable building that simply oozed history, like a great big shadow that was thrown over the estate grounds that were silent as a grave.
The infiltration itself had gone without a hitch. Led by Pyry who was comfortable searching his way through the thick forest, the group had emerged to a part of the wall which seemed to border another patch of forest further inside. Sakura had been the first one to scale the wall, using something that looked like tiny metal claws fitted to her hands. She nimbly scampered up the vertical surface, and scanned the area to make sure that there were no security cameras nearby to catch them. After getting an okay from the girl, she vaulted to the other side, clearing the landing zone for Pyry. The boy got to show off his physical might a little bit, making two trips back-and-forth past the wall. THe first time carrying Hisa in his arms, and the second time Gradient. Clearing a perimeter wall that was over two meters tall wasn't an easy feat, but he certainly made it look like a breeze... even though the rain and the muddy ground made him almost slip on the second landing.
While hiding in the forest inside the walled-off grounds of the McLampet estate, Sakura and Hisa - forming a forward party as they ventured further - were able to map out the area much better now that there was nothing to actually block their field of view. As it turned out, the wall around the perimeter of the area made more or less a half-circle, ending up at the cliffside on both ends. Inside this half circle, the manor grounds were split into three distinct areas.
First off, there was the cliffside area where the asphalt road ran. This road snaked up the hill all the way to the mansion itself, ending in a paved yard around the building that teetered on the edge of the cliff. Aside from the mansion itself, there seemed to be a large garage full of fancy old cars, but not much else. This all took the western side of the area, against the cliff.
Second, there was the eastern side of the half circle. Most of this area was dominated by what looked like a very well-maintained, if old, rose garden. The smell of roses was clear in the air despite the rain, and the sprawling area was just oozing opulence - if old, forgotten one. To be honest, it resembled a graveyard more than anything bright and colorful. Still, there was an arbor at the center of the rose garden, and some sort of storehouse near the other end - one with closed metal shutters that were undoubtedly locked. Then, at the eastern end of the rose garden, the two girls could see a smaller building - a house of its own, almost - most likely meant for servants of the manor. Sakura posited that this might be where the Beatrice lived, in case she didn't stay with Josie McLampet in the main building.
Last but not least, there was the southern side of the mansion grounds, which were mostly dominated by an old patch of forest - the very same place that Hisa and the rest had used to infiltrate the area. The reason as to why a part of the forest had been allowed to grow free here was unknown. Perhaps it simply fit the scenery, or perhaps the McLampets had wanted some sort of reminder to why they were so rich to begin with? Nevertheless, it allowed for an excellent cover that the group could use to sneak further into the estate... though it also brought up another question, eventually.
Namely, at the northern edge of that forest patch, there was... a chapel. Quite large one at that. An old building made out of stone and standing in the rain like some sort of kneeling giant, towering over the yard with its menacing shadow.
It certainly was an odd sight, especially considering that unlike the other church that Hisa had seen, this one seemed well-kept - if old and unused for the time being.
Still, with the help of Sakura's eagle-eyed gaze and Hisa's tools and vision, the group was able to make their way to the northern edge of the forest patch, where they now hid in the undergrowth and watched the area as a whole. That is, the mansion at the cliffside and all the other locations. And thanks to Hisa's radar, she had been able to notice that after the gates, the amount of security cameras dropped rapidly, until there were none. Most of them had been set to watch the road, but none were keeping an eye on the mansion and its surroundings - perhaps for privacy reasons.
"Gotta say though..." Pyry muttered quietly as he looked at the others. "... It's one hell of a creepy place. Who builds a chapel within their own grounds?"
Sakura made a small shrug.
"People too rich for their own good, I suppose, that being said... look," she whispered before nodding towards the mansion entrance. "Is that the guy you were talking about earlier?"
As she gestured towards the cliffside-building, Hisa could immediately spot the person she meant. There, descending the stairs while muttering something to himself, was Barney Keyhoe - looking like he wasn't in exactly good mood. Perhaps he had had a meeting with Josie McLampet which hadn't gone exactly well. Nevertheless, right now he wasn't headed out of the mansion grounds. On the contrary, he took the paved path to the east, making a beeline towards the distant building while fiddling with his camera.
So, perhaps he was finally getting ready for his interview proper?
The one that was meant to happen in that building separated by the rose-garden?
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Originally Posted by Ahti
