REPORT: The Vessel With The Pestle.

[innerharbor]

SUBJECT: Lady Hillingham Bodyguard Poisoning Hightown is fucked up.
PARTICIPANTS: Amos Burton, Gwen Baudin, Laura Kinney, Ket Perrino.
CLASSIFICATION: Public, unfortunately.
DATE FILED: Now, but like, a week ago.
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: The Bodyguard of Lady Hillingham is being poisoned, maybe. The Gang is tasked with figuring what's going on.

Tried to trail Hillingham's Nephew (also named Hillingham. Neville Hillingham) but he gave me the slip. Chatted with Hillingham's Bodyguard (a cousin. Lenora Hillingham), who's still laid up from the sickness, and apparently he spends all his time at the theatre. Paid someone to watch him, it's cheaper than buying all those tickets. Apparently the kid slipped them too. What is this kid doing with his time? There's a rumor that he's some kind of assassin, but I'd bet he's just real fucking slippery.

-AB

Neville Hillingham’s theater box smells like deathroot and cobwebs. I followed the smell to the back of the theater, but I was not allowed behind the curtains. When everyone left, I went inside Cordelia Bijou’s dressing room. I think he is storing things in there when he isn’t having sex with her. I could not find the poison, only the smell of it. But the smell is there. I think he is poisoning somebody, but I cannot prove it is a bodyguard. She only smelled of sickness.

LK.

I had, in fact, run across Neville Hillingham prior to this mission, though I’d had no particular reason to note him. He is far from the only Hightown resident who likes to slip into a Lowtown tavern for a post-theater drink with the faintest hint of illusory danger. That said, once I knew what I was looking for I was able to talk with Hugh Clacher, one of Hillingham’s hangers-on with a weakness for dice games. Clacher let slip that Hillingham tended to complain about his aunt’s nosiness about his personal life, and suggested that she has threatened to cut him off before. One of them (it is not clear whether Clacher was quoting or if this was Clacher’s own opinion) suggested the aunt could use “a good shaking.” However, when prodded as to his evaluation of Hillingham’s stomach for dirty work, Clacher opined he liked to play at being Dangerous more than acting on the reality. This does seem to match my passing impression of him, though obviously people may play a part for convenience.

- K. Perrino

This kid sounds like a serious asshole. Seems to run in the family. I don't think shaking him up will fucking solve this fucking mystery.

-AB

I’ve been spending time with Hillingham the Aunt’s inventory and financial records and neither add up properly. If the bodyguard was behind any of it then she would be killing two birds with one stone to put a bit of fear of the Maker in and pin it on the expensive dickhead nephew.

GB.

Not hard to get into Hillingham's place, find Lenora, and have a chat. We talked for a while. She was real polite about admitting to the whole thing. Faked sick to try and get Neville and Lady Hillingham out of the picture, and then her daughter inherits.

Guess that's all fixed up.

-AB

What was he using the deathroot for?

LK.

Can you snort that or does it melt on your tongue?

-AB

Eating deathroot is unwise. That is why it is called deathroot. It makes people see monsters.

LK.

From what I gathered, he does seem like that kind of stupid. The playing with it recreationally part, not accidentally eating it.

Side note: If anyone needs low-level Hightown gossip in the future, Clacher will not shut up if a pretty face in front of him keeps asking questions and occasionally losing at the dice rolls so he doesn’t get frustrated.

- Perrino

I thought it was the aunt so I'm thrilled our illiteracy is what won the day.

GB.


NEXT STEPS: N/a.

NOTES & LINKS: Refers to this.