Red Scare Mystery - Chapter Six

[Professor Flitwick]

In that case I'd like Gloria and Stevie to hold the ladder, whilst I and whoever else wants to climbs the ladder to search the roof.

[Admiral Ron]

I will hold the ladder

[Capt.JohnPaul]

So we're trying to get to the roof, eh? I'll stay back because of my wooden leg.

I'd like to watch the others try to get up while I stay below.

[Walter Kovacs]

I asked this question before, but never got an answer:

Captain Ted, you mentioned that Jackie was your "new" wife. How long have you been married?

[iamded]

I still think that something was very wrong with the police report, it is missing so much like how she got onto the roof, why she was on the roof, and a coroners report.

Not to mention the body. Perhaps it was all a cover-up of sorts?

Is it really wise to have the children support the ladder? It's quite dangerous, at heights like that.

I suppose I'll help with supporting the ladder.

[Bob]

Is the Fire House open? We had to get the fire truck to put out the Lakota from somewhere.

Indeed it is open.

In that case I'd like Gloria and Stevie to hold the ladder, whilst I and whoever else wants to climbs the ladder to search the roof.

I will hold the ladder

I suppose I'll help with supporting the ladder.

Stevie, Gloria, and Will hold the ladder as Patrick ascends the ladder to the top of the Department Store.

[The Legonater]

I'd like to ask Will and Gloria to keep holding the aldder, and semi-carefully climb up.

I may not be Superman, adad, but there's no reason I can't try.

[CorneliusMurdock]

I don't think the Jeffersons should be the only ones to search the roof. They may be too close to this.

I will also climb the ladder when it is clear and search for any signs of a trap door on the roof.

[The Crazy One]

How sturdy is the ladder? I want to know if it is good enough condition for all of us to climb up.

[def]

Sorry, I've been so quiet. A lot's been on my mind. I'm fine letting them scan the roof on their own. I trust my hubby's judgment. If we're going to our house next, would anyone mind if I went ahead to start baking cupcakes and making refreshments? Maybe Gloria and Mrs. Harding would like to join me?

[Sisco]

I don't really think I need to climb up that ladder; this old knee was bad enough without that fall yesterday. I can stay down here and hold the ladder, if you like.

Ahem. Excuse my slightly muted speaking, my throat seems to be a bit sore.

[The Legonater]

Sorry, I've been so quiet. A lot's been on my mind. I'm fine letting them scan the roof on their own. I trust my hubby's judgment. If we're going to our house next, would anyone mind if I went ahead to start baking cupcakes and making refreshments? Maybe Gloria and Mrs. Harding would like to join me?

Yeah thanks 'Mom'... loving that sympothy.... ow.

[def]

Yeah thanks 'Mom'... loving that sympothy.... ow.

What's that supposed to mean? I know you resent me for being your step-mother, but I've done nothing to deserve a hard time from you. Would you like me on the roof? Fine,

I'll go up to the roof too.

Sorry everyone, no snacks or refreshments when we arrive at the Jefferson house, regardless of how hungry and tired you are. Stevie is upset I'm not being sympathetic enough >sob, sob<

[The Legonater]

Sorry everyone, no snacks or refreshments when we arrive at the Jefferson house, regardless of how hungry and tired you are. Stevie is upset I'm not being sympathetic enough >sob, sob<

I just fell... a story or two... I think a decent mother... would be a little... more sympathetic.

[Admiral Ron]

I just fell... a story or two... I think a decent mother... would be a little... more sympathetic.

Stevie, be nice, it's your dumb fault you got hurt anyway

Anyways, let us continue to the roof!

[def]

I just fell... a story or two... I think a decent mother... would be a little... more sympathetic.

I'm sorry >sob< When I saw you holding the ladder, I assumed you were fine >sob<

Oh, Patrick!

[Captain Genaro]

How can you say that? We haven't even begun to see what things are like up there to be able to access what happened to Laura. Why are you two in such a rush?

I don't think there is anything up there. It has been 5 years and a town on the coast gets hammered with heavy wind and rain so I doubt that anything of importance would survive up there. There is no recent information pointing to the roof and I think that the Jefferson house could hold more clues. Besides, what if some one "accidentaly" fell off the roof again? We know there is a communist here and I don't feel like standing on a roof with him.

I would like to say on the ground so a communist won't push me off.

I would also like to know what time the body was found so that we could get a sence of when Mrs. Jefferson was killed.

Finally, were there any fires or reasons that the fire station would be empty on the day Mrs. Jefferson died?

[iamded]

I would never have thought it would take this long to search the roof.

Now that we've another hand supporting the ladder, I'd like to ascend to the rooftop and take in what I see, i.e. get a description.

[Bob]

I'd like to ask Will and Gloria to keep holding the aldder, and semi-carefully climb up.

I may not be Superman, adad, but there's no reason I can't try.

Stevie takes his hand off the ladder, and starts to climb up. A few others rush to support the ladder.

I don't think the Jeffersons should be the only ones to search the roof. They may be too close to this.

I will also climb the ladder when it is clear and search for any signs of a trap door on the roof.

James starts to climb up the ladder. He taps around for a trap door, and finds one leading into the top floor of the Department Store.

How sturdy is the ladder? I want to know if it is good enough condition for all of us to climb up.

The ladder is somewhat sturdy. Since it requires a few people to hold it up, it's not possible for all of you to climb up.

What's that supposed to mean? I know you resent me for being your step-mother, but I've done nothing to deserve a hard time from you. Would you like me on the roof? Fine,

I'll go up to the roof too.

Sorry everyone, no snacks or refreshments when we arrive at the Jefferson house, regardless of how hungry and tired you are. Stevie is upset I'm not being sympathetic enough >sob, sob<

Dolores climbs up the ladder to the roof too.

I don't think there is anything up there. It has been 5 years and a town on the coast gets hammered with heavy wind and rain so I doubt that anything of importance would survive up there. There is no recent information pointing to the roof and I think that the Jefferson house could hold more clues. Besides, what if some one "accidentaly" fell off the roof again? We know there is a communist here and I don't feel like standing on a roof with him.

I would like to say on the ground so a communist won't push me off.

I would also like to know what time the body was found so that we could get a sence of when Mrs. Jefferson was killed.

Finally, were there any fires or reasons that the fire station would be empty on the day Mrs. Jefferson died?

Frankie remains on the ground.

"Once again, everything that we know is in the police report. We don't know anything about the Fire Station, we never asked." Chief Phelps says.

I would never have thought it would take this long to search the roof.

Now that we've another hand supporting the ladder, I'd like to ascend to the rooftop and take in what I see, i.e. get a description.

Will climbs up. Finally someone asks for a description, there's a large skylight in one corner, a billboard in another area, and rope.

[CorneliusMurdock]

Hmmm. What do we have here?

Is there a ladder or anything leading down from the trapdoor? If so, I would like to follow it down to see where it can be accessed within the store.

[Walter Kovacs]

I don't think there is anything up there. It has been 5 years and a town on the coast gets hammered with heavy wind and rain so I doubt that anything of importance would survive up there. There is no recent information pointing to the roof and I think that the Jefferson house could hold more clues. Besides, what if some one "accidentaly" fell off the roof again? We know there is a communist here and I don't feel like standing on a roof with him.

I agree that we won't find any clues from the day Laura Jefferson died. That's not the point of going up there. The point is to find if it is even plausable that she went up there (alone or forced by another) mere minutes after having a conversation at street level.

The thing that really sticks out in my mind is that her body disappeared. Alabatha's morgue is staffed by competent people. Bodies don't just disappear by accident. So why would hers? The only logical reason is that so a coroner or medical examiner couldn't find any discrepancies. Or maybe strange marks that aren't consistant with falling from a roof.

There was only one witness. Who's to say Laura even fell from the roof? Could she have been killed, and given injuries to make it look like she fell? It's possible, and with the body missing there is no evidence to say otherwise.

There is a possibility that her death isn't even related to our current situation. But at least three members of our current group (five if you include the Jefferson children) are connected with the case, so it behooves us to at least investigate it. If you can't figure it out, those people are Chief Phelps, Patrick Jefferson and Delores Jefferson.

That being said, I want to ask Delores approximately what time she heard this discussion about that affair? Generalities will do, i.e. Morning, noon, before dawn, after sunset, etc. Also, the police report said minutes after the conversation she fell off the roof. Is that five minutes, fifteen, seven hundred and fifty? I'll ask Chief Phelps if he remembers how long after the body was discovered that it disappeared?

I doubt anyone is going to fall off the roof today. There are too many people up there, and we know who went up the ladder. It would be far too obvious who the culprit is if someone fell.

Oh, and Delores, I think it best that everyone stay together. I wouldn't want anyone separating themselves and getting hurt. Or destroying possible evidence accidentally.

[Captain Genaro]

Didn't we prove it was possible that she could get up there when we found out that she could have gotton over there through the fire station?

I compleatly forgot that the body disappeared! That would explane no coroners report! Also, what you say makes sence but at the same time why not throw her into the ocean? Then you don't have to risk the whole police report and the body is gone. It could be that they took the body because she had something on her when she died ( note, pictues, ect.) and they did not want us to find that. Finally, as much as I want to help the Jefferson family solve this, we know that there is roof access and that the Jefferson family house has been marked. Since Mrs. Jefferson lived there, I bet we could find clues about her life there, such as a diary or notes stored away.

I would like to know who could access the morgue, and if anyone in our group used to work there or visited it frequently.

[Professor Flitwick]

I'd like to peek into the skylight, and see what room is underneath, along with a description of the interior.

I'd also like the read everything on the billboard, and take a look behind it.

I'd also like to examine the rope, to determine how long it's been their, what condition it's in, etc.

Oh, Patrick!

Won't somebody please think of the children!

Stevie, Gloria is right, it's your own fault you fell from the flag pole, not Dolores.

[Walter Kovacs]

Didn't we prove it was possible that she could get up there when we found out that she could have gotton over there through the fire station?

True, but depending on the time of day, there could/should have been witnesses. It's not like the firemen in the firehouse wouldn't notice a housewife climbing the stairs to their roof.

Let's see where that roof hatch James has found leads. If it leads down to the third floor (and how would I have missed that if I were looking for roof access ), and there is a ladder associated with it, then things are a lot clearer and this looks more like a waste of time. If it leads elsewhere, or there isn't a ladder there... then we have a bit more work to do.

[JimBee]

Like I said before, I had urged my colleague to investigate the case further, but he wouldn't listen. That's all I can give you on this case (as far as I know).