The Panther Club

The Panther Club, Arkham Mass., March 7, 1928, 10:00pm – Day 2

The car carrying Agents Hammerstein and Callahan, along with Professor Valentine and Filip Latinovicz, arrived across the street of the Panther Club. Having been there earlier in the day, and knowing the location of where the last victim had fallen was, Agents Callahan and Hammerstein had a good feel for the area and a hunch as to the best approach for the night's stakeout. From across the steet, they could see down the short alleyway that lead to the front door of the Panther Club and there appeared to be a short line of revelers forming to get in. The night was still young for the majority of the Panther's usual crowd and the place had yet to get truly jumping. The rest of the surrounding area on the block was dimly lit by the few street lights that lined this part of town. From where the four men stood, they could hear the sound of jazz music filling the air occasionally whenever the door was opened to admit more patrons.

Joe struck up a fresh cigarette and took a deep breath of the crisp night air.
"We got two sides of a building ta cover. I reckon splittin' on Lexington'll give us the best position. We can cover both front an' back and also keep each other in sight. One group takes the car for cover the others'll probably have to look like their keeping an eye on the club."
He shifted slightly to move the weight of the concealed shoulder holster he carried before continuing.
"Any takers for the fresh air and mob posting?"

Conrad spoke up, ''I perfer being outside. I always feel trapped when I am confined in a vehicle for too long. Besides, one of us needs to check over the scene again.'

Artemis felt a little better after resting and eating, and even somewhat energised from the effect of the medicine he’d taken, though it was starting to wear off. However his throat felt raw from when he’d been struggling to breathe earlier and the fear for his life that the attack had caused him was being slow to fade.

At the question directed to the group, Artemis kept a smile on his face, but warily eyed the cigarette that Joe had lit up. He decided that, even though he’d prefer to do so, staying in the vehicle if there was going to be smoke around was probably something best avoided.

“I’d prefer fresh air as well.” Artemis volunteered, subconsciously raising a hand as if he were still at school.

He just hoped that keeping watch wouldn’t lead to actually discovering anything unpleasant...

Hammerstein and Valentine moved to the corner of Lexington and the delivery alley with the car. At this hour, there was hardly any traffic on the streets, and only the occasional pedestrian. When they reached the corner of the delivery alley, they could see some light coming from the machine shop directly behind the Panther Club, but it did not sound as if any machinery was being operated.

At the front of the Panther Club, Big Sal, who had been standing at the door, noticed Callahan and made a subtle gesture acknowledging the agent.

Joe nodded at Big Sals gesture and struck up another cigarette. He offered one to Filip "You ever done a stakeout before, Philip? It's like being in the trenches. Nothing for hours then all at once you're dodging bullets"
He shook his head "Least we are out of the water here" he glanced up and down the street before returning his gaze to the Jazz clubs door.

Conrad inclined his head, ever so slightly, in Big Sal's direction. Nothing looked immediately out of place, other than a light on in the machine shop. He looked over towards Artemis as he drew out a cigar from his pocket.

"I assume you have never been on a stake out before, but it is fairly basic. We look for anything out of the ordinary and stay out of the way until something happens. The only tricky part is trying to blend in, you know, keep an eye on the place without it looking like we are keeping an eye on the place. After looking around we should head back towards Lexington so that Joe can see us, and so that we can see Big Sal over there."

Joe finishes lighting his cigar and tries to blow the smoke away from Arteis, remembering the hotel room. He takes a careful look around, "Notice anything unusual?"

From the corner of Lexington and the delivery alley, Hammerstein and Valetine looked down the alley. The sparse lighting of the alley gave it even more of a foreboding feel. There was a flatbed delivery truck parked behind the machine shop, and neither could see the side of the alley behind it. At the back of the Panther Club, by the loading dock, they could see the faint light of a cigarette being lit. There was a sharp sound of a heavy door, or lid, being slammed shut, then a loud cough. The red light of the cigarette's end could still be seen from where they stood. Someone must be on a quick break, possibly one of the kitchen staff of the club.

Hammerstein noticed a light being turned off in a window of the machine shop, then a minute later, both men were temporarily blinded by the headlights of the delivery truck as whoever had been in the machine shop fired the truck up to leave.

Joe noticed the light shining out of the alley where Conrad and Artemis has recently disappeared into.
No shots or shouts though, could well be just the clubs back door being opened.

He nudged Filip "Can you see them two down there? I don't like it when stake out groups lost track of each other"

Conrad looked over at Artemis, "Nothing out of place as far as I can tell. We should be heading back into view of the car, keep Joe in sight. Also, keep close to the wall and be carefull around windows and doors...juse to be safe."

Conrad follows his own advise as keeps an eye on the truck. He doesn't fear or suspect the truck, it just seems like the prudent thing to do.

Filip looked down the alley between the textile factory and the Panther Club and shook his head at Callahan's question. Except for the passing headlights of a delivery truck he could see nothing. "It is too dark. A large truck just drove out of the alley though.


In the alley, doing his best to avoid looking directly into the headlights of the passing truck, Hammerstein noticed a shadowy figure...some kind of movement...down the end of the delivery alley. It did not move casually, as a normal pedestrian would...it seemed to hug the building and dart from position to position.

Joe finished his cigarette and ground the butt under his foot. "C'mon, Sal'l shout if summit happens on this side. I don't like being outa sight o' the others." He glanced both ways down the almost deserted street and then headed off towards the entrance to the alleyway the others had headed down.

Conrad took a relaxed puff on his cigar, "There's someone down there, keeping to the shadows. I don't like the idea of turning my back to him. Stay calm, we don't want to tip him off." Conrad took another pull on the cigar, "Head back to where you have a good view of both Joe and myself, and be read to flag Joe down if anything happens or I appear to be signaling you."

Artemis nodded at the instructions from Conrad. Being part of a stake out didn’t sound too hard, provided nothing actually happened, the scholar supposed. He obediently followed the other man as they headed to their watch point, just shaking his head at the question of seeing anything unusual. To Artemis, it just seemed like a normal, quiet night.

He absently looked towards where he heard the sounds of someone presumably taking a break from the Panther Club, before glancing over as he heard the truck starting up. He was forced to squint and look away however from the blinding headlights as the truck pulled out and left.

As Conrad spoke again, suggesting they head back towards the car, Artemis nodded and rubbed his eyes, trying to clear the bright spots that danced in his vision after the bright light. He took a step in that direction, then hesitated as the other man then quietly added something about a person skulking in the shadows.

Artemis abruptly stopped and straightened in fear, initially turning and looking around for the shadowy figure before forcing himself not to as Conrad mentioned not tipping them off.

“R-right, yes. Of course!” Artemis replied nervously, his voice slightly higher pitched than natural.

He took a step backwards, then turned and hurriedly made his way back towards the car as instructed, fighting the urge to run. Once he reached the car he stuck close to it, as if it would somehow protect him, as he worriedly watched Conrad and tried to spot the mysterious assailant.

What if it's an assassin, with a knife? Artemis thought worriedly to himself. It might be a big brute of a man, brandishing a metal bar. Or even some shady fellow with a gun!

Swallowing nervously, Artemis tried to get himself to calm down. It might also just be a granny, out for a midnight stroll. Or a harmless drunk from the club that had staggered out for some fresh air.

They might even be someone needing help, his logic continued. A lost child, or a woman who had been attacked.

Suddenly unsure about the whole situation, Artemis took a couple of steps away from the car, back towards the alleyway, as he tried to see what was happening down there.