Beverly Kincaid had barely left the office of Cannon, Doctorow & Lockwood, Private Investigators, before Doctorow and Lockwood returned. They had been having a liquid lunch, but they nevertheless noticed the lingering perfume in the otherwise smoky office. "Ok, what's going on?" Doctorow pulled up a chair close Cannon while Lockwood lit a cigarette and simply asked "who's the broad?". Cannon explained the case for Doctorow and Lockwood, and they all agreed that there seemed to enough compensation in the case for three P.I.s. "Might as well get to work right away." Cannon suggested taking a look at the Pawtuxet Hotel and the Metropolitan restaurant. Perhaps there might be a chance to talk to members of the Ascension Club, or perhaps to Madame Alberta von Schanz (pronounced "Chance") herself?
As it were, Madame von Schanz was sitting with a young female author and having a couple of publicity shots taken by a photographer. As the photographer left, Frank Cannon found a reason to introduce himself while hinting at "unmentionable experiences" and such in an attempt to pique the interest of von Schanz. That really wasn't necessary since von Schanz found the trio to be somewhat entertaining, and oddly comedic. They were promptly invited to the Ascension Club for their next meeting that very Tuesday.
Madame LaVerne Elijah Kincaid
Madame Alberta von Schanz Gilbert Marsden
Mrs. Eliza Carvel Jacqueline DuPlessis
The Ascension Club was packed with Arkham's literati and other luminaries. Von Schanz was holding court, and Madame LaVerne, the medium that Elija Kincaid had paid so well, was pointed out to the investigators. Madame LaVerne was sitting in the company of a mustached gentleman, Gilbert Marsden, who apparently arranged the practicalities of the much-vaunted seances. After some stumbling around, which included insulting Madame LaVerne, it turned out that Madame LaVerne seemed to take a liking to the Doctorow and his dandy-like appearance. Seances were held every Friday at 144 Proctor Street in a house owned by Mrs. Eliza Carvel. The grand event was to commence at nine o'clock.
The private investigators spent most of the reminder of the work week placing calls, searching archives and sending telegrams. The hard work resulted in some findings, for example that Gilbert Marsden was a sideshow manager and carnival barker from Pittsburgh, and that he seemed to have partnered up with Madame LaVerne in the early 1920s. Mrs. Carvel was indeed the owner of her house, being widowed several years ago, and prominent member of the Arkham society.
That Friday, October 22, was as dreary as only a New England fall Friday can be, but the private investigators did make their way to 144 Proctor Street in the outskirts of Arkham in Lockwood's huge car. While Doctorow was an esteemed paying guest, Cannon and Lockwood decided to dress up in heavy overalls, masks, and observe Mrs. Carvel's house from the outside. After paying quite the fee to participate in the seance, Doctorow was introduced to the other participants:
- Madame LaVerne
- Eliza Carvel
- Gilbert Marsden (on a stool next to Madame LaVerne, giving her water, tea, etcetera)
- Jarvis Montaigne, a mustached person of unclear background
- Alberta von Schanz
- Elijah Kincaid
- Jacqueline DuPlessis, a somewhat well known actress and a French person
- Professor Ferdinand C. Ashley of the Department of Ancient studies, at the Miskatonic University.
The seance was quite the spectacle, with gusts of wind, foul stenches, flashing images, glowing apparitions, and ghost writing. As a matter of fact, Doctorow became entirely entranced by Madame LaVerne's communication with spirits and entities outside our world. Elija Kincaid was very engaged, and so was the inconsolable and bereft Professor Ashley, but most of the other participants were simple awestruck. Meanwhile, Cannon and Lockwood were trying to find out how these various metaphysical stunts were performed, but to no avail. Despite skills fueled by a hefty dose of skepticism, they could not rule out that Madame LaVerne's performance actually was the real deal. Many things stood out to Doctorow during the seance, but especially the odd behavior of Jarvis Montaigne, who seemed to be mimicking the incantations of Madame LaVerne. The evening was quite exhausting, but the private investigators did not spend the morning being idle. On the contrary, they were more than a bit curious about the backgrounds of the participants, especially since Madame LaVerne had promised a spectacular pre-Walpurgis seance for the following Friday.
The following week was once again spent on the telephone, in archives, and talking to contacts. And yes, using the telegraph. This time the efforts were even more fruitful, and the combination of Cannon, Doctorow & Lockwood turned out to be quite fruitful. Madame LaVerne was actually born Penelope Hart, and she had met Gilbert Marsden some five years ago. They had left Pittsburgh after being accused of some minor crimes and suspected of fraud. Jacqueline DuPlessis was indeed a French actress who had enjoyed some minor success in the cinema. Frank Cannon had apparently rather enjoyed several of her on-screen performances. She was supposedly spending time in bucolic Arkham to get sober, but with very limited success. Madame Alberta von Schanz was indeed a widower, and her late husband was a war hero from the Argonne Forest. Poor Professor Ashley was indeed mourning his dear wife.
Now, Jarvis Montaigne's background did raise one or two questions. He was from Boston, where he'd graduated from Boston University with a Ph.D. in ancient languages and anthropology. He had transferred in from Miskatonic University, but there was no Jarvis Montaigne at Miskatonic. Further research and a stroke of luck did reveal a Theodore Nero, who had been expelled from Miskatonic for "unethical student behavior" involving the Orne Library. Montaigne was also in possession of a big limousine, and he was protected or at least assisted by at least two henchmen.
Friday, October 29, and Doctorow was preparing for the next seance. He had managed to convince Madame LaVerne to invite Frank Cannon as well, and the suggested donation made up for any old grievances. Besides Cannon, this Friday saw an encore of last Friday's invitees, and with Lockwood taking cover outside the living room where the seance was going to take place. The participants held hands to form a circle around the large table, the lights were dimmed, candles were lit, and the seance commenced. Professor Ashley once again sought out the ghost of his dead wife, and the effects were even more remarkable. Lockwood did not remain idle, though. He scurried around the house, despite the fould weather, and made it in through a bedroom window. He had actually managed to see a boy or young man rigging lines and placing props outside the living room where the seance was taking place. Lockwood was more than ready to expose the charlatans!
After the sobbing Professor Ashley had been in contact with his deceased wife, Madame LaVerne turned to Jarvis Montaigne. He claimed that he wanted to seek out his dead uncle Herbert from Manassas, and he gave a letter to Madame LaVerne. The letter initially seemed harmless enough, but as Madame LaVerne read the letter, her face became contorted, the words sounded harsher and harsher, and the English language was reduced to an unearthly rumbling with screeching overtones. The candles started flickering, the room became cold, and there was an unpleasant sensation of being exposed to high pressure as the participant's ears started to pop. Lockwood realized that something was amiss, and he yelled to Elijah Kincaid, telling him to leave the premises. This may have caused Madame LaVerne to lose control over the incantation as two horrifying creatures appeared in what seemed to be a most enraged state. One grabbed hold of a terrified Professor Ashley, dragging him towards what seemed to be a rift in a space-time continuum! The other one advanced towards Madame Alberta von Schanz. Doctorow fainted, while there was plenty of shrieking combined with the snarls of the strange and horrible creatures. Frank Cannon ran across the table in an attempt to tackle the remaining creature, while Lockwood charged across the living room, his revolver drawn. Cannon probably saved Madame von Schanz with his tackle, but the creature was now focused on Cannon. It grabbed the rotund private investigator with immensely strong claws, and Frank Cannon was terrified to see a new rift opening into black, cold nothingness. Fortunately, Lockwood's aim was true, and as Doctorow came to, he also managed to place several rounds in the weird monster. An animated attack from a chair-wielding Jacqueline DuPlessis sealed the fate of the creature, and it slowly turned into a pool of sickly blueish ichor.
Unfortunately, the tumult enabled Montaigne to flee the scene after using a paralyzing powder in a small tube on the participants, and not even Lockwood could catch up with him as he left in his black limousine, a wild, cackling laughter conveying his true feelings regarding the situation. Lockwood eventually became less frustrated when Jacqueline DuPlessis asked him to scrub her back in the shower after the horrible ordeal.
The Arkham Police did eventually arrive, and "Madame LaVerne" was arrested together with Gilbert Marsden, but only after Frank Cannon picked up the incantation that Madame LaVerne had started reading. His heart sank as he recognized a name that suggested unnamed horrors: Iog-Sothoth.
As for Elijah Kincaid, he would never attend a seance again, Doctorow's photographs of the scam and the unearthly events of the evening made him take up golf.
