Castle Plum & London: Thurs, Feb 5, 1925

[Quick summary of our last meeting, which was way back on June 19.]

The werewolf in the dungeon of Castle Plum is actually the daughter, Eloise Vane. Their family has a curse on it ("The Gavigan Curse"), going back hundreds of years, which turns female Vanes into werewolves. Since the family seems to have the situation under control, the general opinion (not without dissent) is to let her live, so long as the family promises to do everything it can to keep her from escaping again.

The gang then returns to London to discuss the current leads in their investigations:

1) Edward Gavigan's name continues to pop up in strange circumstances.

2) Tex Rickard suggested that you all speak to Inspector James Barrington at Scotland Yard.

Mickey and Pyle go to speak to Inspector Barrington, then will head off to the King's College Library to do some research.

Pyle gets a number of things from Barrington:

a) He investigated Edward Gavigan, at the prompting of good old Jackson Elias, and found nothing.

b) In the last three years, there have been 24 victims of the "Egyptian Murders." Seventeen of those people were from Egypt, and all were somehow associated with Egyptian culture in London. Almost all were found beaten and stabbed in the heart with something narrow. Barrington's predecessor was one of the victims.

c) The Blue Pyramid is a local hangout (in Soho) for Egyptians. Barrington's efforts to investigate the place have all found nothing.

Mickey and Pyle then head over to the King's College Library.

They find very little there, but Mickey discovers that there is a major estate in Essex owned by Edward Gavigan. It is located on Foulness Island, where the Rivers Roach and Crouch meet.

On their way out of the library, in broad daylight, the boys are attacked by three Middle Eastern-looking men. After some work the three are defeated. All three were carrying clubs with 4 to 5 inch nails sticking out of them. Ritualistic weapons?