Murph can't resist a look inside the rest of the house, of course!

Investigation: 9

Afterward he will return to the window to watch the building across the street. He'll probably fall asleep but he's always been a light sleeper. 

Murph, as you make your way through the apartment, you find no sign of the owner, though you can tell by the relatively orderly state of things that he must be away on other business. Nothing speaks towards foul play, and since you find a small bedroom with the bed untouched, you figure the owner must be out on travels.

-----------------------------------

Blair, as you approach the Silverleaf notary, you can tell that nobody is active here, with the office dark and no other lights indicating anyone's presence. From an outward inspection, which naturally can only be cursory so as not to invite unwanted attention, neither the lock on the door, nor the windows seem particularly secured. You figure that a quick display of dexterity with a set of thieves' tools would likely get you access in no time.

But that's also stumping you. If Parker had something he deemed necessary enough to burn, why keep it here, in such an unprotected location?

Giving Blair a shrug followed by “I have no idea.” I make my way towards the building attempting to remain as unnoticed as I can be and gain entry into the building. 

Dart, you get access pretty easily, and Blair follows shortly behind. The place looks tidy and untouched enough, but you are in for a shock, when you turn a corner and find before you a grey-skinned, white haired intruder with glowing red eyes, knife at the ready to defend himself!

Blair wondered. Was he using the hiding in plane sight tactic? She was ready to begin sweeping the place, snooping it in detail for herself but was stopped in her tracks from red eyes and a knife staring at her. The redhed’s hand would reach for a dagger while the other hovered over the hilt of her whip. “Who are you? And why are you here?” Her voice was firm and clear as she moved further into the room. She felt protective of a place that didn’t even belong to her...

The creature before you would glance quickly toward the window and begin to back away toward it, eyes mostly on the new arrivals, frustrated at being snuck up upon. "Sorry! Sorry. I just needed a place to rest for a bit, I didn't know this house was occupied. I'll leave, back out into the sunlight, you'll have no trouble from old Murph here. Just have to find a place with a decent vantage point." He winces at the mention of sunlight, and twirls the blade in his fingers absentmindedly.

My hand which had started to go to my hidden dagger pauses near my hip, like a gunslinger, as the unknown figure backs towards the window.

Ooc: Do I believe his reply to Blair’s question? Insight: 18 

Blair's eyes would narrow cautiously. Did he take anything?

Perception: 15

(Bumping since it was lost in my notifications as well...)

Blair and Dart don't see anything taken from the place, and his words don't seem obviously deceptive or malicious. He genuinely seems embarrassed over being caught.

“Needed a place to rest... from whom or what?” I inquire, relaxing my posture slightly. But still ready to brandish my dagger should the situation arise. 

Blair's eyes would look the gnome up and down before relaxing from his response. She was still wary, but he seemed genuine enough for her to believe that nothing was touched or messed with. While Dart handled the 'interrogation', the red head would shift her focus from the stranger. "No rest will be found here tonight." The words would solemnly leave her lips as a flicker of emotion would pass through her eyes before going hallow once more. Blair would begin padding through the area, taking a complete detailed comb through. Who was Parker? What did he do? What was he planning? What was she really setting ablaze? ... Why?

The gnome stops, and slowly sheathes his dagger. He glances out the window. Then back at the newcomers. "Rest from a long night. And a task ahead of me. Across the street. There is something in that building I need in payment for services rendered. Is this your home? I can be going if..." he trails off, perplexed at the situation. He's not tired yet, but he looks as if he's had several very long days in one. 

Murph insight: 13

Murph, as you are trying to calm the situation down, you notice that the red-headed human is looking around the place, as if she was searching for something, with the halfling following her with his eyes, darting across the room. You're pretty sure that they don't live here either, but the woman's answer indicates that she knows something about this place and its owner, and from the sounds of it, it's nothing good.

"Are you engaged with a task in this home? Perhaps I could help you in your task, and you could help me with my task," gnome says, still not quite introducing himself but appearing, if not friendly, at least not confrontational or evasive anymore. "Let me know what you're looking for and I can help. Then, well, see that house across the street? If I can get inside there and grab some plans for the constructs inside to share with a contact, I can pay for a set of devices that would be very useful. Do you sneak in and out of places on a regular basis?"

After a bit of an awkward silence, “Engaged in a task in this house? ... I suppose a yes is the simplest answer.” I gesture to Blair who is making her way around the room. “My ... friend and I have a ... mutual associate ... who has recently come into some trouble and asked the two of us to take care of things for him. Getting rid of loose ends you might say.”

Shifting my weight uncomfortably from side to side, I continue, “Not really sure what we’re looking for specifically.” I admit candidly. “I haven’t really known him that long, not very well.”

I begin walking around the room picking up various odds and ends. Anything that looks like it might give some insight into who Parker was or what he might have been up to prior to our having met. 

Guardedly, I continue “Sneak in and out of places on a regular basis ... no more than you I suppose. Do you have some sort of plan for how you want to get in there to find these, uh ... plans you said?”

Insight:3

Looking through the various effects in the second floor of Parker's apartment and office, you can tell that he was a very meticulous man. His writing desk is tidy, with every utensil in its proper place. A cursory glance over the papers shows that he carefully drafted important letters and he seemed to take great care with his writing. His bed is made and his clothes are all neatly arranged in his closet. Yet, the place still feels lived in. The heavy trunk by the side of the chimney has edges that are smoothed over by age, even though the hinges still look properly oiled. The fireplace is clean, but you can tell by the smell of the place that he regularly lit fires there.

What surprises you is that the entire place gives an extremely normal impression of Parker Silverleaf. No one that knew him would ever come to the conclusion that he wasn't anything but the perfect citizen, nothing to say of being involved with the resistance. Yet, he had insisted to burn everything, even though nothing here makes the slightest impression of a double nature.

From your knowledge of him, whatever he meant by "everything" must be here, but well hidden. So meticulous a man wouldn't ask you to draw attention to his residence by burning it down, he clearly didn't mean the apartment, but whatever incriminating thing you'd find here. From a cursory glance though, nothing sticks out at you.

Blair definitely looked to be on a mission. She appreciated Dart’s careful choice of words with the stranger. His thoughtful explination to the gnome rang in her mind as she searched.

Starting from Parker’s personal quarters on the second floor, the redhead found herself getting flustered. She was surrounded by his scent and personal belongings, and most frustrating of all she still had no idea what she was looking for. But, she was bent on finding something to pin the source of her emotions on... Don’t get hotheaded... Focus Blair. She’d remind herself.

Blair would inhale a deep breath, encouraging herself to take a proper, steady and methodical approach to the rest of the search, like Dart was. Considering all he’s admitted to losing, the halfling’s kept his cool. She needed to feed off of that energy and keep her head back in the game. For the most part Blair would ensure to put anything she moved, back in its proper place, respecting Parker’s tidiness. She was even tempted to check the trunk by the chimney. But, nothing stopped her from taking one of his work shirts and storing it on her person before moving back to the main floor.

Following Dart’s lead with a calmer demeanour, Blair would continue to search around. And the more Dart shared his insights on who Parker Silverleaf was as they looked, the more she started to realize that maybe her initial response was a bit of an overreaction. But what could be expected from a fiery redhead? Scrunching her nose at herself, Blair would move on to nosing around the main floor. As she did, she would speak softly to add to Dart’s comments. “There is not much for me to add to his summary at this time.” 

Blair’s boots would click beneath her feet as she stepped around with purpose. She’d touch pretty much everything as she’d look around in thought. Remembering and thinking about the pen she lifted from his person, she’d be paying close attention to any of his writing or calligraphy items to see if there’s any sensitive, or interesting information to be found before moving on to the cellar.

As she made her way down to the cellar, the clicking of her boots would echoe slightly as she went. Blair ached for some resolve. Assuming it was safe to do so without the prying eyes of outsiders, she wouldn’t be shy to poke, look, move or sift around any of his storage or supplies.

Murph gulps a bit audibly, and mutters, "Hope I'm not a loose end..."

He turns back to the window, but then steels himself and sits on the sill. He looks up at Dart. "Honestly? I was toying with going down the chimney. Bad idea, I know, you can laugh. I'll probably have to either break in right now and hope the security isn't bad, or cause a distraction and dart in and out. Ideally with no one the wiser. I can even return the plans once I've copied them over, so it's not stealing, really. Borrowing. But let me help you look..."

He accompanies the duo in their search if they'd like, trying not to crowd them. Mainly look in dark closets/under beds with his glowing infravision, hold open drawers, look under things, knock for hollows in walls, etc.

You get the sense that he's a lot less imposing than a obsidian-skinned, white-mohawked, glowing-red-eyed gnome wielding a knife might first seem.

Investigation: 15 
(Not bad for a -1 mod...)