Session 3 1/2: Interrogating the Magicians

[Adminenkainen]

April 22, 1941, Tuesday
Toledo, Ohio

The Flash was astonished to learn that the cabal of five evil magicians handed over to the FBI had been transferred to local police custody. Apparently, the FBI didn't know a thing about magic and saw them as non-threatening kooks. "Klaver was who we wanted, not some Mandrake wantabes," Agent Fletcher had said dismissively. Apparently he had never seen what Dr. Fate or the Spectre could do! Still, he phoned ahead to let the police know to cooperate with the Flash.

Arriving at the Toledo Police Department building on Erie Street, Flash was met by a young Lieutenant Kral. "We have all five of the perps, counting the three the FBI turned over to us. We have evidence on the two you brought in before, but these other three -- two of them we're going to have to let walk if the FBI doesn't give us some hard physical evidence soon."

The Flash was able to find out more about who they were holding. One of the two magicians the Flash captured was Joseph Hackman, a man with a rap sheet for murder from New York who was convicted of rigging a ventriloquist dummy to poison the man holding it. With him had been John O'Brien of Minnesota, arrested in the past for petty crimes and seemed to have been duped by Hackman into aiding him in his extortion scheme against the mayor here in Toledo.

Of the other three, found in the hideout, one was "Mango the Magician", real name W. Palmer (first name unknown), who was wanted for manslaughter in the accidental death of a volunteer from the audience who was beheaded. The other two, who the police needed evidence against, were Ramo Sanas, a swarthy man of undetermined background, and Loring Calvert, a man from Evansville, Indiana who had toured quite extensively as Calvert the Great.

---
Research Notes: www.magictricks.com/biographies.html, toledopolice.com/

[Ward]

I want to question each of them about what their involvement with Klaver and Dimension Z is. Are they or one of them responsible for opening and controlling the portal. If I can question them individually I'll use the "your partner said you were the mastermind of it all" trick. If that doesn't work (and the cops aren't around) I'll maybe running them around the room in circles, really really fast, for a little light physical pressurization.

Does Flash or any of the League have access to tracking technology? I'm not sure what 1940's LoJack tech was like. I would like to "bug" the cars of the other two if they are let go and leave the police station.

[Adminenkainen]

"Dimension Z? What are you talking about?" Mango the Magician said.

Lt. Kral was game to let Flash try the trick of interrogating each magician separately. He did pick up a few additional tidbits that way.

All five magicians had been contacted by Fritz Klaver's Grayshirts organization individually (though always through intermediaries, never by Klaver himself). Apparently, the Grayshirts had been expecting magical opposition and recruited "black magicians" to counter any "white magicians" who turned up.

Hackman and O'Brien had defected almost immediately after coming to Toledo to pursue their own scheme. Both agreed that the extortion scheme was all Hackman's idea and was done behind Klaver's back.

While none of them knew about Dimension Z, they did know that Klaver had scientists working for him, in sections of the second sub-level of the hideout they were not supposed to go. Of course, invisibly, they had gone there anyway and found the scientists controlled the machines that made the giant animals.

When the Portal Room to Dimension Z was described to them, they confessed to knowing about it, but had believed it to be a trap and avoided it. "Klaver had lots of strange traps around the place, like the sliding stairwell."

The police were willing to put officers on trailing Ramo and Calvert when they were released tomorrow. The Flash, of course, could follow one of them easily, but probably not both of them. He would have to pick which one to follow, if he wanted to.

Flash had still not decided which one when he met up with Green Lantern that night. As it happened, Green Lantern wanted in on this part of the investigation...

[Sandman]

After some much needed rest (I am human after all), I'm back and ready for action. I'll follow one or join Green Lantern in his task (as he's a little squishy and could use some muscle).

[Adminenkainen]

That Tuesday night, while Flash and Green Lantern talked on the roof of the Belle Hotel (for privacy), the Sandman appeared out of the darkness in their midst. Moonlight reflected from his creepy gold mask, as it did the Flash's silvery helmet.

Sandman had spent all day resting and was good to help now. Flash told him what he had just told Green Lantern, that he had worked out a plan with the police today. The police would let two of the magicians go tomorrow and then Flash would try to follow them. The police were not concerned about the released prisoners casting spells, because the police didn't believe that magic was real.

Initially, this would be no big problem, Green Lantern explained, since he still had their magic wands and had not turned them over to the police. The magicians would be powerless without them...unless they had back-up wands stashed somewhere.

That left the three heroes to decide who wanted in on this plan tomorrow, and who would follow who.

[greenlantern]

Why doesnt flash follow obe, Sandman and GH the other. We can report back to each other at night

[Ward]

That sounds like a good plan to me. Me you two back here, on the roof, tonight.

[Sandman]

Sounds great. I think you and I should keep to the shadows as we follow this guy GL. I'll keep my gas gun at the ready just in case.

[Adminenkainen]

For Flash:

April 23, 1941, Wednesday
Toledo, Ohio

That day, at 1:11 pm, the Toledo Police Department released Ramo Sanas. The Flash followed him. Zipping back and forth, always just out of sight, the Flash watched as Ramo went to a payphone and made a call. A bit later, a taxi cab arrived and picked up Ramo. The Flash followed it northeast, out of downtown, and following the river.

The cab stopped at Harbor View, overlooking Maumee Bay. There, Ramo got out, paid his driver, and went out to sit at the foot of a pier. Ten minutes later, he called out, "You can come out and join me if you want, Flash. You're not perfect at this shadowing business, you know; I saw you in the taxi's rearview mirror once."

((surprise rolls: 6, 4; Flash has to have activated a power to keep up with the taxi while on foot))

[Adminenkainen]

For Sandman and Green Lantern:

April 23, 1941, Wednesday
Toledo, Ohio

That day, at 1:27 pm, the Toledo Police Department released Loring Calvert. Across the street was the Sandman's roadster, where the two costumed vigilantes sat and watched. They were ready to roll out if Loring started to move quickly, but he did not; he walked down the street and stopped at a bar.

Neither hero was dressed for inconspicuously following him into a bar, but the Sandman decided to sneak around the back, stealthily enter a back room, and try to observe Loring firsthand. There was no security at the back entrance and, since it was still early afternoon, the bar was poorly staffed. The Sandman was able to easily dodge the bar hand, but arrived just in time to catch Loring, at the bar, saying "Yeah, see you later, then. And thanks," into a phone.

Outside, things were getting awkward for Green Lantern, who was starting to become noticed just sitting there in the car...

((surprise rolls: 1, 5))

[Ward]

Flash approaches Sanas.

"Nice eye, Ramo. I'll be straight with you. I wanted to make sure you were done with this Klaver guy. He's bad news. In way over this head in our opinion. I know you don't know much about this Dimension Z, but we're afraid he might be opening an inter-dimensional can of worm that can't be easily closed. Know what I mean?"

"Was hoping I could get a little more detailed information from you about the layout of the hideout. Where all the known traps might be. Shortcuts, secret passages,.. anything like that."

"I'm aware you aren't the most straight shooting guy, but I'm sure you'd be just as unhappy with a takeover of the human race. Right?"

[Sandman]

Sandman returns to the roadster and fills GL in on what he overheard.

"We need to follow him but in costume this might prove difficult. I suggest we change into civilian clothes while we follow Loring."