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8 months ago ::
Oct 11, 2012 - 6:35AM
#11
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Date Joined:
Aug 21, 2007
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Al nods to the policman and Johah and then accepts Henry's handshake. "Yup. I like to think the bike helps keep me young. Girls seem to like it too" He adds with a conspiratorial wink.
In response to Henry's and the policeman's query Al speaks in a friendly tone. "My uncle sent me a letter inviting me to visit for the weekend. I haven't seem him in quite a while so I figured I should come. "
He pauses as he considers the officer's words, "Wait. What did you mean by WAS? "
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8 months ago ::
Oct 11, 2012 - 9:01AM
#12
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Date Joined:
Nov 16, 2010
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Jonah looks over at Al with raised eyebrows. "Party? No son, not likely." After Al's explanation, then Jonas shakes hands and introduces himself, "Hello, Henry. I'm Jonah Furham, I've not met you," he says to them, "but that's no surprise. We're cousins. Mr. Wilmarth is.. was my uncle by blood. I got a similar invitation myself." He takes off his baseball cap and pulls out the letter. "I don't mean to bother you officer, but is there someone we should talk to, who can tell us on what happened? I should make sure Darcus gets word of this - he's my father."
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8 months ago ::
Oct 11, 2012 - 12:15PM
#13
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Date Joined:
Apr 20, 2011
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hmm, funny. Says Henry as his wife gets the children out of the car. I, too, got a letter, but he is really my second cousin, or something like that. I haven't really seen him in a few years. As his wife and kids exit, he introduces his family. This is Susan, and these are my children Amanda and Geoff. This is Jonah, and this is.......
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8 months ago ::
Oct 11, 2012 - 7:24PM
#14
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Date Joined:
Dec 12, 2003
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The letters were addressed only to you three, but there was no specific mention of coming alone.
The policeman looks less suspicious and more uncomfortable the more then men talk. He clears his throat to interrupt the introduction, then nods to the side of the house. "If I could talk to you gentlemen over here for a minute." Once away from Susan and the children, the officer clicks his tongue in pity and continues. "'Fraid I have bad news about Mr. Wilmarth. Neighbors called a couple nights back and said they heard a commotion over here. Myself and my partner responded and we found Silas on the kitchen floor... dead. Spent a lot of the night looking around and the detectives've been over it too. Coroner says it was a heart attack and, well, we called the family we knew about but sounds like you all weren't close kin and... Well I'm sorry."
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8 months ago ::
Oct 12, 2012 - 11:01AM
#15
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Date Joined:
Apr 20, 2011
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Henry nods his head. Well, okay, then. If you need anything, I will be right here for at least a few minutes. If not, well, I will stay out of your way.
He returns to his family. Well, since you never met him, I guess it is not much of a loss for you. I haven't really seen him since undergraduate school, at the reunion. We were dating at the time, Susan. Uncle Silas has passed on. Heart attack, it looks like. Sorry to bring you guys down this whole way just to find that there is nothing here to do. Maybe he willed some stuff to me.... doubtful, I know.
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8 months ago ::
Oct 12, 2012 - 5:07PM
#16
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Date Joined:
Dec 12, 2003
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The officer watches Henry walk back to his family with a sad look, awkwardly holding the balled-up yellow tape in his hands. "Don't know if you all are having another reunion," he says to Jonah and Al, "but Silas' nephew Henry is staying in town to take care of the estate and such. His daughter was here but she, uh... she couldn't stay I gather." Though the family dynamics of the Wilmarth clan are sometimes difficult to keep track of, the cool emotions between Henry Wilmarth and Deborah Halden are well known. Deborah was the daughter who never wanted Silas Wilmarth as a father and Henry the nephew who wished he were a son. Ordinarily, Henry lives several hours away in Bangor, Maine so he must be in town because of Silas' passing.
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8 months ago ::
Oct 12, 2012 - 8:47PM
#17
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Date Joined:
Aug 21, 2007
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#&%$!
Al swears effortlessly as only one who has made it a habit of swearing could. He's angry at himself for having let himself open up to the possibility of connecting with his uncle and now he's gone before having the chance to do so. And of course his brother would have to be near by. As illogical as it may be, a tiny part of Al wants to blame his brother Henry for Silas' death.
Al exhales slowly trying to reign in the strange mix of emotions swirling through him.
He speaks a bit more quitely now to the policeman. "I'm Al. Henry's my brother. Do you know where in town he's staying?"
His life was just turning around since returning to New England. He doesn't want to spiral down into the gloom again. As much as he wants to avoid his brother, he figures he needs to "man up" and deal head long with the tensions between them before he lets it overwhelm him.
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8 months ago ::
Oct 13, 2012 - 10:28AM
#18
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Date Joined:
Nov 16, 2010
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Jonah stirs from his thoughts at Al's outburst. He looks at the younger man with compassion, "It's a hard thing, all the time we miss when they're taken from us." He takes a deep breath and puts his hat back on.
"I want to see Henry too. I suppose there's funeral arrangements and such things.. and I must admit I'm puzzled by our invitations. I figured Silas was ready to deal with my father's issues - but that's not you gentlemens' concern, so I am perplexed. Mr. Jones, do you and your family have a place to stay? There's no good comes from sleeping in a dead man's house. I have a place an hour out of town, if you're in need. Same goes for you, Al."
If there's no way to find Henry immediately, Jonah will call Darcus, to give him the news and ask after Henry's contact information.
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8 months ago ::
Oct 13, 2012 - 3:33PM
#19
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Date Joined:
Dec 12, 2003
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" He's in the Arkham Boarding House," the officer puts in, " I gather he's setting up a wake for tomorrow evening. I can show you folks the way if you like. Just follow the cruiser back. I got to get to the station anyways." Jonah's farm is northwest of Arkham, off of Route 1 almost to Aylesbury and Dunwich (again here's a map of Lovecraft Country). Darcus Wilmarth lives out that way, but actually Salem, MA (where Henry lives) is closer than that.
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8 months ago ::
Oct 14, 2012 - 9:14PM
#20
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Date Joined:
Aug 21, 2007
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"Right then. Guess its time I spoke with the bro anyways." Al walks back to the bike, throws on his helmet and starts the machine letting it quietly purr as he waits for the officer to lead the way.
Does Al renting a nice condo above the marina in Danver's sound reasonable considering he's now going to Miskatonic U?
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