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The Europa – The Promenade Deck
Research scene
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Outside it is fresh and slightly overcast. The waves are gentle rollers
and the Europa appears to be making good time across the Atlantic.
Walking arm in arm, they beginning walking along the side of the ship.
Lady Nancy smiling at Rick: Well Rick, tell me about yourself and no
holding back.
Rick: Well alright, let me see I’m 39, Catholic and have 3
brothers and 2 sisters. My Dad was a cop too and mum stayed home. Dad retired
now. He was tough but everyone at the precinct loved him you know – they still
go around and have a few beers with him – That don’t stay for long though as Ma
don’t agree with drink and she chases them away – I think she is tougher than
him sometimes.
I was born and bred in Queens. Live in Manhattan and I
support the Dodgers. That’s a baseball team to you.
Lady Nancy: Ah! That’s the policeman in you all about the
facts – where’s the romance! Where’s the danger! Tell me about all that
American jazz and vices!
Rick: Vices! Lady I’m not sure I would tell you even if I could. I like Whisky (probably a little too much) and Lucky Strikes. I know a few girls back home but nothing serious.
Lady Nancy: Well how did you get to be a Policeman and how did you stop being a policeman?
Rick: Well when I was young I would get to go to the precinct with dad sometimes, I loved it there, I always wanted to be a cop. I graduated from the Police Academy and was doing well. I had a reputation as honest and incorruptible. I got promoted to a detective working on organised crime.
One evening, my partner got a tip of a deal going down. We
went to investigate, We walked round to the back alley and straight into a
gunfight, I got shot in shoulder and although partner gave chase the suspects
got away.
The guys at the precinct were great but head office said I
was no good with a bullet in me and I was invalided out of the service with a
small pension.
Not much else to say really except I’m hoping this break
will help me get back to A1 and know where I’m going in the future. How about you? Should I believe everything I
read in the society pages
Lady Nancy: oh gosh? Well possibly – So My name is Lady
Nancy Gwendoline Maud Victoria Higgins, the oldest daughter of Lord Byron
Higgins and Lady Victoria Higgins. My Papa made his money in industry with
large govt contracts mostly.
I attended some of the best private schools in England for
women and then attended Countess Larne’s finishing school for young ladies of
rank in Switzerland. (Although I must say quite a few of those ladies were no
ladies what! <haw-haw>
When I was 3 Papa bought me a pony, by 3 ½ I was racing it
faster than any other horse in the stable. I always had a thing for speed. Let
me see, first I raced horses, then when I was old enough I progressed to cars and
then when that was not enough onto flying.
Papa of course does not approve of any of this – which is
perhaps another reason I suppose why I do it. He hates my flying the most. He
has actually cut me off from my allowance (sort of). His preference would be
that I return home, marry Sir Peter Holmes who has been in love with me since
we were both seven, settle down and have children like a proper young woman. I
cannot imagine anything worse! Well may be being eaten alive by ants in the
middle of the jungle, but you know what I mean <haw-haw>. So now, to supplement
my income, I do challenges and commissions for newspapers and others interested
in what a woman with a plane and a camera can deliver. It’s very exciting and
every story always gets to be delivered to Papa as front-page news – it’s
delicious <she smiles wickedly>
Rick: You say he has sort of cut you off, surely, he has or he hasn’t
Lady Nancy: Oh well, you see, he wants me home, not killed in some fool aeroplane accident because I’m using cheap parts. Not that I would!! Esmerelda is very precious to me, so he pays for his old chief engineer Moses to maintain her and make all the changes necessary so she is as safe as possible.
Moses is a sweetie, he cares for “E” like a new born babe. I
also think he sends Papa reports to let him know I am alright too but I don’t
mind. Moses has been like an Uncle to me since I was tiny.
Had she noticed anything odd about Adolph?
D8 6 d6 3 (+2notice) = 8 1 success and 1 raise.
Now let me ask you something my fine Policeman, why has
Adolph been trying so hard to be invited on my trip and why do all the German
officers on this boat seem to be beholden to him hmmm?
Rick: Well, that’s hard to say Nancy. I confess you've taken me by some surprise!
Had she noticed anything odd about Rick?
D8 1 d6 5 (+2notice) = 8 1 success.
Nancy: Perhaps the same reason you tipped the Steward to sit
at our table? <she smiles wickedly into Rick eyes> I had hoped it was
because you wanted to meet me, but I think it was more to do with Adolph. Don’t
worry, my cousin bats for the other side too it’s all fine with me!
Rick: I err No, err I mean, look I think you are swell, and Adolph, Well err, my mom used to say that people can hide behind the truth and I think that’s Adolph. But look tell me. What do you think of Hitler and his crew – I hear a lot of you rich Europeans think he’s swell?
Nancy: I love Moses, he’s been with us since I can remember –
he’s the perfect gentleman and always helping others. He’s Jewish. If I were to
believe Herr Hitler, then Moses and his family are to blame for all the worlds ills –
utter balderdash as far as I can see and it’s a pretty poor world we live in
where people think that’s true!!
Rick pulls them into a quiet nook out of the wind and looks
at her closely. Weighing up what to say.
Rick: Look Nancy, I’m not too sure what’s going on for sure
but this I do know, Adolph may work where he says he works but I think that
means he is high up in the Nazi party somehow. Every German officer here seems
to know who he is and both respect and fear him. I also know that when you have
mentioned you flight, your plane or anything even remotely connected to Moses,
Adolph has been straining to catch every work of it. I think wants something
connected to your trip or to Moses although goodness knows what. I also think
that Moses might know a little more about things that he might be letting on.
Nancy: Oh gosh and blast, that was exactly the conclusion I had come to too. Do you have any suggestions then Rick on what we should do?
Rick smiles, this dame was really growing on him!
Rick: Well I think it’s always good to get the low down on people. Lets start off with a chat to the Steward and then maybe I might have a look in his room if perhaps you could think of some way to keep him in the bar for a while this evening.
Nancy: <haw-haw> I think you could be trouble Mr Rick
and I’m not sure what you are insinuating about occupying him in the bar
Rick rushes to try and explain himself but she cuts him off with a teasing giggle
Nancy: Don’t worry Rick, I’ve had to keep enough suitors at bay to be able to cover my side of your cunning plan!
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