(1938-08-13) To Catch a Thief - Forgotten Memories
Details for To Catch a Thief - Forgotten Memories
Summary: Phil seeks out Keenan to get advice on how victims of a memory charm can be helped.
Date: 13 August 1938
Location: St Mungo's
Related: Plot: To Catch A Thief
Characters
KeenanPhil

What appears to Muggles as an old abandoned store, to the Wizarding Eye it is actually St. Mungo's Hospital. In the middle of the room, behind a busy and paperwork filled desk sits the receptionist. Next to her is a little sign, painted on a cheerful little yellow board, that says, "Questions? Can't Talk? Can't remember why you're here? Never fear, the Welcome Witch is here." Behind her is a large sign that lists the various departments of the hospital with little arrows pointing people in the correct directions. The rest of the room is filled with comfortable looking waiting room chairs and little tables with magazines and newspapers both Muggle and Wizardly.

It was Graham that put the idea into Phil's head to seek out Keenan's help for her investigation. She makes her way to reception, it isn't that the hospital is unknown to Phil her own sister works here but Felicity works with different kind of magical maladies so she can't quite help this time. The Welcome Witch directs Phil towards the waiting area and sends an intern to find Keenan for her.

Luckily for the intern, Keenan has just finished with his current patient, and is headed back to the main desk at the Spell Damage ward, so he is easy to find. The height and the red hair make it easier as well. He checks the appointments lined up for him, the time on a pocket watch with an Irish 1937 penny on the front, and then gives a nod. "I should have time," he agrees, and follows the intern to where Phil waits.

Phil holds her hand out in greeting when Keenan approaches her. "Hello again. I don't know if you remember me. I'm Phil Rowle. I'm friends with your sister and Graham." She smiles at him. "We met at the art exhibit. I was hoping I could talk to you about an investigation I have been working on. Do you perhaps have the time to speak with me?"

Keenan grins lightly and takes the hand offered. "Aye, I remember. Mr. Cohen mentioned ye were working on something to do with memory charms. That is why ye're here?" He nods back towards the ward, his expression good natured enough. "Perhaps ye'd like to talk somewhere with less ears around?"

Phil nods and looks in the direction he is gesturing. "Yes, and thank you. Talking somewhere more private is a good idea." She slips her hands into the pockets of her lightweight summer robes and makes to follow him back to the ward. "Graham actually suggested you would be someone who might be able to help me. My sister is a healer but she doesn't deal with memory charms or spell damage of that sort."

Keenan leads the way, and turns into one of the offices just inside the ward. It's smallish, but it's also apparent that he doesn't need much space, since there's very little on the desk or shelves. There are a couple of more comfortable chairs in front of the desk, and he gestures to them. "Aye, and as I told Cohen, if I'm noy here, Healer Winterthorne is very gifted in memory charms as well." He turns to lean back against his desk, his palms resting on the corner of the wood. "And how is it I can help ye? Have ye been a victim of one of these charms?"

Phil smooths her dress over her backside before lowering herself down onto the chair. She looks around as he sits then turns her gaze upon Keenan. "As I don't know what Graham has told you I shall start at the begining. I discovered that a series of witches were victims of a an unusual form of theft. These women are not terribly bright and are the trusting sort. I'm sure you can imagine the type of women I mean. They were lonely and were going out for drinks in public places. They'd meet an ordinary wizard, he seemed nice. They'd share a drink and then wake up the next day in an alley way or a field or on the underground and have nothing on them. No money, no jewelry - just their clothes and their wands. They felt ashamed of what had happened, that they had been duped and did not report it either to the MLE or come in to be checked over here. We now know who the man is and I have found evidence of some of their things but it would be better if we can get some of their memories back."

Keenan listens carefully, his relaxed posture not shifting or fidgeting as Phil speaks. When she finishes he nods once, and his come together to clasp and rest in his 'lap'. "Aye, memory charms can be reversed. If they are unable to remember such a large amount of time, though," his brow furrows. "It may be a lot to try and recover. Some of them might wish they had not." He straightens and moves around behind his desk, tapping at the top of it as he stands, looking through the shelves on the wall in front of him. "It's a good thing ye have proof on the man, other than the memories of these women to convict him. Since their memory's already been toyed around with, people tend to question if the memories that return are to be trusted."

Phil is not much of a fidgeter either it seems, or perhaps she just mimics the people she is with to put them more at ease. Whatever the reason she is sitting still, her posture perfect. "There were no signs of sexual abuse as far as I was able to discern. I am obviously no healer but the women reported their clothes were intact. Nothing in the pockets of skirts was taken, only handbags, things in the pockets of coats and their jewelry which had been visible - watches, rings, earrings, necklaces sometimes." She nods as she listens to his advice. "Clearly this is hypothetical because I do not have any of the victims with me, but if some were willing do you think you might be able to try and help them piece together the events of the evening?"

There's a brief curl to the lips, bringing out a dimple, but it's an expression lacking in mirth. "There's other things one may not want to remember other than having relations without realizing it," he says quietly. He gives a final rap on the desk top and nods as he turns. "Aye. If they're willing, I can help them. An' truly, that is one key to bringing back memory. Ye have to be willing, because it means letting yerself be open to someone again. If ye're resisting, it may interfere."

"Yes, I suppose there is," says Phil quietly. A haunted look crosses her features ever so briefly it is easy to miss. "I will speak with a couple of the women who have good family networks and who I think would be strong enough to go through this. What days are best to speak with you again, sir? I know you must be terribly busy as is."

Keenan has sharp eyes, attuned to trying to catch what his patients aren't telling him, however his expression doesn't change as he notes her haunted look. Instead, when she mentions how busy he must be, he smiles swiftly with almost a bit of mischief. "I have an appointment schedule from eight to five Monday through Fridays. One of the perks o'seniority," he adds with an almost chuckle. "My hours are quite regular, and during the daylight." A wink, and he comes from behind his desk to lean against the front of it once more. "Are there any other questions I can answer for ye, Mrs. Rowle?"

Phil cannot help but laugh a little at his boyish charm. "I will keep that in mind." With a slight shake of her head she says, "I am not married, it is just miss." She thinks about his question for a moment and asks, "Can you tell me what will happen? How you would treat the women? They will undoubtedly ask me and I'd like to be able to put them as ease as much as possible."

With his hands clasped once more in front of him, Keenan nods at the correction before he answers the question. "It's a charm, same as what took their memory is a charm. The tricky part is that after the charm, ye aren't to /try/ and think about what it was ye lost. Ye have to let it work for a bit, then ye return, and then we work with asking ye questions to pull the memory into focus."

She nods her dark head, thinking about what Keenan is telling her. "So they will need to be as comfortable as possible. Would it help if they perhaps wore the same clothes as that night or would that make it worse?" She reaches into her robes and takes out a small pad of paper and a pencil. "Out of curiosity's sake would such a charm work best in the original setting?"

The outside corner of Keenan's left eye crinkles once at the questions being asked, but he gives his head a slow shake. "In my experience, it is not making a difference. At least, not much of one that I can tell," he pauses and folds his arms so that one elbow can rest on a forearm, lifting his hand so his thumb can trace lightly over his chin. "If anything, it's more of a mental thing. If a woman thinks it will help her, than, by all means, aye. She can wear what she was wearing. But it is not being necessary."

The pencil is the only sound in the little office for a few moments as Phil scratches down notes in what looks like some personal version of shorthand. After she finishes she looks over at Keenan again. "Is there anything else you can think of to tell me that I should convey to them before bringing them here, Healer?" She sits, pencil poised ready to write any instructions down.

Keenan watches the pencil scratch with a slightly raised brow, his thumb still. At her question, he drops his arms once more and shakes his head. "Nae. They just have to be willing to trust a Healer to be having their best interests in mind, and that I will be doing my best to be helping them."

Phil smiles sweetly and tucks her pad of paper and pencil away again. "I certainly cannot think of a reason why they wouldn't trust such a masterful healer as yourself to help them. I know I would." She scoots forward until she is perched on the edge of the chair. "I wish to thank you for this Master Healer O'Shea. These are not wealthy women, they're the kind society often overlooks or blatantly ignores but I feel they deserve to be treated with respect and kindness so I greatly appreciate that you have offered your time and considerable skills to aide them."

His eyebrow completes the climb it had started before when she compliments him as a masterful healer, and he gives a chuckle, straightening when she finishes. He offers a hand to bring her to her feet and shakes his head. "I am not one of yer puffed up Healers needing his ego stroked to be willing to help, Miss Rowle. 'T'isn't why I became a healer." He pauses once she's on her feet and turns for the door in preparation to leading her out. "And it just may be that I know a bit about being the kind society overlooks," he adds quietly. He pauses before he opens the door. "Everyone has a right to be healed, and treated with the same respect as any other person that comes here for healing."

Phil shakes his hand firmly even as she chuckles. "Then I shall save my platitudes for those who require puffing up. It is an old habit, I apologise and hope you do not think less of me for it." She looks Keenan over carefully, much like him she is quiet an observant person and something about him strikes her for she cants her head and nods in response to some seemingly internal question. "Indeed they do. Thank you again. I will be in touch as soon as I speak with some of the women."

Keenan turns to give Phil one more grin, which pushes a dimple into the scruff on his cheeks. "'Twas a pleasure speaking with ye, Miss Rowle. I will inform the welcome witches to be expecting ye to make some appointments." So saying, he opens the door, holding it for her. "Have a pleasant day."

Phil nods her final goodbye before making her way out with a purposeful stride.

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