| Details for The three Stooges |
| Summary: | Rena, Graham and Shelley interrogate the three (stooges) who took part in the sneak attack within the Leaky Cauldron. |
| Date: | 08-16-1940 |
| Location: | Law Enforcement |
| Related: | Duck?... Where?! |
| Characters |
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The day has arrived for the iterrogation of the attackers from the Leaky Cauldron, the crime which apparently has shocked many. The room is prepared and it seems that at the beginning one suspect of a time will be brought in to be spoken to by the Auror's in question Shelley and Graham were there both to I.D the men which hads already been done and Rena has been called in to help ask questions and the like. Graham has the room setup for this three chairs on one side of the table and a place for the man in the hotseat to sit.
Shelley is seated casually in her seat, one foot propped up on the bottom of her chair, the other on the floor. She sips from a cup of coffee, and looks up with an unfriendly smile as the man is brought in. "Ah, another of the idiots," she remarks casually. Glancing at Graham, she asks, "Do you think he'll have enough brains to help himself out here?"
Rena is not known for being the soul of propriety or diplomacy. Rather, she is known for being about as obvious as a brick to the face; but, what she lacks in tact, she makes up for in foolish sincerity - which can sometimes come in handy during interrogations, when criminals are looking for a "friend."
For her part, the little redhead glances at Shelley, giving her a mildly scolding look for her remark. Name-calling is the best way she knows how to set a prisoner on edge and get his hackles up. Turning her attention to the man, she offers a solemn: "Good day, Mister-erm…" She pauses to glance surreptitiously at the file beneath her hand. "Mister Bleeks."
Graham looks to Shelley a moment a slight shake of his head though he looks back across the table he sits at. "I'm sure you realize what happend is fairly serious.. though right now the question is of why it happend and as you can imagine the most.. helpful of you three will get the most of our understanding." He says simply the truth of the matter.
Mr Bleeks is tall and thinly build pale skinned looking to be in his early late 20's early 30's his face is straight as they speak to him he shakes his head "Wasnt my idea miss." he says quickly speaking to Rena looking to her to help him perhaps though he sets his face trying to appear strong his eyes scan a bit wildly over the three and down to the table and back
Shelley gives her compatriots her most innocent look of, 'what?' Someone has to be the 'bad cop' here - and Merlin knows it's not going to be Graham or Rena. "Yes, well, perhaps you ought to tell whose idea it was," she remarks. "I'm just waiting for the boss to let me know the room is ready for the last of your friends."
Of the three Aurors in the room, the expectant mother is clearly the most empathetic, judging by her appearance alone. Rena can take a hard line if she has to, but, she would prefer not to.
"Really, Mister Bleeks, if it weren't your idea, then the best thing you can do is make a clean breast of it and tell us who gave you orders. You don't want to go to prison for a long spell - nobody does," she adds, sympathetically shaking her head. "Please, for your sake, just tell us the story from the beginning." It's worth a shot, isn't it?
Its an odd silent look while both looking to his fellow aurors and to the man across the table and all his movements and everything. Graham is getting a good read on him if he can before they get into the serious questions though the question then is simply as asked who had the idea and what the story is. "Yes lets start from the beginning.. was it a plan that happend at the Cauldron or before?"
The man really does look very breakable. He shakes his head "No..no.. I cant go to prison.." he seems horrified by the thought his fingers twitching and the eyes increasing between them. I'll tell what I know." he seems to be the sort that if pressed to hard will break but not in the helpful way but in the shut down sort of way. "Niles, Lonnie and me, we were at the Leaky Cauldron that night and we'd all been drinkin' pretty heavily and we hadnt planned nothin.. I didnt even want to. Niles saw the Auror sittin there and started talkin bout how he didnt look so tough, but it was just talk.. just talk." he nods to Graham speaking about which auror they meant though pauses and shakes his head "Please I cant go to prison." says again.
Shelley takes another sip of her coffee. "Best keep talking, then," she remarks, her gaze flicking towards the door as if expecting to be summoned away at any moment. Seeing as he's already starting to talk, however, she adds nothing else.
It seems for the best that Rena keep herself to herself while the man speaks. She simply nods, giving him an encouraging look to urge him to go on. As she has been largely relegated to desk work of late, it seems right that she be the one with the quill pen, recording his story. It's a pity that those automatic pens are so unreliable and misinterperate half of everything people say in their presence. Hopefully, one day a better charm will be devised for them. In the meantime, however, Rena writes.
Graham nods to Shelley's words and looks across the table to the scared man that sits there looking really rather frail at the moment. "We can help, but yes the full story." He comments looking over to the notes Rena is taking a moment to give the man to gather himself. It isnt long though before he looks back expectant to him.
James looks to the three of them and the two remarks he stutters a moment taking a breath trying to regain hold. "Lonnie tho.. he's been down on his luck.. lost his job and his wife.. he seemed to like the idea. That's when the other one walked in." he notes Shelley here. The man does seem to be breaking down though under the assumed weight here. He starts crying "Cant…cant.. cant.." he says unable to say more.
Shelley's eyes roll up towards the ceiling. Really, she shouldn't be surprised. The three of them were taken out easily enoough - it makes sense that they were only three idiotic drunks who let a bad idea into their heads. "And when Lonnie saw me…" she prompts.
Rena absolutely hates it when people are distressed. This is why she is seldom brought into interrogations. Her heart is just too soft - and some would argue her head is just as bad.
Biting her lower lip, the meek little redhead looks between the other two Aurors helplessly. It would be so much easier if he were being obnoxious and rude, instead of like this.
Unclasping her thin handbag, Rena withdraws a clean handkerchief and offers it across the table to Mister Bleeks. "Please, try to control yourself. We've already told you that if you cooperate, you won't be in nearly as much trouble…"
It isnt ever easy to sit and watch someone cry.. even a criminal just something about it seems /wrong/ Graham looks across the table to the man "Mr Bleeks, please?" he adds his voice to the others speaking quite softly now though he isnt sure the man can even here him.
Mr Bleeks is indeed appearing to be a lost cause. "Cant,cant." he sobs he doesnt seem the offered handkerchief shaking his head as such. It is a few moments of this Graham will look back to the others "We'e done Mr Bleeks." he looks towards the door and nods "Bring in the next." the crying man is lead out and then he'll continue. Mr Niles Burton fourty years old."
It isnt long before the next man is shown inside the room and to the chair. He is shorter but more strongly built than Mr Bleeks he doesnt have any of the signs of twitchyness or unease either staring across a bit hard at the three.
"You're sure you got it all?" Shelley is saying to Rena as the man is brought in - hopefully having watched his sobbing compatriot being lead past. She doesn't seem nearly as bothered by the way the man had broken as her two fellow Aurors. Rather - she merely found it rather annoying. But they can always try again later, when he's got his wits back. She's taken a half-standing position, to lean over and look at Rena's paper, and retakes her seat as the second man enters. "I hope, for your sake, you corroborate what we already have," she remarks to the man in a stern tone.
Still upset over the meltdown and fast decomposition of Mister Bleek's demeanor (and seeming mental condition) Rena watches the man leave, and then leans in to write something on a side note: "I am going to recommend the gentleman be taken to Saint Mungo's for evaluation. Something en't right with 'im. Unless you can prove 'e were truly at fault for anything in the situation and not just doing as 'e were told," she continues, glancing between Graham and Shelley grimly, leaving the last part unsaid as the new prisoner enters. "And yes, I got it all." She replies to Shelley's question calmly.
"Mister Burton," Rena greets him with a nod.
Graham will turn to look at the new man who enters first impressions are this man looks more tough, likely not going to break so easily. He will make mental notes of how he sits and if he fidgets or anything else which might give something away.
Niles looks to the three and he does lounge in his chair sorta like it was a throne a bit. The three may notice though he does return the nod given to Rena something off about that politeness? "Dont expect me to go blubbering like Bleeks there, i'm made of sterner stuff anyways." he says lazily.
"At least Bleeks has a sense of self-preservation," Shelley responds, speaking in a flat and somewhat dubious tone of voice. "It remains to be seen if you have the same good-sense."
Rena's eyebrows twitch into the slightest hint of an arch: "Stern enough to withstand prison for a long spell?" She asks, not even half-kidding. She may still be the soul of sympathy, but it is painfully clear that this man is unlikely to be swayed by it. Perhaps cold reality will do the trick. "We don't want anything from you but the truth, Mister Burton. It's a fair cop. You were nicked in the act, and there's no getting out of what you did. But, things can go easier on you in the long run if you tell us why you chose to attack two Aurors in a public place that is notorious as a safe refuge from conflict."
Graham looks to the man "Hm, perhaps that may work if your favor.. or not.." He says across the table to the man not displaying anger or anything just curiosity as to what would be said here. "So lets start from the beginning." he prompts
The man louging in the chair looks first to Shelley and "Hm..maybe or maybe not." he says lazily looking to Rena next "Probably so, just words all you people do is talk, and talk, and talk.." he says dismisively though he does move a little in his chair. "Hm so two pals and I were sitting in the pub.. having some drinks." he pauses smirking a little "Wand goes off accidently breaking a table." he shrugs.
Shelley lets out a dismissive snort. "You realize, if you don't give us a truthful telling, it'll be worse for you. More time in Azkaban. In the tender care of the Dementors. The Ministry does not look kindly on those that attack Aurors." She looks towards Rena then adds, "At least Bleeks had enoough intelligence to realize that."
Graham looks to the man at his tough guy talk. He will shake his head at it though looking him over. "The Dementors dont need to talk, trust me.." He says looking to him in agreement with Shelley's words.
The man looks between the two.. "Your words dont scare me, Azkaban for what? Having a bit of a laugh?" he spits out though if they look close they may just see the lie in his bravado a twitch of his lips something in the mans apperance though words do not seem to be phasing him.
"You consider attacking members of the Magical Law Enforcement Department to be 'a bit of a laugh,' and you expect the Wizenmagot to go lightly on you with that sort of a defense?" Shelley asks. She laughs. "Well. At least that corroborates what Bleeks told us - clearly Burton here is not the ideas man. Why don't you make this easier on you and start telling the tale."
"Mister Burton…" Rena responds, taking on a decidedly weary tone as she puts her two cents in. "There were too many witnesses to the attack, and your own companion will sing like a sparrow to take some of the heat off himself. Every word you waste on lies just digs a deeper pit for you to climb out of. So please, do yourself and everyone concerned a favor and just tell us the truth."
Graham sighs at the mans lack of co-ooperation. "You really are making this harder then it needs to be." He adds in cooperation with the other aurors. "Now talk."
The man shakes his head "More talk.. what if I dont /feel/ like talking then what do you do next just sit and stare at me?" The man looks between the three "Cowards, do something about if you want me to talk.." He says still looking as relaxed as you please otherwise.
"Well, no, then we get to do all the fun things. Seize all your assets, treat your home and place of work as a closed crime scene - for as long as we like - question everyone who knows you and give them the same glowing and friendly MLE hospitality - and then take payment for our careful efforts from the assets that we've seized. Can't imagine you'll have much of anything left after all that - not that it'll matter. How many years in Azkaban is it for attacking someone from the MLE? And you attacked two of us. That does factor into the sentence." Shelley accounts all this with a great deal of satisfaction - as if she is personally looking forward to ruining the man's life. "I wonder how many other misdeeds will turn up in our search? Or do you expect us to believe that attacking the MLE is first time you've committed a crime?"
Niles listens and apparently gets the hint his focused gaze widens a bit "Hey, easy now.. no violence.. nessisary." He comments the words dont seem to effect him though the thought of their being a rough up apparently does the trip well enough. "Fine.. I will tell it." The man regains some of that tough guyness but it is indeed a show that violence or even threats there of unmasks. "We'd been drinking fairly heavily "I may have said I didnt think the two of you looked so tough booky here and tough girl?" he points to Graham and Shelley "But I was just blowin hot air James started laughing about it making jokes bet he said he never would have done anything that twerp. Then Lonnie agrees but gets all serious and says we could take'em trying to get us to do it.. Hey and I dont want to I argue with him."
"You'd rather face the MLE than talk sense into your friend?" Shelley shakes her head to show what she thinks of that decision.
"It don't make any sense, Mister Burton," Rena remarks, decidedly puzzled by his testimony. "Why would you decide to attack a couple of Aurors in a place like the Leaky Cauldron without provocation or any reason previous to it?" She asks, looking somewhat incredulous.
After a long moment, the young woman gives a tired shrug of her shoulders and looks to Graham and Shelley.
There's a knock at the door and Shelley is gestured out - perhaps to begin interrogating the last of the trio. Or at least, that's the impression they leave the poor man with.
"So you see, I tried to stop him!" The man says though goes back and explains "I was just talkin tough, I dont want to be hurt or nothin!" It seems the tough guy act is just a show though he's not blubering like the first suspect he is shaken now for sure. "Its Lonnie you want, he threatened us! Made us do it. Said we had to or he'd turn us in. May not be honest men the three but we're no murderers."
Despite Rena's sympathetic nature, she seems to be less moved by Mister Burton than she had been by Mister Bleeks. "Your companion, Mister Bleeks, will be taken care of at Saint Mungo's, if I ain't mistaken." She says evenly. "As for yourself and Lonnie, we'll see after interviewing 'im. There's a good chance you will wind up under the jurisdiction of the Hit Wizards, rather than Aurors. Which will make things a little easier on you in the long run. But, no promises there."
No reason not to lay it on the line for the man - objectionable though he may be. "Thank you for your eventual honesty. Good day, Mister Burton." Rena adds quietly, resuming the scritch-scratch of the quill pen to paper.