Quis Separabit: Unknown Irish Republican Armies

[Darthrex]

The previously composed priest calmly looks to his right, before his normally unfocused eyes focus balefully on Cormac. "Please excuse my acquaintance, his wretched state is not fully of his own making, but is there anything or anyone you can think of, for the sake of your daughter?"
(Asking a favor)

[Oisķn]

"You will calm your friend down if you want another word from me," Blood replied in a stern tone, "I'm not about to give a thousand two hundred pounds stirling to men who will treat me with such disrespect in my own home."

[Jomon Dogu]

"Cormac, please! Have some more tea," I insist, pouring him yet another cup. I haven't yet touched mine, growing cold on the table.

"I assure you, Colonel, we - or at least I - have the utmost desire to see your daughter safely back to you. Mr. Quirk has a point in a roundabout way, though. If there are pieces to the jigsaw left in the box, so to speak, then we shall be going into a dangerous situation half-blind, and no one in that case could make any guarantees regarding safety with a clear conscience. Can you think of anyone especially suited to resort to a vicious tactic like kidnap?"

[TheGeorge]

I until this point have been pacing idly in the background, taking in the reactions and observations and trying to think back to what I suspected from the letter and my past studies of written histories.

I take the opportunity to get myself a cup of tea and bring the tea and the tray of biscuits back to the nearest free seat, one can never have enough biscuits.

"Calm down please, Colonel, nobody is daring to accuse you, we are merely asking if you have anyone at all, even a friend, that you suspect could have reason."

[Oisķn]

"I can say honestly," Blood looked into his tea and said, "I can't imagine anyone who would kidnap Eliza. Especially not for money."

He looked over at the priest, "I can give you the names and address of her friends, however, if that might be help, providing you can ensure that your friend doesn't bark at them as well."

[Teuthic]

"I'll have you know, you asked for me, sir: I had never heard your name before your letter, addressed to me, and I just so happened to be on a different continent, found me. But if you don't care for my methods, I'll take my leave right now."
(Lashing out again to keep him off balance.)
With that, I stalk out of the room, hoping Colin will notice an old gambit.

[Jomon Dogu]

"Cormac!" I give the Colonel a theatrically apologetic grimace, and abandon my tea completely to follow Cormac out of the room in a hurry.

Once out of eyeshot, before even acknowledging Cormac's presence, I immediately begin rifling through anything and everything searchable in the next room, muttering to him without looking up.

"That was tremendously impolite of you in there. I didn't realize living in the United States would have such a pervasive and insidious effect on a fellow's manners so quickly!"
[Feeding My Obsession]

[Teuthic]

I steady vases he bumps and move furniture he knocks out of place back in place, knowing exactly what he'll do.

"Well, at least I don't stick my nose into where I shouldn't: you're a grown man now, Colin, this is shameful."
(rolling +hX with him to give him a bonus digging through stuff)

[Jomon Dogu]

"This from a man who just told a prospective employer his daughter could rot." I'm even having a bit of fun now. It feels almost like the old boys are back together.

[Oisķn]

After a few moments, Blood took a pen and scribbled three names and addresses onto a page.

"Jane Willson - n. 21 Fitzwilliam
Laura Fauntaine - n. 4 Upper Mound Street
Amy Hafner- n. 16 Leeson Street"

"I ask that you do not upset either the ladies nor the good gentlemen of these houses," Blood stated, "Perhaps leave Quirk to something else. He has changed a great deal since he left; his reputation painted the portrait of a very different man."

Meanwhile...

Nothing obvious really appeared necessarily interesting initially to Colin, until he noticed a waste paper bin. The maid had left a lot of things in this bin, including half finished food. But it occured to Colin in that moment that it might be the perfect place to hide a secrets might be hidded. You tear through the trash, careful that none fall out, and manage to see a crumbled up sheet of paper.

Cormac sees his partner tearing through a trash can. He remembers all of the things that the bastard has done, his slimy desperation and small betrayals. This is another power game for him. He can't believe that Colin led into another one of his games. In the core of his being, Cormac just wanted to punch the bastard for dragging him back into this garbage.

[Teuthic]

The weedy little fuck hasn't changed. I put my face in my hand and try not to engage: if I keep him at an arm's distance, he can't do any damage. Storming off was just for show, too: starting a fight won't help the cover.
(Keeping my shit together!)

[Oisķn]

Cormac manages not to punch the seedy little fucker but he feels something snap inside him. He'd snapped at a guy for a momentary pause, even as he was offered a small fortune. This bastard, he wanted to punch but he didn't. He couldn't. And he didn't know why.

He took a deep breath and felt himself just crack a little bit more inside.

[Mark 1 Crack]

[Darthrex]

The priest quietly gets up and dusts off his jacket. "Thank you very much sir, we will be sure not to be too harsh with the ladies delicate constitutions. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll just go and check in with my erstwhile associates. He slips out of the room as his malfeasance sense ticks away at him.

[Oisķn]

Shaemus arrives in the room to see Colin digging through the man's trash and Cormac visibly anxious and angry.

Meanwhile,

Blood looks over at Murphy

"You look like a sensible fellow," He says to him, "I am sorry to have gotten you invovled again with these ruffians, you appear to be slightly more cooth than the rest. Your partner seems rather... unpleasant, to speak frankly. I had known him only by reputation previously, but he was not like this before America, that wretched colony. I shall abide by my offer of reward for retrieving both the ransom and my daughter, or even merely my daughter but I ask that either you or Fitzpatrick meet with me for these things, rather than Mr. Quirk."

[Darthrex]

Shaemus takes in the situation unfolding before him, standing silently for a moment, taking in the inexplicable situation before him before deciding that Colin is the debacle of the moment. "Why are you picking through that trash bin son?"