Case No. 21
BARISTA: AUDITOR
CAFE: ALL
DATE: MID FEBRUARY
RECEIPT ID: TBC-04
We know who Requiem's next customer will be: Nico "Nickels" Costigan. As far as I'm concerned, he's already booked his brunch with us. Of course, there is a lot we still don't know about Nickels and what he can actually do. So, we're going to need to go deeper than before, research in parallel—some of us in the field, some of us hitting the books. Felix and I want Katherine, Penelope, and Elizabeth in the field. Katherine and Elizabeth are nigh indestructible and Penelope's ability to mix a mean cocktail should keep them all safe. Meanwhile, Jade, Ichabod, Oleander, Aelan, Felix, and I will hang back at Requiem to further understand Ms. Sandiego and her connection to her singer.
While Jade did see "Nickels" (or, a strange cocoon like entity) at La Belle Pleureuse, as far as we can tell he still performs elsewhere in the French Quarter. We——ll… "Nickels," right? A certain "Giano St. Cinco" is performing at the Wailin' Nixie… Which, come on super sleuths, it's an anagram of Nico Costigan, isn't it? Have you ever thought how much harder our work in the Coffee Trade would be without all the self-indulgent anagrams and the like? Naturally, in this specific case, I believe he needs to perform under his name (or close enough) to tap into whatever "secret sauce," he's been using to call out the aid of Mr. Fenimore.
In either case I'd like to have something concrete together by the end of the month. While we know quite a bit about Ms. Sandiego we don't know how she has been communicating with Nickels and the nature of their relationship. Before we serve Nickels… potentially in full… I'd rather know where he stands in this quagmire. Besides, Nickels is old, and disturbing old things in New Orleans must be done with some degree of care, as you've all come to learn with the Cane of Fate.
Caffeinated Report: C-TBC-05
"Dead Dove: Do Not Eat."
Cemetery Trivia ⦚ 1 Word
Caffeinated Report: C-TBC-06
"Like a crane or swallow, at the gates of the grave."
Theology Trivia | 1 Word
Caffeinated Report: C-TBC-07
"Michael and Jophiel."
Angelology Trivia | 3 Words
Caffeinated Report: C-TBC-08
"12 12 12 12 12, 21 over 18, except… 21 not 18, in the States, at least."
Tradition Trivia | 2 Words
Caffeinated Report: CD-THC-02
"Norea's Know-it-all."
Research || 1 Word
BARISTA: AUDITOR
CAFE: ALL
DATE: MID FEBRUARY
RECEIPT ID: TBC-09
Well, good work on both fronts!
Katherine, Penelope, and Elizabeth's field investigation at the Wailin' Nixie proved rather insightful. It would seem our friend Nickels isn't just acquainted with Ms. Sandiego but Ms. Bradbury as well. In fact, it would seem Nickels views Ms. Bradbury as his current patron, more than Ms. Sandiego. Interesting. Dangerous, too, of course. Meanwhile, the rest of us were hitting the books. Ichabod reached a dead end and Oleander discovered an interesting link illustrating how we got to this point… But, and I hate to brag, I truly do, but Felix and I's research is the most valuable of the lot.
We found two living companions of Nickels Costigan.
Two living companions who were there, in 1924.
Two of the four who stopped Nickels the first time around.
We're good, aren't we? Damn good. Better yet, these two living companions enjoy an escargot sandwich, courtesy of Tesseract's sponsor, Sara. And they're Langleys. Abner and Magdalena Langley, to be specific. I've already got in touch with Solomon about the matter and he'll do what he can to set up a meeting with his younger brother and youngest sister. Shouldn't take long though. Despite them all being a rather slothful bunch, time tends to turn in their favor and—consequently—ours.
Once we can uncover what Abner and Magdalena did to stop, or at least slow, Nickels and Ms. Sandiego the first time around, we can start devising a way to do the same, or better; we are the Cafe and Diner, after all. And, more than finding out how to stop Nickels, perhaps we can come to understand why he is doing this in the first place and if there is any room at all for us to help him without having to serve him and his illicit patrons in full.