Even with all the turmoil in Nicole Collins life she was still commissioned to work on the Vera Endecott Case. Murder and Hollywood. Lost Films and a Porn Star client. An easy distraction for her. And so, Nikki Collins and Rhyaad deAnnar are on their way to interview the head of The Collinsport Film Festival, who is planning on showing some of the long missing films. But, they will discover that there are darker shadows in Vera Endecotts life and death.
7:45. Wharf Cineplex. Nikki Collins, working with Rhyaad deAnnar, arrived. A light film crowd was just drifting out of the theaters into the parking lot looking for their cars. Collins and deAnnar were working a case for Collins Investigation. The Natasha Snow/Vera Endecott case. They had driven over to the Wharf Cineplex to meet with a film critic for the Collinsport Star, Ina Finch.
As they walked to the front door, Nikki showed the doorman her private investigations license and badge.
Private Investigators, huh. The Door man asked.
Yes.
Wow, I wanted to be one.
What? Nikki asked.
A Private investigator.
Its not all fun son. Rhyaad told him.
Yeah, guess not. dead bodies and stuff, huh.
Sometimes.
So, why didnt you. Nikki asked.
What?
Become a private investigator.
Criminal record.
Dun-de-dun-dun-dun.
The small screening room lights were coming up as the feature film presentation came to an end. Nikki and Rhyaad, had scheduled the meeting with Ian Finch, regarding the October Film Festival, and in particular Vera Endecott. He was viewing a new film for a review in a small special theater for Art Films.. He asked to be met there. Nikki opened the door and they entered the small theater. Ian Finch, a short man with graying hair, glasses and an argyle sweater sat alone on the first row.
Nikki and Rhyaad make their way down to join him.
Ian frowning at the screen turns to see the tall young woman, and the strikingly handsome man accompanying her down the side of the theater.
“You must be Miss Collins.”
“Yes,” Nikki says and takes a seat, “Mr. Finch?”
“Yes,” He looks at Rhyaad and smiles, And who might your friend be?”
Rhyaad quietly follows Nikki and takes a seat across from Mr. Finch. “Rhyaad. Rhyaad de’Annar”
He offers him a slight bow of the head, which might be mistaken for some European tradition.
“Mr. de’Annar,” Finch says, “You opened the Nightingale recently, right? I have been meaning to stop by and see the newest tea room.”
Rhyaad nods. “Yes, I did, Mr. Finch. And I am very pleased with it if I do say so myself. It was an easy endeavour. We will be featuring alcoholic libations now, just in case you would be interested to know that.”
“Wonderful to have such an establishment here in Collinsport.” Finch said and smiled, “So tired of nothing but Starbucks. A nice wine list I hope.
Rhyaad grins slightly at the suggestion, “Indeed. And for the drinks, I am still making up my mind. I get suggestions from different people. I think a selections of wines, particularily red, would be a good idea.”
Mr. Finch we are here to ask a few questions about Vera Endecott.” Nikki says.
Rhyaad nodded. “Or Miss Snow, since Vera Endecott was not her actual name.”
“Oh, lovely.” Finch said to the thought of a nice wine list,”Just lovely.”
He turned to look at Nikki, Yes, you said that in your call. Not that I am sure why?”
“I’m a private investigator and I am working for the Snow family, Natasha Snow in particular.” Nikki explained.
“Oh, the woman who is trying to sue me and the paper?” Finch nodded, “The porn star.”
“We’re not actually involved in the litigation, we are looking into the films themselves.”
“What a rare find, let me tell you.
What was?
The films of course. Most of those everyone thought were long since destroyed.”
“An estate sale in Tampa, I hear.”
“Oh, yes — mind my asking, you’re from London, right?”
Rhyaad takes out a pad of paper and a pen, poised to take notes.
“Yes,” Nikki answered not certain what that had to do with anything.
“Thought so, can spot a London accent — different that other parts of the country you know,” Finch said nodding, “Well, now as to the films, you are right.”
Nikki nods.
“Seems this retired projectionist, god that is a lost art, had all of these films just sitting around in his garage.” Finch said. ‘”Like that TV show on PBS where they have people finding things all the time — maybe A&E, not sure.”
“Don’t you think that odd, Mr. Finch”, he interjected, “That this projectionist just happened to have such very rare films sitting around in his property? Any idea how he might have obtained those films?”
“Well for certainsome of them like The Hound’s Daughter were thought to have been either put away in a vault by the studio or burned. In particular the Hound’s Daughter — nasty piece of work, actually. So yes, it is strange that a projectionist in New Jersey just happened to have it, as well as some of the others., Below the Lake, yeah maybe, but some of the others.”
“Thought to have been, yes. So were these films taken from vaults? The ones that escaped the burners? Or perhaps, could they have been in a private collection?”
“My guess, a private collectionsome aficionado of grotesque cinema.”
“Yes, it is quite strange.” Rhyaad looked at Nikki, not wanting to intrude on her territory by asking the questions himself.
“Is it possible they may have been stolen?”
“Oh, well now I wouldn’t want to speculate on that.”
“But if you did speculate, Mr. Finch?” Rhyaad asks.
‘The one that get’s the attention of course is The Hound’s Daughter.
“Bestiality, I presume?” Rhyaad nods.
“Well, you see the history on that is that it was the first cut they had the viewing of it and the studio just went like crazy they were loose back in the 20’s in the cinema, but they didn’t have an NC-17 or a X at the time. Finch informs them, “And actually one of the executives was said to have stormed out of the screening, said it made him ill.”
“Looking at the time line, The Hound was made before or after The Constant Nymph?” Nikki asks.
“Oh, well it would have to be before, cause Vera was out of motion pictures with The Constant Nymph. They were just lucky they were done with principle photography on it, because of all the scandal.”
Finch looks at Rhyaad, “There is some bestialitybut the scene that made him sick was the masturbation scene with the skeleton.”
“Oh, I see.” He wrinkled his nose. “Which was her last film, before the gruesome murder?”
“You seeor you can see, for yourself, you are coming to the Festival, the week of Halloween, I hope.” Finch looks at them expectantly, but get no indication of whether they have any intentions of coming to the festival, “I mean we are damn lucky we are able to show it, I mean it is nasty porn, but it has art history and so, we have gotten permission to view it.”
“Most certainly, Mr. Finch.” Rhyaad nods.
Suddenly as if remembering, Oh, the murders, yeah that got her out of pictures. Finch adds. Studio had enough — the drinking, heroin and all, but the murder did her in.”
Rhyaad nods. “I don’t suppose you would know if Miss Snow kept any copies of her films herself?”
“I understand the charges were dropped two days after they were filed.” Nikki says sitting back in her seat.
“Studio bribed the DA,” Finch said.
“Isn’t that quite suspicious?” Rhyaad asks
‘He was later, oh, about a month after, indicted on conspiracy to receive bribes.”
Finch notes, Big old scandal, Asa Keyes Los Angeles District Attorney.”
“But who was charged, initially? And why would the studio want those charges dropped?” Rhyaad aska.
“But soon as Vera’s charges were inexplicably dropped, the studio dropped her. That was 1927.”
“And so what happened to her then?” Nikki leans forward
“Went to New York, tried the stage, but Satan Worship and murder doesn’t sit too well even in New York so she ended up back in Boston.” Finch recounts, an apparent encyclopedia on Vera Endecott. “Oh, just to make clear, you see they studio, well they got the murder charges got dropped; but right after, like the very next day, after she filmed one more scene, so the Studio could release the Nymph they also dropped her contract.”
Finch continues, ‘So, everyone knew thatthe story spread like wildfire, seeing as she was part of the Snow family.”
“The Snow family, from what I hear they have quite the reputation.” Nikki says and languidly brush back a sweep of her hair as she leans forward to look at Finch.
“Miss Collins there is nothing that family has not been involved in. You think Satan Worship is something you might pick up in Hollywood, up in the hills. I think Vera took with her from Ipswich. I mean they have been into all manner of paranormal stuff . . . her father, Iscariot was known for odd rituals at night in the back hills. Scared even people down in Arkham, who have seen some odd things.”
“So — she went to Boston.”
Rhyaad watches and listens, glad that Mr. Finch did not choose to comment that the Collins family also has quite a ‘reputation’. He snickered at the comparison to Arkham.
“Drinking and drugs Finch intones. She became a model. You hear of Richard Upton Pickman?”
“Only in some research in this case.”
Rhyaad scribbles some names down, and also on a whim, the words “Arkham” and “connection?”
“That man, great artist, but in-sane! His pictures are of the most strange landscapes ever. Monsters and all kinds of stuff like you would not even believe. His stuff goes for millions now. She modeled for him.. The as if an after thought, Finch says to Rhyaad so as for him to make a note, Now he disappeared you know.”
“Oh?” Rhyaads eyebrow shot up.
“Right — just around the time of her murder.” Nikki aggress.
“Was a suspect but that case is still open too, you know.” Finch said and crossed his legs. “Both of them, his disappearance and her murder.”
“What if he was also murdered, but not so dramatically, and his body hidden?” Rhyaad asks.
“Hung from a tree in a graveyard.” Finch shook his head, “She was a beauty but whoever did those things to her just ripped her up, like they were tearing at a canvas, but know. So, my money is on Pickman, really.”
“Was Pickman into Satan worship?” Nikki asks.
“Pickman, oh no, Miss Collins. He was into really weird shit. Believed in things beyond time and space. Elder Gods I think he called them. Said they were at any moment about to cross over to our side, said he could see them in his dreams.”
Finch shook his head, “Crazy mad and on drugs I say. But, people spend millions now on a Pickman canvas. In fact if you want to see one, I think there are one or two at the Miskatonic in Arkham.”
“Do you think Vera killed the woman in California?” Nikki asks now alluding to the scandal that destroyed Endecott.
Rhyaads pen flew and scribbles rapidly as Mr. Finch mentioned Arkham in connection with belief in strange, elder gods who could ‘cross over’.
“Oh well Miss Collins most of those records were destroyed when they dropped the charges. Paramount Studio security saw to that. But, from what I know, she was a young prostitute. Poor girl was Mexican, just recently over the border, you knowworking the Hollywood street looks for fame and fortune but for her, Id say mostly fortune.
It was ritualistic I understand. Nikki says about the murder.
Finch nods, She was stabbed multiple times, torso, chest, breasts if it was a ritual it must have went bador she didn’t die when she should haveyou know. But the whole think got raided. Some hush hush Government agency went in.”
Finch adds, ‘Had local law there to make it look like a speakeasy raid.”
“Now, Mr. Finch. I don’t know what you mean by ‘she didn’t die when she should have’. Care to elaborate?” Rhyaad says looking up from his notes.
“Oh, I meant they must have been performing a ritual and you know and they should have just killed there on that stone altar they foundI mean that is what a sacrifice is all about right? But, the poor girl she lived for a day at the county hospital. She never did wake up you know, so there, no witnesses, you see.”
“Government agency — a raid on Satan Worshipers?” Nikki asks and looks over to Rhyaad suggestively.
“Hrm… sure they said the ritual was ‘Satanic’? Could it perhaps have had more in common with the kind of stuff Pickman believed in, and they just called it ‘Satanic’ for the newspapers?” Rhyaad asks.
“It was about that time, . . . oh, right . . . you’re not from around here, sorry. Yeah, 1926-28, strange things happened down around Dunwich, Innsmouth. Government came in and raid those towns also.”
“Take it from me, Innsmouth is not a normal town.” Rhyaad aggress.
‘Might have been Mr. de’Annar. All I know is that they found some, what did they call it, ‘Obscene Idol.
Rhyaad asks quickly, “Green with tentacles, by any chance?”
Finch sits as if remembering from something he had read, “Repellant Statuette carved from something like greenish soapstone –” Then looking over at Rhyaad, he shook his head, No, actually more like a crouching dog-like beast ‘You know they took it to some local archeologist and he was baffled at it’s origins or what ever it’s cultural affinities were for.”
“I believe there are similar carvings found in Innsmouth. But that may not be relevant. The point is, if the government sent in a secret agency, I think it’s more complicated than ‘Satan worship’, and most likely not Satanic at all.” Rhyaad explans.
Lillian Margaret Snowshe was definitely into some very, very strange and crazy things. And now we have her films. What a fine.”
“Pickman was not alone in these strange beliefs you report. A lot of people, particularly ones from Arkham, Innsmouth, and the Massachusetts coast, tend to secretly harbor similar cult beliefs.” Rhyaad continues, looking to Nikki as if to explain.
“It is just hard to get the truth out of what happened that night, I mean, back then Hollywood studio’s owned the town, police and everything. They had a lot of money in the Constant Nymph and so they destroyed as much of the evidence as they could.”
“Too bad – for us.” Rhyaad shakes his head, looking at his notes. Idol.
“There was this young screenwriter who was there that night. He went crazy. Institutionalized for a while, some of what is known came from him. He committed suicide later. Hung himself.”
Rhyaad says a bt sarcastically “Hrm…. how convenient.”
“Now there is one thing you might like to know about him.”
“What would that be?” Nikki aska.
“His suicide note, he said, and I remember this pretty much by heart, “That Endecott woman is back east, somewhere, I hear, and I hope to hell she gets what’s coming to her. I burned the abominable painting she gave me.” And before they can ask, he holds up a hand, “Now I have no idea what that is, the painting. Although I would guess something from PickmanI think she knew him before she came back to Boston, Providence, Arkham.”
Finch looks at his watch, “Well, now does that help you Miss Collins?”
“Yes it does, but I have one more question..” Nikki says her soft voice trying to hold him a moment longer. Did you know that the projectionist, the man who had the films, was a suspect in a double homicide and that is why he moved to Florida?”
Finch blinks.
“Nodamn that is odd. Murder and suicide all around.”
“Indeed. What would you say to the theory that the projectionist stole those films?” Rhyaad asks.
Finch looks at him horrified at the thought.
“And suicide, all around, there was only the one, right?” Nikki asks
“Well from what Miss Collins said, it would think you are most likely right damnit, I certainly hope this doesn’t stop our showing them.” Finch looked worried and then rather distractedly answers Nikkis question, Oh, the projectionist — he committed suicide, didn’t you know?”
Rhyaad looked at Nikki with surprise, then back to Finch.
“No, I didn’t know about that.” Nikki combs her left hand through her hair.
Finch is worried now, he looks around and gets up, “Well I need to talk to the Board of the Festival, and so I do have to run.”
“No. We did not. Rhyaad also adds. Aren’t all these suicides so terribly convenient to keep anyone from learning what really happened?”
Finch stops at the double theater doors, “Oh, one thing funny you might like to know.”
“Yes?” Rhyaad asks even as Nikki turns and looks at him, “Yes?”
“You know, someone broke into the Miskatonic University Art’s building and stole an antique Farnsworth projector the other night.” He heads to the door, “Nice to meet you, and I will come by the teahouse and check it out that wine list, Mr.de’Annar.”
Finch exits.
“Interesting.” Nikki said as she turns to look at Rhyaad.
“Disturbing”, he answers her.
“Heard of Cthulu, Miss Collins?”
Cue Music End of Episode