Beyond the cordon, Ace shelters the torn envelope from the rain. The parcel reference, PF-7714, remains legible beside a smear of pale grit.
Officer Dunn
“Evidence log first. Who handled it, when, and where was it found?”
Harold Pike
“The parcel office closes in minutes. Use PF-7714 now, before the records disappear into tomorrow’s files.”
The parcel office window is still lit. Inside, the closing clerk sorts stamped slips into a ledger. A rain-darkened bootprint crosses the threshold, its worn chevron tread matching the mark from Vale’s apartment.
The Closing Clerk
“PF-7714? That parcel was collected this afternoon. The recipient showed a brass warehouse token and signed only ‘M.’ The token number was 19.”
Officer Dunn
“Warehouse token 19. That gives us a route, and possibly the thief. Hand over the envelope, and we move before the trail goes cold.”
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure the parcel-office lead
“I record PF-7714, token 19, and the recipient’s signature in my notes.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Perception, rolled +0)
Ace opens his notes beneath his coat and copies PF-7714, warehouse token 19, and the recipient’s single-letter signature, M.
The Closing Clerk
“That is the complete entry. The signature is exactly as written.”
The clerk checks the wall clock. Closing time arrives, and they draw the ledger toward the records stack.
Officer Dunn
“Good. I have the route. The warehouse district comes next.”
Therefore, the parcel lead is preserved in Ace’s notes, but the clerk begins removing the source record from reach.
The Closing Clerk
“If you need an official copy, request it tomorrow through the front desk. I am locking these files now.”
The ledger cover folds shut under the clerk’s hand. Outside, Dunn lifts the cordon for the first officer through, leaving the warehouse route as the immediate choice.
Reach the warehouse district
Quest Complete
Secure the parcel-office lead