<hr/><div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/d/d1/Nicodemus..png)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Nicodemus Whateley (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=200832.msg9811695#msg9811695)<br/><strong>Faction:</strong>Grandma's Favorite (Whateley faction, rank 4)<br/><strong>Date:</strong>May 17th, 1876<br/><strong>Time of Day:</strong>Evening<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Burnham Detection Agency<br/><strong>Tagged:</strong>Avery Burnham, CLOSED<br/><hr/><br/>Nicodemus inclined his head in gratitude at the offered drink, listening patiently as Avery spoke to him about the various requirements and needs for the case.  There was nothing on the list that seemed to concern him and he nodded his head when the man was done, pleasantly surprised by the meeting.<br/><br/>“I appreciate your discretion and my family will too.”  He sighed and shook his head.  “There's very little that we know about the night in question.  My wife had gone out during the evening, as she was prone to do, and didn't return the next morning.  It wasn't until she was arrested that we heard any word about where she had gone.”  He paused for a moment.  “My wife has had some... struggles with a fragile mind and, from what I have heard, the violence and time in the jail cell has only made things worse.”<br/><br/>He ran his hand over his chin thoughtfully.  “One thing that I can say for certain is that my wife is a small woman and, as it pertains to the case, is... a woman in all ways.”  He tried to be discrete about saying that she wasn't secretly a man.  “While I do understand that... devices could have been used to rape the Lady Boyle, there was nothing of the sort found at any of the scenes.”<br/><br/>“In the west, being a lawyer is less important than being able to sway a jury.”  He acknowledged that concern with a shake of his head.  “I am of the opinion that not even the Law Dogs believe that Dolores committed the crimes she is being charged with but had do something.  The people would throw a fit if they didn't have someone to blame for this.”<br/><br/>“Of course.”  He nodded his acceptance at speaking to Dolores.  He shook his head, “Other than what I have mentioned, there is little I can tell you about that day.  Almost all of the information I have passed on to you has been passed on from other people.”  He pondered the question about evidence and shrugged, “I don't believe so.  I haven't been informed of any other evidence that would point to Dolores.  Unfortunately, the Lady Boyle has still not woken from her injuries.  If she had, I would point you in that direction as she is an eyewitness as well as a victim.”  If the woman had woken, this whole investigation would be a moot point.  The Lady Boyle would have been able to tell people what she had seen and make it clear that the small Dolores wasn't the one who had harmed her.<br/><br/>He took a deep breath, “Yes.  Almost all the Law Dogs were present for the arrest. Well, I suppose I should say the sheriff and all his deputies.  There were plenty of people associated with the Law Dogs that weren't present as they aren't exactly the enforcing types.”<br/><br/>Nicodemus let out a breath at the acceptance of the case.  “I am quite glad that you're taking the case, Mr. Burnham.  I am more than happy to pay your fee.  I am quite worried about my wife.”  There were plenty of people in Gomorra that wouldn't mind seeing a Whateley hanged even if they didn't commit the crime in question.  Their wealth had a way of making both friends and enemies.<br/><br/>He rose from the chair and glanced down at the detective.  “If you need me for anything, please feel free to send one of the Whippersnappers with a message.  I will be available to offer whatever I can toward this.”  He offered his hand to shake on the arrangements before departing.  He was sure Avery had a lot of work to do in a short amount of time.