Filling in the Gaps for Dieter

First a note: the events which occur with Dieter are not played by Sarah (the player).  There maybe errors within the personality, but Sarah gave me full permission to use Dieter as a NPC so the plot could move on.

Dieter leaves the office of Rollin Billings and looks in the long hallway once again.  The two janitors are gone and they have left the place spotless.  Dieter walks down the hall to see if he notices anything else, but nothing significant is within eyesight.  He goes back into the main entrance and places his hand on the rail to push the door open.


"You!"  A voice shouts from the other hall.  Instinctively Dieter looks over and sees a tall, gaunt man who is nicely dressed.  His hair is thrown back but the curls weave behind his head giving him a refined but frenzied look.  "Are you Dieter Wagner?"


Dieter looks the man up and down, "That I am."


"I am most gracious to meet you," The man says as he grabs Dieter's hand suddenly and starts shaking it.  "The wondrous detective who has saved this company from destitution!  I remember a few years back that Night Lamp had been in trouble and your investigation proved it was not the company who was smuggling weapons and unsavory commodities but the head of shipping."


"And who are you?"  Deiters grabs his hand back from the grip of the man.


"Oh, I am most sorry," Looking rather embarrassed the man says, "I am Theodore Nobstick, the co-owner and head inventor of the Night Lamp Auto and Airship Company.  I am grateful for your appearance on the premises in this dire time."

"You must mean the murder."

"Why yes, the murder.  There was an emergency stock holder meeting this morning and on the instance of Neil Fiply, poor dear Rollin Billings murder has been covered up.  Neil made this rather eloquent speech about how we should not have bad publicity right before the fights leading up to the Grand Exhibition.  The Authority were then paid off and we're having a quick funeral."


"The quick funeral part of the cover up?" Jests Dieter.


"No, I would not even stand to have something undignified like that happen here at the factories.  The strange thing is that it is Rollin's new wishes from his will that he should get buried as quickly as possible."


"New wishes?"  Dieter is almost taken surprise by this information, "Did he recently revise his will?"


"Rollin Billings practically tore down the foundation of his will and restructured every syllable.  By his contract at Night Lamp, we can legally look at his will after he rewrites it and makes sure that he does not try to do something ungentlemanly like clause that any designs cannot be used after he died.  It is a bit stringent of us but we have to protect our assists as well."


"True.  How long ago was this?"


"This was about two weeks ago.  And speaking also as a friend, despite him being an elderly man who could have fathered me, he also started to act unlike himself within that time range.  This was after he accumulated the list three weeks ago."


"What list?"


"I am not supposed to talk about that, it is confidential and will now be internally investigated,"  Theodore throws him a look which could stop birds in flight.


"Mr. Fiply, you have to tell me everything.  The smallest detail can help."


Theodore shakes his head, "It was an accumulated list of technology which Rollin was looking into.  Rollin Billings has... had the esteemed job of approving blue prints and and schematics of machinery and other things for the company to research.  Though, he came upon some machinery which someone had put in which I have never heard of and I couldn't make heads or tails of what they did.  So I gave him a blessing in which he could contact an expert of his choosing, though I put the stipulation of no one here in the company could know who he was contacting."


"So, a mystery man may hold the key to Rollin's death."


"I am afraid so, Detective.  Though, now I have to be going because dear old Billings' funeral is soon."


"May I join you?"


"Sure, then perhaps you can also tell me of what you think of the mercenary I am going to hire."


"A mercenary?"


"I gave the authority the grand task of finding me a mercenary who can protect important assists of the Night Lamp Auto and Airship company from any unwanted danger or unknown villains.  Though I think the Authority who wrote it down miss understood me."


Deiter opened the door for Theodore and then followed Theodore out, "How is that?"


"The Authority asked me which building I meant."


"And what did you mean?"


"I need someone protected."


"And who would that be?"


Theodore laughed, "Why, it would be you!  I had full intention of having my good friend's death investigated.  Even at risk at having Neil furious at me for a bit.  But I decided that one sure fire way to get you hired is to get you protection."


"I can protect myself just fine."


"Consider it a slight annoyance before being paid a great amount of money.  I do not know if it is the sense of injustice I am feeling or the mournfulness I have but 10,000 Pres when the job is done."


Dieter stops in his tracks and looks at Theodore.  He had heard about Theodore's eccentric ways, but never knew they were true until experiencing them first hand.