                         Mort Nicholson

You are Mort Nicholson, a private detective and
a lifelong native of the Washington Area.  All
your life, you toyed with the idea of being a
private detective, but it wasn't exactly a dream
come true when it happened.

The fact is that despite a pile of dog-eared and
crumbling paperbacks six feet high, you were
planning to become an engineer.  You grew up
in a quiet Virginia suburb of the District, and
your father was a civilian engineer for the
United States Navy.  Your family was almost
painfully average.  You had two brothers, and
your older brother was so dense you even
sometimes joked that your folks had 2.7
children.  

You had fairly decent grades in High School,
though not great.  Your father didn't exactly
pressure you to become an engineer, but he
seemed to think that it was the only way that
anyone could make a decent living.  Your
brother had become a hippie, and ran away from
home, which was a terrible disappointment to
your father.  So in 1970 you found yourself
enrolled in George Washington University. 
Your parents wanted to keep you close to home
and you wanted to make them proud.

You really didn't think about it very much when
you enrolled in freshman psych.  You were just
filling out an elective with something you
thought might be interesting.  What happened
was a little different.  You found yourself in a
class taught by Professor Pierce, who seemed to
be a follower of Dr. Timothy Leary.  You
opened your mind to drugs, sex and other new
experiences you had never even thought about
before.  Some of it you liked (sex particularly.) 
Some of it you could pass on...LSD never did
much for you.

The result was that you lasted slightly less than
three semesters, and you never really regretted
it.  Unfortunately, there was a slight problem
with the possibility of the draft.  You weren't
sure how you felt about the whole war issue, but
you were sure that you did not want to get your
ass shot off in Southeast Asia.  That was you. 
Smart, not brave.  You "stuck your neck out for
nobody."  

You needed a job because your father had
serious objections to a deadbeat son living in his
house.  You were smart, but had failed all your
classes.  You took the U.S. Civil Service
Examination, because someone told you it was
the best way to get a job without putting much
effort into it.  You couldn't type, so you took
the exam for law enforcement.

Six months later you were working for the
United States Treasury Service as a Treasury
agent.  You quickly found that being a federal
agent was not exactly like what Efrem Zimbalist
Jr. did on T.V.  It was dull, and you were
underpaid, and the hours...well the hours stank. 
You kept telling yourself that it beat out the
jungles of Vietnam, but that didn't keep you
from staying out until all hours and drinking too
much.  You straightened up some, but what you
found was that you hated schedules, and
planning, and getting up to go to work.  

The end result is that in 1973, you were fired. 
It is hard to get fired from the Federal
Government, but you worked on it very hard. 
You looked through the want-ads for "young
unemployed pistol-toting alcoholic wanted." 
The entry you came across seemed almost as
good.  "Wanted: Private Investigators.  1 yr.
experience with law enforcement, minimum."

So you began life as a PI.  You worked for a fat
slob named Zachatelli, who paid you peanuts,
but got your licensing.  But you made your own
hours, and spent most of your time cruising
around in your battered Ford Rambler,
following leads and measuring skid marks.  You
really did spend a lot of time measuring skid
marks, or at least photographing accident scenes. 
You had some tailing to do, for divorce cases,
always the nastiest business.  In five years,
Zachatelli never had a murder, or any other
interesting crime.  A few companies paid to
have robberies investigated.  You didn't care
that Zachatelli was the biggest slob that ever
lived, and he didn't care that you didn't like to
start work until 2pm.  "Fine you get the night
work."  Eventually the company became
Zachatelli & Nicholson, Private Investigators.

In August of 1978 Zachatelli was taking pictures
of an accident scene and dropped dead of a heart
attack.  You kept his name on the door, and told
people that he had been shot to death by the
Mafia.  You stopped that when the Vienna mafia
paid you a visit one day to tell you it wasn't
funny.  Very polite men.  Mostly real-estate
mafia, but they could probably still break a
kneecap if you pressed their memory.

So business ambled along.  You had a few
interesting cases, and eventually a murder or
two.  You got a reputation for quality, and your
father even got off your case about being an
engineer.  You did work for some prestigious
law firms, including the Washington firm of
Morant and Steele.  You got to know Gary
Morant fairly well.  He introduced you to a
friend of his named Grant Cochran, who was a
horror writer.  

Cochran did most of his own background
research, and he paid you a consulting fee to
answer his questions and tell him stories about
your work.  The result, you understand, is that
you are a character in his novel Trinity, under
the name George Panopalous, or some such. 
You never read it yourself, as someone told you
that you are killed in a particularly nasty fashion
by a creature from beyond or something, and
you like to maintain a low stress level in your
life.

Probably one of the nastiest cases you ever
worked on without being shot at was the divorce
of the occultist Matthew Allen Carter from
Emily Breezewood.  Emily was the daughter of
Senator Breezewood from Connecticut.  You
didn't feel too bad about the case at first, though
you knew the girl was going to get screwed. 
The way Gary put it to you Carter was a young
guy with a few marbles missing who was about
to get flensed by a rich and powerful family. 
"Anyway," Gary asked you, while pushing an
envelope full of cash across his desk, "since
when are ethics a consideration for you?"

So you helped to set up Emily Breezewood. 
Gary couldn't resist telling you the whole story,
though you had just as soon not known. 
Apparently Carter had conned a friend of his
into seducing his wife.  The person doing the
seducing was a shady character named Mike
Ballistis, a prosperous and semi-legit
businessman.  Ballistis tipped you off, and you
stood on a balcony and took pictures.  The
pictures got forwarded to Senator Breezewood,
and instead of paying through the nose, Carter
actually managed to milk the old man for a
settlement.

On the other hand, you found out a little more
about Emily from Grant Cochran, who knew
Matthew Allen Carter from the same place Gary
Morant did, which was Washington University. 
Cochran and Carter were all there long after you
left school, but apparently they were all
classmates.  Emily had met them when they
were in school, and had apparently being going
out with Carter for years before they were
married.  You began to think he'd done her a
fairly lousy turn, but on the other hand it isn't
any of your business.

However, you are finding yourself inclined to
learn as much as possible about Grant's old
circle of school friends, because one of them has
threatened to kill him, and you've been hired to
figure out who.  Frankly, you are surprised that
nearly everyone doesn't want to kill him.  He
treats his twin brother like shit, and you have no
idea what his old girlfriend Margot Matthews
wants out of him, but it sure isn't his stunning
personality.  Oh sure, he's witty enough.  But
he's a calculating bastard at heart.

Grant had a long phone conversation with you,
yesterday, and made you an impromptu addition
to the guest list tonight.  You are a bit nervous,
because Emily Breezewood is here, though you
can't think of any reason she would know that
you are the one who took the pictures of her and
Ballistas.  

Just like old home week.  Her psychopathic ex-
husband is here too, apparently under conditions
of truce.  Matthew is a friend of Grant, and
Emily is apparently an indispensable friend of
Margot Matthews, Grant's social-climbing ex-
lover.
You need to corner Grant alone, and have him
tell you exactly how his life was threatened, and
then try and find out who has a motive to do
him in.

Or more likely, you can start by eliminating the
ones that don't.THE OTHERS

What they know about you:

Mort Nicholson: a well known private
detective.  Nicholson has worked for Gary
Morant, and was a research reference for the
character of Detective George Panopalous in
Grant Cochran's Trinity.

PEOPLE YOU KNOW WELL:

Mike Ballistas:  is dirty, a major smuggler who
has always kept his hands clean.  Some day
Ballistas will take a fall, but that isn't any of
your concern.  A wealthy international
consultant with impressive offices downtown. 
Ballistas has numerous prominent government
contacts, and is generally known to be an
influential businessman.  He donated heavily to
the Reagan Campaign.

Emily Breezewood: After what you've
seen...you have never been formally introduced
to Ms. Breezewood.  A college friend of Grant
Cochran, and a prep-school friend of Margot
Matthews, Emily is the daughter of Senator
Breezewood of Connecticut, a very powerful
senior U.S. Legislator.  Emily was married to
Matthew Allen Carter, and divorced him, in a
particularly messy case during which Mr. Carter
was represented by Gary Morant.  They are
reported to be on barely civil speaking terms
now.  Emily is living with Mike Ballistis.

Avery Carson: Another fellow who is as dirty
as they come.  Carson used to have a huge
drug ring, but he closed it down when things
warmed up, and headed to Europe.  God knows
what he was doing there, though you heard
that the guy he worked for ended up plastered
all over a Belgian intersection.  Attended
George Washington University and has many
acquaintances from that period, and immediately
afterward.  Avery met most of Grant's circle of
friends in the seventies while they were working
in Washington after graduation.  Mr. Carson
occupied a position in the staff of the late
Darrington Ripley, U.S. Ambassador to Sweden. 
Currently employed by the State Department,
Avery Carson is rumored to actually work for
the Company, or No-such-agency.

Matthew Allen Carter:  Carter may be weird,
but other than assaulting his wife, and doing
drugs, you don't know of anything really bad
about him.  In these days, in this town, that's
clean.  You have a feeling that Carter's lawyer
Morant was more responsible for the frame-up
on Emily than Carter himself.  A well known
mystic, Carter is associated with decadence,
drugs, and bizarre mysticism.  It is unclear
where his money comes from, though he is
known to be at least moderately wealthy, and
eccentric.  

M.A Carter provides spiritual consultation to
some of Washington's most prominent social
figures.  He has appeared on several area talk
shows, notably Panorama in July 1979 where he
was involved in an altercation, and declined to
appear on Good Morning America in August of
1982 on the topic "Senators who follow the
Horoscopes."  He has assisted Federal
authorities as a consultant on "Cult Related
Cases", and appeared before a Senate
Subcommittee Special Hearing in 1983 to
discuss "Cult Phenomena and Crime."

Grant Cochran:  Someone is out to kill Grant. 
They ought to have a line.   Still, as far as you
know, he's never actually done anything
wrong.  Heart of flint though. Grant Cochran is
a horror writer whose early work brought him
wealth and recognition.  His first acclaimed
work was a collection of short stories in 1977
entitled Look Ma, No Hands!  Grant achieved a
more limited success with The Sickness in John
Harrol, 1977; The Collection, 1979; but his
mainstream horror novels  Dark Symbols,1980;
and Trinity, 1982; were extremely successful. 
His Lovecraftian fantasy-horror The Sightless
King, 1984 was universally panned.  Grant also
wrote the screenplay for the 1981 film The
Blinding. Numerous short stories including The
Metallic Taste of Blood Omni, Feb 1982.

Grant's work has tended more towards the
occult and fantasy side than Stephen King, and
his success has been less marked, but his early
novels were commercially successful.  Born
1955 to a wealthy Virginia family, Grant
graduated from George Washington University
in DC in 1975, aged twenty.  Writer and
playboy, known to have inherited some money
from parent's death in 1974. He is widely
rumored to have been hospitalized recently for
rehabilitation.

Gary Morant: A dirty rat if there ever was one. 
You heard that he actually made all his money
through investment counseling.  Kind of
surprising to see him still around, after the
crash and all.... Washington Attorney. 
Graduated from George Washington University
in 1974, GW Law in 1978.  Formed Morant and
Steele with Harlan Steel in 1980.  Known for
handling some of the messiest and most
prominent divorce and lawsuit cases in the
Washington social spectrum.  Morant is a rising
star in the social constellation of Washington,
and is Grant Cochran's attorney, and is currently
representing him in all of his sordid legal
affairs. 

OTHER PEOPLE:

Anthony Blaine:  A New York writer
considered a protege of Grant Cochran, Blaine
is handled by Jonathan Drake, the same
publisher as Cochran.  It was rumored that
Blaine and Cochran had a very serious argument
while appearing together at a promotional
convention after the publication of Sightless
King.  Blaine is best known for his Fantasy-
Horror novel Wunderking, and his most recent
work The Dinner Guest.  

Leda Deerden: A New York author, or visual
artist, guest of Grant's Publisher.  Ms. Deerden
is known for her terra cotta figures, which are
widely sold in gift shops in the Village, and her
work at the 42nd Street Gallery, but is a
newcomer to the writing field.  Her first project
is projected to be a collaboration with Grant
Cochran.

Jonathan Drake: Publisher of Grant Cochran,
Drake is Editor of Horror at Electra publishing,
a division of Robert W. Thormond and Sons,
Inc., one of the nations largest publishing
houses.  Despite the failure of Cochran's latest
novel, Drake is reported to be successful and on
the rise.  He handles many other writers
including Anthony Blaine, and is also in charge
of titles under the smaller, but profitable Medea
imprintaur, for occult paperbacks, which
includes the works of Jeffrey Saxon.

Linda Kane:  Parapsychological researcher for
the Institute for Parapsychological Studies, 1567
23rd St. NW.  Graduate of Columbia Prep, and
Mary Washington College.  M.A. Barnard. 
Kane is a literary agent for Matthew Allen
Carter and is rumored to be his lover.  

Sarah Lamont: Sarah Lamont is an old Prep-
school and College friend of Margot Matthews,
Linda Kane, Emily Breezewood and others. 
Sarah went to work for Gary Morant as a
paralegal, and is now his chief secretary.  

Margot Matthews: Margot was a friend of
Grant Cochran, and several other attendees in
college, but went on to become a prominent
Washington socialite who rose out of the ranks
of minor political followers due to her
connections with the late U.S. ambassador to
Sweden Mr. Darrington Ripley.  Margot is
giving this party in honor of Grant Cochran's
birthday.

Margot is currently employed by the Department
of State, where she is rumored to the mistress of
a powerful political appointee.  She was
mentioned in People magazine shortly after the
inaugural ball, and her fortunes have definitely
been on the rise with the Reagan government. 

Roger Pierce: a Professor/practitioner of
Psychology at George Washington University. 
Young but promising, for several years his 400
level course on Personality Disorders has been
considered the "most fun" class in the entire
psych department.  Many of Dr. Pierce's
associates consider him to be "that strung out
quack", Dr. Pierce considers himself a
"perceptually enhanced alternative practitioner." 
It is obvious that Dr. Pierce either has
something on the University, or has tenure.

"Psychological disorders can be not only
instructive, but entertaining as well..."
(American Psychiatric Yearbook, 1980).  

Tony Randall-Smith:  Olympic Equestrian
Medalist, winning two Silver and one Bronze
medal at Los Angeles in 1984.  Native of
McLean Virginia, the child of a former
ambassador to England.  Personally acquainted
with Princess Margaret, has appeared in Sports
Illustrated, and network television.  Currently
holds American and European Championships in
several categories of jumps.  Professional status
has been called into question, but intends to
compete in 1988.  

Jeffrey Saxon: A noted Parapsychology/Occult
writer and Astrologer, author of Health Signs,
Astrology for You, and Psychic Defense, and
several other successful books published in
paperback.  Jeffrey is rumored to be practically
the only person in New York who does not
suffer from an incapacitating drug addiction.

Karyn Seidmann:  A New-York literary agent,
Seidmann is not well known in literary circles,
though there are some dark rumors about her
past, including a lawsuit.  Seidman handles
small time occult authors, and until recently her
biggest literary success was Jeffrey Saxon, the
popular occultist and astrologer.

Oliver Stewart:  A comic-book author and
illustrator for Universal Comics, a major
competitor of Marvel and D.C. 
Oliver responsible for the satirical Captain
Flapjack miniseries, but is best known for his
work with Blood Hound, a revitalized 1960's
Superhero, and with Revenant, a dark-horror
miniseries.  Stewart handled a graphic-novel
adaptation of Grant Cochran's Sightless King,
which was somewhat more successful than the
actual novel.  Oliver is a New Yorker, but has
maintained a friendship with horror writer Grant
Cochran, and has come down with some of his
other New York acquaintances to make his
birthday an interesting affair.

Craig Webber: You thought you knew
everyone in the upper end of underground
circles in this town.  But you've never heard of
this guy.  He drops the right names though, so
he must have some connections.  An
acquaintance of Margot Matthews, Mr. Webber
is a well-to-do local business consultant,
rumored to have connections to smuggling and
the underworld.  Webber is said to be a business
partner of Avery Carson.
