Questions with Few Answers pt 2

(co-post LSP Jaxx & mdman)

Dr. Jackal finished his coffee and inhaled the aroma of the cup as he paused with his eyes closed. He calmed his mind and let the question sink in as he imagined himself in a shady place buying what he could for his formula. He remembered his formula with clarity as he considered the ways to acquire them in large quantity.
Dr. Jackal's Formula:
1/3 cup pure distilled white sugar.
2/3 cup hot distilled spring water.
1 cup cold electrolyte water.
2 oz. butterfly pea flower extract.
1 pinch (1/16 tsp) fine crushed sea salt.
1 pinch (1/16 tsp) citric acid. Can use juice of half a lime.
3 oz Jackfruit extract in liquid form
1 oz Komodo Dragon Pepper extract
1 oz fine powdered Uranium dust
1 Demon Blood Crystal

Then mentally compared Dr. Lemaire's formula to his

Dr. Lemaire's Formula:
1/3 cup pure distilled white sugar.
2/3 cup hot distilled spring water.
1 cup cold electrolyte water.
2 oz. butterfly pea flower extract.
1 pinch (1/16 tsp) fine crushed sea salt.
1 pinch (1/16 tsp) citric acid. Can use juice of half a lime.
3 oz Hemlock extract in liquid form
1 oz Ghost Pepper extract
1 oz fine powdered Radium dust
1 Hippopotamus Brain
Once he had his thoughts collected he began to speak while still frozen in his movement, "The butterfly pea flower extract would be from Southeast Asia and it was used for tea. Check for large amounts of tea from that area being sold. Queen Anne’s lace and Hemlock are not hard to find but are often mistaken as white carrots. Check for large sales of this to anyone since its a touchy subject. The Radium dust would be a big challenge since its is a controlled substance so it will be expensive and hard to get. Not many would be willing to use such a dangerous item so it should stick out if even an ounce is sold. At last the animal brain would need to be fresh and highly aggressive. You will need to look for aggressive animals being sold in large quantity. It seems exotic animals seems to be his preference since he most likely failed using local aggressive animals like dogs and wolves. Does this help Ms. Lagrave?"

Sasha took far fewer notes then one would expect from what Dr. Jackal just told her. "Not as much as one would hope." she said, she said putting her books away. "All of this might just be a waste of my time," she solemnly commented. "Only one of those things is feasible to track down." she closed her eyes. "Never mind. Thank you Docteur. I will need a new approach."

"Sorry to kill the mood." Sasha said to Cronk, "Are you enjoying your coffee?" she asked him trying to change subjects and not dwell on how hard this situation is likely to be to make progress on. Knowing full well the Baron will be watching every step of the way and with things looking less then ideal needing ways to midigate the situations hiccups and placate the idiot while she worked.

Dr. Jackal poured himself a new cup of coffee and added cream and sugar to it as he slowly stirred it with a spoon. He replied, "I do apologize Ms. Lagrave. I know how hard it is to outside one's comfort zone. I can't imagine trying to do what you do. If I learn of anything else to contribute I will."

"I wager you know little about him," Sasha began "but do know know of anything that could establish a pattern or of anyone from your old days of work who might? If I can establish a pattern of any kind I can track him." Sasha said. "Like an animal using the same watering hole."

Dr. Jackal was about to sip his coffee when he paused as he pondered what Sasha said. He remembered his formula and pondered what he would do if the ingredients were not easy to acquire and he had money issues. Then he spoke up as he said, "Well its clear he can't replicate my recipe without all the ingredients. So he must have tried to substitute the ingredients he was unable to find. So now he is just collecting anything resembling the ingredients he can't get. As you have seen what he used in his last serum compared to my recipe, the ingredients are not very close at all. The main ingredient he can't find is the demon blood crystal so he is desperate to find a substitute be it an animal brain, supernatural ingredient or a rare magical ingredient. I don't know if that will help but that is all I can think of at the moment Ms. Lagrave."

Cronk sat and listened to the two discussed something that sounded like a recipe. Cronk wondered if a recipe is what it took to make a serum too. Whatever it took, Cronk didn’t think he’d like eating it. Most of the ingredients, Cronk had never heard before today.

In answer to the Masked One’s question, Cronk replied, “All with whiskey good.”

Cronk took another sip. The white mustache returned.

Dr. Jackal smirked as he nodded at Cronk. He knew Cronk wanted to help but sadly it was difficult to explain a complicated scientific process in a simple manner. Even Sasha who did a lot of reading was struggling to use the knowledge given by Dr. Jackal. He replied, "It is true that drinking with your colleagues is a grand ole time for many." Then Dr. Jack was about to sip his coffee till he paused and pondered for a bit and pulled out his notebook and begin writing a list of names in it. Then he paused as he seemed to be in deep thought, then he wrote some more names on the paper till he seemed satisfied and looked at Sasha. He handed her the paper as he spoke up, "It seems Mr. Cronk managed to give me a good idea. This is a list of scientists and other personnel that I worked with including Dr. Lemaire before my "accident". If he got close to any of them it may give you a lead or two to any of his connections." Dr. Jackal then picked up his cup of coffee and raised it to Cronk as he said, "Thank you Mr. Cronk. You have been very inspiring." Then he drank his coffee with satisfaction.

Sasha mumbled a string of incoherent French before writing something down. "Close or not maybe someone remembers anything about his behavior that was considered normal. Such as getting a drink after work at the same time everyday." She explained as she put the list of names with her notes. "The two chemists I know only work with powdered components in their words 'they are less likely to be watered down or a scam' but I don't know if that's necessarily truth." Sasha said.
mdmanosfan — Yesterday at 6:45 PM
Cronk smiled at the compliment, although he wasn’t certain what the idea he had given to the Good Doctor was. He finished off the last of his Irish coffee in celebration , then ordered another.

Dr. Jackal sighed as it was difficult to please Ms. Lagrave. He then replied, "I apologize but it has been five years since I cut ties with all of these people. It will take time for me to recall more usable information. For all I know some of those people are married, sick, retired or even dead. I was not exactly a social butterfly during my heyday and in the last five years I was a pariah. The only ones who talked to me were desperate poor people looking for a medical miracle."

Sasha chuckled slight seeing Cronk so pleased to finish a coffee and his frantic waving to order another. But quickly directed her attention back to Doctor Jackal waving off his apology "I am sorry Docteur. I take my hunts quite seriously and this is just how I work. Established behavior is how I find openings. It is like you with your chemistry or medical practice you know how things should work so you base your actions according and make detailed notes when they act out of the ordinary. But right now the target is a hand I cannot see in a rigged game."

Cronk looked at his hand in front of him. He could easily see it. Of course, most people could see his huge digits. The ladies used to ta about his big hands and feet with big grins.

“If dark,” Cronk thought aloud, “can’t see!”

Dr. Jackal nodded as he swallowed his coffee. He then sighed as he replied, "True Mr. cronk we are in the dark on this one. (looking at Sasha) I get your struggles Ms. Lagrave. The Dr. Lemaire I knew of back then was an aspiring young scientist who struggled to get recognition from others. Instead of having a drive to make his own discoveries he had a tendency to copy others work and improve on it. Sadly this was looked down on especially since he was only successful in making it more expensive and complicated. If he was to make a steam engine car it would have twice as many parts and move a lot slower. I am guessing he was capitalizing on my research since I was missing and my lab happened to have a large hole in it to give him easy access to my work. Sadly no one would be able to copy my work since it required a rare one of a kind "Demon Blood Crystal". No I am merely guessing based on what I have seen in the evidence so far is that his failure to copy my work has driven him to desperate measures. He is at the point of trying any substitute ingredient and testing on people and who knows how many laws he has broken at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if he wiped out a village or two with his "snake oil". However he seems to be like a cockroach that can escape quite easily. I bet he has a map of escape routes preplanned. If I were to hunt him down it might be easier to follow the bodies rather than the ingredients."

Cronk remembered his dearly departed boss. A frown came across his features. “Boss in tunnels.” He thought they would want to start with the one body of which Cronk knew.