The dead of Washington
Washington has more witnesses than its official records admit. Some died with secrets. Others remain attached to a person, an object, or a place they cannot leave behind. Kindred who deal with them usually call them ghosts; those who understand their society call them wraiths.
The dead have their own disputes, obligations, and interests. A vampire's claim over a neighborhood does not make its ghosts obedient. Even a cooperative witness remembers only what they actually knew, and may want something more difficult than money in return.
Information across the Shroud
A missing record may survive in someone's memory. A dead witness may know who entered a room, where a package went, or which name an official concealed. Reaching that witness takes a suitable contact, a willing intermediary, and a reason for the dead to answer.
Some Hecata arrange such introductions. Independent necromancers and brokers also make their living from them. Prices vary: protect a surviving relative, return a stolen possession, prevent the demolition of a home, or settle an obligation abandoned at death.
An agreement should specify the witness, the question, the payment, and what counts as delivery. A broker promising every secret in Washington is selling a story. A voice on a recording is a lead to authenticate, not proof.
Approaching the dead
The boundary separating the living from the restless dead is called the Shroud. Most Kindred cannot simply cross it or speak through it. The people who can help have their own motives, and contact does not guarantee cooperation.
Treat a ghost's important possessions and surviving relationships carefully. You may be negotiating with someone who has lost everything except the object you are holding.
Camarilla and Anarch connections can both secure an introduction. What matters to the witness is whether you can keep your side of the bargain.
Opening investigation: The Missing Intermediary
Elias Ward has built a reputation for arranging discreet introductions to Washington's dead. He promises a witness, a question, and a price—and usually delivers.
Now he has missed three appointments. His living contact, Nora Bell, has lost communication with him. Two clients have received the same oddly worded assurance that Elias is ending his business, but neither can establish who delivered it. A pending exchange remains unresolved, and an object entrusted to him has disappeared.
Nora is looking for people who can ask questions without announcing the investigation to every interested buyer. Find Elias, establish what happened to the exchange, and determine whether the messages actually came from him. Payment is negotiable; recovered property belongs to its owner.
Your starting lead is an interrupted meeting at Nora's consultation office near Judiciary Square. Bring questions, discretion, and a clear idea of what you are willing to promise.