"The notebook does not seem to target at all, and it did not exist until yesterday. Whoever is not holding it but near enough—we have not tested for what will become obvious reasons—hears a terrible sound that gives them nosebleeds and, presumably, worse."

"Not very useful unless someone goes in alone and can move quickly. Flashlight and nail file, along with the umbrella...I can serve as a distraction, with the umbrella, and one of you can sneak in with the other two."

"Did they name a place and time?"

"It's a warehouse, downtown."

He describes the location. 

"Do you know what it looks like? Do you think someone'd be able to go check it out without them noticing?"

"I don't know much about the layout of this one, but others in the area, I can probably draw up a generic plan."

"That seems reasonable. Do you think they'd be able to recognize my son and I if we decided to scope out the place?"

"I don't think so, but I'm not sure any of us should go in alone." 

"They'll have each other. That's not nothing."

"And once we know the layout and what preventative measures they have we can plan more efficiently."

"The shoe polish can't help with mapping, but it could add a layer to any defenses you have. Once you apply the polish to something, it hardens. Useful for defense or restricting enemy movement."

"I can't let any of you go in alone. You'll need backup."

"You don't have any objects, and I'm afraid involving the police won't help matters."

"He is probably right. And the idea is not engaging at all, we do not want to show our hand."

"Right. I'll draw up some blueprints, not worth calling anyone, it'll just get attention. You three plan." 

He grabs some paper, and starts sketching.

"If they expect the Sheriff to not know about the Objects, they might not expect our array. Before knowing anything, a possible first plan of engagement could involve arriving there with the umbrella and hardened clothes, plus someone with the flashlight coming from a wall in an unexpected direction."

"We shouldn't assume they have no objects, the person behind this is clearly well-informed...but we can assume they mostly have directly offensive effects, nothing too complicated or versatile, based on how little they've done with their criminal enterprise."

"How little have they done?"

"They are responsible for what happened at the pawn shop, but I meant their damage has mostly been confined to violent destruction, not anything broader." 

"...of course."

"How strong is the shoe polish?"

"I haven't experimented much, but it can handle being shot at wherever it's covered. It can't handle recoil. It can handle temperature fluctuations, but not to extremes. I've never tested it against explosions while using it as armor, but objects that it covers are in fact vulnerable to explosions." 

"And what Objects are offensive like that?"

"The glass eye, the pen, the comb if you're clever...the razor, if there's enough glass nearby, might cause an explosion indirectly. The ashtray, possibly."

"What do glass eye, razor, and ashtray do?"