"Likewise. My name is Inaaya Sinope." Let's just leave out her profession.

"I'm Oscar Latz, of the Forward Bookshop."

Likewise, the build of the man dressed as a man in a suit and mask does match up - but Terrence has an ounce of tact and there are as many as several reasons that a man like Dr. Aarons could be attending an event like the Servant's Ball. "Terrence Markham. Professor Kaplan put us in touch. Pleasure to meet you. These are my friends, a crack team of investigators."

"I must get your commitment that you will handle this all with the strictest discretion. Dr. Kaplan speaks very highly of you. Mr. Markham, and I am sure all of your friends are equally trustworthy. But to give you enough context I must give you information about a man's private life."

Terrence did tell people in advance that this matter should be kept private. ...But he does broadly trust them to be discreet too, so like, yeah.

"I think most of us have the good sense to keep private matters private. Comes with the bohemian life."

"You have my commitment," Inaaya says with perfect seriousness.

He is has Much Experience being discreet, even if he can't, uh, easily prove that. On account of being discreet about the things he is discrete about. "I solemnly swear it shall stay under my hat."

"Absolutely."

"St. Agnes is a mental hospital which specializes in the... criminally deranged. Both those who have been convicted of a crime and those who have been committed because it is feared that they will harm others."

Oscar is not going to roll his eyes. Heroically.

Thank you, Oscar.

They're here about a possible criminal, then. Exciting.

"Is our friend the former or the latter?"

Sidenote: did Terrence invite basically everyone from the play to meet Doctor Aarons? Maybe Sal was telling the truth that Simone is busy. Hmm, bad time to think about that.

"The latter. My patient is Alexander Roby. Have you heard of him?"

Banker Grahame Roby’s useless brother. Pretty normal bohemian type: he has rich family members, so he spends his time studying astronomy, art, myth, and the occult. His brother disapproved of him. Roby dropped out of Peterhouse College, Cambridge to serve in the War Office during the Great War. After the armistice he rattled around in the Foreign Office, his father’s old department. He retreated into isolation before the murders.

Alexander Roby's father and sister were killed in shocking circumstances in 1925. It was thought that Roby was arrested, but no charges were brought against him. No one was convicted of the crime.

"The name rings a bell."

Terrence nods. "Very strange business."

(He recalls everything Sal did about Roby as a person, but is rather vague on the murders.)

Jing Yi is having the revelation that 'Alexander Roby, the guy whose father and sister were killed' and 'Alexander Something-something, actor and bad lover' are the same person. It's... quite the revelation. "I believe so."

"Heard of the case a few years back. I take it he was never convicted."

"...no."

"His father and sister were killed in shocking circumstances in 1925. It was believed he was linked to the crime, but in the absence of any... physical evidence... he obviously couldn't be convicted. His brother, Grahame Roby, and the family doctor committed Alexander to St. Agnes’ Asylum nearly two years ago."

So he's been imprisoned for two years with no evidence.

"I'm a bit concerned by the tone of 'physical evidence?'"

(Is that obvious??? Inaaya does not even slightly understand how court systems work but she's gotten the impression that police are not usually that rigorous???)