Part 3: Note for Note

Upon arriving in Milan the investigators almost immediately begin to hear rumors about the dissapearance of Caterina Cavollaro. People say she was picked up at the train station by a black limo and hasn't been seen or heard from since. The investigators also notice that the entire city seems to be suffering from some kind of severe depression, like everyone was in mourning for a loved one who had recently died. This depression was much more severe than the dissappearance of Cavollaro would warrent.

While heading to a hotel the investigators pass by Il Duomo, a huge gothic cathedral. A priest suddenly comes up to the investigators and begins ranting about the deccay of society and how people worship actors and singers more than they worhip God. Pulling away from the obviously disturbed priest the investigators notice a picture of Cavollaro hung behind a number of lit candles. Three old women in black dresses weep as they each light a candle and place it with the rest. The ivnestigators go over to the old women hoping to find out some more information about Cavollaro's dissappearance, but unfortunately the women only speak Italian and none of the investigators happen to know that language. The investigators are about to leave when they notice an old man in a robe with the hood pulled up. The man seemed to be looking for something so Gareth stepped forward to see if he could help. This startled the old man, who dropped a jar as he turned and ran into the cathedral. The jar smashed onto the ground, spilling out hundreds of dead butterflies and moths. The investigators try to give chase, but the old man dissappears into the crowd. As the investigators left the cathedral they noticed a chameleon clinging to the wall of the cathedral. The investigators got the uncomfortable feeling that the small lizard was staring at them.

That night, as the investigators settle into their hotel rooms, they hear what sounds like Cavollaro's voice echoing through the streets. Without hesitation the investigators leave the hotel and begin hunting down the source of the voice. Unfortunately the voice dissappears before it can be found. When the investigators arrive at where they thing the voice was coming from all they find is a small chameleon that quickly dissappears over the roof of a nearby building.

The next day the Investigators are having breakfast when they noticed an unusual story in the newspaper. Paolo Rischonti, props manager for Aida, tells how Cavollaro's dissappearance is just another in a long line of misfortunes that seem to have plagued the opera preperations. At first it was confined to the costumes, then it spread to on stage, and now it seems to have spread to the performers. The investigators decide to visit La Scala, the theatre where Aida is going to be performed, to see if they can find any more information on Cavollaro and her dissappearance, and see what they can find out about the mysterious curse that is causing so many problems.

Getting backstage at La Scala isn't easy. After being turned away by the guards the investigators disguise themselves as workers and sneak in. Once inside the investigators find themselves surrounded by a swirl of people, costumes, props, equipment and noise. Eventually they manage to track down Paolo and ask him about the curse. He quickly told the investigators about how every costume designer they got fell sick after just a few weeks. Recently things have started to go wrong on stage, with props breaking, people getting injured in strange accidents, and now the abduction of Cavollaro.

The investigators decided to try and find the costume department next. On the way they get hopelessly lost and William begins to have a panic attack. Eventually they manage to find the costume department and William begins to calm down. Four women worked in the costume department, the current costume designer, Luisa Visconti, and the three old women the investigators saw at Il Duomo. The women tell the investigators how costume desingers didn't seem to last long before becoming seriously ill. At first it was thought to be a problem with the costume room, or the seven new costume dummies that were bought, but the old women have been working here for decades and they've never been sick. Whatever was plaguing the costume room seems to have vanished, however, as Luisa has been working here for over a month and is so far in perfect health. The investigators hve a quick look around the room and discover only six costume dummies. When asked about this Luisa says that the seventh was made of some kind of ceramic or stone. It has been taken to the stage to be used as a prop. The investigators, believing that the seventh costume dummy must be a piece of the Sedefkar Simulacrum, make their way to the stage and try to find it. Unfortunately, in all the chaos there was no hope of finding a single prop. The investigators decide to leave and come back after the opera when everything has calmed down.

On opening night the investigators made their way to their seats, front row centre. Across the isle from them sat a number of older Italian gentlemen and an old woman that seemed strangely familiar. The play was magnificient, even though an understudy had to take Cavollaro's part. When it reached the aria the entire audience sang along as per the tradition. The investigators were startled to note the sound of Cavollaro's voice nearby. Lookig around they realised the vocie was coming from one of the older Italian gentlemen. Not wanting to do anything in a crowded theatre the investigators decide to jump the Italian men after the opera. Their plans are ruined when the next scene of the oper is revealed. Inside the temple of Phtah, Radames walks on stage, followed by a number of priests who present him with his sword, sandles, and helmet. Then Radames' armour is weeled onto the stage, arranged on the seventh costume dummy wich was definately the torso of the Sedefkar Simulacrum. The investigator's weren't the only ones to notice this as the Italian gentlemen, and the old Italian woman, sprang up and headed for the door that lead backstage. The guards tried to stop them, but the old men were amazingly quick and killed the guards with ease. The investigators quickly chased after the Italians, who had already dissappeared into the chaos backstage. By shear chance William managed to reach the stage before the Italians, and even before the rest of the investigators. To the surprise of the crowd William ran onto the stage and started to wheel off the Sedefkar torso. He was met at the side of the stage by the Italians, who drew guns and billy clubs. William tried to get away but all he could do was hold off the Italians long enough for the rest of the investigators to arrive. By this time the old Italian woman, seemed to wake up. She leapt at the Italian man who sang with Cavollaro's voice, claiming that she wanted her voice back. The investigator's were stunned to find out that the old woman was actually Cavollaro, and that somehow the old Italian man had stolen here voice.

The investigators managed to take down enough of the Italian men to get both the Sedefkar torso and Cavollaro out of the theatre (which had emptied after the gun fight started). On the way to the train station the investigators tried to figure out what to do about Cavollaro. Unfortunately there was nothing they could do except make sure she could get someplace safe. Cavollaro assured them that there was family she could stay with, and there were doctors that may be able to help her. At the station Cavollaro wished the investigators good luck on the rest of their journey and thanked them for rescuing her. The Orient Express then pulled out of the station and the investigators were on their way to their next destination: Venice.