Old Bone Skeleton Key/Connection Items - reusable?

I’m trying to raise my Connected: Criminals and failing rather badly (I push it to 10 with the use of Mrs. Plenty’s Carnival, then use it all up doing heterodox confessions) so I was thinking of investing in an Old Bone Skeleton Key BUT I am not exactly sure how it works.[li]

Is it a one-use item? You can use it once, it boosts your Connected: Criminals to 20, and then it disappears? Or do you pay in Nevercold Brass every time you use it, it always boosts your Connected: Criminals and you only lose the Brass, not the key? Or something else I haven’t thought of?

I’m only a mid-level player (Watchful and Dangerous in 50s, Persuasive 80, Shadowy 90) and will appreciate any answers that I can get! Thank you.

Using the item gives you a chunk of CP, up until 20 levels (or 15 in the Key’s case) but it isn’t used up in the process. You do lose 150 Nevercold Brass you use it, but not the key itself.
edited by Spacemarine9 on 9/8/2013

Also, if your shadowy is 90, I believe you can start preparing for the big score in the flit. Selling the information from that to criminal contacts is much cheaper then the key.

Thank you both for your swift responses and advice.[li]

@Spacemarine9, that is pretty much exactly what I was hoping to hear.

@Dorian Nijdam, I can actually do the casing/preparing for big score thing! I’m a little reluctant to though because it also takes 3 actions (same as the key) but gives me less CP. Though maybe I should hold off on buying the key until I’ve stockpiled more Echoes since right now, I’d need to sell a Searing Enigma to have enough for the key.

Again, thank you both so much!