Quite a bit of that (Except for the sibling/parent part) matched up to my thoughts on Angela. Except your outline is quite a bit nicer to read than mine was for her. Quite helpful thanks.
Quite a bit of that (Except for the sibling/parent part) matched up to my thoughts on Angela. Except your outline is quite a bit nicer to read than mine was for her. Quite helpful thanks.
The Mystery 1
OCC: It took a week longer than I thought it would, but it's finally here!
The difficulty is introductory. This is merely the first of many. Please enjoy it with some fine tea.
You are Detective Christopher Waloch, a middle aged man with thinning brown hair, streaks of gray beginning to show, and a short trimmed grey beard. After a long day at the office, you received a call for help outside of town.
The local constable's office called you to solve a murder case. You normally work for the metro city area police force, however this evening, you've been called to solve a case out in the countryside. A wealthy man has died in suspicious circumstances at his estate. The constable has no one on staff to sort the situation out.
The Police Captain has assigned a car and a young lieutenant to drive you to the crime scene.
As he drives, you watch the sky out the car window. It's a mixture of purple colors of dusk, and some threatening dark clouds. During the trip, the city gives way to the suburbs and then the rural, and hilly countryside over the course of around half an hour. The estate entrance gate with "Hishel" in large gold letters across the arch appears in the windshield as the sun settles low in the sky. From the front of the estate, you figure it'd take at least an hour and a half to get to the city by foot.
As the lieutenant drives through the iron gates and up the estate road, you see miles of rolling green hills surrounding the mansion of the recently deceased -- Mr. Oliver Hishel. Dark shadows have begun to spread across the hillside and a very cheerful looking home is enshrouded now in more ways than one. The police car approaches the house up the driveway horseshoe and comes to a stop by the entry. Two large doors swing open below the gables of a "small" country mansion, and a figure stands in the entrance.
You open your door and step out onto the driveway. The lieutenant has already come around from the driver side and stands beside you. As you lean toward the young officer, reflexively you check the gun in its shoulder holster beneath your coat... the butler looks uncomfortable. "Lieutenant, you are to remain silent, follow me to the foyer, and then stand by the entrance until called. I plan to resolve this quickly... and be prepared if I need you!"
Now the butler walks stiffly out onto the doorstep. He's a tall, thin man in his late fifties and is wearing a dark black uniform with a white collared shirt. And behind some small black-wire framed glasses, dark brown, his eyes assess you thoroughly and seem to disapprove. But, although he seems stoic and unfazed by the events, you sense under his veneer of professionalism that he's shaken and saddened.
"Good day, sir. I am Detective Wolach. With me here, is Lieutenant Smith." --At your side, Smith stands stiffly in his policeman uniform. He takes off his cap and nods to the butler.
"As you may know, I was requested by the constable and arrived as quickly as I was able." you say crisply. "May we come inside?"
He nods curtly and gestures toward the open door, "This way gentlemen." All three step inside as the Butler begins to speak.
"Mr. Waloch, I am Mr. Pilck, the butler of this estate and will guide you to where Mr. Hishel lies. I am responsible for the estate in the absence of the master." he states very smartly as he closes the door behind them. "Shall I take your jackets? Do you require refreshments or a moment to rest from your travels?"
"Thank you, but I'll retain my jacket...and I'm interested in seeing the crime scene immediately. Lieutenant Smith will remain here at the entrance. Where is the rest of the household, and where's the constable's man? I was told there was someone stationed here to watch the scene."
"Very well, sir. Mrs. Hishel, the children, and most of the staff were at the beach home on the coast... a good day's travel from here. They'd traveled there to open the house after the winter for spring cleaning. After I'd contacted the constable, we phoned them of Mr. Hishel's condition and they are en route now. In fact, I believe they'll be arriving tomorrow morning. The mistress was quite distressed upon hearing the news, and I can't help but feel distraught for the children." He spoke tensely and quickly, his eyes slightly clouded. He went on to say in a forced polite tone, "The deputy is probably in the kitchen being served dinner by the staff."
"Fine, fine...Who else remains here on the estate?
He eyes track off into the air as he thought, "Mr. Hishel, Ms. Trice, the maid, Mr. Royce, the other manservant, and myself are present on the estate. The groundskeeper, Mr. Loftus was also here early this morning, but left before noon to gather supplies from town. He's not returned."
"Very good...excellent..." you mutter as you pull out your note pad and begin to write. "I need you to recount the events that led up to the discovery of the late Mr. Hishel. While you talk...take me to Deputy...what was his name?"
The butler had already turned to lead you and said curtly over his shoulder, "Deputy Harvey...he's this way and has been serving the county for a very long time. You know, it's a terrible tragedy that Mr. Hishel was murdered ...and the day before his birthday too." He then begins to recount the events of the past day.
"The staff met first thing every morning, as we always did, in the kitchen for breakfast when the sun rose. We'd finish eating and preparing breakfast for the Hishel family. Afterwards, we left to perform our chores and tasks."
"Like most mornings, Mr. Hishel went to his study around nine. He liked to read the news first thing and have breakfast at his desk. After serving him, I walked the grounds checking for any problems and monitoring the other servants progress before retiring to the servant's quarters about an hour before noon to prepare for lunch." He paused to take a breath before continuing on.
"Each room in the house has a bell, including the study, which rings in the servant quarters and kitchen to summon one of us if needed. At lunch I ate in the kitchen with the maid and the other manservant after he came back from delivering Mr. Hishel's lunch. You see, Mr. Hishel also liked to have his lunch in the study which I would almost always deliver to him. After that I walked the grounds once more before checking the upper floors of the mansion until a bit after three o' clock.
I then headed back to the servant's quarters and relieved the other manservant who was waiting there. We normally try to keep at least one servant on call for the house residents, but since only Mr. Hishel residing here today and most of the staff away, part of the time it was unstaffed.
At around half past five, I went to the kitchen to prepare some tea for Mr. Hishel. It was around this time I knew he'd go down to the cellar and check on the wine barrels. I also felt certain he'd select and open up one for his birthday celebration on the morrow.
So, when I went to his study to serve the tea, he was already gone. I guessed he already went down to the cellar. His papers were in a disarray and there was quite a mess in the room. He had a temper and I assumed something had sent him in a mood, it wouldn't have been the first time an event like this had occurred. I made a note to come back and clean up, and assumed he had merely gone to the cellar a little sooner than usual.
Upon entering the cellar I noticed at once something was wrong. The window up behind Mr. Hishel was opened, and he was face down on the desk. A large boot print was on the desk and the cellar inventory papers were scattered everywhere. A cursory glance at them revealed that some of them contained info about the casks, and a few others were about the house's maintenance. I set the tea service on the edge of the desk, called out his name while reaching out to him, and I quickly realized he was dead. His body had become cold and his lips were blue.
I ran back upstairs and called the police. And here we are...why would someone want him dead?"
The butler's tale ended as we approached the entrance to the kitchen. You remark to him, "It's my job to answer that question Mr. Pilck. Please remain here for a moment as I check in with the Deputy. I've got a few more questions for you to answer...stay nearby and don't move to far away."
You nod at him and enter the kitchen. There at the large heavy old table, you see an equally elderly gentleman who seems to be quite fixated upon his meal. Wearing an old dark uniform, his cap on the car seat next to him, he glances up at you and nods when he hears you enter, before returning to his meal. His dark eyes look back down at his plate under bushy white eye brows and a nearly bald head encircled with silver wisps of what remains of his hair. He is utterly unfathomable.
As you walk up to the table, you introduce yourself and state, "Deputy Harvey, its looks like the maid fixed a fine meal for you. I'm going to guess everything is secure, then. What do you have to report?"
The old man makes a grumbling noise as he puts down his fork and gives you his attention. "Good evening, Detective. I know the Sheriff wants you out here. But it looks like a simple breakin' and enterin' gone wrong. I doubt the criminal's still anywhere near here. Look at the window, you'll see. He's long gone. I walked the grounds outside. Boot prints lead out the fields and disappear. Doesn't seem to be any clues to his identity either. I've told everything to the Sheriff and I'm stuck here waiting for you to finish up. So, I'm going to stay here and wait for you to leave."
He then returns to eating without waiting for your reply. You're a bit annoyed at his cavalier attitude towards you and the death of Mr. Hishel. Still you realize you won't be getting anything else out of Deputy Harvey and gesture to the butler to leave with you as you walk out of the room.
"I have a few more questions for you. Let's go to the cellar where Mr. Hishel body was found."
"Now then, why would Mr. Hishel work in the dark cellar under a lamp, instead of in his brighter, open study?"
The butler hesitated before replying "A few years ago, there was a thief in the area. And while most of the house was gone late in the afternoon eating dinner in town, a thief snuck in and made off with some rare gold coins, a gold bar, and some diamond jewelry from the display cases in Mr. Hishel's study.
Mr. Hishel was still at the residence and returned to his study after the meeting with the few of us who didn't go out that day, and discovered the thief in the middle of his work. The thief managed to knock him to the ground by shoving the table at Mr. Hishel and fleeing past him. We heard the ruckus and came to check on him. We found him struggling, pinned under the table but before we could help him he ordered us to chase down the thief.
We spread out to cover the house and grounds. But no sooner had we started then the maid called out to us from where she stood at the side window...she'd seen in the distance, disappearing behind a hill, a person running away, at a full sprint.
We searched the house afterwards to try and figure out how the thief got in and where he left. No windows were pried open and the doors appeared sound and shut. However, down in the cellar, there were some wine barrels knocked over and spilled wine under the high window. A window about big enough for an average sized man to squeeze through. Thus we figured the crook snuck through the window and knocked over and broke one of the wine barrels in the process. None of us were able to figure out how exactly the thief managed to escape with the gold and jewelry, as we searched the house and found nothing. The gold bar alone would it make it quite difficult to travel by foot to the nearby town, let alone carrying everything else. So we searched the surrounding grounds and even the fields, but we found nothing there either.
Mr. Hishel was furious and wanted to ensure no thief could ever get the best of him again. He was further enraged by the fact that he'd only seen the back and a covered face and couldn't even narrow down the crook's gender. The window he had nailed shut. He'd swore to be ready for any more thieves, and hoped to catch the first one if the thief ever tried a second time. He would compulsively watch the grounds outside and many times work down in the cellar." The butler stops speaking and opens the cellar door. The well lit dark wooden stairs lead down in a slight spiral out of sight.
A thought hits you, and then a question, "How do the wine barrels move in and out of the cellar? These stairs are too steep and tight to carry such weight."
"The wine presses and barrel room are next door and there's a tunnel underground to the cellar. The casks are filled and then rolled down the tunnel to the cellar. When the wine is deemed mature, the casks are rolled back out and then hauled to the bottling room. The tunnel is just large enough for the casks, and this time of year we're busy moving casks into the cellar from harvest. The tunnel is blocked currently. But anyway, between harvests and bottling, there's a gate that's locked."
You pause outside the cellar threshold to ask another question. "Alright then, how long have the maid and the other manservant been working here? Tell me about them."
The butler replies after a moment's thought. "Ms. Trice has worked here for about three years. Mr. Royce has worked here for only a year." The butler replies after a moment of thought before continuing on. "The maid can act a bit empty headed from time to time. She's a widow and has no children. Although she misses a room or two on her rounds and has to be reminded of them, she cleans the rooms well. Occasionally, she leaves her cleaning materials lying about. She's a likable woman though. As of late though, her mother's became quite sick. She's been needing to send most of her money home to try and help her with the illness. A few of us pitched in to help her pay for the initial doctor's visit.
The butler pauses for a moment and collects his thoughts, "Mr. Royce is also very diligent in his work. He doesn't complain much and seems to care about his work. He'll help maintenance the house, work in the yards, or assist with work in the cellar. Reliable guy, although I think he only plans to stay another year for the two year working bonus Mr. Hishel gives. I've heard him say he wants to go visit his family down south and find work closer to home."
"Is this the same maid that saw the figure fleeing after the robbery?" you glance at him with interest.
"Yes, she is. That was quite an unusual..." He replies affirmatively.
You stop him and ask, "Now explain to me about this two year bonus?"
"Mr. Hishel and his parents made their money off the vineyards. If you work for two years, they let you pick out one of the newer wine barrels. You can take it and sell it; however if you stay on and continue working, the wine ages and grows in value. So, Mr. Hishel marks the barrels and stores them near the window." The butler replies.
"Thank you, Mr. Pilck. That will be enough for now. Please remain here while I investigate the crime scene. I will call up to you if I need assistance." You look at him for a response to which he nods.
You then descend the stairs into the dark and musty cellar. The butler remaining outside the door. Upon entering the cellar proper, you notice how hard it is to see outside of the bit of light leaking in from behind you, and the shaft of light coming from the window in the west wall. The window neatly illuminates Mr. Hishel with his head resting on the desk. You move closer to investigate the scene. There are papers scattered across the desk with some lying on the floor. A boot print is prominently displayed on the desk across some of the papers and wood. A lamp busted on the floor. You then examine Mr. Hishel, although the coroner would have last word, you believe he was strangled to death. The broken blood veins in the eyes and the ligatures around the neck... it seems obvious.
You then look at the window set high up in the wall. It was as the butler had described it earlier, the window is large enough for a man or woman of average stature to squeeze their way through it from the outside. Whoever had nailed the window shut, didn't do a very good job. The small nails were bent and apparently worthless at securing the window.
Slowly a theory of what the events that led to Mr. Hishel's death become clear to you. But first, to talk with the other residents. You ascend back up the staircase, and ask the butler to direct you to the others.
"They are currently waiting in the servant's room." He states as he walks you to the servant's room.
It didn't take you long to make it to the servant's room. You gesture for the butler to remain outside.
The maid met you at the door, and then invited you to sit across from her and the manservant. The butler turns away and moves to look out a nearby window opposite the room. The maid appears to be a woman in her early 40's with a white bit of cloth sticking out of a back pocket. She looks saddened, while the manservant, a short man in his mid 30's looks a bit shell shocked.
You politely ask them to describe what they were doing after lunch until the body was discovered. The maid answers nervously first.
"I was cleaning the house the entire day. I started with the first floor before moving onto the second one. I was focused on cleaning the bedrooms with the family members being gone. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary during my duties. I met the manservant during his rounds near the study."
You look at her with a bit of sympathy, "I hear your mother's sick. What did she come down with?"
"The doctor's not quite sure yet what it is besides that it's a type of skin infection, but he prescribed some expensive medicine that seems to help her handle the illness. I'm saving up to pay for her to see a more specialized doctor. I don't want to use the barrel, it's for my retirement, and even with it, it'll only have enough to see the doctor and not pay for any more expensive medicine or treatment he might proscribe." she replied with a worried face.
"Now then, I hear a few years ago you were the one who saw the fleeing figure?" you ask thoughtfully.
She replies after a moment's pause. "Yes, but there isn't much I can tell you. I was searching the house like the rest of the maids to see if we could locate the thief or the missing items when I glanced out the window to see the figure."
You nod and then turn and look at the manservant, and he speaks with a thoughtful face as he recalls the events of the day.
"I was walking through the house for my rounds. I did deliver Mr. Hishel's lunch while the Mr. Pilck was busy, Mr. Hishel seemed like his usual self at the time. Like usual, I'd check on the maid's work from time to time before resting in the servant's room. She didn't miss as many spots as usual today. Although I only ran into her once near the study, like she said. When the butler returned I went outside to walk the grounds. I didn't see anything notable either."
You ask him a question, "I heard from the butler that you were only planning to stay on another year. Why is that?"
"I plan to live closer to my family and use the bonus to help pay for my lodgings while I look for a new job." He replies simply.
You stroke your beard in thought for a moment…
"Where would the study be in regards to this room?" you question the manservant.
He answered with a hint of confusion on his face, "Why it's left down this corridor, and then you just continue going north past the corridor to the cellar, and then make a right."
"Thank you both for your time. Would you please ask the butler to accompany you to the main lobby, I will be along shortly to talk to you as a group." You state firmly.
The conversation with both of them has bolstered your theory, but you need one more piece of evidence, and you knew where to look for it. You follow the manservant's directions to the study. Once there you investigate the room. First you check the desk area. A displace case, which appears to have been long emptied is next to it. You observe that the desk in the study has a few papers askew, and there on the ground you spot a twisted white cloth. It appears to be one of the cloths used to clean the rooms. Another scan of the rest of the study reveals a small open safe out of sight of someone standing in front of the desk. Inside the safe a few bills of cash are messily strewn around, and what looks to be a will is left on the floor. You walk over and read the will. It appears to be a legitimate will, with the property and the majority of the money and some odds and ends being left to family members. It also has a clause requiring the family to continue the wine barrel tradition for the current employees and a request to continue it for future ones. A few small lump sums left to some of the older employees, the butler among them. After looking at the will, you leave the room, the truth of the past day's events and the culprit are clear to you now.
You follow the path back to the servant's room, and then divert to get Smith. You whisper to him, "Lieutenant go around to the other side of the lobby and crack the door. Be prepared for the culprit to try to flee." He nods and walks around to the other side of the lobby. Meanwhile, you slowly, and with aplomb, open the door to the lobby. You pause for a moment to look at the butler, the maid, and the manservant in turn before announcing loudly, "I have deduced who has killed Mr. Hishel."
The difficulty is introductory. This is merely the first of many. Please enjoy it with some fine tea.
Classic Mystery – Cellars and Wine
You are Detective Christopher Waloch, a middle aged man with thinning brown hair, streaks of gray beginning to show, and a short trimmed grey beard. After a long day at the office, you received a call for help outside of town.
The local constable's office called you to solve a murder case. You normally work for the metro city area police force, however this evening, you've been called to solve a case out in the countryside. A wealthy man has died in suspicious circumstances at his estate. The constable has no one on staff to sort the situation out.
The Police Captain has assigned a car and a young lieutenant to drive you to the crime scene.
As he drives, you watch the sky out the car window. It's a mixture of purple colors of dusk, and some threatening dark clouds. During the trip, the city gives way to the suburbs and then the rural, and hilly countryside over the course of around half an hour. The estate entrance gate with "Hishel" in large gold letters across the arch appears in the windshield as the sun settles low in the sky. From the front of the estate, you figure it'd take at least an hour and a half to get to the city by foot.
As the lieutenant drives through the iron gates and up the estate road, you see miles of rolling green hills surrounding the mansion of the recently deceased -- Mr. Oliver Hishel. Dark shadows have begun to spread across the hillside and a very cheerful looking home is enshrouded now in more ways than one. The police car approaches the house up the driveway horseshoe and comes to a stop by the entry. Two large doors swing open below the gables of a "small" country mansion, and a figure stands in the entrance.
You open your door and step out onto the driveway. The lieutenant has already come around from the driver side and stands beside you. As you lean toward the young officer, reflexively you check the gun in its shoulder holster beneath your coat... the butler looks uncomfortable. "Lieutenant, you are to remain silent, follow me to the foyer, and then stand by the entrance until called. I plan to resolve this quickly... and be prepared if I need you!"
Now the butler walks stiffly out onto the doorstep. He's a tall, thin man in his late fifties and is wearing a dark black uniform with a white collared shirt. And behind some small black-wire framed glasses, dark brown, his eyes assess you thoroughly and seem to disapprove. But, although he seems stoic and unfazed by the events, you sense under his veneer of professionalism that he's shaken and saddened.
"Good day, sir. I am Detective Wolach. With me here, is Lieutenant Smith." --At your side, Smith stands stiffly in his policeman uniform. He takes off his cap and nods to the butler.
"As you may know, I was requested by the constable and arrived as quickly as I was able." you say crisply. "May we come inside?"
He nods curtly and gestures toward the open door, "This way gentlemen." All three step inside as the Butler begins to speak.
"Mr. Waloch, I am Mr. Pilck, the butler of this estate and will guide you to where Mr. Hishel lies. I am responsible for the estate in the absence of the master." he states very smartly as he closes the door behind them. "Shall I take your jackets? Do you require refreshments or a moment to rest from your travels?"
"Thank you, but I'll retain my jacket...and I'm interested in seeing the crime scene immediately. Lieutenant Smith will remain here at the entrance. Where is the rest of the household, and where's the constable's man? I was told there was someone stationed here to watch the scene."
"Very well, sir. Mrs. Hishel, the children, and most of the staff were at the beach home on the coast... a good day's travel from here. They'd traveled there to open the house after the winter for spring cleaning. After I'd contacted the constable, we phoned them of Mr. Hishel's condition and they are en route now. In fact, I believe they'll be arriving tomorrow morning. The mistress was quite distressed upon hearing the news, and I can't help but feel distraught for the children." He spoke tensely and quickly, his eyes slightly clouded. He went on to say in a forced polite tone, "The deputy is probably in the kitchen being served dinner by the staff."
"Fine, fine...Who else remains here on the estate?
He eyes track off into the air as he thought, "Mr. Hishel, Ms. Trice, the maid, Mr. Royce, the other manservant, and myself are present on the estate. The groundskeeper, Mr. Loftus was also here early this morning, but left before noon to gather supplies from town. He's not returned."
"Very good...excellent..." you mutter as you pull out your note pad and begin to write. "I need you to recount the events that led up to the discovery of the late Mr. Hishel. While you talk...take me to Deputy...what was his name?"
The butler had already turned to lead you and said curtly over his shoulder, "Deputy Harvey...he's this way and has been serving the county for a very long time. You know, it's a terrible tragedy that Mr. Hishel was murdered ...and the day before his birthday too." He then begins to recount the events of the past day.
"The staff met first thing every morning, as we always did, in the kitchen for breakfast when the sun rose. We'd finish eating and preparing breakfast for the Hishel family. Afterwards, we left to perform our chores and tasks."
"Like most mornings, Mr. Hishel went to his study around nine. He liked to read the news first thing and have breakfast at his desk. After serving him, I walked the grounds checking for any problems and monitoring the other servants progress before retiring to the servant's quarters about an hour before noon to prepare for lunch." He paused to take a breath before continuing on.
"Each room in the house has a bell, including the study, which rings in the servant quarters and kitchen to summon one of us if needed. At lunch I ate in the kitchen with the maid and the other manservant after he came back from delivering Mr. Hishel's lunch. You see, Mr. Hishel also liked to have his lunch in the study which I would almost always deliver to him. After that I walked the grounds once more before checking the upper floors of the mansion until a bit after three o' clock.
I then headed back to the servant's quarters and relieved the other manservant who was waiting there. We normally try to keep at least one servant on call for the house residents, but since only Mr. Hishel residing here today and most of the staff away, part of the time it was unstaffed.
At around half past five, I went to the kitchen to prepare some tea for Mr. Hishel. It was around this time I knew he'd go down to the cellar and check on the wine barrels. I also felt certain he'd select and open up one for his birthday celebration on the morrow.
So, when I went to his study to serve the tea, he was already gone. I guessed he already went down to the cellar. His papers were in a disarray and there was quite a mess in the room. He had a temper and I assumed something had sent him in a mood, it wouldn't have been the first time an event like this had occurred. I made a note to come back and clean up, and assumed he had merely gone to the cellar a little sooner than usual.
Upon entering the cellar I noticed at once something was wrong. The window up behind Mr. Hishel was opened, and he was face down on the desk. A large boot print was on the desk and the cellar inventory papers were scattered everywhere. A cursory glance at them revealed that some of them contained info about the casks, and a few others were about the house's maintenance. I set the tea service on the edge of the desk, called out his name while reaching out to him, and I quickly realized he was dead. His body had become cold and his lips were blue.
I ran back upstairs and called the police. And here we are...why would someone want him dead?"
The butler's tale ended as we approached the entrance to the kitchen. You remark to him, "It's my job to answer that question Mr. Pilck. Please remain here for a moment as I check in with the Deputy. I've got a few more questions for you to answer...stay nearby and don't move to far away."
You nod at him and enter the kitchen. There at the large heavy old table, you see an equally elderly gentleman who seems to be quite fixated upon his meal. Wearing an old dark uniform, his cap on the car seat next to him, he glances up at you and nods when he hears you enter, before returning to his meal. His dark eyes look back down at his plate under bushy white eye brows and a nearly bald head encircled with silver wisps of what remains of his hair. He is utterly unfathomable.
As you walk up to the table, you introduce yourself and state, "Deputy Harvey, its looks like the maid fixed a fine meal for you. I'm going to guess everything is secure, then. What do you have to report?"
The old man makes a grumbling noise as he puts down his fork and gives you his attention. "Good evening, Detective. I know the Sheriff wants you out here. But it looks like a simple breakin' and enterin' gone wrong. I doubt the criminal's still anywhere near here. Look at the window, you'll see. He's long gone. I walked the grounds outside. Boot prints lead out the fields and disappear. Doesn't seem to be any clues to his identity either. I've told everything to the Sheriff and I'm stuck here waiting for you to finish up. So, I'm going to stay here and wait for you to leave."
He then returns to eating without waiting for your reply. You're a bit annoyed at his cavalier attitude towards you and the death of Mr. Hishel. Still you realize you won't be getting anything else out of Deputy Harvey and gesture to the butler to leave with you as you walk out of the room.
"I have a few more questions for you. Let's go to the cellar where Mr. Hishel body was found."
"Now then, why would Mr. Hishel work in the dark cellar under a lamp, instead of in his brighter, open study?"
The butler hesitated before replying "A few years ago, there was a thief in the area. And while most of the house was gone late in the afternoon eating dinner in town, a thief snuck in and made off with some rare gold coins, a gold bar, and some diamond jewelry from the display cases in Mr. Hishel's study.
Mr. Hishel was still at the residence and returned to his study after the meeting with the few of us who didn't go out that day, and discovered the thief in the middle of his work. The thief managed to knock him to the ground by shoving the table at Mr. Hishel and fleeing past him. We heard the ruckus and came to check on him. We found him struggling, pinned under the table but before we could help him he ordered us to chase down the thief.
We spread out to cover the house and grounds. But no sooner had we started then the maid called out to us from where she stood at the side window...she'd seen in the distance, disappearing behind a hill, a person running away, at a full sprint.
We searched the house afterwards to try and figure out how the thief got in and where he left. No windows were pried open and the doors appeared sound and shut. However, down in the cellar, there were some wine barrels knocked over and spilled wine under the high window. A window about big enough for an average sized man to squeeze through. Thus we figured the crook snuck through the window and knocked over and broke one of the wine barrels in the process. None of us were able to figure out how exactly the thief managed to escape with the gold and jewelry, as we searched the house and found nothing. The gold bar alone would it make it quite difficult to travel by foot to the nearby town, let alone carrying everything else. So we searched the surrounding grounds and even the fields, but we found nothing there either.
Mr. Hishel was furious and wanted to ensure no thief could ever get the best of him again. He was further enraged by the fact that he'd only seen the back and a covered face and couldn't even narrow down the crook's gender. The window he had nailed shut. He'd swore to be ready for any more thieves, and hoped to catch the first one if the thief ever tried a second time. He would compulsively watch the grounds outside and many times work down in the cellar." The butler stops speaking and opens the cellar door. The well lit dark wooden stairs lead down in a slight spiral out of sight.
A thought hits you, and then a question, "How do the wine barrels move in and out of the cellar? These stairs are too steep and tight to carry such weight."
"The wine presses and barrel room are next door and there's a tunnel underground to the cellar. The casks are filled and then rolled down the tunnel to the cellar. When the wine is deemed mature, the casks are rolled back out and then hauled to the bottling room. The tunnel is just large enough for the casks, and this time of year we're busy moving casks into the cellar from harvest. The tunnel is blocked currently. But anyway, between harvests and bottling, there's a gate that's locked."
You pause outside the cellar threshold to ask another question. "Alright then, how long have the maid and the other manservant been working here? Tell me about them."
The butler replies after a moment's thought. "Ms. Trice has worked here for about three years. Mr. Royce has worked here for only a year." The butler replies after a moment of thought before continuing on. "The maid can act a bit empty headed from time to time. She's a widow and has no children. Although she misses a room or two on her rounds and has to be reminded of them, she cleans the rooms well. Occasionally, she leaves her cleaning materials lying about. She's a likable woman though. As of late though, her mother's became quite sick. She's been needing to send most of her money home to try and help her with the illness. A few of us pitched in to help her pay for the initial doctor's visit.
The butler pauses for a moment and collects his thoughts, "Mr. Royce is also very diligent in his work. He doesn't complain much and seems to care about his work. He'll help maintenance the house, work in the yards, or assist with work in the cellar. Reliable guy, although I think he only plans to stay another year for the two year working bonus Mr. Hishel gives. I've heard him say he wants to go visit his family down south and find work closer to home."
"Is this the same maid that saw the figure fleeing after the robbery?" you glance at him with interest.
"Yes, she is. That was quite an unusual..." He replies affirmatively.
You stop him and ask, "Now explain to me about this two year bonus?"
"Mr. Hishel and his parents made their money off the vineyards. If you work for two years, they let you pick out one of the newer wine barrels. You can take it and sell it; however if you stay on and continue working, the wine ages and grows in value. So, Mr. Hishel marks the barrels and stores them near the window." The butler replies.
"Thank you, Mr. Pilck. That will be enough for now. Please remain here while I investigate the crime scene. I will call up to you if I need assistance." You look at him for a response to which he nods.
You then descend the stairs into the dark and musty cellar. The butler remaining outside the door. Upon entering the cellar proper, you notice how hard it is to see outside of the bit of light leaking in from behind you, and the shaft of light coming from the window in the west wall. The window neatly illuminates Mr. Hishel with his head resting on the desk. You move closer to investigate the scene. There are papers scattered across the desk with some lying on the floor. A boot print is prominently displayed on the desk across some of the papers and wood. A lamp busted on the floor. You then examine Mr. Hishel, although the coroner would have last word, you believe he was strangled to death. The broken blood veins in the eyes and the ligatures around the neck... it seems obvious.
You then look at the window set high up in the wall. It was as the butler had described it earlier, the window is large enough for a man or woman of average stature to squeeze their way through it from the outside. Whoever had nailed the window shut, didn't do a very good job. The small nails were bent and apparently worthless at securing the window.
Slowly a theory of what the events that led to Mr. Hishel's death become clear to you. But first, to talk with the other residents. You ascend back up the staircase, and ask the butler to direct you to the others.
"They are currently waiting in the servant's room." He states as he walks you to the servant's room.
It didn't take you long to make it to the servant's room. You gesture for the butler to remain outside.
The maid met you at the door, and then invited you to sit across from her and the manservant. The butler turns away and moves to look out a nearby window opposite the room. The maid appears to be a woman in her early 40's with a white bit of cloth sticking out of a back pocket. She looks saddened, while the manservant, a short man in his mid 30's looks a bit shell shocked.
You politely ask them to describe what they were doing after lunch until the body was discovered. The maid answers nervously first.
"I was cleaning the house the entire day. I started with the first floor before moving onto the second one. I was focused on cleaning the bedrooms with the family members being gone. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary during my duties. I met the manservant during his rounds near the study."
You look at her with a bit of sympathy, "I hear your mother's sick. What did she come down with?"
"The doctor's not quite sure yet what it is besides that it's a type of skin infection, but he prescribed some expensive medicine that seems to help her handle the illness. I'm saving up to pay for her to see a more specialized doctor. I don't want to use the barrel, it's for my retirement, and even with it, it'll only have enough to see the doctor and not pay for any more expensive medicine or treatment he might proscribe." she replied with a worried face.
"Now then, I hear a few years ago you were the one who saw the fleeing figure?" you ask thoughtfully.
She replies after a moment's pause. "Yes, but there isn't much I can tell you. I was searching the house like the rest of the maids to see if we could locate the thief or the missing items when I glanced out the window to see the figure."
You nod and then turn and look at the manservant, and he speaks with a thoughtful face as he recalls the events of the day.
"I was walking through the house for my rounds. I did deliver Mr. Hishel's lunch while the Mr. Pilck was busy, Mr. Hishel seemed like his usual self at the time. Like usual, I'd check on the maid's work from time to time before resting in the servant's room. She didn't miss as many spots as usual today. Although I only ran into her once near the study, like she said. When the butler returned I went outside to walk the grounds. I didn't see anything notable either."
You ask him a question, "I heard from the butler that you were only planning to stay on another year. Why is that?"
"I plan to live closer to my family and use the bonus to help pay for my lodgings while I look for a new job." He replies simply.
You stroke your beard in thought for a moment…
"Where would the study be in regards to this room?" you question the manservant.
He answered with a hint of confusion on his face, "Why it's left down this corridor, and then you just continue going north past the corridor to the cellar, and then make a right."
"Thank you both for your time. Would you please ask the butler to accompany you to the main lobby, I will be along shortly to talk to you as a group." You state firmly.
The conversation with both of them has bolstered your theory, but you need one more piece of evidence, and you knew where to look for it. You follow the manservant's directions to the study. Once there you investigate the room. First you check the desk area. A displace case, which appears to have been long emptied is next to it. You observe that the desk in the study has a few papers askew, and there on the ground you spot a twisted white cloth. It appears to be one of the cloths used to clean the rooms. Another scan of the rest of the study reveals a small open safe out of sight of someone standing in front of the desk. Inside the safe a few bills of cash are messily strewn around, and what looks to be a will is left on the floor. You walk over and read the will. It appears to be a legitimate will, with the property and the majority of the money and some odds and ends being left to family members. It also has a clause requiring the family to continue the wine barrel tradition for the current employees and a request to continue it for future ones. A few small lump sums left to some of the older employees, the butler among them. After looking at the will, you leave the room, the truth of the past day's events and the culprit are clear to you now.
You follow the path back to the servant's room, and then divert to get Smith. You whisper to him, "Lieutenant go around to the other side of the lobby and crack the door. Be prepared for the culprit to try to flee." He nods and walks around to the other side of the lobby. Meanwhile, you slowly, and with aplomb, open the door to the lobby. You pause for a moment to look at the butler, the maid, and the manservant in turn before announcing loudly, "I have deduced who has killed Mr. Hishel."
Divider
Husky Fighter Novice
- Location
- Catarina
wdango
Storyteller
- Location
- Bali, Indonesia
I think the proper syntax is Request: Statement?
Divider
Husky Fighter Novice
- Location
- Catarina
Yep.
The maid is about as strong as Mr. Hishel. They're both past their prime and while the maid's still quite active, Mr. Hishel doesn't let himself fall to far out of shape even with spending most of his time behind a desk.
Also it's fine to have lines like XYZ was an interesting [thing] or I think it might be XYZ.
But any complete theories (Or partial theories) like It was Professor Plum, in the Library, with the Candlestick because the owner had killed his family should be in spoilers to allow others to solve it themselves if they wish to after the right answer has been given.
Nothing out of the ordinary has been added to the barrels in the day before or the day of the murder.
Krein
Never stop never stopping
The day before? Of course not, that would be silly.
Request: Nothing was removed from the barrels at the day of the murder!
Request: The underground tunnel was not used at the day of the murder!
Request: Each servant has their one specific bonus barrel assigned and marked as theirs!
Also, who has the key to the tunnel?
Nothing was removed from the barrels at the day of the murder!
The underground tunnel was not used at the day of the murder! And by used I mean to travel completely through the tunnel, and pass through the gate in it either way.
Each servant who's worked for more than two years, has their one specific bonus barrel assigned and marked as theirs!
There's a key to the tunnel in the servant's room along with keys to other rooms, and there's a key Mr. Hishel's keeps on his person.
Last edited:
Krein
Never stop never stopping
Okay...
Good enough so far...
Something to keep in mind...
"Snaps fingers"
And gotcha.
Request: No barrels were removed from the cellar at the day of the murder!
Request: The murderer had no accomplices!
Is that what you think?
No wine barrels were removed from the cellar at the day of the murder! And by removed, I mean to take a wine barrel, and leave the cellar with the whole wine barrel.
The murderer had no accomplices. And accomplices are defined as knowingly aiding the culprit.
Further examples here to help you guys, if Professor Plum murdered a guy in the lobby with the axe, and Mrs. Scarlet hid the axe for him either on his orders, or on her own initiative to help Plum get away with the murder, she'd count.
If she unknowingly damaged his footprint by not noticing when she ran in with the rest of the cast, or say locked the door from the lobby to the kitchen for another reason than to assist the culprit (like in fear the unlocked door might lead to someone discovering her mid night snacking...) she would not count as an accomplice.
Krein
Never stop never stopping
Yes, that IS what I think! And these word games are unbecoming of you! "Is digging the hole deeper"
Request: No barrels were rolled through the tunnel!
"Thinks"
Oh, what the hell...
Request: None of the servants are related!
It's Umineko inspired. Of course I'll be playing word games. Really to think other wise would be... foolish.
No barrels were rolled completely through the tunnel in one move.
None of the servants currently on the grounds are directly related by blood to each other. Directly related by blood refers to a close tie like from parent to child or brother/sister. (Or half-brother/half-sister.)
At this rate Krein will be hogging on all the REQUESTS!
Krein
Never stop never stopping
...Still!
One move meaning...?
Directly, eh? Maybe if grandson... "Thinks"
Done for today. Good enough for the first move, I suppose.
One move meaning, taking the barrel and moving it through the tunnel without having to open the gate and not passing it over to someone else.
Basically if it's passed between two people, or they just store it in the tunnel for a later time and then come back to it, it's not one move.
No one rolled the barrel down the tunnel all the way through without doing something first. It wasn't a seamless barrel roll down the tunnel. That's probably the right way to phrase it.
The tunnel is wide enough for someone to hide in it.
I refuse. (What's Extrangulation?
)
Crow
Falling is a Pleasure. Regardless of its Fate
You know, strangled to death...The tunnel is wide enough for someone to hide in it.
I refuse. (What's Extrangulation?
Request: The Groundkeeper was not in the estate at the estimated time of death of the victim.
just to nip this in the bud.
Last edited:
I refuse both of them. (It's strangulation wounds there's no E or X in front. Just having a little bit of word fun
)
Divider
Husky Fighter Novice
- Location
- Catarina
Request: The GM is a jerkI refuse both of them. (It's strangulation wounds there's no E or X in front. Just having a little bit of word fun
On a more serious note, have a request.
Request: The papers scattered around the scene of the crime are irrelevant to the case.
I refuse.
If it's about about the house's maintenance, then of course it'd be related to the staff employed by Mr. Hishel. They do help maintain the house after all.