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differentiating posted:Hm, that's a thought - I'd guess that the two would be Lewis and Smyth-Thomas, then, since we know something has to connect them together uniquely? I do wonder who the hell would vote with smashing/not smashing a wineglass, though... Smashing wineglasses is a thing in Jewish weddings to symbolize new beginnings (wholesome explanation I heard growing up) / destruction of the temple (morbid explanation I was told by others later) so either way there is some kind of precedent. The former view would be the soldiers who wanted to get on with their lives and leave the dreadful business behind them, the latter would be a violent "let the past stay buried". Edit: Also, bear in mind this was the best explanation I could come up with after wracking my brain for absolutely any plausible fact-pattern. It may have no basis in reality whatsoever. TravelLog fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Sep 8, 2020 |
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Sep 8, 2020 04:19
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TravelLog posted:Smashing wineglasses is a thing in Jewish weddings to symbolize new beginnings (wholesome explanation I heard growing up) / destruction of the temple (morbid explanation I was told by others later) so either way there is some kind of precedent. The former view would be the soldiers who wanted to get on with their lives and leave the dreadful business behind them, the latter would be a violent "let the past stay buried". Also represents something else that'll be breaking during the wedding night *nudge nudge*, depending who's telling the story of the symbolism and whether it's Drunk Uncle Steve. By this point the tradition has become so removed from whatever it represents it's what the participants bring to it.
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Sep 8, 2020 04:43
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TravelLog posted:Smashing wineglasses is a thing in Jewish weddings to symbolize new beginnings (wholesome explanation I heard growing up) / destruction of the temple (morbid explanation I was told by others later) so either way there is some kind of precedent. The former view would be the soldiers who wanted to get on with their lives and leave the dreadful business behind them, the latter would be a violent "let the past stay buried". Oh, I agree with you that it's a better explanation than anything else. It just strikes me as an odd choice, especially if it was part of a plan of 7 people to murder 1 man during a party with ~40 potential eyewitnesses and somehow get away with it. Why leave obvious evidence behind when written ballots could be easily burned?
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Sep 8, 2020 06:50
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Case 4, Quiz (with answers) Part 1 1. Who killed James Saunders? He was executed by the regiment in an unofficial court-martial. 2. Why was he killed? He betrayed the regiment at Maiwand. 3. What did Captain Lewis and Major Smyth-Thomas have in common? They both voted no on the court-martial. Part 2 1. Who killed Smyth-Thomas? Smyth-Thomas committed suicide. 2. What was the name of Sir James' mistress? Eva Vorontsov. (Again, that's the spelling as given by the book.) 3. What was the significance of the wine glasses? They represented the voting 'ballots' of the court-martial judges. So in the end, yes, we did seem to get to the right answer. It is a tough case, again because they can't have someone just explain what happened but they also need some way for the player to solve it. The wineglass thing is the main oddity; it would make a lot more sense if it was an impromptu method of voting, but instead they had to make more of it so that it's possible to understand what happened. I do wonder if some other partially-burnt bit of evidence might not have been easier to fit in. Also, the optimal Holmes solution solves this in 3 Clue Points, basically by figuring it out from the crime scene. He went to the Mansion Library (G-26), Mycroft Holmes/Diogenes Club (8 SW), and Mycroft's office (91 SW). Apparently he didn't even need to pick up the papers, instead relying on us to get them? As much as I like this case it's an absurdly scored one. It's also nigh-impossible to find out otherwise due to the Royal Asylum directory mix-up, as that's the only route that leads to Moser and thereby the boarding-house. We also visited pretty much all the pertinent clue points. Aside from the sergeants saying who was guarding the library, the only thing missed was tracking down Lewis (in a bar, naturally) but all you get from him is saying that Saunders "killed himself, he killed his honour" and mumbling "we'll all meet in hell". You can also visit some of the listed Lewis's in the directory and meet his uncle, who says that Capt. Lewis was greatly devoted to Saunders. I'll post the text solution in a bit.
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Sep 8, 2020 18:42
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Case 4, SOLUTION  “I must admit that this was a simple enough case,” states Holmes as he looks up from his microscope. “In fact, it was rather transparent; so transparent, indeed, that it may have been insulting.” Holmes takes a box from the shelf above his work-table and removes a long, thin greenish-black cigar. After it is lighted, he removes a glass slide from a box next to the microscope and knocks some ash onto it before placing it under the microscope. He places the cigar in his mouth and looks into the eyepiece. “You know, Wiggins, I cannot emphasize too strongly the value of a thorough knowledge of tobacco ash,” says Holmes as he examines the ash. “If you can say, definitely, that some murder had been done by a man who was smoking an Indian Lunkah, you would obviously have significantly narrowed your field of search.” Holmes looks up from his microscope and takes a puff on the cigar, gives it a disdainful look and tosses it into the fireplace. “Yes, the Indian Lunkah would definitely narrow the search. Now, Wiggins, what did you find out about our retired colonel?” “The first thing I checked was the library. It was clear that the crime had to have involved a number of people. To hang a man in a crowded house where you must keep him quiet is certainly not the most subtle way to kill him.” “You state the obvious, Wiggins. Subtlety was the last thing on the minds of the murderers. There can be little doubt that there was a conspiracy to kill Saunders, and there is little doubt that it would require the participation of the whole regiment, or at least that of the officers. “As you pointed out, hanging is not the most logical method of murder, so it must have been chosen for another reason. The silly attempt to make it look like suicide couldn’t even fool Lestrade. No, this was no ordinary murder, it was an execution for which hanging is a traditional method.” “An execution?” asks Watson, who has entered the room just in time to hear Holmes’s last statement. “Yes, an execution. We saw the ballots in the library. There were five executioners.” “Five?” “Yes. You noticed the seven wineglasses, five broken in the fireplace an two untouched on the table. Five voted for execution, two against. I would assume that one of the nay voters was your friend, Smyth-Thomas.” “Smyth-Thomas?” “Yes. Think about it, Watson. This is the ninth reunion of the Berkshires, but the first for which you have received an invitation, I believe?” “Well, yes, that’s true,” states Watson, somewhat haughtily. “My regiment was the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers. I was attached to the Berkshires on a temporary basis only. I arrived two days before the battle of Maiwand and, as you know, was wounded, thus ending my assignment with the Berkshires. So you can see, Holmes, that I was only technically a member of the Berkshires.” “I was in no way trying to suggest that you were slighted socially, Watson, only that our invitation was out of the ordinary. Smyth-Thomas asked you to bring me; it seemed important to him.” “Yes, that's true.” “I think Smyth-Thomas was hoping our presence would stop the planned murder, and when it didn’t, he was faced with a conflict between his conscience and his loyalty to his regiment. He was unable to betray either, and chose suicide instead.” “You’re sure it was suicide?” “Of course, You said he was found in a room locked from the inside with no other way in; what else could it have been?” “Why did they kill him?” “That was the question I couldn’t answer, Watson. I assumed that it had something to do with the battle of Maiwand, but according to the paper Saunders wasn’t there. What did you find out, Wiggins?” “We discovered that Saunders was a traitor. It seems that he was feeding information to the Russians, who in turn gave it to the Afghans. In his position as quartermaster, he was privy to knowledge of British positions and movement plans, Informing the Russians of these details before the battle of Maiwand was his first act of treason.” “That must have been what Smyth-Thomas found out while writing the history of the regiment and why he destroyed his manuscript,” says Holmes. “He didn’t want to give away the motive. Poor Smyth-Thomas, he could have saved the trouble and his life.” “What do you mean, Holmes?” “The government will cover it up, Watson. They won’t want it to get out that a knighted diplomat was a Russian spy, and that the Army took it upon itself to execute him.” “What will happen to the regiment, Holmes?” Before Holmes could answer there is a knock at the door and Billy enters with a telegram for Holmes. “It’s from Mycroft,” says Holmes. “And it contains the answer to your question, Watson. It seems that General Roberts has seen fit to transfer the Berkshires to Borneo where their talents will be put to work for the Empire.” Case 5, The Toxic Trinity, will begin in roughly two days.
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Sep 8, 2020 19:00
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I think linking the treason to the battle was the point we were looking for and missed.
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Sep 8, 2020 20:04
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Was there anything that was supposed to clue us in to when Saunders turned traitor?
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Sep 8, 2020 21:41
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That isn't clearly indicated, no. Smyth-Thomas's disturbing discovery is maybe a clue, as well as Braxton's 'blight on the regiment' slip. There is one more source of information I forgot about that hints at it, though. If you visit the library you can read up on the Battle of Maiwand, which has an (ahistorical) note about rumors of someone betraying the troop positions. You can also talk to the author about it and he says he doesn't know but it would probably have been someone not at the battle but with knowledge beforehand who betrayed them. It's a sort of weird position for them to set up, since they're creating a villain for an actual historical event. You have to kind of work backward from the fact that members of this regiment killed him to get to it, or assume that they simply knew he was a spy and did him in for that.
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Sep 8, 2020 22:33
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It was an interesting case, but probably the best example so far of what I feel are the game's shortcomings, namely that it often asks you to make wild conjectures not because of what you learned in character but because the fact that you are playing a game clues you in to the fact that certain things are likely to have something important ascribed to them. Consider the wine glasses. I was the one who guessed they were there for voting purposes, but I only did so because everything I knew about the game told me we needed to figure out why they were there (and even then I thought it more likely than not that I was wrong). Consider how much more likely it might have been for someone to have dropped a tray with the glasses, or got angry, or even that someone was drunk enough to argue that the fire could melt them and tossed them it, and the wineglasses been of absolutely no significance of any kind. A more interesting way of approaching this might have been for the fireplace to be filled with broken glasses, leading us to search there and discover a scrap of paper with a barely legible tally mark or similar. We would have left with the same information (and having spent a clue finding it out), but it would have been deductive rather than a wild guess. Some cases have this element come up very minimally, but others like this one feel like they started with a result and tried to cobble together a solution without really considering how we could get there form the "front end", so to speak.
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Sep 8, 2020 23:39
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Yeah, the solution for this one feels like the weakest of the set so far, since you have to make more than a few assumptions in order to fill in the blanks. It probably would've worked better as a written story than as an interactive game like this. I mean, I was looking for a connection to Maiwand myself and wasn't able to find one - especially since Saunders was a Russian spy, not an Afghani one. I don't know how one would conclude that the library is the best starting point for that inquiry, or at what point you'd be told that the Russians were helping the Afghanis in order to solidify that tie. I get the idea of having all the officers stay silent because all the senior officers were involved/those more junior are being threatened, but I feel like even having some staff who could give more insights without having the "honor" of being a member of the regiment could have made it better. Combine that with the senior officers arbitrarily deciding that two of them didn't get to vote in order to keep everyone else distracted, which seems a little silly, and the ridiculous thing with the wine glasses... it just feels shoehorned together. I also think it's more than a little silly for part 1 of the quiz to ask about Lewis and Smyth-Thomas and part 2 of the quiz to ask about the wine glasses; it really feels like it should be flipped, since idk how you'd get part 1 without part 2. Anyway, happy to put this case behind us. On to the next!
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Sep 9, 2020 03:07
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CASE 5 The Case of the Toxic Trinity Monday, 16 September, 1889  Since his arrival at 221B Baker Street, Sir Harold Hobson has been continually pacing up and down the length of the room. Watson stands in front of the fireplace, his left elbow resting on the mantel while his right hand holds a cigarette. Watson’s eyes follow Sir Harold as he continues his nervous journey, but this time Sir Harold stops when he reaches the centre of theroom, removes a gold watch from his vest pocket and snaps it open. “I thought you said that Holmes would return shortly?” says Sir Harold, looking at Watson and not his watch, which he snaps shut to add emphasis to his remark. “I said I expected him soon,” replies Watson. “Holmes, as I told you, is involved in a case just now, and that case will dictate his time. If you would care to tell us what help you need, we may be able to assist you.” “Alright, what choice do I have? Yesterday my son Elliot was arrested for murder. Ridiculous! Elliot is about as capable of murder as is the Queen Mother. God knows, at times I have wished he would show more aggressiveness, more manliness, but Saturday was the first time I have seen his blood get hot.” “If you could start from the beginning, Sir Harold, it would be easier to ascertain the facts of the case,” says Watson in his best Holmesian manner. “Please be seated.” “As you may know, I am in charge of the redevelopment of Kingsway, one of the largest such projects to be undertaken in London. This weekend I had invited a number of people to my home who will be, or might be, involved in the project. Three of those guests, Adrian Nettleship, Charles Duckett and Malcolm Post, were found dead yesterday morning; foul play is suspected. Well, more than suspected, since Elliot has been arrested for the murder of Malcolm Post, and may be charged with the others.” Sir Harold removes a gold cigarette case from his pocket and removes a cigarette, taps its end on the case and places it in his mouth. “If you could just recount the events as they occurred, Sir Harold, we may be able to get a clearer picture of what happened,” says Watson as he reaches over to light Sir Harold’s cigarette. “Yes, I can see that. I have gone over the events of the last few days a number of times in the past twenty-four hours, but I can’t make any sense of it. But, I'll tell you what I do know. “My house guests arrived Friday night for dinner and socializing; everything went pleasantly. Saturday was spent in going over the plans for the upcoming redevelopment and other related business discussions. Nothing unexpected happened during the day. I talked to Nettleship, but again only about business matters. I had a brief conversation with Post that went well — he seemed like a knowledgeable and hard-working young man — and it looked like I would be able to award him some contracts. “Then Saturday evening, after dinner, things changed. Post began to drink heavily and got very belligerent. At around nine-thirty, I was called into the drawing room where my son and Post were engaged in an argument. Elliot had accused Post of making advances towards Mary, my daughter-in-law. I asked Elliot to go to his room and suggested to Post that it might be a good idea if he also retired for the evening. Thinking that everything was under control, I returned to the billiards room. Ten minutes later there was a commotion on the staircase; it was Elliot and Post having a real Donnybrook Fair.” At this point Sir Harold’s demure demeanor gives way to a wan smile. “I am sorry, this is not a frivolous matter, but you don’t know my son. I think that was his first fight. My son has spent his life buried in books. His mother died when he was young, and I had my work. I'm afraid Elliot didn’t get much attention while growing up from anyone but his schoolmasters. “Well, to get back to what happened Saturday night. We broke up the fight and got Elliot and Post calmed down. Again I sent Elliot to his room, and I informed Mr. Post that I wanted him out of my house first thing next morning. He said he had to talk to me, that he had something important to tell me. I told him to go to his room until morning or to leave my house then and there. He went to his room. “I went to talk to Elliot, but he was in Mary’s room, so I decided to wait until morning. It had turned into an exhausting day and I went to bed. I slept like a rock until I was awakened at five in the morning and told of Post’s death. An hour later Nettleship’s body was found in his room, and, shortly after, a check of Duckett’s room turned up his body. The police were called and after investigating and interviewing everybody, they arrested Elliot. So far Elliot has only been charged with the murder of Post, but they are thinking of charging him with Nettleship’s murder as well. That's about all I know, Doctor.” “Quite a story, Sir Harold. Do you have any questions, Wiggins?” “Have you talked to your son since the bodies were discovered?” “Yes. I have just come from the Old Bailey where Elliot is being held. He says that he didn’t do it and knows nothing about any of the deaths. Henry Swathmore, my solicitor, has retained Edward Hall as barrister. It was Hall that recommended Holmes to me.” “Does your son work in your business?” “No. My son calls himself a scientist, a chemist. He works at home.” “Is there anything else you think we should know?” “I have told you all I know at this time. Will you help me?” “We’ll be glad to look into it,” says Wiggins. “I would like a list of your house guests, Sir Harold.” “Yes, I thought of that. Anything that you will want to know about the household staff you can find out from Palmer, my head butler, I trust him implicitly.” Sir Harold hands Wiggins the following list: : Sir Richard Crookes, MP: Sir Richard chairs the Greater London Construction Committee and is in charge of finance for the project. Brian H. Baden-Powell: Architect for the project. Russell Garner: Contractor. Charles Duckett: Contractor. Malcolm Post: Contractor. Adrian Nettleship: With his brother Herbert is the largest supplier of building supplies in England. Newspaper   Holmes can't be bothered to show up lately, so it seems Watson has to handle his cases now. What choice indeed, Mr. Hobson.
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Sep 10, 2020 16:39
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Case 5 Hobson Mansion “Yes, Sir Harold told me to expect you and to offer any assistance that you might require.” “Thank you. Could you tell us about the guests and events of the weekend?” “Certainly. Perhaps you would like to join me on a brief tour of the house as we talk?” “The staff here is quite small, as that is all that is needed for the customary needs of Sir Harold, Master Elliot and his wife Mary. Besides myself there is Mrs. Coker, the cook; Maggie MacDonald, a bright young girl who assists Mrs. Coker and performs the duties of maid; and Nole Coker, who is married to our cook and is something of a jack-of-all-trades. He handles much of the regular maintenance both inside and out. Because our household here is quite small we have many of our services done by hired people from outside. The larger cleaning jobs and the gardening, for instance, are not done by the regular staff. Similarly, we do not keep horses or coach in the stables here. “Thus, on the rare occasions, such as this past weekend, when Sir Harold is entertaining guests we are rather hard put to handle all the work. We were quite busy with preparations all last week, but everything was ready when the guests arrived Friday. The dinner was exquisite as any special dinner prepared by Mrs. Coker and hosted by Mrs. Hobson would be. The gentlemen discussed business most of the time. After dinner they withdrew to the drawing room for cigars and brandy. Mrs. Hobson did not join them. They retired early. “Saturday they spent most of the afternoon in the Library working on their plans and negotiating business. They adjourned about four in the afternoon. Dinner was at seven, and was attended by all the guests but Mr. Post who apologized that he had to check on something at his office and would be back as soon as possible. “Not long after his return he and Master Elliot became embroiled in a quite heated argument in the drawing room. Sir Harold appeared to have calmed them down. But a few minutes later they had come to blows on the grand staircase. Very strange.” We have been loath to interrupt Palmer’s narrative, but we now ask, “Strange? What do you mean?” “I have served this household for many years, but I have never seen Master Elliot fight with anyone at all. I cannot even recall having ever seen him even in a shouting match, much less a fisticuffs.” “Do you know what caused this altercation?” “No, I am sorry, I do not. But Sir Harold asked Mr. Post to leave first thing in the morning. Actually, there is very little more that I can tell you. The bodies were found early yesterday morning, just after the cleaning crew had left, and Scotland Yard was notified at once. Nothing has been disturbed in the bedrooms occupied by the deceased. The police said that a man named Murray would be by to examine them, but he has not arrived. The other guests and staff are all here if you care to question any of them.” “You mentioned a cleaning crew. What crew is that?” “We had a crew from Loughran & Company in to clean the main public areas, the foyer, grand staircase and ground floor halls. They come around midnight and are gone before the household begins to stir in the morning; this way they cause the least disturbance.” “Thank you, Palmer. You have been most generous with your time and observations.” “I do hope you find the murderer. I know that it cannot be Master Elliot. He would never hurt anyone. That I know. The Hobsons are good people.” CAST OF CHARACTERS HOUSEHOLD Sir Harold Hobson Elliot Hobson Mary Hobson Sir Richard Crookes Brian H. Baden-Powell Russell Garner Charles Duckett Malcolm Post Adrian Nettleship STAFF Erasmus Palmer Phyllis Coker Nole Coker Maggie MacDonald CHARACTERS’ ROOMS GROUND FLOOR 14. Mary & Elliot Hobson’s Bedroom 15. Mary & Elliot Hobson’s Salon UPSTAIRS 2. Malcolm Post’s Room 6. Sir Harold Hobson’s Bedroom 13. Brian H. Baden-Powell’s Room 14. Sir Richard Crookes’s Room 16. Russell Garner’s Room 20. Charles Duckett’s Room 22. Card Room 23. Adrian Nettleship’s Room DOWNSTAIRS 9. Erasmus Palmer’s Room 27. Maggie MacDonald’s Room 29. Nole & Phyllis Coker’s Sitting Room 30. Nole & Phyllis Coker’s Bedroom Initial Directory Look-ups (Crookes) - no entry (Baden-Powell) - no entry (Garner) - no entry (Duckett) Drury Lane Theatre ........................31 WC Duckett & Co ......................................27 EC Dudley, Peter .......................................... 2 SE (Post) Porter, Margaret ................................. 8 NW Post, Janice .........................................36 NW Post, Malcolm ......................................66 SE Postern & Sons ...................................... 78 E (Nettleship) Nethercott & Stims .............................. 76 E Nettleship Bros ....................................61 SE Neuberger, Benjamin .......................... 22 E (Loughran & Co) Loughran & Co .................................85 EC Vote for up to 5 clue points to visit. The first clue will be posted in ~24 hours. Kangra fucked around with this message at 17:08 on Sep 11, 2020 |
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Sep 10, 2020 16:44
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My first thought is 85EC for the cleaners, they seem most likely to have seen something, though who knows if they'll talk. My narrative-savvy evidenceless hunch is that Mary has a secret past and killed them to hide it.
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Sep 10, 2020 16:58
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Nettleship is specifically mentioned as having a brother, which makes me think it’s important. We should talk to Herbert Nettleship.
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Sep 10, 2020 18:07
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With the "Government Waste" article suggesting that building supplies are often falsified/replaced with cheaper material as a scam, and the Nettleships being the supplier of building materials on the project Post & Duckett were contractors on, I agree with starting off with Herbert Nettleship at 61 SE. Afterwards, I'd like to investigate the crime scenes (Adrian Nettleship's room at U-23 , Malcolm Post's room at U-2, Charles Duckett's room at U-20) in some order. Depending on what we find, it may be prudent to visit Meeks (38 EC) for further information, especially as we currently do not know the cause of death. Sounds like Murray hasn't been involved yet and wouldn't have anything for us.
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Sep 11, 2020 04:03
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Case 5, Clue Point 1 61 SE Nettleship Bros Herbert Nettleship is a small man in his early fifties. He is wiry and hard, his arms like steel bands. We have found the surviving Nettleship brother in the storage yard of Nettleship Brothers: Building Supplies. “Mr. Nettleship?” asks Wiggins. "Yes." “Could we ask you a few questions?” “About what?” “Your brother’s death.” “You from the police? I told you all I know.” “No, we’re not from the police. We're working for Sir Harold Hobson...” “Yes, I can see that Sir Harold would want to have his own investigation. As I told the police, it doesn’t make much sense to arrest Sir Harold’s son, what’s his name?” “Elliot.” “Elliot, yes. I told them, the police, that it didn’t make any sense to charge Elliot with Adrian’s murder; it just doesn’t fit together.” “What do you mean?” “Why would Elliot Hobson want to kill Adrian? The police say that he must have seen Elliot kill Post. Post was poisoned! If Adrian had seen anything, Elliot could have postponed or covered it up. No, it doesn’t make sense.” “Who do you think it was?” “I have no idea.” “Did you talk to your brother over the weekend?” “No. The last time that I saw him was Thursday last.” “Did you know Post?” “No.” “Do you know anything about him?” “No.” “Did you know Duckett?” “Yes, we had worked together a number of times. We just supplied his company for the Daily Chronicle building.” “Do you know of any reason that your brother would be killed?” “No." “And you never heard of Post?” “No.” “So you have no idea who or what caused your brother’s death?” “No, not at all. It’s a mystery to me. I sure would like to find out; if you learn anything, let me know.” Current Votes 5 Loughran & Co (85 EC) 4 Nettleship's Room (U-23) 3 Post's Room (U-2) 2 Duckett's Room (U-20) 1 Jasper Meeks (38 EC) Place your vote for up to five clue locations to check next.
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Sep 11, 2020 17:06
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Case 5, Clue Point 2 85 EC Loughran & Co. “Yes, we are hired by Sir Harold Hobson to do cleaning at his home.” “Could we talk to the workers who were sent there Saturday night last? As you may know some men were murdered that night, and we thought perhaps your people might have noticed something out of the ordinary.” “You happen to be in luck, mates. They happen to be here right now, just getting ready to go out on another job. Sal, Minnie, come over here for a minute. These blokes want to ask you about the doings at the Hobson place the other night.” “What can we do for ya’?” “Did you notice anything unusual while you were working Saturday night? Did you see anyone going up or down the stairs?” “Saturday night, you say? Sunday morning, I calls it. But no matter. Certain I am that no one went up or down that grand staircase what I takes such pains to wash. But I can’t say I noticed anything special.” So far we found nothing, but it's at least been a useful nothing. Previously Visited Nettleship Bros (61 SE) Current Votes 4 Nettleship's Room (U-23) 3 Post's Room (U-2) 2 Duckett's Room (U-20) 1 Jasper Meeks (38 EC) Vote for up to five locations to visit next. Next clue will probably be a bit more than a day.
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Sep 12, 2020 15:41
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Is there a map of the house?
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Sep 13, 2020 08:23
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Bruceski posted:Is there a map of the house? There's one on the fourth or so post on the first page. The mansion layout always stays the same between cases, but the rooms are repurposed.
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Sep 13, 2020 09:23
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Ah, gotcha. Thanks.
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Sep 13, 2020 17:53
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Case 5, Clue Point 3 U-23 Adrian Nettleship's Room As Palmer had promised, nothing appears to have been disturbed since the visit from Scotland Yard. Gaslights blaze brightly. Both a chair and a side table lie overturned upon the floor; a bed pillow rests beside them. A book, Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, lies on the bed. Here's a map of the upstairs bedrooms, usable for all of the victims' rooms.  Previously Visited Nettleship Bros (61 SE) Loughran & Co (85 EC) Current Votes 3 Post's Room (U-2) 2 Duckett's Room (U-20) 1 Jasper Meeks (38 EC) Vote for any five locations to visit. Next clue in around one day.
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Sep 14, 2020 00:03
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I'd like to add a chat with Mrs. Hobson to our list. After we poke around the house, I would like to poke around the morgue (38 EC). Since it was a poisoning, it might be valuable to know what specifically killed him. TravelLog fucked around with this message at 00:57 on Sep 14, 2020 |
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Sep 14, 2020 00:53
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I'll keep my votes for the crime scenes followed by Meeks for now. It'll be helpful to know if they've all been poisoned, because if so, we're likely looking for something all 3 of them consumed around the same time. I'm also on-board with visiting Mary afterward to see if she can shed any light on the fight between Elliot and Post - and it's probably worth visiting Elliot at the Old Bailey as well to hear what he has to say. Post's Room (U-2) Duckett's Room (U-20) Jasper Meeks (38 EC) Mary Hobson's Room (G-14) Old Bailey (36 EC) ETA: Also worth noting that Post popped by his office due to a concern that night. After the above, it may be worth checking out Post and Duckett's non-mansion directory locations to see if any clues lie there.
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Sep 15, 2020 00:10
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Case 5, Clue Point 4 U-2 Malcolm Post's Room We step gingerly over the chalk outline of a body in the doorway to the room last occupied by the late Malcolm Post. Only the feet jut into the hallway. As Palmer had promised, nothing appears to have been touched. A cheese sandwich sits on the dressing table untouched. Wiggins picks up a jacket which lies on the unslept-in bed. “Look at this,” says Wiggins as he searches the jacket’s pockets. “Looks like empty apothecary packets. From Leath & Ross.” Visited room U-2, but maybe still haven't found what we're looking for. Directory Look-ups Leath & Ross ........................................85 SE Previously Visited Nettleship Bros (61 SE) Loughran & Co (85 EC) Nettleship's Room (U-23) Current Votes 4 Duckett's Room (U-20) 2(+5) Mary Hobson's Room (G-14) 3(+4) Jasper Meeks (38 EC) 1 Old Bailey (36 EC) The extra vote for Jasper is delayed until after looking at mansion clues. Wasn't sure if I should put the vote for for Mary Hobson in now or if TravelLog's votes are meant to come after the room visits. We can visit Mary Hobson next, depending on how other votes go. Voting is always open. Pick up to 5 clue points to visit.
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Sep 15, 2020 06:39
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Let's slot in Leath & Ross (85 SE) after we do Duckett's room and Mary Hobson's room. Happy to visit the two of them in either order, as they are both mansion clues.
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Sep 15, 2020 13:36
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Case 5, Clue Point 5 U-20 Charles Duckett's Room This room, like the other guest rooms in the Hobson mansion, is simply decorated with fine old furniture. We look through some of Charles Duckett’s clothing which hangs in the wardrobe. The drawers of the dresser reveal only a few more items of clothing. A sheaf of papers sitting on the night-table seem to be architectural drawings, supply needs and cost estimates. On the washstand is a Leath & Ross box containing six packets of powders. Not much, but it can still say a lot. Previously Visited Nettleship Bros (61 SE) Loughran & Co (85 EC) Nettleship's Room (U-23) Post's Room (U-2) Current Votes 6 Mary Hobson's Room (G-14) 6(-after Hobson) Jasper Meeks (38 EC) 2 Leath & Ross (85 SE) 1 Old Bailey (36 EC) Change your votes if you like, or add votes if you haven't voted yet. Next clue tomorrow.
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Sep 16, 2020 05:32
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Another Leath and Ross box. If this were an old-school RPG I'd start trying to figure out who we throw that Noun at. If the third victim's room has them it certainly suggests someone in the house was responsible for stocking. Note: six packets left, in case how many in a box becomes relevant. If this pattern holds we may want to check a non-victim's room to see if the powders were there too, but I don't know if anyone would be more useful than the others so it can wait.
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Sep 16, 2020 05:56
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Looks like 2 of the 3 victims have Leath and Ross packets - definitely worth exploring. But I think we need to find out what they were poisoned with first, if we can, so that we can better rule in or out the packets as a means of poisoning. If we're lucky, Meeks can tell us that, or at least confirm that they were all poisoned in a similar fashion. Jasper Meeks (38 EC) Leath and Ross (85 SE) Mary Hobson's Room (G-14) Old Bailey (36 EC) Malcolm Post (66 SE) differentiating fucked around with this message at 06:32 on Sep 16, 2020 |
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Sep 16, 2020 06:28
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Case 5, Clue Point 6 38 EC Jasper Meeks “I always know I can expect you to drop in when I've just received a shipment of corpses, Wiggins. Who are you and Holmes interested in today, as if I need to ask?” “Hello, Sir Jasper. We're interested in the murders Saturday night at the Hobson mansion. Have you performed those autopsies yet?” “You're in luck, Wiggins. I think I may be able to help you on this one.” “What did you find?” “Well, where should we begin? Malcolm Post, aged thirty, was, plain and simply, poisoned, murdered. There was a high concentration of carbolic acid in his body, and it could not have gotten there accidentally. He had obviously consumed a large quantity of the poison, probably through some food or drink — I haven’t talked to H.R. yet — and carbolic acid is a fast-acting and potent poison. He would have died within a few hours of ingestion. “Adrian Nettleship, aged fifty-four, died of suffocation. I did find some opium in his body. Opium is a sedative, a popular sleeping powder much used by insomniacs. The amount of sedative in Mr. Nettleship’s body is normal in quantity. It would not have had serious medical consequences in one, such as Nettleship, who was in good health. It would merely have put him to sleep. He died of suffocation. “As I said, the opium would have no serious consequences in one of good health. Apparently, however, our Mr. Duckett was not such a man. His heart showed quite a bit of damage. I am expecting word from his private physician, Mr. Moore Agar, concerning his medical history, but a look at his heart told me all I need to know. In addition, the dosage of opium which he apparently ingested was much higher than would be normal for a sleeping powder. Surely he would have been warned of the danger of such a high dosage. At any rate, the dosage was too high for his weak heart. It simply stopped beating.” I sort of feel he knows a bit too much detail for an M.E. in this era, but maybe it's easier than it would seem. Certainly makes for a better game. Directory Look-ups Adrian, Adrian ................................ 41 E Agar, Dr Moore ................................43 NW Aguirre, Carmen ...............................41 SW Previously Visited Nettleship Bros (61 SE) Loughran & Co (85 EC) Nettleship's Room (U-23) Post's Room (U-2) Duckett's Room (U-20) Current Votes 7 Mary Hobson's Room (G-14) 7 Leath and Ross (85 SE) 2 Old Bailey (36 EC) 1 Malcolm Post (66 SE) Where next? Place up to five votes, if you so desire.
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Sep 17, 2020 05:40
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Interesting. So both Nettleship and Duckett consumed opium, with the overdose of opium killing the latter and the former being suffocated by someone after being sedated. Post, on the other hand, was poisoned with carbolic acid, an entirely different compound. Yet, Duckett and Post were the two who had the Leath and Ross packets, weren't they? So it doesn't make sense for that to be the source of either ingestion. The only thing we know Nettleship and Duckett to have consumed that Post did not was dinner - is it worth questioning the cook? It seems unlikely, since nobody in the house had issues, but then again if the game is treating it as a "sleeping powder that has no ill effects in a healthy individual"... Nole & Phyllis Coker’s Bedroom (D-30) Mary Hobson's Room (G-14) Old Bailey (36 EC) Malcolm Post (66 SE) Leath and Ross (85 SE)
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Sep 17, 2020 06:42
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Yeah, we have three different MOs now, interesting. Nettleship sounds like a crime of opportunity, Post was clearly murder, and Duckett... dosed with multiple powders? Duckett's room is right next to Post's, if we're assuming one murderer for all three they may have intended to simply make sure Duckett wouldn't wake up from nearby noise and made a mistake. Wait, we've been to all three rooms, let's see what they suggest... Duckett -- Nothing of note. Sheaf of papers, no mention of them seeming disturbed. Doesn't mean they weren't. Post -- Dead on the floor half out of his room. Feet were sticking out so either he died while entering and fell forward, or was leaving and died falling backward. Nettleship -- table and chair overturned, book on bed. I assume struggling while being smothered. Post went to his office to check something the day of the murder. I don't know if 66 SE is his home or work address, but if we don't associate a company with him otherwise it's worth trying to find out.
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Sep 17, 2020 07:09
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Case 5, Clue Point 7 G-14 Mary & Elliot's Room No clue point... so we check the room next door. G-15 Mary & Elliot's Salon Mary Hobson is an attractive young woman whose face radiates an appealing blend of strength, honesty and gentleness. “Please, let us talk in the drawing room where we can be more comfortable. We are so grateful to you for looking into this matter. You must clear poor Elliot. I know that he did not kill Malcolm.” As we take the proffered seats Wiggins says, “Mrs. Hobson, could you tell us more about your husband and Malcolm Post? Do you know what they were arguing about?” “Well, they were arguing about me, but it was all so foolish. I just don’t understand. I have never seen Elliot act so jealous before, and there was certainly no reason. Malcolm is like a brother to me. We are both from Manchester, you know, and when his father died, Malcolm became part of our family; though I have seen little of him in the past few years.” “Can you tell us what happened Saturday night?” “Yes, I will try. Malcolm seemed to be quite agitated about something, and he said he needed to talk with me. We were in this drawing room, and Elliot started screaming at Malcolm to stay away from me. It was all quite embarrassing. Sir Harold came in and quieted Elliot down, suggesting to both men that they retire for the evening. I certainly thought it a good suggestion and went to my rooms. “Almost immediately there was a knock at the door. It was Malcolm. He insisted that it was imperative that he speak with Sir Harold that very night and would I please arrange such an extraordinary meeting. Just then Elliot arrived and saw Malcolm at my door. Malcolm took off up the stairs and Elliot chased him through the upstairs hall and down the main staircase, where I understand they continued their schoolboy behaviour until Sir Harold broke it up and asked Malcolm to be gone in the morning. “Elliot came back to our rooms, and apologized for his childishness. He was really very sweet, you know, telling me how much he loved me. He spent the entire night with me, so I know he had nothing to do with the murders, not that gentle Elliot could ever murder anyone.” “Is there anything else you can tell us about Malcolm Post, about his family or his business?" “Not really. As I said, I haven’t seen him in years. He always wanted to go into building construction, to follow in his father’s footsteps. Malcolm was crushed when he died. I think he really wanted to go live with his sister instead of my family, but I guess she couldn’t give him proper care and was very grateful to my parents for taking him in.” “Where is his sister now?” “I think she lives in London, but I don’t really know. She was much older than us. I'm sorry. I can’t think of anything else that seems important. You really must prove Elliot’s innocence.” Previously Visited Nettleship Bros (61 SE) Loughran & Co (85 EC) Nettleship's Room (U-23) Post's Room (U-2) Duckett's Room (U-20) Jasper Meeks (38 EC) Current Votes 7 Malcolm Post (66 SE) 5 Nole & Phyllis Coker’s Bedroom (D-30) 3 Leath and Ross (85 SE) 3 Old Bailey (36 EC) Place your votes for up to five locations to decide where we go next.
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Sep 18, 2020 04:24
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Hmm, a sister. Well if her name hasn't changed that would be Janice Post at 36NW.
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Sep 18, 2020 04:39
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I'm not sure that the sister would have much bearing on the current case, especially since it sounds like whatever had him agitated was a recent development and more likely related to his office, so I'd rather investigate that lead first before trying Janice Post to see if she's the older sister. Thus, I'll keep my votes from before, with a slight reshuffling in order: Nole & Phyllis Coker’s Bedroom (D-30) Malcolm Post (66 SE) Old Bailey (36 EC) Leath and Ross (85 SE)
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Sep 18, 2020 04:50
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Case 5, Clue Point 8 66 SE Malcolm Post (workplace?) Sixty-six Wallington Place turns out to be a storage yard with a small workshop at the back. We notice smoke coming from the rickety chimney, so we work our way through the clutter of wood and steel and knock on the shed door. A moment later the door opens and we are greeted by a young man dressed in working clothes. “Can I help you?” “Yes. We are investigating the deaths of Malcolm Post and two other men which occurred Saturday night. Could we ask who you are?” “I'm Robert McWilliams, Malcolm’s cousin. I came down from Manchester to work for Malcolm.” “When was the last time you saw your cousin?” “Saturday. He came by to check some papers. He seemed upset, but wouldn’t tell me anything.” “Are the papers still here?” “Yes. In the desk. Come in.” McWilliams walks over to the desk and removes a large envelope. Across the envelope is written Wallace Post Business Papers. “Wallace was Malcolm’s father. It was this paper on top that Malcolm seemed interested in.” McWilliams hands the paper to Wiggins. “It looks like a contract between the Post Construction Company of Manchester and the Nettleship Brothers of London for the supplying of materials for the construction of Ermen and Engels textile mill, dated November, 1870. Did Malcolm say anything to you about this?” asks Wiggins of McWilliams. “No, just said he had to talk to his sister.” “Do you know where we can find her?” “No. Funny thing about Malcolm’s sister; he never talks about her much, and I have never met her. I know that she married and her husband died and, oh yes, her name is Beatrice.” “Did Malcolm drink much?” “Yes, he did. Too much, I'm afraid.” “Thank you, Mr. McWilliams.” Beatrice isn't enough of a name for a directory look-up, so nothing to add there. Previously Visited Nettleship Bros (61 SE) Loughran & Co (85 EC) Nettleship's Room (U-23) Post's Room (U-2) Duckett's Room (U-20) Jasper Meeks (38 EC) Mary & Elliot's Salon (G-15) (subbed for G-14) Current Votes 5 Janice Post (36 NW) 5 Nole & Phyllis Coker’s Bedroom (D-30) 4 Leath and Ross (85 SE) 3 Old Bailey (36 EC) Heading into the weekend, so next clue won't be posted until Sunday. Extra time to place your votes!
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Sep 19, 2020 03:36
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Well if her name is Beatrice then Janice isn't useful.
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Sep 19, 2020 04:51
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Yeah, there doesn't seem to be a strong reason to talk to Janice if she's not the sister, unless we come across a mention of some other female relative of Post's. Leath and Ross (85 SE) might be more useful now we've spoken to Meeks and learned who ingested what? I don't have any brand-new ideas here though.
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Sep 19, 2020 17:03
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Case 5, Clue Point 9 85 SE Leath & Ross “Why, yes. Sleeping powders are one of our most popular items.” “Are you familiar with many of your customers?” “Well, of course, there are those I know and there are those I don’t.” “Are any of these names familiar to you: Elliot Hobson, Malcolm Post, Charles Duckett or Adrian Nettleship?” “Mr. Duckett is a regular customer, but I can’t say that I know any of the other gents by name. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t customers, of course. I might know them if I saw them.” “What was Mr. Duckett in the habit of buying?” “Just as you said, sleeping powders.” “What is the sleeping powder made of?” “Each packet contains .15 grams of opium.” “That’s it?” “That’s it.” 'Opium' is of such varying quality that it's hard to tell how much of a dose that is relative to, say, morphine. So all we really get is that the powder contains nothing else. Previously Visited Nettleship Bros (61 SE) Loughran & Co (85 EC) Nettleship's Room (U-23) Post's Room (U-2) Duckett's Room (U-20) Jasper Meeks (38 EC) Mary & Elliot's Salon (G-15) (subbed for G-14) Malcolm Post (66 SE) Current Votes 5 Nole & Phyllis Coker’s Bedroom (D-30) 3 Old Bailey (36 EC) Place votes for up to five locations, in order, to help decide which clue point we'll visit next.
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Sep 21, 2020 02:47
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Hmm... Post had empty apothecary packets in his jacket, but none in his system. Duckett had a box of them. Here's my hunch... Post, for some reason (maybe smothering Nettleship) doses the people sleeping by him. Duckett then takes a dose of his own, ODs, and dies. Someone kills Nettleship. Afterward (because otherwise Nettleship's killer would spot it, though it's possible they did and didn't care) Post is standing in his doorway for an unknown reason and the poison kicks in.
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Sep 21, 2020 03:13
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Hmm... would Post have had the opportunity to dose the dinner? Though it seems that whatever had him so upset (I still strongly suspect that Nettleship's company was using bad materials, especially since it seems like it was a contract with them that made Post angry) may have come up during/after dinner, but I still think it's odd that our two men with opium in their bloodstream ate a meal that Post did not, so I still really want to hear what the cook has to say. Though, looking at the previous clues, I guess she's more likely to be in the sitting room than her bedroom? I'd also love to look more into the contract itself, to help us with figuring out exactly what part of that made him so furious. There are two Engels in the directory, but no Ermen, so it's probably safest to start at the Office of Records to see if they have anything on that building/contract. I suspect that's more likely to be of use than the London Library, Somerset House, the Legal Societies, or the Times (I think those are the only regulars that I could imagine having this info in some way or another). I agree that I think Duckett's death was, ultimately, unintentional - he was dosed with opium, whether to hide the motive, avoid a witness, or out of a lack of ability to dose Nettleship directly, and he died only because he was also taking opium as a sleep aid. Nole & Phyllis Coker’s Sitting Room (D-29) Office of Records (14 WC) Old Bailey (36 EC)
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Sep 21, 2020 06:35
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