It's yet another dreary night in London. The flames roar hungrily in the fireplace, offering heat only for an equal offering of wood. The choking, brown mist trails its fingers along the window that looks upon the gaslit streets. Shadows move in the fog. Some look over their shoulder anxiously. Others follow just far enough behind to avoid suspicion.
Chloe is slumped in the ruined armchair, the fire casting an orange light on her face to match the amber drink in her hand. She takes a sip.
Arthur is half-asleep across the old desk. Newspapers lie all around him, his hands and face smeared with ink from his notes.
They know he’s out there. Jack the Riddler, they’ve come to call him. The mysterious figure, who haunts each case they’re given. All leads have gone cold. He’s not just one step ahead of them, he’s in a carriage and they’re walking the wrong way. Both of them look out the window. The brown miasma taunts them: “I can hide everything,” it seems to say. “What occurs in these streets are my secrets to keep.”
A sigh escapes the both of them. They look at each other and smile. Then there’s a scream. Arthur shoots up, ink and papers flying from the desk.
“What was that?” he says.
“Did it come from… the building?” Chloe says, as she finishes the whiskey and gets up.
“Let’s investigate!”
They run out, Arthur nearly crashing into the man who’s standing in the hallway outside their flat. The man looks at them both with panic in his eyes.
“I didn’t do it,” he says. His trembling hand points at the body on the floor. “I was just… I was just coming home and there she was!”
Arthur, shocked and groggy from his interrupted daydreaming, grabs the man by the lapels. The man recoils from the foul, cigar-reeking breath that oozes out under Arthur’s moustache.
“Did you see anybody outside?” Arthur shouts at him, spit flying.
“No, sir! No, none at all!” the poor man says. He would collapse to the floor, was it not for Arthur holding him.
“Arthur, he’s in shock. We’ll get nothing out of him right now,” Chloe says.
“You live here?” Arthur asks the man. The poor man simply nods. “Good. Don’t go out of town. We might need to question you later.”
Arthur let’s go of the man, who nearly tumbles to the floor before running off to his own flat.
[[Investigate the body]]Chloe (click-replace: "Chloe")[CHLOE]is kneeling next to the body. Arthur fishes a cigar out from his inner pocket and lights it.
"Arthur..." Chloe says disapprovingly.
"I know, I know. I'm quitting... after this case. //cough cough//"
Chloe brushes the long, black hair out of the body's face. "Oh no... She's young," she says.
"No more than 25, I would guess," Arthur says. He kneels down with Chloe and looks at the corpse of the young woman.
"There's no blood, as far as I can see. Not even on her clothes. I wonder how she died?" Chloe says.
Where should they start?
[[Go through the pockets. Maybe there's a clue there]]
[[Look for any signs of how she died]]
The woman has almost nothing on her person. No keys, no money.
"Perhaps it was a savage robber?" Arthur asks.
"Perhaps... but then, why put her here?" Chloe says.
"Oh, what's this?" Arthur unfolds the body's hand, and from it, draws out a note. On the note is written:
My Dear Sister
I am so delighted that you have gotten the chance to work at the Bathurst Hall estate. I cannot wait to show you around. The artwork they have on their walls - why, I know they're rich, but truly how much does a prestigious surgeon earn?
Oh the parties we'll see. And we'll live together again! I miss you dearly, beloved sister.
Always yours
Amanda
"It's not much of a lead, but it is a lead," Chloe says.
What should the investigators do now?
[[They have found enough clues. Time to move on ->The Sister Arrives]]
[[Look for any signs of how she died]]Her skin is very pale, although her corpse is fresh. With no smell coming from it, she couldn't have been dead for more than a day.
Chloe investigates the girl's neck, and gasps.
"Arthur, look here." She points at two large holes in the girl's neck.
"What on... she must have been stabbed in the neck. Maybe with a fork of some kind?" Arthur says.
"But with these kind of holes, there should be blood everywhere. Look." Chloe points to the floor around the body. Old, warped wooden planks and an ancient carpet. Not a spot of blood. It would be impossible to clean this floor of blood. Even her clothes are pristine.
"The body must have been brought here," Chloe says.
"Hmmh, indeed. But why? And from where?" Arthur asks.
What should the investigators do now?
[[They have found enough clues. Time to move on ->The Sister Arrives]]
[[Go through the body's pockets for clues ->Go through the pockets. Maybe there's a clue there]] "Before we move on, we should call the police," Arthur says.
"Oh yes, of course! I almost forgot..."
Arthur goes outside to find a constable. Soon after he's left, the front door to the building opens again. Realizing that it could be someone else, Chloe starts down the stairs to stop them, before they are witness to a most gruesome scene. She meets a woman halfway up the stairs, with black hair much like the dead girl. She's dressed in a maid's outfit, although it seems to be slightly ill-fitting.
"H-hello," the woman says.
"Hello. I'm sorry, you can't come up right now. Do you live here?"
The woman shakes her head. "I'm here to see you. I heard two great detectives live here. You see, my sister is missing. We work together at the Bathurst Hall estate, but I haven't seen her all day, nor yesterday! Oh please, can you help me find her?"
"I'm afraid I can."
Chloe shows her the body. The woman falls to her knees and screams, shaking the corpse in a vain attempt to wake her from everlasting sleep.
Arthur returns, having sent for a police carriage to pick up the body. "What's all this then?" He asks.
"You're the detectives, right?" the woman says through her tears. "You can help me? What happened? Why is my sister here?!"
Chloe and Arthur look at each other and nod.
"We can help you. Let's start with your name." Arthur says.
"Amanda. I'm Amanda."
"And your sister?" Chloe asks.
"She is... was... her name was Selina. What are you going to do?"
What should the investigators do?
[[Take Amanda's statement]]
[[Go to the Bathurst Hall estate]]"Tell us everything you think could relate to the case."
Amanda begins her story. She saw her sister the day before, while they were working. As evening came, after they had served the evening brandy and cigars to Mr. Bathurst Hall, they were supposed to eat together. But Mr. Bathurst Hall had asked Selina to stay behind.
Amanda last saw them enter the basement. She knew that the two of them had exchanged glances before, and didn't want to know anything about a possible scandal.
"And perhaps, just perhaps," she says, finishing her testimony, "my sister and Mr. Bathurst Hall would elope. I would be so happy for her. She deserves... deserved... a better life than what our family could give."
[[Time to pay this Bathurst a visit ->Go to the Bathurst Hall estate]] A knock is heard on the front door. The police have arrived. Arthur explains the situation, and the constables take away the body of Selina. As they leave, so do Amanda and the detectives.
The three take a carriage to Hanover Street. Here, it seems as if the brown fog of London grows thicker, as if the evil from which the miasma stems is concentrated here. On this street, the highlife of society exists. Earls, bishops, societies and brotherhoods, and the esteemed surgeon, Mr. Bathurst Hall.
The carriage stops outside his beautiful mansion. Like a plant breaking through cobblestone, this house of grandeur sits in the middle of London, yet has enough space around it for a small garden.
Electric lights glow through the windows. Truly a rich place, if they can afford such luxuries as electricity.
Amanda, still wiping tears from her face, is the first to exit the carriage. She leads the detectives to the front door and knocks.
A butler, balding and old, opens the door.
"Amanda! Pray tell, why have you brought these... fine people to the estate at this hour?" he says.
"Oh Charles, it's terrible! It's... it's my sister!" With that, Amanda breaks down in his arms.
"Erhm..." he gulps. Meekly, he pats her back. "There, there..." Then he looks at Chloe and Arthur. "I shall take her to the servant's quarters. Please, if you would wait in the hall, I shall call the master."
[[Wait in the Hall]]Charles leads Amanda away. Her cries are ugly, panicked and loud. She trembles in his arms.
The investigators are left in the entrance hall of the estate. Beautiful dark wood panelling runs along the bottom of the walls with intricate, arabesque wallpaper covering the rest. From the hall, there's corridors both to the left and the right, as well as a grand staircase leading to a second floor.
The stairs and the floor is covered with a crimson carpet. In the corner, next to the stairs, is a little reading nook: A coffee table and a single chair. On the table is a bowl of fruit, a book, and a large, two-pronged fork. All along the walls are beautiful landscape paintings.
After some time, standing around and taking it all in, the investigators hear a voice. Chloe and Arthur are both startled. Where before there was nobody, there now stands a man at the top of the stairs.
"Good evening, detectives," the man says, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. He's dressed finely, almost as if going to a funeral. His black suit is welfitted to his slender frame. His jacket, a tailcoat, is lined with sanguine velvet on the inside. A white, frilled collar covers his neck tightly. His face is that of a stern gentleman, with corpse-like white skin, sharp cheekbones, and a tightly kempt widow's peak of hair as black as Amanda and Selina's locks.
"Poor Selina. She was a good maid, and a promising young lady. She could have gone far."
Before Arthur has time to ask, Mr. Bathurst Hall holds up a thin hand.
"Charles told me all. So, how may I help you?"
[[Ask Mr. Bathurst Hall some questions]]
[[Ask if the investigators may walk around the house]]What should the investigators ask about?
[[Who was in the mansion yesterday?]]
[[Did Selina stay in the servant's quarters all night?]]
[[What was Mr. Bathurst Hall doing yesterday?]]Chloe and Arthur ask if they may investigate the house.
"But of course!" Mr. Bathurst Hall says. "The sooner you find this terrible murderer, the sooner I can find peace in my heart for that poor Selina. Oh, and how terrible it must be for her sister. She loved Selina so. If you need me, I shall be in the living room."
Arthur looks at Chloe. "So, where do we start?"
"Hmmh. I'd like to see if we can find something in the servant's quarters."
[[Go to the servant's quarters]]Mr. Bathurst Hall walks down a few steps, still staying above them on the stairs. He rubs his chin.
"Yesterday... hmmh. I was home. Charles was not, his aunt was sick and I gave him time off. Amanda and Selina were home, of course."
"Selina? Are you sure she was here all day, and night too?" Chloe asks.
Mr. Bathurst Hall furrows his brow. "Quite sure. Chloe, was it?" he nods, mostly to himself. "Indeed, she brought me brandy and cigars before she retired for the night. If she left thereafter, I would have known."
He points down the corridor. "That room right there? That's the living room. If someone were to leave, I would have heard. Unless... there is the old entrance to the cellar, but she wouldn't have left through there."
Arthur shakes his head. "Not her, the killer, man! So someone could have left unseen?"
"Certainly not. Nobody knows about that entrance. I had it boarded up years ago." He looks downwards, as if embarassed about that fact. "And besides, if the killer had gone through the basement, Amanda would have known. The servant's quarters are right next to the stairway."
"So..." Chloe says, "Amanda didn't serve you with her sister?"
Mr. Bathurst Hall laughs. "Goodness, no. Truly I would have clumsy maids, if that task would require two. No, I believe she was resting in the servant's quarters at the time."
"Interesting..." Arthur mumbles to himself.
[[Ask something else ->Ask Mr. Bathurst Hall some questions]]
[[Investigate the house ->Ask if the investigators may walk around the house]] "I believe so," Mr. Bathurst Hall says. "Although, given where her body was found, I suppose not. I do hope you clear this up, detectives. I would hate having a killer in my home."
[[Ask a different question ->Ask Mr. Bathurst Hall some questions]]
[[Investigate the house ->Ask if the investigators may walk around the house]] "Well, it was a Saturday, so I was resting. Spend most of my day reading, really. As evening came, I took my brandy and cigars in the living room. Selina served them." He furrows his brow, thinking for a while. "I believe that's the last I saw of her."
[[Ask a different question ->Ask Mr. Bathurst Hall some questions]]
[[Investigate the house ->Ask if the investigators may walk around the house]] The investigators walk down the corridor, past the living room. The carpet kills nearly all sounds of footsteps here, and the air stands still. The silence is broken by soft crying further down the corridor.
Passing three other rooms, they finally reach the door that leads to the servant's quarters and, next to that, the stairs to the basement. The air seems less stale here, as if a draft is blowing.
[[Enter the servant's quarters]]
[[Go down the stairs to the basement]](set: $Cryptex to false)
The servant's quarters are separated into two rooms: One of them seems to be Charles', whilst Selina and Amanda have been sharing one.
Chloe and Arthur enter Selina and Amanda's room. Although Amanda was supposed to be here, she's nowhere to be seen. Charles, who brought her here, has also gone somewhere else.
"Let's see what clues we can find here," Chloe says.
There is a single cupboard in the room and two beds, each with a nightstand.
[[Check the beds]]
[[Check the cupboard]]
[[Check the nightstands]](Set: $Knife to true)
"Oh goodness, do you smell that?" Chloe asks, as they walk down the stairs to the basement.
"No. What is it?"
"I think... doesn't it smell like blood?"
They continue down. The sickly sweet scent, mixed with a smell of iron, is carried with the draft that is now clearly blowing from the basement. The stairs end. Evidently, there was once a thin wall here, but it has been broken open just enough to allow a person to squeeze through. There is only darkness beyond. A large kitchen knife lies on the floor, covered in debris from the broken wall. The crying seems to come from within the tar-black room.
"Heh, not so bad a habit now, eh?" Arthur chuckles and pulls out a lighter. He lights up a cigar, and hands the lighter to Chloe.
She sighs. "Good thing, I suppose. Come on, let's see what's in there."
The lighter hardly pushes back the darkness. The draft in the basement constantly threatens to blow out the flame. But the smell of blood grows stronger and stronger still. The crying stops. They push through the darkness, following the foul odour, fearing what they might see. The rough stone floor gradually changes from grey to brown, to dark red. Blood has been spilled here.
Arthur gasps. "Look!"
Chloe walks a little further, forced to step in the still-wet blood. A large tub, filled to the brim with blood, sits on the floor. Chloe kneels down to get a better look.
"See here, Arthur. Recognize this symbol?" She points at the floor. Although overflowing with blood, it seems to have pooled in specific places. Grooves running from the tub and outwards carry blood throughout a symbol that they've seen in another case: A squid, with a near-human face, here drawn in blood that's slowly drying.
Outside, it seems that the wind is picking up. There's a slamming sound, as the old cellar doors are opened and closed by gusts of air.
"She was killed here." Arthur says.
"Of course! That's why there was no blood, she was drained! Dear Lord..." Chloe puts a hand over her mouth.
"But then, why was she placed at our office? Why would the killer want to be found?" Arthur says.
"I suppose that's what we need to find out. [[Let's go to the servant's quarters and see what we can find ->Enter the servant's quarters]]"Chloe and Arthur turn over the matresses, look inside the bedlinen, and even underneath the beds. Arthur suddenly shouts in pain.
"Aaaargh. Devil take this bloody pillow!" he screams and sucks on his finger. He stands at the bed closest to the door, clutching a pillow.
"What happened?" Chloe asks.
"The bloody thing bloody poked me!" He says, still with his finger in his mouth.
"It... poked you?" Chloe takes the pillow from him. Looking at the seam, she discovers that it has been recently split and sown back together. She draws out a pocket knife, splits the seam and--carefully--searches the pillow.
Two rings come out, sized to go over slender fingers. Both of them are shaped like claws, coming to a terribly sharp point that would extend beyond one's fingertips quite a bit. Inside the rings, there are traces of blood.
What should they do now?
[[Check the cupboard]]
(if: $Cryptex is false)[[Check the nightstands]] (if: $Cryptex is true)[[They have all the clues. Time to find Mr. Bathurst Hall and tell him who the murderer is.]]Arthur opens the cupboard and takes a step back. A handful of flies burst out from within and there's that sweet, iron-like smell of blood.
"Look at this, Chloe," he says. He points at a maid's outfit. It's covered in blood. "What could this mean?"
"Perhaps Selina was killed in that and then redressed. Remember how there wasn't any blood on her clothes?" Chloe says.
"Or the murderer was wearing this outfit, and killed Selina naked."
"A possibility." Chloe nods.
What should they do now?
[[Check the beds]]
(if: $Cryptex is false)[[Check the nightstands]] (if: $Cryptex is true)[[They have all the clues. Time to find Mr. Bathurst Hall and tell him who the murderer is.]]Arthur opens the drawer in the nightstand next to the closest bed. There's a rolling sound. "Chloe? This... look at this."
Chloe comes over, having just checked the other nightstand and declaring it empty. She looks into the drawer. There it is. That strange, golden mechanism with odd symbols. Those things that have been stringing them along so far. A cryptex.
"Not again. Not again!" She shouts. "Let's bloody solve it."
Along the edge of the cryptex, a hint is written:
"The second being, like the first,
The fourth being, like the third."
There are four discs on the cryptex:
The first disc shows a symbol of an owl. This disc doesn't move.
The second disc can be moved to show one of three symbols: Rat, bat or raven.
The third disc shows a symbol of a skull. As with the first, this cannot be moved.
The fourth disc can be moved to show one of three symbols: Coffin, sharp teeth or crossed bones.
What is the solution to the cryptex?
[[Second disc should be Bat, the third should be Coffin]]
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Sharp Teeth]]
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Crossed Bones]]Chloe and Arthur storm to the living room, where Mr. Bathurst Hall sits. They burst through the door, but the man isn't shocked. He simply sits there, facing the roaring fireplace. Without turning around, he asks:
"So, detectives. What did you learn?"
"Something terrible has been happening here," Arthur says.
"Something dark indeed. And we know who did it," Chloe says.
Finally, Mr. Bathurst Hall turns around. From the shadow of his brow, his eyes pierce theirs. "Tell me, then. I'm dreading the answer, but I must know. For Selina."
[[It was the butler!]]
[[It was you!]]
[[It was Selina herself!]]
[[It was Jack the Riddler!]]
[[It was Amanda!]](set: $Cryptex to true)
There is a single cupboard in the room and two beds, each with a nightstand.
[[Check the beds]]
[[Check the cupboard]]
[[They have all the clues. Time to find Mr. Bathurst Hall and tell him who the murderer is.]]Nothing happens. Try again.
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Sharp Teeth]]
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Crossed Bones]]Nothing happens. Try again:
[[Second disc should be Bat, the third should be Coffin]]
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Crossed Bones]]The cryptex clicks and then splits open.
"Look at this," Chloe says. "There's velvet inside, like you use in a ring box! But there are no rings in here..."
"And what's that?" Arthur points at a piece of paper that falls out.
The paper reads:
Become the Maiden of the House,
Sneak inside, like rat and mouse.
In the basement, blood must flow,
from a person that you know.
Remember that the two must see,
If the ritual shall be.
"What on earth..." Chloe says.
"It's Jack, that much is clear. But perhaps this one wasn't for us... maybe this was an instruction for the murderer?"
"But 'the two must see'... It must be us! He's toying with us, I know it!" Chloe shouts and slams her fist into the wall.
What should they do now?
[[They have all the clues. Time to find Mr. Bathurst Hall and tell him who the murderer is.]]
[[Check something else]]Mr. Bathurst Hall chuckles. Then he laughs.
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. He wasn't here at all that day. I'm sorry, but I'm going to ask you to leave, if you've no better ideas."
[[No, no! Of course, in fact it was...]]Mr. Bathurst Hall gets up, quite offended.
"How DARE you insinuate that I would be capable of a murder most fowl? I didn't do it. Why would I? Now please, take this seriously or I will ask proper police officers to conduct this investigation."
[[No, no! Of course, in fact it was...]] Mr. Balhurst Hall looks at you with wide eyes.
"Suicide? Oh dear... I don't see why she would do that. And who would have carried her corpse to your doorstep? No, no, that can't have been."
[[No, no! Of course, in fact it was...]] Mr. Balhurst Hall turns back to face the fire.
"Who?" He asks. "The mysterious figure that might not even exist? Do try again, if you would."
[[No, no! Of course, in fact it was...]] "It must have been Amanda," says Arthur.
"Pray tell, why would it have been Selina's own sister?" Mr. Bathurst Hall asks.
[[Because she hated her sister]]
[[Because you forced her to do it]]
[[Because she was manipulated by someone outside this mansion]][[It was the butler!]]
[[It was you!]]
[[It was Selina herself!]]
[[It was Jack the Riddler!]]
[[It was Amanda!]]"You see, all evidence points to the fact that she hated her sister with a passion," Arthur says.
"Such as?" Mr. Bathurst Hall asks.
"Think, Arthur," says Chloe. "We don't have any evidence towards that theory! There must be another explanation..."
[[Because you forced her to do it]]
[[Because she was manipulated by someone outside this mansion]]"You're clearly some sort of... dangerous individual," Arthur says. "Simply take a look at your corpse-like skin and slender, bony hands."
"Are you... serious right now?" both Chloe and Mr. Bathurst Hall say in unison.
"I jest! Of course, I jest. It was because..."
[[Because she hated her sister]]
[[Because she was manipulated by someone outside this mansion]]"You see," Arthur begins, "Amanda was manipulated. We have reason to suspect Jack the Riddler. Whether Amanda was blackmailed, or perhaps a part of his cult, remains unclear, but it is certain that he made her do it. This 'poem' we found earlier clearly states her mission: To become a maid here, kill someone dear to her in the basement, and ensure that Chloe and I would come to investigate."
Chloe nods. "Indeed. For whatever twisted reason, Jack wants us to see his gruesome puppetshow."
"I see. Still, I would rather not cast aspersion upon my employees, and I cannot truly believe Amanda would commit such a horrid crime. Do you have more damning evidence?"
"We do," Arthur says.
(If: $Knife is true)[[The evidence we need is the knife from the basement]]
[[The evidence we need is the two-pronged fork from the hall]]
[[The evidence we need are the pointed rings found in the servant's quarters]]"Arthur... there was no blood on that knife, and it was clearly covered in debris from the broken wall." Chloe shakes her head. "No, that knife was used to break down that thin plaster wall."
"Right, of course. Yes, uhm..."
[[The evidence we need is the two-pronged fork from the hall]]
[[The evidence we need are the pointed rings found in the servant's quarters]]"The fork used to eat fruit?" Mr. Bathurst Hall exclaims. "But that's prepostorous! Why, I ate with it just this morning! I assure you, it had not the faintest taste of blood."
"No, Arthur, I don't think I can agree with you on that. What else could it have been?" Chloe says.
"Erhm... yes... the... the evidence we need is..."
[[The evidence we need is the knife from the basement]]
[[The evidence we need are the pointed rings found in the servant's quarters]] Chloe snaps her fingers. "Yes of course! Those rings would have come from the cryptex, along with the message! And they line up perfectly with the wounds on Selina's neck."
"Ahem, quite!" says Arthur. "Furthermore, they are designed expertly to draw blood quickly form an arterie, such as in the neck."
Mr. Bathurst Hall coughs. His eyes go wide. "B-b-blood? Draw blood //expertly//??"
"Indeed, Mr. Bathurst Hall," Chloe says. "From the message in the cryptex, it is clear that a terrible ritual took place in your basement. Human sacrifice."
Mr. Bathurst Hall gasps. "But why? Why in the basement?"
"We can only assume," Arthur says, "that Jack knew about some old secret in that basement. He's interested in the occult, you see. Morbidly, deathly interested."
"Oh no," Mr. Bathurst Hall says. "I boarded up that basement because of my father's strange meddlings with the very same. He was an occultist, but nothing of the murderous sort. Still, I preferred to board up that strange basement and thought that would be that."
"Indeed," Chloe says. "But as it stands, we must find your housemaid. She's nowhere to be found."
Arthur suddenly grabs Chloe by the shoulders. "The old basement doors! She must have run that way! Quickly!"
[[Chase down Amanda]]With Mr. Bathurst Hall, the investigators rush out into the streets of London. The terrible miasma makes it nearly impossible to chase anyone.
"She could be anywhere!" Mr. Bathurst Hall exclaims.
Chloe wags her finger. "Not quite. Remember that message?
'Remember that the two must see,
If the ritual shall be.'
She must have stayed close, to ensure that we've seen all we were supposed to see!"
"Over there!" Arthur shouts and storms ahead into the garden.
Crouched behind a tree, Amanda is watching them. Seeing that she's been spotted, she darts off and tries to jump the garden fence to disappear into the thick London fog.
But Arthur pulls out his gun and fires a warning shot. Amanda freezes, one hand on the fence.
"Stop right there, Amanda! Surrender! Or I will shoot you!"
With her hands shaking above her head, Amanda collapses into the dirt and grass beneath. Arthur inches slowly closer. Slowly. Watching her hands.
And then she breaks down. Tears stream from her eyes. Her cries become screams and she rips out grass, claws at her own face, and then lies down, all will lost.
"You're coming with us to the station," Arthur says and clamps her in handcuffs.
Amanda does nothing to resist.
"B-b-b-but why, Amanda? Why?!" Mr. Bathurst Hall cries out.
She looks at him with dead, empty eyes.
"The ancient beast below will cleanse the decadent streets of London. Ha. All the wickedness will be washed away. All the sin--haHA!--burned! And then! The superior city will rise from the fiery ashes.
[[...]]Thank you for playing!(dialog: "London", "...")
(dialog: "..Must..", "...")
(dialog: "..Be..", "...")
[[
#..Purged!!]]Amanda's eyes roll back until only the white is showing. Then she collapses, still laughing maniacally as she loses consciousness and falls heavy, like a corpse, into the arms of Arthur.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Bathurst Hall," Chloe says.
"Don't be. I will pay you for this terrible thing you have been swept up in. But then never. NEVER. Contact me again." Mr. Bathurst Hall turns his back to the investigators and walk back.
[[Chloe and Arthur take the unconscious Amanda to the station]]It's yet another (text-colour:"#CEC286")[dreary ](click-append: "dreary ") [(trist)] night in London. The flames (text-colour:"#CEC286")[roar ] (click-append: "roar ") [(brøler)] hungrily in the fireplace, offering heat only for an equal offering of wood. The choking, brown mist trails its fingers along the window that looks upon the gaslit streets. Shadows move in the (text-colour:"#CEC286") [fog] (click-append: "fog ") [(tåge)]. Some look over their shoulder (text-colour:"#CEC286")[anxiously](click-append:"anxiously")[ (angstfuldt)]. Others follow just far enough behind to avoid (text-colour:"#CEC286")[suspicion](click-append:"suspicion")[ (mistanke)].
Chloe is (text-colour:"#CEC286") [slumped ] (click-append: "slumped ") [(faldet sammen)] in the ruined armchair, the fire casting an orange light on her face to match the amber drink in her hand. She takes a sip.
Arthur is half-asleep across the old desk. Newspapers lie all around him, his hands and face (text-colour:"#CEC286") [smeared ] (click-append:"smeared ")[(udtværet)] with ink from his notes.
They know he’s out there. Jack the Riddler, they’ve come to call him. The mysterious figure, who haunts each case they’re given. All leads have gone cold. He’s not just one step ahead of them, he’s in a carriage and they’re walking the wrong way. Both of them look out the window. The brown miasma (text-colour:"#CEC286") [taunts ] (click-append:"taunts ")[(håner)] them: “I can hide everything,” it seems to say. “What occurs in these streets are my secrets to keep.”
A sigh escapes the both of them. They look at each other and smile. Then there’s a scream. Arthur shoots up, ink and papers flying from the desk.
“What was that?” he says.
“Did it come from… the building?” Chloe says, as she finishes the whiskey and gets up.
“Let’s investigate!”
They run out, Arthur nearly crashing into the man who’s standing in the hallway outside their flat. The man looks at them both with panic in his eyes.
“I didn’t do it,” he says. His (text-colour:"#CEC286") [trembling ] (click-append:"trembling ")[(skælvende)] hand points at the body on the floor. “I was just… I was just coming home and there she was!”
Arthur, shocked and groggy from his interrupted daydreaming, grabs the man by the lapels. The man recoils from the foul, cigar-reeking breath that oozes out under Arthur’s moustache.
“Did you see anybody outside?” Arthur shouts at him, spit flying.
“No, sir! No, none at all!” the poor man says. He would collapse to the floor, was it not for Arthur holding him.
“Arthur, he’s in shock. We’ll get nothing out of him right now,” Chloe says.
“You live here?” Arthur asks the man. The poor man simply nods. “Good. Don’t go out of town. We might need to question you later.”
Arthur let’s go of the man, who nearly tumbles to the floor before running off to his own flat.
[[Investigate the body]]Chloe is kneeling next to the body. Arthur fishes a cigar out from his inner pocket and lights it.
"Arthur..." Chloe says disapprovingly.
"I know, I know. I'm quitting... after this case. //cough cough//"
Chloe brushes the long, black hair out of the body's face. "Oh no... She's young," she says.
"No more than 25, I would guess," Arthur says. He kneels down with Chloe and looks at the (text-colour:"#CEC286") [corpse ] (click-append:"corpse ")[(lig)] of the young woman.
"There's no blood, as far as I can see. Not even on her clothes. I wonder how she died?" Chloe says.
Where should they start?
[[Go through the pockets. Maybe there's a clue there]]
[[Look for any signs of how she died]]The woman has almost nothing on her person. No keys, no money.
"Perhaps it was a (text-colour:"#CEC286") [savage ] (click-append:"savage ")[(vild)] robber?" Arthur asks.
"Perhaps... but then, why put her here?" Chloe says.
"Oh, what's this?" Arthur unfolds the body's hand, and from it, draws out a note. On the note is written:
My Dear Sister
I am so delighted that you have gotten the chance to work at the Bathurst Hall estate. I cannot wait to show you around. The artwork they have on their walls - why, I know they're rich, but truly how much does a (text-colour:"#CEC286") [prestigious ](click-append: "prestigious ") [(prestigefyldt)] (text-colour:"#CEC286")[surgeon ] (click-append:"surgeon ")[(kirug)] earn?
Oh the parties we'll see. And we'll live together again! I miss you dearly, beloved sister.
Always yours
Amanda
"It's not much of a lead, but it is a lead," Chloe says.
What should the investigators do now?
[[They have found enough clues. Time to move on ->The Sister Arrives]]
[[Look for any signs of how she died]]Her skin is very (text-colour:"#CEC286") [pale ] (click-append:"pale ")[(bleg)], although her (text-colour:"#CEC286") [corpse ] (click-append:"corpse ")[(lig)] is fresh. With no smell coming from it, she couldn't have been dead for more than a day.
Chloe investigates the girl's neck, and gasps.
"Arthur, look here." She points at two large holes in the girl's neck.
"What on... she must have been stabbed in the neck. Maybe with a fork of some kind?" Arthur says.
"But with these kind of holes, there should be blood everywhere. Look." Chloe points to the floor around the body. Old, (text-colour:"#CEC286") [warped ] (click-append:"warped ") [(skæve)] wooden planks and an (text-colour:"#CEC286") [ancient ] (click-append:"ancient ")[(oldgammelt)] carpet. Not a spot of blood. It would be impossible to clean this floor of blood. Even her clothes are (text-colour:"#CEC286") [pristine ] (click-append: "pristine ")[(uberørt)].
"The body must have been brought here," Chloe says.
"Hmmh, indeed. But why? And from where?" Arthur asks.
What should the investigators do now?
[[They have found enough clues. Time to move on ->The Sister Arrives]]
[[Go through the body's pockets for clues ->Go through the pockets. Maybe there's a clue there]] "Before we move on, we should call the police," Arthur says.
"Oh yes, of course! I almost forgot..."
Arthur goes outside to find a (text-colour:"#CEC286") [constable ] (click-append:"constable ") [(politibetjent)]. Soon after he's left, the front door to the building opens again. Realizing that it could be someone else, Chloe starts down the stairs to stop them, before they are witness to a most gruesome scene. She meets a woman halfway up the stairs, with black hair much like the dead girl. She's dressed in a maid's outfit, although it seems to be slightly ill-fitting.
"H-hello," the woman says.
"Hello. I'm sorry, you can't come up right now. Do you live here?"
The woman shakes her head. "I'm here to see you. I heard two great detectives live here. You see, my sister is missing. We work together at the Bathurst Hall estate, but I haven't seen her all day, nor yesterday! Oh please, can you help me find her?"
"I'm afraid I can."
Chloe shows her the body. The woman falls to her knees and screams, shaking the (text-colour:"#CEC286") [corpse ] (click-append:"corpse ")[(lig)] in a (text-colour:"#CEC286") [vain ] (click-append:"vain ")[(forgæves)] attempt to wake her from everlasting sleep.
Arthur returns, having sent for a police carriage to pick up the body. "What's all this then?" He asks.
"You're the detectives, right?" the woman says through her tears. "You can help me? What happened? Why is my sister here?!"
Chloe and Arthur look at each other and nod.
"We can help you. Let's start with your name." Arthur says.
"Amanda. I'm Amanda."
"And your sister?" Chloe asks.
"She is... was... her name was Selina. What are you going to do?"
What should the investigators do?
[[Take Amanda's statement]]
[[Go to the Bathurst Hall estate]]"Tell us everything you think could relate to the case."
Amanda begins her story. She saw her sister the day before, while they were working. As evening came, after they had served the evening brandy and cigars to Mr. Bathurst Hall, they were supposed to eat together. But Mr. Bathurst Hall had asked Selina to stay behind.
Amanda last saw them enter the basement. She knew that the two of them had (text-colour:"#CEC286") [exchanged ] (click-append:"exchanged ")[(udvekslet)] (text-colour:"#CEC286") [glances ] (click-append:"glances ")[(blikke)] before, and didn't want to know anything about a possible scandal.
"And perhaps, just perhaps," she says, finishing her testimony, "my sister and Mr. Bathurst Hall would (text-colour:"#CEC286") [elope ] (click-append:"elope ")[(stikke af sammen)]. I would be so happy for her. She deserves... deserved... a better life than what our family could give."
[[Time to pay this Bathurst a visit ->Go to the Bathurst Hall estate]] A knock is heard on the front door. The police have arrived. Arthur explains the situation, and the (text-colour:"#CEC286") [constables ] (click-append:"constables ")[(politibetjente)] take away the body of Selina. As they leave, so do Amanda and the detectives.
The three take a carriage to Hanover Street. Here, it seems as if the brown fog of London grows thicker, as if the evil from which the miasma stems is concentrated here. On this street, the highlife of society exists. Earls, bishops, societies and brotherhoods, and the (text-colour:"#CEC286") [esteemed surgeon ] (click-append: "esteemed surgeon ") [(agtet kirug)], Mr. Bathurst Hall.
The carriage stops outside his beautiful mansion. Like a plant breaking through (text-colour:"#CEC286") [cobblestone ] (click-append: "cobblestone ")[(brosten)], this house of grandeur sits in the middle of London, yet has enough space around it for a small garden.
Electric lights glow through the windows. Truly a rich place, if they can afford such luxuries as electricity.
Amanda, still wiping tears from her face, is the first to exit the carriage. She leads the detectives to the front door and knocks.
A butler, balding and old, opens the door.
"Amanda! Pray tell, why have you brought these... fine people to the estate at this hour?" he says.
"Oh Charles, it's terrible! It's... it's my sister!" With that, Amanda breaks down in his arms.
"Erhm..." he gulps. Meekly, he pats her back. "There, there..." Then he looks at Chloe and Arthur. "I shall take her to the servant's quarters. Please, if you would wait in the hall, I shall call the master."
[[Wait in the Hall]]Charles leads Amanda away. Her cries are ugly, panicked and loud. She (text-colour:"#CEC286") [trembles ] (click-append: "trembles ")[(skælver)] in his arms.
The investigators are left in the entrance hall of the estate. Beautiful dark wood panelling runs along the bottom of the walls with (text-colour:"#CEC286") [intricate ] (click-append: "intricate ")[(indviklet)], arabesque wallpaper covering the rest. From the hall, there's (text-colour:"#CEC286") [corridors ] (click-append:"corridors ")[(korridorer)] both to the left and the right, as well as a grand staircase leading to a second floor.
The stairs and the floor is covered with a (text-colour:"#CEC286") [crimson ] (click-append:"crimson ")[(karmosinrødt)] carpet. In the corner, next to the stairs, is a little reading nook: A coffee table and a single chair. On the table is a bowl of fruit, a book, and a large, (text-colour:"#CEC286") [two-pronged ] (click-append:"two-pronged ")[(tostrenget)] fork. All along the walls are beautiful landscape paintings.
After some time, standing around and taking it all in, the investigators hear a voice. Chloe and Arthur are both (text-colour:"#CEC286") [startled ] (click-append:"startled ")[(forskrækket)]. Where before there was nobody, there now stands a man at the top of the stairs.
"Good evening, detectives," the man says, (text-colour:"#CEC286") [appearing ] (click-append:"appearing ")[(dukkede op)] seemingly out of nowhere. He's dressed finely, almost as if going to a funeral. His black suit is welfitted to his (text-colour:"#CEC286") [slender ] (click-append: "slender ")[(slanke)] frame. His jacket, a tailcoat, is lined with sanguine velvet on the inside. A white, frilled collar covers his neck tightly. His face is that of a stern gentleman, with corpse-like white skin, sharp cheekbones, and a tightly kempt widow's peak of hair as black as Amanda and Selina's locks.
"Poor Selina. She was a good maid, and a promising young lady. She could have gone far."
Before Arthur has time to ask, Mr. Bathurst Hall holds up a thin hand.
"Charles told me all. So, how may I help you?"
[[Ask Mr. Bathurst Hall some questions]]
[[Ask if the investigators may walk around the house]]What should the investigators ask about?
[[Who was in the mansion yesterday?]]
[[Did Selina stay in the servant's quarters all night?]]
[[What was Mr. Bathurst Hall doing yesterday?]]Chloe and Arthur ask if they may investigate the house.
"But of course!" Mr. Bathurst Hall says. "The sooner you find this (text-colour:"#CEC286") [terrible ] (click-append:"terrible ")[(forfærdelig)] murderer, the sooner I can find peace in my heart for that poor Selina. Oh, and how (text-colour:"#CEC286")[terrible ] it must be for her sister. She loved Selina so. If you need me, I shall be in the living room."
Arthur looks at Chloe. "So, where do we start?"
"Hmmh. I'd like to see if we can find something in the servant's quarters."
[[Go to the servant's quarters]]Mr. Bathurst Hall walks down a few steps, still staying above them on the stairs. He rubs his chin.
"Yesterday... hmmh. I was home. Charles was not, his aunt was sick and I gave him time off. Amanda and Selina were home, of course."
"Selina? Are you sure she was here all day, and night too?" Chloe asks.
Mr. Bathurst Hall (text-colour:"#CEC286") [furrows ] (click-append:"furrows ")[(rynker)] his brow. "Quite sure. Chloe, was it?" he nods, mostly to himself. "Indeed, she brought me brandy and cigars before she retired for the night. If she left thereafter, I would have known."
He points down the (text-colour:"#CEC286") [corridor ] (click-append:"corridor ")[(korridor)]. "That room right there? That's the living room. If someone were to leave, I would have heard. Unless... there is the old (text-colour:"#CEC286") [entrance ] (click-append:"entrance ")[(indgang)] to the (text-colour:"#CEC286") [cellar ] (click-append:"cellar ")[(kælder)], but she wouldn't have left through there."
Arthur shakes his head. "Not her, the killer, man! So someone could have left unseen?"
"Certainly not. Nobody knows about that entrance. I had it boarded up years ago." He looks downwards, as if embarassed about that fact. "And besides, if the killer had gone through the basement, Amanda would have known. The servant's quarters are right next to the stairway."
"So..." Chloe says, "Amanda didn't serve you with her sister?"
Mr. Bathurst Hall laughs. "Goodness, no. Truly I would have (text-colour:"#CEC286") [clumsy ] (click-append: "clumsy ")[(klodsede)] maids, if that task would require two. No, I believe she was resting in the servant's quarters at the time."
"Interesting..." Arthur mumbles to himself.
[[Ask something else ->Ask Mr. Bathurst Hall some questions]]
[[Investigate the house ->Ask if the investigators may walk around the house]] "I believe so," Mr. Bathurst Hall says. "Although, given where her body was found, I suppose not. I do hope you clear this up, detectives. I would hate having a killer in my home."
[[Ask a different question ->Ask Mr. Bathurst Hall some questions]]
[[Investigate the house ->Ask if the investigators may walk around the house]] "Well, it was a Saturday, so I was resting. Spend most of my day reading, really. As evening came, I took my brandy and cigars in the living room. Selina served them." He (text-colour:"#CEC286") [furrows ] (click-append:"furrows ")[(rynker)] his brow, thinking for a while. "I believe that's the last I saw of her."
[[Ask a different question ->Ask Mr. Bathurst Hall some questions]]
[[Investigate the house ->Ask if the investigators may walk around the house]] The investigators walk down the (text-colour:"#CEC286") [corridor ] (click-append:"corridor ")[korridor)], past the living room. The carpet kills nearly all sounds of footsteps here, and the air stands still. The silence is broken by soft crying further down the corridor.
Passing three other rooms, they finally reach the door that leads to the servant's quarters and, next to that, the stairs to the basement. The air seems less (text-colour:"#CEC286") [stale ] (click-append:"stale ")[(gammel)] here, as if a draft is blowing.
[[Enter the servant's quarters]]
[[Go down the stairs to the basement]](set: $Cryptex to false)
The servant's quarters are separated into two rooms: One of them seems to be Charles', whilst Selina and Amanda have been sharing one.
Chloe and Arthur enter Selina and Amanda's room. Although Amanda was supposed to be here, she's nowhere to be seen. Charles, who brought her here, has also gone somewhere else.
"Let's see what clues we can find here," Chloe says.
There is a single cupboard in the room and two beds, each with a nightstand.
[[Check the beds]]
[[Check the cupboard]]
[[Check the nightstands]](Set: $Knife to true)
"Oh goodness, do you smell that?" Chloe asks, as they walk down the stairs to the basement.
"No. What is it?"
"I think... doesn't it smell like blood?"
They continue down. The sickly sweet scent, mixed with a smell of iron, is carried with the draft that is now clearly blowing from the basement. The stairs end. Evidently, there was once a thin wall here, but it has been broken open just enough to allow a person to (text-colour:"#CEC286") [squeeze ] (click-append: "squeeze ")[(klemme)] through. There is only darkness beyond. A large kitchen knife lies on the floor, covered in (text-colour:"#CEC286") [debris ] (click-append:"debris ")[(affald)] from the broken wall. The crying seems to come from within the (text-colour:"#CEC286") [tar-black ] (click-append: "tar-black ")[(tjæresort)] room.
"Heh, not so bad a habit now, eh?" Arthur chuckles and pulls out a lighter. He lights up a cigar, and hands the lighter to Chloe.
She sighs. "Good thing, I suppose. Come on, let's see what's in there."
The lighter hardly pushes back the darkness. The draft in the basement constantly threatens to blow out the flame. But the smell of blood grows stronger and stronger still. The crying stops. They push through the darkness, following the (text-colour:"#CEC286") [foul odour ] (click-append:"foul odour ")[(fæle lugt)], fearing what they might see. The rough stone floor gradually changes from grey to brown, to dark red. Blood has been spilled here.
Arthur gasps. "Look!"
Chloe walks a little further, forced to step in the still-wet blood. A large tub, filled to the brim with blood, sits on the floor. Chloe kneels down to get a better look.
"See here, Arthur. Recognize this symbol?" She points at the floor. Although overflowing with blood, it seems to have pooled in specific places. (text-colour:"#CEC286") [Grooves ] (click-append:"Grooves ")[(riller)] running from the tub and outwards carry blood throughout a symbol that they've seen in another case: A (text-colour:"#CEC286") [squid ] (click-append: "squid ")[(blæksprutte)], with a near-human face, here drawn in blood that's slowly drying.
Outside, it seems that the wind is picking up. There's a slamming sound, as the old cellar doors are opened and closed by (text-colour:"#CEC286") [gusts ](click-append: "gusts ")[(vindstød)] of air .
"She was killed here." Arthur says.
"Of course! That's why there was no blood, she was drained! Dear Lord..." Chloe puts a hand over her mouth.
"But then, why was she placed at our office? Why would the killer want to be found?" Arthur says.
"I suppose that's what we need to find out".
[[Let's go to the servant's quarters and see what we can find ->Enter the servant's quarters]]"Chloe and Arthur turn over the matresses, look inside the bedlinen, and even underneath the beds. Arthur suddenly shouts in pain.
"Aaaargh. Devil take this bloody pillow!" he screams and sucks on his finger. He stands at the bed closest to the door, clutching a pillow.
"What happened?" Chloe asks.
"The bloody thing bloody poked me!" He says, still with his finger in his mouth.
"It... poked you?" Chloe takes the pillow from him. Looking at the seam, she discovers that it has been recently split and sown back together. She draws out a pocket knife, splits the seam and--carefully--searches the pillow.
Two rings come out, sized to go over (text-colour:"#CEC286") [slender ] (click-append:"slender ")[(slanke)] fingers. Both of them are shaped like claws, coming to a terribly sharp point that would (text-colour:"#CEC286") [extend ] (click-append: "extend ")[række ud over)] beyond one's fingertips quite a bit. Inside the rings, there are traces of blood.
What should they do now?
[[Check the cupboard]]
(if: $Cryptex is false)[[Check the nightstands]] (if: $Cryptex is true)[[They have all the clues. Time to find Mr. Bathurst Hall and tell him who the murderer is.]]Arthur opens the cupboard and takes a step back. A handful of flies burst out from within and there's that sweet, iron-like smell of blood.
"Look at this, Chloe," he says. He points at a maid's outfit. It's covered in blood. "What could this mean?"
"Perhaps Selina was killed in that and then redressed. Remember how there wasn't any blood on her clothes?" Chloe says.
"Or the murderer was wearing this outfit, and killed Selina naked."
"A possibility." Chloe nods.
What should they do now?
[[Check the beds]]
(if: $Cryptex is false)[[Check the nightstands]] (if: $Cryptex is true)[[They have all the clues. Time to find Mr. Bathurst Hall and tell him who the murderer is.]]Arthur opens the drawer in the nightstand next to the closest bed. There's a rolling sound. "Chloe? This... look at this."
Chloe comes over, having just checked the other nightstand and declaring it empty. She looks into the drawer. There it is. That strange, golden mechanism with odd symbols. Those things that have been stringing them along so far. A cryptex.
"Not again. Not again!" She shouts. "Let's bloody solve it."
Along the edge of the cryptex, a hint is written:
"The second being, like the first,
The fourth being, like the third."
There are four discs on the cryptex:
The first disc shows a symbol of an owl. This disc doesn't move.
The second disc can be moved to show one of three symbols: Rat, bat or raven.
The third disc shows a symbol of a skull. As with the first, this cannot be moved.
The fourth disc can be moved to show one of three symbols: Coffin, sharp teeth or crossed bones.
What is the solution to the cryptex?
[[Second disc should be Bat, the third should be Coffin]]
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Sharp Teeth]]
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Crossed Bones]]Chloe and Arthur storm to the living room, where Mr. Bathurst Hall sits. They burst through the door, but the man isn't shocked. He simply sits there, facing the (text-colour:"#CEC286") [roaring ] (click-append: "roaring ")[(brølende)] fireplace. Without turning around, he asks:
"So, detectives. What did you learn?"
"Something terrible has been happening here," Arthur says.
"Something dark indeed. And we know who did it," Chloe says.
Finally, Mr. Bathurst Hall turns around. From the shadow of his brow, his eyes pierce theirs. "Tell me, then. I'm (text-colour:"#CEC286") [dreading ] (click-append: "dreading ")[(frygter)] the answer, but I must know. For Selina."
[[It was the butler!]]
[[It was you!]]
[[It was Selina herself!]]
[[It was Jack the Riddler!]]
[[It was Amanda!]](set: $Cryptex to true)
There is a single cupboard in the room and two beds, each with a nightstand.
[[Check the beds]]
[[Check the cupboard]]
[[They have all the clues. Time to find Mr. Bathurst Hall and tell him who the murderer is.]]Nothing happens. Try again.
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Sharp Teeth]]
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Crossed Bones]]Nothing happens. Try again:
[[Second disc should be Bat, the third should be Coffin]]
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Crossed Bones]]The cryptex clicks and then splits open.
"Look at this," Chloe says. "There's (text-colour:"#CEC286") [velvet ] (click-append: "velvet ")[(fløjl)] inside, like you use in a ring box! But there are no rings in here..."
"And what's that?" Arthur points at a piece of paper that falls out.
The paper reads:
Become the Maiden of the House,
Sneak inside, like rat and mouse.
In the basement, blood must flow,
from a person that you know.
Remember that the two must see,
If the ritual shall be.
"What on earth..." Chloe says.
"It's Jack, that much is clear. But perhaps this one wasn't for us... maybe this was an instruction for the murderer?"
"But 'the two must see'... It must be us! He's (text-colour:"#CEC286") [toying ] (click-append: "toying ")[(leger)] with us, I know it!" Chloe shouts and slams her fist into the wall.
What should they do now?
[[They have all the clues. Time to find Mr. Bathurst Hall and tell him who the murderer is.]]
[[Check something else]]Mr. Bathurst Hall (text-colour:"#CEC286") [chuckles ] (click-append:"chuckles ")[(klukker)]. Then he laughs.
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. He wasn't here at all that day. I'm sorry, but I'm going to ask you to leave, if you've no better ideas."
[[No, no! Of course, in fact it was...]]Mr. Bathurst Hall gets up, quite offended.
"How DARE you (text-colour:"#CEC286") [insinuate ] (click-append: "insinuate ")[(antyde)] that I would be capable of a murder most fowl? I didn't do it. Why would I? Now please, take this seriously or I will ask proper police officers to (text-colour:"#CEC286") [conduct ] (click-append: "conduct ")[(udføre)] this investigation."
[[No, no! Of course, in fact it was...]] Mr. Balhurst Hall looks at you with (text-colour:"#CEC286") [wide ] (click-append: "wide ")[(store)] eyes.
"Suicide? Oh dear... I don't see why she would do that. And who would have carried her corpse to your doorstep? No, no, that can't have been."
[[No, no! Of course, in fact it was...]] Mr. Balhurst Hall turns back to face the fire.
"Who?" He asks. "The mysterious figure that might not even exist? Do try again, if you would."
[[No, no! Of course, in fact it was...]] "It must have been Amanda," says Arthur.
"Pray tell, why would it have been Selina's own sister?" Mr. Bathurst Hall asks.
[[Because she hated her sister]]
[[Because you forced her to do it]]
[[Because she was manipulated by someone outside this mansion]][[It was the butler!]]
[[It was you!]]
[[It was Selina herself!]]
[[It was Jack the Riddler!]]
[[It was Amanda!]]"You see, all (text-colour:"#CEC286") [evidence ] (click-append: "evidence ")[(beviser)] points to the fact that she hated her sister with a passion," Arthur says.
"Such as?" Mr. Bathurst Hall asks.
"Think, Arthur," says Chloe. "We don't have any (text-colour:"#CEC286") [evidence ] towards that theory! There must be another explanation..."
[[Because you forced her to do it]]
[[Because she was manipulated by someone outside this mansion]]"You're clearly some sort of... dangerous individual," Arthur says. "Simply take a look at your corpse-like skin and slender, bony hands."
"Are you... serious right now?" both Chloe and Mr. Bathurst Hall say in (text-colour:"#CEC286") [unison ] (click-append: "unison ")[(kor)].
"I (text-colour:"#CEC286") [jest ] (click-append: "jest ")[(spøger)]! Of course, I jest. It was because..."
[[Because she hated her sister]]
[[Because she was manipulated by someone outside this mansion]]"You see," Arthur begins, "Amanda was manipulated. We have reason to (text-colour:"#CEC286") [suspect ] (click-append: "suspect ")[(mistænke)] Jack the Riddler. Whether Amanda was blackmailed, or perhaps a part of his cult, remains unclear, but it is certain that he made her do it. This 'poem' we found earlier clearly states her mission: To become a maid here, kill someone dear to her in the basement, and ensure that Chloe and I would come to investigate."
Chloe nods. "Indeed. For whatever twisted reason, Jack wants us to see his gruesome puppetshow."
"I see. Still, I would rather not cast aspersion upon my employees, and I cannot truly believe Amanda would commit such a horrid crime. Do you have more damning evidence?"
"We do," Arthur says.
(If: $Knife is true)[[The evidence we need is the knife from the basement]]
[[The evidence we need is the two-pronged fork from the hall]]
[[The evidence we need are the pointed rings found in the servant's quarters]]"Arthur... there was no blood on that knife, and it was clearly covered in (text-colour:"#CEC286") [debris ] (click-append: "debris ")[(affald)] from the broken wall." Chloe shakes her head. "No, that knife was used to break down that thin plaster wall."
"Right, of course. Yes, uhm..."
[[The evidence we need is the two-pronged fork from the hall]]
[[The evidence we need are the pointed rings found in the servant's quarters]]"The fork used to eat fruit?" Mr. Bathurst Hall exclaims. "But that's (text-colour:"#CEC286") [prepostorous ] (click-append: "prepostorous ")[(absurd)]! Why, I ate with it just this morning! I assure you, it had not the faintest taste of blood."
"No, Arthur, I don't think I can agree with you on that. What else could it have been?" Chloe says.
"Erhm... yes... the... the evidence we need is..."
[[The evidence we need is the knife from the basement]]
[[The evidence we need are the pointed rings found in the servant's quarters]] Chloe snaps her fingers. "Yes of course! Those rings would have come from the cryptex, along with the message! And they line up perfectly with the wounds on Selina's neck."
"Ahem, quite!" says Arthur. "Furthermore, they are designed expertly to draw blood quickly form an arterie, such as in the neck."
Mr. Bathurst Hall (text-colour:"#CEC286") [coughs ] (click-append: "coughs ")[(hoster)]. His eyes go wide. "B-b-blood? Draw blood //expertly//??"
"Indeed, Mr. Bathurst Hall," Chloe says. "From the message in the cryptex, it is clear that a terrible ritual took place in your basement. Human sacrifice."
Mr. Bathurst Hall gasps. "But why? Why in the basement?"
"We can only assume," Arthur says, "that Jack knew about some old secret in that basement. He's interested in the occult, you see. Morbidly, deathly interested."
"Oh no," Mr. Bathurst Hall says. "I boarded up that basement because of my father's strange meddlings with the very same. He was an occultist, but nothing of the murderous sort. Still, I preferred to board up that strange basement and thought that would be that."
"Indeed," Chloe says. "But as it stands, we must find your housemaid. She's nowhere to be found."
Arthur suddenly grabs Chloe by the shoulders. "The old basement doors! She must have run that way! Quickly!"
[[Chase down Amanda]]With Mr. Bathurst Hall, the investigators rush out into the streets of London. The (text-colour:"#CEC286") [terrible ] (click-append: "terrible ")[(forfærdelige)] miasma makes it nearly impossible to chase anyone.
"She could be anywhere!" Mr. Bathurst Hall exclaims.
Chloe wags her finger. "Not quite. Remember that message?
'Remember that the two must see,
If the ritual shall be.'
She must have stayed close, to ensure that we've seen all we were supposed to see!"
"Over there!" Arthur shouts and storms ahead into the garden.
(text-colour:"#CEC286") [Crouched ] (click-append: "Crouched ")[(krøbet sammen)] behind a tree, Amanda is watching them. Seeing that she's been spotted, she darts off and tries to jump the garden fence to disappear into the thick London (text-colour:"#CEC286") [fog ] (click-append: "fog ")[(tåge)].
But Arthur pulls out his gun and fires a warning shot. Amanda freezes, one hand on the fence.
"Stop right there, Amanda! Surrender! Or I will shoot you!"
With her hands shaking above her head, Amanda collapses into the dirt and grass beneath. Arthur inches slowly closer. Slowly. Watching her hands.
And then she breaks down. Tears stream from her eyes. Her cries become screams and she rips out grass, claws at her own face, and then lies down, all will lost.
"You're coming with us to the station," Arthur says and clamps her in handcuffs.
Amanda does nothing to resist.
"B-b-b-but why, Amanda? Why?!" Mr. Bathurst Hall cries out.
She looks at him with dead, empty eyes.
"The ancient beast below will cleanse the decadent streets of London. Ha. All the (text-colour:"#CEC286") [wickedness ] (click-append: "wickedness ")[(ondskab)] will be washed away. All the sin--haHA!--burned! And then! The (text-colour:"#CEC286") [superior ] (click-append: "superior ")[(overlegen)] city will rise from the fiery ashes.
[[...]]Thank you for playing!(dialog: "London", "...")
(dialog: "..Must..", "...")
(dialog: "..Be..", "...")
[[
#..Purged!!]]Amanda's eyes roll back until only the white is showing. Then she collapses, still laughing maniacally as she loses (text-colour:"#CEC286") [consciousness ] (click-append:"consciousness ")[(bevidsthed)] and falls heavy, like a corpse, into the arms of Arthur.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Bathurst Hall," Chloe says.
"Don't be. I will pay you for this terrible thing you have been swept up in. But then never. NEVER. Contact me again." Mr. Bathurst Hall turns his back to the investigators and walk back.
[[Chloe and Arthur take the unconscious Amanda to the station]]It's yet another (text-colour:"#CEC286")[dreary](click-append:"dreary") [ (trist)] night in London. The flames (text-colour:"#CEC286")[roar](click-append: "roar") [ (brøler)] hungrily in the fireplace, offering heat only for an equal offering of wood. The choking, brown mist trails its fingers along the window that looks upon the gaslit streets. Shadows move in the (text-colour:"#CEC286")[fog](click-append: "fog")[ (tåge)]. Some look over their shoulder (text-colour:"#CEC286")[anxiously](click-append:"anxiously")[ (angstfuldt)]. Others follow just far enough behind to avoid (text-colour:"#CEC286")[suspicion](click-append:"suspicion")[ (mistanke)].
Chloe is (text-colour:"#CEC286")[slumped](click-append:"slumped")[ (faldet sammen)] in the ruined armchair, the fire casting an orange light on her face to match the amber drink in her hand. She takes a sip.
Arthur is half-asleep across the old desk. Newspapers lie all around him, his hands and face (text-colour:"#CEC286")[smeared](click-append:"smeared")[ (udtværet)] with ink from his notes.
They know he’s out there. Jack the Riddler, they’ve come to call him. The mysterious figure, who haunts each case they’re given. All leads have gone cold. He’s not just one step ahead of them, he’s in a carriage and they’re walking the wrong way. Both of them look out the window. The brown miasma (text-colour:"#CEC286")[taunts](click-append:"taunts")[ (håner)] them: “I can hide everything,” it seems to say. “What occurs in these streets are my secrets to keep.”
A sigh escapes the both of them. They look at each other and smile. Then there’s a scream. Arthur shoots up, ink and papers flying from the desk.
“What was that?” he says.
“Did it come from… the building?” Chloe says, as she finishes the whiskey and gets up.
“Let’s investigate!”
They run out, Arthur nearly crashing into the man who’s standing in the hallway outside their flat. The man looks at them both with panic in his eyes.
“I didn’t do it,” he says. His (text-colour:"#CEC286")[trembling](click-append:"trembling")[ (skælvende)] hand points at the body on the floor. “I was just… I was just coming home and there she was!”
Arthur, shocked and groggy from his interrupted daydreaming, grabs the man by the lapels. The man recoils from the foul, cigar-reeking breath that oozes out under Arthur’s moustache.
“Did you see anybody outside?” Arthur shouts at him, spit flying.
“No, sir! No, none at all!” the poor man says. He would collapse to the floor, was it not for Arthur holding him.
“Arthur, he’s in shock. We’ll get nothing out of him right now,” Chloe says.
“You live here?” Arthur asks the man. The poor man simply nods. “Good. Don’t go out of town. We might need to question you later.”
Arthur let’s go of the man, who nearly tumbles to the floor before running off to his own flat.
[[Investigate the body]]Chloe is kneeling next to the body. Arthur fishes a cigar out from his inner pocket and lights it.
"Arthur..." Chloe says disapprovingly.
"I know, I know. I'm quitting... after this case. //cough cough//"
Chloe brushes the long, black hair out of the body's face. "Oh no... She's young," she says.
"No more than 25, I would guess," Arthur says. He kneels down with Chloe and looks at the (text-colour:"#CEC286")[corpse](click-append:"corpse")[ (liget)] of the young woman.
"There's no blood, as far as I can see. Not even on her clothes. I wonder how she died?" Chloe says.
Where should they start?
[[Go through the pockets. Maybe there's a clue there]]
[[Look for any signs of how she died]]The woman has almost nothing on her person. No keys, no money.
"Perhaps it was a (text-colour:"#CEC286")[savage](click-append:"savage")[ (vild)] robber?" Arthur asks.
"Perhaps... but then, why put her here?" Chloe says.
"Oh, what's this?" Arthur unfolds the body's hand, and from it, draws out a note. On the note is written:
My Dear Sister
I am so delighted that you have gotten the chance to work at the Bathurst Hall estate. I cannot wait to show you around. The artwork they have on their walls - why, I know they're rich, but truly how much does a (text-colour:"#CEC286")[prestigious](click-append:"prestigious")[ (prestigefyldt)] (text-colour:"#CEC286")[surgeon](click-append:"surgeon")[ (kirug)] earn?
Oh the parties we'll see. And we'll live together again! I miss you dearly, beloved sister.
Always yours
Amanda
"It's not much of a lead, but it is a lead," Chloe says.
What should the investigators do now?
[[They have found enough clues. Time to move on ->The Sister Arrives]]
[[Look for any signs of how she died]]Her skin is very (text-colour:"#CEC286")[pale](click-append:"pale")[ (bleg)], although her (text-colour:"#CEC286")[corpse] (click-append:"corpse")[ (lig)] is fresh. With no smell coming from it, she couldn't have been dead for more than a day.
Chloe investigates the girl's neck, and gasps.
"Arthur, look here." She points at two large holes in the girl's neck.
"What on... she must have been stabbed in the neck. Maybe with a fork of some kind?" Arthur says.
"But with these kind of holes, there should be blood everywhere. Look." Chloe points to the floor around the body. Old, (text-colour:"#CEC286")[warped] (click-append:"warped")[ (skæve)] wooden planks and an (text-colour:"#CEC286") [ancient](click-append:"ancient")[ (oldgammelt)] carpet. Not a spot of blood. It would be impossible to clean this floor of blood. Even her clothes are (text-colour:"#CEC286")[pristine](click-append:"pristine")[ (uberørt)].
"The body must have been brought here," Chloe says.
"Hmmh, indeed. But why? And from where?" Arthur asks.
What should the investigators do now?
[[They have found enough clues. Time to move on ->The Sister Arrives]]
[[Go through the body's pockets for clues ->Go through the pockets. Maybe there's a clue there]] "Before we move on, we should call the police," Arthur says.
"Oh yes, of course! I almost forgot..."
Arthur goes outside to find a (text-colour:"#CEC286")[constable](click-append:"constable")[ (politibetjent)]. Soon after he's left, the front door to the building opens again. Realizing that it could be someone else, Chloe starts down the stairs to stop them, before they are witness to a most gruesome scene. She meets a woman halfway up the stairs, with black hair much like the dead girl. She's dressed in a maid's outfit, although it seems to be slightly ill-fitting.
"H-hello," the woman says.
"Hello. I'm sorry, you can't come up right now. Do you live here?"
The woman shakes her head. "I'm here to see you. I heard two great detectives live here. You see, my sister is missing. We work together at the Bathurst Hall estate, but I haven't seen her all day, nor yesterday! Oh please, can you help me find her?"
"I'm afraid I can."
Chloe shows her the body. The woman falls to her knees and screams, shaking the (text-colour:"#CEC286")[corpse](click-append:"corpse")[ (lig)] in a (text-colour:"#CEC286")[vain](click-append:"vain")[ (forgæves)] attempt to wake her from everlasting sleep.
Arthur returns, having sent for a police carriage to pick up the body. "What's all this then?" He asks.
"You're the detectives, right?" the woman says through her tears. "You can help me? What happened? Why is my sister here?!"
Chloe and Arthur look at each other and nod.
"We can help you. Let's start with your name." Arthur says.
"Amanda. I'm Amanda."
"And your sister?" Chloe asks.
"She is... was... her name was Selina. What are you going to do?"
What should the investigators do?
[[Take Amanda's statement]]
[[Go to the Bathurst Hall estate]]"Tell us everything you think could relate to the case."
Amanda begins her story. She saw her sister the day before, while they were working. As evening came, after they had served the evening brandy and cigars to Mr. Bathurst Hall, they were supposed to eat together. But Mr. Bathurst Hall had asked Selina to stay behind.
Amanda last saw them enter the basement. She knew that the two of them had (text-colour:"#CEC286")[exchanged](click-append:"exchanged")[ (udvekslet)] (text-colour:"#CEC286")[glances](click-append:"glances")[ (blikke)] before, and didn't want to know anything about a possible scandal.
"And perhaps, just perhaps," she says, finishing her testimony, "my sister and Mr. Bathurst Hall would (text-colour:"#CEC286")[elope](click-append:"elope")[ (stikke af sammen)]. I would be so happy for her. She deserves... deserved... a better life than what our family could give."
[[Time to pay this Bathurst a visit ->Go to the Bathurst Hall estate]] A knock is heard on the front door. The police have arrived. Arthur explains the situation, and the (text-colour:"#CEC286")[constables](click-append:"constables")[ (politibetjente)] take away the body of Selina. As they leave, so do Amanda and the detectives.
The three take a carriage to Hanover Street. Here, it seems as if the brown fog of London grows thicker, as if the evil from which the miasma stems is concentrated here. On this street, the highlife of society exists. Earls, bishops, societies and brotherhoods, and the (text-colour:"#CEC286")[esteemed surgeon](click-append:"esteemed surgeon")[ (agtet kirug)], Mr. Bathurst Hall.
The carriage stops outside his beautiful mansion. Like a plant breaking through (text-colour:"#CEC286")[cobblestone](click-append:"cobblestone")[ (brosten)], this house of grandeur sits in the middle of London, yet has enough space around it for a small garden.
Electric lights glow through the windows. Truly a rich place, if they can afford such luxuries as electricity.
Amanda, still wiping tears from her face, is the first to exit the carriage. She leads the detectives to the front door and knocks.
A butler, balding and old, opens the door.
"Amanda! Pray tell, why have you brought these... fine people to the estate at this hour?" he says.
"Oh Charles, it's terrible! It's... it's my sister!" With that, Amanda breaks down in his arms.
"Erhm..." he gulps. Meekly, he pats her back. "There, there..." Then he looks at Chloe and Arthur. "I shall take her to the servant's quarters. Please, if you would wait in the hall, I shall call the master."
[[Wait in the Hall]]Charles leads Amanda away. Her cries are ugly, panicked and loud. She (text-colour:"#CEC286")[trembles](click-append:"trembles")[ (skælver)] in his arms.
The investigators are left in the entrance hall of the estate. Beautiful dark wood panelling runs along the bottom of the walls with (text-colour:"#CEC286")[intricate](click-append:"intricate")[ (indviklet)], arabesque wallpaper covering the rest. From the hall, there's (text-colour:"#CEC286")[corridors](click-append:"corridors")[ (korridorer)] both to the left and the right, as well as a grand staircase leading to a second floor.
The stairs and the floor is covered with a (text-colour:"#CEC286")[crimson](click-append:"crimson")[ (karmosinrødt)] carpet. In the corner, next to the stairs, is a little reading nook: A coffee table and a single chair. On the table is a bowl of fruit, a book, and a large, (text-colour:"#CEC286")[two-pronged](click-append:"two-pronged")[ (tostrenget)] fork. All along the walls are beautiful landscape paintings.
After some time, standing around and taking it all in, the investigators hear a voice. Chloe and Arthur are both (text-colour:"#CEC286")[startled](click-append:"startled")[ (forskrækket)]. Where before there was nobody, there now stands a man at the top of the stairs.
"Good evening, detectives," the man says, (text-colour:"#CEC286")[appearing](click-append:"appearing")[ (dukkede op)] seemingly out of nowhere. He's dressed finely, almost as if going to a funeral. His black suit is welfitted to his (text-colour:"#CEC286")[slender ](click-append:"slender")[ (slanke)] frame. His jacket, a tailcoat, is lined with sanguine velvet on the inside. A white, frilled collar covers his neck tightly. His face is that of a stern gentleman, with corpse-like white skin, sharp cheekbones, and a tightly kempt widow's peak of hair as black as Amanda and Selina's locks.
"Poor Selina. She was a good maid, and a promising young lady. She could have gone far."
Before Arthur has time to ask, Mr. Bathurst Hall holds up a thin hand.
"Charles told me all. So, how may I help you?"
[[Ask Mr. Bathurst Hall some questions]]
[[Ask if the investigators may walk around the house]]What should the investigators ask about?
[[Who was in the mansion yesterday?]]
[[Did Selina stay in the servant's quarters all night?]]
[[What was Mr. Bathurst Hall doing yesterday?]]Chloe and Arthur ask if they may investigate the house.
"But of course!" Mr. Bathurst Hall says. "The sooner you find this (text-colour:"#CEC286")[terrible](click-append:"terrible")[ (forfærdelig)] murderer, the sooner I can find peace in my heart for that poor Selina. Oh, and how (text-colour:"#CEC286")[terrible] it must be for her sister. She loved Selina so. If you need me, I shall be in the living room."
Arthur looks at Chloe. "So, where do we start?"
"Hmmh. I'd like to see if we can find something in the servant's quarters."
[[Go to the servant's quarters]]Mr. Bathurst Hall walks down a few steps, still staying above them on the stairs. He rubs his chin.
"Yesterday... hmmh. I was home. Charles was not, his aunt was sick and I gave him time off. Amanda and Selina were home, of course."
"Selina? Are you sure she was here all day, and night too?" Chloe asks.
Mr. Bathurst Hall (text-colour:"#CEC286")[furrows](click-append:"furrows")[ (rynker)] his brow. "Quite sure. Chloe, was it?" he nods, mostly to himself. "Indeed, she brought me brandy and cigars before she retired for the night. If she left thereafter, I would have known."
He points down the (text-colour:"#CEC286")[corridor](click-append:"corridor")[ (korridor)]. "That room right there? That's the living room. If someone were to leave, I would have heard. Unless... there is the old (text-colour:"#CEC286")[entrance](click-append:"entrance")[ (indgang)] to the (text-colour:"#CEC286")[cellar](click-append:"cellar")[ (kælder)], but she wouldn't have left through there."
Arthur shakes his head. "Not her, the killer, man! So someone could have left unseen?"
"Certainly not. Nobody knows about that entrance. I had it boarded up years ago." He looks downwards, as if embarassed about that fact. "And besides, if the killer had gone through the basement, Amanda would have known. The servant's quarters are right next to the stairway."
"So..." Chloe says, "Amanda didn't serve you with her sister?"
Mr. Bathurst Hall laughs. "Goodness, no. Truly I would have (text-colour:"#CEC286") [clumsy](click-append:"clumsy")[ (klodsede)] maids, if that task would require two. No, I believe she was resting in the servant's quarters at the time."
"Interesting..." Arthur mumbles to himself.
[[Ask something else ->Ask Mr. Bathurst Hall some questions]]
[[Investigate the house ->Ask if the investigators may walk around the house]] "I believe so," Mr. Bathurst Hall says. "Although, given where her body was found, I suppose not. I do hope you clear this up, detectives. I would hate having a killer in my home."
[[Ask a different question ->Ask Mr. Bathurst Hall some questions]]
[[Investigate the house ->Ask if the investigators may walk around the house]] "Well, it was a Saturday, so I was resting. Spend most of my day reading, really. As evening came, I took my brandy and cigars in the living room. Selina served them." He (text-colour:"#CEC286")[furrows](click-append:"furrows")[ (rynker)] his brow, thinking for a while. "I believe that's the last I saw of her."
[[Ask a different question ->Ask Mr. Bathurst Hall some questions]]
[[Investigate the house ->Ask if the investigators may walk around the house]] The investigators walk down the (text-colour:"#CEC286")[corridor](click-append:"corridor")[ (korridor)], past the living room. The carpet kills nearly all sounds of footsteps here, and the air stands still. The silence is broken by soft crying further down the (text-colour:"#CEC286")[corridor].
Passing three other rooms, they finally reach the door that leads to the servant's quarters and, next to that, the stairs to the basement. The air seems less (text-colour:"#CEC286")[stale](click-append:"stale")[ (gammel)] here, as if a draft is blowing.
[[Enter the servant's quarters]]
[[Go down the stairs to the basement]](set: $Cryptex to false)
The servant's quarters are separated into two rooms: One of them seems to be Charles', whilst Selina and Amanda have been sharing one.
Chloe and Arthur enter Selina and Amanda's room. Although Amanda was supposed to be here, she's nowhere to be seen. Charles, who brought her here, has also gone somewhere else.
"Let's see what clues we can find here," Chloe says.
There is a single cupboard in the room and two beds, each with a nightstand.
[[Check the beds]]
[[Check the cupboard]]
[[Check the nightstands]](Set: $Knife to true)
"Oh goodness, do you smell that?" Chloe asks, as they walk down the stairs to the basement.
"No. What is it?"
"I think... doesn't it smell like blood?"
They continue down. The sickly sweet scent, mixed with a smell of iron, is carried with the draft that is now clearly blowing from the basement. The stairs end. Evidently, there was once a thin wall here, but it has been broken open just enough to allow a person to (text-colour:"#CEC286")[squeeze](click-append:"squeeze")[ (klemme)] through. There is only darkness beyond. A large kitchen knife lies on the floor, covered in (text-colour:"#CEC286")[debris](click-append:"debris")[ (affald)] from the broken wall. The crying seems to come from within the (text-colour:"#CEC286")[tar-black](click-append:"tar-black")[ (tjæresort)] room.
"Heh, not so bad a habit now, eh?" Arthur chuckles and pulls out a lighter. He lights up a cigar, and hands the lighter to Chloe.
She sighs. "Good thing, I suppose. Come on, let's see what's in there."
The lighter hardly pushes back the darkness. The draft in the basement constantly threatens to blow out the flame. But the smell of blood grows stronger and stronger still. The crying stops. They push through the darkness, following the (text-colour:"#CEC286")[foul odour](click-append:"foul odour")[ (fæle lugt)], fearing what they might see. The rough stone floor gradually changes from grey to brown, to dark red. Blood has been spilled here.
Arthur gasps. "Look!"
Chloe walks a little further, forced to step in the still-wet blood. A large tub, filled to the brim with blood, sits on the floor. Chloe kneels down to get a better look.
"See here, Arthur. Recognize this symbol?" She points at the floor. Although overflowing with blood, it seems to have pooled in specific places. (text-colour:"#CEC286")[Grooves](click-append:"Grooves")[ (riller)] running from the tub and outwards carry blood throughout a symbol that they've seen in another case: A (text-colour:"#CEC286")[squid](click-append:"squid")[ (blæksprutte)], with a near-human face, here drawn in blood that's slowly drying.
Outside, it seems that the wind is picking up. There's a slamming sound, as the old cellar doors are opened and closed by (text-colour:"#CEC286")[gusts](click-append: "gusts")[ (vindstød)] of air .
"She was killed here." Arthur says.
"Of course! That's why there was no blood, she was drained! Dear Lord..." Chloe puts a hand over her mouth.
"But then, why was she placed at our office? Why would the killer want to be found?" Arthur says.
"I suppose that's what we need to find out".
[[Let's go to the servant's quarters and see what we can find ->Enter the servant's quarters]]"Chloe and Arthur turn over the matresses, look inside the bedlinen, and even underneath the beds. Arthur suddenly shouts in pain.
"Aaaargh. Devil take this bloody pillow!" he screams and sucks on his finger. He stands at the bed closest to the door, clutching a pillow.
"What happened?" Chloe asks.
"The bloody thing bloody poked me!" He says, still with his finger in his mouth.
"It... poked you?" Chloe takes the pillow from him. Looking at the seam, she discovers that it has been recently split and sown back together. She draws out a pocket knife, splits the seam and--carefully--searches the pillow.
Two rings come out, sized to go over (text-colour:"#CEC286")[slender](click-append:"slender")[ (slanke)] fingers. Both of them are shaped like claws, coming to a terribly sharp point that would (text-colour:"#CEC286")[extend](click-append: "extend")[ (række ud over)] beyond one's fingertips quite a bit. Inside the rings, there are traces of blood.
What should they do now?
[[Check the cupboard]]
(if: $Cryptex is false)[[Check the nightstands]] (if: $Cryptex is true)[[They have all the clues. Time to find Mr. Bathurst Hall and tell him who the murderer is.]]Arthur opens the cupboard and takes a step back. A handful of flies burst out from within and there's that sweet, iron-like smell of blood.
"Look at this, Chloe," he says. He points at a maid's outfit. It's covered in blood. "What could this mean?"
"Perhaps Selina was killed in that and then redressed. Remember how there wasn't any blood on her clothes?" Chloe says.
"Or the murderer was wearing this outfit, and killed Selina naked."
"A possibility." Chloe nods.
What should they do now?
[[Check the beds]]
(if: $Cryptex is false)[[Check the nightstands]] (if: $Cryptex is true)[[They have all the clues. Time to find Mr. Bathurst Hall and tell him who the murderer is.]]Arthur opens the drawer in the nightstand next to the closest bed. There's a rolling sound. "Chloe? This... look at this."
Chloe comes over, having just checked the other nightstand and declaring it empty. She looks into the drawer. There it is. That strange, golden mechanism with odd symbols. Those things that have been stringing them along so far. A cryptex.
"Not again. Not again!" She shouts. "Let's bloody solve it."
Along the edge of the cryptex, a hint is written:
"The second being, like the first,
The fourth being, like the third."
There are four discs on the cryptex:
The first disc shows a symbol of an owl. This disc doesn't move.
The second disc can be moved to show one of three symbols: Rat, bat or raven.
The third disc shows a symbol of a skull. As with the first, this cannot be moved.
The fourth disc can be moved to show one of three symbols: Coffin, sharp teeth or crossed bones.
What is the solution to the cryptex?
[[Second disc should be Bat, the third should be Coffin]]
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Sharp Teeth]]
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Crossed Bones]]Chloe and Arthur storm to the living room, where Mr. Bathurst Hall sits. They burst through the door, but the man isn't shocked. He simply sits there, facing the (text-colour:"#CEC286")[roaring](click-append:"roaring")[ (brølende)] fireplace. Without turning around, he asks:
"So, detectives. What did you learn?"
"Something terrible has been happening here," Arthur says.
"Something dark indeed. And we know who did it," Chloe says.
Finally, Mr. Bathurst Hall turns around. From the shadow of his brow, his eyes pierce theirs. "Tell me, then. I'm (text-colour:"#CEC286")[dreading](click-append: "dreading")[ (frygter)] the answer, but I must know. For Selina."
[[It was the butler!]]
[[It was you!]]
[[It was Selina herself!]]
[[It was Jack the Riddler!]]
[[It was Amanda!]](set: $Cryptex to true)
There is a single cupboard in the room and two beds, each with a nightstand.
[[Check the beds]]
[[Check the cupboard]]
[[They have all the clues. Time to find Mr. Bathurst Hall and tell him who the murderer is.]]Nothing happens. Try again.
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Sharp Teeth]]
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Crossed Bones]]Nothing happens. Try again:
[[Second disc should be Bat, the third should be Coffin]]
[[Second disc should be Raven, the third should be Crossed Bones]]The cryptex clicks and then splits open.
"Look at this," Chloe says. "There's (text-colour:"#CEC286")[velvet](click-append:"velvet")[ (fløjl)] inside, like you use in a ring box! But there are no rings in here..."
"And what's that?" Arthur points at a piece of paper that falls out.
The paper reads:
Become the Maiden of the House,
Sneak inside, like rat and mouse.
In the basement, blood must flow,
from a person that you know.
Remember that the two must see,
If the ritual shall be.
"What on earth..." Chloe says.
"It's Jack, that much is clear. But perhaps this one wasn't for us... maybe this was an instruction for the murderer?"
"But 'the two must see'... It must be us! He's (text-colour:"#CEC286")[toying] (click-append: "toying")[ (leger)] with us, I know it!" Chloe shouts and slams her fist into the wall.
What should they do now?
[[They have all the clues. Time to find Mr. Bathurst Hall and tell him who the murderer is.]]
[[Check something else]]Mr. Bathurst Hall (text-colour:"#CEC286")[chuckles](click-append:"chuckles")[ (klukker)]. Then he laughs.
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. He wasn't here at all that day. I'm sorry, but I'm going to ask you to leave, if you've no better ideas."
[[No, no! Of course, in fact it was...]]Mr. Bathurst Hall gets up, quite offended.
"How DARE you (text-colour:"#CEC286")[insinuate](click-append:"insinuate")[ (antyde)] that I would be capable of a murder most fowl? I didn't do it. Why would I? Now please, take this seriously or I will ask proper police officers to (text-colour:"#CEC286")[conduct](click-append:"conduct")[ (udføre)] this investigation."
[[No, no! Of course, in fact it was...]] Mr. Balhurst Hall looks at you with (text-colour:"#CEC286")[wide](click-append:"wide")[ (store)] eyes.
"Suicide? Oh dear... I don't see why she would do that. And who would have carried her corpse to your doorstep? No, no, that can't have been."
[[No, no! Of course, in fact it was...]] Mr. Balhurst Hall turns back to face the fire.
"Who?" He asks. "The mysterious figure that might not even exist? Do try again, if you would."
[[No, no! Of course, in fact it was...]] "It must have been Amanda," says Arthur.
"Pray tell, why would it have been Selina's own sister?" Mr. Bathurst Hall asks.
[[Because she hated her sister]]
[[Because you forced her to do it]]
[[Because she was manipulated by someone outside this mansion]][[It was the butler!]]
[[It was you!]]
[[It was Selina herself!]]
[[It was Jack the Riddler!]]
[[It was Amanda!]]"You see, all (text-colour:"#CEC286")[evidence](click-append:"evidence")[ (beviser)] points to the fact that she hated her sister with a passion," Arthur says.
"Such as?" Mr. Bathurst Hall asks.
"Think, Arthur," says Chloe. "We don't have any (text-colour:"#CEC286")[evidence] towards that theory! There must be another explanation..."
[[Because you forced her to do it]]
[[Because she was manipulated by someone outside this mansion]]"You're clearly some sort of... dangerous individual," Arthur says. "Simply take a look at your corpse-like skin and slender, bony hands."
"Are you... serious right now?" both Chloe and Mr. Bathurst Hall say in (text-colour:"#CEC286")[unison](click-append:"unison")[ (kor)].
"I (text-colour:"#CEC286")[jest](click-append:"jest")[ (spøger)]! Of course, I (text-colour:"#CEC286")[jest]. It was because..."
[[Because she hated her sister]]
[[Because she was manipulated by someone outside this mansion]]"You see," Arthur begins, "Amanda was manipulated. We have reason to (text-colour:"#CEC286")[suspect](click-append:"suspect")[ (mistænke)] Jack the Riddler. Whether Amanda was blackmailed, or perhaps a part of his cult, remains unclear, but it is certain that he made her do it. This 'poem' we found earlier clearly states her mission: To become a maid here, kill someone dear to her in the basement, and ensure that Chloe and I would come to investigate."
Chloe nods. "Indeed. For whatever twisted reason, Jack wants us to see his gruesome puppetshow."
"I see. Still, I would rather not cast aspersion upon my employees, and I cannot truly believe Amanda would commit such a horrid crime. Do you have more damning evidence?"
"We do," Arthur says.
(If: $Knife is true)[[The evidence we need is the knife from the basement]]
[[The evidence we need is the two-pronged fork from the hall]]
[[The evidence we need are the pointed rings found in the servant's quarters]]"Arthur... there was no blood on that knife, and it was clearly covered in (text-colour:"#CEC286")[debris](click-append:"debris")[ (affald)] from the broken wall." Chloe shakes her head. "No, that knife was used to break down that thin plaster wall."
"Right, of course. Yes, uhm..."
[[The evidence we need is the two-pronged fork from the hall]]
[[The evidence we need are the pointed rings found in the servant's quarters]]"The fork used to eat fruit?" Mr. Bathurst Hall exclaims. "But that's (text-colour:"#CEC286")[prepostorous](click-append:"prepostorous")[ (absurd)]! Why, I ate with it just this morning! I assure you, it had not the faintest taste of blood."
"No, Arthur, I don't think I can agree with you on that. What else could it have been?" Chloe says.
"Erhm... yes... the... the evidence we need is..."
[[The evidence we need is the knife from the basement]]
[[The evidence we need are the pointed rings found in the servant's quarters]] Chloe snaps her fingers. "Yes of course! Those rings would have come from the cryptex, along with the message! And they line up perfectly with the wounds on Selina's neck."
"Ahem, quite!" says Arthur. "Furthermore, they are designed expertly to draw blood quickly form an arterie, such as in the neck."
Mr. Bathurst Hall (text-colour:"#CEC286")[coughs](click-append:"coughs")[ (hoster)]. His eyes go wide. "B-b-blood? Draw blood //expertly//??"
"Indeed, Mr. Bathurst Hall," Chloe says. "From the message in the cryptex, it is clear that a terrible ritual took place in your basement. Human sacrifice."
Mr. Bathurst Hall gasps. "But why? Why in the basement?"
"We can only assume," Arthur says, "that Jack knew about some old secret in that basement. He's interested in the occult, you see. Morbidly, deathly interested."
"Oh no," Mr. Bathurst Hall says. "I boarded up that basement because of my father's strange meddlings with the very same. He was an occultist, but nothing of the murderous sort. Still, I preferred to board up that strange basement and thought that would be that."
"Indeed," Chloe says. "But as it stands, we must find your housemaid. She's nowhere to be found."
Arthur suddenly grabs Chloe by the shoulders. "The old basement doors! She must have run that way! Quickly!"
[[Chase down Amanda]]With Mr. Bathurst Hall, the investigators rush out into the streets of London. The (text-colour:"#CEC286")[terrible](click-append:"terrible")[ (forfærdelige)] miasma makes it nearly impossible to chase anyone.
"She could be anywhere!" Mr. Bathurst Hall exclaims.
Chloe wags her finger. "Not quite. Remember that message?
'Remember that the two must see,
If the ritual shall be.'
She must have stayed close, to ensure that we've seen all we were supposed to see!"
"Over there!" Arthur shouts and storms ahead into the garden.
(text-colour:"#CEC286")[Crouched](click-append:"Crouched")[ (krøbet sammen)] behind a tree, Amanda is watching them. Seeing that she's been spotted, she darts off and tries to jump the garden fence to disappear into the thick London (text-colour:"#CEC286")[fog](click-append:"fog")[ (tåge)].
But Arthur pulls out his gun and fires a warning shot. Amanda freezes, one hand on the fence.
"Stop right there, Amanda! Surrender! Or I will shoot you!"
With her hands shaking above her head, Amanda collapses into the dirt and grass beneath. Arthur inches slowly closer. Slowly. Watching her hands.
And then she breaks down. Tears stream from her eyes. Her cries become screams and she rips out grass, claws at her own face, and then lies down, all will lost.
"You're coming with us to the station," Arthur says and clamps her in handcuffs.
Amanda does nothing to resist.
"B-b-b-but why, Amanda? Why?!" Mr. Bathurst Hall cries out.
She looks at him with dead, empty eyes.
"The ancient beast below will cleanse the decadent streets of London. Ha. All the (text-colour:"#CEC286")[wickedness](click-append:"wickedness")[ (ondskab)] will be washed away. All the sin--haHA!--burned! And then! The (text-colour:"#CEC286")[superior](click-append:"superior")[ (overlegen)] city will rise from the fiery ashes. London... must... be... PURGED!"
[[...]]Thank you for playing!Amanda's eyes roll back until only the white is showing. Then she collapses, still laughing maniacally as she loses (text-colour:"#CEC286")[consciousness](click-append:"consciousness")[ (bevidsthed)] and falls heavy, like a corpse, into the arms of Arthur.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Bathurst Hall," Chloe says.
"Don't be. I will pay you for this terrible thing you have been swept up in. But then never. NEVER. Contact me again." Mr. Bathurst Hall turns his back to the investigators and walk back.
[[Chloe and Arthur take the unconscious Amanda to the station]]
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