Episode 25: The Body at the Park

Woodward has a strange vision. The heroes head to Moth Park to search for clues...

GM: During the night, Woodward dreams that a woman is standing at the foot of his bed. She clutches at her throat and appears to be choking.

GM: When Woodward awakes, his window is open.

GM: There are wet leaves strewn about the room, and they lead to the open window.

GM: A harsh gust of wind blows out the curtain.

GM: It is morning.

GM: NOW

GM: McMurdoch and Woodward are at work.

GM: It is later that morning, about 8:15 AM

GM: Business as usual.

GM: Galloway's hat is on the hatstand, but he is not around.

GM: You hear the traffic noise outside, and the blare of a horn out on the lake.

GM: The radio is on. National Public.

GM: A deep voiced man is reading the news.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch sits at his desk, half shaven, in an unironed shirt. He is leaning back in the chair with his feet on the desk, is reading the paper and drinking a cup of coffee. A cigarette dangles between his lips.

GM: You catch snippets of the news.

GM: "... body of a woman..."

Ethan: Ethan seems to be reading something intently on his computer screen. Every so often, the sound of his fingers pressing heavily on his keyboard can be heard somewhere beneath the radio.

GM: "... Park..."

Ethan: He suddenly stops and looks over at the radio.

GM: "... forensic..."

GM: suddenly a crash of static comes over the radio

GM: "ZXZX ZXZXZXZX"

Ethan: Woodward pushes his chair back and stands up, moving towards the radio.

GM: You hear a faint, rasping, voice...

McMurdoch: McMurdoch lowers the paper and looks across at Woodward. "Wassup?" He queries, while blowing twin jets of smoke out his nostrils.

GM: " HAAEEELP AAAUUUSS!"

GM: " HAAEEELP AAAUUUSSSS!

Ethan: "Holy %^&@."

GM: Suddenly you hear a bang from behind.....!

GM: Galloway has entered the room, and let the door crash shut behind him.

Galloway: "Morning!"

McMurdoch: "Mornin' boss."

Galloway: He dashes into his office, retrieve something, and leaves again.

Ethan: Ethan turns around quickly, hand shoved deep in his coat near his hidden gun, before sighing with relief and turning back to the radio.

GM: The news turns to other affairs. Something about a gangland slaying.

GM: Revenge tit for tat killings in the Withers.

GM: Hispanic and Italian soldiers going head to head.

Ethan: "%^@&..." Ethan curses to himself silently, returning to his desk.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch gets up warily and walks across to the radio. He bends over and looks at it suspiciously, checking that it is tuned to the right station.

GM: Your emails have plenty of FBI work to do this morning, the usual stuff to do when you have nothing else. Reference checks, pattern matching, etc.

GM: Plenty of boring work to be getting on with this morning

GM: The door to the lavatory opens.

McMurdoch: He starts muttering to himself, reaches into his pocket and extracts a vial from which he taps out two small blue pills into his palm, which he then quickly swallows.

GM: You hear the sound of a flushing toilet.

GM: Bruce, your colleague, greets you, zipping up his fly.

GM: He goes to the coffee machine.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch shakes his head rapidly from side to side, making a "Brrrrrrrrr!" sound.

GM: The phone rings.

GM: It is Woodward'

GM: 's

GM: phone.

** Ethan picks it up. **

GM: You hear a woman's voice.

GM: "The tree, please help us, the tree..."

GM: click!

GM: The phone goes dead

Ethan: "^$_!"

GM: Suddenly you feel a slight tremor.

GM: The building is shaking, mildly at first, but it's getting stronger.

Ethan: Ethan shoves his phone into his pocket and gets up, heading towards the door.

Ethan: "McMurdoch, we're going."

GM: Now it's really rocking.

GM: Bruce jumps under his desk.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch suddenly lurches into action.

Ethan: Ethan hurries into a doorframe.

GM: Slowly, the earthquake subsides.

McMurdoch: He yells "EARTHQUAKE!!!" and dives for the floor.

McMurdoch: Curling up into the foetal position under a desk.

GM: A little cracked plaster flutters from the ceiling, but it seems that the building has come through fine.

Ethan: "We're _really_ going. _Now_."

GM: This time....

McMurdoch: A smoke ring floats up from under the desk McMurdoch is cowering under.

GM: Bruce gets out from under his desk.

Bruce: "Boyo, that was a jolt!"

GM: Bruce gets back to work.

McMurdoch: "Watch out for the aftershocks."

McMurdoch: "This could be the calm before the storm."

Ethan: "I don't have time for aftershocks. I'll explain on the way."

Ethan: Ethan heads for the exit.

McMurdoch: "We're due for the BIG ONE, man!"

GM: Laketown seems none the worse for the quake. The humble town seems peaceful this fine morning. Poplars line the boulevards, and birds sing. But what lurks beneath?

GM: Tectonic movement no doubt. Simple plate slippage. Of course.

McMurdoch: "Statistically, Laketown should get a quake of 7 or higher on the Richter scale every 50 years. We haven't had one for over 200. IT'S DUE, MAAAN!"

GM: What else?

GM: What else indeed?

McMurdoch: "I'm not leaving this desk!"

GM: Where are you , outside or inside the office?

McMurdoch: Inside

Ethan: "Don't blame me when you get strangled in your sleep!" Ethan yells behind him as he leaves.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch's voice calls form under the desk. "I'm out of smokes. Woodie... could you do me a favour and get me some more?"

McMurdoch: A hand reaches out from beneath the desk, waving a ten dollar bill.

GM: Woodward steps outside the office. Across the road, away from the quayside, there is a small green, with some trees.

GM: Woodward notices something he hasn't seen before.

Ethan: "Hmm, what's that?" Ethan tries to make it out

Ethan: [1d20+10] - [5,10] = (15)

GM: The green us full of brownish, globe like objects.

GM: He can't quite make them out from across the road.

Ethan: "What the hell?"

Ethan: Ethan steps up to the road and checks for traffic before crossing.

GM: A car whistles by. Woodward steps out.

GM: Upon closer examination, the objects appear to be fruit, on thin stalks.

GM: Some are attached to zigzag shaped twigs.

McMurdoch: "Oi, wait up!"

McMurdoch: A flushed and panting McMurdoch comes running up, his gangly frame all elbows and knees.

GM: Roll intelligence check, Woodward.

Ethan: [1d20+2] - [9,2] = (11)

GM: OK

GM: Next scene?

GM: Move to next scene, yes/no

GM: ?

Ethan: What next scene?

McMurdoch: Does McMurdoch get an intelligence roll?

GM: If you want to do something, feel free. Otherwise, the next scene we will fast forward to is lunchtime.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch has a look at the strange plants and trees to work out what they are.

McMurdoch: [1d20+2] - [18,2] = (20)

GM: McMurdoch recognises the fruit.

McMurdoch (whispering): What are they?

GM: He has seen something similar littering the floor of Moth Park, which you visited the other day, when you met Robert Dalmas.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch bends down and points to the fruit. "Woodward... check these out. Weren't there some of these the other day at Moth Park?"

McMurdoch: McMurdoch picks one of the fruit, sniffs it, and then puts it in his pocket.

Ethan: "I don't know. But it makes me even more suspicious..."

McMurdoch: McMurdoch suddenly stands up and starts to walk back in the direction of the office. He appears agitated.

Ethan: Ethan jogs after him. "Where are you going?"

GM: For the sake of pacing, let me know when you want to skip to the next scene. But spend as long in this scene as you want.

McMurdoch: "Let's get the lab boys to check this out."

McMurdoch: I've got nothing more to add to this scene

GM: OK, McMurdoch arranges to the lab to check it out.

GM: They can look at it in the afternoon.

Ethan: "Sure, why not. More importantly, though. We need to go to that park. Something... happened there, and I'm not sure what, but..."

McMurdoch: How about using the acronym EOC (for End Of Scene) to tell the GM when we're ready to move on/bereft of ideas for current scene?

McMurdoch: If both players type EOC, we move on.

McMurdoch: EOC

GM: Good idea

McMurdoch: Or the GM throws something new at us in the current scene.

McMurdoch: Just an idea.

GM: I think you've got all you're going to get out of this one.

McMurdoch: OK, EOC

GM: You jump into you're VW Jetta and drive off to the park.

GM: It is a crisp, sunny morning.

Ethan: Ethan explains. "I had this nightmare last night. About that I woman we saw there, I think. She was dying, and... Just now, you heard that on the radio, didn't you...?"

GM: McMurdoch is driving.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch turns towards Woodward, his eyes widening. "The same voice?"

GM: Do you have the radio on playing rock music as usual, or the news?

GM: Roll intelligence checks, both of you.

Ethan: Ethan switches the radio on to the news.

Ethan: [1d20+2] - [14,2] = (16)

McMurdoch: [1d20+2] - [20,2] = (22)

GM: OK, you have the news on.

GM: You hear a report this time, more clear now that you're listening for it./

McMurdoch: The boys have their thinking caps on today :-)

GM: The report states that a park worker found a body in a culvert in the arboretum in Moth Park early this morning.

GM: It is the body of a young woman.

GM: She has been identified as Lenore White, a Laketown resident who worked in a nearby office building.

GM: The police estimate that she died four days ago.

McMurdoch: "Are you saying that the woman in your dream was the same on we saw at the park... and the voice on the radio was also her voice?"

GM: Her body had been covered by leaves, branches, and other debris, possibly stirred up by the inclement weather.

GM: The cause of death has not been released.

Ethan: "I don't know if it's her or not. But there must be a connection."

GM: You are approaching the park entrance in your VW Jetta.

Ethan: "We'll see when we get there..."

McMurdoch: "And maybe the body they just mentioned on the radio is this same woman's body?"

Ethan: EOC

McMurdoch: EOC

GM: OK, I assume you are going to go to the arboretum?

McMurdoch: Yes

McMurdoch: Yes

GM: The arboretum is the middle third of the park is covered with trees, providing shade and a pseudo forested experience for those who walk the area’s trails. There are several park benches and picnic sites among the trees.

GM: At the head of the trail that leads into the wooded area, a marker reads:

GM: “When Thomas Moth donated his estate to the city, the land included several dozen trees that Moth had planed over the course of 20 years. An amateur botanist, Moth collected seeds and cuttings from all over the world with the intent of creating a vast arboretum that would be of interest to scientists and nature lovers alike. Unfortunately, he suffered a reversal of fortune before his dream could be fulfilled.”

GM: As you enter a clearing, you hear the crackle of a police radio, and see some blue shirted local Laketown PD officers.

GM: There are some men in white coats, and some yellow tape.

Ethan: Ethan gives the sign a passing glance as he heads towards the police officers.

GM: They are standing hear a depression, a few dozen metres away.

GM: You can see Gerald Findlay, your old 'friend', talking to a man holding some hedge clippers.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch follows Woodward, anxious and hunched over.

GM: There is a depression, off to the left of the path, where the crowd has gathered around the yellow tape.

GM: Police men are telling people to move along

GM: The leaves a wet underfoot.

GM: Are wet.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch stares morosely at Findlay, slowly drawing on his cigarette and tapping the ash on the ground.

Ethan: Woodard moves towards the depression, ducking down under the yellow tape if he has to get a better look at goingons.

GM: Findlay has his notebook out, and does not notice McMurdoch.

GM: OK, roll a hide check, to see if you are noticed slipping under the tape.

GM: (If hot a hide check, then something else relevant)

GM: (Woodward)

Ethan: (Hide check? I have no intention of hiding, I'm going to find out all I can!"

Ethan: err italics

Ethan: gather information

Ethan: [1d20+7] - [20,7] = (27)

GM: Well, if you don’t' roll, you are guaranteed to be spotted by the police if you go under the tape/

McMurdoch: McMurdoch walks in a slow arc until he is behind and to the right of Findlay. He tries to walk slowly up to within earshot of Findlay's conversation with the man who is presumably one of the gardeners.

McMurdoch: , without being noticed.

GM: OK, do you try gather information on the authorities, the press, park regulars, or friends and colleagues of the victim, Woodward?

GM: Findlay is questioning the gardener.

Ethan: Authorities first, park regulars second, press third, friends fourth...

GM: McMurdoch hears Findlay asking him about how he found the body, what he was doing that morning, the previous night. Where he had been gardening over the last week.

GM: The gardener is mouthing off about homeless people, and the park going to wrack and ruin.

GM: He is very defensive, and red in the face.

Ethan: Woodard moves around the scene, trying to find out all the information he can.

GM: OK, roll your first gather information check, Woodward.

Ethan: I did roll one

GM: OK.\

GM: You approach a policeman who is unknown to you.

GM: He tells you that the woman died of a broken neck.

GM: A rope mark around her neck suggests she was strangled, but no fibres have been found on her skin or clothes, or at the scene, They could have been washed away by the rain.

GM: The position of the body wasn't consistent with a fall, the ground was soft, and there were no bruises or other indication of a fall. There were no other injuries or indications of abuse.

Ethan: Ethan pulls out his usual pad of paper as he takes notes.

GM: Lenore's purse, containing a credit card and cash, was found bear the body.

GM: Roll a spot check, both of you

Ethan: [1d20+10] - [17,10] = (27)

GM: Woodward sees a young woman dressed in a dishevelled grey raincoat with a partly open umbrella, standing among the policemen.

GM: The policeman is still talking to Woodward.

GM: He tells him that Lenore was last seen at lunchtime by her co workers.

Ethan: Ethan nods at the policeman, paying attention to his story as he keeps one eye on the woman in the raincoat.

GM: Lenore typically walked thorough the park on her break, even if the weather was bad.

GM: The woman holds her head at an angle, sometimes tiling it to one side so that her left ear almost touches her shoulder.

GM: The cop tells Woodward that her failure to return that day was noticed by her supervisor, who called the apartment.

GM: Keeping his eye on the woman, Woodward sees that her dark hair hangs loose, and seems to be tangled with leaves and sticks. Her coat and hair look wet, despite the weather.

Ethan: "Thank you very much for the information you've given me," Ethan says, tapping his pad with his paper before putting it back into his coat.

GM: The woman slowly points to the large sycamore tree that's a few yards away from the spot where her body was found.

Ethan: He nods politely at the policeman and walks towards the woman.

GM: She walks slowly towards the sycamore tree.

GM: She steps behind the tree.

Ethan: Ethan tries to keep up with her.

GM: Woodward steps behind the tree, and sees.....!

GM: A clearing, more trees, and no woman!

Ethan: "%_*. I knew something was odd about her."

GM: There is a man with spectacles, a laptop bag, and a notebook, making some notes. He looks like a journalist. There are also a couple of punks, a man and a woman, with Mohawk haircuts.

GM: There are some winos,

GM: There is a large man in a tracksuit with a German Shepherd.

GM: Also a red haired woman with a poodle.

Ethan: Ethan scans the crowd. He spies the man in the tracksuit and moves over towards him.

Man in Tracksuit: The man spots Woodward approaching.

Man in Tracksuit: The Alsatian glares at Woodward.

Man in Tracksuit: "Awful huh?

Man in Tracksuit: He has curly locks, and a bald pate.

Man in Tracksuit: His belly is not insignificant, spilling from his white t shirt over his track pants.

Man in Tracksuit: He has a three day growth.

Ethan: "Yeah. It's really not something you want happening. Not to you of course, but also not around you."

Man in Tracksuit: "Yeah, I walk my dog here all the time. Gotta be real careful."

Man in Tracksuit: "Still, Blackie will keep a look out.

Man in Tracksuit: He pats his dog.

Ethan: "I understand the poor woman spent a lot of time here, too. What can you tell me about her?"

Man in Tracksuit: "Well, yeeah, I've seen her. Two or three times a week. Don’t remember seeing her that day though. It was raining, so I didn't take Blackie for a walk."

Man in Tracksuit: "There are some places in this park I don’t' go even in the daytime, Them woods, they ain't right. Sometimes around sunset, I see people looking at me from that big old tree."

Man in Tracksuit: You hear Findlay speaking close by.

Ethan: "Oh really? What do you mean? That's kind of creepy."

Man in Tracksuit: "Weird, I know. Weird. But tree. Optical effect? Sunset? I don't know."

Man in Tracksuit: Blackie barks.

McMurdoch: Who does?

Man in Tracksuit: Blackie the dog.

McMurdoch: Can both McMurdoch & Woodward hear Findlay speak? Are they near to each other?

McMurdoch: near

GM: McMurdoch can do what he wants, or at least try.

McMurdoch: Meanwhile McMurdoch has been chain smoking his way through a packet of cigarettes, waiting for Findlay to finish interviewing the gardener.

GM: Detective Inspector Gerald Findlay thanks the gardener, and moves away to speak to a police officer.

GM: A white coated man approaches the culvert.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch sidles up to the gardener. "Hello there, buddy. I hope the inspector wasn't his usual abrasive self." McMurdoch grins.

GM: He kneels and examines what looks like a body.

GM: The man steps back.

Gardener: "Who are you?"

Gardener: He is red faced, and looks harassed.

Gardener: He is wearing blue overalls, has a whiskey nose, and yellow teeth.

Gardener: "Who are you?", says the Gardener to McMurdoch.

Gardener: Still there, McMurdoch, or have we lost you?

McMurdoch: McMurdoch offers the man a cigarette. Do you mind talking to me about what happened." McMurdoch flashes his badge. "McMurdoch. Paranormal investigations. If there's something weird that's happened, and you're afraid to tell the cops 'cos they'll think you're nuts... then don't be afraid to tell me." McMurdoch grins at him. "I've heard it all buddy."

Gardener: Are you there Pi, or is it me?

Gardener: OK

Ethan: ?

Gardener: "Yeah, I've heard all that stuff. I don't know the truth of it."

Gardener: "I like a glass of whiskey, but the people who tell those stories like a bottle of meths for breakfast."

Gardener: "They should lock up them homeless people, and make the park safe for homeless people."

Gardener: "and make the park safe for DECENT people" (typo)

McMurdoch: "That can be arranged." McMurdoch slips his hipflask out of his shirt pocket and winks. "Let's take a walk, and you can tell me all about it."

Gardener: It is only a matter of time before Detective Inspector Findlay sees McMurdoch.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch indicates the coffee stand with it's chairs and tables in the near distance.

Gardener: The gardener has a simple face, and it brightens noticeably. Perhaps the glint in his eye is the reflection off the stainless steel hip flask, perhaps not....

McMurdoch: "We can sit down over there."

Gardener: He steps away, with a confused, but eager eye on the flask, towards to bench.

Gardener: Away from the determined eye of Inspector Findlay...

McMurdoch: McMurdoch saunters over to one of the benches which is slightly obscured by trees and sits down, his back to Findlay and the other police.

McMurdoch: He takes a pull on the hipflask, wipes the mouth of the flask on his sleeve and passes it to the gardener.

Gardener: The gardener takes a sneaky swig, looking over his shoulder before taking the plunge.

Gardener: "Thanks, that's swell whisky."

Gardener: "Ahhh!"

McMurdoch: "Only the good stuff, amigo!"

McMurdoch: "So what happened... that was bad enough to drive a man like you to drink?"

Gardener: "I like a drink, friend, but I'm no wino. We have the worst sort here, winos, druggies, homeless men who sleep on the benches."

Gardener: "I haven't seen what they claim they've seen."

Gardener: He shrugs.

McMurdoch: "And what do they claim?" McMurdoch raises his eyebrows.

Gardener: McMurdoch hears footfalls approaching.

Inspector Findlay: "McMurdoch? Agent McMurdoch? Who asked you to come down here?"

Inspector Findlay: "You've got your pal Woodward with you, too, I see! God help us, we're going to have another prison breakout on our hands?"

McMurdoch: "Democracy did, INSPECTOR. Democracy asked me to come down to Moth Park and exercise my constitutional right to go wherever the $%#^ I like."

Inspector Findlay: "Inspector Woodward, come over here please!" Findlay shouts over to Woodward.

Ethan: Ethan looks up from his conversation with the man in the track suit. "Excuse me." He says as he heads over towards McMurdoch.

Inspector Findlay: "OK, you're allowed to be here, but I don't want you screwing up my case. Goddamit, you're walking disaster areas. And the mess you leave behind, you blame it on, what? The "paranormal"!

Ethan: Ethan hears the tail end as he walks over. "You wouldn't say it like that if you've experienced half the things I have."

McMurdoch: McMurdoch puts on his sunglasses. "Not everything has a rational explanation, inspector."

Inspector Findlay: "Save it for the police complaints authority, Woodward, when you finally get to font up for your messes."

Inspector Findlay: "OK, I've got a case to solve, so keep behind the tape, don't tamper with evidence, no harassing the witnesses about ghosties or whatever other phantoms keep you awake at night, and entertained, and keep WELL OUT OF MY WAY!"

Inspector Findlay: Findlay storms off.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch turns back to the gardener. "So... where were we?"

** No match found

Inspector Findlay: Could we have a 3 minute timeout

Ethan: Ethan shakes his head at the inspector as he storms off.

GM: Could we have a 3 minute timeout

Ethan: sure

GM: Be right back

McMurdoch: OK

GM: OK, I'm back

GM: Do you want to question the punks, or the journalist? You've got all you will get out of the gardener.

Ethan: Not me

GM: There is also a wino here, a long bearded man with a shabby greatcoat.

Ethan: "What do you know about that tree at sunset?" He nods at the one the runner pointed out.

GM: OK, well, you rolled for it, so I'll give you the information anyway.

GM: The police received an anonymous call from a self proclaimed psychic who claimed that the killer was the park's headless statue come to life.

McMurdoch: You mean McMurdoch wasted good whiskey for zero info?

GM: There are indications that Lenore White was strangled.

GM: This isn't the first time, that a body with a broken neck has been found in Moth Park

GM: You are getting this information from the spectacled journalist with the laptop computer and the notebook.

GM: There have been seven others, the most recent was in 1952.

GM: Two others were found in 1931, another in 1920, and three from 1915 to 1918.

GM: The journalist has been researching background stories.

GM: A children's rhyme made the round of the city at the turn of the last century.

McMurdoch: "I wonder..." McMurdoch mutters to himself.

GM: Thomas Moth, your children bleed.

GM: Your wife was stabbed by Henry Creed.

GM: All your silver, all your gold

GM: Can't keep their bones from growing old.

GM: "Creepy, huh?" winks the journalist from behind his glasses.

GM: The punk tell you that they saw a tall man in a black coat walking three big dogs, that night.

GM: End of scene?

GM: Use the code...

GM: I've forgotten what it was.

GM: EOS?

McMurdoch: EOC

GM: End of scene. Sweet.

McMurdoch: EOS

Ethan: EOS

GM: The morning wears on, as you conduct your questioning and try to keep out of Findlay's way. He glares at you from time to time, but by and large, is tolerating your presence so far.

GM: The forensic team continue their work, but the police presence is minimal by lunch time.

GM: After lunch, the body is removed, and the bystanders, nothing left to gawk at, have moved on.

GM: As the crowd thins and disappears, you see a man, standing some way off, away from the police cordon. You have not seen this man before, he is a newcomer.

GM: He is a broad shouldered man, perhaps in his late 40s. He has grey hair and a grey beard, and is a little stooped. He is dressed in the nondescript uniform of the homeless, tattered coat, torn shirt, wrinkled trousers, tired and worn out shoes.

Ethan: Ethan keeps a steady gaze on the man.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch saunters up to the man and raises his hand in greeting. He proffers an open pack of cigarettes.

GM: He is mumbling to himself.

McMurdoch: "Mind if we have a word, buddy?"

GM: He looks up at McMurdoch. His eyes look distant and distracted. Suddenly they fiercen.

GM: "What do you want?"

** Sorry, don't understand what a /Broad is...

McMurdoch: "I want you to have one of my cigarettes, have a smoke with me, and talk to me for a little while."

Broad Shouldered Man: The man's eyes soften, and he takes a cigarette.

McMurdoch: "We're not cops." McMurdoch indicates himself and Woodward.

McMurdoch: "There've been some strange goings on recently..."

Broad Shouldered Man: He accepts the light from McMurdoch, and puffs. His fingers shake violently.

Broad Shouldered Man: "The voices, it was the voices. If you don’t leave now, they’ll be telling you too."

Ethan: Ethan moves closer to the two of them.

McMurdoch: "The voices. I don't hear any, but I'm hearing you. And I believe you."

McMurdoch: "Go on, buddy."

Broad Shouldered Man: "If you don't leave the park now, they be talking to you. Telling you to do things you dot want to do. Leave!"

Broad Shouldered Man: "Get out of here!"

Broad Shouldered Man: He wails mournfully.

McMurdoch: "What kind of things?"

Broad Shouldered Man: He pulls out a wine bottle from beneath his coat and takes some gulps, the red juice spilling down his chin.

Broad Shouldered Man: "Shit, I don't know. Voices, man! Speaking to me!"

Broad Shouldered Man: He waggles his hands, like scissors, like puppets speaking to each other.

Broad Shouldered Man: "VOICEES!" he wails.

Broad Shouldered Man: He points the puppet hands at McMurdoch, almost nipping his nose.

McMurdoch: "Do they talk to you now?" McMurdoch looks up at the sun. "Or later, after sundown?"

Broad Shouldered Man: "Questions, questions."

Broad Shouldered Man: "They're just voices. Voices. I killed her, don't you get it."

Broad Shouldered Man: "I murdered the woman."

McMurdoch: McMurdoch proffers another cigarette.

Broad Shouldered Man: "I killed her. The voices told me to. That's all there is to it. Now go home, before you kill someone too."

Broad Shouldered Man: He sighs as if exhausted, as if...

Broad Shouldered Man: Roll a sense motive check.

Broad Shouldered Man: Both of you.

Ethan: Ethan stares at the man's face, trying to get a sense of his words.

Ethan: [1d20+10] - [20,10] = (30)

McMurdoch: [1d20+2] - [3,2] = (5)

Broad Shouldered Man: ... he sighs as if exhausted, as if.... lying is just such hard work, so tiring....

McMurdoch: It looks like McMurdoch is a sucker for whatever's coming next...

Broad Shouldered Man: He returns the wine bottle to his coat.

Ethan: "I don't believe you at all. If you killed her, tell me how you did it."

Broad Shouldered Man: The man swears.

Broad Shouldered Man: "Shit!"

Broad Shouldered Man: "OK."

Broad Shouldered Man: The man raises his hands theatrically, waving them about.

Broad Shouldered Man: He appears drunk, but he's not off balance.

Broad Shouldered Man: "You don't want to be here, in this Park!"

Broad Shouldered Man: "The dead walk the park. During the night!"

Broad Shouldered Man: "Restless spirits take the lives of the unwary who walk through here at night. Those with no abode."

McMurdoch: McMurdoch turns to Woodward. "Remember the Strangeways case... Death by broken neck... Lenny Hobbs..."

McMurdoch: He turns back to the wino. "These voices... do you only hear them everywhere? At home? On the street? Or only in the park?"

Broad Shouldered Man: The man sighs. "There are no voices. I made that up."

Broad Shouldered Man: "But I'm not making this up. Follow me. You don't want to go? You follow me then."

Ethan: Ethan shrugs.

Broad Shouldered Man: The mans steps away and walks towards the sycamore tree.

Ethan: He offers no comment as he follows the man.

Broad Shouldered Man: "Look at the tree. Tell me what you see."

Broad Shouldered Man: Suddenly, you get a feeling that you are being watched.

McMurdoch: "A tree. Sycamore, I think."

Broad Shouldered Man: You get the momentary feeling that there are human faces looking down at you from the tree.

Ethan: Ethan stares at the tree intently.

Ethan: [1d20+10] - [13,10] = (23)

Broad Shouldered Man: ...but it seems that these are just patterns from the texture of the bark.

GM: Woodward sees some initials carved into the bark.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch shudders, then shakes his head vigorously and stares at the tree again, to check if what he thought he saw was real.

Ethan: "Hmm, what does this say..."

GM: The initials are "HC + FM" There is a valentine heart carved into the bark.

Ethan: "HC + FM..."

** Sorry, don't understand what a /Broad is...

Broad Shouldered Man: "Look!"

Broad Shouldered Man: There are some blackbirds sitting in the branches.

McMurdoch: "Henry Creed and FM?"

Ethan: "Could it be Moth and... What?"

Broad Shouldered Man: "There are always twelve blackbird, no more, no less."

Broad Shouldered Man: "From dawn to dusk."

Broad Shouldered Man: He looks at you with dark brooding in his eyes.

Ethan: "Oh really?"

McMurdoch: "Creed and Moth's wife? Crime of passion?"

Broad Shouldered Man: "Up until four days ago, there were always eleven."

Broad Shouldered Man: "Eleven birds."

Ethan: Ethan takes out his pad casually and scribbles something down.

Broad Shouldered Man: "If you return to this spot after dark, you'll see who murdered the girl."

Ethan: "I suppose the birds symbolise people who have died here...?"

McMurdoch: McMurdoch turns to the man "Who the hell are you. What's you're name?"

Broad Shouldered Man: The man raises his eyebrows. "Symbol? A sign, a mark of the devil. I don't know. But if you return to the park after dark, you will know more.:

Broad Shouldered Man: "Things happen, after dark."

McMurdoch: "OK... thanks for that..."

Broad Shouldered Man: The man walks away, taking another swig from the green wine bottle as he leaves.

Broad Shouldered Man: As he departs, you can hear him mumbling...

McMurdoch: "But you killed the girl..."

Broad Shouldered Man: "after dark, things, happen..."

Broad Shouldered Man: "...bring me in! "

Broad Shouldered Man: "I MURDERED LENORE WHITE!" he screams at the top of his lungs, turning around, and laughing!

McMurdoch: McMurdoch turns to Woodward. "You think we should turn him in to Findlay?"

Broad Shouldered Man: "HA HA HA HA HA!"

Broad Shouldered Man: "I KILLED HER!"

Broad Shouldered Man: His bright eyes, lock onto McMurdoch's.

Ethan: "He didn't kill her."

McMurdoch: McMurdoch slides his hand into his coat pocket for the comforting feel of his gun.

Broad Shouldered Man: He grins, and raises the bottle in salute.

Broad Shouldered Man: He then turns around, and walks away.

McMurdoch: And looks at his watch to check the time.

Ethan: "He's just crazy."

GM: It's late afternoon now. The day has raced past. Winter shadows are stretching across the paths, the trees almost leaning into the sun.

Ethan: "A cot and three hots. Well, maybe just one. Prison has a lot more to offer than this park, especially haunted as it may be."

McMurdoch: "You fancy staking out this place after dark?"

Ethan: "Yeah."

McMurdoch: "OK let's do that. But first I think we should arm ourselves with a little knowledge."

Ethan: EOS

GM: Sweet.

McMurdoch: McMurdoch heads to the library to research anything relevant.

McMurdoch: EOS

GM: EN OF SCENE