Califresco PD: Magical Crimes Unit

[JayTee]

Ryan





"Damnit man, I'm a statistician, not a doctor!" Ryan said, glaring back at Kincaid with equal intensity.

 

[Vanman]

Dufresne





A frown creases Dufresne's face as he looks at Kincaid, then Ryan. His mouth opens, closes, opens, then closes with a snap. He looks at the others on the scenes, starts to say something and his mouth closes once more. When he finally speaks, it is with obvious confusion. "I f-fail to understand why the victim being d-dead is such a mystery. We are detectives, are we not? Stating the obvious seems c-counterproductive. How can you infer anything about the the p-position of the body - let alone his t-taste in architecture - when we haven't seen the body? R-reading entrails seems...unhygienic..."


There is an awkward pause as Dufresne looks at the various reactions to his words. Then. "Speaking of b-bodies, when can we see the victim?"

 

[Grey]

Tibalt gestures to the door.


"Third floor, in his room, I guess."


More doors open at your proximity. The lift rumbles worryingly toward the third floor. A group of tired and ragged neighbours is huddling in the hallway near Walters' room. The blast door retracts. The actual door is intact.


The apartment is small - one bathroom, left of the front door, an open room that seems to serve as bed and living, and a kitchen alcove tucked away to the left beyond the bathroom, near the far wall. A personal terminal sits open and active on the kitchen counter. Cardboard boxes are stacked beside a futon.


A pile of ash lies in the middle of scorched floorboards near the shattered window.


Frowning, Tibalt scoops up a spoonful of the ash with a probe and waits for the analysis. Something glints metallic in the pile.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

Willem





The detective scoots into the kitchen, glancing over at the pile of ash. "Book depository shooter, doc?" He glasses the screen of the terminal. What was our friend looking into today?

 

[Random Word]

Kincaid





"Right, boys, bag it and tag it. I'll canvas the neighbours before I taint your precious aether mumbo-jumbo. Looks like our boy was considerin' a change of scenery shortwise. Someone ought to know a thing or two about that." Kincaid tips his hat, draws a leather bound pad of paper and a brass ink stylus, and corrals the haggard block residents.


"Get you home in a jiffy, ladies and gents. Then right to the pub, policeman's orders. You lot look like you could use a drink. Right then, who knew Mr..." Kincaid flips through his notebook, "Walters?"

 

[Vanman]

Dufresne





The crime lab technician enters the apartment and immediately gets to work. For all his stuttering awkwardness in social situations, it is easy to see why he holds the position he does. His focus is acute, and he gets to work cataloging the various detritus spread across the crime scene. Each clue is marked, each hint noted. He takes samples of the ash, he takes photographs of the ash pile, the scorch marks, the personal terminal - in fact, he photographs most of what is showing, preferring not to take chances. Dufresne is thorough, meticulous and exhaustive. Once he has cataloged, notated and categorized the crime scene, and packed away his gear, he takes a deep breath, runs a hand through his hair, and sits, cross-legged, in the middle of the floor. He closes his eyes, takes another three deep breaths, then opens his eyes slowly. His gaze, unlike when he was working the crime scene, is now unfocused and his eyes are rolled slightly up into his head. This gaze is not meant for this world. It's meant for the next.

Spoiler

I'm assuming, since there are computer terminals, that there are cameras. If this is not the case, let me know and I'll adjust my post. I'm also examining the scene for any clues, major or minor, that may give me some indication of what happened here. Let me know if I need to make any rolls.


I'm also using my Ghostspeaking cheese, if that wasn't apparent. I want to speak to the dead man's ghost. Provided it's here.

 

[Grey]

For Willem





There's an open Mail, half-finished. Addressed to his daughter, denying the accusations of embezzlement and apologizing for being out of touch.


For Kincaid





The assembled shake their heads. A grandmotherly type with mean eyes frowns at you.


"Mister Walters only moved in last week and hardly ever leaves."


For Dufesne





Not a peep. In sharp contrast to how most people respond to such a situation, you have to suppress a cold and uncomfortable shudder.

Spoiler

On the cheap you can just upgrade your Spike to take pictures through your eyes and upload them to the case file server.

 

[Vanman]

Dufresne





The crime scene investigator's eyes snap open, an almost wild look to them. He looks around the apartment, a slight frown on his face. Turning first one way, then another, the frown deepens. Muttering inaudibly to himself, he stands, his glances around the room now having a focus. His eyes alighting on Willem first, he makes his way to the screen the man is studying.


"Exc-cuse me, D-detective G-gotz but...there's something s-strange here." There is a short, uncomfortable laugh from the skinny man, more forced than anything. "Except for d-dead b-bodies, of course." Dufresne's eyes dart from side to side, as if this attempt at humor will have dire consequences. "Well, it's s-sort of c-connected t-to the corpse. Th...there's no ghost. Normally, for murder victims, their ghosts remain for some t-time after the f-fatal b-blow. Not so here. Might g-give us a c-clue that the m-murderer m-may have m-magical training. C-could have exorcised or c-captured the ghost, so as not to leave clues. As I said, the lack of a ghost is...disturbing." There is a short pause that draws out. Then. "Sh-should I talk to D-Detective K-kincaid?"

Spoiler

I just made up the talk about ghosts and remaining at the crime scene. If this isn't the case, let me know and I'll amend my post. It seems logical but then, logic doesn't always work hand in hand with magic. Again, just let me know.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

Willem





"Got a next of kin and possible motive for whomever waxed this poor bastard." Willem scans through the mail, old, new. Shaky fingers jot down concise, neat notes. He pauses, listening to Dufrense's staccato of syllables. "That is kinda novel, innit? Yeah, run this up to Kincaid and let's find our spook."

 

[JayTee]

Ryan





Just to be sure, Ryan canvased the area on his own, looking any trace of occult energies or other signs of the unnatural. He may as well earn his pay check, even if he doesn't turn anything up.

 

[Vanman]

Dufresne


The young man's eyes dart back and forth as he makes his way to the foyer, where Kincaid is interviewing the flotsam and jetsam collected outside. When there is a slight break in the questioning, Dufresne steps up beside Kincaid and speaks very softly. The crime scene investigator's eyes never once meet Kincaid's. "D-detective K-kincaid. There's something...st-st-strange going on here. I th-think it b-best if we were to t-talk about it away f-from the p-public. When you g-get the chance, I'll b-be inside. Sh-should you wish to discuss it."


Without looking at either Kincaid or the witnesses, Dufresne turns and goes back inside the apartment.