Heroica RPG- Quest #83: Four's Company

[Kadabra]

I'm ready.

[Purpearljellyblob]

"I am ready as well."

[Kintobor]

"Well then, I guess we wait."

The party loafs around the interrogation room, waiting in the awkward and tense atmosphere. After a few minutes the party can hear a cacophony emitting from outside the room. Paolo seems to get hot under his collar, as he loosens the collar on his uniform. The door swings open as a familiar face walk in, dragging a girl who couldn't be older than seventeen in cuffs in front off her. Behind her, a blond man in dapper attire strolls in behind her.

"Found her!"

"Not like it was that hard. Sort of like making a hurricane... but with less alcohol involved. Ah, Paolo! How's my old chum doing?"

"Just swell."

Paolo's words were as dry as a desert. The man didn't seem to care and turned to the party as Olivia sat the girl down.

"Hey, what's going on? The name's Octavyn. I mix drinks. But that's beside the point. I present to you, your suspect!"

Abigail sits woozily in the chair, her eye lid's heavy as she appears to be slipping in and out of conscious. Paolo goes in for a closer look, his face grimacing.

"She's... been drugged?! Octavyn! What have I told you about drugging our suspects!!"

"Would you prefer her kicking and screaming?"

"Or doing other... obscenities. She'll snap out of it shortly, anyways."

As soon as the Syndicate member finishes her statement, the young kitchen girl begins to come to, opening her eyes fully and taking in her environment, she doesn't say anything, but simply looks down.

"If you are finished here, Octavyn I'd recommend taking you and your henchman and-"

Hench-niece!"

"Yes, yes, we'll be outside if you need anything. Come along Olivia, perhaps I can figure out someway to integrate this into your training. Public relations, perhaps..."

The two screwballs leave the room, closing the door behind them. Paolo lets out a deep sigh.

"Now then, about you, Abigail, I believe we need to take-"

The young woman, her face wet and red, shouts out two words the party nor the lieutenant expected to hear.

"I confess!"

She begins to break down into a mess, sobbing and hyper ventilating. It's a pathetic sight.

"... Well that was... unexpected."

"I admit it, I killed the four guards! I did it with my own bare hands! Take me to the slammer!!"

The lieutenant's face goes red. It seems as if he wasn't expecting this.

"Well... in that case, Abigail, we still need to record a testimony. Um... how did the events transpire last night?"

Abigail clears her throat and begins talking through her various sniffles and sobs.

"It was around nine thirty. I went down to the guardhouse to deliver the four men's dinner, chicken and bread I believe. Before I went inside, I took out the bottle of wine and slipped in some poison. I put the cork back on and shook the bottle violently, and then went in and gave them their food. I stayed outside the guardhouse, and then when they were too weak to move... I killed them! I don't why, I just did! I did the deed and ran afterwards! Please, for my own sake, just send me behind bars! Please!!"

Paolo finished writing in his book as the party discuss amongst themselves. The lieutenant turns to the party looking a bit bewildered.

"Quite the convincing testimony, I do say. What do you heroes think?"

If you'd like a collection of the evidence gathered, let me know.

[Cutcobra]

"Say, Abigail, did you happen to own a pearl necklace? Cause they are so pretty please tell me where you got them."

Edited October 25, 2013 by Eric Su

[Purpearljellyblob]

"Aren't those pearls pretty? Heckz??? Eyeing them for a special someone?" teases Purpearl.

"Don't worry Abigail, we are here to help. If someone set you up to this, you can say it here. We found the guards dead, locked from the inside. If you killed them all, how did you get out?"

Edited October 25, 2013 by Purpearljellyblob

[Kintobor]

"Say, Abigail, did you happen to own a pearl necklace? Cause they are so pretty please tell me where you got them."

"I... guess I did..."

She doesn't sound so sure about her answer.

"Aren't those pearls pretty? Heckz??? Eyeing them for a special someone?" teases Purpearl.

"Don't worry Abigail, we are here to help. If someone set you up to this, you can say it here. We found the guards dead, locked from the inside. If you killed them all, how did you get out?"

"Get out? How should I know! Look, I screwed up, just send me to the slammer!"

Paolo begins to fiddle and curl his moustache, obviously in thought. He's obviously deep in thought.

[Kadabra]

Mind control, maybe? Ugh, this keeps getting more complicated.

[Kintobor]

Paolo strokes his goatee as he turns to the party.

"Am I the only one who finds her testimony... off?"

"What?! Look, I'm outright saying I killed those four guys! Why do you think I'd lie? I'm a horrible, horrible person! Send me to prison, please! For my own safety!"

[Dragonfire]

OOC: I'm back!

Avalanche scratches his head. "I'm pretty convinced you are covering up for somebody," he says, "You sound too eager to condemn yourself and you haven't given any explanations yet."

[Cutcobra]

"Are you sure you don't have any demon inside of you that could have killed this guards. And you didn't answer me where you got those pearls, love."

[Kintobor]

"What better explanation do you need besides I did it? What pearls, anyways?"

"I'm... doubting... your demon theory, Heckz. If she's lying, she would have said something fishy in her testimony."

[Purpearljellyblob]

Purpearl walks towards the chair behind Abigail, bends down and speaks softly into Abigail's ear in a calm and soothing voice, "It's alright my girl."

"Abi, tell me more about yourself, why did you decide to work as a kitchen girl at the villa?"

Purpearl turns around and whispers to the party, "Show Abi the pearls that we found, maybe that might help cure her amnesia."

[Cutcobra]

Heckz looks at Abigail suspiciously "What do you mean which pearls- " Heckz gets very angry "-YOU JUST SAID TO ME YOU OWNED PEARLS, PUNY ABIGAIL." Heckz slams his fist at the table.

Heckz then gets close to Paolo "I thought the guards were killed at the gatehouse, not the guardhouse."

OoC: I'm sorry if both of those things are the same, I don't really know.

[Kintobor]

Purpearl walks towards the chair behind Abigail, bends down and speaks softly into Abigail's ear in a calm and soothing voice, "It's alright my girl."

"Abi, tell me more about yourself, why did you decide to work as a kitchen girl at the villa?"

Purpearl turns around and whispers to the party, "Show Abi the pearls that we found, maybe that might help cure her amnesia."

"Well, my family needed the extra income, so I decided to work in the kitchen's of the villa.

Amnesia? Look, I did it! I killed those four guys! I poisoned their drinks and killed them when they were too weak to do anything! I killed them!"

Heckz looks at Abigail suspiciously "What do you mean which pearls- " Heckz gets very angry "-YOU JUST SAID TO ME YOU OWNED PEARLS, PUNY ABIGAIL." Heckz slams his fist at the table.

Heckz then gets close to Paolo "I thought the guards were killed at the gatehouse, not the guardhouse."

OoC: I'm sorry if both of those things are the same, I don't really know.

"Eeep!"

Abigail shuts up as Heckz yells at her violently. Paolo shakes his head and pulls the party aside into the adjacent corner, away from the suspect.

"We're not getting anywhere on simply going on speculation. You're going to have to look through her testimony and find her flaws, which you'll need to back up with evidence! I'm more than certain considering how she's been acting she's innocent, but I feel as if she's not letting us onto something. With that in mind, what doesn't add up when you look at all the evidence gathered, and her statement?

As well, it really was a mixture of both, to a degree, Heckz, so me calling it a guardhouse isn't that far off."

[Purpearljellyblob]

"It was around nine thirty. I went down to the guardhouse to deliver the four men's dinner, chicken and bread I believe. Before I went inside, I took out the bottle of wine and slipped in some poison. I put the cork back on and shook the bottle violently, and then went in and gave them their food. I stayed outside the guardhouse, and then when they were too weak to move... I killed them! I don't why, I just did! I did the deed and ran afterwards! Please, for my own sake, just send me behind bars! Please!!"

"Abi, nine thirty you say? People saw you left the villa at ten.... Any explanations?"

"You also said you slid the poison into the bottle and shook it violently with the cork on? But we found no traces sleeping agent on the cork... Any explanations?

"Abi, since you decided to confess, might as well give us all the details as to how you killed them all."

Purpearl drew the faces of the 4 guards on a piece of paper.

Alan St. Germain/Marcus Sassina/Conner Strong/Rick Richards

"Whenever you are ready, Abigail."

[Dragonfire]

Avalanche produced the small bottle of alchemist's fire from a pouch around his waist. "Abigail, why did you kill the men in completely different ways, and if you did commit the murder, why did you leave this bottle here as obvious evidence? Why not take it with you and throw it into the bushes somewhere?"

[Kintobor]

"Abi, nine thirty you say? People saw you left the villa at ten.... Any explanations?"

"You also said you slid the poison into the bottle and shook it violently with the cork on? But we found no traces sleeping agent on the cork... Any explanations?

"Abi, since you decided to confess, might as well give us all the details as to how you killed them all."

Purpearl drew the faces of the 4 guards on a piece of paper.

Alan St. Germain/Marcus Sassina/Conner Strong/Rick Richards

"Whenever you are ready, Abigail."

OOC: Feel free to find any of the Phoenix Wright Objection themes and play them at this point.

Abigail seems to turn redder than she previously was.

"Well, um, yeah, um, about that, um, you see it was, um-"

"You didn't kill the four men, did you Abigail?"

Abigail looks down, thinking long and hard.

"Nooo..."

"Then why would you lie to us about killing the four men?"

"Look, mister! That Sassina guy, he's probably gonna kill me for seeing what he probably didn't want the other's to see!"

She points to Purpearl's questionably drawn images, and pin points Sassina.

"I think we're getting close to the truth. If you keep questioning her, I'm certain we'll get to the truth, but do take it easy on the girl, please."

[Dragonfire]

Avalanche continues questioning Abigail, "Marcus Sassina is dead. If you killed him, you wouldn't have said that he was going to kill you. And what did you see that he didn't want the others seeing? Hmm?"

[Kadabra]

Sassina was the one with Wolfgang ties, if I remember correctly? That could be an explanation, if she saw him participating in dealings with the Wolfgang. Maybe selling Hinckwell secrets?

[Kintobor]

Sassina was the one with Wolfgang ties, if I remember correctly? That could be an explanation, if she saw him participating in dealings with the Wolfgang. Maybe selling Hinckwell secrets?

Autopsy Reports/ Victims:

Alan St. Germain- A high ranking Hinckwell Lieutenant, age 57, half elf. Death was due to strangulation. Found in the storeroom.

Marcus Sassina- A well known Hinckwell guard, known for his no nonsense attitude, age 45, human. Death was due to single stab wound in the back. Traces of deadly poisonand a sleeping agent were found in the victim's body. Found in the front room.

Conner Strong- A Hinckwell Enforcer, aged 32, human. Death was due to a single bludgeoning blow to the head. Death was instantaneous. Traces of a sleeping agent were found in the victim's body. Brother, Algonni Strong was involved in Wolfgang dealings. Found in the front room.

Rick Richards- Hinckwell guard rookie, and an apparent favorite of Heinrich, age 21, halfling. Death was due to a single slash to the neck, causing loss of blood. Traces of a sleeping agent were found in the victim's body. Found in the front room.

"Actually, that was Connor Strong who had the Wolfgang relation through his brother, who I believe is wanted on various petty crimes. Blasted Wolfgang and their ties... as much as I hate saying it, I feel safer with the Hovel Wall completed."

Avalanche continues questioning Abigail, "Marcus Sassina is dead. If you killed him, you wouldn't have said that he was going to kill you. And what did you see that he didn't want the others seeing? Hmm?"

"He's dead? It's just... he was rather admirable... he sort of... oh, it's insipid and pointless..."

I went out to deliver the guards dinner at around ten o'clock last night, late by most standards. I delivered the meal and began to head back when I realized I forgot to deliver the dessert. I ran back into the kitchen, grabbed the pastries and ran back to the gatehouse. When I got their I saw them, two of the guards dead and Sassina and this blonde woman making out near the back. That's when it happened. Sassina's eyes lit up as he locked onto me! I knew he saw me in that instant, and being a witness, I ran! I ran and ran until those hooded jerks hit me with the sleeping gas in the cemetery! That's when I decided I'd lie about killing the guards. I thought it would be safer behind bars then out in the streets with Sassina out for seeing him with that girl of his and all the bodies..."

"That... just about explains everything! My goodness, I think we've got a clear picture on this case, but just to be sure, let's ensure we're on the same track here, heroes. We know now that there was a fifth individual who most likely had a romantic relationship with one of the guards. Now then, who killed the guards?"

"What are we talking about? Can someone fill me in?"

List of Suspects

Alan St. Germain

Marcus Sassina

Connor Strong

Rick Richards

Blonde Haired woman

Abigail Libman

OOC: Feel free to think this through. You guys can converse and discuss, and there only penalty for guessing wrong is humiliation.

[Dragonfire]

"Blonde-haired woman...isn't there a Wolfgang witch who has blonde hair and can vanish through magical portals? Just a guess here..." muses Avalanche. "I suspect Sassina and this blonde woman of committing the murders."

OOC: Due to his Natural Respite job trait, Avalanche should have full health. And he has equipped Trollsbane.

Edited October 27, 2013 by Dragonfire

[Kadabra]

Yeah, the pop-star witch from the founder's day ball. That's a possibility.

[Kintobor]

Yeah, the pop-star witch from the founder's day ball. That's a possibility.

"Barbarricia Dellamore? That evil enchantress and her foul cacophony? How do you... never mind, the rumour most likely erupted after the nights events. Of course, I was stuck here, filling out paperwork after those four Town Watchmen disappeared, so I also heard it second hand from Captain Patricia."

"Blonde-haired woman...isn't there a Wolfgang witch who has blonde hair and can vanish through magical portals? Just a guess here..." muses Avalanche. "I suspect Sassina and this blonde woman of committing the murders."

OOC: Due to his Natural Respite job trait, Avalanche should have full health. And he has equipped Trollsbane.

"So do I. Sassina most likely was told to commit the crime from his blonde haired lover, which would make sense. Abigail leaving up to the manor and back down again would have allowed enough time for Sassina to kill the three guards and our mysterious mistress of murder to come see him afterwards. Which leaves our next question: how did Sassina wind up with the sleeping agent in his system?"

OOC: Don't worry too much, Avalanche. I'll update your stats at the end of the quest, which you're almost at. Just a few things you guys need to figure out still!

[Dragonfire]

Avalanche says, "Sassina could have been betrayed and stabbed by this blonde woman. But that question is puzzling. Maybe he drank the wine with the sleeping agent in it by accident, before his lover arrived and convinced him to kill the other guards. But why kill St Germain in such an odd way?"

[Purpearljellyblob]

"Since the sleeping agent is non-life threatening, Sassina could have taken it so that it would be impossible to suspect him as the murderer. When he wakes up the next day being the only one alive, he would be appointed as the Lieutenant, free from any suspicion. Sassina did not see it coming when he was betrayed by the witch and winded up dead."