Shadows

Seems pretty obvious that someone beat the $#!* out of her, and in the process, they beat the second 'a' out of her name and changed it to an 'e'. At least it's an 'e' the way Iris says it. Do we have a particularly brutal investigator around here, and do they have some important news for us?

Morning Zabrina. Late night? Excellent news! Shame we couldn't have had a chance to beat some other names out of him. Uh... what happened Adelaide? *pulls up a chair for Adelaide to rest in* Dammit. So someone did us a favour and snuffed out a rat, and one of them took out poor Tony. He will be avenged! I'll be here, first round is on me, we'll drink in memory of Tony, then we've got a score to settle.

Absurd! Insane! I agree completely! I really do. I love the hunt sometimes as much as the having. I swear, I was going to say that before I read this... Exactly! I wish I'd said it first, but I meant to. Not crazy at all. I hope you'll come back and start a topic about the whole experience from inventory to order to build to that moment when you sit back and just stare at it. Less a review of the set, more a review of the whole process of building a piece of the past. That's something everyone needs to try sometime. Great post, dhaas06!

Firehouse!* Bring it on, baby! *This is idle speculation on my part, but it sounds reasonable, doesn't it? Honestly, Cafe Corner and Green Grocer were pure winners, I have a lot of faith that whatever they decide will be great. Market Street lacked some of the same charm, but as said, it was different from the rest, and fair in it's own right. I'd skip a bank for a couple of years if I was TLG. Just an opinion, but I don't think people are all that happy with banks right now, and that's a pretty world-wide situation.

Turkey leg, anyone?

I can almost hear Charles now... "I wasn't expecting a bloody Spanish Inquisition!"

Is that actually the Singapore retail price, or do you get stuck paying more to secondary people? I think that's all I was really asking.

Great review of a great set! Very nicely done! That said, I need one clarification. For most of the world, at least those who can get it from S@H or a standard store, this is a very cheap set and a real bargain. You give it lowered scores and make a couple of comments about the price. Is that simply because the price is high in Singapore, or do you think the price is high everywhere? I've never been sure how to use that particular statistic properly, especially if someone has to pay secondary or elevated prices because of location or buying a set long after it's off the market. I've read a review or two where the person bought a 5 year old set for double retail and complained about the price, for example, but is that a fair standard when, to me, we're really reviewing the set as issued by TLG at the price they intended it to be sold for. It's almost like we're really reviewing the seller and their pricing practices. All of that aside, I especially loved the evolution shot and the accessory use examples, as well as the stages of building. Adds a lot of depth to an already impressive review.

You might have better luck with that in the Bricklink forums, but hey, we're open for discussion. Maybe this can become the "things I dislike about Bricklink" thread, assuming it stays constructive and doesn't turn into a huge whinefest. I'll field one of your suggestions. #1. The key difficulty here is 'balance'. What is a good balance? How would the system know that you're perfectly happy with 10 of your 15 items at 12% above average price, as opposed to 9 of your 15 at 5% below average? Maybe it could find the minimum number of stores that have what you want, at the same time? Then you're left with the price issue again, because frequently, the larger stores have a lot of what you need, but charge 20% over average. Bottom line, it's just not possible without a lot of fiddling around, putting in acceptable thresholds and most people aren't going to do that. It sounds good, it just isn't realistic.

Instead, you just chose the A) Spam option, huh?

Only a man with a Heart of Gold can be counted on in times of need. Very nice job!

Don't worry about us, we won't shove you down a dumb waiter, out a window (does this place have a single window? geez...) or just simply down the stairs. If you do happen to have an accident, well, you can't blame us for that. We're just waiting patiently, of course. Have fun while you're gone!

I would like to go to the Parlour. Wherever it is. Thank you for your assistance. *whispers* I hope they've got a dumb waiter nearby...

Doesn't look a thing like Douglas Adams... Ok, fine, it's a good Pratchett, it really is.

Corruption. Competitors. Well, that's making things clearer, and makes one wonder if someone might be in need of some cash as well. Might also promote the blackmail theory if Chester knew something he didn't tell... Lots of motive there. I suspect we'll all be found to have lots of motive before it's over, though I can't really see mine yet. Oh, and a client database. That might tie in the computer nerd. Dragon whores! What? Oh, you need to work on your diction. Oh, treasure! That's just as good. Well. It tends to help with the former. Let's find that horde! Maybe you should tend to your business and let us tend to ours, our way, Mr. Dragonwithasecret. Just who is in charge here?

I've considered that possibility. Actually, I've considered the possibility that this Guardian group/person killed Chester for breaking the rules and now he wants to kill everyone who could be involved in exposing whatever it is they do here. Bernard and I would be targets because of the DCHP, Miss Simone Sarah Suburu the chick and her boss may be targets because they're involved in construction (I suspect they want to renovate something), the professor may know too much about the history and be considered a risk. Not sure about everyone else, especially your connection to all this, but it's all speculation anyway. Or Murder by Death! Now we just have to figure out which one of us is Truman Capote! He's losing it again. No, he's making sense this time. You're losing it. No, really, it's a pretty good movie filled with stars portraying various detectives summoned to a house to be blackmailed. It's a twist on the whole "And Then There Were None" concept, but a good one. Whatever, no one is interested in your movie musings. He is, and it could be important to the plot somehow. It's true, I'm beginning to like you guys, especially you, Bluey. Bluervo. Er, right. Sorry. Ok, Max is right, let's find that cellar, and along the way I propose we move every antique we can find, rip down the wallpaper, move the carpets and generally trash this joint. These bastards want to lock us in so we can get picked off one by one? Well then, it's party time! IF he invited us at all.

All very interesting, but you do realise that Anthony 'solved' the mystery without any of this, he was supposed to have made calculations based on whatever he had and known who the killer was. We did calculations based on what he had and end up with cash we can't take and some papers he never saw. Somehow, this isn't adding up to me. That said, I'd like to inspect the money, noting the dates and then count to see just how much our little Chester was paid or extorted from someone to end up with that stack.

Oh good grief. The pictogram points at the bible, the anagram points at the bible. *points at the bible* I'm pointing at the bible. I still don't know how sea lion, flag/nazi and musket fit, but 318 is probably chapter and verse. I assume the rest is somehow indicating the book in a really obtuse and annoying as hell way. Maybe the letters of the clues unscramble somehow. Now give me that damn bottle before the voices start again! He's starting to make sense! Aaaaaah, too late!

Oh, that's useful information. And that's some damn good news. Not so much that they all died, but that none of us can claim family loyalty over anyone else. Now if only Iris would stop by my place like she used to in the good old days...

Am I the only one here who finds it creepy that he's talking to his own hand like it's another person?

EACH! And we get crackers! Yeah, crackers! Good ones! Oh god, it's them again. Perhaps you'd also have a nice bottle of whiskey for my nerves? Ah, whiskey. I used to know this particularly annoying chap named Pedro who could supply you with the most delightful whiskey. A bit of a shady fellow, actually, but who cares? I wonder what's he up to these days...

YEAH! 2 for and 1 against is hardly a decision made in a group this size! Geez. Now you owe us one.

What if the rats are both? We could easily have one infiltrator who is trying to blackmail the others into ratting us out. So it's possible that one person knows everything and the rest are kept in the dark, or that any number are aware or unaware, or honestly, anything is possible. That's the problem here, we don't know anything for certain, which is making the task more difficult. I don't like the idea of taking shots in the dark (unless I'm the only one with a gun) , but if the majority seems to agree to a specific vote, I'll go along at this stage. I don't know that it will net us any information, but it's about all we can do.

Same here. A lot of mine comes through the mail from sellers around the world and is packed in tiny little baggies weighing practically nothing but costing a fortune. Ut oh. Stop looking at me like that. It's all LEGO, people! Geez!

Saul. I'd be willing to blow another combination attempt on it and we're just spinning our wheels otherwise. Seriously, let's not overthink this. Funny that seal and Saul are similar though... Overthinking again. Let's go try Saul.