Hello, detective, welcome to the graveyard shift. Hope you’re rested cause we have a weird one for you. I assume you’ve heard of James Spookyween? The local businessman with that big house on the edge of town?
Well, he’s been murdered. Apparently, there was some kind of party going on and someone killed him. We’ve got 7 suspects and a mystery to solve. Get to it, detective, and remember, don’t trust them. One of them’s a killer so keep digging, working on things until you get to the truth. Good luck, detective.
Welcome to Murder at Spookyween! There’s been a murder and its up to you to solve it. You have 7 suspects to investigate but only one has the means, the motive and the opportunity to be the murderer. Interrogate the suspects by mentioning me (@Arenado), saying which suspect you’re asking a question of and then the question you want to ask them. (For example: @Arenado, question for John Smith, where were you at 11.30?) I will reply with their in-character answer. Each detective may lay out who they are accusing, why they think the accused did it and what time James Spookyween was killed.
The game will last until the end of October, by which time the killer will be revealed. No need for signups, feel free to start playing. The first Detective (or detectives) who gave an accurate accusation for who the killer is, why they did it and what time they did it will be awarded with 1 Krone for each correct guess. You need not lay out all three factors to give an accusation, you may lay them out at your discretion (thus, its possible for 3 different players to win with 3 different accusations about the three factors you need to solve). Ping me when you lay out an accusation so that I can keep track of all accusations. Accusations without pinging me will not be counted. You may only make one accusation for each factor (so you can’t accuse 3 characters at the same time, you may only accuse one). If you make a new accusation after a previous one, the previous one will be overridden and your current accusation will be your accusation of record.
Sift through the red herrings, the irrelevant and get to the truth to solve…
MURDER AT SPOOKYWEEN!
Floorplans
Character Descriptions
The Victim: James Spookyween
Businessman. Philanthropist. Corrupt bargainer. Murder victim. James Spookyween has been called many things in his life. Having built his wealth selling festive and holliday goods, he turned his attention to building a business empire that would control the city. Sports teams, book publishing, politics, James Spookyween has his hands in all of it. Some of his tactics have led to…rumors about unethical practices. Revered and reviled in equal measure, many won’t be upset at his untimely demise. But which of the 7 suspects is the one who killed him?
The Butler: Walter Pemberton
When you think of the loyal, courteous and ever capable Butler, Walter Pemberton….tends not to come to mind. Having scraped by with the bare minimum of competency required to actually be a butler, Pemberton has served James Spookyween for 3 years now. There have been rumours of increasing enmity between master and butler, but that could never escalate to murder….right?
The Player: Calvin Jackson
Calvin Jackson, the star left handed Right Fielder for the Spookytown Spookies, the local baseball team. He’s made quite a name for himself in the short time he’s been here, kids buy his jersey, people come to the park to see him, he’s a staple of the community. However, there have been some…leaks about fights with Spookyween, shouting matches in hallways and a general frostiness between the two lately. Could these fights rise to murder?
The Investor: Meredith Buell
From the very beginning, one person has stood with James Spookyween, invested in him, built his empire with him. That person is Meredith Buell, heiress, investor and socialite. Having invested with James Spookyween when his company was a small enterprise with one store, Buell has been on the bandwagon riding the meteoric rise ever since. One of Spookyween’s closest confidants and friends, Buell is a woman who stands to benefit the most from Spookyween’s death….could that be a motive for murder?
The Mayor: Eleanor Cadwalader
Young, ambitious and a rising star, Eleanor Cadwalader is the consummate politician. You can usually find her kissing babies, shaking hands, giving speeches or rubbing elbows with donors. No donor, however, has backed her campaign as much as James Spookyween has, something that’s been both a blessing and a curse. His money has certainly been welcome, but being connected with one of the more….ethically flexible businessmen in town has been a blemish on her image, leading to a decline in her popularity. Could the kindly Mayor have decided to cut ties with Spookyween….permanently?
The Doctor: Dr Juan Pierre 'JP' Beauregard
Respected and admired, Doctor Juan Pierre ‘JP’ Beauregard (the third, but don’t call him that), is the personal doctor of James Spookyween and the chief medical officer of the local baseball team, the Spookytown Spookies. However, something has come over JP in recent days, people have reported seeing JP drinking more and more. Something has been bothering the good doctor recently…could that something have led to murder?
The Author: Thomas Sheridan
‘Tis not the clothes that make this man, but the content of his character’. Those were the opening lines of Thomas Sheridan’s latest book, Theobald Sibley’s Journey to Arizona, a well received historical comedy. Owning a small publishing company besides, Thomas Sheridan has recently entered into a partnership with James Spookyween to help grow and expand his business. However, quiet whispers of a rift between the two have been slowly growing. Could these rumours hide a motive for murder?
The Lawyer: Hiram Rosecrans
Studious. Competent. Hard working. Loyal. Just a few of the things clients of Hiram Rosecrans have said about him in the past. When you need legal representation, you hire Rosecrans and Associates, the premier law firm. When James Spookyween went looking for a lawyer to help expand his business it was not long before he set his sights on Rosecrans. However, despite a profitable relationship between the 2, their public demeanor towards each other is notoriously frosty. Could this be the basis…for murder?
Statements
Pemberton's Statement
Good morning, Detective, welcome to Spookyween Manor. Oh, sorry, force of habit. Yes, of course I will answer your questions, sir.
Where was I all night? Well, it started pretty normally, I was greeting guests in the Hallway with Mr Spookyween at 10.pm. After everyone arrived, I went to set out the food in the dining room for dinner at 10.30. Ms Buell and Mr Sheridan were there and were talking about something in the corner. They left after a while and when everything was done, I went to rest for a bit in my Servant’s Room at 11. Thirty minutes later, Mr Beauregard called me to the dining room to bring out a bottle of Sherry for him. He seemed a little…inebriated already. He was talking and slurring a little. I did see someone go upstairs around that time though I could not tell who it was.
After a while, around midnight, I went to the kitchen to make myself a snack. I barely had a bite of it before Mr Beauregard and Ms Cadwalader called me out to the Dining Room. They were asking about dinner and I told them that Mr Spookyween would be the one to decide when that would be and I went back to the Kitchen. I was again interrupted by Ms Buell joining the group already in the Dining Room, they were getting a little…insistent by then, so I went upstairs to look for Mr Spookyween at 1.45.
I checked the Study because the door was open, it looked like someone had shuffled some papers on the desk around, it was a right mess. Mr Rosencrans was there, sorting out all the papers. He looked annoyed and said he had not seen Mr Spookyween. Then I checked the bathroom, it was empty. Finally, I checked the Master Bedroom and found Mr Spookyween on the Balcony in…well, his present state. I called for help and Ms Cadwalader, Mr Beauregard and Mr Rosecrans came running up the stairs but it was already too late, Mr Spookyween was….dead.
I hope this helps your investigation, Detective. After all, you don’t think it was me…right?
Jackson's Statement
Hey, man. Or, uhhh, do I call you detective? Sorry, I’m a little out of it right now, man, its, like, I just don’t…I don’t know.
Questions? Yeah…sure, I can answer some questions. What would you like to know?
Where was I all night? Um, well, I came at 10 on the dot, I was the first one here. I met Spookyween and that weird Butler, what’s his name, Pellerton or something? I said hi and went to the parlor, they have a nice chair there that’s comfy. I was just relaxing for a bit, don’t know how long when that doc, JP, came in. I know him from the team, he’s the guy we all see for stuff, the team doc, ya know? So I said hi and we talked a little, just passing time, you know? Well, a little later, 10.30 I think, Spookyween comes in and we all three of us talk, just all casual like, you know? I think we talked for 15 minutes or so before he said he wanted to go talk to that lawyer, Rosecrans.
Anyway, JP left too, he said he needed to go to the bathroom, so I relaxed for a bit before heading over to the library to find something to do while we waited for our dinner. Well, Rosecrans was there, he was heading to the Garden for a bit, and he sees me and comes over, asking for an autograph, just fanboying over me, which was nice. So I ask him if he knows anything to do, right, since I wanna pass the time and he says to me, he says, ‘Well, there’s a deck of cards over in the Study upstairs, if you grab it I’ll join you in the Living room after I grab a smoke in the Garden’. And I thought that was a great plan, so I agreed. He told me where the cards were, he knew that study like the back of his hand, real helpful guy.
So, anyway, its, like, 11.15 when I get upstairs to the Study. Its real neat and clean and laid out, right, and sure enough the cards are right where he says they are, so I grab em and leave to go to the Living room. Its, like 11.30 and I just play solitaire while I wait for the lawyer dude to show up, which he does a while later. We play poker and talk for a bit, just shoot the breeze about ball and what its like, when that geek, Sheridan, I think? The writer guy comes in. He had some book he wanted to read, something boring looking, but when he saw us he asked to join and we said yes. Well, we played poker and talked but I was getting a little tired so I excused myself at, like, 1 and went to the garden to smoke for a bit. Those two snooty snobs, Cadwalader and Buell, were there, so I stood in the corner as I smoked. I don’t think they even noticed me, they were so self-absorbed. After that, I was a bit tired so I went to the Parlor since it was nice and empty. I sat down in that comfy chair again and, puff, went out like a light asleep. I got woken up a little later by screaming upstairs and by the time I got there everyone was in the balcony and Spookyween was dead!
I’m just so…beside myself, I don’t know what to feel! Like, someone is a murderer here, other than me, of course…..right?
Buell's Statement
Hello, Detective. Yes, that’s right, I’m Meredith Buell, the one and only. Hmm, questions? I suppose, if you must.
Where was I all night? Well, where do I begin….at the beginning, I suppose. I arrived at the manor at 10.10, on the dot. That incompetent oaf, Pemberton, and James were there. I said hello and proceeded to the Dining room to fix myself a drink, a lovely port. I was enjoying its sweet taste when Thomas Sheridan joined me. You know, the author? Lovely man, a bit of a bore, but fine company. We were talking about this and that, a little bit of business, a bit of Wordsworth, just passing time. It was not too long before that fellow Pemberton came in to set the table. He tried to pretend he was not eavesdropping, but I know he was. I tired of his interminable unprofessionalism so Sheridan and I retired to the Living room. Spookyween and Cadwalader were there, talking. Poor Eleanor looked upset but put on quite a happy face when she saw us coming, I can see why she’s the mayor.
Well, after some polite but oddly tense small talk, I excused myself to go to the upstairs water closet. I believe that was slightly after 11. After my business was concluded, I made my way downstairs to the Garden for a cigarette. Nasty things, I know, but I just can’t help myself anymore. That lawyer, Rosecrans, was there too, I suppose he can’t kick the habit either. We chatted for a bit, I don’t know him very well but he’s a lovely conversationalist. I suppose it comes with the territory of being a lawyer.
Well, after a while it was getting to be midnight and Rosecrans said he had to go talk to that baseball player, Jackson, so he left and I went to the library to read a book, some passages from Verne, a personal favorite of mine. I was lounging in the chair reading for a while when dear Mr Sheridan joined me after midnight. He seemed surprised to see me but we chatted a bit more about my book. He’s always interested in the technical side of a book while I’m more keen on the romantic, but it was diverting nonetheless. Anyway, he grew tired of my company, I suppose, because he left after a while, he said he wanted to go to the Living room, I believe. Well, I confess, I was starting to grow hungry myself so I went to the dining room after some time myself.
It was 20 past 1 when I arrived. Cadwalader and Beauregard, sorry, ‘JP’ as he insists everyone call him, were there already. They were clearly as agitated as I was so we called that useless Butler out of his hidey hole in the Kitchen and asked where his master was. That oaf wandered off to finally do his job and we talked amongst ourselves while we waited for our host. Well, before I know it, there’s screaming coming from upstairs. JP and Cadwalader went to investigate and stayed downstairs. More shouting came from upstairs and I decided to go upstairs to investigate but…well, James was dead. And now we are here.
Was that all your questions? I’ve told you all I know. After all, you don’t think I’m the killer….right?
Cadwalader's Statement
Hello, detective. I’m glad you’re here, I’ve always been a keen supporter of the police and a close friend to the chief. Questions? Yes, that’s right, you need my statement, certainly.
Where was I all night? Oh, yes, of course, well, I arrived a little late, at 10.30. I was greeted by James and his butler but, alas, I had to excuse myself right off the bat to take a call in the Living room, my chief of staff needed clarification on something. I was on the phone for about 15 minutes when James came in to talk to me. We spoke a little, a friendly chat of course, and Meredith and…Thomas, I think? That writer, Sheridan, came in and joined us a short while later. We had a lovely conversation before both James and Meredith excused themselves. I exchanged pleasantries with Thomas before he excused himself too, said something about a book. After that, it was about 11.10, I had another call, my campaign adviser was setting up an event next week and wanted my opinion. I was in the Parlor talking for a long while before I finally got off the phone. I did see that baseball player, Jackson I think, go into the Living room. And that lawyer, Rosecrans, too.
But anyway, after the call I was a little hungry so I went to go ask the butler in the Dining room when we would eat, around 12.40. I must say, he was quite terse and rude in his response. That doctor was there too, though he was so drunk he could barely sting a sentence together by that point. After that…dismissive response by the butler, of all people, I wandered over to the garden for some fresh air. Well, Meredith was there having a smoke, so I struck up a conversation with her. We got along pretty well, I think, but we were both hungry so we went to go ask the butler again, a bit more….forcefully this time. Well, he went to go look for James while Meredith and I spoke while the doctor slurred in the background at us. Well, we were both shocked by screaming from upstairs, around 2, and Meredith and I rushed upstairs to find out what was happening. We saw that lawyer, Rosecrans, come out of the study as we came upstairs to find…James…he was dead.
It was so awful, I’m sorry, I need a moment. I don’t suppose I could ask you to give me space, I’m a little shaken. One of us is a murderer, who could it be?
Beauregard's Statement
Yesh, delective? Shorry, I’m…I need a moment.
Where was I?
Sorry, yes, detective? I feel terrible, I think I had a little too much to drink just now. Questions? I can try to answer them, sure.
Where was I? Well, I arrived at 10 on the dot, I was the first one here. James and Pemberton were in the hallway, I said hi and went to sit in the Parlor, I think. I had barely begun relaxing when Calvin came in. We talked for a bit. I wonder if anyone heard us? Anyway, we spoke for 20 minutes or so when James came in. We all knew each other so we talked business for a bit. Well, James left and I had to go to the bathroom so I went upstairs. I think I was over stressed because I threw up. I can understand why, considering what I was about to do.
I went to the study, it was almost 11, and I wrote a resignation letter and left it on his desk. I don’t want to get into why, I just…it was time.
I went downstairs to the parlor and, well, I’m ashamed to admit, I had a hip flask and I drank from it. A lot. I think I drank all of it. Well, I ran out of booze and I saw the mayor coming so I ducked out into the dining room. I’ll be honest, I kinda zoned out for a bit. I just sat there for a while, thinking. I got bored pretty quickly, though, so I called Pemberton out and asked him for a drink. He poured one out and left the bottle, I asked if he wanted to join me but, I dunno, he looked at me weird. I think I saw something move in the corner of my eye but I could not make it out.
Well, I sat and drank for a good long while before I felt the call of nature, again. It was getting a little difficult to stand up and I had no idea what time it was but I managed to stumble my way upstairs. I did see the study door open which was weird, I’d closed it when I left earlier. Well, I made it to the bathroom but before I opened the door I lost my balance and stumbled right, into the Master bedroom. It looked normal to me with the moonlight coming in through the glass door to the Balcony. I glanced at my watch while I was getting up, it was 12.10, I think. Well, I got up, walked out left into the hallway, closed the door, and went to the bathroom.
When I was done, I stumbled back to the dining room to drink some more. It was not long before Cadwalader entered, she wanted to speak to Pemberton, something about dinner. I think I muttered that I was hungry too but they ignored me. Well, she walked out and I passed out.
I was woken up by her return with Meredith, who I knew. They asked about dinner again and this time Pemberton went off to find James. Meredith and Cadwalader talked to each other while I kind of mumbled in the background. I was taking a drink when I heard Pemberton screaming from upstairs. I got up and rushed up with Cadwalader, we saw Rosecrans come out of the study. We all ran to the Master Bedroom and saw Pemberton on the Balcony with…James on the floor. I ran over to his body to check for a pulse but…he was dead.
My god, I can’t believe it…Who could have killed him?
Sheridan's Statement
Hey..hey, hello, Detective. I’m…sorry, I’m just kind of in shock right now. I just…I’ve had to think about things like death but…I’ve never had to…never had to face it, you know? I just…Jesus.
I’m sorry, you have a job to do, please forgive me. What is it you wanted to ask me?
Where was I all night? Well…I came here at 10.20, I remember that because I was a little late. I went to the dining room and ran into Meredith Buell. She’s a…well versed person, in a way. I’ll be honest, I’ve been trying to talk her into investing in my business, James already has, I have been trying to get her too as well. We spoke for a good while, you know, trying to ingratiate myself with her. After half an hour, I think, we went to go find James in the Living room. Oddly enough the Mayor, Ms Cadwalader, was there too. We spoke for a short while but, frankly, I found myself feeling..well, a bit of a third wheel. Or fourth, I suppose. I excused myself after 10 minutes or so, after James and Buell left, and went to the library for a nice read to pass the time before dinner.
When I arrived at the library I saw Rosecrans and Spookyween talking in the garden. I remembered, it was a bit odd, it looked like they were arguing. Rosencrans in particular looked quite agitated. I nestled myself in a corner and picked up a lovely book to read. Well, James and his lawyer left together pretty soon after that, though I don’t think they noticed me as they left since I was sitting in the corner.
Well, after a good 40 minutes or so I had to go to the bathroom. It was a pretty quick trip up and back down to the library but, to my surprise, Meredith Buell was in the library. I suppose she came in when I went to the bathroom. We talked for a while, we have a shared interest in literature, but after a while, well, I got the sense she was bored so I decided to leave. I didn't want to push my luck with a potential investor.
I went to the Living room, figuring I would get some privacy, but Rosecrans and Guildenstern… hehehe, sorry, little writers jokes there. Rosecrans and Jackson, that baseball player, were there playing cards. I figured, aw, what the heck and asked to join in. We had a nice time playing cards for half an hour but it was getting late and we were still waiting for dinner so Rosecrans and Jackson left to go do other things, I guess. I stayed in the Living room, enjoying my book, for a while when I heard screaming from upstairs.
I’ll be honest, I froze for a while. When I went upstairs, almost everyone was in the balcony and….Sorry, I need a moment….James….he was dead.
I can’t even begin to process this….who…who could have done this?
Rosecrans' Statement
Hello, Detective, I’m Hiram Rosecrans. You have questions for me? Normally, I would tell clients in my position to refrain from talking to police, but considering the circumstances I’ll make an exception.
Where was I all night? Well, I arrived on time, at 10, and said hello to James and Pemberton. I was honestly a little surprised to see Pemberton but…aw well, it was nice to see him. I went to the study after, I had some paperwork I needed to file. It all looked pretty normal to me when I showed up. I was there for about 20 minutes, filling out forms and filing them away. When I was done, I went to the library, I had a book I needed to return and was considering borrowing another.
I was there for a while, looking through what was around, when Calvin Jackson came by. I admit, I’m a huge baseball fan so getting to meet him was incredibly cool. I talked his ear off a good while, hahaha. Well, he said he was looking for something to do to pass the time and I suggested he play some cards, I told him a deck was upstairs in the study and I would join him in the living room later once I had a cigarette. I went into the garden for some fresh air and a smoke around 11.10.
I was out there a while when James came out to join me. We talked about business for a while, he had a few…questions he wanted settled. Well, he left after a while, before midnight, and wandered off. I finished in the garden and, 10 minutes or so after him, went to the Living room to join Jackson. He was there, playing solitaire, and we began a game of poker. It was nice, talking about business and baseball. He did ask me a weird question at one point but it did not bother me too much, something about if someone had done something to someone, if it was against the law or some such.
Well, after a few hands, around 12.30, Tom Sheridan came in, that writer. He seemed surprised to see us but asked if he could join us. We didn't mind and we played cards for a while, just passing the time, until 1 in the morning. I was a little annoyed by that point, waiting for James that long was a bit much, so I went off to the Study to finish up some work.
Well, when I got there, it was a damn mess. It looked like someone had ransacked the place, all the papers in the desk were strewn about. I was really confused and went about trying to put things back into order. I did find something I had not seen before, a letter from Dr Beauregard was on the floor. I did not read it and just put it with everything else.
I was there for a long while, sorting things out, when Pemberton came in close to 2 in the morning. He looked surprised to see the state of the room and asked if I’d seen James, well, I had not and told him so. He wandered off to look for him. Barely a few minutes passed when I heard him screaming for help. I ran around the corner, saw Meredith Buell and Eleanor Cadwalader charging up the stairs, and went to where the screaming was coming from in the Master Bedroom. Well….you know what I found there. James was on the floor…dead.
I hope you find the one who did this, Detective….whoever they are….
Reports
Coroner's Report
Subject, James Spookyween, has a traumatic head wound on the left side of their head, facing the front. It is likely that they were facing the attacker when the blow came. No other defensive wounds were present on the body, suggesting he was surprised and rendered unconscious by the blow. Examination of the wound showed it to be fatal, the subject would have died in less than a minute due to traumatic brain injury and bleeding. No other wounds were found on the body.
Investigative Report
A small golf trophy was found on the floor of the Master Balcony, next to James Spookyween’s body. It was bloodstained and dented. It is believed to be the murder weapon. Interviews with the butler indicate it was originally from the Study.
The Study itself appears to have been ransacked. Many items, mostly paper, have been strewn about on the floor. Various reports from business dealings are present, however, a table of contents was found and several items appear to be missing. They are as follows:
Medical Report on Calvin Jackson by Dr Juan Pierre Beauregard
Analysis on acquisition methods for Sheridan Publishing
Recommendations on Cadwalader For Mayor campaign funding by Meredith Buell
Legal Review on the Buell-Spookyween Investment Partership Agreement by Hiram Rosencrans
