Chapter 6: Who is Claude Owen?

[evil_scientist]

Isadora Carmichael

Isadora shivers at the thought of visiting the house.

"An isolated ruined homestead? Clandestine laboratory? This sounds potentially dangerous..."

If there are no janitors or non-Investigators around, she whispers: "We need to bring... weapons."

"And wear sensible clothes..."

[Mr. Handy]

"My thoughts exactly," Alice whispers back. "I still have my shotgun, and a nice pair of boots."

[HoneyDog]

OOC,You'll have to find the location of the house first!

[evil_scientist]

OOC,Oh... right...

Isadora Carmichael

"Unfortunately, there isn't enough time for me to go home and get that strange alien weapon we found in Vermont...

"So where can this house be? If West was a student here, then perhaps there are records about his address at the office? And if there was a fire at the house some years ago, maybe it got into the papers?"

[Starspawn338]

"I have my father's handgun that I could bring. Harrison confides and then smiles despite the gravity of the situation. "And I always wear sensible clothes." He continues, "And if he owned the home, we could do property records search for any homes owned by West or his family."

[HoneyDog]

OOC,Do you want to stop looking through the notes then?

[evil_scientist]

OOC,Alice has a nice high English rating - maybe she can continue researching the notes some more, while we look for an address?

[HoneyDog]

OOC,Sure, roll English again. I don’t want to lead you guys by the nose but can I suggest you think more carefully about what you’ve already found out. Go back and read again the posts set in Owen’s room.

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, that's a good idea," says Alice. "We could search through the periodicals to find out where the fire was, or maybe Dr. Bricknell would know. We should keep him informed in any case." She continues looking through the notes.

OOC,Own Language: English roll (80% base skill) looking through the papers and books some more: [dice]0[/dice]

[Starspawn338]

OOC,Spot Hidden 25 [dice]0[/dice] English 85 [dice]1[/dice]

Harrison will check the drawers on both desks and the bureau and search through the wardrobe before he continues shifting through the notes trying to make sense of what Owen has done.

[HoneyDog]

Starspawn,you can’t complete both actions in the same turn. You’ve already left Owen’s room, so shall we take the English roll first?

[Mr. Handy]

Not having much luck with the notes, Alice returns to the room to see if there's anything she missed when Harrison takes his turn looking through them.

[Starspawn338]

OOC,I forgot we changed rooms. Yes, do the English first and then I'll go back to the room to do the searching.

[HoneyDog]

As the afternoon drags on and the sun begins to sink lower in the winter sky, Harrison manages to find another vital clue amongst the often nonsensical ramblings in the notes, which he shares.

It appears that these thoughts were transcribed a short time after the humiliation suffered by Owen at the hands of Frank Charlton. Owen recounts at length his anger and rage at the mocking Charlton visited upon him after his attempt to join the bohemian set. He particularly focuses on the shame he felt in the presence of Asenath Derby, whom he so desperately wanted to impress.

Full of bile and hatred, the note curses Frank Charlton and plots Owen’s revenge. He plans to kill Charlton, and then reanimate him, with the purpose of killing him again, and again. This will prove to Asenath the power that Owen possesses. It is quite clear from the note that Owen is not of sound mind, at least when he wrote it.

OOC,Don't just search the room - the clue is implied in my description of the origin of the notes.

[evil_scientist]

Isadora Carmichael

Isadora is shocked by the revelations of Owen's motive.

She tries to think, though, to get to the bottom of this all.

"Owen found the notes in the basement of the School of Medicine library. Perhaps there is additional information there? Alice, is it normal for students to deposit their notes at the alma mater?"

[HoneyDog]

Alice,Roll Know

[Mr. Handy]

"That's a good idea," says Alice. "Let me think..."

OOC,Know roll (80% stat) about students leaving notes behind: [dice]0[/dice]

[HoneyDog]

Alice,The basement library, as well as containing texts on medicine, is full of the notes, theses and dissertations of former students, many donated but also those left behind as unwanted or forgotten.

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, it is common," says Alice. "Some students donate their notes and papers, but others just leave them behind because they don't want them any more, or because they forget about them. Let's see what else we can find there by Herbert West. We might uncover an address too."

[HoneyDog]

OOC,This will probably yield better results than a trip to the town hall. Owen learned about West's schemes through his notes, so if you can find those notes, you should be able to get the location of the farmhouse. You also have evidence pointing to Owen as the murderer of Charlton. Do you want to go to the School of Medicine? The time is nearly 5pm.