Archivist note: This post is from an older recovered archive.
==Initial Post==
(Posted by Sky Netizen on April 1, 2010 at 7:30pm )
This morning I woke up blurry-eyed with my head resting on pages of notes scattered all over Vernden’s drafting table. I had stayed up well into the night reviewing the events of the past few days in hopes of finding a new lead, a new sense of clarity. It was as if I were possessed, I felt that I needed no sleep, only answers. (Evidently I had been mistaken as to my extreme need for rest.) Stretching, I looked down at all of my notes and could not help but sigh. So much had happened yesterday evening, yet still no obvious direction to follow. As I rested my face in my hands my thoughts began to run over the series of events once again…
It was early in the evening and I had a strong sense that I needed to go speak with Mr. Blackberry Harvey to see if he knew of any other information on the death of Mr. Edmund Adderstein. Recently Mr. Harvey had also mentioned perhaps using my services at the hospital, so I hoped to discuss that possibility with him as well. Upon my arrival to the hospital I passed by one of the front windows and saw Mr. Harvey speaking with a pacing gentleman in black clothing and a black hat. It was Mr. Reed Darkfold! It is known around town that Darkfold is an admitted assassin and is therefore not to be trusted in the least. I gritted my teeth and brought out my sword. Without thinking, I charged inside the door and said confidently, “Good evening, gentlemen.”
Mr. Harvey seemed caught off guard by my holding a weapon. Wanting to assure him all was (mostly) well and yet still have it out for protection against Darkfold, I lied saying I was at fencing practice earlier. Darkfold continued to ask a few questions concerning the circumstances of Edmund’s death and what was found on his body. He seemed strangely curious about the train ticket I mentioned was found and what was written on it. All I knew was that Lia told me it was a 10 a.m. train headed North, and there was a chance that Lia had the ticket or gave it to the militia authorities. Darkfold did not seem pleased that he could not examine the ticket himself. Mr. Harvey was as suspicious as I on why Darkfold was even interested in the body or effects of Mr. Adderstein. For a moment, Darkfold said that Mr. Havey and I could possibly be hiding things from him and he tried to leave.
Mr. Harvey ran after him, Darkfold stopped, and Mr. Harvey and I explained all that we knew, which was not much. The highlights: A. Edmund was found a little after noon far away from his destination, the train station. B. A trolley is involved, which is odd since they have not been running in this area. C. There was a piece of paper with a red “X” on it found on the scene. Quickly, Darkfold said that a simple switch can change the tracks and cause the trolley to end up where it did. Mr. Harvey and I admitted that to be true. Then Darkfold said that Mr. Harvey and I needed to go speak with people to find more information, specifically look for a woman “by a heavenly name”. I pressed and said that he could just tell us more himself, and he acted as if he did not hear me and took his leave.
With perplexed looks on our faces, Mr. Harvey and I discussed Mr. Darkfold and how he was evidently hiding something. I then explained why I was holding my sword and that Darkfold was an assassin, not an investigator (which is what Mr. Harvey was led to believe). Mr. Harvey was understandably taken aback, but before we could discuss the matter much further Ms. Charise Adderstein appeared at the door. She inquired about her brother’s body, still appearing grief-stricken. Mr. Harvey explained that the body had been kept under ice in a simple wooden box since no other services were yet available. It was then that Mr. Harvey noticed the large bruise on the side of Ms. Adderstein’s face. He asked her if she was injured and she explained it was just from an accident. Mr. Harvey did not seem convinced, but asked no further questions. He insisted she sit down while he examined it. Believing it to be a serious injury, he sent for a doctor. Ms. Adderstein insisted she was fine and said that she would be sure to arrange for her brother’s body to be moved. The only other thing she mentioned was that she had intended to leave town with her brother for some time and now was quite unsure what she was going to do. Taking Edmund’s personal effects, she then left. Mr. Harvey said he had business to attend to, but instructed me to let him know if I found any more information about this incident. I assured him I would and then left the hospital to take a walk and clear my thoughts.
In hopes of finding people to ask for information about Darkfold and the Addersteins, I made my way to The Gangplank. I was surprised to find Lia there drinking some hot cocoa. She evidently was thinking the same thing I was: that perhaps someone would be here to shed more light on this entire situation. I took a breath to start telling Lia what had just occurred at the hospital and in walked Ms. Adderstein. So, I kept my peace and simply said, “Good evening,” to her as a welcome. (Mr. Underby then walked in, I believe just for a drink. I had never seen the man before, but I had heard plenty about him so his presence made me slightly uneasy. He sat at the far end of the bar and made no conversation worth mentioning and he eventually disappeared.) Lia asked Ms. Adderstein if she had told Borris the boxer that Edmund had died, and Ms. Adderstein replied that she had not had the chance. As if summoned, in walked a large, bald man with a Russian accent. It was Borris. After some hesitation, Ms. Adderstein broke the news of Edmund’s death to Borris. He did not take it well in the least. He threw his glass on the bar, shattering it. This caused Mr. Pocket String, the barkeep, to become upset and attempt to throw him out of the saloon. It was quite a sight, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t chuckle under my breath at the sight of little miniature Mr. String going up against the large horse of a man, Borris. Mr. String tried his utmost, but Borris was upset and of course had the physical advantage so he stayed put. It was at about this time that Vernden and Mr. Phineas Frakture arrived. They just watched as Borris insisted to be taken to the scene of the trolley accident, still extremely upset.
Knowing there was no reasoning with the man, we all trekked over to the site which was still as it had been: blood on the ground and trolley halfway off the tracks. In a fit of rage, Borris overturned the trolley. He yelled that he was going to teach it a lesson and get Mr. Adderstein’s respect back from it. We all watched in amazement at the display of such great strength and grief. Borris stopped in the midst of his anger and saw a knife on the ground, which had been underneath the trolley. I was flabbergasted. (And I am fairly certain everyone else was too.) I ran up to the knife and just stared. “I knew it!” I exclaimed. It seems proud and foolish now that I said that aloud, but at the moment it seemed appropriate. Borris noted that the knife had Edmund’s name on the handle. I stated that someone could have used his knife against him. Charise looked at if she was in shock and Lia was speechless. I then asked Borris if he knew of anyone that would want to hurt Edmund. He insisted that he knew of no one. Once again, I posed the question to Ms. Adderstein, receiving the same response.
Lia asked what we should do about the knife, and I said we should most likely give it to the authorities. Borris moved to pick it up, so as to prevent him from spoiling the evidence I handed him my handkerchief and told him to use it to pick up the knife. He was grateful and then picked up the knife by the handle and used the handkerchief to wipe off all of the blood, then he placed the knife in his belt loop! I could not believe my eyes! Our one solid piece of evidence, ruined. Borris tried to give the handkerchief back to me and I told him he could keep it. Professor Heliothrope Lionheart then walked up to us and he started asking some helpful questions (though most of them had already been asked). The only possible course of action I saw to take was to find out if there were any knife wounds on Edmund’s body. The presence of the knife does not necessarily mean it was used on him, it could have just so happened to fall out of his pocket (though I sincerely doubted that). Ms. Adderstein agreed that we could examine once again and that we would all meet to discuss the findings. Once the plan was set to meet at the hospital the next day I had one more question to pose: “Darkfold mentioned to seek information from a woman with a heavenly name, do you know who he would be referring to?” Ms. Adderstein replied that she could only think of Stargirl (Ms. Stargirl Macbain). Lia stated that she had guessed that’s what he meant. I nodded and then our group disbanded for the evening.
Shaking my head to myself I realized there was not much more information than I had before, other than the (clean) knife and further hints towards Ms. Stargirl Macbain. “Perhaps we’ll learn something at the hospital tonight,” I said aloud. “And I’ll also go searching for Ms. Macbain.”
“Sounds like a plan,” said Vernden’s amused voice from the other side of the room. He walked over to me, smiled and said, “But for now, you must sleep, so you can rest and I can use my drafting table.”
“Yes sir!” I said, chuckling. And with that I got up and started walking in the direction of pillows and blankets.
