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CYOA: Honeyman's quest

ERYFKRAD

Barbarian
Patron
Joined
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Messages
28,234
Strap Yourselves In Serpent in the Staglands Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
A
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Not quite sure what the choice affects yet. Or rather, what clues are there that would be helpful in making the choice that would advance the case.

C.
 
Repressed Homosexual
Joined
Mar 29, 2010
Messages
17,867
Location
Ottawa, Can.
It is very cold tonight, as usual in Alberta winters. So really, which sex workers would be hitting the streets in such conditions, but the most desperate? And moreover, they are not going to stay there all night long. Maybe they will venture out in short bursts.

Finally, you see a bunch of girls in thick coats walking and waiting around, who have an air of elegance to them. No doubt, they are probably sex workers.

You get close to a cute blonde woman who seems approachable and outgoing. You lower your side window.

The woman bends down and smiles.

"Hello handsome, I'm cold here. How about $250 for a little bit of company, and maybe some fun?"

"Sounds good, I already have a room ready at a nearby model. Come on in and let's go."

"Great! Call me Lucy, by the way."

Lucy enters in the back of the car.

"Brrrrrr, it's so cold outside, I hate this place. I appreciate you picking me up. I'll make it worth your while."

You drive towards the motel, and have a bit of chit chat along the way. You pretend to be a businessman who came to Edmonton from Winnipeg for a meeting (which isn't very far from the truth, in a way).

You arrive, and you park. You enter the lobby with Lucy, and head towards your room.

Lucy seems relieved.

"I'm so cold, I have to take a long hot shower. The timer won't start until I'm done. But please, no peeking or coming in until then. Let me recuperate a bit."

"Sure, I'll make coffee for you, so you can get a nightly pick me up."

Lucy smiles and heads towards the shower. She starts it.

You prepare the coffee. Then you sit on the bed. And nervously wait.

You didn't mean to lie to that woman. But in these circumstances, it seems the only way to have a chance to figure out more about Beatrice. You're not sure how she will take it. Maybe she will be relieved of getting the money without actually having to do the deed? Or maybe she will be spooked and creeped out by the business you're getting involved in and will want none of it.

As you're lost in thoughts, Lucy emerges from the shower, with only a towel wrapped around her. It doesn't cover her very well, and one of her bare breasts is visible. You feel uncomfortable, but can't let it show. She motions towards you with a seductive smile. You look towards the coffee maker.

"Here Lucy, first take this coffee. I'm Bruno, by the way."
"Oh, thank you for being a dear Bruno. Nice to meet you. I appreciate your kind gestures."

Lucy walks towards the desk upon which the coffee maker and cup of coffee lies. She starts drinking.

"Thank you, I feel better now. Now, let me help you get more at ease. Maybe you'd like a good massage for a start..."

You feel more tense. She's a very attractive woman. You feel that if you let her do this, you might let yourself carried away. You, who recently married a woman you adore. You feel like you have to say something now before things get out of control.

"Lucy, I'd like to talk to you first. I'm sorry, I haven't been entirely honest with you. I mostly wanted to talk to you, because I seek information. It's about a girl... whose lifeless body was found a while ago. The police hit a dead end, or doesn't care.

I sought out a girl like you because I think you're my only chance to get to the bottom of this."

She looks stunned, then composes herself.

"Oh, so who are you, really? Are you law enforcement?"

A)Tell the truth
B)Deny being part of law enforcement

baud hello friend Nevill ERYFKRAD
 

baud

Arcane
Patron
Joined
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Messages
3,992
Location
Septentrion
RPG Wokedex Strap Yourselves In Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I helped put crap in Monomyth
pretty sure she won't talk to a copper and I don't see her learning we're working with law enforcement

B)Deny being part of law enforcement
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
B)Deny being part of law enforcement

We are in no way law enforcement.
...what would we be telling her in A? It is the truth, it's just not the whole truth, and no one needs to hear that one. This is the definition of Too Much Information.
 
Repressed Homosexual
Joined
Mar 29, 2010
Messages
17,867
Location
Ottawa, Can.
You are now becoming part of the intelligence division, in training and in service of your country, and have been given some degree of leeway, of license by your bosses. You definitely consider yourself law enforcement.

You know that police officers have to identify themselves fully if asked.

However, to the best of your knowledge, secret service agents do not share the same burden. So, you consider that in these circumstances, a little white lie is acceptable.

Bruno: No I'm not. I'm revolted by this situation. Nobody seems to care about that girl. I want to find out the truth.

Lucy: Quite frankly, I don't believe you. Why would you exert so much effort otherwise? You haven't referred to her as a family member or someone you knew personally. Your story doesn't make sense. Don't try to lie to me. I deal with men intimately to make some money and have done so for a while. I know when they're not straight with me.

I knew something was up earlier. You're too detached. I was surprised you didn't try to go in the shower with me. Most men did.


She's sharp. And she's got a point. Still, it's a delicate situation.

Bruno: Well Lucy, you seem to read me like an open book. You're right, it doesn't make sense. I guess I blew it. I just thought you hated cops. I'm not one though... but let's just say I'm not a civilian.

Lucy: Hmmmmm.

Bruno: Just consider this. If a customer did this to you... would you want to be forgotten in such an anticlimactic fashion?

Lucy: Hmmmmm.

Lucy starts to look very worried, as if the reality of what you're asking her about starts to sink in. She also looks suspicious.

Then, she gets close to you.

Lucy: Let me look at you for a while.

For a minute, she examines you.

Lucy: Whoever you are, I believe you mean well. I can usually tell men's intentions by looking them in the eyes. And when I look at yours, I see good, sincere eyes. And they look sad too.

I would want to help you. I never knew Beatrice, I arrived here just recently. However, I do know something that seems like it has some possibility of being related. I am really, really scared though. It's something I would rather forget.

In fact, it shook me so much that it made me want to leave town. I've been crashing with a friend while in Edmonton. I went here to spend time with her. I only wanted to make enough money to go back east and not be on the streets. I think I'm done after tonight, I'm sick of the cold. So just give me what we agreed and forget about time. I'll text my friend so she doesn't worry about me and let's take all the time we need.

I'll talk... but IF you keep me anonymous... and IF you tell me more about you. Then and only then I will.

Bruno: Ok, I won't tell you everything... but here's my story.

(You tell her the general lines of your adventure from the last few months)

Lucy: Wow, it's pretty unbelievable. So... you're being hunted by the Skull Riders because you're being a thorn in their side? You've joined a cult in order to free trapped members, and have already gotten a lot out? And you've joined the secret service?

Well I don't know what to say. Quite a lot of danger, but quite a lot of adventure too. Sounds exciting I guess. Though I wouldn't put myself through this. I wouldn't be very good.

Bruno: Beatrice was part of the cult but was banned from it, and from the looks of it, she went through a downward spiral since then. Some of the ex-members are really sad and would like to know who did this to her. While in Edmonton, I try to find it out. I have less than two weeks to try to.

Lucy: Some of the girls end up enjoying themselves and having fun in servicing men this way while making money. But some are drawn to it because of sheer desperation. Because they don't have other options. Or because they want validation from men. Or because of all these things and more. There's no single typical profile. I met all kinds.

(Lucy then takes a somber tone)

One of the girls I met was a native from Saskatchewan. Her name was Joan. She was using drugs, so she needed money. We talked frequently and tried to help each other out. She was a kind of a friend, I liked her.

Then, I didn't hear from her in a week. And suddenly, I met her on the streets again. She looked shaken. She said she was going back to Saskatchewan. But she came back one last time to warn me. She had a very close call.

She said that one day, a distinguished customer approached her in his luxury car. With a small mustache. Very elegant. Who spoke very kindly and politely. Early fifties or so. That customer had a proposition to her. The proposition was as follows: sometimes, he liked inviting girls out to his place for an entire weekend. They would service his needs, but without pressure to do it constantly or to submit to unreasonable demands. And they would have a good time together. Afterwards, they would leave with a few thousand dollars.

Of course, that sounded like a dream job, so to speak. Moreover, with a man who looked like a prince charming, someone she'd actually like to spend time with. So of course, she enthusiastically accepted.

He said he had a mansion in the suburbs. But then, he started driving to a foresty area. When she asked where they were going, he said that it wasn't far away anymore.

He then took a turn in a small road... and pressed on the brakes. He turned to her and looked at her with a devilish grin.

He said: "So, what do you have on you?"

He then slowly motioned towards her...

Joan knew he was up to no good, and her only chance was to act quickly. She bit his hand! As the man screamed, she went out of the car and ran into the woods. As fast as she could. After 15 minutes, she looked back and didn't see any sign of her, but she didn't know where to go.

She then walked into the forest strenuously at night, until after a few hours she arrived to a farm house. At this point, she knocked on the door, and pretended to have gotten lost while taking a walk in the woods. The family living there let her sleep in their house, and the husband drove her back to Edmonton the next day.

She said she didn't want to press charges, because she knew nobody would take her seriously because she was just sex worker. She laid low for a while, serviced a few more men, and then decided she had enough and went back to Saskatchewan.

So that's it. Pretty uncanny, don't you think? Seems like something that this man could do.

Bruno: He also seems to target girls who are outsiders or newcomers who he knows will not be missed. Well, thank you Lucy, I agree with you. You've been very helpful. And sorry for lying to you, or having you remember such a traumatic story.

Lucy: I guess I'm happy to get it off my chest. Thankfully Joan got away in time. And it sounds like you've gotten some things off your chest too. You're brave, actually.

So... well, how about getting your money's worth? Let me help you relax and give you pleasure, sweetheart...

Bruno: I'm not sure my wife would appreciate.

(Lucy looks amused)

Lucy: Most of my customers are married men. Your wife will never know!

Bruno: That's a tempting offer, but my wife is a really special girl to me.

Lucy: Awwww, that's so cute. Well how about just a massage then?

Bruno : If you start that, I doubt it would only lead to a massage.

Lucy. Ok, sure. Give me one concession though: let me give you a big hug, champion.

(Fair enough.)

Lucy then hugs you.

You talk for a while, then offer to drive her to her friend's place. She agrees. You arrive after 20 minutes. As she is about to leave, she gives you another hug.

Lucy: Good luck finding Beatrice. And thank you.

She enters the apartment complex, and then you go back to the Vagrants' hideout. You park the car a little farther away, change clothes then enter.

In the morning, you discuss things with Mylene. It seems that the guy who preyed on Joan is a regular consumer. Because Lucy wasn't an outsider, she never came across him. But you're pretty sure that many other girls did.

Which means only one thing: you have to hit the streets again and do this all over again with another girl.

Which you do on that very night. You decide to approach...

A) An Asian girl.
B) A black girl.
C) A native girl.
 
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Joined
Nov 29, 2016
Messages
1,832
See her picture in a thousand places 'cause she's this year's girl
You think you all own little pieces of this year's girl
Forget your fancy manners
Forget your English grammar
'Cause you don't really give a damn about this year's girl

Still you're hoping that she's well-spoken 'cause she's this year's girl
You want her broken with her mouth wide open 'cause she's this year's girl
Never knowing is a real attraction
All these promises of satisfaction
While she's being bored to distraction being this year's girl

Time's running out, she's not happy with the cost
There'd be no doubt, only she's forgotten much more than she's lost

A bright spark might corner the market in this year's girl
You see yourself rolling on the carpet with this year's girl
Those disco synthesizers
Those daily tranquilizers
Those body-building prizes
Those bedroom alibis

All this, but no surprises for this year's girl
 
Repressed Homosexual
Joined
Mar 29, 2010
Messages
17,867
Location
Ottawa, Can.
That might be a stretch, but since the shady man from Joan's story sought her out and she is native, maybe he does have a preference for native women. Or maybe the reason he targeted one is because they are usually outsiders, even in circles such as prostitution and drugs. Or maybe it is because they often have deeper issues and face a more desperate situation. As such, it could mean they are more willing to obey to some of the more unreasonable requests from their patrons.

As you ponder this, you receive a message on the encrypted app. You open it... it says

"I GOT HIM BRUNO! AND I CAUGHT HIM RED-HANDED!"

Then, you see a still picture that seems to represent a hotel lobby. After some loading, you realize that it is a video that you can play. So you press it.

You see a man with a thick white beard who exudes a very strong presence... followed by a scantily clad woman that appears Chinese who wears high heels. The two enter a hotel room. Then, the video cuts off.

You are stunned, and certainly didn't expect this. Basically, it seems that Maxime was easily able to find Pious Peter in Vancouver. But not only that... he shadowed him... and caught him red-handed in an act that appears clandestine, and which could significantly damage his credibility.

You're still shaken. You can't believe what you've just seen. You're not sure what to think.

In one way, this is a Godsend. Exposed at the right moment, during the confrontation, it could significantly hurt his claims as a righteous holy man.

On the other hand... it gets a little bit into personal territory. Your goal is not to hurt and damage people, even if they have done some repugnant things.

You get a call from Maxime on the app:

Maxime: Hey Bruno, did you see it? Amazing, isn't it? This is a knockout punch! Pious is finished! This is your silver bullet!

Bruno: I thank you for your invaluable efforts. I truly appreciate it. However, I think this needs to be dealt with tactfully.

Somehow, my perception of Pious Peter is not necessarily that he's a bad man. I think he at least started out with good intentions. By trying to humiliate him publicly by exposing his indiscretions, am I not stooping to his level, in a way?

Maxime: Oh come on, have they made you holier than thou already? That guy is just a prick and an egomaniac who hides behind Jesus. That's all it is. Tell that to all the families he's broken up.

Bruno : Point taken. I'll see that I make good use of it.

(You tell Maxime what you have been up to in the last two weeks)

Maxime: sounds intriguing. I'm not sure exactly how useful it is to us, but I guess some of the other vagrants would like it if the guy who did it to that girl would be found. I think you'll have a really hard time though. You won't find many people who really want to talk or who truly know more.

Bruno: I have what might be a good lead right now. I'm just trying to follow it through. I do this by posing as a John to local prostitutes, then querying information from them once they trust me.

Maxime: Aha wow, I hope you get your money's worth while you're there!

Anyway I trust you. Just try not to do anything too reckless or dumb. And keep me posted.

You conclude the conversation. You spend most of the day evangelizing in the streets with the others.

Once nighttime comes, it's game time again.

You book another room in another motel for more privacy. Then head into the same streets again.

It doesn't take you long to find some girls brave (or sadly, desperate) enough to bear with this horrible cold. On a street corner, you do see a native girl.

You approach her in your car...

Girl: Hi! Looking for company tonight?
Bruno: Sure, come on in, we'll go to my motel room.
Girl: Ok great!
Bruno: and you are?
Girl: Call me Belle!

Her name is appropriate. She is stunning. You never knew that native women could be so gorgeous.

Bruno: what a fitting name for such a pretty girl. I'm delighted to meet you.

Belle blushes.

Belle: Thank you. You're a looker as well. I'm sure we'll have a great time.

After 15 minutes, you arrive in the parking lot.

You unlock the door of your room, and the both of you enter.

Belle seems relieved to be out of the cold and also excited and enjoying herself. She turns to you:

Belle: So $200 for an hour. Alright?
Bruno : Sure, here's your money. Wanna take a shower?
Belle: Yes, thanks for offering. It's freezing cold out there, just wait for me. I'll also change into more... comfortable garments.

While Belle is showering up, you take a look at the bag she left behind. The content of it is of no interest to you. You ponder your strategy... you wonder if you could approach her a little more casually.

10 minutes later, Belle emerges in her bra and panties, looking eager to please.

Belle: "It's your turn now, my big baby boy. I'm here to help you relax. Lay on the bed on your tummy..."

Since you don't want to make things awkward, you oblige.

Belle climbs behind you, and starts touching you intimately. Then she starts caressing your muscles... and kissing you behind your ears, on the cheek, on your neck...

She sure knows how to put a man at ease. However, things could get out of control fast.

You suddenly have an idea.

Bruno: Sorry Belle, I'm married. I haven't done this very often. My wife and I... let's just say our sex life is pretty much dead at this point with the kids. It's making me miserable, so I looked for a girl like you to give me the boost I needed to endure. However, I'm started feeling guilty right now.

Can we take things slowly and just talk right now?

Belle : Oh sure. In fact, you wouldn't believe how often I hear stories just like yours. Although most of the time, I hear them AFTER we slept together. So I'll just listen for now. I'm here for you. Confide anything you need in me.

For the next ten minutes, you talk about the unhappy marriage that you pretend to be stuck in. Bella comforts you and caresses your body. She seems to be into your story and to empathize with you. She relates to you as a believable person.

After this time, you get to the meat of what you're really here for.

Bruno: By the way, Belle... I heard a strange story from another girl I saw. Does a girl named Joan who used to be on these streets ring a bell to you? She's also native.

Belle: Hmmm... not that I recall. So what happened to her?

Bruno: she said she had an incident with a customer. I'm not sure what it was, but she seemed really shaken by it. (You describe the man from Joan's story).

Belle: I don't talk to my customers about other customers. I respect their privacy. I'll just say that I do believe I know a guy like that. I serviced him once. He treated me well. Other girls also know him and they have nothing but good things to say about him. A true gentleman. From what I know, he's kind of a bigwig here in Edmonton. But I've probably already said too much, so I better stop.

Bruno : Ok, maybe I worried for nothing. I guess that Joan just didn't gel with him. Or maybe he was in a bad mood that night. Or maybe she was the unreasonable party. Maybe it's something insignificant in the end.

Belle: Yes probably. Thanks for looking out for me though. Us girls try to share info about customers to be wary about.

You and Belle keep conversing. You tell her ultimately that you feel too uncomfortable tonight but that listening did help. You say that you'll see how things go and that she will see you again another time.

She says she's had a great time and looks forward to meeting you again.

You drive her back downtown as she requests.

Then you go back to the Vagrants hideout.

Somehow, you deftly managed to obtain the info you needed, without scaring the girl away, and without betraying your vows with Mylene. Which, considering how attractive both Lucy and Belle were, is nothing short of incredible.

You see that on the next day, as you pass close to Mylene who is with the other sisters, she looks at you with some worry and suspicions. As if she was thinking "Did my husband sleep with these other women?"

You avert your eyes because you don't want to arouse suspicion from the other brothers and sisters. It's already good that apparently nobody else in the group found out you two are now husband and wife.

You now think back of the information you uncovered. So apparently, our suspect is an important man. That's still vague, but at least that's better than nothing. But this city as Albert's capital, and headquarter for many big corporations in the oil industry, is pretty large. How are you going to find out who this guy is?

A) Look at news stories of local politicians.
B) Look at news stories featuring important businessmen from Edmonton.
C) Ask the journalist, Timothy Bourne from the Edmonton Enquirer. Maybe he's know who you're talking about.
 
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Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
C) Ask the journalist, Timothy Bourne from the Edmonton Enquirer. Maybe he's know who you're talking about.

If we are ever fired from secret services, we have a journalist career waiting for us.
 
Repressed Homosexual
Joined
Mar 29, 2010
Messages
17,867
Location
Ottawa, Can.
You ponder what to do to find out who your man is.

As you do it, you receive another message on the encrypted app. It's from Maxime again. It reads "URGENT: PLEASE CALL".

Well, sounds really important. You call. Maxime answers immediately.

"Bruno! Great news! Dennis pulled off something really good! He was invited in the house of one of the bigwigs, and when the man was distracted, he decided to venture into his house. He found out something really strange. There was an enclosed room that looked like it was dedicated to rituals or meditation of some sort. He also found strange white priestly clothing, upon which there were some symbols, including a lilly, along with a cape. Also, a sword with a strange symbol. And on the wall, there were pictures of two men, who seem to be important, even revered figures.

Dennis was shocked since he never saw anything like this in the Skulls. He thought back of the strange rituals you mentioned, that it might be related.

So we asked the police to arrest this bigwig, named Bill Heartman, along with a few other important people on trumped up charges, including Dennis to protect his cover. The real goal being to ask Heartman about the strange decor in his meditation room.

When police headed to his house, he freaked out and headed inside. The police went in, and he tried to attack them with his sword! He seemed to be surprisingly proficient with it. Thankfully, the guys managed to calm him down. He apologized, said he panicked and lost his mind, and accompanied them.

Once in the interrogation room, he was hesitant to talk about the contents of the room. First he said it was none of our business. Then he quipped: "I'm just a pawn. The guys behind this are real organized. They want to plant their tentacles everywhere. They're mostly in Quebec City as far as I know."

Unfortunately at that point, his lawyer arrived, and told him to stop talking, and to us that the interrogation was over.

Then we ultimately didn't find much and didn't really have anything to hold him for now, so we released him. We prefer for him to remain active and lead us to something more.

Dennis met him afterwards and they believe that they targeted him unjustly as well. They didn't talk about the room at all.

By the way, here's a picture of the photos representing two men from the room. Do you know who they are?"

Maxime sends you a picture from the room. You see the two men. One is good-looking with short brown hair. The second one is older, short, obese, with thick glasses. Somehow, these two men seem to be important, even revered figures. What's also odd is that these pictures look old, taken at least a few decades ago. Just who are they? Cult leaders? And why do they have old pictures of them? You have absolutely no idea.

"Maxime, the priestly habit I can understand... but the sword is really strange. What is this? Highlander? It seems like Heartman had trained to become really proficient at it too. I wonder why? What does it all mean?"

"I have no idea Bruno. We'll keep looking."

"Well it seems Quebec City is our next destination. Fortunately that guy talked too much. It seems like the only way to find out what is this strange secret group is all about, and the nature of their relationship with the Skull Riders."

"Well you're already busy with the Skull Riders and finding out your father's evidence. Don't take on too much all at once. The other issue is that if we need to find and infiltrate this group, we need people from Quebec. They will have the same language, the same culture as these people. They will simply blend in much better."

"That's true. Do you think this can be done?".

"Don't worry. I talk to the boss of the Sûreté du Québec frequently, Commander Charles Bérubé, he's an old friend. This is the provincial police force in Quebec. They are based in Montreal. I told him what we uncovered. He said he already has names in mind. He has a good detective he wants to give this project to."

"Sounds good. I was wrong about Dennis. I shouldn't have exploded on him like I did. He risked his neck here and potentially gave us a big break."

You thank Maxime for the update and hang up. You are encouraged. It seems things are finally progressing.

Maxime is right, you need to focus on the Skull Riders and getting those three keys, and finding where your father's "treasure" is.

But first, you want to find out who the man is.

You decide to call Timothy. You explain things. He says to wait, that he'll ask around in the office, while leaving most of the specifics out.

30 minutes later, he calls. When you take the call, his voice is very enthusiastic:

"One of my colleagues is sure it is Edward Snodgrass! The mustache, the distinguished mannerisms, the Mercedes-Benz, the mansion... he says he's been to his mansion once."

"Who is this guy?"

"Most people in Edmonton know him. He's a influent municipal councillor. A rising star in local politics. Known for his hard-headed attitude, abrasive personality, and militant progressive politics. He's very, very much to the left, sometimes to the point of shocking his constituents. But he never backs down and that also make him very, very popular. Many people think he will be the mayor one day, or maybe even become the prime minister.

He's kind of a jerk for sure, but I wouldn't have pictured him to be a killer. I would tread carefully if I was you. He's one of the few people in town who, if you cross him, can give you endless trouble. Everyone is scared to piss off Snodgrass. The police shivers just hearing his name, he makes them look incompetent constantly."


You thank Timothy Bourne. You hang up.

You didn't know that your suspect was someone like this. You definitely do not want to cross him either.

Furthermore, even if you've indentified the suspect, you have no evidence against him. You only have a little bit of hearsay. Essentially, you have nothing.

You also have a feeling that the police would really not want to dig deeper into this, because Snodgrass would quickly create an uproar and it would backfire in a huge way.

Still, if he killed Beatrice, he just can't get away with it.

You think of something. You talk to Mylene later in the day. The plan will require her.

Later today, you will go to Snodgrass' mansion. Mylene will ring the doorbell. She will pretend to be there to ask him to sign a petition for some local progressive initiative, in order to distract him and get him to talk for a while.

Meanwhile, you will infiltrate the mansion, and attempt to find evidence of his possible crime.

It's the only thing that comes to your mind.

You easily find out where Snodgrass' mansion is. Thankfully, it's not guarded and it doesn't have a fence. It's essentially just a really big, really nice house, in a secluded location.

You put your plan in motion. It is early in the evening. Mylene graciously accepted to participate.

From a distance, you see her ringing the doorbell.

You see Snodgrass coming out, who indeed looks the part. You can't understand what they're saying, but Snodgrass seems to have totally fallen for it. He looks enchanted.

While he is distracted, you circle his house.

You enter through the back, as you've found a door that you easily pick. You enter.

You are in the kitchen. You hear Mylene and Edward entering the house. They're at the entrance now, not noticing you.

What do you prefer to do?

A) Go upstairs to his room.
B) Go downstairs to the basement.
C) Get out of the house, this seems too dangerous.
 
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Repressed Homosexual
Joined
Mar 29, 2010
Messages
17,867
Location
Ottawa, Can.
Note: soon at some point chapters will start to alternate, and you will get to also play the CYOA from the side of the detective who will try to unveil the strange cult's masquerade in Quebec, while Bruno and his friends are doing something else.
 
Repressed Homosexual
Joined
Mar 29, 2010
Messages
17,867
Location
Ottawa, Can.
You walk down the stairs very slowly and silently. Snodgrass is having a pompous conversation with Mylene and doesn't hear you.

As you do, you start wondering: wouldn't it have been a better idea to try to enter his house when he wouldn't have been there? You had barely given it much thought, because probably in part you were intrigued by the allure of your subterfuge. But then again, if Snodgrass really is a ruthless, deranged killer, you don't want to risk him being somewhere in the house, ready to surprise you when you least expect it. And if you go while he is away, his alarm system will most probably be on. Anyway, it is too late to turn back.

The basement is classy. You see paintings on the wall, along with pictures of Snodgrass with businessmen, activists, and other respected politicians. The floor is in marble. There is a pool table, and a big TV screen. Undoutedly, our man appears to be a narcissist. You don't see anything amiss... except maybe in the corner, there is a room with a dark, opaque panel that prevents anyone from peering inside. The door is locked, but you have no issue unlocking it.

You turn the door... step inside... turn the flashlight on your phone previously set to airplane mode... and...

You don't notice it at first... but what you notice when you finally see the contents of the room is nothing short of incredible. Incredibly disturbing, that is.

There are female garments hanging everywhere! Panties, bras, dresses, shirts... they are hanged on a clothesline! You try to guess how many there are, it seems they are from at least 18 different women.

You shiver of thinking that most, if not maybe all of these garments, could come from women that Snodgrass has killed to satisfy his perverse urges.

You're not sure what to do right now. You can't take any of these clothes with you, because Snodgrass could notice it, and any way, it can be constructed as evidence. Since you trespassed in the house illegaly, taking some out would jeopardize the entire process, should he be charged later.

You figure out that the best thing to do is to take pictures of the various clothes. Maybe that will be useful later.

Once it is done, you exit the room, and lock it again.

You wait until Mylene and Snodgrass are back outside. Then, you head back to the side door you came in. Then you walk away from the house, and head back to your car in the distance.

Mylene comes back to the car a few minutes later.

"I couldn't handle it anymore. This man is such a jerk and so narcissistic, it's just unbearable. Just who does he think he is, really?"

"Well Mylene, let me show you what I found..."

After you show her the pictures, Mylene looks almost queasy.

"Urgh, what a creep! It's disgusting! Did he kill all those women to get their clothes? It makes me sick just to think about it. This man scares me to death!"

Unfortunately, you don't see much that can be done right now.

Mylene suggests that you could go back to see Mary, and ask her is she recognizes any of the clothes as belonging to Mary. She's abrasive and seems pretty unstable, but you don't see much of anything else that can be done.

You drive to the apartment. Knock on her door. She opens it.

Mary: "Ah, it's you. Sorry for having blown up on you the other day. I guess I was pretty attached to Beatrice and just very upset at what happened to her. Do you have anything new?"
Bruno: "Well, if you would take a look at this for me... do any of these clothes belong to Mary?"

Mary takes a glance

Mary: "I'm not sure actually, I can't confirm. Maybe. But where does this picture come from? Who would keep so many female clothes in some darkened room? Some kind of sicko?"
Bruno: "I can't talk about my sources, sorry."
Mary: "So this is the guy that did this to her? Tell me, who is it? It's the creep who did it, isn't it?"

You stay silent. You can't expose a suspect like this. Who knows what Mary could do.

Mary: Tell me! I can't sleep anymore, knowing who did this to Beatrice! Tell me! I was her only true friend! I have the right to know, you hear me?"
Mylene: Snodgrass...

Mylene blurts it out, then looks at you with regret. Unfortunately, she spilled it, and it is now too late. Mary picks up on it.

Mary: Oh so that's him? It must be the city counsilor, isn't it? Everyone raves about what a prick he is, it seems right up his alley! I'm going to teach him a good lesson!"

Oh no, she must be dissuaded.

Bruno: Mary, don't do anything to that man. We don't have any proof, we only have inferences. Do you think that Beatrice would want you to attack someone savagely? You have to give us time to complete our investigation. Don't do anything stupid, that would land you in jail, instead of the criminal who actually deserves it.

Mary pauses, she realizes she got worked up again.

Mary: alright, I won't do anything, for now. If you promise me to keep me abreast of the latest developments. Let me rest now. Goodnight.

Mary slams the door.

What a strange character. You're worried of what she could do at any point. She's like a time bomb. You never know how she will behave.

You talk to Mylene "What now? Is there anything more we can do? Can we get anything out of this picture?"

You talk about it with her. Unfortunately, you really don't know. Not to mention that you trespassed into Snodgrass' house to obtain it. But then again, even if that is a disturbing scene, that isn't proof. Well, there might be DNA proof somewhere. But how would you get a warrant to inspect his house and seize it? It's impossible, as the evidence that would give the police probable cause is illicit. Everything would get thrown out.

You seem to be at a total dead end. The police does not care, and you have not gathered enough clues. Proof that Snodgrass killed Beatrice might be in that room, but you have no means to extract it in a lawful manner.

Even if one of her clothes is among them, it is not proof either. It just shows that he was one of her customers at some point.

Maybe police could spread Luminol all over his house... but then again, you are sure that if he was a serial killer, he wouldn't be dumb enough to kill these women in his house. He would do it in an isolated forest path, like in the story you heard.

There is simply nothing more you can do. You failed Beatrice.

The only thing you can think of is ask Snodgrass to justify himself. It's a risky move. He might blow up on you. He's a powerful man and he has allies in high places, probably.

But whatever, it might be a long shot, but you figure you need to try everything.

So on that night, before going back to the Vagrants' hideout, you send an anonymized email to Snodgrass on the email address listed for counsilor Snodgrass on the Mayor's office website. It includes one of the pictures you took, and reads as follows:

"If you don't want this picture spread all over social media and to the local tabloids, come alone at (you mention the path that you met Jovencio and James at the other day) on 11 pm tomorrow night. Be alone, and don't do anything clever. Anything looks amiss, you will see nobody at the rendezvous point, and this picture will spread everywhere. You have some explaining to do."

After having sent it, you have regrets. For sure, he will take all the evidence out of that room, and you will never see it again. At least, probably.

But it's your last option.

You sleep lightly tonight...

When you wake up the next morning, you load the throwaway email account you used for that purpose.

And you see a reply from Snodgrass:

"Who are you? How did you enter my house and get this picture? What is the meaning of all this? Who are you working for? I will meet you at that time and give you whatever explanations you want. Just don't do anything rash. I promise you that much, but know that you do NOT want to mess with me. See you later."

On that night, after a day of evangelizing, you go to that path alone to meet Mr. Snodgrass...
 
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Repressed Homosexual
Joined
Mar 29, 2010
Messages
17,867
Location
Ottawa, Can.
It is cold and snowy tonight. You walk towards the rendezvous point. You see a man in a thick fur coat. In the horizon, his face seems to correspond to that of Snodgrass. He is looking all around you, and finally sees you. He lies in wait.

You get closer. Your face is partially obscured by your winter garments.

Finally, you are just a meter away from Snodgrass. He looks at you with contempt and suspicion.

Edward: Alright, so why did you break into my home? What is it that you want? And who are you?"
Bruno: I must forgive the intrusion sir, and also the tone of my email. I know it must have caused distress in you. However, I was left without any options. There is a girl that I seek justice for.
Edward: Just what does that have to do with me? And let me tell you, although I had wealthy parents and had no need to work to make a living, I used to be a private detective myself at some point before. Ultimately, I veered into social work, and then into politics, because what I liked above all was helping people. I don't know just how you can think that whatever stunt you did was acceptable or legal. It is neither. That was breaking and entering, and threateting or abusive behavior. Should I press things forward, you would surely be in trouble.
Bruno: Well, with this lovely picture, we probably have some sort of mutually assured destruction.
Edward: Point taken. Although, you could have just asked to speak with me, I always try to be very approachable to my constituents or to anyone who needs help. And before I talk to you, who is it that you work for? You work for the conservatives, don't you? They've long wanted to bring me down and considered me a nuisance. They don't want me to be elected to a higher position, they're quaking in their boots just by thinking of it. You're some two-bit private eye working a dirty job for them somehow, I'm sure.

You begin to understand why Mylene was aggravated with him. He is surely vain and likes to boast about his achievements.

Bruno: Not really, no. Let's leave it at that for now. There was this girl named Beatrice, she was found assassinated recently. She used to be a sex worker. And another sex worker, I heard a story that she escaped certain death, at the hands of a man who looked suspiciously like you.
Edward: What? Let me look...
(you give him the newspaper article about Beatrice that includes her picture)
Edward: Yes I frequent prostitutes. But, as far as I recall, I've never seen that woman in my life. And so what if I do? It's actually a big part of what I speak about. More respect and legitimization for sex workers. They should be able to work completely legally without being forced into unsafe conditions. Nobody cares about them, and I know legalizing prostitution would shock many people. But it's obvious that it's the right thing to do.
Bruno: How do you explain those female garments? That's the kind of thing a serial killer would do.
Edward: So what? That's none of your business, what tickles my fancy. The women gave this to me willingly. I always pay well and treat them well. Even if you would leak the pictures, I wouldn't take it laying down. I would fight. I have a history of doing just that. Everyone who tried to bring me down so far has failed miserably.
Bruno: I won't leak the pictures. I will destroy them, and you will never hear about this again. I just wanted to hear your side of the story. You say that nobody cares for sex workers, well we have another example of it. Nobody cares about investigating who killed that girl, because she was just a sex worker. She was a disposable thing.
Edward: I don't know what else to tell you. I see you seem to have some kind of honor code, at least that's good. This has nothing to do with me, I don't know what kind of hearsay you heard. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll leave. But I promise I will contact you if I hear anything. And don't pull any funny business with me, because I will fight, I guarantee it. I wish you luck in finding her killer. Until next time.

After he says that, he leaves.

You're not sure what to think. Was he just lying to you? Or was he honest? As a crafty, experienced politician, it really could go either way. He could be used to lying convincingly.

You worry about Mary. You decide to pay her a visit before you go back to sleep, to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid.

You arrive at her apartment. You knock. Mary opens. She looks sad.

Bruno: Hello Mary. I just came to see you to make sure you didn't do anything reckless. We don't know that this man was a criminal.
Mary: I'm sorry. Have you found out anything?
Bruno: Not really, no. Snodgrass denies that he had anything to do with it. I'm at a standstill for now. I really gave it my all.
Mary: That blows. I miss Beatrice. At least I guess somebody fought for her. Call me if you have any news.
Bruno: I promise Mary. Beatrice is surely honored to have had a friend like her, in spite of her difficult life.

You leave the apartment. As you leave, you see a car that seems to leave abruptly. Or is it just a coincidence? You're not sure. Probably is.

You go back to sleep at the Vagrants' hideout.
 
Repressed Homosexual
Joined
Mar 29, 2010
Messages
17,867
Location
Ottawa, Can.
You can't sleep, this whole story is preventing you from it. It seems you failed in helping Beatrice. You are powerless right now to do more.

Since you cannot sleep, you browse your phone. You look at some news.

You refresh the site of the Edmonton Enquirer. You look at the top news. It is 4AM or so. There is news about a hit and run.

You look closer... and seem to recognize the street... and the apartment building! Could it be????

The news talks about a female who was killed instantly by a hit and run.

What the f***? You storm out of the building where all the other brothers and sisters are sleeping.

You go to your car and speed away.

You arrive at the accident site. There are police cars everywhere, and three police officers guarding the scene.

One of them talks to you:

"Please go back home sir, there's nothing to see here. Move along. Let us work in peace."
Bruno: I'm part of the secret service. (You show your badge.)
Officer: Oh I see sir, sorry. What can I do for you?
Bruno: Has the name of the woman who was killed been found?
Officer: Yes, some of the other tenants went to see what happened, and they knew who the woman was. Her name was Mary Redhead.

At this point, another tenant leaves the building.

Bruno: Sir, the Mary Redhead who died, did she look like this? (you describe her appearance to him).
Tenant: Yes, it was her, no doubt.

What are the odds that she died just after you met Snodgrass? And you spoke with the only witness? Snodgrass has some explaining to do! The nerve of that man!

Bruno: Snodgrass! It was you. I KNOW it was you!

Officer: Agent Honeyman, do you know anything that can hel...
Bruno: Later!

You leave. You are furious. You don't believe this was a coincidence. It just cannot be. How can Snodgrass be so brazen!
You ponder for a while in your car what you will do. Some time passes.

Then you decide that you need to have a word with Snodgrass. Right now. No more BS.

You drive at full speed towards his house.

As you are about to arrive to his house, in the small road leading there, you see 2 cars barring the road, occupied by agents in uniforms.

One of the agents gets out of his car, you pull down your side window.

Agent: Honeyman! The Edmonton police called us because they wanted to ask you for what you knew about the death of that girl and you just left. We also talked to Duchesne who told us what you were doing. It seemed you wanted to confront Snodgrass. I don't know what you're about to do, but leave that man alone. You do not want to mess with him. He will make your life really painful if you cross him.

A)Listen to the agent and refrain from confronting Snodgrass
B)Screw this, he can't get away with it anymore

baud ERYFKRAD Nevill hello friend
 
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