[IC] A Murderer's Game

[ChadsWorth The Third]

November the Second, 1857, 9:15 AM.
It has been three months since The Game Master started his Murderous Rampage across London. And now, The Game Master had made another move in his twisted game of death and insanity. Last night at exactly 11:40 PM, The Game Master had violently slaughtered a homeless drunk in Watchmaker's Hill, a park on the outskirts of London. The man wasn't found until 8:00 AM of the next day, at which point, the Constables were summoned. Signs of The Game Master usual modus operandi were discovered by the Constables that had arrived on the scene, a man's head replaced with a smile-carved pumpkin is very hard to miss.

"Well, This is a mess." Constable Grayson looked at the grim scene as the other Constables marked off the area for Investagtion with Police Tape and were doing their best at keeping the crowds and reporters away. Stopping one of his men Grayson asked "Was there any ID on this man?".

The Constable pulled a small wallet out of his pocket. "This was on the man. No ID, and a Quid"

"Thats Strange." Grayson told the Constable, "Most men and women we find killed either have some form of ID or someone to reconise them, but this time we don't"

"Sir, we found this man here. He claims to have seen The Game Master. His name is Jonathan Godswell." another Constable then said with Jonathan standing behind him.

"Godswell? You mean like Alison Godswell, the fifth person to be murdered by this lunatic?" Grayson turned to Jonathon and said "I am terribly sorry about the loss of your sister, my good man, but if you've seen this so called 'Game Master' and can give us a good enough discription of what he looks like, we'll have him caught and in the gallows within the month"

Jonathan looked at the Constable he had been instructed to talk to "Well in all honesty, I wasnt able to get a good look when I happened upon the scene, all I was able to make out was a figure shrouded in darkness. I didnt really notice anything about him but I was able to see the corpse and knew right away who it was. when I went to chase after The Game Master, he took off and seemed to fade into the surrounding darkness."

"That's just what I thought. Hmm." Constable Grayson said. "This is the perfect time to get the team togther. You!" he called out, pointing at another Constable, "Call Sir Lakeview and his associates".

"Yes sir" the Constable responded before running off to contact Lakeview. As the Constable ran, a large psychotic grin stretched across his face. "A team of detectives, eh?" The Game Master said to himself as he continued running, the high collar on his police uniform hiding the unnaturally large grin on his face "I wonder how this will affect the game?". The Game Master then stopped grinnig as he reached a phone. He picked it up and dialed the number for Sir Lakeview's office. "Hello, young miss" Constable Game Master said to Lakeview's secratary, who had answered the phone "Could you please tell Sir Lake view that he and his associates are need by Constable Grayson at Watchmaker's Hill,"

"The Game Master has struck again"

[The Narrator]

"George?", the woman cautiously opened the door to his office, "They need you at Watchmake's Hill, that killer, the Game Master...". She couldn't even finish her sentence before Sir Lakeview interrupted her. He took his Jacket and his hat and reached for his cane. "Henry, Miss Analise. We need to get to the crime scene as fast as possible, "Lord knows perhaps we find a clue to catch that devil."

As fast as a limping man could George left the building. A coach was already there for him. "When we get there.", he said calmly while looking at Henry and Analise, "I don't want you to touch anything without permission okay? It is of importance that we see the crime scene in its original state. You know of that killer and let me tell you, he is playing with us. He might even have left a clue at the scene."

Now he looked directly at Henry, while the coach drove through a puddle of mud. "This is a war. People are dying and we don't even know who the enemy is.", George looked at his own reflection in Henry's glasses, "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more."

[MissCapnCrunch]

Analise had her nose buried in a letter she received that morning from one of her siblings back in Italy. It contained messages of sympathy for her husband, messages of concern for her well being, and of course; the small message at the end to send money if at all possible. "Typical." Ana sneered. A poor woman with no husband was considered useless in this day and age, but because she had a bit of income to her name, she was expected to send all of it back home.

"Henry, Miss Analise. We need to get to the crime scene as fast as possible, "Lord knows perhaps we find a clue to catch that devil."

George's steady voice interrupted her thoughts as she looked up upon him. His cane and hat were already adorning his body, and that meant it was time for business. Folding the letter carefully she placed it into her small hand bag. She nodded, following behind the men as she walked outside and entered the coach. Her petite body fit comfortably next to Henry's; her ankles crossed delicately.

"I don't want you to touch anything without permission okay? It is of importance that we see the crime scene in its original state. You know of that killer and let me tell you, he is playing with us. He might even have left a clue at the scene."

A smile crossed upon her lips in the dim sunlight of the coach. Parting her lips she wanted to say a smart remark of how this wasn't their first rodeo, but she knew it wouldn't do them any good. Her crimson lips closed, pursed, as she gazed out the window whilst the coach pulled forward.

George and Henry continued to converse.

[Thundercat]

"Watchmaker's Hill," Henry quietly muttered to himself. "Outskirts of London. May take a half hour of travel give or take," His eyes darted all over and didn't move from a sheet of paper that lay on a table before him, not even as the lady walked in informing them of yet another murder in the spree of serial killings courtesy of the Game Master. He had taken the initiative to study the location of each murder from a geographical perspective hoping to identify some type of pattern in his movements. It was a fruitless task at the moment but he pressed on, distracting himself from his own thoughts.

"Right, i'll pack this up," He said aloud as the other two started for the door. The man practically shoved all of the papers into a folder before placing it into a briefcase that had sat beside him on the floor. He threw in a notepad as well as a pipe, then followed his team out the door, to the outside and into the stagecoach.

Sir George Lakeview said
When we get there, I don't want you to touch anything without permission okay? It is of importance that we see the crime scene in its original state. You know of that killer and let me tell you, he is playing with us. He might even have left a clue at the scene.

Henry gave a slight nod, however he would have to get used to requiring permission to touch evidence. He was more of a hands on thinker and the thought of standing idly by during a crime scene, well he could already feel the agitation. This was his first crime scene after all. It made sense to acknowledge George's request and proceed with caution, but that didn't make it easy. Not for the scientist.

Sir George Lakeview said
This is a war. People are dying and we don't even know who the enemy is. Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.

This is a war. The words tumbled around Henry's mind for a moment. He was conflicted as to whether George was referencing their time in war together or was simply being metaphorical. Either way, they were essentially in a war, and a much more complicated one at that. On the battlefield, it was clear who your allies and enemies were. You knew who to trust and who had your back, but they were in a completely different type of battlefield now. For all they knew the stagecoach driver could be the Game Master himself. It was practically a jungle.

This is a war. The words tumbled around some more. It was at this moment Henry realized that for the duration of their time chasing the Game Master, the only people he could truly rely on and trust were sitting beside him in the stagecoach. "Once more," Henry repeated, acknowledging George's words as he adjusted his glasses. Considering how busy the past few hours had been, both in his own home and in George's office, Henry was having a rather OK morning. That or the morphine was beginning to take it's full effect.

"What should we be expecting?" He asked, "I mean, you've been following the man for weeks. What do you think is waiting for us at Watchmaker's Hill?"

[ChadsWorth The Third]

November the Second, 1857, 9:25 AM.
As the carriage ran down the street, the district was getting poorer. At first, near Sir George's house, The people were normal. Walking on the sidewalks on a nice Wednesday stroll. As the Trio got closer and closer to Watchmakers Hill, the people turned to beggars on the street, begging for a coin or two. The houses were run down, and sickness was almost everywhere.

The Park was a normal park. It had four pathways all converging to one spot in the middle. A metal bench lay in the middle of the path, The Game Master's latest victim sat on the bench. His head was missing and was replaced by a smile-carved pumpkin, a bottle of gin lay in one hand and a note addressed to Scotland Yard lay in the other. Near him was a small campsite, with a wooden crate, slightly charred. The trees had no leaves, as if a grounds keeper had come and taken them away.

Once they arrived at the scene, Constable Grayson stopped talking to one of the constables, and turned to the carriage. He walked over as the trio hopped out of the carriage. "Constable Grayson, Head of Investigation." he said, offering a hand to Sir George.

"Thank you Mr. Grayson.", said George and accepted the helping hand with a little restrain. He hated to be reminded of his disability. He saw the victim, it looked horrible. Why always a pumpkin? "Give me everything you have about the victim. Everything!",Grayson handed Geogre the wallet that he was given by another constable. "This is all we found on the man. Nothing else. Unless you call those rags they call clothing." George examined the wallet and gave it to Henry, then he walked closer to the corpse. No doubt the game master, the pumpkin, the letter it was his signature. "Where is the head? Has anyone found the head? Find me that head, constable!",One of the Constables looks up from his papers and runs off. George looked to his new partners. "Any ideas from your side? Anything at all?"

Analise removed her hand from her lips, lowering it slowly as George asked them what they had came up with. No matter how many victims they had seen, it always was a bit of shock when you got to seem them up close and personal. Ana walked up to the victim in slow strides, crouching down to investigate the victims surroundings. George had told her not to touch anything quite yet, but her fingers brushing against the man's leg as she stood up was enough for the woman to get a connection to the victim. With her two hands outstretched her grey eyes begin to roll backwards as the whites protruded, indicating the beginning of the transition. Suddenly the world of the dead came into view. The park began to dissolve into nothingness. The Man who was murdered was staring at his body, which was on the metal bench. Even though the park had disappeared to Ana, the bench was still there. The Man looked very confused. "Don't be alarmed." Ana cooed softly, as the man looked around. "Who.. W-what? Where am I? Did.. Did I die? Are you an angel?" The Man looked at Ana with a scared look on his face. "Help me" Analise's crimson lips parted in a small laugh, "Some call me an angel, but it's not my official title." her smile dropped slightly as she nodded towards man, and his multiple questions. "Yes, you have died my friend, you have been murdered. That is why I am here, to help you." she stepped closer to the man, her smile returning, "If you help me, I can help you."

"But what do you need my help with?" the ghost asked "How could I even help you? I'm just a useless drunkard, in life and in death" the man then pulled a bottle of gin out of his pocket and took a long swig from it.

"Gin huh?" Analise commented on the man's choice of drink.

"I'd much rather have rum really" the ghost admitted "I reminds me of my days in the navy, before every thing went down hill" the ghost then looked down at the ground and said "But I can't afford rum now. Hell, I only managed to find this bottle of gin on the streets somewhere".
"The nice thing about being down the hill is you can only go up from there." Ana commented, trying to be as gentle as she could towards the shaken man. "I really do need your help sweetheart." she mentioned again, "You can help me by telling me all that you remember about last night, starting from the moment you went towards the campsite." she stated, looking at the man.
"Well," he began "I remember a drink. I found my bottle of Gar-bage over a few blocks down. I stumbled into this park, finding those rocks. I had a crate with me, but no matches to my name. I could not start a fire. I was so cold. I sat down, taking a few more swigs of Gar-bage. Thats when I saw a man in an overcoat, and a top hat. The man you are looking for, I guess. He came to me and said 'I guess I'll have to make do with you tonight'. Then I saw a glint of something metallic, he began laughing maniacally, and I guess that's when I died. I was floating here, watching him do something to the area. It looked like witch-craft if you ask me. Then a young man ran by, trying to catch up with him. Then I was next thing I know, the coppers show up, and then you came. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it."
Ana nodded along to the man's story. Her facial expression, sympathetic but very steady as the man told her the details of his night. She made the mental points in her head to be able to recall them to her team when she would return back into the real world. Her knees began feeling a bit weak, the cue that her time in this world was almost up. "Thank you." she said to the man, her hand reaching up and touching his shoulder softly, "You may have just saved another man's life, be proud of yourself, and climb your way up that hill." she encouraged him, as the area began to disappear around her. Soon the world she was just in faded into nothing as the real world came into vibrant color and view. Stumbling only slightly, Analise was back in the real world with answers for the team.

"What where you doing? Ana?", George gripped Ana's arm, "Next time ask for permission. We need to focus."