[Delta Green] Operas and Avatars: Puppet Shows and Shadow Plays

[Gomez]

Andrews and Brown sit over an empty pizza box and stacks of papers in their hotel room.

A report came back on the email. The guys at IT were unable to track the email to its sender. Who ever sent it is a *CED*ing computer genius. They were able to track the email through at least 4 different servers before they lost the trail. Who every sent the message did not want to be found.

Forensics in Phoenix called and said that the coyote tracks from both the Begay ranch and around the Braverman car was from the same animal.

Checking into cult or cannibalistic activity in the Southwest in the past 6 months, nets little other than a kidnapping of a child by a mother with connections with a satanic cult in Utah about 3 months ago.

But when you look into police records in West Virginia you find several leads.

-During the first four months of 2004, West Virginia suffered through a rash of unexplained disappearances and cattle mutilations. Theories ranged from serial killers to satanic cults to UFO's were bandied about to explain the crimes. Nine people disappeared during this time in Lowery County in West Virginia.

-A bloodless and partially cannibalized corpse was found wrapped in trash bags and hanging from a tree in a wooded area of Tecumseh county West Virginia. Suspicion fell on Mack Tooley who was the last person to see the victim alive. When police attempted to arrest Tooley, he shot himself in the head with a Colt .45 automatic. The autopsy of Tooley revealed traces of human blood and tissue in his digestive track.


[OOC: You said you wanted to call a University. What information where you looking to find?]

 

[taitzu52]

Andrews shakes his head, as he realizes that this is becoming a cold case nightmare. After hearing the forensics report on the coyote, he is in shock that this is even part of his investigative work. Luckily, his instincts kick in and he gets on the phone and calls Hobbson, "I have a strange request of you. I need a tracker, an animal expert. Find me the best guy you can in the tri-state area, and have him meet us out on the Begay ranch as soon as he can. We've got a little field trip in order." Andrews puffs away on his cigarette, loathing the prospect of doing cold case police research in West Virginia.

(OOC-More soon, this game is making my brain hurt. In a good way)

 

[taitzu52]

Andrews' call to Univ. of WV would be to track down Professor Matthew DeVries. He'll start by asking abou the nature of the meteor, and what sort of research has been conducted. He'll then try to turn the conversation towards other inquiries have been made about the phenomenon, or any sort of public disturbences it may have caused.

(OOC- Am I forgetting anything Agent Brown?)

 

[Maerdwyn]

(ooc: back now, and recovered from way too much driving)

As he gets dressed, preparing to go over to the Begay ranch, Solomon goes over the details on the reports in his head, and ends up talking out load again. "The same animal?! As in the same exact *CED*ing coyote? All right...what does that mean?" "Can coyotes be domesticated? Maybe someone saw the murders, or at lease the burials, and takes his pet coyote out to...no that's doesn't make any sense...maybe the coyote belonged to one of the killers and it followed his master's scent to the scene and...No that doesn't work either... All right, back to that later - got to find this emailer. He knows what's going down and we don't have time to dance around or wait for the crumbs he decides to give us. Don't know how we're going to find him though." Solomon fires off a quick email reply to the odd message, knowing that it probably won't go through, but he tries it anyway:


re: Route 70
Received your information yesterday. Thank you. If you have more or want to meet, call my cell phone or mail me here. We can arrange for protection if you need it.

Agent Solomon Brown


After, on the drive to the Begay ranch with Andrews, Solmon gets in touch with the coroner, as well as the investigative officer on the Tooley case, in order to request information and autopsy notes.

(ooc: sorry, I forgot about one other thing we requested: a comparison of the bite marks in the Braverman corpses and the Houston prostitutes - wasn't sure if we'd all forgotten or if was just not in yet)

 

[Gomez]

You call Hobbson for an animal expert. He says that he will have someone at the Ranch in the morning.

You are unable to reach Professor Matthew DeVries. He is on a vacation with his family in the Caribbean. His secretary will have him call you back but he is not expected to return in about a week.

Dr. Brenton Clark, the Lowery county Medical Examiner resigned his job and moved to Nashville shortly after he performed the autopsy on Mack Tooley. The people at the Lowery county ME's office will fax you the autopsy report.

The comparison of the bite marks from the Houston prostitute slaying was inconclusive though they were too big to be those of Elaine Braverman. The bite marks on Kenneth Braverman match the dental records of Elaine Braverman.

Your email comes back as undeliverable.

 

[Gomez]

Arriving at the Begay ranch you see Sheriff Colorados and another man talking by the Sheriff's police car.

"Agent Brown, Agent Andrews. This is Mike Twohorn. He is a Zoologist at the Phoenix Zoo and he just happens to be my son-in-law." He says with a slight grin. The first you have really seen from the Sheriff. The man is a tall handsome indian in his mid-thirties. "Pleased to meet you. Mangas said you needed a animal expert?"

 

[taitzu52]

"Pleased to meet you Mr. Twohorn.", says Brown, extending his hand to him. "Agent Brown and I had a report from a forensics official that was investigating two related crime scenes.", he says as he reaches into his navy blue windbreaker and hands Twohorn a business card. "The official stated that there were coyote tracks on both scenes that appeared to be from the same animal. We'd like to find that animal, sir." Andrews says, "Perhaps while we're getting started, you can tell us a bit more about coyotes and their capacity for domestication, or at least, human companionship."

As they begin, Andrews pulls off to the side with Colorados, "Again, I appreciate your help in this matter, Sheriff. Tell me, how's the community handling this since the bodies have been found?"

 

[Maerdwyn]

Andrews says, "Perhaps while we're getting started, you can tell us a bit more about coyotes and their capacity for domestication, or at least, human companionship."

Solomon says, "That, and how good they are at escavation work. Not only did our coyote rove over quite an area, but he did some pretty serious and purposeful digging, and it wasn't for food. Figure you'd know best, Mr. Twohorn. I'm Solomon Brown, pleased to meet you."

He focuses on Twohorn, wishing he could hear the answer to Andrew's question of the Sherriff, but not wanting to offend the zoologist right after asking his own question.

 

[Gomez]

"Coyotes live in either a small family group or as loners" explains Mr. Twohorn. "Make no mistake, coyotes are wild animals and for one to be domesticated it would have to be raised from a pup. And even that would be a tricky proposition. A lone coyote could possible have a range that would cover both this ranch and the site of the buried car. But for a coyote to dig up carrion and not eat it is unheard of. Let's me see the area where this coyote was digging."


As you walk over to the one of the sites, Sheriff Colorados says. "There are a lot of frighten people on the reservation. Word has leaked out that coyote tracks where seen around the bodies. That has started talk that a witch or evil spirit is responsible for the murders."

 

[Maerdwyn]

"Please excuse my ignorance, sherriff...may I ask why coyote tracks would cause people to make that conclusion?"