Maps:

Guesthouse F1

Guesthouse F2

Mansion Incomplete

>>6600
"That is correct. I called Battler at 9:20, then you at 9:30. Seconds after I called you I also called Kyrie and Rudolf. At 9:35 I attempt to call Hideyoshi and Eva with no response.

>>6618
"So in other words, that half hour from 9:20 to 9:50 is... no, wait. All of you servants, at what times did you all wake up?"

>>6619
Each of the servants answers your question.

Genji: "As you know I never went to sleep."

Gohda: "I set my alarm clock to 8:00am so I could prepare for breakfast."

Berune: "I was woken by Ruon at 8:10am to help in the kitchen with Gohda."

Ruon: "I woke up around 8:00am and then woke Berune. After, I went to clean Rosa's room."

Manon: "It's already known I stayed up all night."

>>6620
I jot down all of these times in my notebook, then look at my watch.

>>6621
You write down the times and check the time.

It's 10:50am

>>6622
"I see. I believe that's enough interrogating for right now. But I have one last thing to ask of you all. Please stick together in the same room at all times. Once you're separated from the group it's likely that the culprit will just pick you off one by one. Don't forget there's a murderer on the loose. So be careful."

>>6623
Everyone agrees with your statement and they look as if they are wondering to do what next.

"Well I guess we should move to the parlor for now..." says Krauss.
"Wouldn't your study be saver Krauss?" Rudolf asks.
"Couldn't we just stay here?" Rosa adds.

Most of the group seems to be trying to decide where to go.
As they are doing this Kyrie walks up to you.

"So Kinjo," she says. "I was wondering what was your thoughts on all of this. After all it's your job is it not, to solve crimes? I assume you have some sort of theory don't you?"
Kyrie walks slightly past you and continues to talk. "Do you have any suspects in mind?"

>>6624
"...It's difficult to say. While the servants have the worst alibis, I doubt they would be the culprits. At best, they'd just be covering for someone like say... nah, in the end that's just a theory. I can't prove anything yet, really."

>>6625
"So in other words, you are expecting more murders to occur?"

>>6626
"You know that Japanese saying? When it happens two times, you should expect it to happen a third time. That's just what I think."

>>6627
"That's troubling."
Kyrie looks behind her, seemingly to check the others.
"There is someone else I want to tell you about last night." her voice now down to a whisper. "While I was getting my drink I saw Ruon in the guesthouse. Now that I have heard all the alibi's it seems more conclusive that she had the opportunity to be there. Not to mention while you and the men went to the crime scene Ruon entered the dinning hall a few minutes after you had left. I'd thought I'd let you know."

>>6628
"Interesting. Does that mean you suspect her, then?"

>>6629
"Heh, perhaps. She seems the most suspicious at the very least."

>>6630
I look to see what Ruon is doing right now.

"Possibly. But what kind of motive would a servant have to kill those two? There's nothing to be gained from their deaths unless the motive is personal, and I just don't see a servant having that."

>>6631
Ruon is being silent in the corner with the other servants.

"Well maybe you're right, maybe you're not." says Kyrie. "In this world motive always comes last. You'd be surprised how many cases are solved without even considering the motive. When so much circumstantial evidence is found the motive can instantly become redundant."

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Battler walks up to you and Kyrie, the others are still talking.

>>6632
"We were just discussing the whiteness of our hair things related to the murder. Is there anything you want to mention regarding your jealousy of our white hair, Battler?"

>>6633
"Anything else? I don't think so. Do you have something particular in mind?"

>>6634
"Well, you were the first one at the scene of the crime. Was there anything odd that stuck out to you when you got there?"

>>6635
"Hmm. Well, the fact Hideyoshi was in his pajamas, and Eva was still wearing her clothing from the night before seemed odd."

"When you took Maria to the mansion, which servants did you see?" Kyrie asks.

"Servants? Why?" Battler gives you a stare.

>>6636
"Just answer the question, please."

>>6637
"I see, so that's where this is going.
When I walked to the mansion with Maria I saw Genji shoveling and when we passed through the main entrance I saw Ruon. Those are the only servants I saw that night."

>>6638
"So, according to the times... Battler and Maria went back to the mansion at midnight, where he saw Ruon. Sometime around 2:10 or 2:30 when Kyrie called for a drink she saw Ruon in the guesthouse. According to Ruon's alibi she never gave any specific times, but supposedly only cleaned up the parlor, dropped some things off in the kitchen and served Krauss and Natsuhi before going to sleep. It's inconsistent."

>>6639
"See, it seems like the best possibility." says Kyrie.
Battler says nothing and simply walks back to the group.

"Hmm, I probably shouldn't have said that in front of Battler." says Kyrie. "Over the years the servants have been working here the cousins have probably made strong bonds with them. Well what is done is done."

>>6640
"......Kyrie. This is probably related to the murder of George three years ago. Can you tell me anything about that?"

>>6641
"It's a rather long story, how much of it would you like to know?"

>>6642
"As much as you can remember."

>>6643
"Alright, I'll give you a summary of what happened."

Kyrie explains the event. Her explanation matches Hideyoshi's exactly.

"That's about it. There is something else you should probably know. There have been some rumors about the case being hushed up by us. That actually may be the case.
I don't have evidence, however It's extremely likely that Krauss covered up the main points of the incident. Hell, I wouldn't doubt it if he had the police document destroyed."

>>6644
"I see. Did you suspect anyone at the time, of being the culprit way back then?"

>>6645
"Of course the people who disappeared were the most suspicious. The only problem was how did they do it. The room was practically solid metal."

Kyrie looks past you and you also turn to see what it is.
It seems the group is done deciding and they are calling you over. As you and Kyrie walk over you notice battler break away from a conversation with Genji and Krauss then speaks.
"Alright, we have decided that we should stay in the parlor for now. Are there any objections, Mr. detective?"

>>6646
"No objections, but we should probably bring some food with us. I don't think anyone ate breakfast, and we'll need energy for the rest of the day."

>>6647
"Agreed. We'll stop by the kitchen and grab some canned food before going to the parlor."

With that said Krauss opens the door and everyone starts to leave. You are currently in the dinning room.

>>6648
I follow the group to the kitchen.

>>6649
As you are about to leave the dinning room a single sentence is spoken. One sentence that seems to shake the whole room.

>>6650
I turn around and look at Battler.
"...Huh? What are you trying to say?"

>>6651

[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tICKoZ18zHk ]

You turn around and see Battler standing there with a smirk on his face.
"That's right. It's useless, you're whole theory is useless!" Battler yells.
"Hey what is going on!?" The others seemed to have heard Battler and are now standing in the doorway.

"I'll tell you what's going on! Kinjo here is doing a lousy job as a detective! There is no way for Ruon to be the culprit!"
The crowd stationed behind you starts to murmur. Ruon breaks to the front, "Kinjo...You think I'm the culprit?"

Battler doesn't give you a chance to respond. "Ah, damn right he does! However there is one major flaw in that theory, it's impossible for Ruon to have committed this crime!" Battler lifts one of his hands in an arching motion above his head and points at Genji.
"Genji, you said you were shoveling during the whole night; The exception being a single moment. When was this moment, and why did you do so?"

Genji responded, "It was at 2:10, Manon had called me because she didn't know where the equipment was for the drinks."
Battler smiles, "Good! And where pray tell did you meet her?"
"It was in the main entrance of the guesthouse, right in front of the lobby doors. I told her where to find it and then went back outside. The interaction lasted less than a minute." Genji finishes.

"Exactly! And -" The world fades yet again. " because of the snow there is no way to get to the Guesthouse or Mansion without using the path Genji made!" As your vision becomes clear you can see Battler's finger is now pointing at you. "Since Genji and Manon met in such a place there was no chance for someone to sneak by!" he exclaimed.
Battler continues, "I last saw Ruon in the main entrance of the mansion at midnight, also Genji never saw Ruon that night. Finally, Genji has already told me that the snow stopped at 7:30 in the morning, upon entering the mansion he saw Ruon exit her room!

"Therefore, Ruon never even left the mansion!" Battler asserted.

Everyone is shocked silent. All you can hear is a small mumble of relief from Ruon.

"This doesn't add up...! Kyrie...explain yourself. What exactly did you see last night from 2:10 AM to 2:30 AM?"

>>6653
"I'm telling you, I ordered my drinks, opened the door because I thought I heard Manon coming, but I saw Ruon walking down the stairs. I closed my door waited a few seconds and Manon showed up!" Kyrie says.

"Lies! I never left the mansion just like Battler said!" Ruon cries.

Battler thrusts his fist into the air for some sort of signal for silence.
"Pfft, that simple Kinjo." he starts. "Devil's proof. Kyrie was tired, she could have mistaken Manon for Ruon, they look similar after all. Not to mention that Kyrie was had been drinking."

>>6654
"So they were walking down the stairs? If it was Manon why would she do that? The servant's room is on the first floor so she wouldn't be upstairs! But at the same time, if you're trying to say Ruon killed them and you saw her as she was leaving...Eva was alive at that time, so that doesn't make sense!"

...

"...In any case, it would be better to stop pointing fingers for now, and move together to the parlor. There's not enough information yet."

>>6655
I drink some vodka to go back to this point in time and watch events unfold slightly differently.

>>6655
"Like I said, Kyrie's perspective wasn't reliable that night." says Battler. Kyrie looks a little peeved that Battler keeps undermining her, but she doesn't disagree.

"Besides, we someone has already starting to point fingers, now that it's been proven false I know exactly who to point to." Battler closes his eyes and smirks yet again.
"The last person to have seen one of the victims alive, the unexpected guest, the outsider, the odd man out." Battler lifts his hand once again and points... to who?

"That's right, it's YOU, Kinjo! You are the most suspicious here!

>>6665
"Now hold on...! Why would I kill them?! I have no motive! I'm just as likely a suspect as anyone else here! I'm a detective, not a murderer!"

>>6666
"Yeah, that's what the last detective said, and then she went around mutilating corpses!
You could just be another lunatic who loves the sight of blood for all I know."

"You said you last saw Eva at 3am, which is well after anybody else saw her. Genji told me that Hideyoshi wanted to talk to you last night. He also saw you climbing out of your room window some time during the night."

"Another thing that strikes me as odd is that you were running around without a jacket last night. Judging from the crime scene the culprit would have had to get blood on their clothing. Nobody saw Eva after a certain point during the night. She could have been killed much earlier then we think. You probably had to wash the blood off didn't you?"

"Now that you mention it I saw Kinjo hiding in the boiler room without his jacket on..." Ruon says
"See! Even more suspicious actions. What do you have to say for yourself?" Battler says.

>>6667
"Battler...you think I'd kill the people who wanted me to solve the case of their kid's death?! You're just throwing theories around. You know, I didn't say Ruon was the culprit. I was just thinking a servant might be an accomplice at best... You know who I think the culprit is? You!!!"

>>6668
"Me?" Battler clicks his tongue. "Out of all your theories so far-"
Before Battler can finish Kyrie interrupts.

"Alright, you both are right, almost anyone could have done it. For now, I'd say we should do as Kinjo suggested and stop pointing fingers. Even if there are countless suspicious actions against him there is not proof on anyone."
Battler protests but Kyrie firmly stops him.
"Alright whatever." He gives you a final glare and then leaves the room into the hall.

It seems nobody else has anything to say, so you follow him into the hall.

The group stops by the kitchen to get some canned food. Gohda and Rudolf grab armfuls and bring them to the parlor where everyone sits down in silence.

>>6669
[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcE1_uKySnQ ]

As you enter the room you notice there are still has decorations set up in the parlor. Extremely unfitting for the event that had taken place almost an hour ago. Everybody takes seats in arbitrary places. A can opener is passed around and everyone gets a few cans of food. People eat in silence. Nothing is said. You have a few cans open in front of you and a spoon.

>>6670
Eat food, etc.

>>6671
You finish off you food along with everyone else.
There is no talking going on until Natushi suddenly speaks.
"I hate these flowers. Can someone take them away?" she says as she points to the vase of flowers on the table.
Manon walks over and picks up the vase and moves it to another table. As this is done Natsuhi lets out a gasp and heads turn in the her direction. Where the vase once was there is a envelope.

>>6672
"What does it say?"

>>6673
Natsuhi picks up the envelope and opens it. Inside there is a letter and she begins reads it out loud.

"Dear Detective-san,
After investigating on my own I have found there are some certain documents on this island that- What is this nonsense!" Natsuhi suddenly stops reading and yells. Battler grabs the letter from her and continues.
"There are some certain documents on this island that should complete the ones you already have. However they are guarded by the head of the family and only he knows how to get them."
As Battler reads his vision slowly lays upon Krauss. "Krauss, what is this taking about?"

Krauss opens his mouth and closes it a few times. Finally he seemingly has settled on something. "Alright, I'll let you see them. There isn't much point of hiding it now." Krauss turns to the door. "It would be best to show you, I'll go get them." Krauss is about to grab the handle as Battler speaks up.

"Hey, hey, hey what about sticking together?" says Battler.

>>6674*
"That's right, we should stick together no matter what. If Krauss goes everyone else should go as well, either that or stay here together. There's no doubt that the culprit wants us to split up."

>>6675
As you say that Battler looks over at you. From behind Rosa starts to speak.
"Um, if you don't mind I have an idea." Everyone moves to get a look at Rosa.
"I was thinking, since the exchange that happened in the dinning room. If we sent Battler or Kinjo with Krauss, and everyone else stayed here, then they should be save."

"Save!?" Battler buts in, "If he is the culprit for all we know Krauss could be his last target and he will just run off into the forest after he is done with him." Battler exclaims furiously.

"Actually, when you think about it Battler, the snow is way too high for someone to even reach the forest," says Kyrie. "I see what Rosa is trying to say. However you are right, if we sent a single person with Krauss, and they turn out to be the culprit, then we're just throwing him out to the lion's den. So I have a better idea, send both of them."

"That could work." says Krauss, "That way if everyone else stays here in the parlor then both of them can give alibi's for each other. Naturally the same can be said about the people in the parlor."
"Well, when you say it like that..." Battler mumbles.

"Alright then, Kinjo and Battler follow me." Krauss motions towards the door.

>>6676
"Fair enough."

I follow Krauss.

>>6677
You and Battler follow Krauss out of the parlor and into the hallway. You notice as you walk Battler is continuously watching you. It's rather creepy.
Eventually you reach the main stairs and Krauss walks right past it. Confused, you asked why you are not going up the main stairs.
"The main stairs only go to the second floor. You have to use the stairs to the far right of the mansion to get to the third floor. I guess they really shouldn't be called the main stairs..." Krauss says simply.

You continue past the dinning room and the servant's room then reach the stairs at the end of the mansion. As you arrive on the second floor you give a quick look down the length of the mansion.

[ Mansion F2 Glance ]

The second floor looks pretty much the same as the first floor, just with more rooms. You and the others continue up the stairs yet again and reach the third floor. As you do you notice that light is shining through the windows on this floor.

Despite being the third floor there is no long hallway going through it. Rather, from what you can see it looks more like a foyer. Looking around the corner there is a single large fancy wooden door in the middle of the wall. Around the corner again is some more stairs. However Krauss stops in front of the door and pulls out a key. "Alright, here is my study." he says while inserting the key and unlocking the door.

>>6678

[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEUw0YgN-h4 ]

Krauss unlocks the door and you hear the lock open loudly. The three of you enter the room and the door swings shut behind you. As it does you notice the sound of the lock again.
"This study used to be my father's. As you know he was slightly paranoid, hence the auto-lock," Krauss states. "After he passed away I decided I might as well use it. I must say I have been rather reluctant on throwing away his artifacts. Even if they are rather disturbing."

Krauss then walks into what appears to be the main part of the room. The room is heavily covered in books and odd looking artifacts like chemistry bottles and suits of armor. You notice that the study is actually broken up into multiple rooms. Fortunately for you each has a label above the door.

[ Mansion F3 ]

"Alright just give me a minute, they should be in my desk somewhere."

Krauss starts to search in his desk and Battler looks around at the artifacts. You are standing in the main part of the study.

>>6679
I'll also look at those artifacts.

>>6680
You look around the main area of the room. Along the walls there are countless books on random subjects, ranging from sciences to business. Over on the left side wall there is a bunch of chemistry beakers that haven't seemed to have been used for a long time. Behind is some box of chemicals. One the wall to the right there is a large collection of alcohol, for some reason the vodka draws you in closer, but you control you self and break away from it's gaze.

Krauss is still looking through his desk.

>>6681
What kind of chemicals are there?

>>6682
There seems to be a rather small variety. Judging form the labels there is some Hydrogen cyanide, Dipotassium phosphate, Hydrogen carbonate, and and bottle labled, iron(III) bromide hexahydrate.

>>6683
I'll wait for Krauss.

>>6684

[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3ZvuaqK66g ]

Eventually Krauss says he has found it and he stands up from his desk.

Krauss hands you a few sheets of paper. "I burned the rest of them, but those papers should be a summary."
You take a look at the papers, they look exactly the same format as the police records you got from Terence.

The first page is simple a title labled, "Rokkenjima Murder"
On the second page however there are pictures of a corpse you reconize it as George...but wait...

The other picture is of a girl! Half of her face is destroyed, she was probably no more then 20 years old. You notice she is wearing a maid outfit, however the document says the body was never identified.
"Krauss t-this is!" Battler starts.
"Yes, that's right, Shannon and Kanon didn't dissapear on that day, she was also found dead, right next to George." Krauss says as he goes over to the alcohol drawers and starts pours himself a drink.
Battler seems to be shocked and he takes a few steps back. "So it was true... I knew it..."

You continune to read; it seems she was in the same state as George, gunshot to the back of the head, found in the same room no less. "Kinjo, I don't know if you have found out, but there wasn't two servants that dissapeared that day. You see, we had a servant who suffvered a mental condition. It caused different personalities to form inside her head. Her actual name was Yasu. Kanon and Shannon were examples of the personalities."
Krauss walks back over to his desk and sits with his drink in hand.
"This are the only documents I can think of. Does this satisfy you?

>>6686
"Does this satisfy me? I never asked for this. It was that person who keeps writing those letters. And they're probably the person who killed Eva and Hideyoshi. If there's nothing else to show me we should head back to the others immediately to make sure they're safe."

>>6687
"Also, I wouldn't drink that if I were you!!!"

>>6688
"Hmm? Why not? I just bought this rum yesterday, and there is only one key to the room which I keep on my at all times. Besides..."
Krauss reaches into his desk and pulls out a silver spoon. He then puts in into the rum and moves it around. Removing it, he then stares at it for a few seconds.
"I saw you doing this yesterday. If I remember correctly it will show if there is poison in something. By the looks of it there is nothing." says Krauss.

"Besides, if you didn't notice, I already tested it for poison." He points over to the alcohol drawers and you see a small bottle beside a cup with a bit of liquid in it. "I've been threatened more then once in my life time, I tend to be extra cautious around alcohol." He then takes a gulp of the drink. "See? Nothing wrong."

"Anyway, to get back on to the topic at hand, if you check the third page if you will." Krauss says while putting down his drink on his desk.

>>6689
"Right..."

I check the third page.

>>6690
You flip to the last page of the collection and see what he was taking about. On the last page there is yet another picture, however this one is on a beach. There in the photo is a rotten corpse in a disfigured position. The date is two years ago. Krauss stands up and looks out the window.
"Yes, that is the body of Furudo Erika, it was found a year after the incident. The only way they were able to identify the corpse was because of the teeth. At first it would be obvious that she has committed the crime and then killed her self. However once they got a good look at the bones it was found that she was shot in the back of the head. Impossible for a suicide."

"So she wasn't the culprit after all..." Battler mentions.

>>6691
"So two other people were killed on that day. If Yasu and George were found dead at the same time, does that mean the servant who found them covered it up then and there? How did they do it?"

>>6692
"The answer is simple, they were not found inside that room. When the bodies were found Genji informed me of the conditions for Yasu, and i ordered the bodies to be moved. It seems at the last moment George was able to solve the riddle, and he wrote it down. Because of that we knew where the door was and how to open it."

>>6693
"You had the bodies moved? Where were they originally found dead?"

>>6694
"In the mansion's servant room."

>>6695
"...So you moved George to the VIP room. But what about Yasu?"

>>6696
*And by "VIP room" I meant "that underground base".

>>6697
"Yasu was taken to father's supposed hidden mansion by Genji. I heard she was later buried."

"What?" Battler speaks for once in a while, when you look at him he looks angry. "Well, where was she buried?" he asks.
"I'm sorry, I do not know. Only Genji does."

"Sonofva- Alright come on, lets go back."

>>6698
"Right, we've been here long enough."

I motion to start leaving.

>>6699
"Alright." Krauss agrees and downs his drink.
You and Battler turn to leave, however you notice you don't hear a sound from Krauss.

[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJuQaMZOuPk ]

Krauss is standing frozen in place beside his desk. His eyes bulging and his mouth moving open and close. His hand gripping his chest crumpling his clothing. He attempts to take a step, however suddenly he lurches sideways and losses his balance, flying head first into the alcohol drawers. The glass shatters on impact and blood splatters on the ground. A ear piercing scream is emitted from his mouth as he falls backwards on to the middle of the floor in front of you. The room shakes from his one prideful figure hitting the ground. Bottles fall from the impact, snow passes the window, the suit of armor falls. The mouth once uttering such hateful remarks is cut up and looks on fire, stained by the bright color of red. His eyes practically jumping from their sockets, he reaches his arm out towards you, stretching, stretching, the bloody face of Krauss pleading for someone, something to help him. Until finally you see the light shatter from his eyes and his arm goes limp. Laying there in the middle of the destruction a puddle of blood starts to form surrounding his head.

>>6700
"Well, can't say I didn't warn him."

>>6701
"W-what...Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhooooooooooooooooooo!" Battler lets out a yell, as he does the word turns grey.

(Investigation Mode)

>>6702
Alright.

Let's quickly survey the room once again. To see its current state.

>>6703
Around the room a variety of objects have fallen down, notable the suit of armor. Krauss's body is laying in the middle of the main study in a pool of blood. The alcohol cabinet is shattered and many of the bottles have fallen, and thus have smashed on the ground. Krauss's cup is on the corner of his desk. Beside the cup is a silver spoon. In the middle of the desk there are piles of documents from which Krauss took out in search of the case papers.

>>6704
First things first, let's examine those documents!

>>6705
You take a peek at the documents on the desk. They seem to about previous and current deals with other companies. According to the documents a few years ago when Kinzo was alive his sons and daughters needed money. Out of what looks to be sheer luck, with the 'little' amount of inheritance Kinzo left Krauss he was able to bring everyone out of debt.

>>6706
Very well then, onto less important matters.

I'll check the silver spoon.

>>6707
Checking the silver spoon you can see nothing wrong with it.

>>6708
Anything odd about the cup?

>>6709
You look at the cup. It is on a small golden plate built into the desk. It is empty. From looking at it you can't see anything odd.

>>6710
Next up is the alcohol cabinet, how does it look?

>>6712
You walk over to the cabinet. There are shards of glass scattered around the floor mixing in with the many types of alcohol and blood. The small tray and bottle Krauss said he used to test the drink with are left untouched by the damage.

>>6713
I'll hold onto that tray and bottle for later. Oh, and I'll go and take that silver spoon with me too. And finally check out the closet.

>>6714
You pick up the bottle and tray. As you do you notice inside the tray the rum is the same color as rum should be. The bottle is half full.
You go over to the closet and look inside. There is an assortment of outfits. You look around each corner but only find clothing.

>>6715
Time to inspect the bathroom, how does it look inside?

>>6716
You enter the bathroom.
Besides being considerably larger then the one in the guesthouse it seems to have all the same functions: a toilet, a sink, a mirror, a shower, and a garbage bin. You search each one but come up empty handed.

>>6717
Back in the main room, are there any other interesting objects that fell on the floor?

>>6719
No, your quick survey identified all of them.

>>6720
I'll search the bookcases for anything hidden inside, as well as secret passages!

>>6723
You check every single book and crevice on the bookshelves and conclude there is nothing hidden there.

>>6724
Derp, silly me.

Almost forgot to inspect the dead body up close.

>>6725
After inspecting the body more closely you find that the only wounds you can see are the ones caused by the glass. The the smell of alcohol is strong, however around the head it smells slightly more pleasant, different from the rest of the body. The cornea has filmed over, and the white of the eye is turning grey.

>>6726
I check for any noticeable change in complexion of the face.

>>6727
The face extremely cut up and bloody, it's hard to check complexion, however it seems slightly pale.

>>6728
What's Battler doing right now?

>>6729
He isn't moving, he is frozen while you investigate.

>>6730
Then I'll go ahead and search Krauss's pockets for anything suspicious (and not suspicious).

>>6731
You find a pocket watch, and a key to the study.

>>6732
I'll take them both.

Investigation complete.

>>6733
The world fades back and Battler walks up to you.
"You done? We should get back to the others."

>>6734
"Yeah, that's all. Let's go."

I go with Battler back to the parlor.

>>6735

>>6736
You and Battler leave the study and you here it lock behind you. Hurrying down the flight of stairs quickly Battler is slightly a head, nothing is odd. That is, until you reach the second floor.

The sound of a gunshot rings out.

"Natsuhi!!!"

Rudolf's voice echos up the hallway. It's coming from the bottom floor.
"Shit! Hurry Kinjo! Let's take the main stairs!" Battler says as you reach the hallway of second floor.

>>6738
"Right!"

>>6739
The two of you rush down the hallway and run down the stairs. Once on the first floor you turn down the hall towards the parlor. There at the very end you can see Rudolf pounding on the furthermost door in the hall.
At that moment Genji enters the hallway from the parlor.

"Rudolf-sama, what happened?" Genji calls.
"I don't freaking know! She ran into the room and then there was a gun shot!" Rudolf says.

You and Battler finally make it to where they are standing and each one notices you.
"Battler, Kinjo!... Where is Krauss!?" Rudolf asks with a concerned face on. "Not right now!." Battler yells, "Genji, open the door!"
"As you wish." Genji then puts his key into the and unlocks the door. The sound of the lock coming undone is heard and Genji pushes open the door.

>>6740
It is pitch black inside the room. That doesn't last for long as Rudolf quickly flips the switch on the inside of the room and the lights shine on.

Inside of the room...

Is some string? In the middle of the floor there is a long piece of white spring. It reaches across the whole room, from one door on the left side of the room, to another door on the left side of the room. They are both closed. Natsuhi is no where to be seen.

>>6741
"What the hell is this?" Battler jumps to the string and yanks it. From the left door there is resistance and you hear something hit the ground from behind it. The length of string that was under the right door flew out when Battler tugged on it it.

Battler walks over to the left door and opens it. Inside it looks like a small closet. "What the hell!?" Battler bends down and picks up... a gun!? The string is tied to the trigger. He pulls the other end of the string all the way back to him and rolls it up while taking the first end off the trigger. It is not until then you notice that the end which came from the right door is stained red.

At the same moment you hear the door open behind you. Turning around you see Rudolf jump back once it fully opens. Inside Natsuhi is laying crumpled upon the side of the wall, a huge gash on her neck and blood dripping from her head. The world then fades gray yet again and everyone freezes around you.

Investigation mode.

>>6742
Take a quick look at the general area.

In other words I'd like to see a drawn map of this room.

>>6743
Judging from all the boxes and junk on the shelf it is safe to say this is a storage room. There are two closets that the gun and body where found.

>>6744
Closer inspection of Natsuhi.

>>6745
You inspect the corpse closely.
Natsuhi's head is hanging down, when you lift it up you can see the gruesome sight of her neck and head. There is a large cut horizontally across her neck, it has stretched open and you can see her larynx which also has match cut. Upon her forehead there is a hole which can only be identified as a bullet wound. Each wound is slowly dripping blood. Her corneas are only slightly filmed over.

Around the body there are bits and pieces of ash scattered around. In Natsuhi's hand there is s clump of the ash. It is burnt to a crisp and what ever it was is unidentifiable.

>>6746
Check her pockets.

>>6747
You find a key.

>>6748
I'll take it, then search both closets for anything strange.

>>6749
You search each closet for anything odd.
The majority of what is inside the closets are just clothing and boxes. In the room that Natsuhi was found in there is a small metal box with a lock laying open in the back of the room, it is empty. A key is in the lock to the box.

>>6750
Search the shelves for anything.

>>6752
Searching the shelves you find that it has a variety of junk ranging from broken tools to newspapers. Nothing looks suspicious.

>>6753
I'll read the newspapers!

>>6754
You read the newspapers...
There is nothing interesting or remotely relevant found on them.

>>6755
As expected.

Next order of business, I'll take the gun (if it's not in Battler's possession) and proceed to check out the window on the other side of the room.

>>6756
You look for the gun and find it firmly in Battler's frozen grip. Deciding not to both him, you go over and check the window. As you walk up to the colder end of the room all you see out the window is the snow pressed up against it. The lock is set.

>>6757
I'll check my watch and Krauss's watch.

>>6758
The both say it is 1:45pm.

>>6759
Alright then, that's enough.

Investigation complete.

>>6760

[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcE1_uKySnQ ]

As the world phases back into motion the first thing that you hear is Battler talking.
"Oi Dad, what the hell happened to staying in the parlor?" he asks angrily.
"Hey, it wasn't my fault. Natsuhi just suddenly ran out of the room. You guys showed up less than a minute after it happened." Rudolf says.
"Now why would she do that... Anyway, we should go back to the parlor." Battler says while walking to the door.
"Battler-sama" Genji says, "What about the gun?" Genji points to the gun Battler had left on the ground.
"Ah well you see, there are no bullets left in this gun." Battler opens the barrels and shows everyone. "But, now that you mention it, we should probably take it in case the culprit still has ammo."

With that said the four of you return to the parlor and Genji informs everyone else in the parlor what happened.

Currect people in the room: Jessica, Kyrie, Rudolf, Battler, Ange, Rosa, Maria, Gohda, Genji, Berune, Ruon, and Manon. Not to mention Detective Kinjo.

After a short pause Rosa speaks up. "Where is Krauss?"
Battler becomes flustered and seems to be trying to find the right words.

>>6761
"We have some good news and some bad news. What'd you like to hear first?"

>>6762
"...the bad news..."

>>6763
"Your brother drank a bit too much and died. I warned him Rosa, I warned him about vodka."

>>6764
Voices are raised at your statement.
"What do you mean? How did this happen? You killed him?" etc.
Battler then steps in. "I was with Kinjo when it happened, although I don't want to admit it, I doubt he could be the culprit, especially after what happened to Natsuhi."
"Natsuhi too?" Kyrie says softly.

Rosa looks back towards you. "And the good news?"

>>6765
"Congratulations Jessica, if I'm not mistaken you're now the family head!"

>>6766
"Do you even feel emotions? Her parents were both murdered and that's what you have to say!?" Battler yells.
At that moment everyone in the room stops. It takes a split second to understand what just happened. Out of no where your vision is blocked by something rushing towards your face. Dodging in time you duck down: only to have a knee impact your stomach. It makes you take a few steps back, however, oddly it doesn't hurt. Looking up at your assailant you see that it's Jessica.

"You monster..." Jessica whispers. "Battler is right, you aren't human. You are a monster who loves to kill. You murderer!" Jessica lunges at you yet again. Fortunately this time she is halted by Battler and Rudolf who have grabbed her arms. "Jessica calm down! There is no evidence!" Rudolf says. Jessica continues to struggle in their arms yelling, "Evidence!? That shit doesn't matter, it's obviously him! Even Battler said so! He murdered mom and dad!" Battler buts in, "I just retracted my previous statement didn't I?"
"But he.. he.." Jessica's protests slowly decline until they stop and all she can do is cry. Falling on the ground out of the grips of the men she continues to cry weeping incoherently. Genji orders for Ruon to take Jessica to the other side of the room. She does so, they are now sitting on a couch in the corner of the parlor. Everyone else is still in front of the entrance.

"Even if you are not the culprit..." Battler says to you while continuing to watch Jessica, "You're despicable."
Battler turns to the rest of the group. "So," he says with a concerned look, "What exactly happened once we left?" Rosa is the one to answer. "After you, Kinjo, and Krauss left nothing happened until Natsuhi suddenly ran from the room. Rudolf chased after her and seconds later a gun shot was heard." Genji also adds "I then went in the hall because I was the closest to the door, that's when you came back." Battler looks confused. "Wait.. So you are saying everybody is saying that no one left besides Natsuhi, Rudolf, and Genji?" Each person nods their head in agreement.

"Wait a second... Well, if Krauss.. Hmm..." He mutters while lost in thought.

>>6767
>>6768
"Sorry, saying that was in poor taste of me... Anyway, there's nothing strange about these murders. A trap was set up to kill Natsuhi and Krauss was poisoned. The culprit can still be anyone standing in this room."

>>6771
"Hmm... alright." says Battler, however he still looks at you with a gaze of distaste. "Well anyway, yeah I guess that makes sense. That means we are back where we started though..."
A short silence falls and a few seconds later someone else speaks up.
"Well what now?" Rosa asks. Kyrie is the one to respond, "Well nothing. We should stay put, right?" she looks around to the others for confirmation. Nobody seems to object.

>>6772
"No objections here."

>>6773
Everyone decides to sit down in various places in the parlor. Jessica and Ruon are still over in the corner. Rosa, Kyrie, Ange, and Maria have sat down on one of the coaches with drinks and canned food on the coffee table. Battler is standing with Rudolf, Gohda, Berune, Genji, and Manon over by the Christmas tree and telephone. Unlike the other groups they seem to be talking. You are still near the door to the entrance of the parlor.

>>6774
I'll listen in on what people are talking about.

I think that Kinjo guy is a jerk.

>>6775
When you try to get close Battler notices you and the conversation is halted. "Want something?" he says.

>>6777
"...I'd like to apologize again for being so much of a jerk lately. It probably doesn't mean much to you at this point but there's no point in having unnecessary tension built up at a time like this, so I'll bite the bullet on this one."

>>6778
"I see. Well I'll accept it, but you are right, I don't really care at this point. Besides, the last comment you made wasn't towards me. I normally would ask you to apologize to the one you wronged, however right now is probably a bad time." Battler says as looking over at Jessica.

>>6779
"Alright. Say, how soon do you think the police can get here?"

>>6780
Rudolf is the one to respond this time.
"Depends if we can contact them or not. When Genji checked we were unable to get through."

>>6781
"How long was this family meeting supposed to last? Do you think if we wait long enough the boat captain will come back?"

>>6782
"Two nights. We told him to come back tomorrow morning at 7:00am."

>>6783
"So if we just hold out a little longer, we should be fine. I'm just worried that with a killer still out there, more people will die. I've read several mystery novels where the people who split up get picked off one by one until there's no one left. I don't want to see that here."

>>6784
"I agree. As long as we stick together I think it should stop the murders." Battler says affirmatively. "That is probably the safest thing to do," adds Rudolf.
"Anyway, if you excuse me I'm going to see how Jessica is doing." says Battler, leaving you with Rudolf. The servants had gone off to the other corner during you discussion. Rudolf goes and sits with Kyrie.

>>6785
I'll check my watch. Then sit down on one of the couches and wait to see what happens next.

>>6786
[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4dv8CAFStw ]

It is 2:25pm
You sit down on the couch and watch what people are up to while waiting.
As time goes by you watch everyone stay pretty quite, Battler seems to be trying to convince Jessica of something, and Ruon has gone over to the other servants who are sitting quietly over in the other corner. Rosa goes to the bathroom during this time. Checking your watch you see that it is now 2:45pm.
Kyrie seems to be trying to get your attention.

>>6790
"Hmm? What is it, Kyrie?"

>>6791
"I was wondering, since I have only been fed information from others and you seem to discover every single murder victim it would be best to ask your opinion: Do you think all that has happened is possible for a single person?"

>>6792
"I don't see why not. The only thing that gets me is how consistent everyone's alibis are, in which case there may be an accomplice or two covering things up."

>>6793
"Alright, thanks. Just making sure." she says before sitting back down.
Everyone else seems to be doing the same thing as last you check. Jessica and Battler's conversation seems to be getting heated up from what you can tell.

>>6794
I'll see if I can hear what Jessica and Battler are talking about.

>>6795
Lucky for you, their conversation has gotten loud enough for everyone to hear.

[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDma4A6A3Bc ]

The tea cup Jessica had been drinking from shattered on the ground.
"Don't talk to me like that, you were egging him on in the first place!" Yells Jessica.
"Oh me is it? You were always having your 'secret 'talks with her weren't you?" Battler yells back. Each of them have now gotten the attention of the whole room on them now.
"She didn't even do anything, there is no way! Battler you are just a little-"

However at that moment her voice is cut off. No longer is the sound of yelling being heard, it is drowned out by the sudden darkness that engulfs the room. It is pitch black. A scream is heard and the sound of items falling on the ground resonates. More cups shatter. You hear a door open during the confusion. Shouts ring into your ears. "What happened!? Did the lights go out?! on so on a so fourth. Eventually you see sparks in the corner of the room, and then a light. Everyone become silent as Battlers face can be seen under the flame. Seems he has a lighter.

"Is everyone all right?" he asks. A short mumble responds "Uu-uu. Maria fell from being scared by the dark." the little voice says. "Oh Maria, are you alright!?" calls Rosa. Once Maria responds that she is, Battler once again takes charge. "Alright, lets do a roll call. to make sure everyone is safe."

Battler starts to call out for each person:
Ange? "Hi" Ange responds meekly.
Dad? "Yo, I'm here" you hear Rudolf say.
Mom? "Yep, here too." answers Kyrie.
Jessica? "Here." Jessica responds.
Rosa? "I'm here. and so is Maria" She says. "Uu-uu, I'm here Battler." Maria adds.
Genji? "Present" Genji says in his ever monotone voice.
Gohda? "Y-Yes, I'm standing near Genji." Gohda says with a whimper.
Berune? "Yep I'm over here." Berune calls.
Ruon? "Here," Ruon says.
Manon? "Present," Manon states quickly.

Kinjo? "Hey Kinjo are you here?"

>>6796
"I'm here."

"I'm fine, don't worry about me."

>>6797
"Alright, that's everyone." concludes Battler. "So what happened? A power outage is it?"
"It would seem that way, "Genji responds. "I suggest we go to the breaker room and investigate to what may be the problem."
"The breaker room? That is connected to the boiler room isn't it?" Rosa asks.
"That is correct," responds Genji. "There is also a lantern in the servant room I suggest we get before going."
"Alright, everyone remain close as possible." says Battler.

One by one everyone starts to leave the room.

>>6799
"Wait. I suggest we move in a single file line. Battler and Genji in the front, myself at the end. And so that no one sneaks off without us realizing it, we should hold onto the person in front of us as we move. Just to be very safe."

>>6800
"You know, he has a point." says Rudolf.
"Alright, However lets put Genji in the back with you. Gohda and I can take the front."

>>6801
"Sounds good."

>>6802

[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4dv8CAFStw ]

Everyone takes their positions and leaves the parlor in order.
Excluding the minuscule like that Battler is holding the whole mansion is pitch black. After a short walk to the servant room, everyone enters the room and Genji proceeds to search for the lantern. Moments later it is lit and he hands it to Battler. Everyone then processed back into the hallway and heads to the boiler room.

"Uu-uu what was that?" suddenly asks Maria once everyone enters the main hall.
"What was what?" Rosa asks. Maria says she heard something down the hall. Everyone stops and listens, however nothing is heard.

"Must have been your imagination. Lets continue." says Manon. Everyone continues on to the boiler room.

>>6803
As you enter the boiler room you naturally feel the heat from the boiler. The tools and junk are still laying around in heaps. Battler places the lantern in the middle of the room, lighting up most of it. Everyone stays near the entrance of the boiler room, excluding Battler and Genji who walk over to one of the metal doors you tried to open beforehand. Genji then takes out a key and unlocks it. When he opens it a puff of smoke flies out, inside there is what looks to be a large circuit breaker. However this one is obviously damaged, as you clearly see burnt and twisted metal throughout it. Even the door is burnt.
Rudolf decides to go check it out with them and now they are currently talking about it.

>>6804
"So, what seems to be the problem?"

>>6805
"Well, it looks like some water got in because of melted snow and caused it to get fired. Although It looks like more damage then something like that would normally cause."

>>6806
>water causing fire

"I see, do you think it'll be easy to fix?"

>>6807
"No, it's busted good."
"Well then now what?" interrupts Gohda. "Will we just use the lantern then?"
"Yeah, I guess so."

>>6808
"Do you think the lights in the guesthouse are still working? Maybe we could go there."

>>6809
"Actually, you may be right. Well Genji?"
Genji looks up, "Yes, as I was about to say, the guesthouse should still have power."
You hear a loud popping sound from behind you.

>>6810
I look at where the sound came from. What's going on?

>>6811
You turn from where the sound came from and see the boiler shaking. Not a second later your ears and vision shake uncontrollably and you see figures of the others fall to the ground. A flash of red flies past your face before you hit the ground. Something is falling in front of you, blocking your vision of the others. The ringing in your ears slowly declines as your vision fades. A sudden sensation of sinking overwhelms you, slowly...getting...tired...

>>6812
----
You awake. Opening your eyes it is dark and you can't see anything. You can hear someone coughing near to you.

>>6814
"What the hell happened..." the person coughing is Battler. You hear him rummaging around for something.

>>6815
After a few seconds you see sparks as he uses his lighter. It ignites and your eyes start to adjust to small amount of light. As you can now see his face you notice he has a heavily bleeding gash on his face. "Hey is everyone okay?" Nobody is responding.

>>6816
"I'm right here... What the hell just happened?!"

>>6817
"Ah, Kinjo eh?" Battler says while standing up. "I think the boiler, exploded?" Battler looks shocked. As you look in the detection of his gaze you see the room has been cut in half by junk and rubble from the blast.

"Hah, just like in the moves eh?" He says as crawling up towards the mound and trying to break it loose. "Shit! It's no good." He concludes. "That's not going to budge. There should be a back door leading outside. We might be able to use that."

As he motions for you to get up you both notice that there is indeed another person here with you. Over in the corner Maria is lying there. Not moving. "Maria!" Battler calls while running over to here. He shakes her while calling her name. Suddenly she coughs, and weakly opens her eyes. "Maria, it's me Battler, are you alright?"

"Uu-uu, yeah. I think so. My head hurst though," she says.
"Thank god," Battler sighs a breath of relief. "Hey Kinjo, can you looks for the exit? I dont think we should move Maria yet."

>>6818
"Right."

I stand up and look for the exit.

>>6819
There seems to be only one unopened door. There doesn't seem to be any light coming from it. but there is a small window on it, showing that it leads into a hallway.

>>6820
"Found it."

I point to the exit. Also, I look around and see if I can find anyone else.

>>6824
"Alright thanks," Battler says. "Hey, Maria, we need to get out of here, can you walk?" Maria nods and the three of you enter the hallway behind the door. It's not long before you turn a corner and come to another hallway. However at the end of the this one there is a small sliver of light and a slope of snow.

"Alright, there is the exit." Your group gets to the snow and Battler starts to make a path through the snow. It seems like there are stairs under the snow here.
Eventually the light becomes brighter and the three of you exit. It looks like it started to snow again. You are chin high in snow. However you are outside.

"Kinjo," Battler gets your attention. "It looks like we will have to go through the second floor window, can you give me a boost?"

>>6826
"Right!"

I give Battler a boost.

>>6827
You help Battler get up higher by using your hands to create a ledge. Once up Battler takes a swing back and shatters the window directly above. You hear him unlock it and with a small jump Battler is up and over. "Lift Maria up to me, then I'll help you next." says Battler.

>>6836
I lift up Maria to Battler.

>>6837
You lift Maria to Battler and eventually he is able to grab her, and then finally lifts her into the room. A few seconds later he reaches his hand out to you. Grabbing it, he pulls you into the room.

Light shines in from now broken window, lighting up the room enough to get a general feel of the place. By the looks of the place it must be someone's room. However there is no time for that.

Battler goes over to a drawer and pulls out a candle, lighting it, he then motions for you two to follow him through the door. Cautiously opening it he slowly opens the door and enters the hall. You and Maria follow right behind him.

The door slowly closes behind you and the hall becomes almost pitch black just like before. Naturally the light from Battler's candle provides some vision but it is limited.
"The main stairs should be this way." he says, and starts to walk to the right. Maria follows right behind him.

>>6839
I follow Battler and Maria.

>>6840
You follow Maria and Battler, who seems to be taking each step with caution. The hallway spreads out a bit and you can finally see the stairs. However at that moment Battler stops in his tracks and bends over, lowering the candle down lower to the ground. "Kinjo, look at this." he says.

>>6841
I look at it.

>>6842
You look at it.

There is a a drop of blood on the ground. However it doesn't stop there, you can see the blood drops continue as Battler holds up the candle. They continue down the hallway to the other side of the second floor. At that moment you can clearly hear a 'thump' emit from the darkness.

Battler stands up, and pulls out some clippers you recognize as the ones from the boiler room. He then starts to slowly follow the trail.

>>6843
I also follow the trail, making sure Maria doesn't wander off.

>>6844
You take Maria's hand and follow Battler down the hallway.
Slowly but surely you make your way down the dark tunnel. Eventually the trail slows, however at the point it was starting to become hard to see the trail, a huge puddle of blood appears. The puddle is right in front of a door to the left of your group.

As Battler lifts the candle towards the door it looks as if the blood was coming from the door it's self. A large cut has been made in the door, surrounding the area blood has dripped down. Battler carefully puts his hand on the doorknob and gives it a twist, but does not open it.

It seems that it isn't locked. He gives you a nod, apparently asking if you are ready.

>>6845
"Uh, Battler, care to remind me why we're going in here again? Doesn't look very inviting to me."

>>6846

>>6846
"Some detective you are." whispers Battler as he opens the door, only for it to suddenly come to a halt. Looking up it seems the chain is set. Battler takes the clippers, and clamps down real hard on it. The chain snaps, and Battler pushes the door open.

Inside laying on the ground right in the entrance to the room is Genji, with a huge stab wound in his chest. He is lying stretched out, his mouth wide open and covered in blood. The room is completely dark excluding the light given off by Battler's candle. "Shit, Maria look away!" is all Battler has to say. She then does so.

>>6848
"See I didn't think we should come in here! The blood on the door didn't give it away to you?!"

I tell Maria to go stay with Battler as I inspect the inside of the room on my own.

>>6849
Battler lays the candle down near Genji's body.
"Of course I did, that's the whole reason I investigated!" argues Battler. At that moment there is another thump, just like the first one, however it is not coming from the room you are in. It is coming from behind you. Battler rushes past you and out in to the hall.

"Maria stay in the hall there and don't move!" calls Battler.
"Battler I'm scared..." whines Maria back at him. "Just stay there alright!?" Battler yells.

You quickly take a step out of the room and and see that Battler has turned on his lighter, however it only lights up his face. You hear him and grab the door at the very end on the right hand side and yank it open. He must have just entered the room. Maria is beside you, however you only can tell that because you here her breathing.

>>6850
"Don't worry Maria. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

I hold her hand and take her back into the room I just left.

>>6851
You take Maria's hand and enter the room where Genji's corpse lays.
At that moment you hear Battler. "Mom? Oh god! MOM!" followed by the sound of something falling and finally Battler weeping.

The world fades to grey and slowly comes to a halt.

Investigation Mode

Thread's almost at 200, so before we start investigation mode I'll throw out a blue truth.

Kyrie is not dead. Battler couldn't properly confirm her death without the use of his candle, which is in a different room!

fourth thread:

>>6855