Ditto Town Mystery Mansion

[PrinceCor004]

With all the commotion being caused by a "llama", Neal told Dan if he needed anything just to ask before meandering over to the other side of the basement to check out the llama.

The "llama", as it turned out, was nothing more than two chairs with a small desk on top with a deteriorated moose or possibly horse head resting atop. In the dark and with the battered condition of the head, it could possibly be misconstrued as a llama. Still, Decker got a good chuckle out the confusion.

[stargazer]

Dan thanked Neal and turned his attention to the fuse box. Even in the dim light of his candle he could tell it was empty. Curiouser and curiouser. He held out his candle to confirm this, then MacGyvered™ a candle holder in a small alcove next to the fuse box.

His safety training kicked in and he made a point of confirming the main power switch was in the OFF position. Power grid questions or no, it certainly wouldn’t do to have the power come on when he was poking around in there.

“Weird,” was his professional opinion. “It’s entirely empty.” He looked again, still having a hard time accepting this. “Wait, there’s something down at the bottom,” he said more to himself than anything.

Glancing once more at the main power switch, he reached down into the empty box. His hand wrapped around some sort of cylinder, but just then the hair on his arms and even his head tried to stand on end, and he felt the tingling that meant only one thing.

How can there be power? was his thought as he was thrown back from the fuse box and fell hard to the floor, cylinder still in hand.

But in the end, his thoughts turned to family. “Tell Angie and Grace…I love them.”

[PrinceCor004]

Neal had begun making his way back to Dan when he heard the man saying something about finding something in the empty fuse box. He had just cleared a stack of old books when Mr. Baxter's body came flying backwards, landing only a few feet away from the Darkling.

"Dan! Dan! Can you hear me?" Neal tried feeling for a pulse but was shocked with residue electricity instead. This is not good. At all. Tentatively feeling for a pulse a second time... nothing. "Well, you gave it your best, Baxter. Thanks..."

Neal was about to leave and inform Delia of the death when he noticed something in Dan's right hand. Carefully moving the fingers away from the object, it turned out to be a smallish cylinder. About the size of a cigar case. Upon opening it, Decker quickly viewed its contents before putting the object in his duster pocket and then vanishing into the darkness.

A few seconds later, Neal emerged from the darkness behind Delia and whispered in the Ghost Wrangler's ear. "We have a casualty in the basement. Mr. Baxter. You better come have a look."

[Delia Death]

"What do you mean, a casualty?" Delia hissed back, quickly following Neal out of the room and down to the basement. She stopped. "Oh."

Delia studied him for a moment, then nudged him with her foot.

"Really and sincerely dead?" she asked. Neal nodded. Delia sighed.

"I guess that means we get to inform Mrs. Baxter...."

[PrinceCor004]

"... and tell her what? Her husband died from getting electrocuted by a fuse box without any electricity?" Neal examined the fuse box one last time before heading back towards the staircase.

"We might just get that riot we wanted earlier."

[Delia Death]

"Well, please enlighten me if you have a better idea," Delia replied. "It's better than hiding the body and pretending nothing happened. 'Oh, Mrs. Baxter, I haven't seen your husband all evening! Are you sure you didn't leave him at home by accident?'"

[PrinceCor004]

"Of course not. Just... it would be easier if he had died from a spider bite or falling in the well or something more explainable." Neal sighed and pulled the brim of his fedora down over his eyes. "Might as well get this over with."

[narnianerd]

Jeff had spotted Delia's hurried exit and decided that an investigation was in order. Now he wished that he hadn't.

"I'm sure she'll be ecstatic," he said as he came up behind the two freaks.

[Captn. Peregrin]

"I'm sure it's just as well he died doing his duty," Mr. Quigley Earnest Dint said quietly from the top of the stairs. "And it's certainly not the cruelest or most unusual way to die."

[Delia Death]

"Aaaaand...Jeff, Darling," Delia said, grinning just slightly at Neal before she turned back to Jeff and Mr. QED. "Since you are an officer of the law, I think it might be best if you inform Mrs. Baxter about this ill news. I'm sure that Mr. Quigley Earnest Dint would be willing to accompany you and provide moral support for the widow."

[Captn. Peregrin]

She had dodged into a smaller room, hiding behind the door as she composed herself. She remained that way, trembling and breathing heavily, until her legs gave out.

That's right. These legs aren't as strong. Reminded of her form, however, she thought to close the door as quietly as she could (Not very quietly at all - stealth was never my strong suit). She thought there was a lock, but she didn't much like walls (despite their occasional usefulness), and she didn't want to risk locking herself in.

Strange moonlight streamed in through a large window, illumining the room with an eerie glow. She noticed a pile of blankets and cushions which might be a large sofa or small bed. She took a large, thick blanket (Why do they have to catch cold so easily?), and wrapping it around herself, peered through the window.

She stiffened. I knew there was something off about this place! Everything's dead here.

[narnianerd]

Jeff knelt next to the former Daniel Baxter and closed his eyelids, then he removed his sport jacket and covered the poor fella's face with it.

"Go to Niflhel, Delia."

[Delia Death]

"I raised him," Delia sniffed. "Niflhel is my son, and a better one than you'd ever be. Although I'm beginning to doubt your ability to have compassion, you're still the cop and thus the official coroner. It is the responsibility of the coroner to inform the next of kin. Go tell Angie. Now."

[narnianerd]

Jeff took one last final look at Baxter when he noticed the electrical burns that covered Daniel's hand, upon closer examination he discovered the symbols F13 branded into the man's skin. He stood and with a meaningful glare in Neal's direction he spoke these words. "The deceased had something in his grasp just prior to the time of death. I expect whatever it was to be produced as evidence when I return."

With being said, he went off in search of Mrs. Baxter. "Ma'am, may I speak with you for a moment?"

[stargazer]

Angie had just finished chatting with another guest when Jeff asked to speak to her. She turned to him, recognizing him as the Ditto Town police officer.

Perhaps it was something in his face, or the way he said it, but Angie knew immediately something must be wrong. Her husband had been gone too long.

She gulped and answered his question. "Yes, of course. Is something wrong?"

[Bookwyrm]

Anna had retreated back to the room the rest of the guests were in. She stared at the light of a candle, trying to fight back the urge to hyperventilate.

"Everything here is dead. Now one of us is dead. Sense a theme?"

"Hush. It was an accident. Nothing wants to hurt us."

"You know death follows us, dear sister. Everywhere we go, the bodies pile up. Starting with our mother."

"That was not our fault!" Anna said, realizing too late that she had spoken the last sentence aloud. She glanced around nervously, hoping no one had heard.