[Cavenglok]

A man named James takes a trip in a hot air balloon. No one found him since... until now. Maddened by the lack of communication with civilization, all he mutters is "It was the phoenix! It was the burning phoenix! The hole! The falling balloon! It was the phoenix!" The next day he is shot and a note is found in his shirt pocket. It says, "The phoenix aims for whoever finds the note first in every victim. You will always find the note." You, Detective Brian Dennis, are to solve these three things;

-Who murdered James?

-How do we protect the note finders?

-What is the "Phoenix?"

You may interview with witnesses. You will be informed of the next note finder every time there is one. You may do actions as the detective. Good luck.

The first note finder is a woman by the name of Kristina, James' girlfriend. She used to live in New York with her boyfriend.

[Guest]

when interviewing the witnesses, do we just post questions on this page? i kristina the only witness? also, what are the "actions" we may take as the detective?

[Guest]

Interview Kristina: Where do you live now? Was James the boyfriend you had in New York? Why did James decide to take a trip in a hot air balloon?' Was anyone else with him on the trip? Who piloted the balloon? Where is the pilot? Does 'phoenix' mean anything to you?

A man named James takes a trip in a hot air balloon. No one found him since... until now. Maddened by the lack of communication with civilization, all he mutters is "It was the phoenix! It was the burning phoenix! The hole! The falling balloon! It was the phoenix!" The next day he is shot and a note is found in his shirt pocket. It says, "The phoenix aims for whoever finds the note first in every victim. You will always find the note." You, Detective Brian Dennis, are to solve these three things;

-Who murdered James?

-How do we protect the note finders?

-What is the "Phoenix?"

You may interview with witnesses. You will be informed of the next note finder every time there is one. You may do actions as the detective. Good luck.

The first note finder is a woman by the name of Kristina, James' girlfriend. She used to live in New York with her boyfriend.

Edited March 1, 2010 by chicory

[Guest]

In addition to Chicory' questions, here are a few more to ask Kristina:

What was the name of James' balloon?

What was James's intended route and destination? (thinking of natives, black magic, wildlife, birds etc)

What was his job before the balloon trip?

Can you list his main friends and family for me?

Could he have had any enemies?

Also detective work: I assume by 'shot' you mean with a gun (sorry, have to ask in case it's something else!) If so, run ballistics on James's gunshot wounds - what type of gun (is there a make called the Phoenix?), how many bullets, which parts of body. Where was he found dead? Also, find out if James owned a gun. Is it definitely murder or could he have shot himself, suicidal through insanity/delusion? Is Kristina also a suspect? Run a check on her.

No doubt will think of more, but I'm sure that will keep you busy )

Excellent teaser BTW Cavenglok - will bug me until the solution is found!

[Guest]

Maybe the hotair ballon got overheated and burst into flames, and the poor James thought was some giant fire bird. That maybe answered one of your questions

[Cavenglok]

Kristina: I live in California, the place where James died. Yes, James was the boyfriend I had in New York. James wanted to travel in an air balloon, and he fond a good air balloon site in California. I'm pretty sure he was the only one. He piloted it by himself. No, "phoenix" does not mean anything to me. I don't know the name of James' balloon, I think it was the Sparrow or something. James was flying around California. (this is irrelevant) He was a very successful policeman. He has a friend named Micheal who loves doing pranks on him. He also has three siblings, Etna, Flora, and Burton. James is the youngest. He has a bunch of criminals who would be glad to kill him.

Detective Results: We can't tell the type of gun, the bullet was removed. There was one bullet directly in the middle of his back, so it definitely could not have been suicide. Ran a check in Kristina's apartment in California.

Kristina has a bedroom with a bed. On the right side, there is a picture of her and James. She has a window on the right wall. The closet has an engravement on the inside in the shape of a bird.

Kristina: Wha..? When was that there?

Furthermore, there is a black box on top of the closet that Kristina did not want you to see. Before you could continue investigating, the phone rings.

Ringer:...

You: Hello?

Ringer:...

You: ...Who is this?

Ringer: Do not dare go near your bed,

Or the flaming phoenix will drop on your head.

You will find your next clue

Once you find a man named Lou.

Good luck. Thanks for the compliments.

[Cavenglok]

Maybe the hotair ballon got overheated and burst into flames, and the poor James thought was some giant fire bird. That maybe answered one of your questions

No. Sorry. Pretty close, though.

[Guest]

um, who first found the note in james's pocket?

if we are to protect note finders, this person will need looking after...

or i'm reading it wrong?

[Cavenglok]

um, who first found the note in james's pocket?

if we are to protect note finders, this person will need looking after...

or i'm reading it wrong?

You're reading it right, but I already said that the first note finder was Kristina.

[Guest]

I secretly take the black box and examine it. I run a search on Lou and question him. Question Kristina using a lie detector.

Q1 = Do you know anything about the bird engraved on the closet wall.

Q2 = Do you know anyone named Lou.

Q3 = if so, what is that relation of you Lou and or James.

Q4 = Why is the black box doing there

[Cavenglok]

*Update*

Kristina forgot to tell you something.

Kristina: There was one person who was in total love with James. But after he turned her down, she always seemed mad at him. Her name is Debbie. There was also Debbie's ex-boyfriend, Jerry, who Debbie broke up with because Debbie was in love with James. Since then, Jerry always had a thing against James.

You: Do you remember anyone else who might have a grudge against James?

Kristina: No, but I'll contact you once I do.

And I misunderstood one of the questions. Here is Kristina's alibi.

You: What were you doing the night of the crime?

Kristina: I was in California staying with my aunt. James was in the mental institute. I asked to take him for a walk so he can get some from fresh air. The policemen wanted to handcuff... *flinch* (silence)

You: Yes?

Kristina: Nothing.

You: ...tell me when you are ready, but please make sure you do if it's relevant.

You stand up to leave, but Kristina stops you.

Kristina: No. I'll tell you now. (You sit down.) It's nothing, but I won't get arrested for this, right? I didn't let them handcuff my James.

You: Did you use force? Or did you just tell them to stop?

Kristina: I told them it wasn't necessary.

You: I think it's fine.

Kristina: Okay. So we were walking, and then he shouted, "The phoenix!" and ran into an alleyway two blocks from where we were. I tried to keep up, but he was way too quick. When I reached the corner, I heard a gunshot. I ran in, and I saw an outline reaching over James' body, then ran through a door in the alleyway. I tried to open it, but it wouldn't open. So I called the police. You'll find him, won't you? The nearest address is, (irrelevant). It's a big green-gray door.

You may:

-Interrogate Kristina a little more.

-Check the door in the alleyway.

-Interrogate Jerry

-Interrogate Etna, Flora, and Burton

-Look for "Lou"

-Investigate Kristina's room

What is a second name for the Devil? Is there a geological feature named after "Lou?"

[Cavenglok]

I secretly take the black box and examine it. I run a search on Lou and question him. Question Kristina using a lie detector.

Q1 = Do you know anything about the bird engraved on the closet wall.

Q2 = Do you know anyone named Lou.

Q3 = if so, what is that relation of you Lou and or James.

Q4 = Why is the black box doing there

Kristina: No, I don't. I honestly don't. But if this helps, I noticed that it has hinges. No, I don't know anyone named Lou. *blushes* The black box is just a case of love letters that James and I used to write to each other. There's nothing in there you want to see, but I found this in there, if it helps. It wasn't there before.

She hands a blank notebook to you. There are markings on the back cover. It looks like a bunch of rubbish. Here it is:

Oscar Papa Echo November - Bravo India Romeo Delta. Foxtrot India Romeo Sierra Tango - Papa Alpha Golf Echo.

The phone rang again.

Caller: One night left. My, my, my.

I'm wondering what you will do.

Because you'll find the next to die

Once you find the big, tall Lou.

You may:

-Try to decipher message.

-Try to decipher notebook message.

-Whatever I said in my other post.

[Guest]

devil, satan, owner of hell, lucifer

lou mite b short 4 lucifer but i dunno

this is really weird i wanna know wut happened

Edited March 2, 2010 by Glanick

[Framm 18]

Well, the rubbish is OPEN-BIRD. FIRST-PAGE.

This is for questions outside the story.

What is the equipment that we have access to, in this story?

Examine the door for any signs.

Will have some more questions in a little bit.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Framm 18

[Cavenglok]

Well, the rubbish is OPEN-BIRD. FIRST-PAGE.

This is for questions outside the story.

What is the equipment that we have access to, in this story?

Examine the door for any signs.

Will have some more questions in a little bit.

You have a pistol, contact book, camera, medical examiners, professional lie detectors, and of course, the classic detective Sherlock Holmes magnifying glass.

Assuming the door is the bird, you examine it. You find that it opens. It opens to a complex design of a giant wooden bird, and Invisible Writing Revealing Pen, and a note. The note says, "Use pen. Fire. You're done at midnight."

You find an indent in the ceiling above Kristina's bed. It looks like cracks.

It's nearly 11:30 AM.

You may:

-Use the IWR pen on something

-Look around Kristina's room more

-Look for anything that has to do with giant wooden birds

-Look closely at cracks in ceiling

-Keep searching for "Lou"

[Cavenglok]

A phone call rings:

Caller:

Midnight's close, you must speed

or my fatal plans will succeed.

If you save her, do not fret,

because I'm very interested in Juliet.

[Framm 18]

Assuming the door is the bird, you examine it. You find that it opens. It opens to a complex design of a giant wooden bird, and Invisible Writing Revealing Pen, and a note. The note says, "Use pen. Fire. You're done at midnight."

Is there a fire place where she lives?

You may:

-Look closely at cracks in ceiling

Examines the crack.

-Keep searching for "Lou"

Probable not, since it is part of the clue, but is it along the lines of Devil's Peak?

Questions for Jerry:

What is your relationship with James?

Where were you on the night in question?

Questions for the Siblings:

What type of man was James?

Was there anyone who may have wanted to harm your brother?

More to come.

Edit: Welcome to BrainDen, hope that you will enjoy it.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Framm 18

[Cavenglok]

Assuming the door is the bird, you examine it. You find that it opens. It opens to a complex design of a giant wooden bird, and Invisible Writing Revealing Pen, and a note. The note says, "Use pen. Fire. You're done at midnight."

Is there a fire place where she lives?

You may:

-Look closely at cracks in ceiling

Examines the crack.

-Keep searching for "Lou"

Probable not, since it is part of the clue, but is it along the lines of Devil's Peak?

Questions for Jerry:

What is your relationship with James?

Where were you on the night in question?

Questions for the Siblings:

What type of man was James?

Was there anyone who may have wanted to harm your brother?

More to come.

Edit: Welcome to BrainDen, hope that you will enjoy it.

11:50 AM

You examine the crack. You find it is expanding quite dramatically. In fact, it can be seen without looking closely. You're about to search for a fireplace, but then you remember that she lives in an apartment. As you examine the crack, you found a box of matches near the floor. You begin to wonder what the person in the apartment above is trying to do.

And no, it's not Devil's Peak. Another hint:

It's in Wyoming.

A gruff, relatively big man with multiple tattoos walks into your office.

Jerry: James was the guy who stole my girlfriend! I can't forgive him for it. Still, I don't hate him enough to kill him. (You notice he grits his teeth) He really has some nerve to steal my Debbie, though. (He grits his teeth more violently) I was in my house calling Debbie to try to get her back. You can ask her. (You start to wonder how he still has his teeth intact)

Etna, Flora, and Burton: James was a nice guy. He was certainly scared of that Jerry. Jerry really scared him, he told us all the time. Jerry would have very liked to snap one of his arms. James never hurt him, though. Debbie got interested in him, and she kept trying, but James already had Kristina. I heard James was going to propose to Kristina..

You: Propose?!?

E, F, and B: Yeah. Debbie heard, and she got pissed, I tell you. I'm not surprised if she's after Kristina's throat.

Edit: Thanks. I'm enjoying BrainDen so far.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Cavenglok

[Cavenglok]

A couple of hints:

First page of what? Who lives directly above Kristina's apartment? Is the notebook completely blank? Where is "Lou"? Why is there a wooden bird involved? What's with fire? Where does the green-gray door lead to?

Best of luck. It's 11:50 AM.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Cavenglok

[Guest]

I go up to the room above Kristina. I'm guessing if I don't do that soon she'll die. I question the person staying there:

Who are you? (name, age...)

Do you know Kristina? Your relation to her?

Do you know James? Your relation to him?

Has anyone been coming into your room lately?

May I step in and inspect the room?

Am I allowed to move those matches???? The mystery caller keeps going on about fire.

I go to the phone records and find the number of the caller that keeps phoning.

I get the notebook with the secret message on the back and attempt to use the Invisible Writing Revealing Pen and discover invisible writing on the first page of the notebook.

Edited March 2, 2010 by teekayla

[Cavenglok]

I go up to the room above Kristina. I'm guessing if I don't do that soon she'll die. I question the person staying there:

Who are you? (name, age...)

Do you know Kristina? Your relation to her?

Do you know James? Your relation to him?

Has anyone been coming into your room lately?

May I step in and inspect the room?

Am I allowed to move those matches???? The mystery caller keeps going on about fire.

I go to the phone records and find the number of the caller that keeps phoning.

I get the notebook with the secret message on the back and attempt to use the Invisible Writing Revealing Pen and discover invisible writing on the first page of the notebook.

You move the matches. Nothing happens. (This was a hint on what the murderer was doing.) You check the phonebook. The numbers were different, and none of them are in the phonebook. You use the invisible pen. It says, "Will the flaming bird fall?" You knock on the door. No one answers. You open it, finding it is unlocked. There is an enormous wooden bird with a fuse burning next to it. The bird continues to sink.

You may:

-Alarm Kristina

-Look for murderer

-Question neighbors

-Look for fingerprints on bird

Hurry. It's 11:58.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Cavenglok

[Guest]

You move the matches. Nothing happens. (This was a hint on what the murderer was doing.) You check the phonebook. The numbers were different, and none of them are in the phonebook. You use the invisible pen. It says, "Will the flaming bird fall?" You knock on the door. No one answers. You open it, finding it is unlocked. There is an enormous wooden bird with a fuse burning next to it. The bird continues to sink.

You may:

-Alarm Kristina

-Look for murderer

-Question neighbors

-Look for fingerprints on bird

Hurry. It's 11:58.

freaking save kristina and does lou have to do anything w/ devils tower

[Guest]

I get kristina out of that room. and throw take out the fuse! I throw water on it! and dust for fingerprints.

[Cavenglok]

I get kristina out of that room. and throw take out the fuse! I throw water on it! and dust for fingerprints.

By the time you get water, the bird is already burning and the floor is snapping. You rush downstairs in a minute exactly, then you crash through the door. Kristina is asleep, despite the caller's warning. With a yell, you leap, grab Kristina, do a barrel roll, (to your shock) and just miss the flaming bird that fell on the bed. You grab a fire extinguisher and extinguish the bird. Kristina's bed is ruined, but at least she's okay.

The phone rings.

Caller:

So you saved her. I must commend you.

However, you still haven't found Lou.

You must rush to a bloody duet

or I will slaughter dear Juliet.

According to the police, James' murderer had been arrested long before the flaming bird trap.

Yes, Glanick, Lou is the Devil's Tower, good job. So now, you may:

-Interview Debbie

-Ask Kristina if she knows a Juliet

-Travel to Devil's Tower

-Investigate above apartment

-Ask any other witnesses

Congratulations, you saved the first note finder!

Edited March 2, 2010 by Cavenglok

[Framm 18]

According to the police, James' murderer had been arrested long before the flaming bird trap.

What is that person's name and can we question them?

Debbie: Can you verify, Jerry calling you on the night in question?

What is your relationship with Kristina?

Do you know of anyone other than Jerry, who might have wanted to hurt James?

What were you doing Yesterday?

Asks Kristina if she knows of a Juliet, or if there is a production of Romeo and Juliet going on nearby.

Check out the apartment.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Framm 18

[Cavenglok]

The man has been identified as Edward Flemming Black. All we got from him was that he killed a man who fits the description of James. We showed his photo and he verified the face. We don't have anything else from him, but the police is sure they can drain some info from him.

Debbie: Jerry? I haven't heard from him in weeks! Kristina is James' girlfriend, right? Oh, I wish she didn't exist, then I'd have my James. Then again, I would've gone through the flaming bird thing. I'll be honest with you, I think this is a killer group. Whoever killed James couldn't have done the bird thing. Who else might hurt James... Ah! There's this guy named Morris who always had a grudge on James. James was kind of a bully back then, and Morris was the nerd. But James was doing it for his life.

You: His life?!?

Debbie: Yeah! Remember the Robert-James incident?

You: You mean the victim is James Carval?

Debbie: Yeah! Robert was forcing James into bullying Morris because Morris refused to give Robert money!

You: Isn't he still in jail?

Debbie: Yeah. Morris still hasn't forgiven him, though. He's still a jerk. Yesterday? I was visiting my friend.

You: What is her name?

Debbie: Juliet.

You: !!!

Debbie: What?

You: You need to tell us about this Juliet.

Debbie: Um.. okay. Back in high school, Juliet, Kristina and I were in this tight friendship. We were the cool girls, the popular ones. Soon, though, after graduation, things started breaking up. Kristina being with James and me in love with James, and Juliet suddenly going quiet...

You: Do you know why?

Debbie: (as if in shock) Omigosh! She was talking about phoenixes!

You: Where does she live?

Debbie: In Wyoming.

Kristina: Juliet? She used to be a close friend of mine...

You: I heard from Debbie. Do you know if she still lives in Wyoming?

Kristina: Yeah, she does. I know what city she lives in. It's relatively small, but at least she gets to go on camping trips to the Devil's Tower with her family.

You: She's married?

Kristina: Yeah. Heard it's nice. She lives in Gilette. (This is an actual city in Wyoming) Here is her address. (she hands you an address) Oh, by the way, thank you for earlier. I can't thank you enough for it.

You: (standing up) No problem. Give me a call if you need to tell me anything else. (one of those cheesy moments happen; you walk out) *punching the air* Oh yeah!

Edited March 2, 2010 by Cavenglok