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Murder
On a rainy November evening at the Salem Junction railway station three gentlemen, Dr. Robert Kildare, Det. Harry Flanagan and USAC Capt. Dick Wilson, all enroute to the opening of a new library wing at Miskatonic University in Arkham, decide to share a cab. They are joined by one Nicolas LaRoche, Chief Inspector of Arkham Police, returning from a convention in Boston.
Folding their umbrellas the four men climb into the cab of one Willie Jones, and head to Arkham hoping to arrive in time for a hot meal and a good nights sleep. Fate, however, would hold neither of these in store for our travellers.
Nearing Arkham they are stopped at a road block by two officers of the Arkham P.D. They are looking for Insp. LaRoche, and when he presents himself, they tell him that he is urgently needed at a crime scene just West of town. Knowing the station is likely understaffed, and believing it to be a small matter, LaRoche dismisses the officers and asks if the cab driver and other passengers would be willing to accompany him as he attends to this minor inconvenience. They agree and turn off the main road into the surrounding woods.
Arriving at a small, abandoned farmhouse, it seems that this is, in fact, no small matter at all. Outside are two more Arkham officers, Sgt. Glendon and Lt. Ellery along with a man named Solomon Lyman. Lyman is a local farmer who owns the land on which the farmhouse stands. He explains that while out walking the property his dogs, now tied up outside the house, caught scent of something and went charging off into the wilderness. When he caught up with them, they were standing outside the house barking madly as if something or someone were inside. Lyman entered the farmhouse to investigate, then, after his nausea had subsided, went in search of the police.
Both Ellery and Glendon seem rattled. Lt. Ellery says that Dr. Grayson, distinguished biology professor and Arkham’s coroner has been called for as well as photographer Armand McVeigh to document the crime scene. When LaRoche asks what’s inside, Ellery replies, “Not just what, but who.”
LaRoche informs Kildare, Flanagan, Wilson and Jones, that there’s no need for them join him but as Kildare is a doctor and Flanagan is a fellow detective, they may come and look. They agree, but once inside, find grim reason to regret their acceptance of LaRoche’s offer.
There, splayed on the floor of the old farmhouse, at the center of some crudely fashioned ritualistic circle are the dismembered remains of a human being. While some body parts appear discarded into the corners of the room, some seem to be deliberately arranged within the circle. Entrails are stretched into some kind of linear pattern, a sort of off-center triangle with two extended sides, one of which curves into a hook. A single hand is placed at two of the triangle vertices, while both feet are at the end of the straight extension. The head is placed at the end of the gruesome hook.
While all are taken aback, LaRoche, on seeing the head, seems dumbstruck for a second longer than it takes for the others to regain their composure. The victim, it seems, is the mayor’s son, Edgar Derby.
Grayson and McVeigh arrive shortly after the party, escorted in by officers Ellery and Glendon. “Well, he’s definitely dead.”, says Grayson a bit sardonically before LaRoche draws attention to the head. Then more somberly, “Has anyone told Nathaniel?”, referring to the mayor.
“Let’s do what we need to do here first,” says LaRoche. “That’ll at least give me some time to think. Carry on McVeigh, and Grayson, once he’s done you can start bagging some of this up. We can’t leave it here overnight for the animals to find.”
After McVeigh photographs the scene, LaRoche begins a more thorough investigation and allows the characters to participate. Probably against policy, but he needs all the help he can get. Kildare spots a small figurine in the center of the circle amongst the unfortunate Derby’s entrails.
Taking it up it appears badly weathered and/or very old. The depiction is difficult to make out, definitely humanoid, but definitely not human. Neither Grayson nor LaRoche knows what to make of it, but Grayson suggests some kind of Indian artifact. LaRoche suggests taking it back Dr. Stanley Archer at Miskatonic, who is familiar with local lore.
Willie stands guard while Wilson searches an adjacent room and Flanagan roams about the farmhouse’s exterior. Under a pile of leaves Wilson spots something shiny. Picking it up, it appears to be a cufflink with an odd symbol. Wilson pockets it and continues searching but finds little else.
Flanagan, meanwhile, has found something equally interesting outside. Examining an old well he spots what appears to be a bloody handprint on the side. Then, peering down into the well’s darkness hears a voice. In his ears? In his head? He can’t tell. He does understand it clearly though as it speaks two single words…” come down.”
End-Of-Session