Part 22: Blackwell Unbound - Update 8

Update 8

So yesterday we spoke with a Mrs. Harriet Sherman, who told us about her crazy neighbour Mavis Wilcox who refused to leave her apartment. And we have a ghost at the construction site where the apartment used to be, also claiming she won't leave. Let's see what we can do with this information.

Lauren's Theme (Alternative)



First thing's first, let's see if we can get the notepad in order. We can try to combine the two clues together, but...

Lauren: It's a good bet that Mavis Wilcox is the ghost at the construction site. But I can't say for certain.

The series is pretty good with this, actually. It will often allow you to notice coincidences, but won't "confirm" things that you couldn't know for certain.

Now, Harriet also had an envelope with some of Mavis' stuff. Lauren opens it.

Lauren: There's not much in here. Just a photograph and some letters.



One of the letters immediately jumps out at Lauren, as she sees a very familiar name down the bottom of the page. Somehow, it seems Mitchell was involved with both of tonight's cases.



Looking at the photograph, Joey recognises the "attractive in a motherly kind of way" lady immediately.

Joey: That's the ghost at the construction site.
Lauren: So our ghost's name is Mavis Wilcox.
Joey: I'd bet the farm on it.

Only now does the notepad indicate that the ghost is actually Mavis.

Inside The Gate



Heading back to the construction site, Joey gets Lauren to knock again for another chat with Mavis.

Mavis: Who are you?

Soon enough, we get to this point. Now, after looking at the photograph we have another option.



Joey: I've come back.

It's not entirely clear why Joey can say this now, but couldn't before. My guess is he saw the photo with Mavis and what looks like her son, and assumed a husband must have been around as well. Though it would have been a reasonable guess before, too. I guess we'll just go along with it for now.

Mavis: John? John, is that really YOU?
Joey: In the flesh.

Will Mavis bite?

Mavis: No. No. No. John Durkin is dead.
Joey: John Durkin?
Mavis: Dead. Dead. Dead. You can't be him.

I guess not. Though it's odd that her husband has a different surname to her. Perhaps she never took his name? Or they got divorced. Presumably she didn't remarry, or else she would have assumed Joey was her new husband.

Let's try pretending to be the other family member.



Mavis: Sam?
Joey: Yep. That's me.
Mavis: Sam! It's been sooo long! Look at you!
Joey: Yeah. Look at me.

Apparently that worked! I guess Sam must look like a stereotypical 1920s PI.

Mavis: Sorry I was so rude. I almost didn't recognize you. Come on in, Sam. I'll make you dinner.
Joey: Ah, no. I can only stay for a minute. I have some questions I need to ask you.
Mavis: Of course, Sam.

Between Lauren pretending to be Isaac's sister, and now Joey pretending to be Mavis' son, there's a whole lot of lying going on in Unbound.



Joey: How's it going?
Mavis: Oh, you know me, Sam. It's tough living here on my own. But I get by.
Joey: Yeah, I can see that. Listen. Mom. I need you to think very carefully. What's the last thing you remember?

Every time Joey says "Mom" he just about chokes on it. It's as though he can't figure out whether to feel uncomfortable or to laugh at how ridiculous.

Mavis: What do you mean? Answering the door and seeing you, of course!
Joey: And before that?
Mavis: Nothing. You know nobody comes here. Except the grocer, sometimes. And that...
Joey: That who?
Mavis: Nobody.

Here we go again, the usual runaround from spirits. That "nobody" is almost certainly someone important to this case.

Joey: So, mum.



Ahahahahahaha

Mavis: That's not funny, Sam. You know you're an only child.
Joey: Right. Just checking. How's Dad, Mom?
Mavis: Oh, Sam. You know that your father is dead. John Durkin died years ago.
Joey: Ah. Right. Sorry.

Again, Joey isn't sure whether to laugh each time or just feel really awkward. Meanwhile Mavis is obviously put off by "Sam's" questions, but doesn't want to risk upsetting him and making him leave, as he obviously doesn't visit often. This scene is really well done.



Time to get to the main issue here.

Joey: Are you SURE that you're at home?
Mavis: You're so confusing, Sam. Look at the door. It says "D". Clear as day.

As I mentioned last update, Mavis seems to have lived in room D on the third floor. It's easy enough to miss this detail, and we will need to know it. To ensure you can't miss out, Mavis can be asked this question as often as necessary to get the room letter, and if you revisit Harriet a repeatable question has her mention she lived on the third floor and was Mavis' neighbour. So it's always possible to get the room details if you miss them the first time around, which is a nice touch.

Next up, Joey wants to know what Mitchell has to do with this.

Joey: Have you been talking to a reporter from the New Yorker?
Mavis: Yes! Such a nice man. He came over and talked to me for a bit. I liked him. He listened to me.
Joey: What did you talk about?
Mavis: Oh, this and that. Don't know why he was so interested.

And also that crazy old woman that Harriet mentioned was lurking around the building.

Joey: Have you sen any strange old women lurking around here?
Mavis: An old woman...?
Joey: Yeah.
Mavis: I... No. No I haven't.
Joey: You sure?
Mavis: Yes I'm sure.

I don't like the sound of that. If there's one thing we've learned, it's when ghosts start avoiding topics, it means the topic is important.



Joey figures he may as well get as much info out of Mavis as possible while he's here.

Mavis: Sam, since when did you become so interested?
Joey: Just trying to get to know you better.
Mavis: Well, isn't that sweet! But I honestly don't know what to tell you.

In fact, perhaps knowing about Sam himself would be useful.

Joey: So what can you tell me about... me?
Mavis: You're so confusing, Sam.
Joey: Never mind.

Actually, yeah. That probably wasn't ever going to work.



Haha, Joey's really pushing the limit here.

Mavis: Is that a joke, Sam? You know he's been dead for ten years.
Joey: Ah. Sorry.
Mavis: How can you forget? He was your father!

Uh oh, Mavis is getting a bit worked up now.

Joey: Slipped my mind.
Mavis: Slipped your MIND?
Joey: Just... look, forget it. I'm going to go now, Mom. I'll come back to visit you soon.
Mavis: Sure, Sam. I'll be here.

Time to exit before things get too bad. We've got a fair bit of info, anyway.



Lauren: You were gone?

Funnily enough, Joey was originally going to voice this line ala Jack Nicholson from The Shining, before Gilbert realised that, much like the Far[r]ah Fawcett calendar, 1973 was too early for Joey to be quoting a movie from 1980. Unfortunately he had already recorded Lauren's response. So he just had Goldfarb voice the line in a standard voice instead.

Mitchell's Theme (Alternative)



Mitchell: Come in. Have a seat.

For the third time this evening, Lauren and Joey knock on Mitchell's door. I like the way his responses to their intrusions keep changing, though this is the one he'll now stick with if we keep coming back.

Let's see what this guy knows about Mavis.

Lauren: Did you know Mavis Wilcox?
Mitchell: Miss Wilcox? Yes, I remember her. Lived uptown aways, before she died.
Lauren: How did you know her?
Mitchell: I wanted to write a piece about her, so I met her for a spell. Interesting woman. How did you know her?
Lauren: I'm looking into her death.
Mitchell: I see.

Much like he did with Isaac, Mitchell apparently met up with Mavis to write an article about her. Did he learn anything?

Lauren: So what can you tell me about Mavis? I get the impression she didn't get out much.
Mitchell: That's an understatement. I came in touch with her through a colleague who was covering that demolition. I wondered what made a woman like that tick, so I made an appointment to meet with her.
Lauren: What was she like?
Mitchell: A very gracious woman. Brought me in. Made me a cup of tea. Showed me pictures of her family. All-in-all, it was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

The "understatement" line corroborates Harriet's story that Mavis didn't like to ever leave the house.

Lauren: What happened to her?
Mitchell: Killed, so they say. Was found choked to death in her own apartment.

Choked to death again, just like Harriet said. The similarities between the two cases tonight are too strong to be mere coincidence.

Lauren: Any thoughts on who did it?
Mitchell: Well there were rumours that the Labor Union decided to take matters into their own hands, as it were.



Mitchell: The police ruled that it was some squatter or drifter, or something. And left it at that.
Lauren: And what do you think?
Mitchell: Me? I have no theory.

So, I can see why Mitchell might have wanted to write about Isaac. He was a musician of minor repute who fell on hard times. That's a story worth telling. But Mavis? It seems she was just a shut-in housewife. Lauren asks about Mitchell's motivations.

Lauren: Why did you want to write about her?
Mitchell: I found her fascinating. She was asked to leave. She was begged to leave. She was even offered lots of money to leave. But she kept refusing. She was too scared. I had to know why.
Lauren: And what did you discover?
Mitchell: That, Miss Blackwell, is the eternal question. I've spoken to hundreds of people over the years, and most of them were odder than Mavis. It's impossible to decipher the whys and the hows. As time went on, I've contented myself just with the whats.

I'm not sure if Mitchell is deliberately being evasive here, or if this is just his way of talking.



Mitchell: I'm afraid not. Mavis discussed her son, and seemed proud of him, but I don't think they see each other. I never met the boy, myself.
Lauren: Do you know anything about John Durkin, Mavis' ex-husband?
Mitchell: Oh yes, she did talk about him. Broke her heart, she said. I know they divorced very early in the marriage, and he died several years later. But I'm afraid I know nothing else.

That confirms that John and Mavis were divorced, explaining the different surname.

Lauren: I'd like to read your piece about Mavis.
Mitchell: I'm afraid I know longer have it.
Lauren: Do you know what issue it was in? I'd like to look it up.
Mitchell: I never published it. I was going to, but then Mavis died, and it just seemed wrong somehow. I don't have the rough copies anymore. I'm sorry.

That article is lost as well? A pattern is seriously forming here.

Lauren: Well, I think that's all for now.
Mitchell: Alright. You have a good night, now.

Lauren's Theme (Alternative)



John Durkin is dead, and obviously Mavis Wilcox is dead as well. Perhaps Sam is still alive? He might be useful in working our way through this case.

Lauren: Mavis Wilcox is Sam's mother. Stands to reason his last name would be Wilcox, too.



Lauren: Hm. There's no listing.

But when Lauren looks for Sam Wilcox, she gets nothing.



But what if Sam wasn't given his mother's surname?

Lauren: Maybe Sam didn't use his mother's name. He could have used his father's.



This time for sure...

Lauren: Hm. There's no listing. I thought for sure that would work.

...oh. Apparently not. Perhaps he's dead as well? Or maybe he's not living in New York anymore? Or perhaps he just has an unlisted number?



The necessary clue is here, on the photograph.

Lauren: He's wearing a Columbia University sweatshirt.

Perhaps he's a student there?



This time we'll find something...

Lauren: Columbia University. Here's the number.

Lauren places the call.

Operator: Columbia University. Operator speaking. How may I direct your call?

Of course, you could find the Columbia University clue without determining that Sam's surname might be Durkin. If you ask for Sam Wilcox...

Lauren: Can you connect me to Sam Wilcox?
Operator: Sorry. There's no Sam Wilcox listed.
Lauren: No? Are you sure?
Operator: He's not in the directory.
Lauren: Thanks anyway.

So let's try Sam Durkin instead.

Lauren: How about Sam Durkin. Is there a Sam Durkin listed?
Operator: Sam Durkin. Yes. Hold please.
Lauren: It's about time.

A few rings later, and a voice answers.

Sam: Durkin.
Lauren: Is this Sam?
Sam: Yeah. Who's this?
Lauren: My name is Lauren Blackwell. I was hoping to ask you a few questions about your mother.

Fingers crossed he'll be amenable to questions.

Sam: Oh. Questions, huh?
Lauren: Yeah.
Sam: Alright. I'll bite. How do you know my ma?

Well, that... not too bad. Lauren has a few choices of how to lie. She can claim to be a friend:

Lauren: I was a friend.
Sam: A friend.
Lauren: That's right.
Sam: We both know that's a lie. She didn't have any friends.

Ouch. She can pretend to be a former neighbour:

Lauren: I was her neighbor.
Sam: You used to live in that dump?
Lauren: Yeah.
Sam: And you knew Mavis?
Lauren: Very well.
Sam: You actually TALKED to her?
Lauren: Yeah. All the time.
Sam: Where, in the hallway?
Lauren: Why all the questions?
Sam: Because I don't believe you.

That doesn't work either... or she can say she is an investigator:

Lauren: I'm investigating her death.
Sam: Oh. You're a cop, are you? Because my dad was a cop. I know people. I can check.
Lauren: No. I'm not a cop.
Sam: Didn't think so. Just a concerned citizen, huh?
Lauren: That's right.
Sam: Somehow, I don't believe you. Nobody in their right mind would be concerned about my ma.

All in all, it's very clear that Sam doesn't hold his mother in high regard. He speaks in a fairly grizzled voice, without any hint of humour.



Finally, we get an opening.

Lauren: I would?
Sam: Sure you would. She never left the damn place. So what was it?

If you give the wrong apartment number, Sam tells you to take a hike and hangs up. Of course, nothing stops you from just continuously ringing up and incrementing the numbers until you hit on the right one. Way to go, Sam!

Of course, the correct answer is 3D.

Sam: All right. So maybe you DID know her.
Lauren: THANK you.
Sam: So what do you want to know about her?

Alright, we're in. Let's get as much info as we can from this kid.

Lauren: What do you know about her death?
Sam: It was suicide.
Lauren: She killed herself?
Sam: Not literally. But it was like she chose to die. She had every opportunity to leave. They were going to pay her and find her a new place and everything. I tried to get her out, but that's my ma. She couldn't be dragged outta that dump by anybody or anything.

Again, Sam sounds pretty pissed here. He definitely didn't like his mother, and Lauren picks up on it immediately.

Lauren: How close were you with your mother?



Sam: That's how close we were. Woman wasn't a mother. Just crazy on wheels.

Yeesh. No wonder Mavis was happy when Joey turned up pretending to be Sam without yelling at her. Sam obviously didn't like her at all.

Lauren: Did Mavis EVER leave her apartment?
Sam: Never. Not once in the last fifteen years.

That's... wow, okay. Not once in fifteen years? She really WAS crazy. I can also see why she would have been so put out by being asked to move. Apparently she was a bit of a nutcase.

Lauren: Do you know WHO killed her?
Sam: She was killed by some junkie, wasn't she?
Lauren: So they say.
Sam: You think different?
Lauren: That's what I'm trying to find out.
Sam: Well good luck to you.

If he knows anything about Mavis' killer, he's not talking. In fact, he doesn't seem that interested in it at all.



Sam: Upset? Sure. She was my ma. But am I gonna lose sleep? No. She drove my pop out of the house and into an early grave. I once thought I'd follow in his footsteps, but not anymore. That woman didn't go anywhere. Never DID anything. But she was killing me, just by existing. Now I feel like I can breathe again. That's the truth.

I guess I can also see why Sam is pissed. His mum had mental issues, which ruined her relationship with her husband, and ended up leaving Sam without a parental figure.

Lauren: What was it like living with her?
Sam: You kidding? I lived with my pop. After three years of marriage he had enough. Glad he had the sense to take me with him.
Lauren: And after your father died?
Sam: I got by.

One day we're going to encounter some ghosts with happy backstories, right??

Lauren: You never visited your mother?
Sam: Yeah, I visited her on Mother's Day, if that's what you want to know. Even got her a present once.
Lauren: Really?
Sam: Yeah. For all the good it did.

That's an oddly specific thing to mention... Lauren follows it up.

Lauren: What did you give your mom for mother's day?
Sam: I don't think that's any of your business, lady. It's been years. Just dust in the ground, now.
Lauren: Bye, Sam. Thanks for your time.
Sam: Yeah.



Lauren: He really seemed to hate her.
Joey: Families are strange things, dollface. You know that more than anybody.
Lauren: Yeah.



Well, we've got a touch more information at least. Tomorrow, we'll see if we can use it to reach Mavis and help her to move on.


One more thing before we finish up today - Sam Durkin is not a new character for Gilbert. In his original commercial game, The Shivah, a gritty detective by the name of Sam Durkin plays a fairly major role. Presumably, Gilbert just liked the character (and the voice actor), so he had him reappear him in Unbound. I guess since the game is set in the 1970s, we are hearing a younger Durkin than the one from The Shivah, set in modern times.

In fact, the name "Durkin" seems to be a favourite of Gilbert's. You most likely don't recall, but we've seen John Durkin's name before, way back at the start of Legacy. Remember this letter?



Supposedly, Lauren eventually contacts John Durkin when she takes custody of Rosa. Except... John Durkin apparently died in the early 60s, as we just learned from Mavis this update. So that absolutely doesn't work.

My theory? Gilbert just liked the name Durkin, but didn't want to use Sam as, technically, John seems to be more of a lawyer in that letter. So he just decided to use the same surname. Then, when Unbound came along, he liked the name but forgot that he'd already used it in Legacy. Certainly it's not a brother of Sam's or anything, since we know he's an only child. Whichever way you look at it, it's a plot hole, albeit a very minor one.