Part 73: Blackwell Epiphany - Update 4

Update 4

Late Night



Here we are treated to the game's "overworld map", again handled very much like Deception, though the background looks beautiful, with the lights reflecting over slowly rippling waves, while the snow continues to fall. I think this is the first instance of Epiphany re-using old music.

Thank God the coffee stands are still open. I think I'm really going to need them.
It's your dime, sweetheart.

At this stage, we only have two destinations, Rosa's apartment and the police station. I guess Rosa didn't want to go back to the Karth House after the events of last night. Can't say I blame her. The police station it is, then.



Durkin, having a smoke break outside, notices Rosa's approach. There is no music here, just the soft sound of swirling wind and the occasional car braving the weather. Rosa takes note of her surroundings.

Sam Durkin. I helped him with a case of his about a year ago, and then he helped me with one of mine. We've been paying each other back ever since.
He keeps looking at Durkin and frowning. I don't think he likes the detective much.
I've never been a big fan of teaming up with the cops, but Durkin seems all right.

Rosa refuses to talk to Joey here, our first instance of her keeping her mouth shut in public.

Not in front of the detective. He already thinks I'm nuts.



Joey isn't too impressed with Rosa's careful inspection of the area though, hahaha Joey has some thoughts of his own, too.

Dunno what surprises me more. That they make cops smoke outside, or that the cops stand for it.



Much like in Deception, Joey can blow on pretty much everybody, and there is even an achievement ("Blowey Mallone") for doing so. Unfortunately, the comments are usually not very interesting, with most people barely reacting or often not at all, so I won't show many of them.

No reaction. No surprise there, with the weather we're having.

I guess cold wind creeping down your neck is a common occurrence during a snowstorm.



Time to do what we came here to do.

Uh huh?
Can we talk inside? It's freezing out here.
Can't smoke inside. Thanks to our friend the mayor.
So you couldn't maybe... I don't know, not smoke for a while?
...
Right.

I really like the grizzled cop character of Durkin. With Rosa having evolved from a mostly silent awkward protagonist, to a quite vocal awkward protagonist, it's very enjoyable to watch the stoic Durkin just eyeball her constantly and deadpan his lines.



Rosa tells Durkin what she knows.

Yeah. What about her?
Her name was Mary Meehan. She was an actress with the Gotham Collective theater company.
You sure about that?
Yes.
I won't ask how you know that, but we'll check out that name and see if you're right. At the very least, we can locate the family and tell them what happened. Thanks. I guess we owe you another one.

With some rare appreciation coming from Durkin, Rosa figures she should strike while the iron is hot.



That program hasn't been the same since they replaced that blonde anchorwoman.
Nobody else talked about it either. Not online. Not any other news program. Nobody. You must have suppressed the news. Why?
Because we're the cops. That's why.

Durkin doesn't even bother to deny it. I guess he's figured out by now that Rosa has a knack for finding information, and doesn't see any point in bullshitting her.

Look, before we take this any further - why are you so interested in this one? What makes this murder more important than any other?
He was looking for me.
He was? Why?
I... don't really know.
Uh huh. Did you know the guy?
No. I didn't.
So how did you know he was looking for you?

Rosa struggles to find a good answer, but Durkin saves her the trouble.



*sigh* Something like that.
Something like that ain't good enough. What else you got?

Rosa tries to come up with a good excuse for wanting to know.

I was there. You know I was there. Surely I'm a suspect.
You think I'm crazy? I made sure your name is nowhere near this thing. And unless you give me a good reason, it stays that way. So tell me. Why is this murder so important?
He was killed right in front of me!
And what? Suddenly this makes it personal?
Well, kinda. It might have something to do with me.
Uh huh.



Rosa finally voices her suspicions.

So you think we sent this guy to your location to... what? Get killed in front of you?
I don't know. That's why I'm asking you.
You don't get to ask me anything. You need to tell me why this murder is so important.

Finally, Rosa just asks that Durkin trust her.

You've trusted me before. Why can't you trust me again?
Trust has nothing to do with it. Look. I don't know what your deal is. I've never asked and frankly, I don't wanna know. But I DO know that you've helped me clear a few cases. And once in a while, in return, I answer some of your questions. That's fine. Quid pro quo. It's not in the rulebook, but it's how we get things done.



Not without a good reason. So give me one. Why is this murder so important?

This case "goes way up?" So, what, it involves a police officer? Or something higher than that? By this stage, Rosa figures she may as well make a fist of giving her reasons.

I couldn't begin to explain it. It's... more than just a murder. More horrible than just a killing.
Uh huh. Any details on what that could be?
...



Durkin is unmoved.

Sorry. I know we got an arrangement, but my hands are tied.
Fine. If that's the way it is.
For what it's worth, it's nothing personal. You got other questions, I'm here. Just don't ask about this case. You get me?
Yeah. I get you.

Of course, Rosa still tries her best to pry some information from Durkin.

Could you tell me the victim's name at least?
I told you - no.
Does the name Grace mean anything to you?
Nah. Sorry.

Looks like this was a waste of time.

Well, see you around.
Uh huh.

Still, we did learn one thing. The police definitely covered the story up. Perhaps they have some information about the case hidden in the station?



Joey decides to check things out, while Rosa stands around and tries not to look too awkward.

Police Station



In a wonderful bit of delightfully awkward dialogue, Joey can hear Durkin and Rosa conversing outside while he looks around.

The brickwork.
Sure. When was this building built? 1950s?
I got no idea.
Low rise bonding? Very typical of the era.
Whatever.



Fortunately, I think that only applies to living people.

Joey looks around the room.

Just a cop manning the front desk.
A water cooler. In case the scorching hot weather gets too much for you.
A modern gizmo. Probably some kind of phone. It usually is.

After an awkward silence, Durkin starts talking to Rosa again.

It's pretty cold to be just standing around.
Isn't that what you're doing?
I'm a cop in front of a cop station. What's your excuse?
I'm um... waiting for a cab?
On a night like this? Might take a while.
Maybe.



The name "Alex Silva" might sound familiar to you. She was running for a political position in Convergence, and by the end of Deception had become the police commissioner. Her voice also sounded suspiciously similar to that of the lady that spoke to Gavin over the phone at the end of Deception. Here we see a picture of her on the wall.



Heading to the next room, Joey looks around.

Just a small interrogation room. It's empty.
According to the nameplate, this desk belongs to someone named "Disher." I have no idea who that could be.

This is a reference to the TV series Monk, of which Gilbert is a big fan.



On the pinboard in the middle of the room is a photo.

Aha. There's our guy. His name is George Ostin, according to this note. Looks like he lived on the Upper West Side.

George Ostin, hey? Notice they've been asked not to speak to the press. Now that we have his address, we might be able to find out why.



Joey heads back out to Rosa, who is still gamely trying to justify her continued loitering

This thing with you standing around? It's getting kinda weird.
I told you. I'm waiting for a cab.
The subway's just two blocks that way.
The stairs are icy?
*sigh* Fair enough.

It's really nice that even though Rosa has progressed so far as a character, she still manages to have completely awkward moments like this



After Joey mentions George's name to Rosa, she is able to ask Durkin about it.

Detective?
Uh huh?
I know the victim's name is George Ostin.
Yeah, yeah. This crap doesn't impress me anymore.

Hahahaha, I love how Rosa has apparently worn out her welcome on being prescient to the stage where Durkin just rolls his eyes when she plucks George's name seemingly out of thin air

And even if it did - you're not a cop. You're not even officially on the books.
So? Make it unofficial. You've done it before.
Not this time. Sorry. With all due respect, you need to back off.

Looks like Durkin is pretty serious about not helping us out, here.



One more try...

How many times do I need to tell you to back off?
Sorry.

...but no dice. Looks like we're on our own.



Guy like that must have some enemies.


Rosa and Joey drop by their apartment to quickly discuss what they've learned.

Who could hate him enough to do... THAT to him?
Nobody I want to meet.
We couldn't save George Ostin, but we can stop it from happening to anybody else.
With pleasure.

Joey seems to be taking George's ripped up spirit very personally. I guess this is the first time he's had to deal with a spook who has suffered a fate that could very well happen to Joey too. Until this point, the worst thing Joey's had to contemplate is getting stuck hovering over a hospital bed for years on end. Being ripped apart is something entirely new for him.

Aside from George, the only other name we have is this "Grace" person. Who is she? Another spook?
A girlfriend? A sister? She could be anybody. Whoever she is, we have to find her. If "Grace" was close to George, then we have to talk to somebody who knows George.
Well, you know how this goes. Let's shake some trees and see what falls out.



Let's see what we can find at George's place!

George's Lobby



Geez, Joey's wasn't kidding about the "fancy upscale address". This place looks pretty damn expensive.

Careful you don't break anything. We'll be in hock for life. Well, your life anyway. Not mine.

Rosa and Joey exchange glances.

He doesn't look too impressed with the place.
She's looking around the room and sighing. Jealousy, maybe?

Joey also begins his new gimmick of scolding Rosa for having the audacity to be disheveled in this awful weather

Jesus, Red. Wipe your feet or something.

They also look around the room.

That vase looks more expensive than everything in my apartment put together.
How do they change the bulbs on that thing?
Is that thing really necessary? One strong wind from outside and out go the lights.
I don't recognise the artist, but it looks peaceful enough.
Tasteful and harmless. I suppose it suits a place like this.

A professional looking doorman sits at the front desk.

He's watching my every move.
Smart uniform. Clean cut. Seems dedicated to his job. We ain't sneaking past this guy. Hopefully we won't have to.

That's quitter talk. Rosa gives it the old college try anyway!



Oh. Sorry.

Unfortunately, Joey is right. Sadly, Rosa doesn't try to clumsily seduce him like she did with the security guard back in Legacy



Rosa can get close enough to spy the elevator, as well as a box with a note above it, but with the doorman watching, she is unable to get any closer.

It's too far away to read it.



Yes, miss?

Joey will be able to look over there in a minute, but first, Rosa stops to talk with the doorman.

I'm looking for George Ostin. Is he in?
No he's not. Sorry.
Is there any way I can look inside George's apartment? It's really important.
Sorry. Unless you've been authorized, I can't let you in.
Do you know where George Ostin is?
I really couldn't say. Sorry.

Unfortunately, he's obviously well schooled in the art of saying nothing. I guess the residents here consider privacy part of the service.



Rosa keeps pushing him for information, but it's no use.

I... really couldn't. Sorry. If you want to know about him, you should ask him yourself.
Are you sure you can't tell me anything about George?
No. We can't talk about our residents. I'm sorry.
Does the name "Grace" mean anything to you?
Sorry. Nobody named Grace lives here.

Joey can blow on the doorman too.



At least he actually reacts, unlike Durkin and most other people in Epiphany!



Finally, Joey floats over to the elevator. He's not able to travel to George's apartment, since he doesn't know which one it is, and most likely it's on a high floor and he'd end up too far from Rosa anyway. He can look in this box, however.

Looks like it's full of old clothes.

Old clothes? Is it some kind of charity box?



Looking at the note answers the question.

It says: "Holiday Clothing Drive. It's cold this winter. Please leave your old clothes in the box below for people less forunate than you." It's signed by George Ostin.

Looks like George is in apartment 12A. I'm guess that's on the 12th floor. Joey isn't going there without Rosa.



Armed with some new knowledge, Rosa tries yet again to crack the doorman.

Oh yes. George does it every year. He brings the box to Grace himself.

Wait.. to Grace? That's who we're looking for! Rosa pushes the issue.

You said that George takes the clothes to Grace?
Yes, he does. He has an attachment to the place, even though we've got a fine church in this area.
Church? So by "Grace" you meant Grace Church?
Yeah. The one downtown. What did you think I meant?
Nothing. Never mind. Thanks.
Sure.

Aha. So it seems most likely that "Grace" actually refers to a location, rather than a person. I guess when George said that "even Grace isn't safe", he didn't mean that somebody else was unsafe... but that he wouldn't be safe at Grace Church. Or that the church itself was in danger, but that seems somewhat less likely.



Rosa tries fishing for more information, but it seems the doorman has said all he's going to say.

I couldn't say. Sorry.
Can you tell me anything else about the clothing drive?
No, but if you have any old clothes, feel free to give them to me. I'll put them in the box.
Better not. If you did that, you wouldn't have any clothes left.

Hahahaha, you can take the man out of the tailor shop...



With that lead having paid off somewhat, Rosa and Joey gear up to visit the Grace Church. Fingers crossed they will be able to determine there what happened to George.


Join me tomorrow as we took a look at Grace Church and see where these threads lead!




Being a medium, or "Bestower", appears to be a family trait, most likely some kind of genetic defect. Besides Rosa's aunt and grandmother, we're aware of one other Bestower - Jocelyn. But other than that, they don't seem to be very common at all. Certainly Gavin seemed to indicate that discovering one was a rare event - "another Bestower, after all this time" he said, and went out of his way to hunt Rosa down.

But are there other Bestowers? Is it just a New York thing? After all, Jocelyn was based in New York as well. Judging by the accent of the lady on the phone to Gavin, she was British. If she really was Alex Silva, why would she establish herself in New York? Perhaps Manhattan is a spiritual hub of some description?

There are plenty of other Bestowers

According to Gilbert, in his mind, there are many other Bestowers, and stories like Rosa's are happening the world over. Presumably there are fewer spirit guides than there are potential Bestowers, as we know that Joey has been shared between several guides, and I suppose Madeline must have been as well. I guess the other Bestowers are wise enough to keep themselves hidden from Gavin's secret society.

In some sense, knowing that Rosa is not the only current Bestower is actually kind of uplifting. She and Joey aren't alone in the world. People who die in other cities and become ghosts aren't being abandoned. And whatever happens to Rosa and Joey, although of massive importance to us, shouldn't affect what is happening in the rest of the world. Having her struggles be localised to her immediate area actually makes the series feel more personal. It's not Rosa and Joey against the supernatural world, it's just Rosa and Joey trying to help keep their little corner of New York under control.

It's also heartening to know that there are other Bestowers, because as far as I'm aware, Rosa is the last of her family. At least when she eventually grows too old and passes on, Joey should have somebody else to move on to, although it's still not clear whether that requires a family connection. Perhaps Joey will just be allowed to finally move on, instead?

While we're at it, why do spirit guides exist at all? How does one become a spirit guide? Gilbert's original plan was to have it so that souls who had led somewhat bad lives, but had done just enough good to be on the brink of salvation when they died, would have a chance to become spirit guides and pay off a penance to go onto whatever reward they were owed in the afterlife. Presumably Joey "saving" Danny was his good act that made up for whatever he'd done wrong in his life. However, as Gilbert progressed with the series, he realised that he didn't like the idea of there being a binary "good" and "bad" in his Universe. He didn't even like the idea of there being a concrete afterlife. You live your life, then you go to where you need to be, and that's it. Unfortunately, that meant that his reason for spirit guides existing fell to the wayside.

So then why do spirit guides exist? You'll just have to stay tuned for a future update See you all tomorrow!