Part 85: Blackwell Epiphany - Update 13 (Part 1)

Update 13

Yesterday, we discovered Michael Cooper hiding inside of Grace School, along with his spirit guide - Madeline. Michael told us about two other members of the Grace Group, Peter Fielding and Heather Goffstein, who were now dead, but whose spirit he didn't personally witness being ripped in half. Rosa decides she should investigate them, just in case they're still sticking around.

Michael Cooper



Yes, Blackwell?

Outside the church, Rosa catches up with Madeline one more time before leaving.

Michael said that a man named Benjiro ran the Grace Group meetings?
My host has said as much to me, yes. Sadly he does not remember much about him.
Could you tell me about Jeffrey?
I am afraid not.

Sounds like we've already learned as much from Michael as Madeline has.

Do you know anything about Peter Fielding? He was in the Grace Group with Michael.
I have never met him. He passed away before I became bonded with my host.
Michael believes his soul was already taken.



Madeline reiterates Rosa's thoughts on Peter's spirit.

If his spirit still exists, you are the ones to find it.
Do you know anything about Heather Goffstein? She was in the Grace Group with Michael.
I know of her, but I have never met her. She passed away before my host and I became bonded. I never encountered her spirit.
Michael believes her soul was already taken.
It is certainly possible, but I refuse to lose hope until I see the evidence.

I guess we've got our mission. Let's try to figure out how these two died! Hopefully it wasn't due to the gunman again



Rosa takes a moment to discuss what she's just learned with Joey.

They're in my phone, if that's what you mean.
Sure. That's what I meant.

Rosa is also thinking about the Benjiro character that Michael mentioned.

This Benjiro person. If he ran the Grace Group meetings, we have to find him.
One step at a time, sweetheart. We'll get to him.
And when we do... give him a punch in the face for me. The Deacon. Gavin. Charlie Meltzer. And now Benjiro. It always comes down to one guy, doesn't it?
Let's find him so we can give him a piece of our mind.

Hahaha, I love angry Joey



That's three spooks destroyed, that we know of anyway.
We need to put a stop to this before it becomes four.

Hopefully it hasn't already become four... or five

This Peter. A lead worth pursuing?
I guess any lead is a good one. Let your feet do the walking, Red.
Whoever Heather was, Michael seems pretty sure that she was... well, taken. Like Lia and George.
God, I hope not. I'm not sure how many more of these ripped-up spooks I can take.

Now, hang on a minute. The roof ghost had a note on the floor next to her from someone who said they "knew about Heather." Surely that can't be a coincidence? Was it talking about Heather Goffstein?



Unfortunately, the roof ghost still isn't willing to give us anything useful, and just gets upset when Joey pushes her about the note. Looks like we're still a fair way from cracking that one.

Police Station



Rosa heads back to the police department to see if Cory can help her with any of the leads she's following up.

Hm. Let's see... No. Nothing on file. Sorry.

No dice on Benjiro. What about the three members of the Grace Group we just learned about?

Do you have any record of a Jeffrey Dutta? He was killed in a hit-and-run.
Let's see. Yep. Hit-and-run, like you said. Technically the case is open, but nobody has any hopes that it'll be solved.

That is slightly different to a shooting, but could still very easily have been a deliberate killing. Not good. Next up, Rosa asks about Peter.

Can you tell me anything about the death of a Mr. Peter Fielding?
Okaay. Let's see.



Bingo! It's handy having the police in our back pocket now

He fell off a ladder while fixing a light bulb in the locker room. Hit his head of the bench and bled to death. Nobody found him for several hours. An ambulance was called and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Nothing more than that?
It's pretty open and shut. Accidental death.

Hm. Now that's a bit of a different death profile to the others. Maybe there's some hope for Peter yet?

Do you have any record of a Heather Goffstein?
Let me check. Nope. Nothing on Heather Goffstein. Sorry.

That's strange. I guess whatever lead to Heather's death wasn't deemed suspicious enough to have the police investigate? I suppose we'll figure out what that means later.



While leaving the police station, Rosa realises that without Durkin there to scold her, she's free to leave footprints everywhere Joey ends up scolding her instead.

Um...
You've already been locked up once. Try and focus. Please?

It's a nice touch how there are different "please stop doing that" reactions to Rosa's insanity, depending on whether certain characters are present on the screen or not



In fact, with Madeline now hanging out in front of the Grace Church, we can do the same thing here

For her? Sure.

Okay, that's enough mucking around. Let's check out this Field's Gym and see if we can figure out what became of Peter.

Field's Gym



Rosa and Joey arrive at a 24 hour gym.

I can't remember the last time I went to a gym.
Thinking of joining?
With all the walking I do every day? I don't think I need to.

Yes, the music here is a synth version of the Blackwell theme. It actually plays quite quietly outside, but is at full volume inside.



Rosa looks through the window.

You wanna get a few rounds in while we're here?
I'm not exactly dressed for the gym, Joey.
Excuses, excuses.



Unfortunately, Rosa is not able to enter, as it's locked up at this time of night, with only card-carrying members able to use the facilities.



In frustration, Rosa starts pacing around in the snow again

You're just jealous I can do this and you can't.
Sure. Jealous of your wet feet. That's me.

Hahaha Looks like Joey will be going this one alone, for now at least.



I hope there are more exercise rooms in the foreground that we can't see, because otherwise this is a pretty pathetic gym. Joey takes a look around.

Looks like that picture frame fell off the wall.

We can't do anything about that with Joey. Perhaps Rosa can get in later and we can look at it, for whatever it's worth. Joey also notices the gym's one occupant.

Run, run, run. Like a hamster on a wheel.
Even if I wasn't dead, she wouldn't be able to hear me. She's got one of those MyPods in. Makes 'em deaf as a post.
That's a TV showing an energetic broad in yoga pants.

Joey also spies the girl's toilets.

Probably nobody in there, with my luck.

Deciding it would be fun to be a creepy pervert for a while, Joey floats on inside



Anyone?
Please?



Hahahaha. I guess we should check out the mens while we're here.



Joey enters the locker room, and at first sees nothing of note - but then a voice rings out, and a ghost materialises in front of him. Could this be Peter?

Does what look right?
The light bulb. I could swear it was blinking.
It looks fine to me.
Huh. I got to do everything around here myself.

Sounds very likely that it is Peter. Cory mentioned that he died when he fell off a ladder fixing a lightbulb in the locker room of his gym. That matches up perfectly here.



Joey inspects Peter a bit closer.

He obviously worked out religiously. For all the good it did him.



Joey quickly floats back outside to Rosa.

So. I found a spook.
It wasn't Peter Fielding, was it?
I'm not sure. I didn't ask his name.
...
What?

Hahahaha. I guess we really should confirm it before we assume too much.



Back inside, Joey chats with the ghost.

Are you SURE there's nothing wrong with the light?
I'm no expert, but it looks fine to me.
*sigh*
Well, what can I do for you?

He's quite hung up on that light.

So what's the story with the lights?
I... don't know!
It's driving me crazy. There's something wrong with them. I can tell!
Well, like I said. They look totally fine to me.
I'll just have to keep checking.



With the small talk out of the way, Joey decides to confirm what he suspects.

That's me. Why?

Yep, he's Peter, alright. So apparently it is possible for Grace Group members to die without their spirit getting immediately torn in half. That's good news, I guess!

Huh. No reason. You own this joint, right?
Yes I do. My dad built it. You could say it's a family business. Been running it around... 20 years? Seems like yesterday.

Twenty years, hey? Somehow I suspect he got the idea to take over the family business from the Grace Group meetings.

Nice place you got here.
Thanks. You looking to join?
Ah, no. I really don't think exercise is gonna do me much good.
It's amazing how many people think that. You're young, your metabolism is still going strong. But time catches up to you before you know it.
You're preaching to the choir, Peter. But I'm still not interested.
Well, we're here if you need us.



Joey tries probing a bit deeper, to see if he can figure out if Peter is in any imminent danger.

Fine. Why?
You don't feel... strange? At all?
What do you mean?
Well, just hypothetically speaking... you don't feel like you're going to explode?

Hahaha, smooth. Unfortunately, Peter misunderstands him.

What, like indigestion?
Not quite.
I'm on a strict diet of wheatgrass shakes and fiber. Indigestion is the last thing I have to worry about.

Never mind, it sounds like Peter is doing just fine.

So you run this place with your old man, huh?
Sort of. He built it when he left the army. I took over long ago.

(continued next post...)