DUMBWAITER
You open the dumbwaiter door. The Lodger’s luggage falls out onto the floor, and your stomach aches with anticipation as you stare into the empty dumbwaiter shaft.
You retrieve the Lodger’s luggage from the floor. It’s empty apart from a single newspaper clipping regarding Mr. Emmett.
As you handle the luggage, a fine mist rises from the floor, forming into the apparition you know as Emmett, the Lodger.
“Please tell me you can save the child.”
“You’re barking up the wrong tree with that accusation, detective. I’ve done nothing with that child and you know it! Now, I don’t fancy any of this “ghosts” stuff any more than I think you do, but I’ll tell you this: Ain’t no way I could make Miss Elsie disappear like that. Matter of fact, not much I can do besides sometimes appear to people in a mist and maybe rattle a few doorknobs. I believe to make a spirit disappear like that, you must have a lot of hatred inside you, and I just don’t have what it takes.”
“At first, I couldn’t remember much past getting home and going to my room, but… it’s starting to come back to me. Remember when I said we all went inside the house to warm up a bit? Mrs. McDermott brought out some hot cocoa, and we all partook to shake off the chill. When it seemed like we wouldn’t be doing no more choring for the night, I decided to make my exit. I snuck off to my room and grabbed my bags. I started to feel a bit nauseous, and a sickly taste was in my mouth. Something told me I needed to get out of there ASAP. I grabbed what I could and stepped out of my room, clenching my stomach. I remember seeing Virgil in the hall, wide-eyed with shock and fear, just as I dropped my bags and everything went dark real quick. I reckon that’s what it feels like to be poisoned.”
“Let’s not beat around the bush, detective, I know what you’re talking about. What happened back then was purely accidental, and yes I bear some responsibility for being so cavalier with those chemicals but… there was no murder, no intention other than to foster growth in the mind of a genius future chemist! And they called me a poisoner, a poisoner! I’m guilty, detective, I’m guilty of having faith in the future generations. I’m guilty of having opened up the school lab to students who exhibited an interest in science. I’m not a murderer though…”
You retrieve the Lodger’s luggage from the floor. It’s empty apart from a single newspaper clipping regarding Mr. Emmett.
As you handle the luggage, a fine mist rises from the floor, forming into the apparition you know as Emmett, the Lodger.
“Please tell me you can save the child.”
“You’re barking up the wrong tree with that accusation, detective. I’ve done nothing with that child and you know it! Now, I don’t fancy any of this “ghosts” stuff any more than I think you do, but I’ll tell you this: Ain’t no way I could make Miss Elsie disappear like that. Matter of fact, not much I can do besides sometimes appear to people in a mist and maybe rattle a few doorknobs. I believe to make a spirit disappear like that, you must have a lot of hatred inside you, and I just don’t have what it takes.”
“At first, I couldn’t remember much past getting home and going to my room, but… it’s starting to come back to me. Remember when I said we all went inside the house to warm up a bit? Mrs. McDermott brought out some hot cocoa, and we all partook to shake off the chill. When it seemed like we wouldn’t be doing no more choring for the night, I decided to make my exit. I snuck off to my room and grabbed my bags. I started to feel a bit nauseous, and a sickly taste was in my mouth. Something told me I needed to get out of there ASAP. I grabbed what I could and stepped out of my room, clenching my stomach. I remember seeing Virgil in the hall, wide-eyed with shock and fear, just as I dropped my bags and everything went dark real quick. I reckon that’s what it feels like to be poisoned.”
“Let’s not beat around the bush, detective, I know what you’re talking about. What happened back then was purely accidental, and yes I bear some responsibility for being so cavalier with those chemicals but… there was no murder, no intention other than to foster growth in the mind of a genius future chemist! And they called me a poisoner, a poisoner! I’m guilty, detective, I’m guilty of having faith in the future generations. I’m guilty of having opened up the school lab to students who exhibited an interest in science. I’m not a murderer though…”