[QUEEN] The Den of Deception

[Enthalpy]

Paloma sighed. "Nothing we obtained by forensics investigations ourselves would be legal evidence, unless this state has some very unusual evidence law, so don't even think about it."

...

"Wait, explosion?!"

[Evo]

Torin decided to go back to where he had left off due to the alarm. He went into the east hallway again and tried to open the door at the end.

[Enthalpy]

Paloma scowled. This again? Granted, it couldn't possibly be as bad as she was fearing it might be, but... No, she could not guarantee that. She was imagining the worst case scenario already. Not pretty.

She ran after Col. Mustard. "You had better explain that!"

Spoiler : GM/Spectators Only :

Why can't the police ever actually guard the crime scene competently...?

[Bad Player]

Spoiler : Enth+Toats :

The pair enters a large room that has no windows, but is brightened from a variety of light sources in the room, and the fact that most of the furniture and walls are a light color. The floor is white tiles mostly covered by a white, yellow, and red rug, and the wallpaper is a cream and peach pattern.

There are a couple of sofas and recliners surrounding a low glass coffee table facing a TV mounted in the center of the eastern wall, along with some end-tables with lamps on them. In the northern half of the room is an elegant wooden table surrounded by chairs.

About a third into the length of the room is a dark statue set upon a pedestal. The statue depicts a woman with a seashell bra and the lower body of a fish holding a small jar. She appears to be facing the TV.

Mounted on the wall near the table is a painting of two figures, one wrapped in a red sheet and the other in a dark purple coat, hovering over a landscape filled with people. In the background is a large, plateaued mountain with buildings on top of it. One of the floating figures is pointing at the top of the mountain. In the bottom-right corner of the man sits a figure with a long-barreled gun aimed at the two floating figures.

There are also a variety of plants around the room. The large double doors on the northern wall, if opened, can also allow a lot of light in—at least when it’s sunny.

In the southern part of the room is another painting, most of which is filled with streaks of beige. Peeking out over the top of a dark streak at the bottom is the head of a dog.

Spoiler : Evo :

Torin goes down the hallway, allowing him to see into the northern section. He opens the door to discover... a bathroom!

[Evo]

Spoiler : Bathroom :

Torin went into the bathroom and looked around. Even though Riley wouldn't see it, he decided to follow her "advice" and check the toilet cistern for hidden money.

[Bad Player]

Spoiler : Bathroom :

It's a simple bathroom with a mirror, sink, and toilet. No money in the cistern.

[Toatali]

Spoiler : TV room :

Mustard notices Paloma has run behind him, but decides to ignore her until he's fully inspected the room. The thing that most catches his eye is a painting mounted on the northern wall by the table.

'Ah. Detective Faith. I wonder if you might come over here and assist me with something. The background of this painting seems to depict a city on a plateaued mountain. Now I struggle to think of any cities that would fit this description. Plenty built on hills, of course, but mountains with this particular geography? The only one that springs to mind is Bogotá, but I find it then unusual for a painting of Colombia to be in this house. Any thoughts?'

[Evo]

Spoiler : Bathroom :

Torin 1, Riley 0. Of course, nothing out of the ordinary had been in the bathroom. He decided to go into the closest door on the right side of the northern section of the hallway, if there was one.

[Enthalpy]

Spoiler : GM+Spectators :

Paloma sighed imperceptibly. He's still trying to show off, isn't he? if his ego needs deflating, I'll be happy to do it...

She scans the painting for the title.

[Bad Player]

Spoiler : Evo :

Torin finds another hallway, and as he makes the turn, he locks gaze with the obsidian statue at the end of the hallway, depicting a woman with the lower body of a snake, and countless snakes coming out of her head.

Spoiler : Enth :

nope

[Enthalpy]

Spoiler : Great Room :

Evidently, Paloma lets "Detective Faith" slide.

"...There are people floating. Why are you assuming this depicts a real place? Or even paying that much attention to this?"

[Evo]

Spoiler : Medusa Hallway :

Torin tested the statue for fingerprints to check if anyone had touched it in a suspicious way, perhaps indicating an opening mechanism for a secret passage.

[Toatali]

Spoiler : Great Room :

Looking sheepish, the Colonel responded. 'Well detective, have you any better ideas? It's not as if fiction and reality cannot collide in the medium of art. I suppose you, as I do, imagine this painting to hold some sort of clue to the riddle. This means we should think about all possibilities, no? Now, let's check what that one man is pointing at near the top of the mountain. Perhaps that can be of some use.'

[Bad Player]

Spoiler : Torin :

No fingerprints on the statue, or the pedestal.

Spoiler : Greatroom :

The plateau is drawn in a faded style, as if it really were far off in the distance, which makes it difficult to see, but it appears that on top is a small house, a building with a tower, and a large circular (or maybe domed) building. It's impossible to tell which one the man is pointing at, or even if he's pointing at one in particular.

[Enthalpy]

Spoiler : Great Room :

Paloma winces in annoyance and presses her pointer finger hard against her forehead. "Your argument is that it is not impossible that this painting's setting is a clue. Certainly, but 'not impossible' is a weak argument when you're trying to justify spending our time on this. What you're doing now is pure guesswork. I think we both have better things to do. Shouldn't we be looking into the explosion, for instance?"