The Concordia Chronicles: The Comedic Spectre

Johnson, Forbes & Docherty

There you have it. I said short, not simple. Now, what do you notice about this case? The lack of a "Why?" Perhaps you think you know? Do the Messengers have some sort of sick sexual fetish? Let's just say we've ruled that one out, thankfully. Are they some sort of cult performing ritual sacrifice? Well, if they are, we haven't gathered any evidence to suggest sacrifice. Are the Messengers recruiting? Quite possibly, but why by kidnapping? Look, we've been over any option you could think of, and we're just as stumped.

    This is a new case, and if there's any good in the world, details are bound to emerge.

    If you're wondering why a Private Investigator is handling this instead of the Concordia authorities or the FBI, let me explain.

    Everyone in Concordia acknowledges that people are going missing. But the general theory is coincidence. Criminals have chosen to flee Concordia, the social deviants are sick of this area, and the high schoolers are runaways. This is the theory put forth by Chief Richard Forbes, and as such, the police are informing the greater area of the escaped criminals, are searching for the students, and trying to find the source of their discontent. As for the social deviants, they put forth a minimal effort, much to the chagrin of those paying attention.

    Personally, I saw the Chief's explanation as a half-baked cover-up for the fact that he didn't know what the hell was going on, but didn't want to appear weak. I've never liked Chief Forbes, so maybe my judgment is a bit clouded. He always struck me as a fool who got his job by influence rather than competence, but up until recently I never considered him to be outright corrupt.

    But whatever the case, someone who had information regarding the Messengers found enough reason not to trust Chief Forbes as to bring it to my doorstep. That person was Chantelle Forbes, the Chief's estranged cousin. Chantelle and I, in sharp contrast to her cousin, have always had a mutual respect for one another. Chantelle is an intelligent woman, and a fine Criminologist. It was her who first came to me with the evidence of these Messengers.

    Forbes, although a Concordia native, had left the area a few years ago after graduating from the University and working with local law enforcement. First for another law-enforcement position compling profiles of dangerous criminals in her new home, and then an adjunct position teaching Sociology at another college, sometimes returning to Concordia as a guest lecturer.

    Forbes, in the course of her career had made numerous enemies in addition to her friends. I was one of those friends, as someone who studied alongside her at Concordia. One of her enemies, however, was Brooke Docherty. Well, I shouldn't say enemy...more like rival. Docherty, unlike Forbes, was not from Concordia, though she visited the area several times.

    Docherty, when Forbes and I first met her, was a bounty hunter with a particular grudge against white-collar criminals and anyone who assisted them. Naturally, Concordia provided many targets for Docherty to make a nice living. Though she often had a difficult time nailing the corporate criminals, Docherty managed to disrupt many of their activities by busting their underlings. Though she and Forbes often disagreed on the amount of force necessary in the course of an investigation or a bust, the two made an unexpectedly good team. Docherty would bring in the criminals, Forbes would analyze them, and together the two compiled and collected enough evidence to put away some of Concordia's most corrupt.

    It was Docherty who first encountered the Messengers and alerted us to their presence. While on the hunt for a con artist who had scammed quite a number of innocent men and women, one night Docherty witnessed her target being escorted into the sewers by a group of dark-cloaked figures. As she attempted to pursue them, Docherty found herself knocked out cold upon entering the sewer, coming to some hours later upon being found and retrieved by workers in the morning. Upon questioning the workers, Docherty discovered that several others had gone missing in the preceeding months.

    Docherty was wearing a wired recorder at the time of her pursuit, as was her custom. Upon reviewing the tape, Docherty discovered that after being knocked out that the con artist was abducted, as evidenced by the loud sounds of his kicking and swearing at the cloaked figures.

    Furthermore, the figures, silent until discovering Docherty, then spoke in a language which neither Docherty nor anyone else appears able to comprehend. Docherty initially presented her findings to the local police, to which she found that they were initially alarmed, but at the suggestion of Chief Forbes, dismissed her claims, taking her tape from her and sending her away. However, Docherty had a copy.

    In need of help, Docherty approached her old rival and presented her findings. Forbes, alarmed at this development and suspicious of her cousin's unwillingness to take any decisive action, Forbes contacted me and informed me that she had desired to work with both myself and several others in order to uncover the truth behind the local disappearances.

    I will confess that I was skeptical at the beginning, as were the others Forbes contacted. I personally deal mostly with thieves and the like, though I have asssisted the police in some homicide investigations, I've never tackled anything like this. But Forbes appears to have faith in me, and I will admit that I find the Chief of Police's behavior quite strange, given the situation.

    What I find even more strange, however, are two things. The first is regarding those who have emerged from these who have escaped the Messengers. From what we know thus far, these people are efficient...ridicuolously efficient at whatever they do. How did this many people get away?  Did they escape? tWere they set free by the Messengers? Or did someone else help them?

    The second is related to the Mayor. As was shown in my file, the Mayor, Robert Johnson, and Chief Forbes are both aware of the kidnappings, yet reject the evidence we presented from Docherty's sewer encounter without any explanation. Forbes I could buy was incompetent enough to reject this sort of evidence, as I said before, the man owes his job to influence, not competence.

    But Mayor Johnson is a very competent man. One of the nicer things about Concordia is, despite still being a home to the likes of Forbes, is that Concordia's police has been rooting out corruption and crime in the police, politics, and businesses in the community. As a result, Johnson has been viewed as a hero by most of the populace of Concordia, myself included. Mayor Johnson has always resented the corruption that plagued Concordia, and has done a damn good job eliminating it and working to make Concordia a safe place to live. Still, if he's ignoring evidence....suspicious.