That Monday, October 5, was spent catching up on sleep after the ordeals of the weekend. The horrific events that occurred at Miskatonic University Library had been "taken care of" by Professor Armitage and some highly trained professionals. The only mention of the events was an article in the Arkham Advertiser that told a reader of a case of suspected arson in which a car exploded. The Arkham police, was, of course, investigating.
Next day the Intrepid Investigators assembled at Jules Pollack Fine Antiques for a hearty breakfast and to discuss the invitation from author Ella B. Cocker to got to Maine for a little vacation. As they were finishing up their delicious breakfast, Jules heard Burlington Jones arguing with someone out in the store. Jules, being curious, walked into the store only two find three individuals talking to Jones: a tall, handsome man, a very attractive woman, and a very heavy-set gentleman who seemed to be looking around while sweating profusely. The handsome man excused himself from Burlington Jones and extended his hand towards Jules. "Hey there, you must be Mr. Pollack. I am Dunstan Dunford and the next mayor of Arkham. These are my associates, Ms. Carrie Brown, and the big fella is Country Breakfast. Say, Mr. Pollack, are you a registered Democrat?" And then the political discussion was on, with heated arguments between Jules non-conformist viewpoint and Dunford's campaign. The discussion was only briefly interrupted when Mackie entered the store, wielding a cigarette holder and a cocktail while yelling "Fuck off!"
That exclamation also led to Howard Lake sliding up to Ms. Carrie Brown. Howard was in pursuit of information about Dunford and his campaign, but also of any fringe benefits that might be the result of charming Ms. Brown. However, Ms. Brown turned out to be the commensurate professional, and Lake's advances were meat with leaflets and flyers proclaiming the virtues of Arkham's next mayor, while pointing out that the current mayor, Jonathan Bryce, really hadn't contributed anything to the betterment of Arkham. Meanwhile, the man simply referred to as Country Breakfast had a nice conversation with Mrs. O'Flaherty and some mincemeat pie.
Dunford and his associated eventually left, and none of the Intrepid Investigators were too impressed. A Democrat? In Arkham? And what was so wrong with Mayor Bryce? Felix Jeremiah decided to share the medical journal that he had taken care of in Dr. Queeg's office during the weekend:
Some highlights from Dr.
Queeg’s treatments of Mayor Jonathan Bryce
May 1, 1925
I am really feeling stressed, worn out and
empty. I do not know if I even should run for another term. I have honestly really
tried to be an honest and hard-working mayor, and I can point out all kinds of
success stories, but it is so tiring to just go from one disaster to another.
And now we had the power plant explosion, and I have been accused of causing it
due to ineptitude!
July 17, 1925
I have tried the new medications you gave me,
and although I feel less stressed, I have been suffering from some problems
sleeping. I have occasionally been in a state where I am really not certain if
I am awake or not, and sometimes I’ve seen strange things, often through the
windows, like figments of dreams.
August 30, 1925
I am really so glad that you could see me at so short notice. My wife is sick, and I am so worried. You know, it runs in her family, and I have dreaded this moment for so long.
September 14, 1925
It feels as if these dreamlike visions are
becoming more persistent, and recurring. I thought I was sleeping soundly and
dreaming when I saw this grotesque naked woman leering at me through my bedroom
window. It was terrifying, but as I turned on the light, she was gone.
September 22, 1925
Dr Queeg, I saw her again, in the middle of
the night! This time I was returning from an excursion to the restroom, so I am
almost entirely certain that I wasn’t sleeping. She has dark, wavy hair, and
she is covered by grotesque patterns, like messages from an inmate at the
Arkham Sanitarium! She smiled crazily at me again before disappearing, just
like that! I am really stressed again, and I feel my heart pounding just as I
think about it. How will I have the energy to meet my constituents tomorrow?
September 24, 1925
This time there was music, music that played
all night, it seemed. My poor wife couldn’t hear it, but I heard it:
repetitive, monotonous music. Am I losing it? Am I overworked? Should I just
retire?
September 29, 1925
There were several of them this night. The grotesque woman, some form of really strange and frightening animal, and something that looks like a pierrot or something similar. I am so glad that you encourage me to remain in the mayoral race, but I am feeling so exhausted.
It was a strange read, and yet difficult to figure out what was going on. Lake pointed out that there were no indications that Dr. Queeg had tried to influence Mayor Bryce in the way the nefarious psychotherapist had experimented on Lake and perhaps even Moira Baker. Yet, the circumstances were starting to make the Intrepid Investigators more than a little curious.
As morning became afternoon, Felix Jeremiah went out to gather the signatures necessary for his mayoral candidacy, included knocking at the door of Psilander House, Dr. Queeg's luxurious mansion. The staff had no clue whatsoever as to where Dr. Queeg had disappeared to, but Felix had a nice chat with the butler and the head maid while explaining his candidacy and political program: "Standing Up for the Little Guy." He did manage to gather the required signatures for his candidacy just before City Hall closed, and as Felix handed in his immaculately completed paperwork, he could not help feel quite satisfied with himself.
Howard Lake had managed to arrange a meeting with Ms. Carrie Brown. Unfortunately, the meeting was not as fruitful as Lake had hoped. Ms. Brown remained completely professional, and clearly a very dedicated campaign worker. So far, there seemed to be a potential campaign rally as part of the future for Lake and Ms. Brown.
Jules Pollack had to deal with the impending resignation of Burlington Jones, while Mackie took care of Karen as she pretended to grade some essays. Some further inquisitiveness on behalf of the Intrepid Investigators revealed that Dunstan Dunford was an attorney, and that he'd been in Arkham for five years. There was little information to be found on his background, so Jules and Mackie decided to place telephone calls to the Massachusetts Bar Association first thing Wednesday. They also decided to call a contact at Harvard to ensure that Ms. Carrie Brown was an actual graduate from the prestigious collage.
The following morning turned out to be rainy and windy, the first fall storm of 1925. Telephone calls were placed, and Harvard did have a graduate by the name of Carrie Brown, class of 1920. The Bar Association did have a Dunstan Dunford registered as having passed the bar exam, but apparently he had never practiced law, neither in Boston, nor in Arkham. There was one other thing though: all the records of Dunstan Dunford were registered as being copies of originals. There might be a perfectly plausible explanation to this, but it nevertheless seemed odd, and a further telephone call was placed by Mackie to Boston State College (BSC), where Dunford was claimed to have earnt his degree.
Mackie was apparently a known quantity on Campus, and a couple of undergraduate students had actually only recently transferred to the Miskatonic University archaeology program, so the registrar and bursar were more than happy to share some information. Bottom line, there was no Dunstan Dunford amongst the BSC alumni. A further telephone call to City Hall in Boston revealed that all of Dunstan Dunford's original documents had been destroyed just about five years ago. He was also the only child of deceased parents. Mackie nodded slowly to Jules as he hung up the receiver. This was indeed getting curious, and the clock was not even ten in the morning!
