🧭 THE ARCHIVES

Quote of the day

You feel very funny, sort of squashed and pushed and squeezed. Your surroundings are wavering, then growing, then wavering again. The feeling vanishes, but your surroundings are ten times their former size... or is it that you are one-tenth your former size?

-- Spellbreaker

Factoid of the day

In Sorcerer, the VEZZA spell lets the player glimpse future events, including events from Spellbreaker. The spell was named after Infocom's then-CEO Albert Vezza, who most certainly misjudged the company's future.

Link of the day

The Gold Machine

Drew Cook's blog of deep dives into Infocom's works of interactive fiction

If you have an Infocom, interactive fiction, or adventure game link you'd like to see here, let me know.

Invisiclues

Suspect

Final Copy

Do not read the following articles until after you have solved the murder.

(Click or tap on any clue to reveal the clue.)

Article 1

WELLMAN AND BARRON CONVICTED IN ASHCROFT MURDER
ROCKVILLE, March 8. Michael Wellman and Alicia Barron were convicted today of the first degree murder of Wellman's wife, Veronica Ashcroft. The jury deliberated for less than one hour before reaching its verdict. Colonel Robert Marston, head of the Ashcroft family trust. had already been convicted in a related case of embezzlement.
Appearing before Judge N. S. Galley, District County Attorney John Castle summarized the case for prosecution:
"Michael Wellman was already up to his neck in deception. He was involved with Col. Marston in the embezzlement of the Ashcroft Trust and in a love affair with his wife's so-called 'best friend,' Alicia Barron. When Veronica suggested a move up-county that would necessitate a significant drain on the Trust's funds, and possibly reveal Southeast Planning's thefts, Michael began to think of murder. When an accidental peek into a carelessly unlocked file cabinet revealed that Veronica knew of the thefts, he put his plan into motion.
"Michael consulted with Col. Marston, whose reaction was to flee until the murderer convinced him he could placate Veronica and retrieve the evidence. It is only because all involved agree that Marston was not directly a part of the plot that he too was not indicted as an accessory.
"Capitalizing on Alicia Barron's resemblance to Veronica in size and shape, Michael and his accomplice maneuvered Veronica into selecting a masquerade costume that completely obscured her face and head. A casual friend of the victim's, a reporter for the Washington Representative, was selected to 'take the rap.'
"On the night of the party, Alicia secretly arrived early, and using one of Michael's keys, hid in the locked office. When the reporter arrived in a costume that included a lariat, Michael switched his intended method of murder to further implicate the hapless reporter.
"After Veronica had been seen by the party guests, Michael lured her away to the office, where she was murdered. Michael retrieved the incriminating folder to be hidden elsewhere. Alicia donned Veronica's costume over her own flimsy one and returned with Michael to the Ballroom.
"After a few minutes of boozy socializing as 'Veronica,' Alicia contrived an accident to her costume and left the Ballroom. She rushed to the office, redressed Veronica in the costume, and left through the back door to 'just arrive' at the front one.
"It only remained for Michael to stay in the Ballroom, establishing his alibi, and to wait for the body to be discovered. Then he could dispose of the folder and fulfill his bargain with Marston by turning over the investor list with Marston's name on it."

Article 2

SOCIALITES KILLED, FRIEND ARRESTED IN BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE
RAPPANOC, November 1. Prominent hunt country socialite Veronica Ashcroft was murdered and her husband was killed last night during their annual Halloween Costume Ball. A friend of the family, Alicia Barron, is being held in the Rappanoc Women's Correctional Facility in connection with the deaths.
Witnesses reported Ms. Ashcroft, dressed as a fairy queen, left the main area of the party after staining her gown and later was discovered in her office strangled with a lariat. Initially the Representative's reporter, who was covering the event, was suspected in the murder as the murder weapon was a lariat that was part of the reporter's costume.
Astute detective work by our reporter allayed these suspicions, and pointed to a frame-up. The plucky reporter went on to prove it was Veronica's own husband and her self-described "best friend" who were guilty. When the pair were confronted with the damning evidence, they fled to the barn in an effort to escape. Ironically, Michael was trampled and killed by Veronica's prize horse "Lurking Grue" as he and Barron entered the barn without any light. Barron was arrested and held without bail.

Article 3

REPORTER FOILS POLICE INVESTIGATION, SUSPECT STILL AT LARGE
RAPPANOC, November 1. The murder investigation of hunt country socialite Veronica Ashcroft-Wellman was foiled last night by a Representative reporter. As a result, two suspects, Michael Wellman and Alicia Barron, escaped. Wellman was later found dead, apparently trampled to death by Ms. Ashcroft's horse, "Lurking Grue." Barron's whereabouts are still unknown.
The reporter allegedly confronted the two with evidence believed to identify them as the murderers rather than turning the evidence over to the police. A get-away car, previously parked behind the barn by Barron, was used for her escape. Wellman was killed when he entered the horse barn without any light, causing the horse to panic.
"I have never experienced such a flagrant act of egoism before," declared the Detective. "The reporter deliberately interfered with my investigation, withheld evidence, and caused this aberration of justice."