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Victim
Cornelia Goth

Suspects:
Goth: Gunther
Crumplebottom: Agnes
Landgraab: Nancy
Alto: Nick and Vita

Introduction:
Anyone that knows anything about Sunset Valley knows who the power players are. The feud between the “old money” Landgraab’s and the “Nouveau Riche” Alto’s is legendary. The Alto’s practically own the town’s commerce while the Landgraab’s are rumored to have founded the town itself. Then there’s the Goths. Sophisticated and very old money also believed to play a key role in founding the town. The issues between these families run deeper than just new money vs. old money.

It’s a cool spring evening in Sunset Valley. Your office is all but silent as you thumb through a recently solved case file. A resounding knock sounds at your door, not entirely surprising since you’ve been building your reputation as the best private investigator in town. You stand and cross the room giving the door handle a firm tug. A man, tall, thin, and pale stands before you. You’re immediately drawn to his attire, specifically the purple top hat and matching suit.

“I am Gunther Goth” (he hands you a business card that reads “Gunther Goth, Doo Peas Chief Executive Officer”. If you’re as skilled a detective as I’ve heard, I wish to employ you, immediately. Money is no object.” You direct Mr. Goth to have a seat in the leather chair across form your desk and offer him your full attention.

“My wife, Cornelia, was recently found murdered at a cemetery not far from our home. Four nights ago, my wife attended a social gathering at the Landgraab’s, some old acquaintances of ours. She was last seen in the company of someone driving a Margaret Vaguester and dropped her off near a local salon on Skyborough Blvd. at around 8:00 PM. I find this odd as my wife does not usually frequent such places. How she arrived at the Cemetery was a mystery but why she would go there is not. She often visited to pay her respects to a friend…I can’t recall the name but I’d see her carrying lilies from her garden to the cemetery at least once a week. She was found later that evening, slumped over a grave, shot to death in the back of the head. She probably never saw her killer. No murder weapon was found. The only thing that was recovered was a receipt in her purse from Flying V’s Coffeehouse stamped at 9:14 PM that evening.

I worked late that night, as I often do, and was unable to accompany her to the affair. As her husband, of course the police are considering me as a possible suspect, that’s where you come in. I want you to find my wife’s killer or at least clear my name.

You ask Mr. Goth the usual questions, not the least of which, did Cornelia Goth have any enemies. He assured you that she kept to herself and that other than her sister Agnes, he and their son were the closest to her. You’ve got your work cut out for you!

From “Mister X”:
The next morning, you discover an unmarked envelope on your doorstep. Inside is short note that reads:

The rich eat Lobster Thermidor
Whilst plotting behind closed doors
This one knows the truth, you’ll seek
Though your chances of finding them seem bleak.
One new, one old, one warm, one cold.
One who got in the way
All have something to you they’ll say
Follow her well and the clues you’ll find
If you believe all you hear then you’ll be mine!

How to Proceed:
Since this is the first event in the challenge, I’m inclined to offer some guidance this one time. You’ve basically been given several clues to run down and some major pointers were given to you right here in this post! Here is what you’ll need to tell me in order to collect the next clue:

1. What is the “issue” that these three families have in common? How are they linked (other than being rich). This may require you to do some digging, talking to the families, even following them around (although there is a huge clue right here in this post).

2. Who do you think drove Cornelia to the salon that night? Again, this is going to take some stake out work until you find who has that vehicle.

3. Who did Cornelia have dinner with at Flying Vs (the clues are there, you just need to pay close attention to them…and your map). I will tell you that the dinner guest has a very specific favorite dish.

4. Finally, whose grave did Cornelia bring flowers to that night?

CLUES SO FAR...
I'm just transferring the discussion from the other board on this case.

UPDATE: This case just keeps getting stranger. There is a LOT going on under the surface and you're going to have to dig deeper to find some answers! That means invading some privacy, specifically, the homes of your suspects. You arrive at your office the next morning and discover yet another unmarked envelope waiting for you, another clue from the killer? You scowl at yet another riddle:

The one that now dines alone is cold
The new one has secrets untold.
The old one schemes his power to take
While the warm one sadly awaits his fate

The one who got in the way has left a clue
Find the right house before I find you!

One clue lies beneath a Prince's watchful eye
While the other is not far from where the waterfall meets the tide

Visit the houses, one by one
Put the pieces together before your final decision comes

From this riddle and what you have learned thus far, you must begin a search of suspect's homes. There is incriminating evidence in two, but you must unravel Mr. X's riddle.

RULES OF INVESTIGATION: You can't just walk into someone's house and start going through their belongings. You need to find some way of distracting anyone who is home (i.e. using some sort of potion, if you've got several at home try calling some of them and having them meet you somewhere then go to their house, or whatever means you can think of to force them out of the room). You can only search a room as long as no one is in it! Don't cheat! Once you think you know where the clues are hidden, respond on the forum or in a PM to me and I will give you the final clue in this case before the big "decision" Sunday night!

p.s. it may be hard to figure out what the prince and waterfall is. I will tell you they are referring to objects in the homes. You're going to have to check carefully to make sure you don't miss them.

EDIT: If you can't find one, just tell me what you do find. If you can't find anything, take a guess. You've got a 50/50 chance of getting a clue that is accurate

1.goths and alonts are famliy friends but the the landgradds not so much
2.vita
3.anges
4her parents

I think that the waterfall one refers to the combined shower-and-bathtub thingy. I don't know about the prince one, though.
Edit: The prince one may be about a Medusa Victim statue.

I think the hardest one has been #1 for people, what's the connection. There definitely is a very clear one. If you're not sure, try following the suspects on a weekday, see where they go

Quoted from the main thread

Really? The hardest for me was #4, why Cornelia was at the graveyard. I couldn't figure it out until one of the clues told me.

my character think and he Suspect That's Agnes because of the will of their parents or she want Gunther.