The Carbon Paper
In the exclusive kitchen of 'Le Corbeau Noir', a celebrated chef is discovered deceased inside the walk-in cooler. An investigation centers on a single, pristine order pad carbon, a document that appears flawless but may contain traces of multiple overlapping activities from the night's service.
Initial Crime Scene
The air hangs thick with the scent of truffle oil and the faint, acrid note of something recently burned. A constant, low hum emanates from the walk-in cooler's compressor, underscored by the distant, rhythmic clatter of the ticket printer. Your gaze lands on three distinct textures: the grease-stained, heat-warped surface of the kitchen ticket rail, the flimsy, layered sheets of carbon-copy paper on a nearby order pad, and the cold, scarred stainless-steel prep table beneath the fluorescent glare.
Crime Scene Environment
The lighting is harsh and clinical from overhead fluorescent tubes, casting sharp, unflattering shadows. The air is cool and carries a persistent, high humidity, slicking surfaces with condensation. The acoustic density is high, filled with the low hum of refrigeration, the distant hiss of the ticket printer, and the muffled sounds of the dining room beyond the kitchen doors.
Investigation Constraints
Late 20th/Early 21st Century analog-digital hybrid. Landline telephones, cash registers, physical reservation books, paper order pads with carbon copies, kitchen ticket printers, VHS security cameras with looping tapes, early cellular phones (analog, bulky), fax machines. No internet, no digital cameras, no social media.
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