The Finch House Affair
An independent investigator is called to Finch House following the unexpected collapse of its patriarch, Judge Alistair Finch, during the annual St. Patrick's Day gathering. The estate's veneer of genteel order belies a labyrinth of intersecting financial obligations, professional rivalries, and meticulously guarded private histories. The objective is to untangle the web of social shame, career-saving lies, and accidental timeline contamination to isolate the single, cold truth.
Initial Crime Scene
The threshold of Finch House is crossed under the weight of old leather and beeswax. A sharp, acrid odor—unlike the expected polish—cuts through the air, noticeable even in the hallway. The silence is punctuated by the faint, rhythmic ticking of a grandfather clock. The first visual is the deep, polished grain of the paneled walls. The second is a guest book on a hall table, its page open. The third is the long, dark shadow cast by a suit of armor standing sentinel at the foot of the staircase.
Crime Scene Environment
The sandbox operates under a genteel veneer of mid-century domestic propriety. Lighting is consistent with shaded lamps and filtered daylight, creating pools of warm light and deep, stationary shadows. The humidity is low and the temperature is cool, maintained by thick stone walls and heavy drapery, resulting in a still, slightly stale air. Acoustic density is muted; sounds are absorbed by Persian runners, velvet upholstery, and the pervasive scent of wood polish, creating an atmosphere where a dropped pin would be audible.
Investigation Constraints
Manual cash registers, rotary telephones, handwritten ledgers, mechanical door locks, paper guest books, vintage cameras requiring film development, hand-cranked ice cream makers.
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