Walter brings Zoe and Carrie to the station and gives them the police report.

Investigative Report

Office of Sheriff

County of Los Angeles, California

Offense: Multiple homicides

Case No.: 97V323T

Location: Highland Park Agricultural District-- Lot 12

Reported By: Surrounding neighbors

Address: Lots 9, 10, 11, 12

Phone: YO 9592

Date: August 13, 1924

Time: Approx 20:30 hours

Description of Property: Not Applicable

Suspect Description: Not Applicable

Statement:

A heroin abusing sex club for the wealthy and privileged descended into an orgy of violence for no clear reason. Bodies were all found in or near an unused barn on agricultural land. 

The barn was on fire when we arrived and nearly all of the dead had already expired. The rest succumbed to their wounds before paramedics arrived. Most of the bodies had been grossly mutilated although a few had been shot. Medical examiner concluded that wild animals were responsible for the most part. I find this hard to believe.

Roster of identified bodies are:

-Ramon Echavarria, identified by household servant
-Richard Spend, identified by Yolanda Spenzel
-6 women and 4 men identified by next of kin
-3 Jane Does
-Vincent Stack, from ID on his person which included a PI license valid in NJ
-Katherine Clark, from ID on person
-Franklin Cormac Kullman, from ID on person.

Most bodies found nude or wearing robes. 

Stack- body found with shotgun still clenched in hands.

Kullman- found near the Buick, his wheelchair still in the car. Seemed to have been dragged out of the vehicle.

Clark- decapitated, head never found.

Trails of blood and footprints leading from the scene suggest that at least one individual escaped the events.

Inv. Officer: Walter Kriss

Date: August 13, 1924

Zoe and Carrie thank Walter and return to the coffeeshop to discuss their findings. 

"Vincent Stack, Katherine Clark, and Francis Cormac Kullman are the investigators from 1924."

"I found Echavarria's obituary, which included his house's neighborhood?" 

"Sale of his estate... argh. I bet anything interesting is long gone. Maybe we could get records of sale? I guess there's not really anything in particular we're looking for just yet, though."

"We could at least confirm whether it's the same house that's in most of the photos? And maybe ask if any of his neighbors remember anything of note? Probably it's worth at least checking who owns it now. It might wind up being someone else involved, even if they weren't his next of kin? Or someone who'd let us look around."

Zoe and Carrie go to look up information about the auctioning of Echavarria's estate. 

Los Angeles County Recorder’s Office reveals that the estate was auctioned by Magnificent Villa Auction Services.

While there, a name catches their eye: an accountant employed in the same building as Magnificent Villa Auction Services. Abraham Buchwald.

"What are the odds it's the same Buchwald? I'm not actually sure what I'd want to ask him... the Ambassador Hotel? Henslowe? Echavarria? does the word 'towncar' mean anything special to you?"

"I... think given everything else, I would not want to ask him anything in person with just the two of us?"

"That... is fair."

"I think there's at least a decent chance it might be the same person, and all we know about him other than that he might work for the auction house that sold Echavarria's estate was a note referring to him in the same opaque format as Echavarria."

"Alright. We can look into him a bit before trying to talk to him, and wait until we have more backup, in case he's another friend of the cult. Do you want to go scope out the house? Or the place the barn was? Or should we wait for the others before doing anything else more dangerous than looking up old records?"

"I guess - see if we can tell from outside whether the house is the same one, but let's not try to talk to anyone or check out the ex-barn without more people around? And then see if we can find anything out about Buchwald?"

"Works for me."

They get the address from the address book and go to Echavarria's old house. It seems to be the same one. 

"Alright, well this all looks like it lines up."

"If we can confirm that whoever's living there is safe to talk to, we might be able to get them to let us look around and see if there's anything left, but we shouldn't do that now." 

"Don't suppose there's a name on the mailbox or anything?"

She looks; the house belongs to the Pages.

"I think that's it."

As they leave, they turn a corner and their nostrils are assaulted by the stench of a filthy vagrant’s body odor mixed with the tang of the hard liquor that’s left him sprawled, unconscious, on the ground.

Apparently there are vagrants somewhere in LA.

The next thing Zoe feels is the crack of a blackjack against her shoulder.

She turns to see a man looking at her. He is holding a revolver in his off hand in a way that conveys that not hearing him out will have deadly consequences.

"What the hell!?"

Zoe is going to run like hell. 

Zoe does not like to stick around in the vicinity of people who hit her from behind and point guns at her.

- okay, if she's running, also running is a better idea than trying to talk.

The man takes off after them. He's shooting, and bullets are firing wildly. People come out of their houses to stare.

With her athletic gifts, Zoe easily outpaces him.