Murder in
Crooke’s Crossing
An interactive murder mystery evening
Date:
Setting: Crooke’s Crossing Public Library
When the corpse of Mayor
Tyler “Ty” D. Proffitz is
found during a library gala in the small
Eve L. Queen, the director of Crooke’s
Crossing Public Library, is a poised, charming young woman who quickly rose
through the library’s ranks due to her intelligence and driving ambition. Sharp-minded and savvy, Eve has already set
her sights on the next rung in her career ladder: a seat on the City Council. She and Mayor Proffitz
are close friends. Eve always “dresses
for success,” favoring crisp, attractive business ensembles.
Alona N. Bhidder, the
reference librarian, is the great-granddaughter of librarian Emma Bhidder, who founded Crooke’s Crossing Public Library in
1918. Old-fashioned and conservative, Alona distrusts computers and insists on maintaining the
library’s aging card catalog. Despite
her prickly nature, she is an expert researcher. Alona dresses
tastefully and always wears practical shoes.
Warman C. Udley, the
children’s librarian, is a sweet, amiable fellow who delights the youngsters of
Crooke’s Crossing with his fun-filled weekly story hours. Always chipper and enthusiastic, Warman entertains the children with stories, crafts, and singalongs, and serves yummy snacks baked by his dear,
elderly mother. Warman’s
outfits include fun accessories like colorful ties, hand puppets, and stuffed
animals.
Alfie Fyle, the
library clerk, is Crooke’s Crossing’s resident computer expert. A brilliant, ultra-efficient office worker, Alfie is a whiz at math and science. However, he is shy and awkward when it comes
to social situations. Alfie recently helped Mayor Proffitz’s
wife, Charity, by classifying and organizing her private library. Alfie never leaves
home without his trusty pocket protector.
Charity Proffitz, the
wife of Mayor Proffitz, is a tireless
philanthropist. A glamorous and
vivacious woman, Charity has turned the Mayoral Manor into the high-society hub
of Crooke’s Crossing. She regularly
hosts posh fundraisers to benefit the town’s less
fortunate citizens, gaining the support of wealthy patrons from all over
Petunia Budd, the library’s gardener, is
a gentle, folksy soul who has faithfully tended her garden for the past twenty
years. Petunia cultivates an eclectic
mixture of wildflowers, herbs, perennials, and shrubs. Her stunning flowerbeds have won high awards
from the Petty County Horticultural Society.
Petunia’s clothes are often stained with dirt and grass. She usually wears gardening gloves and a
floppy hat.
Admiral Coyle D. Snaick, a
former United States Navy officer, is a local celebrity in Crooke’s Crossing
due to his series of heroic victories in the Vietnam War. A robust, commanding individual, Coyle is now
retired from the military but keeps busy by volunteering at the library, where
he shelves books and performs odd jobs as needed. Coyle always wears his Navy hat and medals.
S. Mel Macon, an eccentric bag lady, is
the library’s most dedicated customer.
This is largely due to where she lives: underneath the building’s front
eaves. Indeed, Mel spends almost every
day at the library, looking up weird facts in reference books, reading the
latest Harlequin romances, and snoozing in the periodicals reading room. Due to her homeless status, poor Mel wears
the same grungy, mismatched clothing every day.
Lulu Nattik, a
local history buff and avid library user, is a truly unique personality. Lulu believes in a “revised” version of the
history of Crooke’s Crossing in which the town’s founder, Lyman “Ly”
Dusty T. Hoames, an
antique book dealer, owns and operates Crooke’s Crossing’s only used bookstore,
Dusty’s Musties. Not much is known about Dusty, since he
spends most of his time lurking about in dark, creaky archives and sequestered
rare book collections. Laconic and
vaguely sinister, Dusty often wears tweedy, drab-colored clothing and has a
somewhat disheveled appearance.
Return to Main Page.
Return to More Info Page.
© 2005 Theodore Kavich