Beginning of Urban Mystic

A small, pudgy man with caramel-colored skin and a floppy, red hat darts around the scene trying to get a vantage point. Occasionally, he just kind of appears a top a police car or a street light. Occasionally, he sniffs at the air before moving on. He holds a crumpled up photograph in his hand.

Jack looks at the crowd of onlooker gathering around the crime scene, being held back by the police officers. He sighs and shakes his head.

"Tsh, death, the cheapest show in Los Angeles De Sombra..."

He then notices a familiar red cap hovering lower than the average spectator's head...

"Hmm, maybe a new job? Eh, why not..."

Jak makes his way towards the familiar sight, not really bothering to ask people aside as he pushes his way through the crowd. Eventually he reaches the gnome private eye who seems to be concentrating, but also looks a bit frustrated...

"Hey there short stop, got anything good?

Shani stepped out of Councilman Price's office and headed for the door. 'This is the last time you work on a private case for a politician.' She scolded herself. The councilman had seemed nice enough at first, but once the work was complete it had been a real pain in the ass to get paid. Shani had spent three days stalking him, finally pinning him down in his private offices and threatening to hex him to Hades and back if he didn't fork over her fee. He objected to paying full price since his formerly cursed merchandise was no longer in peak condition, but Shani had warned him it might happen. There was even a clause in her standard contract, that the councilman had signed, absolving her of such damages.

The councilman had bought a watch that reportedly belonged to a notorious gangster, Coleman Petty. The watch was something of a signature accessory for Petty and must have had some significant sentimental value to the thug because he paid to have a wasting curse put on it. Likely, Petty intended to be buried with the watch and planned to punish whoever took it after his death. Whoever took it though was either smart enough to not put it on, or only interested in the potential monetary value of the piece. They sold it to Councilman Price, making a good profit Shani would guess, and only dumb luck had stopped Price from putting the watch on. Things started fine, but then the spell transformed into a burning spell and had nearly caught Shani's whole building on fire. The watch was fused shut and didn't tick anymore, but it was still recognizable as having belonged to Petty.

The Councilman ended up paying just as he had agreed but not without raising a stink about it, then suggesting Shani could make a little more money if she wanted. Shani had nearly decked him, but limited herself to twisting his arm nearly out of socket and beating a hasty retreat with her check.

As her feet reached the street she prepared to fly over to the bank to deposit her fee before her rent check bounced, but the the commotion and snippets of radio chatter were to much to ignore. She angled her broom the other way and followed the patrol car headed to the scene. She alighted next to a familiar pair of faces and waited to get the low-down. If nothing else this would make for great gossip at the diner.

"Nuk...Jack...we know anything yet?"

Jack acknowledges the newcomer with a side glance before looking at the scene again, another familiar face. Looks like when death is about, the freaks come out to play...

"Hey Jinx, nah, I just got here, but short stop here was here first, look like he was trying to use some power or something... Didn't seem to have worked judging by the look on his face..."

If jack is close enough, he'll try to have a general look of the scene, like are there bullet holes, or scorched marks from a bombing? If not, he might suspect something supernatural instead.

Shani rolls her eyes at Jack's nickname for her. "I don't like the looks of that blood. I mean, aside form the fact it should be inside those people and not on the street." Glancing around, the witch mounts her broom and lifts into the air to change her point of view.

'Is it, some kind of spell I wonder.' Shani ponders trying to keep her mind focused on the symbols of blood. 'What could have done this? Despite the overall mess, it seems almost clean and meticulously planned.'

As he notices Shani rise above the crowd on her broom, he calls to her as well as shake Nukux out of his concentration.

"Hey guys, look at that pool of blood over there and tell me this isn't a clock showing 11:30."

Nukux's high-pitched, froggy voice sounds saddened Not good... No, no...many dead...can't see what happened before 11:30. Don't know how bodies got there. He shakes his head and holds his hat in his hand as he makes the sign of the cross.

"Wait, what was that short stop? I though we have about another 7 hours and a half to figure things out, but you say this happened at around 11:30 AM?"

Jack thinks quickly, he approaches the yellow tape and tries to talk to an officer, holding his smartphone as if it were some sort of recording device.

"Officer, officer, Bill Posting here for the Daily Nurgle."

Jack quickly flashes a card from his wallet, not really letting the officer have a good look at it.

"Can you tell us more about those bodies, does the LADSPD knows what is going on here?"

Shani returns to the ground and regards the envelopes. "Nothing different to be seen up there. What do you think those are all about?" She does not reach out to take her own. "Feel free to open mine."