CTI: Crime Team Investigation

[JackPutter]

Are they all Dean R. Koontz fans or what?

Goddamn, that made me laugh! Maybe the victims are all members of the Clive Barker fan club! 

Just to speak out of character for a minute, it's super interesting to hear everyone's theories and thought processes. I've been trying to pay careful attention and write each subsequent message in a way that will gently steer you in the right direction. I actually made a couple of missteps which needed to be corrected as the game went on, I'll be happy to post a full explanation once the case is over. You're all also so gosh-darned intelligent! Making the puzzles "difficult enough" is becoming a challenge, though I can picture the current puzzle taking some time to figure out entirely. I'll have the chief give a helpful nudge every 24 hours or so.

EDIT: Just realised this went onto a new page so here is the latest riddle again for easy reference:

Spoiler

[close]

[heltenjon]

While I doubt it's a good lead, I'll post it just to make good on that everyone should post their thoughts: "The audio that causes rain" made me think of The Rainmakers, a band Stephen King is a fan of and quotes in two novels, according to Wikipedia.

Has anyone ruled out any hidden messages in the letters in similar colours? I think we only need to solve the last three lines, but I don't put it beyond Jack to have hidden some more clues in there. The writing is exceptionally good!

[Cassiebsg]

I gave it a try, but got nothing. doesn't mean there's nothing to find in there though. I was just looking for possible location names... but only checked those that matched with exact number of letters in the colored note and the locations names.

[heltenjon]

Another silly association:
The audio that causes rain - torrent
Someone who somersaults - tumblr
A bird that chirps - twitter


I noticed that "FOR REAL" was in capital letters. Perhaps we have to look beyond the map and find a location in the real world?

[mkennedy]

Have forensics do some analysis of the brick in case it holds any clues, maybe find out if anybody bought the same type of brick recently. Also ask the hospitals if any patients are being treated for cold or allergy symptoms.

[Cassiebsg]

Uhm... this is the second time the note is posted and no map for reference... maybe this means we're not looking for a map location but for a persons name?

Another thing that crossed my mind is that, so far, he hasn't killed anyone... was it just luck and good detective work or is his plan to injure/kill the town cops and the "victims" aren't meant to be killed but just used as decoy? He had the means and opportunity to kill them all before we even knew who the targets were after all.

I think we should warn the cops in town to be extremely careful, and threat every "search and rescue"  operation as that they, them self, are the intended targets.

[JackPutter]

Upon looking into the brick, it's found that a local construction company recently bulk-bought thousands of similar bricks as part of a new development in Pinewood. It would probably have been easy enough for the suspect to sneak off with a single brick and not have it noticed. No fingerprints, DNA, or other identifying material is found on the brick or the note which was attached to it.

The chief calls the hospital administrator to see who is being treated for cold or allergy symptoms, and the administrator says that it would be a list in the hundreds thanks to the COVID-19 outbreak. The chief decides that this wouldn't be an efficient way to track down the criminal, assuming the suspect even checked into the hospital in the first place, but appreciates the suggestion as every avenue needs to be explored.

[Kastchey]

I tried to think if the oddball wording in the second line means anything, but it seems it's just another easter egg:

Spoiler

cockadoodie
1. A nonsense adverb that is added to the word "brat" by the psychotic fan who keeps the writer hostage in Stephen King's novel "Misery."
"You cockadoodie brat! Don't you ever try to escape again or I'll..."

[close]

Spoiler

(or is it? Perhaps the killer is female and identifies with Annie? That probably wouldn't be necessary knowledge to solve the riddles, so it would not go against 'no googling required' rule)
Edit: Ok, a would-be killer for now as far as we are concerned..

[close]

[heltenjon]

Good eyes, Kastchey! This is a book I've read in translation, so I didn't pick up on it - in fact I thought it was "cockadoodle". There are plenty of descriptions that points in the direction of the suspect being female, or at least not rules that out. Jack uses "their" instead of his/her, and we know Leland thought the perp was below average height. If Leland assumed it was a male, this may fit.

[Ian Aloser]

Ok, we have come to a point where we have a LOT of information already, maybe too much
to get a picture of what to do next. Just to remind us of what our target ist, here's the quote from JackPutter
concerning the game's rules:

There are a couple of important details that are specific to this case, which I will go through now.

Firstly, this criminal has many crimes lined up, but a big finale planned. To stop the finale, you need to do one of two things. You either need to figure out who the final target is and get them into protective custody, or you can track the criminal to their home town and arrest them. However, if you arrest the criminal without identifying who the final target is, the criminal may have had time to put their final plan in motion and you won't be able to save the target. On the other hand, if you manage to get the target to safety without identifying where the criminal is, then they might be able to escape.

We have two notes/letters from the prep, the first note written with a lot of typos, the second one not containing any typo at all.
Maybe the prep has a "Split Personality", that would justify a request at the eligible hospitals or to search the police records.Or there are two persons involved.
The last three lines of the recent letter point to at least one location, to me Torrent (Audio puzzle) leads to Torrent Crescent.
So instead of waiting for something to happen, we should seize the initiative and search (POTENTIAL SOLUTION)
Torrent's Crescent. Of course, we must be EXTREMELY careful. As Officer Cassiebsg pointed out, the prep's primary intention might be to hurt the police and used the former victims as decoys. I cannot make a better suggestion at the moment, but we have to do something. What do you think?
EDIT:
Could we also send a request at the eligible hospitals or to search the police records for persons with a "Split Personality".
Maybe something can be found here.....

[JackPutter]

Officers White and Leland scour Torrent's Crescent up, down, and backwards, but find nothing out of place. They do encounter townsfolk who have been hearing murmurings about the recent crimes though, and it seems like the locals are beginning to fear for their safety a little.

The chief calls the hospital administrator for the district again, and is informed that no-one with dissociative identity disorder or any other kind of "split personality" disorder has received treatment in the area.

[Mandle]

The audio that causes rain - torrent
Someone who somersaults - tumblr
A bird that chirps - twitter

This must be the correct solution I feel.

POTENTIAL SOLUTION

Have the I.T. goblins start to scour the internet and social media platforms for someone with the username of "KS".

[heltenjon]

"The audio that causes rain"...isn't there something called Cloud Audio? Or Soundcloud?

The only other thing I can think of is thunder, but while that signals rain, it doesn't really make it.

[JackPutter]

The IT department throw their hands up in disbelief at the idea of trying to track someone down with only the letters "KS" to go by.

"I like the way you think though, Detective Mandle," says the chief, scratching his chin. "This criminal has used telephone messages, handwritten letters, cut-and-paste ransom notes, lipstick scrawled on a door... they could have posted their next clue on their Facebook page for all we know!"

[Ian Aloser]

I got a feeling that there's something hidden in the green letters
of the last message, maybe a username

[heltenjon]

That's about all I have to say at the moment... Oh, I imagine you're wondering why I signed the letter, "KS." Well those are not my initials, of course. They stand for those who would destroy a God, those who kill the reigning leader, those who use opportunity to usurp the big man's seat. I will not stand by and allow them to do it any more.

I still think this points in the direction that "KS" means "King slayer(s)". But it doesn't sound like the chief agrees. 

If it's not King Slayer(s), then it has to be something like King Supplanter(s) or, probably more likely, King Substitute(s).

Potential solution
How about we let the IT-guys search for the usernames we have suggested here: King Slayer, King Supplanter(s) or King Substitute(s)?
I'll provide the donuts if they provide the processing power. *belch* Sorry, I accidentally ate a leaf of lettuce this morning. 

[JackPutter]

The chief instructs the IT crowd to start scouring the internet for accounts that have usernames similar to those suggested. They moan, but put their heads down and get to work.

"In the meantime" says the chief, "Why don't you folks try working out what the OPPOSITE of KS is. Hell, you all know how to use a keyboard and mouse, if all your other leads are dry, get searching yourself."

[Laura Hunt]

I've tried kingprotector on twitter, tumblr and soundcloud, as well as kingmaker, kingservant, kingmaster and everything of the sort I've been able to come up with, but nothing so far. Not being totally sure what KS means makes it kind of hard to find its opposite...

[Ian Aloser]

I tried Stephanie Queen in all ROT-X decoders, yet to no avail :-)))

[Mandle]

Is there simply someone posting on social media using a fake "Stephen King" account? I doubt it's that simple but...