Legacy of Evil: Whodunnit at the OK Corral

"That feels a bit excessive, doesn't it?" I remark lightly. And then with the following rejoinder, I add aloud for all to hear.

"Especially as the next full moon is six days from now."

A beat passes. Everyone considers it and to his credit, the distraught Amos lowers his gun and looks incredibly frustrated at himself as his mount snarls.

"Ah hells. I-I'm sorry. I was so worried and angry, I just about took it out on y'all. But my son really is dead and I got no idea what's going on!"

"Ain't nothing stopping us from locking up these folks." One of the posse members says thoughtfully, wand out as he adds. "Can't be too careful. Might be there's a trophy or something among their things."

Sheriff Jeff considers and then nods once, gesturing. "Search em." The caravan growls and the old matriarch in turn waves them down, turning to them as she speaks. "We have nothing to hide. By all means, take a look."

The posse moves and as they do, I approach Amos as I speak. "When did you find the body?"

He scowled, memories coming to the forefront as he spoke. "Ah hell... Was this morning. He usually likes to ride out and check on the edges of our territory, make sure our fence is strong and sturdy. When he didn't show up for breakfast, I went looking for him myself and found... That."

"Any footprints?"

His expression was grim. "Yeah. Wolf prints, all around. Big ones too."

"The arm itself, was it lying on the ground? Did it have anything?" He spat to the side and scowled.

"Yeah. His wand."

"Where are his wand and the arm now?" I ask and he looked curious, peering at me. "... Over in our icehouse, why?"

I could never resist a good mystery and I remark aloud. "I'd like to examine them for myself, perhaps I can do something about this."

"SHERIFF, WE FOUND SOMETHING!"

We looked towards the outcry, one of the deputies holding up the bow I had found the other day. Sheriff Jeff sneers, staring at it.

"You've got injun connections."

"Found it the other day. I considered it a curiosity, is it important?" I asked and Jeff scowled. Amos spoke quietly, under his breath.

"They're a nuisance in these parts, they go after cattle and the like."

"Ain't really helping your case. Arrest him." Jeff nods to me and the caravan let out angry growls, as Amos cries out.

"HEY, HEY! LET'S NOT BE HASTY!"

"It's probable cause. Man's smart, got the bow. Might be, he's pulling the wool over your eyes Slade." I felt that hit a bit closer to home as I point and speak.

"Give me three days. Let me try to solve this. Maybe I get more answers, with a fresh pair of eyes. And if not, then you can take me in anyway."

The outcry from the caravan grows louder, but I have eyes only for Jeff as he stares at me before he grunts. "Three days. If you run, I'm coming for you boy."

And off he rode, the entire group doing so and leaving only Amos behind as the caravan comes and starts talking over each other. It takes a sharp whistle from Conan who scowls and points to me.

"Explain."

I take a deep breath and speak. "I'm a wizard with a particular set of skills. Skills that make me uniquely suited to attempt to solve this." I try to hide the smile at quotes only I'd be able to get so far, as I continue.

"Skills that will hopefully get everyone else out of this. Beyond that, whatever did this? It's still out there and if it doesn't go after the people here, it'll go after us. I want to stop that, before it happens. On that note Mr. Amos, I have two requests."

He looks at me and I look serious.

"First-I'd like to look at the arm and wand. Second...." My voice trails off and I flick my wand, bring the bow to my hand.

"How would I get in contact with these people?"

=====

"Why do you wish to speak to the Lakota?" Conan was curious as we strode across the Slade ranch, heading for the icehouse. In this, he was swift to declare that I would not be doing this alone and entering the unnaturally chilled building (magic, of course), we approached a table with a sheet over it.

"Well for a number of reasons. The first is to discern motivation. It's possible that the young man was approached by them, killed in the messiest way to throw blame on you lot. Meeting them will confirm or require further work in that direction, before I can claim a definitive answer."

I remove the sheet, holding back my curious gaze as I flick my wand and levitate the arm, rotating it back and forth as I eye the thing overall. "Beyond that however, I also have questions about the land."

Conan is turning green, staring at me working as he speaks slowly. "Er... The land?"

As I take out a magnifying glass I transfigured from a nail, I peer at the ragged ends of the arm and nod.

"Every area has its own monster stories and folklore. If this is indeed the case here, then it stands to reason that the people to consult are those who lived here the longest." I rotate the arm and peer a bit closer before speaking.

"He was scrabbling at the ground, and then grabbed the post before it tore off from stress. You can see the musculature here ripped and the dirt beneath the fingernails, as well as splinters. Now whatever killed him was certainly strong-or it was simply a spell. We'll find that out soon enough." I went for the wand, pressing the tip of mine to it as I muttered the words to enable me to discover what was cast last.

What came out surprised me.

"Cutting charms. A bombarda.... Before that, an obscuring charm and... Interesting."

"What is it?" Conan asked and I gestured. "A privacy charm. So, if I'm reading this correctly, he went out and cast something for secrecy. And was then ambushed by something that grabbed him, something with immense strength."

"Could it not had been a spell of some kind?" Conan asked curiously and I shook my head, gesturing to the spells.

"Not a single counterspell if that was the case. Only panicked, brute force before the wand dropped and he was taken away. Something that without looking at the site itself, I can say that it was a large creature. Big enough to take a man and tear him apart, before moving away into the dark. With defenses enough to repel what must had been a point blank cutting charm as well as an explosion to the face.... And worse, cunning enough to hide its tracks from an experienced woodsman such as Amos and pin blame on us."

Conan stared at me, and I looked confused as I set the arm and wand back down.

"What? Its elementary, my dear Conan."

"What were you, before Canada?" Conan asked, letting the Holmes quote past without a twitch before he frowned and added. "Also, if I am Watson, I think I am needing a new hat. And a pistol!"

"You have an automatic rifle." I said dryly and the werewolf shrugged, letting out a toothy grin.

"But a pistol is more fitting, and we're in America now, no? You hadn't answered my question either."

I shook my head. "No, I did not." Silence fell in the icehouse, and he looked somber before he nodded once.

"Where to now?"

I appreciated the respect shown, as it was not a conversation I was willing to speak about. But as I thought, I nodded once and I spoke.

"Let's find the Lakota."

As I turn to leave the icehouse, I add casually.

"I'm in a sudden mood, to hear some local stories."