Hints

Burning Baron Identity

• Jemma's envelope gives some context for the lost bandana.
• The staff schedule reveals that the staff photos on the camp website were taken the day after the prank fire was set at Zenden's Pass.
• In the Sounds of Ashburne audio clip on the camp website, Brad and Hayley's conversation reveals something important.
• The map in the camp zine shows that the area around the Northern Trails is riddled with poison ivy.

Crayon Art

• Scratching off the black crayon layer reveals a hidden message.
• The hidden message references an item with similar colors and imagery.
• The order and color of the beads on the friendship bracelet are the key to rearranging the strings of letters on the crayon art.

Corkboard Notes

• One side of each note has multiple people's handwriting, whereas the other just has one person's handwriting. Pay attention to which sides are in conversation with each other in order to properly arrange them.

Director's Folder Password

• Brad has given a clue to the director's folder password in BRN.TXT, located in the IT folder.
• Brad's pattern for password components and construction should be evident from the other passwords he's set up for Jemma's folder and the radio show folder.
• The file BRN.TXT in the IT folder gives the last piece of information about Adrienne necessary to put this password together.
• Brad's password construction pattern is: The folder owner's initials, their favorite band, and the number of years they've been at Camp Ashburne.

First Objective

• Jemma has listed your objective in a file called NOTES.TXT, located in Jemma's digital folder.

Hidden Chart

• There are two other documents that will help you decode these ciphers. Look at the symbols and numbers drawn next to each encoded line.
• Each section is encoded with multiple layers of cipher. Use the playing cards to decipher each layer at a time.
• The Joker playing card has the key for which method you should use to decipher Brad's codes. The camp zine gives an explanation for how to use the types of codes.

IT Folder Password

• Brad liked to record information and notes in out-of-the-box ways.
• Brad's password has 5 characters. There are 5 of something else in his box.
• You can use the window stickies with something else Jemma sent you to figure out Brad's password.

Jemma's Folder Password

• Jemma tells you her password in her letter: JChumantuesday22.

The Killer's Identity

• Using the information about schedule switching in Compliment_vumail.pdf, you can figure out who had their free slot in the mornings. You also know from BRN.TXT that all the thefts were reported to have occurred in the mornings.
• Brad's one-of-a-kind arrowhead was stolen, but ended up at the scene of the crime. A document in the director's folder shows who had the arrowhead before the murder.
• There is one suspect that is shown to have a temper that Brad knew how to trigger.

Lighter

• The phone number works!
• The lighter doesn't contain fluid, but it does contain something else.

Logging On

• Check Jemma's letter for the specific task she assigns you. In order to progress the game, you need to access Brad's IT folder on the desktop Jemma has shared. You can find the desktop at AshburnDesktop.com. Log in using your HaK email and password.

Radio Show Folder Password

• On one of the documents, there is a handwritten request for the provision of this password.
• Brad has written instructions for this password on the back of the corkboard notes. Flip each individual card to see his instructions in the right layout.
• The bottom-center card is the first note Brad wrote on. It also contains the equation for password construction.

 

Part A

• For the first part of the password, follow the instructions for Part A.
• Each number and letter on the top-right card represent the number of cards you should move and a direction.
• When Brad writes "Go back 1 step", he means return to the top-left note.

 

Part B

• Part B of the password construction references "9 o'clock". If the laid-out notes were a clock, which note would be 9 o'clock?
• Make sure to read all the writing on every note!
• Make sure to count ALL the nails Brad has noodled - some of them may not be immediately apparent.

 

Part C

• The last arrow in Part C of the password construction is diagonal.
• There are 6 counselors staying on campgrounds over the break.

Schedule Switching

• You will have the information you need to solve this after you unlock the director's folder.
• In her email to Adrienne, Sadiya mentions switching her free time slot with other counselors whenever Hayley is on lake duty.

Secret to Brad's Box

• Brad doodled all over his box, including the inside. Some of his doodles inside the box seem to be cut off at the box's seams...

Reveals

Burning Baron Identity

• Hayley is the only person missing her bandana for the staff photos. In the Sounds of Ashburne audio clip, Brad mentions that her legs are covered in poison ivy, which is common around the Zenden's Pass trail. Hayley is the prankster pulling the Burning Baron pranks, and she dropped her bandana at the campsite after sneaking up through poison ivy to set the fire.
• Open the messenger on the desktop to send a message to Jemma. Type "HAYLEY PRICE" to complete this call to action.

Crayon Art

• The strings of text can be rearranged to follow the color of the beads on the friendship bracelet, starting with black at the top.

• You can then read vertically down, starting from the left, to see the message.
• The secret message reads: MIDNIGHT BOATHOUSE DATES WITH YOU.

Corkboard Notes

• The middle row of cards should be laid out as follows:

  • Middle-Left: Sadiya asks Hayley and Elliot to pick up trash.
  • Middle-Center: The middle of Hayley's insult goes here.
  • Middle-Right: Brad draws a rat.

• The top row of cards should be laid out as follows:

  • Top-Left: Jemma bids everyone good morning.
  • Top-Center: Elliot gives Jemma a superhero name.
  • Top-Right: Jemma gives Elliot a superhero name.

• The bottom row of cards should be laid out as follows:

  • Bottom-Left: Ramil tells a joke.
  • Bottom-Center: Jemma and Elliot respond to Ramil's joke.
  • Bottom-Right: Jemma asks for a camper's water bottle.

Director's Folder Password

• The password is ACweseven23.

Hidden Chart

• The first row of the chart shows the 7 of Spades, then the 3 of Diamonds. To decode the message, remove the first letter of each word, then shift the letters by 3.
• Deciphered, the first row of the chart reads "Sadiya drinking - meeting with prankster at boathouse".
• The first line in the second row of the chart shows the 8 of Hearts, 10 of Spades, and Ace of Spades. To decode the message, drop every 8th letter in the phrase (excluding spaces), decode with the Atbash method, and unscramble.
• Deciphered, the first line in the second row of the chart reads "He's meeting Matt for the deal - get in on this!"
• The second line in the second row of the chart shows the Jack of Spades, then the 5 of Diamonds. To decode the message, remove the last letter of each word, then shift by 5.
• Deciphered, the second line in the second row of the chart reads "(Curtis helping??) - NOPE".
• The third row of the chart shows the 8 of Hearts, 3 of Clubs, and Ace of Spades. To decode the message, drop every 8th letter in the phase (excluding spaces), decode with the keyword cipher (with "Young" as the keyword), and unscramble.
• Deciphered, the third row of the chart reads "Elliot has mad anger issues when you mention his dad. How do I use this?"

IT Folder Password

• Overlaying the window stickies onto the logos on Brad's box should make 1 letter from each stand out. Line up each transparent sticky with the corresponding logo so that Brad's doodle fits within the logo's negative space.
• The password to Brad's IT folder is POWER.

The Killer's Identity

• The murderer is Elliot Young.
• Open the messenger on the desktop to send a message to Jemma. Type "ELLIOT YOUNG" to complete the final call to action.

Lighter

• This is a stash lighter. Take the bottom off to access the hidden note inside.

Radio Show Folder Password

Part A

• The solution to Part A is RM.

 

Part B

• The solution to Part B is copperwave.

 

Part C

• The solution to Part C is 9.

 

Full Password

• The radio show folder password is RMcopperwave9.

Schedule Switching

• Locate all the time slots when Hayley has lake duty, and observe that Elliot or Ramil has free time in the same slot.
• If you switch Ramil's free time slot with Sadiya's, Ramil's new free time slot aligns with one of the mysteries Adrienne cited in her emails with Curtis.
• If you switch Elliot's free time slot with Sadiya's, Elliot's new free time slots make him available during all the times that thefts were reported.

Secret to Brad's Box

• Lifting up the floor of the box reveals the hidden chart and Brad's blackmail note underneath.

Hidden Text

Crayon Art

• Scratching off the black crayon layer reveals the following hidden message:

  • Hi Bobkitty ♡
    Miss you already ♡
    I made you this [small doodle of a puka shell]
    I can't wait to meet you after the party ♡
    d b u e y
    i t o t h
    g t d i ♡
    m h h a t
    n o s s o
    i a e w u

Hidden Chart

Transcripts

Brad's Blackmail Note

Brad's Handwriting

Mrs. Cohen:
You really should think about hiring someone to handle all the IT work for the camp. I'm doing most of the job as it is already, even though I'm getting paid the same amount as all the other counselors. But there's so much information just laying around, and you never really know what's locked down and what's wide open for anyone to see. The camp roster. Budgets. Safety records. I'd hate to see the wrong person getting access to your files. You need someone who knows the ropes.
How about "Superkid IT Consulting?" (ha ha, I just made that up, but I kinda like it!)
In the meantime, I closed those threads on the website forum. It's really easy to do. If you want I can try to show you again how it works. And I deleted a couple of posts like you asked. Boy, some of those parents are really unhappy! I hope nobody tempts them to write a bad review for the camp on Welp.

Thanks,
Brad

 

Adrienne's Handwriting

Brad:
As we discussed at the start of the summer, it's not currently in the operating budget to compensate you for your help with IT duties. But the last thing I want is for you to feel like your help isn't appreciated. I know you've been asking Ramil to let you handle more of the radio studio activities. I will talk to him and make sure that he includes you more.
We may be able to revisit this topic in the future, provided that nothing happens to unsettle our budget for the next year.

Thank you for your diligence,
Mrs. Cohen

Corkboard Notes

Crayon Art

• Hi Bobkitty ♡
  Miss you already ♡
  I made you this [doodle of a puka shell]
  I can't wait to meet you after the party ♡
• [in green] d b u e y
• [in pink] i t o t h
• [in yellow] g t d i ♡
• [in yellow] g t d i ♡
• [in purple] n o s s o
• [in white] i a e w u

Elliot's Letter

Hey Jem,

The new Ashburne letterhead you wrote your letter on was cool, but get a load of this - I'm writing this on ten-year-old paper from when I came to Ashburne as a kid. I remember picking it out at the giftshop because it had the kayak on it. I used to go kayaking with my dad a lot, before things got bad.

I didn't mean to just talk about myself, though! I'm sorry to hear about your locket. I'm sure you didn't just lose it - it must've been stolen like those other things. (Who do you think the thief is? I thought Brad was acting kind of suspicious yesterday morning, but that just might be the skid being the skid.) I know how hard it is to lose something you really care about, especially something that your dad gave you.

But hey, maybe losing your locket isn't the worst thing. I hope I'm not crossing the line, but from what you've told me, it sounds like your mom did a great job raising you all on her own. When I feel down, I try to stop myself from spending time dwelling on people who don't deserve my time and energy, and focus on the positives instead: you get to live at this incredible camp, and every day you're surrounded by campers who adore you and friends you can depend on!

I'm grateful to be someone you can confide in. When things were really bad at home, I used to imagine being able to come back here. Sometimes I think that maybe that summer was the last time I was really a kid. So I was psyched when your mom hired me to be a counselor! So much is different, but a lot is the same. You're exactly like I remember you, skipping out of the Sugar Maple cabin with that huge smile on your face. Now you're in charge of that cabin, and one day you'll run the whole camp, which is crazy to imagine. I'm really glad to see that things have worked out so well for you and your mom.

I tried what you suggested about writing my parents a letter, but I couldn't get the words down. It's a good idea, it's just - if they can ignore me pleading with them as they kick me out, I can't imagine anything I could possibly write would convince them to let me be their son again. I just wish I knew what they think I did wrong... but they never really acted logically, I guess. Anyway, I'm not sure if I'll be able to go back to school in the fall, and if I can't, I'm not sure where I'm going to go next. I've been thinking of asking your mom about if she needs another person to help take care of the campgrounds during the rest of the year. I love the idea of sticking around here, and I'm pretty much willing to do whatever as long as it's useful. So I have a favor to ask - would you put in a good word with your mom? I'd really love to be able to stay.

 

Your friend,

Elliot

Friendship Bracelet

• The colors of the beads are in the following order, from one end to the other:

  • black
  • pink
  • green
  • puka shell
  • purple
  • white
  • yellow

Hidden Chart

Hidden Note

Aite skid, if you really want to come with me to make the dropoff, meet me tonight. If you're not there on time, I'm leaving without you. Don't get wasted at the Pit Party, and keep your mouth shut.

Jemma's Envelope

Dear Investigator,

Please look through this after reading my letter. It's stuff I found from around camp that might be relevant. A few of the items might be confusing, so here's some context:

• Arrowhead - I found this right outside the campfire at the Pit. The sheriff must have missed it.
• Counselor Corkboard Notes - These are the notes that were left on the counselor corkboard from Parents' Day.
• Card - This was also up on the corkboard.
• Bracelet - This was also pinned to the corkboard, and I have no idea why. Maybe it was a lost one from a camper?
• Staff Bandana - I led a hike through Zenden's Pass last week, and found this near the campfire site. No one's claimed it... The camping trip was the only other time anyone should've been on that trail this session.

I'm not an expert like you, but I hope the information I've gathered will be useful.

 

-Jemma

Jemma's Notebook

Page 1

• Here's everything I could remember about the days leading up to Brad's death plus info on my mom, Curtis, and my friends.

• WHAT I KNOW

  • Brad died between midnight and 1 am on Saturday, July 24th (Sheriff said so)
  • July 23rd was Parents' Day, the last day of Summer Session 1
  • After the talent show, the amphitheatre was COVERED in confetti. I had to check out campers, so I couldn't help with cleanup, but the mess was gone the next morning.

 

Page 2

• Parents + campers were gone by 4:30 pm. The only people left on the grounds were me, mom (Adrienne), Curtis, Sadiya, Ramil, Elliot, Hayley, and Brad.
• The Pit Party started around 7 pm. Everyone was there.
• Mom left the party at around 9 pm, and Curtis left about an hour later.
• After both the adults left, Hayley disappeared for a few minutes and came back with a lot of beer.

 

Page 3

• Elliot played guitar for a while at the fire, then left around 11 pm.
• Sadiya and Ramil left together around 11:30 pm.
• Hayley and I stuck around for 10ish more minutes. We walked back to the girls' cabins together and then split. Brad was still at the Pit when we left.
• At around 1:10, I woke up and it was pouring rain.

 

Page 4

• The next morning I woke up at 7:30 am. I left Sugar Maple at 7:45ish and didn't see Sadiya outside. Normally we meet up for breakfast, but maybe she slept in.
• I walked down to the Pit and found Brad in the fire pit. I ran to get mom.
• The Sheriff's dept. got here around 9 am. They combed over the fire pit and took everyone's statements, but by the end of the day, they'd decided Brad must've been drunk, passed out,

 

Page 5

• fallen into the fire, and... burned. To death. I̵ ̵d̵o̵n̵'̵t̵ ̵e̵v̵e̵n̵ ̵k̵n̵o̵w̵ ̵h̵o̵w̵

• BRAD BROOKS

  • 21 years old, counselor in charge of the Cedar and Larch cabins
  • People think he was behind the Burning Baron pranks, but those pranks don't feel like him.

  • Puzzles and tricky brain teasers were more his style. Still, he did like poking at people's nerves.

    • Handles a lot of the tech stuff at camp

 

Page 6

• He's always been more of an indoor kid, but he kept coming back to Ashburne every summer. I think he must've really loved it here. He didn't have many friends at home, and even though he tried to hide it, I know he got picked on at school as a kid.
• People call him - called him - "skid" or "the skid". I can't remember where that came from.

 

Page 7

• He loved all kinds of games and puzzles, like cards (from Old Maid to his fancy monster-fighting cards) or word scrambles. Last year he made a super hard crossword for the camp zine that no one could complete. Everyone was annoyed at him, but he was so proud of himself.
• THE DAY HE DIED: During the talent show that afternoon, Brad grabbed the microphone and made this impromptu speech. It was something about one of our camp core values: Honesty. "At Ashburne, we teach kids how important HONESTY is! Even us

 

Page 8

• staff slip up sometimes, but we shouldn't be keeping anything from each other. I'm here to make sure all our truths come out in the open, soon enough." I didn't get it at the time, but it sounds like he was goading someone...

  • DURING THE PIT PARTY: He was talking more than usual, but he was in a good mood. Who was he planning to meet after the Pit Party?

 

Page 9

• ADRIENNE COHEN

  • 53 years old, Camp Director and owner, my mom
  • Mom has been single-handedly running Camp Ashburne since she and my dad divorced. Now that I've graduated, I've been able to start helping her out with organizing activities and maintaining the trails and even reading camper applications. She's been really careful about which tasks I'm allowed to do. I wish she'd let me help out more - I'm not allowed to manage the grounds yet or make big supply runs or start budgeting yet. But I'm sure

 

Page 10

• she just wants to me sure it's done right, which I totally get.
• What I don't get is why she won't look into the circumstances around Brad's death more.
• When I tried to tell her something's off, she told me I was fixating on finding a reason for what happened that isn't there. She wants me to grieve and let it go so I can be prepared for next session. I mean, I definitely needed some time after seeing what I saw, so she's right. But, I don't know.
• W̵h̵y̵ ̵i̵s̵ ̵m̵o̵m̵

 

Page 11

• Mom's office is in the Main Office building. It has a printer and the only computer on the grounds. She lets the counselors all have some short daily computer time during Sessions, and during break she's even more lenient.
• Not very good with tech, so Brad helped her with a lot of the computer stuff.
• Keeps forgetting her car keys in the ignition of her truck.

 

Page 12

• DURING THE PIT PARTY: She kept checking her watch. I thought she was just tired, but now it seems off...
• DURING BRAD'S DEATH: She said she was working in her office the whole time before going to bed early.
• CURTIS WILLIAMS
  • ? years old, camp cook
  • Curtis started working here after mom took over, but it can't have been that long after because I don't

 

Page 13

• remember Ashburne without him. He doesn't like talking to people that much. Some of the younger campers are scared of him, and I think he prefers it that way.

• Sometimes I catch him belting old Ella Fitzgerald songs into a ladle "microphone" when he thinks he's alone in the kitchen! When I was little, he'd let me go canoeing with him.

  • Sleeps in the staff cabins

 

Page 14

• He's not a morning person, so a lot of the time he preps food late a night so he can quickly prepare it for breakfast the next day.
• Curtis always grumbles about counselors sneaking food from the kitchens, but I've seen him pretend not to notice Brad stealing marshmallows more than once.
• DURING THE PIT PARTY: He was going back and forth between the Dining Hall and the PIt (takes around 10 minutes

 

Page 15

• between them). At one point, he and Brad were both gone for a little while. According to Hayley, they weren't just grabbing more snacks.

  • DURING BRAD'S DEATH: Says he was cleaning the amphitheatre, then stopped by the Main Office to use the computer.
  • I asked if he saw mom there, and he said he didn't see her face, but he heard her truck start and leave at midnight.

 

Page 16

• Says he didn't see anyone else at the amphitheater.
• Walked back to his cabin a little before 1, and thought he saw a boat out on the lake, not far from the boathouse. "But my eyes might've been playing tricks."

• SADIYA AHMADI

  • 22 years old, Head Girls' Counselor and in charge of the Aspen and Sycamore cabins
  • Sadiya and I were in the same cabin for all

 

Page 17

• our years at camp. She makes a great head counselor, and is always on top of everyone's activities and schedules. Though sometimes she gets a little stressed out over details. This year she spent two hours before the first day picking out her outfit because she wasn't sure if her campers would think high-waisted jeans were cool.

  • Ramil's girlfriend. They've been dating since we were teens!

 

Page 18

• Extreme rule-follower, except...
• Last week, Brad printed and spread around a photo of Sadiya in the woods, and she looks pretty... well, drunk. Sadiya won't tell me why she was drinking...
• DURING THE PIT PARTY: She was clearly still upset at Brad, so I think she was being a little more standoffish than usual.
• DURING BRAD'S DEATH: Said she was hanging out with Ramil.

 

Page 19

• RAMIL MACATANGAY

  • 23 years old, Head Boys' counselor in charge of the Spruce and Pine cabins

  • Ramil has always been laid back and go-with-the-flow. His campers all love him, for good reason: The way he works with kids is something I try to learn from. He's got individual nicknames for every one of his campers, and whenever anyone gets homesick he knows exactly how to comfort them.

    • Sadiya's boyfriend

 

Page 20

• I wouldn't say Ramil was ever unfriendly to Brad, but I think Brad might have been jealous that Ramil is so well-liked and Brad was... well, he was never great with social cues.
• The Macatangay family owns a big shipping company
• Runs the camp radio show and teaches the kids how to record and broadcast

 

Page 21

• DURING THE PIT PARTY: It felt like he was kind of on edge?
• DURING BRAD'S DEATH: Said he was with Sadiya after the party, then took a walk alone. Said he saw mom walking towards the north hiking trails ahead of him a little before midnight.

• ELLIOT YOUNG

  • 21 years old, counselor in charge of the Tamarack and Hemlock cabins
  • Elliot has spent the least amount

 

Page 22

• of time at Ashburne, but he's quickly become a really valuable team member and a good friend. He's a little more reserved than the rest of us, but whenever anyone needs a hand, he's the first to help out. He's a good listener and easy to like - even Curtis will joke around with him sometimes. It took me YEARS to get Curtis to laugh.

  • He didn't seem to mind Brad, but I don't think I ever saw him go

 

Page 23

• out of his way to defend Brad, either.
• I haven't pried, but he's told me his parents kicked him out of the house. They don't seem to be very nice people.
• Definitely the kind of person who needs alone time. I remember him being really shy as a kid.
• DURING THE PIT PARTY: Mostly talking with Ramil. I didn't notice

 

Page 24

• anything unusual.

  • DURING BRAD'S DEATH: Said he was at the amphitheatre after the party, cleaning up the mess from the talent show, and then stuck around to strum on his guitar alone. I asked him if he'd seen anyone else while he was out there, and he said no.
  • Says Ramil and Brad hadn't returned to the cabins when he

 

Page 25

• turned in for the night, around 1 am

• HAYLEY PRICE

  • 21 years old, counselor in charge of the Poplar and Birch cabins
  • When we were 14, someone dared Hayley to jump off this 6 foot tall rock while we were hiking. She broke her arm and had to go home, but even after that she never turned down a dare. I sometimes think Hayley goes a little too far, but she definitely makes life at camp more fun.

 

Page 26

• She always introduces me to great bands (like my favorite, Human Tuesday) and interesting ideas

  • She and Brad openly jabbed at each other. Usually Hayley won.
  • Kidna lets her campers run wild and get rowdy sometimes, which gets on my mom's nerves, but Hayley always knows how to rein them in

 

Page 27

• DURING THE PIT PARTY: She was pretty amped up, but she usually is.
• Also said she saw Curtis arguing with Brad in the kitchen when she went to grab more juice.
• DURING BRAD'S DEATH: Said she was at the amphitheatre after the party, cleaning up. When I asked her if anyone else was there, she said, "Ummm honestly I can't remember. There might have been, but I was pretty buzzed."

Menu

Curtis's Handwriting

• Tuesday

  • Scrambled Eggs

 

Brad's Handwriting

• AMSTERDAM

 

Curtis's Handwriting

• Hash Browns
  Bacon
  Oatmeal

• Fish Sticks

 

Brad's Handwriting

• Do we want to know what's really in the fish sticks? Or who????

 

Curtis's Handwriting

• Mac & Cheese
  Chili
• Ice cream

 

Brad's Handwriting

• I scream you scream we all scream because Curtis is trying to poison us!!

 

Curtis's Handwriting

• Fruit
• Spaghetti and Meatballs
  Caesar Salad
  Brownies

 

Brad's Handwriting

• Have you been teaching other people how to make your SPECIAL brownies, Curtis??

new_recording1.mp3 Audio Recording

[Jemma is recording this into the low-quality microphone of the office computer's built-in microphone.]

 

[There is a very distant, almost imperceivable, sound of cicadas chirping in the background.]

 

Jemma: Okay, hi, hopefully this is working. So... okay, okay. Hayley was the Burning Baron prankster. And in Brad's file, he said he'd figured out who the prankster was, but does that mean... he was meeting Hayley that night? Or... god, do you think Hayley is - (overhearing someone approaching) Oh, shoot -

 

[The office door opens. The sounds of outside are briefly less muffled, then the door swings closed.]

 

Hayley (slightly surprised): Oh, hey.

Jemma (caught off-guard): Hayley! Hi, oh, sorry, I know I'm over my time -

Hayley (cutting Jemma off slightly): Oh, no, it's cool, you can finish.

Jemma (a bit stiff): Um, thanks.

 

[A pause where the two don't move.]

 

Hayley (taken aback, mildly amused): Oh, should I wait outside?

Jemma (awkwardly, uncertainly): Um, no, actually... (she exhales a gust of breath) I wanted to ask you something.

Hayley: Okay?

Jemma (rushed): Did you meet Brad at the Pit the night he died?

Hayley (shocked): What??

Jemma (rushed, panicked): I know you were the Baron, Hayley! I know you were pulling the pranks, and Brad found out, and -

Hayley (overlapped, shocked): I - How did you -

Jemma: I've been working with this investigator to figure out what happened to Brad and -

Hayley) crying out, disbelieving): Oh, my god, I swear we didn't have anything to do with Brad dying! He was the worst, but I would never do that to someone, Jem! I can't believe you would even think that!

Jemma: I'm sorry! (inhales, exhales) I'm sorry, really. But I just - I don't know who to trust anymore, and - (slightly more accusatory) and you lied about being the Baron.

Hayley (caught): Fine, yeah, I was the one setting those fires. (defensive) Look, Jemma, before you lecture me, I already know that it was dumb and irresponsible. I'm not planning to pull any more pranks. (now actually remorseful) And I know it was dangerous. I really do see that now.

Jemma (surprised): Wow, you - you kinda sound like Sadiya.

Hayley: (half-laughs) Yeah, I guess she's been rubbing off on me.

Jemma: So... am I right that you weren't really cleaning the amphitheatre that night?

Hayley (uncomfortable, thinking through her words): Uh... yeah... okay, look. I did lie about that. I wasn't at the amphitheatre, but I - I can't tell you where I was that night.

Jemma (incredulous): Why not??

Hayley: It's not - It's not my secret to tell. I'm sorry! But I swear I didn't hurt Brad, Jem. We didn't even see him that night after the party.

Jemma: "We"?

Hayley: (realizes her mistake) Oh, uh -

Jemma: Hayley, come on.

Hayley (frustrated): Look, I wish I could help you, but I - okay, so... I wasn't alone, alright? And I don't want to betray the trust of the person I was with. (she sees Jemma about to argue with her) No, seriously, this matters a lot to me.

Jemma (quietly, emotionally): Hayley, Brad is dead. And it wasn't an accident.

 

[A pause passes where neither speaks.]

 

Hayley: (sighs) I can tell you this, alright? It - (figuring out her wording) It shouldn't be impossible to figure out where I was, and who I was with, if you've been paying attention at all this summer.

Jemma (trying to understand): Okay...

Hayley (trying to show that she's not trying to be difficult): And also, also, here's another thing I can say: you've been asking around about the truck, right? We - me and the other person - we ran by the main office that night, to get out of the rain, and I saw that the truck wasn't there.

Jemma: What time?

Hayley: It was around 1 AM.

Jemma: Okay, well... I mean, thanks, I guess. (pauses) I'll be done here in a second.

Hayley: No, I'll skip my computer time. You can... do whatever.

 

[The door opens again and Hayley leaves.]

 

[Jemma ends the voice memo.]

new_recording2.mp3 Audio Recording

[THE HALLWAY OUTSIDE THE RADIO STUDIO. As the audio starts, Jemma is walking toward the radio studio, with two police officers following.]

 

[The door opens.]

 

Policeman: Which one of you is Elliot Young?

Jemma: He's that one.

Ramil: Wh-? (stands up upon seeing his friend approached by police) Elliot - Jemma, what's going on?

Policeman: You're under arrest for the murder of Bradley Brooks.

 

[Elliot is pulled out of his chair and handcuffed being his back.]

 

Policeman (cont'd): You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you.

Ramil (loudly, talking over the policeman's Miranda Rights): That can't - this is a mistake! Elliot - right? Elliot.

 

[There is a moment of silence.]

 

Elliot (addressing Jemma, quietly): How did you find out?

Jemma (voice quivering): I had help from a private investigator.

Ramil (thunderstruck): Wait, what? Elliot, you... you killed -? But - but the sheriff said it was an accident!

Elliot: It wasn't an accident. (almost to himself, as he says this aloud for the first time) I... killed Brad.

Jemma (with contained sadness): Elliot... why?

Elliot: I didn't mean to. He - he found out I was taking the things, the stupid things - and he was gonna tell everyone. I would've been kicked off grounds, and I don't - (voice starts to sound pleading) I don't have any other place to go, Jemma, you know that.

Jemma: You're the one who wrote the note. You called him out to the Pit.

Elliot: I called him out to the Pit. I thought I could make him - ask him - to be quiet, bribe him, or something. We almost made a deal, but he started talking about my dad in his stupid voice, with his annoying laugh, and I just... ran at him. Then he was on the ground, not moving. His head was bleeding.

Ramil (struggling to process): So - so - but then it was an accident!

Elliot (hollow): It wasn't an accident. I... in that moment, I wanted to kill him. I dragged his body into the fire.

Policeman: Let's go, kid.

Elliot (speeding up, as he realizes he's being taken away): I didn't mean to kill him. Jemma - (desperately reaching for someone who will be on his side) Jemma, it's not my fault, you have to believe me. I didn't mean to, but he - he made me! Why did he have to care so much about the stupid arrowhead? I didn't even - I don't even know why I took that stuff, I just -

Policeman: Come on.

Elliot (voice raising in desperation): You all HAD something, from someone who actually cared! I just wanted that for - You have to believe me!

Jemma (with contained sadness): I believe you.

 

[The sound of shuffling as the police lead Elliot out of the room.]

 

[Audio cuts off.]

Outtake 1 Audio Recording

Brad: Fish sticks! But how does he get an entire fish into one of these sticks? It's just like magic!

Brent (not thrilled to be talking to Brad): I dunno, man.

Brad: I must know! I must know the secret! Oh, Curtis!!

 

[As Brad approaches Ramil and Curtis, we hear the end of their conversation growing louder.]

 

Curtis: Leave me out of it.

Ramil (desperate, stressed): You wouldn't even need to do anything. I promise nothing will go wrong.

Curtis (putting his foot down): No, son, no. Something always goes wrong. Just walk away from it.

Brad (knowingly): Walk away from what? Huh? Walk away from what?

Ramil: Brad! Jeez, man. You done?

Brad: Yeah, what are you talking about?

Ramil: Nothing.

Brad: Didn't sound like nothing.

Ramil: Skid, would you -

Brad: I told you to stop calling me that.

Outtake 2 Audio Recording

Lili: I wish you were my counselor.

Sadiya: Oh, that's sweet.

Lili: You're so pretty and nice.

Ramil: I don't blame you. Sadiya's always got the neatest cabins, and she makes sure her campers are never ever late.

Lili: Is Ramil your boyfriend?

Sadiya: Oh. Um.

Ramil: Sorry.

Lili: Margot said so.

Sadiya: No, no, it's fine. Margot should mind her own business.

Lili: But you're her counselor, and she said, she said -

Ramil: Lili, why don't we let Sadiya get back to -

Brad (approaching): Hey, lovebirds. Ramil, you got your hands full. Let me help.

 

[Sound of Brad grabbing the mic from Ramil's hands.]

 

Brad (faux-newscaster voice): Bradley Brooks, reporting live. And I'm here with Head Counselor, Miss Prim and Proper herself, Sadiya Ahmadi.

Ramil: Brad, c'mon.

Brad: Miss Ahmadi, a photo was posted on the counselor corkboard that appeared to show you, inebriated, stumbling through the woods in the dead of night. You were observed carrying many empty -

Sadiya (icy): Stop it, Brad.

Brad: Where were you coming from?

Sadiya (leaving): I'm warning you.

Brad: The people have a right to know!

Ramil: What is your problem?

Brad: Do you know where your girlfriend was going? Was she meeting you?

Ramil: Just, drop it, Skid.

Brad: Drop what, Big R? (realizing) Are you guys having problems?

Ramil: No.

Brad (less needling, with a vulnerable and earnest edge but not too much): Do you wanna talk about it?

Ramil: Leave me alone.

 

[Sounds of Ramil snatching the mic back from Brad.]

Outtake 3 Audio Recording

[Water splashing as oars are pulled through.]

 

Elliot: C'mon! C'mon, guys, pull harder, pull together, you can do it! We're gaining on them!

 

[More water splashing.]

 

Elliot: This race isn't over, don't you dare quit on me! Don't let them win! Come ON!

 

[More water splashing. Some campers complain in the background.]

 

Elliot: Keep GOING you little - Oh for f- What's WRONG with you!? How could you let them - You're just not good enough, are you?

 

[Heavy breathing as Elliot collect himself.]

 

Elliot: Okay. It's okay. It's alright. Look, I'm sorry. You'll do better next time. I know you will.

Outtake 4 Audio Recording

[Hubbub of kids milling around.]

 

Adrienne (loudspeaker): Morning assembly begins in five minutes!

Hayley (exasperated): C'mon! Poplar and Birch, we're not going to be late again!

Sadiya: You've still got a few minutes.

Hayley (sincere): How are you never, ever late? It's a gift.

Sadiya: I don't know about that.

Hayley: It is! I wish I could be as put together as you are.

Sadiya: You have... (searches for right words) other talents.

Hayley (taken aback): Okay. Name one.

Sadiya: You're an excellent swimmer.

Hayley: Alright, I'm not bad.

Sadiya: And you don't care what other people think about you. I wish I could be as fearless as you are.

Hayley: You underestimate yourself.

Adrienne (loudspeaker): Morning assembly begins in three minutes!

Hayley: Is that Ramil's recorder?

Sadiya: Oh -

 

[Audio fumbling as recorder is shut off.]

Personnel Forms

Brad Brooks

• Name: Brad Brooks
• Job: Counselor and unpaid IT administrator
• Hometown: Endwell, NY
• Hobbies: Video games (console and PC), card games/deck builders/resource management games, jigsaw puzzles, puzzle cubes, competitive basket weaving (Olympic alternate)
• What are you doing when you're not at camp?: Fighting crime as part of a group of costumed vigilantes
• How long have you been coming to Ashburne?: 7 years as a camper, 4 as a counselor. I've seen it all!
• Do you have a special camp memory?: When I was 11 I won the camp archery contest. I still have the arrowhead I got as a prize. It's one-of-a-kind and the only arrowhead Camp Ashburne ever headed out. I could have been an archery prodigy if I hadn't been so good at computers.

 

Curtis Williams

• Name: Curtis Williams.
• Job: I'm the cook.
• Hometown: Philly.
• Hobbies:
• What are you doing when you're not at camp?:
• How long have you been coming to Ashburne?: I've been working here for 20 years.
• Do you have a special camp memory?: Fishing.

 

Elliot Young

• Name: Elliot Young
• Job: Camp Counselor
• Hometown: Bannock, NY
• Hobbies: Playing guitar, reading, writing, one of my favorite things was taking walks with my dog.
• What are you doing when you're not at camp?: I go to school in NYC.
• How long have you been coming to Ashburne?: I came one summer as a camper when I was 11, but this is my first year as a counselor. I'm excited to be back, and Ashburne is exactly like I remembered.
• Do you have a special camp memory?: Kayaking on Lake Ashburne as the summer drew to a close. It was really nice!

 

Hayley Price

• Name: HAYLEY PRICE
• Job: COUNSELOR
• Hometown: MEHWEH, NJ
• Hobbies: ROCK CLIMBING, DRUMS
• What are you doing when you're not at camp?: REBELLING AGAINST THE MAN
• How long have you been coming to Ashburne?: A LONG TIME
• Do you have a special camp memory?: OVERNIGHT CAMPING TRIPS TO ZENDEN'S PASS CUZ THE HIKE IS BRUTAL

 

Jemma Cohen

• Name: Jemma Cohen
• Job: Counselor
• Hometown: Right here in Camp Ashburne!
• Hobbies: Hiking, canoeing and kayaking on the lake, roasting marshmallows to make s'mores, growing cucumbers and tomatoes in the greenhouses (it's easy to grow them!), telling stories by the fire with my friends, making things in the Arts and Crafts Hut... EVERYTHING at camp!
• What are you doing when you're not at camp?: I daydream about summer at camp during the whole school year
• How long have you been coming to Ashburne?: I came home to Ashburne two days after I was born, and I've been here for 22 magical years since!

• Do you have a special camp memory?: I have so many! A few of my favorites:

  • In my first year of camp, my cabin counselor, Sarah, woke us all up to watch the sunrise. We were grumbling, but I will never forget the sun coming up over the mountains.
  • Also in my first year, one of my bunkmates was crying because the camp store was out of purple t-shirts and she had planned her outfit for the next day to color coordinate. Even though I didn't see the big deal, I gave her my purple camp shirt, and she stopped crying! Her name was Sadiya, and ever since then we've been best friends. (But I still tease her about it sometimes.)
  • More than anything I love the first day of a new session. The liveliness of all the campers arriving, excited for camp, and seeing their friends and their counselors and getting settled into their bunks... it puts a big, BIG smile on my face. The first day of camp is when the rest of the summer is right around the corner, full of adventure and endless possibilities!

 

Mrs. Cohen

• Name: Mrs. Cohen
• Job: My job is to keep Camp Ashburne up and running so that all of you campers have a place to come learn, make friends, and have fun every summer
• Hometown: Hartskill, NY
• Hobbies: Hiking, kayaking, singing songs by the campfire
• What are you doing when you're not at camp?: I'm never not at camp
• How long have you been coming to Ashburne?: I bought Camp Ashburne 23 years ago, and each year since has made me more attached to it
• Do you have a special camp memory?: My favorite time of each day is at camp assembly, right before I make the morning announcements - I love looking out to see all the smiling faces of the campers

 

Ramil Macatangay

• Name: Ramil Macatangay
• Job: Head Boys' Counselor
• Hometown: NYC
• Hobbies: Lately I've been reading up on a bunch of different philosophers from around our wild world. (If anyone wants to know what the Dalai Lama is up to, hit me up!) Listening to audio dramas, talk shows, and improv podcasts has also inspired me to start messing around with some audio editing. I've spent all school year working on my Wolfman Jack voice, so look forward to that on the airwaves!
• What are you doing when you're not at camp?: Studying Finance in college
• How long have you been coming to Ashburne?: Oh boy... I was a camper for five years and this is my fourth year as a counselor, so nine whole years. Last year the Pine kids started calling me "Grandpa Ramil".
• Do you have a special camp memory?: Me and my girlfriend (your other Head Counselor!) met and started dating here when we were younger. Definitely one for the "Best Of" reel.
  In my first year as a counselor, the Spruce team pulled themselves to victory in the canoe race! My team threw me into the lake right after, but hey, seeing them win was worth it.
  I love when my campers make me stuff in arts + crafts. Seeing all the creativity and awesome ideas is the bomb dot com. But make sure you save some of your cool art for your parents!

 

Sadiya Ahmadi

• Name: Sadiya Ahmadi
• Job: I'm the Head Girls' Counselor.
• Hometown: Stamford, CT
• Hobbies: I enjoy scrapbooking, hanging out with my friends, shopping, and baking.
• What are you doing when you're not at camp?: I'm double majoring in Marketing and Communication at college, where I'm also on the poms team. I also really love doing volunteer work. My two favorites are a retail donation organization and a program that helps underprivileged girls learn to read through a big sister program.
• How long have you been coming to Ashburne?: I was a camper for nine years, and have been a counselor for four.
• Do you have a special camp memory?: I have a memory that doesn't seem happy at first, but ended up teaching me a lesson about coming to camp. To help you appreciate why this memory is special, you should know that Counselor Hayley, Counselor Jemma, and I were in the same cabin for most of our camper years. During this time, Hayley and I didn't get along very well. One year, our arguing even ended up with us flipping a canoe over and having to swim to shore! We made Jemma exercise her meditation skills very often.
  So you can understand why I was not pleased when, the first day the counselors arrived for this year's session, Hayley and I accidentally got locked in the shed together for an hour. I was feeling very anxious, and it did not help that Hayley was the last person I'd want to be stuck in a room with. But during that time she helped me calm down, and we ended up closer than we were before.
  The relationships I've made over the years at summer camp are so special. Some of the people I've met are now my closest friends. And of course, I met my first love here. I encourage all campers to treasure the time you spend here.

Sounds of Ashburne Audio Recording

[A campfire crackles.]

 

Ramil: You're listening to W-A-S-H Radio, the Sounds of Summer from Camp Ashburne.

 

[Campers playing/laughing/screaming.]

 

Adrienne (through a bullhorn or loudspeaker): We'd like to welcome all of you returning campers and give a nice warm hello to all you new campers. Let's make this summer the best summer yet!

 

[Campers cheering on a race.]

 

Ramil (coaching): Just speak into the microphone and tell people what's going on.

Alina: It's a potato sack race and lots of people are hopping and jumping and falling over!

 

[Cheering intensifies.]

 

Ramil: Tell everyone what happened.

Alina: Oh, oh, Rowan fell over and then Lakshmi tripped over him and now Bronwen is going to win! Go, Bronwen, go, go!

Ramil: Wow, that was exciting!

Alina: They fell over so hard!! (giggles)

Ramil: Okay, now tell everyone who you are.

Alina: I'm Alina Montague from the Aspen cabin!!

 

[Campfire crackles.]

 

[Water splashing as oars are pulled through.]

 

Elliot: C'mon! C'mon, guys, pull harder, pull together, you can do it! We're gaining on them!

 

[More water splashing. Birdsong on a hiking trail.]

 

Ramil: So, Camper Dinh, Camper Jenner, tell us. What happened on the hike?

Dinh: It was weird!

Jenner: We hiked up the trail for, like, six hours.

Dinh: It was more like eight hours.

Ramil: Come on, it was 90 minutes.

Jenner: Okay, but it was Zenden's Pass, so you know it was hard, right? So, we're supposed to get to the campground at the top of the pass.

Dinh: Zenden's Pass.

Jenner: I already said that, dude!

 

[Dinh laughs.]

 

Ramil: So what happened next?

Jenner: So, like, we're getting close, and, like, it's getting dark, right?

Dinh: Yeah. We were chillin' with you, Ramil, at the front. Elliot was at the back, to make sure nobody got lost.

Jenner: And we get to the campground and -

Dinh: There as a fire waiting for us.

Jenner: Someone already built a fire.

Dinh: And nobody knew, like, who did it.

Jenner: Yeah. It was like -

Dinh: It was, like, in the fire pit already. But there was nobody there.

Ramil: Do you think the Burning Baron left the fire for us?

Jenner (in on the joke): It was TOTALLY the Burning Baron.

Dinh (half-convinced): I heard him in the woods.

Ramil: Were you scared?

Dinh: Nah, I mean, the three of us could fight off one freakin' ghost.

Ramil (joking): Speak for yourselves, if I see the Burning Baron I'm running the other way!

Jenner (laughing): No way, man, you'd stay! You'd try to save us.

 

[Campfire crackles.]

 

[Campers playing.]

 

Hayley: Sasha! Sasha, stop hitting Willem! Don't you know that whole "they bully you because they actually like you" thing is a secret tool of the patriarchy?

Brad: Holy crap, Hayley! What is that on your legs? Did you catch that flesh-eating bacteria?

Hayley: Holy crap, Skid! What's that on your face? Oh, it's just your face. I can fix my poison ivy with lotion. But what you got? No cure.

Brad: Nice. Real nice.

 

[Campfire crackles.]

 

[Arrows thunk into their targets.]

 

Sadiya: Good! Now pull back on the bow a little more. And let it go.

 

[Thrum of bow being released.]

 

Sadiya: Oh, that's okay!

Ramil (approaching, apprehensive): Hey, Sadiya?

Sadiya (tight): What is it?

Ramil: Is it okay if Lili interviews you?

Sadiya (brightens): Oh, of course! Hi, Lili.

Ramil: She's a little shy.

Sadiya: It's okay, what is it?

Lili: What's, um, your favorite part of being a camp counselor?

Sadiya: I like all the fun we have together playing games and climbing the ropes, and arts and crafts, and archery. It's all fun. What's your favorite part?

Lili: I like when we have cabin time after lunch.

Sadiya: I do, too.

Lili: I wish you were my counselor.

Sadiya: Oh, that's sweet.

Lili: You're so pretty and nice.

 

[Campfire crackles.]

 

[Kitchen sounds.]

 

Curtis: What you do want me to say?

Ramil: Whatever you want to.

Curtis: Uh, hello, everybody. Today, we're having sloppy joes.

Brad (approaching): Hey, Curtis, can I have extra bugs in the bug juice today?

Curtis (exasperated): sighs) Oh, lord.

Brad: Ramil, you said I could record something.

Ramil: Okay, Brad. But, like, keep it simple.

Brad: You're gonna love it.

 

[Brad takes the mic. Sits down at a table with two campers.]

 

Brad: And we're here live with our studio audience. Jae-Wong, just how sloppy are the joes today?

Jae-Wong: Uh... pretty sloppy.

Brad (egging him on): Just "pretty" sloppy?

Jae-Wong: Okay, they're very sloppy.

Brad: The sloppiest! And you, Brent. Have you opted for another of Chef Curtis's culinary creations?

Brent: I got the fish sticks.

Brad: Fish sticks! But how does he get an entire fish into one of these sticks? It's just like magic!

Brent (not thrilled to be talking to Brad): I dunno, man.

Brad: I must know! I must know the secret! Oh, Curtis!!

 

[Campfire crackles.]

 

[Wood being piled onto the fire. Fire sounds increase.]

 

Jemma: Six times? You must really like them.

Ramil: They're more than just a band. Copper Wave is like this, like, sonic experience.

Hayley (approaching): Copper Wave? Dude, stick to being a business major. 'Cause your taste is suspect.

Ramil: And who are you into these days?

Hayley: They're called Spatula Fiasco. You probably never heard of them.

Ramil: You're correct.

 

[Fire sounds fade out.]

 

Ramil: These were the Sounds of Ashburne. Created, produced, and recorded by the campers of Session I, under the direction of me, Ramil Macatangay. Camp Ashburne, Hartskill, New York.

ThankYou.mp3 Audio Recording

Jemma: Helloooo, hi. Hello! Wait, Ramil, are we even recording?

Ramil: Yup, go ahead.

Jemma: Okay. (inhales, exhales) Hi, Investigator! This is Jemma. I'm here with Sadiya -

Sadiya: Hello.

Jemma: - Hayley -

Hayley: Yo!

Jemma: - and Ramil.

Ramil: 'lo there.

Jemma (earnest): We just wanted to say think you for all you've done for us and Ashburne.

Hayley: Yeah. Thanks! (pauses) So, uh, is that it?

Jemma: What? No!

Sadiya: I wrote down a whole page of what I want to say -

Ramil (laughing): Of course, you did.

Sadiya: (clears throat) Hello, Detective. My name is Sadiya Ahmadi, and I'd like to express, on behalf of all the counselors, how grateful we are that you helped Jemma solve this. We -

Hayley (endearingly amused): Jemma JUST said all of that, babe.

Sadiya: You interrupted me! I'm about to talk about Brad and how he can rest at ease now even though -

Ramil: He was blackmailing all of us?

Hayley: He was a dweeb who threatened to snitch on us?

Sadiya: Oh, my g- he just died!

Hayley: Doesn't make what he did right.

Jemma (teasing): Okay, I agree, but coming from Baron von Hayley over there...

Hayley: I already apologized!

Sadiya: See, your wild-child reputation for that kind of thing is why I didn't want people to know we were dating, Bobkitty.

Hayley: I know, I know. (genuine) No, for real. I'm over the dangerous stuff.

Ramil (joking): Seriously, you broke up with me for her? Unbelievable.

Sadiya (sly): To be fair, she wasn't the one making secret drug runs, Mr. Greenhouse... Grower.

Hayley (laughing): Oooh, burn!

Ramil (good sport): Ergh.

Jemma (laughing): Also a fair point.

Hayley: I can't believe you chickened out. That's hundreds of dollars you dumped in the lake!

Sadiya (seriously): I think it's for the best.

Hayley: What if Brad had gone with you? Would you have gone through with it?

Ramil: I don't know. Maybe.

Jemma: He'd probably still be alive.

Hayley: Oh. Yeah.

 

[There is a quiet moment.]

 

Ramil: If we'd all just... told each other about this stuff at the beginning of the summer, Brad might still be alive.

Hayley (remorseful): Or even at the Pit Party, after that speech he gave.

Sadiya: Yeah. Maybe Elliot would've...

Jemma: (sighs) There's no way to know what Elliot would've done. We just have to live with what he did do.

Ramil: He should've just told us. I can't believe he lied to us about... (sighs) Well, I guess we were all lying about something.

Sadiya: Jemma wasn't.

Jemma: I kind of was. I was lying to myself. I told myself that Camp Ashburne was doing something good. Helping people. But... we've lost our friend. Two friends.

 

[A quiet moment passes.]

 

Sadiya: I know this doesn't mean much, but... coming to camp has helped me. Even if it was a roundabout journey.

Hayley: Me, too.

Ramil: Same. Ashburne can help people. It's still the place you thought it was.

Jemma: It's not... yet. But it could be. It's gonna take a lot of work. I had a long talk with my mom about it. She's going to let me take charge for a while.

Ramil: Really?

Hayley: Wow.

Sadiya: What are you going to do?

Jemma: Cancel the second session, for starters.

Sadiya: Probably smart.

Jemma: And give Curtis a raise. He's long overdue. I have a bunch of other changes I want to make.

Ramil: Without the second session, how will you be able to afford it?

Jemma: I have ideas, but I'm going to need help. There's so much to do already, like announce the cancelation, send back the luggage that's been shipped in, not to mention the food orders... (rueful) What I'm saying is, I'll need all the help I can get.

Ramil: We gotcha, we're here for you.

Sadiya: Definitely.

Jemma: Thanks. And to you, Investigator - thanks again. If you're ever up near Hartskill, come by and say hello.

Hayley: Heck, yeah! We'll be back and better than ever!

Ramil: So, is that it? Are we done?

Jemma: Nah, we're just getting started.

 

[Audio cuts off.]

Trashed Letter

S:

L̵o̵o̵k̵,̵ ̵I̵'̵m̵ ̵n̵o̵t̵ ̵d̵u̵m̵b̵.̵ ̵I̵ ̵k̵n̵o̵w̵ ̵t̵h̵a̵t̵ ̵s̵o̵m̵e̵t̵h̵i̵n̵g̵'̵s̵ ̵g̵o̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵o̵n̵.̵ Hey, so, what's going on with y̵o̵u̵ us? I always look forward to the first week of camp, and getting to spend every day together again. But this time, I can tell something's different. I̵ ̵m̵e̵a̵n̵,̵ ̵y̵o̵u̵ ̵c̵a̵n̵ ̵b̵a̵r̵e̵l̵y̵ ̵l̵o̵o̵k̵ ̵a̵t̵ ̵m̵e̵.̵ ̵A̵n̵d̵ ̵w̵h̵e̵n̵e̵v̵e̵r̵ ̵I̵ ̵t̵r̵y̵ ̵t̵o̵ ̵l̵o̵o̵k̵ ̵a̵t̵ ̵y̵o̵u̵,̵ ̵y̵o̵u̵ ̵l̵o̵o̵k̵ ̵a̵w̵a̵y̵.̵ I mean, we've known each other for a long time, and I hope you know that you can tell me about whatever is bothering you e̵v̵e̵n̵ ̵i̵f̵ ̵t̵h̵e̵ ̵t̵h̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵t̵h̵a̵t̵'̵s̵ ̵b̵o̵t̵h̵e̵r̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵y̵o̵u̵ ̵i̵s̵ ̵m̵e̵ ̵e̵v̵e̵n̵ ̵i̵f̵ ̵y̵o̵u̵'̵r̵e̵ ̵p̵i̵s̵s̵e̵d̵ ̵o̵f̵f̵ ̵a̵t̵ ̵m̵e̵ ̵f̵o̵r̵ ̵s̵o̵m̵e̵ ̵r̵e̵a̵s̵o̵n̵ ̵t̵h̵a̵t̵ ̵I̵ ̵d̵o̵n̵'̵t̵ ̵k̵n̵o̵w̵ ̵w̵h̵a̵t̵ ̵i̵t̵ ̵e̵v̵e̵n̵ ̵i̵s̵,̵ ̵e̵v̵e̵n̵ ̵i̵f̵ ̵C̵O̵M̵E̵ ̵O̵N̵ ̵M̵A̵N̵ ̵S̵P̵I̵T̵ ̵I̵T̵ ̵O̵U̵T̵!̵ even if you're afraid I won't take it the right way. I can tell you're going through some stuff. I̵ ̵a̵m̵ ̵t̵o̵o̵.̵ But we've known each other too long for us to stop talking to each other. Y̵o̵u̵ ̵k̵n̵o̵w̵ ̵h̵o̵w̵ ̵m̵u̵c̵h̵ ̵I̵ ̵h̵a̵t̵e̵ ̵k̵e̵e̵p̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵u̵p̵ ̵a̵p̵p̵e̵a̵r̵a̵n̵c̵e̵s̵ ̵l̵i̵k̵e̵ ̵m̵y̵ ̵p̵a̵r̵e̵n̵t̵s̵ ̵a̵r̵e̵ ̵a̵l̵w̵a̵y̵s̵ ̵t̵r̵y̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵t̵o̵ ̵d̵o̵,̵ ̵h̵o̵w̵ ̵t̵h̵e̵y̵ ̵d̵o̵n̵'̵t̵ ̵c̵a̵r̵e̵ ̵w̵h̵a̵t̵'̵s̵ ̵r̵e̵a̵l̵l̵y̵ ̵h̵a̵p̵p̵e̵n̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵a̵s̵ ̵l̵o̵n̵g̵ ̵a̵s̵ ̵e̵v̵e̵r̵y̵t̵h̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵l̵o̵o̵k̵s̵ ̵o̵k̵a̵y̵ ̵a̵n̵d̵ ̵I̵ ̵c̵a̵n̵'̵t̵ ̵b̵e̵a̵r̵ ̵t̵o̵ ̵t̵h̵i̵n̵k̵ ̵t̵h̵e̵ ̵s̵a̵m̵e̵ ̵t̵h̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵m̵i̵g̵h̵t̵ ̵b̵e̵ ̵h̵a̵p̵p̵e̵n̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵t̵o̵ ̵u̵s̵.̵ (too heavy, crisis king, chill out)

I know you like to keep everything under control. That you hate showing weakness to anybody. And you know I'm cool with that, we're all finding our way at our own pace. I̵ ̵g̵u̵e̵s̵s̵ ̵I̵ ̵d̵i̵d̵n̵'̵t̵ ̵t̵h̵i̵n̵k̵ ̵t̵h̵a̵t̵ ̵i̵n̵c̵l̵u̵d̵e̵d̵ ̵m̵e̵.̵ But I can tell something's changed. I̵'̵v̵e̵ ̵g̵o̵t̵ ̵m̵y̵ ̵o̵w̵n̵ ̵c̵r̵a̵p̵ ̵g̵o̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵o̵n̵ ̵t̵h̵a̵t̵ ̵I̵'̵m̵ ̵t̵r̵y̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵t̵o̵ ̵d̵e̵a̵l̵ ̵w̵i̵t̵h̵,̵ ̵a̵n̵d̵ ̵I̵ ̵d̵o̵n̵'̵t̵ ̵f̵e̵e̵l̵ ̵l̵i̵k̵e̵ ̵I̵ ̵c̵a̵n̵ ̵t̵e̵l̵l̵ ̵y̵o̵u̵ ̵a̵n̵d̵ ̵t̵h̵a̵t̵ ̵j̵u̵s̵t̵ ̵s̵u̵c̵k̵s̵.̵

Look, I'm here for you if you wanna talk.

 

-R

Voicemail Audio Recording

Matt Sanders: Bro, do you even grow? If so, get yourself down to Hartskill Hydroponics. We've got everything you need to get your green thumb on. We take special deliveries on Thursday afternoons, or some late-night Fridays by appointment only. Downtown Hartskill, across from the donut shop. Ask for me, Matt Sanders. (pause) Don't leave a message, we won't check 'em.

Solution

Identifying the Killer

• The first thing Jemma asks you to do in her letter is access Brad's IT folder on the desktop. To find this, take the five window stickies and lay them over the five camp logos on the top of Brad's box. Each one of Brad's illustrations should line up with a corresponding doodle, which will also align exactly one letter of Brad's handwriting from each in one of the "fill in the letter" boxes of the original logo. These letters will also match in placement with the original "value" words on the camp zine poster. When combined and unscrambled, those letters make up Brad's password: POWER.
• Once you type Brad's password into the IT folder password prompt, the folder unlocks. At this point, Jemma sends you a new message in the messenger, this time asking you to send her the name of the person who had been masquerading as the Burning Baron and setting prank fires around the camp. There are a few clues that add up to the answer: first, the bandana. You know from the Sounds of Ashburne audio file, the staff memo, and the camp zine that there was a prank fire set at the camping site on Zenden's Pass during the overnight camping trip. On Jemma's envelope, she explains that she found the bandana at the campsite on Zenden's Pass, and the only other time anyone from camp was at that location was during the trip. Looking at the staff schedule, you know that new staff photos were taken the day after the camping trip. The camp website has photos of all the staff members, but only one is missing their staff bandana: Hayley Price. Second, in the Sounds of Ashburne audio file on the camp website, Brad points out that Hayley's legs are covered in poison ivy rashes. The map in the camp zine shows that the woods around the Northern Trails are covered in poison ivy, and the official map mentions that Zenden Pass is one of the Northern Trails. Last, you know from Jemma's notebook that Hayley can be wild and rebellious. Putting all these clues together, you can discover what happened: Hayley snuck up to Zenden's Pass and set the prank fire, losing her bandana in the process. Hayley is the Burning Baron prankster.
• When you send Hayley's name to Jemma in the messenger, she sends an additional voice memo, titled new_recording1.mp3. In the voice memo, Hayley interrupts and admits she was the prankster. Though she's shifty about where she was during the night of Brad's death, she provides the following information: Hayley ran by the main office at 1 AM and saw that the truck was gone.
• After this, Jemma gives you her final request in the messenger: Identify the murderer.
• To gain access to all the information you'll need to solve the murder, you will need to break into the other folders on the desktop, starting with the radio show folder. On one of the corkboard notes, you can see that someone has asked Brad to provide them a new password for the radio show folder, and that Brad has written out a puzzle on the backs of the cards in order to construct the password. To solve these instructions, you'll need to put the cards in the correct layout in context to each other, which you can do by looking at the sides of the cards where the counselors are responding to each other.
• To start, you can connect three notes that have one sentence written across them: "YOU can't fake not being a GIANT RAT stuffed in a SAGGY SKINSUIT anymore." Then, looking at the right-most card, you see that it also has another cut-off bit of handwriting, and can locate the card underneath it to make the full sentence: "'friends' OVER MY DEAD BODY R U MY FRIEND YOU WAD."
• If you look at the left-most card in your layout, the writing at the top of the card (begins "Hayley, Elliot, since you're both...") has an arrow pointing to it that seemingly begins off the note. Another note has the same handwriting, with the beginning of the arrow leading off the bottom of the note, so you can connect that note (begins "Good morning everyone!") to the layout. On this new note, the first writer has included the word "fantabulous". There are two other notes that use this word, which respond sequentially to this initial note. By putting those two notes to the right of the "Good morning everyone!" note, you can complete the top half of your layout.
• Now there are just two more loose notes, and they are in conversation with each other. One of them has a joke, and the other has writers guessing the answers to that joke. You can put those two notes next to each other, with the joke prompt on the left. Last, you can see the request for a new password at the bottom of the left note, and a response on the note beside it. In the existing layout, the bottom-most note has writing in the same handwriting as the original password request, which responds to that conversation. You can slot the last two notes into place to the left of that note (begins "'friends' OVER MY..."). Now you have a completed corkboard notes layout.
• From Brad's acquiescence to the radio show folder password request on the bottom-center note, you can see that he has gestured for the requester to flip over the note. Flip over each of the notes to see the puzzle Brad has written out. You can make the password by following the "simply delightful" instructions Brad wrote, which gives you the password RMcopperwave9.

• In the file BRN.TXT, Brad hints that there is a pattern to the passwords he creates for others. Looking at the passwords for Jemma's folder, which she told you in her letter, and the radio show folder, you can recognize a pattern:

  1. The passwords always start with the folder owner's initials.
  2. In Jemma's notebook, she mentions that her favorite band is Human Tuesday. In the Sounds of Ashburne audio file, Ramil mentions that Copper Wave is his favorite band. From this, you can infer that the band in the passwords needs to be the folder owner's favorite band.
  3. Jemma's password ends with 22, and Ramil's password ends with 9. In the personnel forms, you see that these numbers match with the number of years they've been coming to Camp Ashburne, so you know that the password number needs to be the number of years that the folder owner has been coming to camp.
     In BRN.TXT, Brad complains that Adrienne has been listening to an album by a band called We Seven on repeat, and you know from her personnel form that she has owned Camp Ashburne for 23 years. You can now put together the password for the director's folder: ACweseven23.
• Once you enter the correct password into the director's folder password prompt, you obtain access to 4 more files.
• In Compliment_vumail.pdf, Sadiya details the staff schedule switching that was mentioned in the staff memo. She says that whenever Hayley was assigned lake duty, Sadiya would switch her free time to that timeslot, changing free times with whichever counselor had that free time slot. You can use the staff schedule to see the results of the switch: Elliot has free time during all the morning sessions when thefts of campers' valuables were reported to occur, as outlined in BRN.TXT and on the camp website's forum page (and mentioned in the staff memo). He is the only suspect who had free time in the mornings, and is the only one who could have stolen the items.
• Additionally, from reading Curtis's last email in the thread CurtisRequest_vumail.pdf, you see that Elliot was in possession of an arrowhead that he claims to have won when he was a young camper. However, you also know from Brad's accounts in the camp website and his personnel form that he was the extremely proud winner of that arrowhead, and that it is the only arrowhead Camp Ashburne ever handed out. You can infer, then, that Elliot is the one who stole the arrowhead.
• The arrowhead is now in your possession. On Jemma's envelope, she explains that she found it at the scene of the crime, right after the police had left. The arrowhead could not have ended up by the fire pit unless Elliot was there after the Pit Party. You know from BRN.TXT that Brad knew about Elliot's sordid past and his thieving, and was planning on using that information, giving Elliot reason to kill. The murderer is Elliot Young.
• To complete the experience, type "ELLIOT YOUNG" into the messenger and hit send.

Adrienne Cohen

Motive

• Brad's blackmail note and BRN.TXT reveal that Brad was blackmailing Adrienne with something he had over her involving the safety of the ropes course. This explains why Adrienne was in such a hurry to sweep Brad's death under the rug, and could have given her a reason to want Brad dead.

 

Alibi

• Looking at Inspection_6_1.pdf and Inspection_7_24.pdf, you can see the timeline of events unfold. The ropes course failed its safety inspection on June 1st, before the camp session started. Despite this, Adrienne pretended everything was fine, and allowed children to go on the ropes course. CurtisRequest_vumail.pdf shows that Adrienne had still not fixed the ropes course up until Parents' Day. However, the following day, the ropes course passed its inspection, meaning it had been fixed. In Jemma's notebook, Ramil recalls seeing Adrienne walk toward the Northern Trails shortly before midnight - she was really on her way to the ropes course to do repairs on her own. She does not return until way past 1 AM, as she mentions in the email thread to Curtis, and because the ropes course if fixed, you know she really spent that time at the ropes course. Adrienne is eliminated as a suspect because she was elsewhere during the time of murder.

Curtis Williams

Motive

• In Jemma's notebook, Haley mentions seeing Curtis and Brad during the Pit Party. The menu also shows Brad insinuating that Curtis has ties to marijuana, and there are traces of someone growing marijuana on the campgrounds. If Curtis was involved in risky business, and Brad had known about it, that could have been enough for Curtis to want Brad dead.

 

Alibi

• Once the director's folder is unlocked, CurtisRequest_vumail.pdf reveals that Curtis was trying to get Brad to mind his own business rather than nose into everyone's secrets. Additionally, though Brad poked fun on the menu, using the playing cards to decipher the hidden chart underneath Brad's box's false bottom reveals that Curtis is NOT involved in the marijuana situation on campgrounds. This is further proven by outtake 1, where Ramil asks Curtis for help with something, and Curtis says he wants no part. Curtis's stated alibi in Jemma's notebook was that he was cleaning the amphitheatre, then stopped by the main office to use the computer, then walked back to his cabin at 1 AM to sleep. Hayley and Elliot also claimed to be cleaning the amphitheatre, which you know from Jemma did get cleaned. You can see from the timestamp on his last email in CurtisRequest_vumail.pdf that he sent the email at 12:24 AM, which was during the time of death window. Finally, once you know that Hayley and Sadiya were on a boat on the lake during the time of death, Curtis's account of seeing a boat as he walked back to his cabin checks out. Curtis has no motive to kill Brad, and each part of his stated alibi can be confirmed. Curtis is innocent.

Elliot Young

Motive

• Upon reading Elliot's letter, he seems to be a victim: abandoned by his parents and unable to go back to school, Elliot has nowhere else to go. However, Brad's mention of Elliot's past in BRN.TXT paints a slightly different picture: according to police records, Elliot is the one who walked out on his family, and he was expelled from his college. Additionally, though Jemma sees Elliot as a sweet, helpful person, he is shown to have a temper in outtake 3, and campers acknowledge that Elliot can have outbursts in the camp zine. By decoding the hidden chart, you see that Brad has discovered that Elliot's rage is triggered by the mention of his father, and in BRN.TXT you see that Brad plans to use this information. You also know that Brad has discovered the identity of the thief, and by switching the counselor schedules on the staff schedule according to Sadiya's account in Compliment_vumail.pdf, you discover that Elliot is the only suspect who is free during all the times thefts occurred. Elliot has been asking Jemma and Curtis to help him get approval to stay on campgrounds longer, but in the staff memo, Adrienne makes it clear that the thief would face serious consequences. The threat of being exposed and losing his future shelter, along with the potential to be triggered into a burst of anger, gives Elliot reason and ability to hurt Brad.

Hayley Price

Motive

• It's no secret that Hayley and Brad didn't get along. From reading BRN.TXT, you also know that Brad had discovered that Hayley was the prankster and was planning to use that information against her somehow, giving her a possible reason to want him gone.

 

Alibi

• Hayley's stated alibi, that she was cleaning up the amphitheatre, is shaky from the get-go. However, Hayley is eliminated as a suspect the same way that Sadiya is: she was on a date with Sadiya down by the lake during the time of death, and did not return until near 1 AM. Hayley is innocent of Brad's murder because she was elsewhere during the time of death.

Ramil Macatangay

Motive

• There are a few documents that point to why Ramil might want Brad dead. Calling the phone number on the lighter directs you to a voicemail for Hartskill Hydroponics, a plant store in the closest town. The voicemail says the store takes "special deliveries" at specific times. These times line up with when Adrienne's truck is being secretly taken, as mentioned in CurtisRequest_vumail.pdf. The lighter is actually a stash lighter that concealed a hidden note. The hidden note implies that someone has arranged to meet Matt, the store's owner, during the time of death. Using the playing cards with the camp zine, you can decipher the hidden chart underneath Brad's box's false bottom, which reveals that Ramil is growing marijuana in one of the greenhouses on campgrounds. BRN.TXT solidifies that Brad had blackmailed Ramil using this information, so Ramil had reason to feel animosity toward Brad.

 

Alibi

• From reading the staff memo, you know that someone has been stealing the truck during times that line up with Hartskill Hydroponics' delivery times. After you receive schedule-switching information from Compliment_vumail.pdf, you can switch Sadiya and Ramil's free time slots to show that Ramil was free during the times of truck theft. Curtis's account in Jemma's handbook mentions that the truck left the campgrounds at midnight, and Hayley's account in new_recording1.mp3 shows that the truck had still not returned by 1 AM. From all of this, you can piece together the full picture: Ramil took the truck off campgrounds at midnight to go to the Hydroponics store and did not return until after 1 AM, meaning he was away from the campgrounds during the entire window of opportunity. Ramil did not have the opportunity to murder Brad.