Mary Dalloway
Mary Dalloway is a detective holding the rank of senior deputy within the Saint's Crossing Sheriff's Department.
History
Early Life
Mary Dalloway grew up in a small holler by a stream in the Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia. Her father made what little money he could to provide for the family through moonshining. On one such trip, two days into a three day shine run, her father would be attacked and killed in the Appalachians by a black bear while setting up camp for the night. Her mother, who Mary would remember as a good-time girl before her father’s death became a shadow of her former self, haunting the house and neglecting her children to the extent that Mary's sister would die of starvation. Her distraught mother's wails and screams would only fall silent when her voice left her too. In her despair, her mother scratched her own throat out leaving the young Mary alone in the holler that had seen such misery.
Mary would be sent to live with her grandparents who knew little of the horrors that had occurred in her parents house. For a while Mary knew peace and would remember these as happy times. One day, when Mary was in her late teens a knock at the cabin door would change her life forever. Mary remembers little of the events that would happen in the cabin that day but a sinister smile, a strangers grabbing hands and a whisper in her ear from “the devil in a tie”. Mary would be left to live with but a long cut behind her ear, amidst a scene of horror and bloodshed.
Wheeling
Traumatised by the events of that fateful day, Mary would leave her deceased grandparents home in an attempt to start her life anew. Mary made her way to the town of Wheeling where she would find employment within the Ohio County Library, the first in the state. Attempting to put the horrors of her past behind her and begin a normal, happy life, Mary would enter into a relationship in her early twenties that would eventually end with her being left at the altar on her wedding day. The only vow that she would make that day would be to never again allow herself to be hurt and betrayed that way again. For many years Mary took pleasure in the quiet life of a librarian, where the chaos of the world outside and the unpredictability of people held no sway over the organised world of books that Dalloway could easily categorise and make sense of.
Mary's safe and simple life would begin to unravel when people began going missing within Wheeling and clues started appearing as if taunting her, that hinted at the unsettling truth that the “Devil in a tie” may have returned. Soon gossip began to spread about the quiet and strange librarian and the memories that had previously remained locked away began coming back to her.
Unable to put the unsettling memories out of her mind and convinced that the re-appearance of the killer was somehow connected to her, Mary came forward with what she knew to the local Sheriff's Office who had been investigating the recent disturbances in Wheeling. With her history and drive to catch the culprit, Mary was temporarily deputised and quickly began aiding local law enforcement in their hunt. Over and again they would come close, occasionally finding a location where they had been but always too late. Eventually the trail would grow cold with the Sheriff's Department being forced to give up the hunt.
Not long after, Mary would receive a telegram with a haunting message, "I really like your shirt, I notice you covered up your gift". The devil had seen her and her him though she had not realised at the time. An intrusion into the safety of her library that had sheltered her for so long.
Mary's quiet life had been shattered. With the killer still at large and a new drive in her to make sense of the minds of those that committed such terrible acts, she left behind her life in Wheeling and the once safety of her library.
Events in Saint's Crossing
Deputy Dalloway
Dalloway arrived in Saint's Crossing having heard of its law department’s prestige and the new scientific methods being employed in law enforcement within the department. Though she faced a number of struggles during her cadet phase, often growing frustrated during her training and in her interactions with other deputies, Mary's curiosity and intellect would quickly be noticed. In mid march of 1902, Mary Dalloway would be deputised into the Saint's Crossing Sheriff's Department.
Dalloway's history in dealing with records and administration along with her fascination with the new fingerprinting techniques at the department's disposal would see her quickly gaining a reputation as a useful person to go to with fingerprint work as she threw herself into the files and the Crossing's long backlog of cold cases.
While Dalloway took to her new career as a deputy with relative ease, the ease with which she navigated the complicated world of social interactions with her new colleagues did not come so easily. Dalloway would find an ally and eventually a friend in Deputy Marigold Williamson, more commonly known simply as Bill. Bill would take on a mentor like role with Dalloway who in turn would find herself seeking to help the troubled Bill, who's self spiralling seemed to be going unnoticed by the rest of the department.
The Case of the Broken Hourglass
During Dalloway's first weeks as a deputy, a new multiple murderer with a grudge against Sheriff Mitchell Sandh would appear to cause havoc among the department. This man would become known as "Hourglass" and his viscous crimes which included the kidnapping of Sheriff Sandh's sister, Deputy Audrey Sandh, would light a fire under the department. Dalloway would be present for the first arrest of Jameson Farthing, the man known as "Hourglass", after identifying him in the town of Rhodes. With Deputy Sandh's whereabouts still unknown and threats of her death should he not return to her location, Hourglass would be released to the consternation of those interrogating him.
During Dalloway's early days as a deputy she would become acquainted with the wealthy Braithwaite family, in particular the elderly Eloise Braithwaite, a woman known for her hard temperament. Mrs Braithwaite would take a shinning to Dalloway who often found herself called upon as a deputy of choice when in need of assistance and even finding herself invited to the Braithwaite Manor for dinner on a number of occasions, bearing witness to the family's tumultuous relationship. Dalloway would become intimately aware of the family's troubles and the deteriorating mental health of Eloise Braithwaite.
Dalloway would discover a knack for undercover work during a mission to Guarma to investigate a criminal known as Julius Bradshaw who seemingly had a hand in numerous crimes carried out in the Crossing. Dalloway under the alias of Dianne Rivers and Bill under the alias of "Pocket" Jacks would spend a brief time on the island under the guise of gamblers where they would successfully manage to ingratiate themselves with the locals, including members of the Guarman Militia.
Back in the crossing with the Hourglass case showing no sign of coming to an end and the number of his victims only rising, Dalloway would slowly find herself drawn deeper into the gruesome case. Dalloway’s first true part in the Hourglass investigation would come after a chance encounter in the town of Colter with a mysterious woman by the name of Anya of Varkov. Dalloway’s curiosity would lead to her discovery of a possible connection between Anya and Hourglass’ past. Along with Bill and Deputy Samuel Redding acting as guide, Dalloway would embark on an expedition into the frozen wilderness of the frontier in hopes of once again finding Anya. The party would eventually find the mysterious woman and after gaining her trust would learn of her past animosity with Hourglass, known at the time as “Bear” when he was a member of the fabled Hunters of Barrow Lagoon. Though it would transpire that Farthing had left behind the group and his isolated ways, the revelations of Anya offered more insight into the mind of Hourglass.
Dalloway would go on to discover one of his victims, washed up on the river bank outside of Annesburg and later the site of another murder within the docks of Saint Denis. Growing more involved and invested in the case, Dalloway would decide to follow a suspicion that the killer had grown addicted to his own method's of sedation and put her new found undercover abilities to use. Under a number of disguises Dalloway would enter the outlaw town of Van Horn in search of Hourglass' opium supplier and in the process uncovered a wealth of information on the outlaw group known as the Dead End Gang who used the town as their base of operations and had been terrorising the surrounding area the past month.
Dalloway herself would soon discover that her investigations had come to the attention of Hourglass who would name her in person during one of his taunting messages to the SCSD. As Hourglass' methods grew more and more erratic and the body parts of his victims began showing up in abundance, Dalloway would decide to send a telegram to the man himself in attempt to draw him out. She would soon receive a reply with a telegram marked as being sent from Emerald station. Dalloway quickly informed the deputies on duty and together with Sheriff Sandh, Sheriff Kate Hearst, Deputy Sandh and Deputy Richard Pointer, the group would mobilise into hunting parties, systematically searching the various telegram stations in the crossing. As Dalloway and Hearst searched the east, The Sandh's and Pointer would arrive in Valentine where they would come face to face with Hourglass himself in the process of sending a telegram to Sheriff Sandh. After a brief and desperate chase, the man who had terrorised the Crossing for the past months would finally be caught.
Dalloway would be present for the interrogation of Hourglass in the cells of the Valentine Sherriff's Office where she would find not a meticulous, calculating killer but rather a wild beast in the form of a man. With the case now behind her and Hourglass facing execution, in no small part thanks to her assistance, Dalloway felt she had finally earned the right to call herself a detective.
The Case of the Missing Matriarch
Having now been within the department for a number of months and facing pressure to choose a posting, Dalloway would finally settle on the beleaguered territory of New Austin. The fact that her good friend and colleague Bill called Armadillo home playing no small part in her decision. Dalloway would quickly settle into the life of a New Austin deputy, growing closer to many of those stationed alongside her, none more so than Deputy Thomas Hooper.
Though the two's relationship would start as competitive, their teasing and arguing would evolve into a mutual respect with both deputies eventually admitting feelings for one another after a number of awkward encounters and no small amount of obliviousness to Hooper's attempts at flirting on the part of Dalloway. This early stage of their burgeoning relationship almost ended before it had begun when Hooper's attempt at a grand gesture in the form of a fake crime scene to request a date, happened to coincide with the anniversary of Dalloway's grandparent's gruesome death, sparking anger and humiliation in Dalloway. The two would eventually be able to put the blunder behind them and a successful first date would allow Dalloway to accept the possibility of letting someone into her life again.
The connection that Dalloway had formed with the Braithwaite family and the trust that had been placed upon her would come to a head when Mrs Braithwaite approached Dalloway in seek of help. Disguised and in a state of distress she confessed her fears that her nephew, Edwin Braithwaite's friend and notorious outlaw The Wallaby Kid wished to kill her. The family's troubles had apparently escalated. Not a few weeks later, Eloise Braithwaite would be reported as missing by her handmaiden Jin Saito.
Many weeks went by with no sign of the missing matriarch of the Braithwaite family. Mary and Hoopers relationship would continue to grow over those weeks. Shortly after Hooper departed the Crossing on a planned vacation, Dalloway would receive a frantic telegram begging for help. Racing to the location of the telegram's origin point she would find a masked figure waiting for her. This would turn out to be none other than Eloise herself. Dalloway attempted to calm the frantic Mrs Braithwaite who spoke of ominous figures holding her captive at a cabin nearby. Fearing her Dementia was responsible for her paranoia and disappearance, Dalloway would attempt to reassure the frightened older woman who seemed gripped in the midst of hallucination, speaking to and hearing voices that were not there. Dalloway's attempts at reassurance however would prove fruitless and the terrified older woman would vanish once more. Despite the evidence seeming to point to her fears being figments of her imagination, Dalloway could not help but consider the prospect of Edwin Braithwaite and the Wallaby Kid having a hand in Eloise's disappearance and possible captivity.
A number of days would pass before the next telegram, this one even more frantic than the last. Upon arriving at the cabin where Eloise had supposedly been held, Dalloway would be faced with a bloody crime scene. Eloise Braithwaite's body would be found not far away along with the bloody knife that had stabbed her. As the Strawberry doctor's informed Dalloway of Eloise's dire condition not just at the hands of her attacker but due to the sever signs of malnutrition and an apparent opium addiction, Dalloway found herself riddled with guilt at doubting her claims of captivity and the fears for her life.
It would not take long for new evidence to come to light when deputy Jessie Valentine approached Dalloway informing her that he had seen Mrs Braithwaite at the telegram station shortly before her attack. He had also been approached shortly before by a mysterious figure called Madame Bucher otherwise known as “the seer” who had known connections to Van Horn and who had been asking questions about the whereabouts of Mrs Braithwaite.
Dalloway decided once more to put her undercover abilities to use and entered Van Horn and the old lighthouse that the Seer was known to reside in looking for any evidence she could find. After a narrow miss by residents of the town, Dalloway made her escape. As Dalloway returned to the Saint Denis Sheriff's office to file the evidence she had collected, the haunting sound of whistling echoed through the doors from outside. The calling card of none other than the Wallaby Kid. Mary fearing for her safety took her chance to flee the office and made for the theatre next door. Her escape would be cut short by a gun emerging from the shadows and the voice of Edwin Braithwaite.
The two took Dalloway to the old abandoned church outside of the city seemingly having questions of their own for her. Despite her fears as to their true intentions and worry that her cover had been blown, Dalloway would make the best of her interrogation. As Wallaby watched on menacingly, Edwin would claim that his Aunt was safe in a nursing home out of state though as Dalloway revealed her hand and that she was aware of Eloise’s location and of her attack, Edwin would proclaim innocence and demand the identity of her attacker. Dalloway unsure whether she would leave the encounter alive would eventually be released to her relief, so that she could continue her investigation.
To the surprise of the doctors, Eloise Braithwaite would recover from her injuries though her testimony opened up more questions than it answered with talk of shadowy figures in black, a silent assailant and the admission that Edwin Braithwaite could not be trusted for it was from her that he had learnt to lie.
Outside of Edwin Braithwaite's many motives and the possibility of the Wallaby Kid and the Dead End Gang seeing a loose end in the sickly older woman, Dalloway’s only other suspect lay in the enigmatic Seer of Van Horn. Scheduling a meeting with the Seer under the pretence of a tarot reading, Dalloway would meet with her in the Bastille. The woman would live up to her reputation with a worryingly accurate reading though the true insight came when questioned on the day of Mrs Braithwaite's attacks. Despite her claimed flawless memory, the woman would claim to be hazy on the events of that day stating that she had done something she had not done in a long time.
The case was becoming a tangled web of lies and unreliable narratives. As Dalloway tried to make sense of it all a worrying thought could not be ignored any longer. Dalloway had begun to notice changes in Bill, odd things here and there that would have gone unnoticed to many had begun to raise suspicions in her mind. The revelation that Bill had been at the telegram station with Eloise shortly before her attack and was potentially the last to see her alive, lodged a worrying thought in her mind that couldn't be removed. Questioning Deputy Valentine more on that day in the telegram station, she revealed her suspicions to him who urged her to speak to a senior, hinting that her hunch may not be so far-fetched. When Dalloway brought her concerns to Under-Sheriff Rabbit Windward the shocking revelation that Bill had been under investigation as a possible mole for the Dead End Gang sent her reeling in disbelief.
Still trying to come to terms with the possibility of Bill's betrayal, Dalloway would once again be summoned to speak with Eloise Braithwaite. The elder Braithwaite was doing better and recuperating in Strawberry. She would reveal that an old friend had been in contact, a friend that had she had not heard from in a long time. This old friend would be none other than Madame Bucher, the Seer. The two it would transpire had once been very close before an argument over the Wallaby Kid saw their friendship severed and Madame Bucher being thrown out of the manor where she had lived with Eloise. At Dalloway's pushing, more of the events of the day of her disappearance would be revealed. Eloise would reveal that an argument had erupted between herself and Edwin and in a rage she had tried to kill her very own nephew. Riddled with guilt she had fled the manor, not kidnapped but in hiding in the cabin outside Strawberry. The details of her attack however remained a mystery and as Dalloway informed her that at some point the assault and attempted murder of her nephew would have to be resolved, a dark look came over the old matriarch for a moment before the veil of pleasantries returned.
Dalloway would wake to a somber atmosphere in Armadillo. Hooper, with tears in his eyes revealed the events of the night before. Jessie Valentine and Detective Coyote who it would transpire had been leading an investigation into the possible mole within the department, had been lured into a trap by Bill. Both were dead. Pop Sullivan, who had managed to escape the ambush revealed that it was Bill himself that had executed Coyote as the Dead End Gang watched on before shooting down Valentine as well. In utter shock, Dalloway was urged to check her telegrams where among the messages from colleagues and superiors she found one from Bill. The message claimed that he was in danger, urging her to meet with him along with Valentine and Coyote in Plainview, the sight where her two colleagues had been brutally murdered. Dalloway had been intended to be among the dead. Her closest friend and mentor had betrayed her in the cruellest way possible.
The Case of the Deadly ABCs
The department still in shock at the betrayal of one of their own and reeling from the loss of two of their colleagues would search high and low but no sign of Bill or the Dead End Gang would be found. Despite a desire for justice, Dalloway and the department would be forced to admit that the group had disappeared, likely having escaped the Crossing in the aftermath.
Life however would go on for Dalloway as she tried to come to terms with the shocking betrayal. Dalloway and Hooper would inaugurate the Winter's Academy in the newly built Armadillo School House and begin teaching classes on investigation work to fellow deputies. To her surprise Tom would propose on a camping trip with colleagues and despite her fears she would accept.
As life slowly started to return to some semblance of normal a new killer would appear in the Crossing who named himself ABC. His victims would all be taken from Strawberry and each one left in a location beginning with an ascending letter of the alphabet. The first, a woman by the name of Evelyn Crowell her murder sight in Aurora Basin who's body would never be found and the second, Emma Davis in Beecher's Hope where Dalloway would later find some curious things buried in the long grass. The vague descriptions they had of the killer had the department looking at all red haired strangers with a suspicious eye. Dalloway would keep a close eye on the case as it unfolded over the following weeks though the killer seemed content to take his time with his gruesome endeavour.
Dalloway and Tom would be married in Valentine Church marking the second wedding Dalloway had attended as a bride and to her relief the first where she had left married. The happy couple would head to Guarma to embark on their honeymoon. Fate however would decide that a vacation was not what was in store for the newlyweds when they bumped into none other than Harriet Thatcher, a known associate of the Dead End Gang. Their curiosity peaked and suspicious that other members of the Dead End Gang may be hiding out on Guarma, the two would keep a close eye on Harry during their stay on the island and they could not shake the feeling that others were keeping their eyes on them too. Dalloway's suspicions would be confirmed one morning during a walk on the beach when an ever so familiar whistle cut through the sound of bird call from the jungle canopy. Dalloway would find herself once again face to face with the Wallaby Kid. Wallaby would reveal that it was Bill himself that had insisted on the killing of Coyote and Valentine and that he had been put down soon after having served his purpose. Her resolve broken at the revelations, Dalloway put up little fight as her wedding ring was taken from her along with a threat to kill Hooper should she tell the department of the discovery of the gang's location. Their honeymoon cut short, Dalloway would inform the department nonetheless.
Their return to the crossing would be marked with promotions to Senior Deputies for both Dalloway and Hooper and the announcement of new certifications with both being made cert leads in their respective fields of expertise. With a promotion came a new posting to Blackwater for Dalloway. Dalloway would become involved in numerous investigations including the case of the Lemoyne Cannibal, the case of the Russian Spies, a power struggle between rising Saint Denis gangs and yet another serial killer who would appear and become known as the "See Me Killer". None however would remain at the forefront of her mind as much as the ABC killings would.
Dalloway would lead the search party which discovered the gruesome spot of the 'C' victim, Rhonda Johnson at Cumberland Falls. A pattern was quickly emerging with all the victims being female, a lock of their hair left at the scene and the locations of the crimes being contained to West Elizabeth, confirmed when 'D', Alice Highland was found at Diablo Ridge and 'E', Margaret Pollard at Hawk's Eye Ridge.
Dalloway would discover the scene of Eleanor Bailey 'F's kidnapping on the stairs of the Tracker Hotel in Strawberry along with a note from ABC. Unable to wait for backup any longer Dalloway raced to Flatneck Station believing it to be the location hinted at in the note. Nothing would be found at the spot and as Dalloway made her way back to Strawberry she would spot a grey horse outside of Riggs station. One that matched the description of ABC's. The young man who emerged would claim to have lost his own horse but when Dalloway called his bluff, enticing him to call for it, he drew his gun. Dalloway had come face to face with the ABC killer himself. The young man was erratic, sleep deprived and curious about what they knew of him. Her guns removed, hands tied and fearing for her life, Dalloway was taken by ABC to the true location of 'F' on the mud flats of Flat Iron Lake. There he would leave her with her life and what knowledge she had managed to glean from him, including his mother's name, Mary.
The ABC killer would seemingly disappear following this encounter. Dalloway would receive her new senior posting in Blackwater alongside Tom and she would find herself once again called upon by the Braithwaites. As age old tensions between their family and the Grays of Caliga Hall reared their head again with accusations on both sides, Dalloway began to suspect that she was being used as a pawn of the Braithwaites in a game that had divided the department between loyalties. Dalloway would make the decision to step away from her relationship with the family as the family feud escalated.
The Dead End Gang would make a dramatic return to the crossing with a shootout that saw the fugitives finally apprehended and facing a long time behind bars. Hooper would finally face off against Wallaby who struck Tom down but inexplicably would make the decision to not deliver the killing shot he had promised. As Mary helped Tom through his recovery, ABC would rear his head again.
A taunting note aimed at Dalloway directly would be found in the stables of Strawberry and shortly after the body of one Grace Eckley would be found in Great Plains. Attempting to draw the killer out like she had with Hourglass, Dalloway would leave her own notes in the locations she believed would be his 'H'. Just a few days later, the remains of Anna King would be found in Hanging Dog Ranch.
Dalloway would respond to the site of the next kidnapping. Searching the town she could not ignore the feeling of being watched. A telegram from ABC would reveal her suspicions to be true along with the fact that the victim, Sarah Leach, was still alive. Dalloway and deputy Keith Oath would race to try and find Sarah before time ran out. As they approached a cabin south of Bard's Crossing, they saw a man in the distance carrying something before he vanished. In the cellar they would find a bloody scene and another note for Mary. They had been seconds away from catching him. The race continued with multiple deputies carrying out an extensive search of the Crossing for Sarah but no sight of her would be found. A telegram from the Nebraska State Marshal would reveal the true identity of ABC who's real name was Noah Adair, a severe insomniac, wanted for the death of his school teacher mother, Mary Adair.
Sarah's body would be found the next day by Manzanita Post with the words "You're next Mary" written in blood beside her. ABC's next victim, taken the same day, would break from his pattern. A male deputy, Leon Williams, would be taken from Strawberry. He would survive though badly injured. Deputy William's statement would reveal that ABC's curiosity about Dalloway had turned into a sick infatuation.
Local deputy Ruth McCloud would take Deputy William's place as 'J', killed as she opened the Strawberry Sheriff's Office door with 'K' a miss Melanie Harper following soon after. With ABC's killings rapidly increasing and a taunting tip that the next three victims had already been picked out, the urgent need to capture him reached boiling point. Dalloway in an attempt to try a different approach would contact the medical department in hopes that they had been approached by the killer seeking help for his insomnia. Though no patients matching his description would be found, a report of a break in at the Strawberry medical office in October with stolen sleeping tablets would confirm some of Dalloway's suspicions. With fears for Dalloway's safety mounting, she would make the decision to take a step back from the field work side of the investigation shifting her focus to the paperwork.
On the Eve of Halloween the crossing would become host to numerous strange reports with ghostly apparitions and roving packs of wild animals invading the towns. Amidst this backdrop ABC would strike again. A local man, Ezekial Brown would report his three daughters missing from their home after returning from work. The bodies of the three sisters would be found on the Lower Montana River. Disgusted by the brutality of the murder the department would mobilise in force. As night fell and Halloween crept ever nearer, A Blood Moon would rise above the Crossing, bathing the land in a ghostly red light. As the denizens of the Crossing marvelled and trembled at this haunting celestial phenomenon, ABC would at last be captured after a chance encounter with Deputies Richard Pointer and Arya Clark.
The interrogation of Noah Adair, the man known as 'ABC' and study of his diary would reveal that 'Z' had been reserved especially for Dalloway. His own testimony would reveal his plans for Mary after an admission that she had reminded him of his own now deceased mother. Noah Adair would be executed in late November of 1902 at the Strawberry Gallows. Not wishing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her again, Dalloway would decline to be present.
The Case of the Devils in the Bayou
Dalloway would continue her endeavours to bring new and capable deputies into the ranks of those certified as detectives, giving many a lecture and overseeing numerous interviews and interrogations. At the same time she would make a concerted effort to improve on her own knowledge base, seeking out other certifications in fields she felt lacking.
It would be during one of these interviews which she was overseeing that a man by the name of Albert Hastings would come to her attention. A seemingly fragile and confused old man, he had been found attempting to dispose of the body of a man who he claimed have to killed in self defence. Despite a lack of solid evidence to suggest anything more nefarious, discrepancies in his retelling of the events along with his strange manner and some unsettling statements raised concerns amongst the interviewing deputies. As the prospective detectives struggled to gain insight into the situation from the elderly Mr. Hastings, Dalloway would step in. After a long and worrying interrogation the truth would finally be revealed. Mr Hastings admitted to his crimes with a harrowing retelling and a gruesome enthusiasm. Mr Hastings would be arrested and sentenced to time in Sisika for his crime. Despite his admission, there were worrying hints of more that had not been uncovered and the memory of the excitement in his eyes at the mention of blood and the joy with which he spoke of the slicing of flesh left Dalloway fearing it would not be the last they had seen of the less than fragile old man.
Over the next month Dalloway would begin to notice strange swamp like smells appearing where they did not belong across the region of Lemoyne and beyond that lingered with an overpowering stench. Despite the seeming innocuous nature of a mere scent, Dalloway's gut would tell her that something strange was afoot. Heading into Bayou Nwa with its history of cannibals, killers and other dark goings on she would eventually reach the small, half drowned and overgrown town of Lagras, deep in the swamp. Inside one of the shacks she would find jars of a repulsive gore and the signs of a burnt offering to what she could not tell. Dalloway would return to the shack over the coming days and each time would find the signs of a new offering and jars of wicked contents. As Dalloway checked the hatch that led to the space beneath the shack she found herself surrounded by the desiccated corpses of numerous dogs. Horrified by her findings, Dalloway's suspicions had grown into a certainty that something foul was at play within the bayou.
Seeking to find answers in the paperwork, Dalloway would look for any connections in recent reports. She would discover that other deputies had also reported strange incidents and a possible connection to a Lakay family known as the Gloomwoods who were linked to a number of crimes including the abduction and drugging of Deputy Benjamin Thatcher. Benny's statement and memory of what he had overhead during his captivity with the family would include allusions to a horned figure known as 'Brother Shadow' and a proclamation that "answers could be found in the swamp". The prospect of a cult at work within Lakay seemed ever more likely.
The mysteries of the case would deepen upon a trip to the Blackwater saloon. Upon a wall hung a painting that had never gained Dalloway's notice before yet now it seemed as if its subject had changed, perhaps even bled through what had been visible before. A scene of the bayou with people in the background in poses of ecstasy and delight and to her horror in its foreground upon a canoe stood a horned figure who played a twisted fiddle. As Dalloway continued to delve deeper, more reports from across the area would come to light of paintings that all featured that strange horned fiddler and who's viewers could have sworn had always been there yet never before had they noticed the demon which now stared back at them. The figure brought to mind the reports and hushed rumours of a horned devil that dwelled in the depths of the Bayou which had been whispered across Lemoyne over the years.
Dalloway would inform a trusted number of her colleagues about her recent discoveries and make a number more trips into Lakay in an attempt to unravel the mystery. On one such excursion alongside Deputy Ray Bush who also had taken a keen interest in the investigation, they would find within a tiny abandoned church in the depths of the swamp yet another painting, peeled and ancient, again with that terrible horned figure in its foreground. At his feet lay a chest, open with jewellery and coins as if enticing the viewer in. Their search of the church uncovered a note asking for help from a name familiar to Dalloway, Brother Shadow.
As mysteriously as the corrupted paintings had appeared they or at least their twisted forms would again disappear alongside the Gloomwoods and any signs of offerings and their ghastly remains. The case would go cold and the Bayou's secrets for the time being would remain hidden within the shadows of the cypress trees.
With Albert Hastings' release and supposed reform, Dalloway would keep a close eye on his activities over the following months. Numerous reports would detail strange interactions by those encountering him, but a lack of any evidence to prove he was anything more sinister than an eccentric old man would make the departments suspicions hard to prove. Albert Hastings as far as the evidence could prove, was a man with an unsettling obsession with the consumption of animal eyes and a fervour for the taste of flesh, yet whether he was continuing to kill and in what manner was something that had alluded all investigation. Nevertheless, as reports mounted and a number of unsettling crime scenes were found that detectives believed were linked to Mr Hastings, the decision was made to bring him in for questioning and interrogation.
Dalloway would spot the old man in Valentine and keeping her distance would choose rather to follow him rather than approaching him there in town, in the hopes that he may lead her to a location that contained evidence of his crimes. Dalloway shadowed Hastings as he made his was through the crossing, seemingly carrying out innocuous errands. The trail would lead her to the Bayou, were so many strange events had occurred before, where killers and cannibals lurked amidst the still waters and where Dalloway watched the man disappear into the shadowy interior of a cypress gloomed shack. Unable to see within, Dalloway steeled her nerves and approached, calling out the suspected killers name. As they came face to face once more, Dalloway would attempt to persuade Hastings to come in for questioning, though the old man had other ideas. Overpowered, Dalloway would be tied up and taken against her will to yet another shack beyond the Bayou in Cumberland forest. Dalloway knew her messages to the tip line and attempts to leave marks of her progress along the way would lead any who came looking to the Bayou and no further. Her prospects for rescue were slim.
All pretences would be thrown aside within that shack as Hastings admitted to his numerous crimes and insatiable desire for human flesh. There Dalloway would face a gruesome ordeal. Covered in an apron and a mask of his own design made of some poor victims own face, he would proceed to torment her. From her thigh he would carefully cut a large chunk and the entirety of her left ear would be removed. Her screams went unheard as the cannibal worked. As Dalloway fought to remain conscious, the sickening smell of cooked meat wafted up from the boards beneath. Dalloway would be forced to eat her own cooked flesh to the monsters amusements. During a brief scuffle Dalloway would finally succumb, falling unconscious after a cleaver was thrown into her leg.
Yet death had not claimed her. Dalloway awoke back in Valentine with doctors having worked furiously to keep her alive. It would transpire that as Albert Hastings attempted to move her once more, he had been spotted by a Dr Cornellius Orvid who happened to be hunting in the area. Dalloway had been left with the confused Orvid and her life had been saved though almost certainly changed for ever.
Character
Personality
Dalloway is highly intelligent and perceptive though she has trouble socialising with people, often coming across aloof and even surly around those she doesn't know. She is not fond of being touched or people entering her personal space often requesting that others keep a distance of "three bibles". Communication and understanding social cues do not come easy to Dalloway who often finds herself at a loss for what to say or how to act amongst her peers, showing many signs of being neurodivergent. Though extremely introverted, when Dalloway does open up to those who have gained her trust or a subject that she is particularly fond of pops up she can become highly effusive, often regaling those lucky souls with animal facts and obscure tidbits of historical knowledge.
Possibly due to the struggles with human interaction that Dalloway has experienced her whole life she has developed a knack through necessity of questioning peoples motivations and thought processes that has evolved into a keen interest in understanding the human mind. Her quietness can occasionally be mistaken for inattentiveness to those who are not familiar with her though those that do make this mistake would be folly to do so for Dalloway is always listening and observing.
Dalloway has a number of niche passions, such as animals, clocks, history, swimming and reading, with a particular interest in science fiction and the works of H.G. Wells. Dalloway’s history working within the library and cataloguing its many books along with her analytical way of thinking have made her particularly proficient in the paper work side of criminal investigation spending much of her down time comparing recorded fingerprints to the large back catalogue of cold cases.
Dalloway has tried to shy away from her poorer, West Virginian origins, calling herself simply Mary rather than Mary-Lou and attempting to conceal her stronger native accent.
Appearance
Dalloway has black hair that she keeps tied up and often hidden beneath her hat. She has brown eyes and sharp features with a permanent scowl that rests comfortably and unintentionally on her face. A long scar stretches from her neck to her ear, a remnant of her ordeal as a young woman at the hands of the devil in a tie. As of her encounter with Albert Hastings she is missing her left ear and walks with a limp following the wounds inflicted to her leg. Her dress sense is somewhat quirky yet always smart with suspenders and one of her many bow ties a consistent feature of her outfits. Having grown up in poverty, Dalloway has a habit of dressing frugally though she allows herself some luxuries in choice items of clothing such as her always prim hat.
Relationships
- Marigold Williamson - Marigold Williamson more commonly known as Bill took on the role of a mentor to Dalloway while she was a cadet and the two's natures saw them quickly forming a bond. The two would continue to work closely together after Dalloway's acceptance into the department with their relationship growing into a close friendship. Bill like Mary came from a troubled past though his methods of dealing with his trauma had led to a spiralling dependancy on alcohol and drugs. Mary was among the few who had noticed or perhaps cared about the deteriorating state of Bill's mental health and she took it upon herself to try and help her troubled mentor as best she could. Bill's troubles it would transpire ran deeper than anyone realised. Mary would begin to notice a change in Bill's behaviour, odd events and unexplainable secrets that he had been keeping from even her. As Mary's suspicions began to grow as to Bill's loyalty to the department, a conversation with her superiors would confirm her fears to hold weight with the revelation that Bill was suspected of being a mole for the Dead End Gang. The true enormity of her mentor and closest friend's betrayal would be revealed with the deaths of Detectives Coyote and Valentine. The two both also friends of Bill's who had been leading an investigation into the mole had been led into a trap by Bill before being brutally executed. As Mary tried to make sense of the horror of his betrayal she would find a telegram sent by him to her requesting her help and to meet him along with Coyote and Valentine. Bill had intended for her to be present at the execution and no doubt among the dead. He had used her care for him against her. The betrayel of her closest friend shattered Mary's world leaving her in a state of shock and despair.
- Thomas Hooper - When Mary took her positioning in Armadillo, Hooper was one of those stationed alongside her. The two deputies relationship would start as competitive though their teasing and arguing would evolve into a mutual respect with both deputies eventually admitting feelings for one another after a number of awkward encounters and no small amount of obliviousness to Hooper's attempts at flirting on the part of Dalloway. The early stage of their burgeoning relationship almost ended before it had begun when Hooper's attempt at a grand gesture in the form of a fake crime scene to request a date, happened to coincide with the anniversary of Dalloway's grandparent's gruesome death, sparking anger and humiliation in Dalloway. The two would eventually be able to put the blunder behind them and a successful first date would allow Dalloway to accept the possibility of letting someone into her life again. The relationship would continue to grow with Mary eventually admitting her true feelings for him with a proclamation of love. Mary and Tom would be married on the 5th of September, 1902 in the Valentine Church.
Trivia
- Dalloway holds certifications in 'Advanced Combat Tactics', 'Evidence Collection & Examination', 'Undercover Operations' and 'Interview & Interrogation' in which she is a cert lead
- Dalloway collects small glass figurines of animals which she refers to as her glass menagerie
- Dalloway also maintains a collection of unusual fingerprints
- Dalloway is a vegetarian
- Dalloway maintains a "three bible" rule of personal space
- Dalloway has been diagnosed with trauma induced syncope
- Dalloway runs a book club for fellow lovers of books
- Dalloway favours the double action revolver as her weapon of choice
Quotes
- "They say cougars pick out the weakest in the group first"
- "We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the Dalloway"
- "It's not smut, it's art"
Media
Clips
- Dalloway is deputised
- Dalloway animal facts 1
- Dalloway animal facts 2
- Dalloway confides in Bill
- Bill reveals some hard truths
- Undercover Dalloway
- Not enough bibles at Book Club
- Dalloway ruminates on the ABC case
Highlights
- Braithwaite dinner party
- The capture of Hourglass
- An intense discussion with Wallaby and Edwin
- Dalloway speaks with Aunty Braithwaite after her recovery
- Dalloway and Hooper conduct training at the detective academy
- The Wedding of Mary and Tom
- Dalloway encounters Wallaby on Guarma
- Dalloway finds ABC
- The hunt for ABC
- Dalloway confronts Albert Hastings
