2019-09-13 - A Guy Walks Into a Dumpster & Forgets Most of His Body

(TXT to Alexander) Love : hi, sorry, i found your card... uh. the notes on the back suggest you handle funky local investigations.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : This is Alexander Clayton. I investigate things. Yes. Who is this?

(TXT to Alexander) Love : right, long day.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : (dancing dots...)

(TXT to Alexander) Love : i found your card in my father's papers — Silas Liven — my name's Love.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Ah. Yes. I remember him. I did some work for him. He disappeared. I'm sorry. Is that what you wanted me to look into?

(TXT to Alexander) Love : yes, probably eventually. today's a different issue. long story short: i apparently own Foggy Bottom Strip Mall now (weird) & my tenants discovered dismembered bits of body in the dumpster. (not ok)

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Ah. Yes. I heard about that. You still haven't given me your name.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Also. Congratulations on your inheritance.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : i did. it's Love. my name is Love.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : my feelings about property ownership are complicated. pretty sure it's a move to try to get me to relocate.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Oh. Your name is actually Love. I misunderstood. My apologies. Relocate to Gray Harbor? Or away from? I recommend away.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : to. i'm living in Vancouver at the moment. well, most of my stuff is there. believe me, my car's broken down three times, my dad's missing, bodies in my dumpster, weird dog crunching beasts on the beach, some assholes in the park keep saying the lake's full of dead people, and you can't even shop for an antique without getting pulled into a convo about spirit photography.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Welcome to Gray Harbor. If it makes you feel better, the lake is not full of dead people. A statistically higher percentage, probably, than most comparable places, but the swimming is lovely in the summer.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : thank you, yes, that does... it does make me feel a bit better.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Good. ::smiley face emoji:: So. You want me to find out who the dead person in your dumpster is, and how they got there?

(TXT to Alexander) Love : however, there were so many cops around the motel this afternoon, i'm debating going back. smells like dead people there too. i have my phone, myself, and a latte. dad's place is empty and there's a weird vibe there, so that's off the table. if i spend any more time in Espresso Yourself, they're going to call the cops to remove me. pretty sure.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : As long as you keep buying coffee, you'll be fine.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Weird vibe?

(TXT to Alexander) Love : who they are, how they got there, why my dumpster, etc. ugh why do i own a dumpster...

(TXT to Alexander) Love : yeah, i don't know. it's peaceful and lovely looking, but i just feel like i'm being watched the whole time. i lived in that house when i was a kid. it wasn't creepy before.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Perhaps its haunted. Your house, not the dumpster. The dumpster was probably just convenient. You own a dumpster because of health code requirements. I can do all of that. Here. <<Attachment: A rather professional looking contract that outlines his daily rates + expenses (it's well below the market rate).>>

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Sign that, if it meets with your approval, and get back to me. Cash up front to start.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : you're refreshingly literal. i am not.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : paper copy or digital ok?

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Digital is fine. And I like to be precise with my clients. ::smiley face emoji::

(TXT to Alexander) Love : i'm a mess, but you be professional & precise. all good. <<attachment: contract returned signed with a swoopy LOVE signature, though the O is a tiny skull drawing>> 🤘

(TXT to Love) Alexander : As long as you are a mess who pays on time, we're good. How much information do you actually want, Ms. Liven? It is unlikely that this murder is related to the serial killer, which means that knowing too much could have consequences.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : all of the information. i ignored dad for over a year and now he's gone. if something wants to come and play with me, i work nights at the Platinum tending bar and live in a crap motel on the boardwalk. speaking of, if you need to find me or get paid, those are good places to do it.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : All right. I'll find out everything I can for you, then. Are you on shift tonight? I'll come by to collect tomorrow's fee. Or you can pay a few days in advance, if you like.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : if you want it in cash, Platinum's the best place to get it, yes. i'll even buy you drink.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Not necessary. Out of curiosity, have you acquired any other properties recently? Just so I can rule out the possibility that the dump site is being used to deliberately devalue them.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : his house, the strip mall, what looks like half of sycamore street up by firefly forest. he had some suff in the works, but his office is a hoarding situation, so i'm not entirely sure i have a handle on which deals were finalized and which are pending.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Sycamore. New construction going up there, yes? Your doing? Could be related. Likely not, if no one has approached you about it, but I'll try to rule it out. If you want help going through the paperwork, let me know. I'm good with paperwork.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : yeah, it's a money sink until it's finished and tenants are in. i don't know why he was sitting on it. no one's come to me about anything, unless the head is an obscure message. they should really try a bit harder, if so. my attention's divided.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : re: paperwork, i'll keep you in mind. i'm a lecturer at a university. i should be able to handle it. maybe. if not, there are always matches.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Those sorts of messages tend to be deniable, but not obscure. What do you lecture on?

(TXT to Alexander) Love : as heads go, this is the least well placed i've come across.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : art history occasionally, though i teach studios in painting most often.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Wait. I feel I should clarify the heat we're discussing. And art history is interesting. So is painting.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Head. Not heat.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : oh, the one in the dumpster. sorry. 🤪

(TXT to Alexander) Love : art is my life these days, and now real estate littered for bodies. hey, at least i don't own the motel. you should see the state of that hot tub.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Yes. Very badly placed. Especially for the owner. Former owner.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : The two at the hotel were killed in the hot tub? Unfortunate.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : quite right, unfort—sorry. two? two at the motel?

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Yes. At the Sea View. I don't know where you're staying.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : at the sea view

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Unfortunate.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : it's fine. it'll be fine.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Don't worry. I won't insist on a week's pay in advance just in case. ::smiley face emoji:: But. More seriously, Ms. Liven, be careful. I have hope things will quiet down soon, but try not to take any unnecessary risks.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : he's funny too.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : my life is a series of unnecessary risks, but i'll do my best to tone it down.

(TXT to Love) Alexander : Good. Thank you for the work, Ms. Liven. I'll have something for you soon. Don't die in the meantime.

(TXT to Alexander) Love : ditto you + ☠️