So Why do I think Josie is the killer in Dead Secret?

 

FIRST OFF, I HAVE NO IDEA IF IT'S RIGHT - OR WHAT THE GAME INTENDED, SO THIS CONCLUSION IS MINE, AND I CAN HARDLY BLAME ANYONE ELSE FOR IT.

LET'S START WITH THE EASIEST TO ELIMINATE

WE LEARN THROUGH NOTES THAT BOBBY IS BULLARDS ERRAND BOY, AND THAT BULLARD OWES HIM MONEY. THAT BESIDES THE FACT THAT HE WAS THE ONE TO FIND BULLARD DEAD, IS THE MOST INCRIMINATING FACTS ABOUT HIM. 

WE FIND MANY DOCUMENTS THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE THAT IS BOBBYS WRITING, HE IS WORKING ON SOME FANTASY NOVELLA. AND WE LEARN FROM JOSIES DIARY THAT SHE IS ATTEMPTING TO HELP HIM PROOFREAD, AND ALSO SUGGESTED THAT HE MIGHT WANT TO PUBLISH IT UNDER A PSEUDONYM BECAUSE OF HIS SKIN COLOR. 

THE GAME IN THE END CALLS HIM THE BOY WITH NO FUTURE. BUT I STILL CAN'T SEE WHY IN THE HELL HE SHOULD WANT TO MURDER BULLARD, FOR ME IT SEEMS HE IS JUST THROWN IN THERE AS A "THE BUTLER DID IT" TYPE THING, AND HE HAS NO HORSE IN THIS RACE WHAT SO EVER. 

SO FOR ME, HE IS THE EASIEST TO RULE OUT. 

**

CYNTHIA WAS NOT AS EASY TO RULE OUT, AND I HONESTLY THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE HER - WAS IT NOT FOR THE LETTER WE FIND WHERE SHE IS LITERALLY BEGGING BULLARD FOR MONEY, SHE HAS A GAMBLING HABIT, AND A DRINKING HABIT, AND IF THERE IS ONE THING I KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE LIKE THAT, IT IS THAT THEY ARE MOST OFTEN OPERTUNISTS. I HARDLY THINK THAT CYNTHIA WOULD HAVE THE TIME OR ENERGY TO KILL HER EX-HUSBAND. ALSO HER LETTERS SEEMS SLIGHTLY UNHINGED, SHE WANTS A DIVORCE, AND THEN SHE SUDDENLY MISSES HIM. I HONESTLY THINK THAT CYNTHIA IS A ADDICT, BOTH TO DRINK AND GAMBLING, AND THAT SHE WILL SELL "HERSELF" SO TO SAY, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO LIVE LIKE THAT. THIS IS ALSO WHY SHE COULD BE A SUSPECT, BECAUSE SHE DOES SOUND SLIGHTLY MENTALLY UNSTABLE AND DESPERATE.  IT IS CLEAR FROM THIS NOTE TO THE MOVERS, THAT SHE IS JUST INTERESTED IN SELLING EVERYTHING, AND THAT SHE IS AWARE THAT JOSIE LIVES THERE.

NOW IF WE LOOK AT THE NOTE HERE, IT STATES THAT CYNTHIA THREW BULLARD OUT OF THEIR HOME, AND THAT WE AREN'T SURE IF THEY GOT A DIVORCE - THEY DIDN'T, CAUSE OTHERWISE SHE WOULDN'T ENHERIT ALL OF HIS SHIT. BUT WHY DID SHE THROW HIM OUT? THERE ARE SOME LETTERS THAT YOU CAN POUR OVER IF YOU WANT TO, BUT IN SHORT SHE SOUNDS SUPER BITTER OVER JOSIE BEING BULLARDS ASSISTANT, AND ALSO I THINK IT MIGHT ALSO BE BECAUSE BULLARD LOST HIS JOB AT THE UNIVERSITY. 

**

NOW WELLINGTON WOULD HAVE BEEN A REALLY GOOD CANDIDATE IF HE DIDN'T END UP NOT-ALIVE DURING THE GAME. AND SEE THAT IS WHERE I GET A LITTLE CONFUSED. OH WELL.. WE'LL GET TO THAT. SO THE INFO ABOUT HIM STATES THAT HE WANTS FAME & GLORY, AND READING THIS LETTER TO WHOEVER THE FUCK BILL IS, WE LEARN THAT WELLINGTON THANKS HIM FOR PRINTING THAT ARTICLE. WE SEE A NOTE AT SOME POINT TELLING US THAT HE TOOK THE CREDITS FOR BULLARDS WORK AT THE UNIVERSITY, AND I AM PRETTY SURE THAT IS WHAT HE IS THANKING BILL FOR, I MEAN PRINTING AN ARTICLE WITH LIES. AND THEN HE GOES ON TO PLANNING TO STEAL BULLARDS WORK THE MOMENT HE IS DONE WITH IT. THIS TELLS US THAT WELLINGTON ISN'T AS CLEVER AS HE'D LIKE TO PRETEND, AND MUCH LIKE CYNTHIA HE IS A LEECH. 

I TAKE IT THAT WELLINGTON AND BULLARD WAS TEACHING TOGETHER AT THE UNIVERSITY, BUT DUDE I CAN'T REMEMBER ALL THE NOTES I READ IN THIS GAME. 

BULLARD STATES IN HIS JOURNAL THAT HE RESIGNED, AND THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE WOODCUTTER MAKING HIS LIFE MISERABLE. AND SINCE WE KNOW THAT WELLINGTON WAS THE WOODCUTTER, WE CAN ONLY DEDUCT THAT HE WAS BLACKMAILING BULLARD, NOT FOR MONEY - BUT TO STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM EVERYONE, TO ISOLATE HIMSELF UNLESS HE WANTED HIS SECRET OUT. I THINK WELLINGTON WANTED BULLARD ALONE AND ISOLATED SO IT WAS EASIER TO BOTH OFF HIM AND STEAL THE DREAM MACHINE. 

NOW WE LEARN PRETTY EARLY ON THAT WELLINGTON IS THE WOODCUTTER, AND THAT HE HAS BEEN BLACKMAILING BULLARD FOR QUITE SOME TIME. ALL THINGS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THEN WELLINGTON IS A PROFESSOR AND THAT IS WHY IT MAKES SENSE THAT HE HAS BOTH THE PATIENCE AND THE EYE FOR DETAIL NEEDED TO BE THE WOODCUTTER. WHAT IS THROWING US OFF IS FINDING HIM DEAD IN THE CORRIDOR BEHIND THE BASEMENT. THIS MEANS THAT IT CANNOT BE HIM STALKING US, AND ERGO IT IS NOT THE WOODCUTTER TRYING TO KILL US, BUT SOMEONE ELSE. 

**

BEFORE WE GET INTO THE 'WHY I THINK IT'S JOSIE', AND THE GLARING PLOTHOLES IN THAT AS WELL, THEN I WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT BULLARD, NOW AS STATED IN THE FIRST NOTE THERE, HE KNEW THAT WELLINGTON WAS TRYING TO ONEUP HIM, AND CALLS HIM A TERRIBLE SCIENTIST AND EVEN WORSE LIAR. I AM GUESSING THIS IS IN THE LIGHT OF WELLINGTON TAKING CREDIT FOR BULLARDS WORK. AND THEN WE HAVE TWO LETTERS TO JOSIE, ONE IS TELLING HER ABOUT HIM BEING BLACKMAILED BY THE WOODCUTTER, AND THAT HE FEARS FOR HIS LIFE. HE ALSO SAYS THAT THE WOODCUTTER WANTS THE LUNAR DREAM APPARATUS (I FIND IT INCREDIBLY RIDICOLUS THAT BULLARD WOULDN'T HAVE FIGURED OUT THAT IT WAS WELLINGTON) AND THE OTHER LETTER IS BULLARD TELLING JOSIE THAT HE KNOWS ABOUT HER SECRET ROOM, AND THAT SHE COULD CLEAR OUT EVERYTHING. WAS BULLARD PLANNING ON MOVING? HAD HE FIRED JOSIE? OR IS THIS LETTER EVEN WRITTEN BY BULLARD? SEE I THINK IT'S WRITTEN BY WELLINGTON, WHOM HAD SPIED ON BULLARD FOR A WHILE, AND WANTED JOSIE OUT OF THE HOUSE SO IT WAS EASIER TO OFF BULLARD. 

IN SOME OF JOSIES DIARY ENTRIES WE CAN READ THAT SHE COMPLAINS THAT BULLARD NEVER LETS HER IN ON ANYTHING, AND WELL, WELLINGTON COULD HAVE FIGURED THAT SHE WOULDN'T QUESTION IT? I DON'T KNOW MAN.  

BUT ALL IN ALL WHAT THIS TELLS US IS - THAT BULLARD TOLD JOSIE THAT HE WAS BEING BLACKMAILED, AND THEN IT TELLS US THAT HE TRUSTS JOSIE.

IF WE READ THAT OTHER LETTER FURTHER UP THIS PAGE, WHERE BULLARDS ACCOUNTS FOR HIS RESIGNATION, WE ALSO SEE THAT HE WRITES HE IS SURPRISED THAT JOSIE WANTED TO COME WITH HIM. THIS IS IMPORTANT! 

SO WHAT IS ALL THIS ABOUT? WELL WELLINGTON HAPPENED TO STUMBLE ACROSS THE INFORMATION THAT HARRIS BULLARD IS NOT WHO HE SAYS HE IS, BUT IS IN FACT A MAN CALLED JAMES LOWRY. WE CAN READ THIS DIARY ENTRY OF LOWRY STATING THAT BULLARD DIED, AND HE SEES IT AS AN OPPERTUNITY TO CLEAN UP HIS ACT. SEE WE LEARN THAT LOWRY WAS A PETTY CRIMINAL BEFORE JOINING THE ARMY. THERE IS A MAJOR FUCKING RED DRAWF SIZED PLOTHOLE IN THIS, - EVEN IF WE EXTED OUR IMAGINATION. THEN BULLARD WAS A SCIENTIST BEFORE THE WAR (WE ARE TOLD THIS IN NOTES), AND LOWRY WAS A CRIMINAL - HOW THE HELL DID HE JUST PICK UP WHERE BULLARD LEFT? I MEAN HE MUST BE THE KING OF ALL BULLSHITTERS TO PULL THAT OFF. BUT OH WELL.. 

WE DON'T KNOW IF LOWRY KNEW BULLARD HAD A CHILD, BUT WE DO READ A LETTER FROM JOSIES MOTHER, TELLING BULLARD HE IS AN ASSHOLE, THIS LEADS ME TO SPECULATE THAT LOWRY DIDN'T KNOW THIS UPON STEALING BULLARDS IDENTITY, BUT BECAME AWARE OF THIS, AS RELATIVES (THE MOTHER OF BULLARDS CHILD) REACHED OUT TO HIM. 

**

AND THIS LEADS ME TO THE CONCLUSION, WHY JOSIE IS THE MURDERER. (EVEN IF THIS THEORY IS FULL OF PLANET SIZED HOLES AS WELL), SO WE KNOW THAT JOSIE KNEW HER FATHERS NAME WAS HARRIS BULLARD, AND THAT HE WENT TO WAR. HER MOTHER AND THEREFORE HER AS WELL, THOUGHT HE DIED. BUT SUDDENLY HIS NAME APPEARS IN REGARDS TO SOME SCIENTIFIC WHATEVER. AND SO JOSIE STARTS TO WONDER, LIKE THE DIARY ENTRY UP IN THE IMAGE THERE SUGGESTS. 

SO AFTER HER MOTHERS DEATH, SHE INSERTS HERSELF AS BULLARTS ASSISTANT. SHE THINKS HE IS HER DADDY, EVEN IF HE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE PHOTOS SHE HAS SEEN. SHE CHOSES TO IGNORE THIS, AND WORKS TO BE CLOSE TO BULLARD. WE DON'T KNOW IF BULLARD KNEW WHO SHE WAS, I CAN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER IF THE MOTHER ACTUALLY MENTIONED THE NAME OF THE BABY IN THE LETTER, CAUSE JOSIE WAS BORN BEFORE THE REAL BULLARD WENT TO WAR, SO HE WOULD OF COURSE HAVE KNOWN THE NAME OF THE BABY. 

THE ONLY CONCLUSION I CAN COME TO, IS THAT AS BULLARD TRUSTS JOSIE MORE AND MORE, HE TELLS HER THINGS, LIKE ABOUT THE WOODCUTTER, MAYBE HE EVEN SHOWED HER THE LETTERS. AND JOSIE ISN'T A DUMB GIRL. AND FINDS OUT THE MAN WHO CALLS HIMSELF BULLARD IS AN IMPOSTER.

SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SCENARIOS I CAN IMAGINE. 

1) JOSIE FIGURES OUT THAT THE WOODCUTTER IS WELLINGTON, ARRENGES TO MEET WITH HIM. SHE WANTS TO KNOW WHAT WELLINGTON KNOWS, AND FINDS THAT BULLARD IS AN IMPOSTER. SHE KILLS WELLINGTON CAUSE REASONS, AND THEN PROCEDES TO KILL THE FAKE BULLARD. 

2) WELLINGTON IS STAKING OUT THE HOUSE, WAITING FOR BULLARD TO BE ALONE, TRYING TO GET RID OF JOSIE ANYWAY HE CAN. HE LOCKS BULLARD IN THE FRIDGE TO DIE, AND THEN INTENDS TO KILL JOSIE AND TAKE THE DREAM APPARATUS - SHE KILLS HIM FIRST. 

3) JOSIE AND WELLINGTON BOTH KILLED BULLARD, CAUSE HE DID TELL JOSIE THAT HE CLEANED OUT THE FRIDGE (NOT THAT HE WAS GOING TO, BUT OH WELL), AND SHE TAKES THE OPPERTUNITY AND LOCKS THE DOOR. WELLINGTON WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT JOSIE COULD TAKE THE FALL, AND HE COULD MAKE AWAY WITH THE APPARATUS. JOSIE ISN'T ALL TOO KEEN ON HIS PLAN, AND KILLS HIM. 

4) JOSIE KILLED BULLARD BECAUSE SHE FEELS LIKE HE IS THE REASON HER REAL DAD IS DEAD. AND WELLINGTONS DEATH IS AN ACCIDENT. (NOT SURE WHY WE'D FIND HIM THERE THO).

5) THE WOODCUTTER KILLER THAT TRIED TO GET US WAS ACTUALLY WELLINGTON TO BEGIN WITH (CAUSE HIS CORPSE IS STILL WARM), BUT THEN JOSIE KILLED HIM, AND IS NOW TRYING TO KILL US. 

I THINK THAT IS IT.. BUT I STILL THINK THAT THE REASONING IS LACKING, I MEAN I GET IT THAT JOSIE REALLY WANTS BULLARD TO BE HER DAD, AND FINDS OUT THAT HE IS NOT (NOT THAT WE'RE EVER TOLD HOW OR EVEN IF SHE FINDS THAT OUT), AND SOMEHOW LURES BULLARD TO THE FREEZER AND LOCKS HIM IN. 

THE DEAD WELLINGTON MAKES NO SENSE, OTHER THAN ELLIMINATING HIM AS A SUSPECT. 

MAYBE JOSIE THINKS SHE CAN CONNECT WITH HER DEAD REAL DAD THOUGH THE DREAM APPERATUS? AFTER ALL WE DO FIND SOME WEIRD NOTES ABOUT SUPERNATURAL STUFF, AND THEN THERE IS THE GHOST THAT IS HELPING US - WHO IS THAT? BULLARD/LOWRY? 

SO IN SHORT IT'S NOT THAT I THINK JOSIE HAS ANY KIND OF REASON TO KILL BULLARD, BUT SHE HAS A LITTLE MORE OF A MOTIVE AND OPPERTUNITY THAN THE OTHERS (SANS WELLINGTON). SO REALLY I CHOSE JOSIE AS A PRODUCT OF ELIMINATION, CAUSE I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT IT CAN BE BOBBY OR CYNTIA. 

SO IN THAT ASPECT THIS IS A SHITTY CONSTRUCTED GAME, AND I'D LOVE TO SEE SOMEONE EXPLAIN THESE THINGS TO ME, CAUSE I HAVE QUESTIONS. MANY QUESTIONS.