Snippet #2619547

The two Dogs walked up to the Mayor's office soon enough. The building, much like the rest of Red Road, was a simple and spartan affair. One story tall, and rather rustic, with a simple sign hanging above the front door proclaiming it to be the office of, "Mayor Chesterfield". The building itself also had remnants of faded paint peeling away at the walls...it had been brightly colored at one point, it seemed, but those colors had long since faded with the sands of time.

The front door was unlocked, and so it was easy to walk inside. The main room was wide and spacious, with a large wooden desk at the center of it. The room was also littered with various trinkets and flashy signs of power and wealth....from a very expensive rug near the fireplace, to the mounted heads of various slain animals, including the head of a bear, it seemed. It was doubtful Chesterfield had hunted any of the animals himself...or if he was the one who'd put them up in the first place, considering he inherited the office and all. Still, the animals heads were obviously supposed to be an awe-inspiring sight, meant to impress visitors.

It impressed Horatio little, of course. He'd seen many things worth much more praise, than a simple collection of stuffed animal heads.

There was, however, something worth actually awe in the office...and that was the presence of the gramophone.

The sound of classical music could be heard playing in the room, emanating from a gramophone on the far side of the room. Horatio was startled to hear the music, to say the least, and begrudgingly, had to admit he was impressed to see a gramophone here,of all places. They were a relatively new invention, created by a fellow named Edison ten years back or so. They were very popular back East, but for the most part, only the wealthy could afford such a fantastical device.

It made him wonder, then, how the Mayor of a backwater town got ahold of one...

Mayor Chesterfield was sitting at his desk, sorting through some papers when the Dogs arrived. Upon seeing them, the Mayor rose from his chair, grinning brightly at the duo. Mayor Chesterfield was an older man...maybe a decade younger than Horatio, give or take. And he'd lived a very fine life, by the look of things, given the slight bulge his belly had.

"Ah, Dog Horatio and Dog Anna...how good to see our town's saviors!" Chesterfield proclaimed, giving the two a wide, placating smile. "So glad you've finally come to visit me. I apologize for not meeting you both earlier when you came into town...I was quite busy with work, unfortunately. But I can make some time now to talk! So, how may I help the two of you? And, if I may ask, how goes the investigation? I hope you've made more progress than our dearly departed Sheriff has. Cobbs was a great man, but I fear this task was just...above his capabilities. I'm sure you can finish what he started, however!"