Mashup 1: Spaghetti Western Murder Mystery

mashup-1-ink-bA musty basement, / Gunslinger and tough partner / Must find the answer.

The premise:

A spaghetti-western-murder mystery set in a locked basement.

Summary:

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Our two heroes find themselves in the basement of a murdered madam, defend a frontier town from raiding bandits, and start investigating the troubled past of the town’s mayor.

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Two guns-for-hire, J.G.H. the gunslinger and his faithful pardner Gilfour the tough former clown awaken tied up in a dark, musty basement. Thanks to Gilfour’s circus past, they are able to escape their bonds and break out of the basement.

Upstairs, they discover the body of one Miss Henrietta, erstwhile Madam of a local, long-shut bordello. The only clues to whoever slashed her throat are the knife lying beside her body, and a torn patch of tough blue fabric still grasped in her hand.

The nascent investigation is cut short by a commotion outside. Practically exploding through the old doors, the due discover the Blue Hill Gang are raiding the town! Running to the armoury, they alternately cajole and threaten Old Ned into selling JGH his pistols back to him and giving Gilfour a powerful, sturdy… log.

JGH and Gilfour rally the ragged town militia behind a barricade and fire a salvo at the approaching bandits. Recognising JGH, the bandiet leader’s lieutenant demands the town surrender its mayor for the justice of Miss Henrietta and her son- the leader of the Blue Hill Gang! Warning them to have the mayor ready by sundown the next day, the bandits gallop off.

Making their way to the old mayor’s house, JGH and Gilfour again alternately cajole and threaten him into discussing the troubles. He awkwardly confesses that he could well be the father of the gang’s leader, but remains tight-lipped about what the gang wants for ‘justice’. He expresses a wish to see the man who may be his son, but the only horse the town has is the old mare- not exactly the kind og fast horse needed for crossing bandit territory.

JGH and Gilfour contemplate their next move…