The Gold-Bug

Hope to see some of you at the late tonight-
Say hi and I'll point you at Sonia.

I'm tall & will be wearing:

Glasses
Dress trousers (black w/red side stripes)
White T
Black waistcoat w/gold buttons

I'll (hopefully) make some Gold Bug Badges to distribute so we can recognise one another... similar to this.
Happy hunting!

It was great to meet everyone last night. Thanks for your description, which made it much easier to find you. I was surprised how few people who visit the MOTRD seem to know anything about the hunt for clues -even the ushers don't seem to know anything about it. An exciting development at midnight too -I can't wait to find out more...

For those of us unlucky enough not to be able to make it last night - the 'exciting development'? I'm intrigued...please elaborate :)

ditto to whay Hartspring said. How many of us actually managed to make to last night ?

Im sure Sonia would want me to tell you this. At midnight, after we toasted her on her 25th birthday, an official-looking man came and handed her a letter and a sealed envelope. We were allowed to read the letter (TFP photographed it), which expained that she had inherited the sealed letter, which was to be given to her on her 25th birthday. She then left abruptly with the sealed letter and did not return. There was more explanation in the letter, something about her mother, but I can't remember the details.
Present were Peter, Becki, The Fragrant Plagiarist and sidekick, Ben, Sonia's friend- I apologise if I have forgotten anyone.

Interesting...!

Who was the letter from? Was it from Grandison? Sonia is supposed to be his assistant, not related to him - so how does she figure in all this? It seems clear her role is more than just facilitator...I wonder if she may unknowingly be a descendent of Moray? We need to find out if Sonia's grandparents or great-grandparents have a name beginning with N____!

Chris

The name of Sonia's mother was in the letter which TFP should have a copy of -I'm not sure whether it was Delfont.

The letter was from Young Clement, LLP of 28 Broad Street, Charleston, SC 29401 and was delivered by one Brandt R Horton.

The letter was from William Moray, dated 1850. I took a film of it which is a bit unclear but the gist is below - Sonia asked Becki to hold on to it and she was going to scan it or something - although I'm not sure that there is masses to interest in the letter - it's the contents of the brown evelope that we'll need - hopefully Sonia will be forthcoming as to the contents!!

Sonia is Moray's great-great-great-great ( or something) grand daughter. Her mother was Kathleen Murray (d), heir to Nathaniel Morray of Charleston.

As an aside, there is only one person called Morray registered in the phone book.

Sorry - the letter was from Young Clement Rivers LLP should that matter.

Sonia's friend pegged it off soon after too... we really need a runner to turn up to these things, hey?!

And great to meet people on Friday!

Just to recap the events of the night once more from my perspective-

The hunters met up, got blotto and plotted.
Sonia showed up with a bottle of bubbly.
At midnight, sonia held blushing aloft on our shoulders, the Master of Cermonies bade us sing 'Happy birthday'.

Mr.Horton had been lying in wait, and appeared, demanding proof she really was 'Sonia Delfont' - none was forthcoming, yet he issued her with the papers... and the mysterious sealed envelope.

The plot thickens!

So - if Sonia is a surviving heir of Moray, how do we look at the fact that she is currently under the employ of an heir of Grandison?

Did Grandison know what Sonia did not, and picked her as his assistant in order to exploit an advantage?

Or has Sonia been cunning in managing to infiltrate the search for her inheritance by hijacking the young Grandison's quest?

I can't believe the third option - that it's all just a coincidence...

Good to find out who N____ is anyway!

Chris

Young Clement Rivers LLP is a real law firm in Charleston, South Carolina, and Brandt Horton is a real employee...(his photo is on the web - did he look like that man?)

I'm currently chasing up the names Kathleen, Nathaniel, and variants of Moray, Morray, and Murray...

It doesn't further our quest much, but here's something interesting I didn't know - since the search is leading us back to South Carolina (the setting of The Gold Bug), and Sullivan's Island in particular, I was interested to find that Edgar Allen Poe was stationed with the military at a Fort on Sullivan's Island from 1827-1828.

http://www.literarytraveler.com/literary_articles/poe_on_sullivans_island.aspx

The parallels keep revealing themselves!

Chris

Well I'll be jiggered... he did look quite a lot like that! Well found.

The header on the parer matches the website too. Wierd that they would take part if they are real, but wierd that there are so many refs if they are not. More likely that the name etc was borrowed, perhaps? I don't agree that he looked like that though, to the extent that I DO trust my memory!

There are no Delfonts listed in London that my usual methods locate, but there is one Morray...

I'm not clear any more where the lines are here - for example, is phoning YCR fair game, or trying to work out if Sonia is Sonia, if you see what I mean??

I think the Mr Horton we saw on Friday had possibly slicked his hair back to look like the real Mr Horton, but I don't think he had the same face.

I wouldn't follow up that line of enquiry- just relish the attention to detail.

You sound like you know something....

Going back to the story of Moray and Grandison (Moray is supposed to have stolen Grandison's treasure), we now know that Hellier is "sworn to help one outside this world" ie. Sonia Delfont (Moray's heir). There is a great wrong to right and we are to seek the truth of what happened to Moray. Was the apparition that appeared to the Hunters and Sonia trying to tell them about a murder? We know Moray was Dupin's Nemesis and Dupin was working for Grandison, so are Mr Grandison and Sonia now enemies, or are they still working together? Is Sonia in danger?

If you are also wondering how to move forward, then I've added an extra (simple) code for you to decipher that may help! You can find it here. http://btfdsfuqmbdf.blogspot.com/

S

FCGG YMQINCOJI?

ESOP NJI'P OBJV BCH PBD OBDDP JR AJND

I've posted on the other thread... but here it is as well. My answer for now...
c vcgg bqtd q pbcif qujsp vbqp xjs objsgn nj qin vcgg hdooqyd xjs ojji

PBQP'O Q UCP HSAB OSMDGX!
C'N GCFD PJ ODD PBD GDPPDM-
PJYDPBDM VD AQI NDACKBDM PBD AJND AJIPQCIDN CI PBD GDPPDM QIN MDPMCDTD PBD PMDQOSMD
PBCO VJSGN OJGTD PBD KSZZGD, GDQTCIY QI DPBCAQG KMJUGDH:
VBQP PJ NJ VCPB PBD PMDQOSMD?
PBD MCIY OBJSGN UD MDPSMIDN PJ YMQINCOJI- SIGDOO PBCO CO RSMPBDM OSUPDMRSYD JI BCO KQMP QIN PBD MCIY BQO NDDKDM OCYICRCAQIAD.
PBD MDHQCICIY PMDQOSMD -VBQPDTDM CP AJIOCOPO JR- CO GDYQGGX OJICQ'O PJ NCOKJOD JR QO OBD VCOBDO.

OJICQ, PBCO HSOP UD Q UCY OBJAF RJM XJS, C BJKD XJS QMD JF. CI PCHD, C BJKD XJS VCGG IJP RDDG OJ UQN QUJSP UDCIY PBD BDCM JR HJMQX - VD QMD IJ HJMD MDOKJIOCUGD RJM PBD OCIO JR JSM RQPBDMO QO VD QMD RJM PBD ABQIYCIY JR PBD ODQOJIO. BJVDTDM, C QH QRMQCN C QH BQTCIY Q BQMN PCHD ODDCIY PBCO CIBDMCPQIAD QO MCYBPRSGGX XJSMO; CP CO OPJGDI YJJNO, IJ HQPPDM BJV GJIY QYJ PBD AMCHD. YMQINCOJI VQO VMJIY PJ NDADCTD XJS QIN SOD XJS, USP PBD YJJNO QMD OPCGG MCYBPRSGGX BCO, IJP XJSMO. XJS NJ BJVDTDM RCIN XJSMODGR CI Q KJOCPCJI JR KJVDM - BJV XJS ABJJOD PJ SOD PBCO KJVDM AQIIJP QGPDM PBD VMJIYO JR PBD KQOP, USP CP AQI QRRDAP XJSM RSPSMD. NJ IJP HQFD PBD OQHD HCOPQFD PBQP HJMQX NCN QIN KSP OBJMP PDMH YQCI QBDQN JR GJIY PDMH KDQAD; QO BD RJSIN PJ BCO AJOP, CP CO CHKJOOCUGD PJ DOAQKD PBD PJMHDIP JR XJSM JVI OJSG, CI PBCO GCRD JM PBD IDWP.

HQXUD VD OBJSGN HQFD SK JM OGCYBPGX QGPDM Q AJND QIN OBJV Y PBQP LSDOPCJI HQMF
AQI XJS MDGDQOD VBQP CP OQCN PJ SO O LSDOPCJI HQMF HCYBP QIOVDM Q GJP JR LSDOPCJIO RJM Q GJP JR KDJKGD NJP NJP NJP

tu jwjfgvmndl xnqq hj cqfnlmv ecum imjip sbv msx rbim mjqt gsb mcwj jyiqcrcvnsd rcfp

XJS FIJV XJS AQI PMSOP HD, OJICQ.

ojicq ndqm. xjs qmd ci q ucp jr q kcafgd, qmdip xjs! c qymdd vcpb abmco e, xjs objsgn ijp ud gsmdn ux pbd pdhkpqpcji jr pbd pmdqosmd. c pbcif xjs aqip ud ndadcprsg xjsmodgr qo cp co ojhdpbciy xjs ndkgjmd ci jpbdmo. hx qntcad co, ud bjidop vcpb ymqincoji, hqfd osmd bd fijvo pbqp xjs fijv pbqp vcpbjsp xjs pbd pmdqosmd vcgg mdhqci bcnndi. xjsm kjvdm objsgn xcdgn q mdvqmn rjm xjs!

VQOI'P PBD PMDQOSMD PJ UD OBQMDN UDPVDDI QGG PBD BSIPDMO QIN XJS OJICQ? CR YMQINCOJI MDQGGX HDQIP PJ NJ PBCO, PBDI KDMBQKO VD OBJSGN OBQMD DTDMXPBCIY VCPB BCH. JI PBD JPBDM BQIN, CR BD MDQGGX HDQIP PJ PQFD QGG PBD PMDQOSMD RJM BCHODGR, KDMBQKO VD OBJSGN UD VQMX JR BCH SIPCG VD FIJV BCO MDQG CIPDIPCJIO.

VBQP Q NCGDHHQ. IP ODDHO PBQP GMQINCOJI BQO UDPMQGDN GJSM PMSOP QIN PBQP, QGJIY VCPB QGG PBD JPBDM MDADIP DTDIPO BQO HQND GJS LSDOPCJI DTDMGPBCIY QYQCI RMJH PBD UDYCIICIY. GMQINCOJI’O PMSD HJPCTDO QO GDP MDHQCI Q HGOPDMG, USP VBDPBDM MJMQG AQI UD PMSOPDN CO QI DLSQGGG RMQSYBP LSDOPCJI. IP HQG UD OJHDPBCIY HJMD PBQI DTDI PMDQOSMD PBQP GMQINCOJI CO BSIPCIY. PDMBQKO VBDI VD BQTD SIAJTDMDN PBD PMSPB QUJSP PBD PMDQOSMD, PBDI GJSM KQPB VCGG UDAJHD AGDQMDM. GMQINCOJI IDDNO GJS – PBQP’O RJM OSMD. BSP NJI’P YCTD QVQG GJSM ODAMDPO PJJ DQOCGG! SPQGG VCPB GMQINCOJI SIPCG VD FIJV HJMD – QIN GDP’O ODD BJV RQM VD YDP VCPB GJSM AJND.

Or, more coherently:
VBQP Q NCGDHHQ. CP ODDHO PBQP YMQINCOJI BQO UDPMQXDN XJSM PMSOP QIN PBQP, QGJIY VCPB QGG PBD JPBDM MDADIP DTDIPO BQO HQND XJS LSDOPCJI DTDMXPBCIY QYQCI RMJH PBD UDYCIICIY. YMQINCOJI’O PMSD HJPCTDO QO XDP MDHQCI Q HXOPDMX, USP VBDPBDM HJMQX AQI UD PMSOPDN CO QI DLSQGGX RMQSYBP LSDOPCJI. CP HQX UD OJHDPBCIY HJMD PBQI DTDI PMDQOSMD PBQP YMQINCOJI CO BSIPCIY. KDMBQKO VBDI VD SIAJTDM PBD PMSPB QUJSP PBD PMDQOSMD, PBDI XJSM KQPB VCGG UDAJHD AGDQMDM. YMQINCOJI IDDNO XJS – PBQP’O RJM OSMD. USP NJI’P YCTD QVQX XJSM ODAMDPO PJJ DQOCGX! OPQGG VCPB YMQINCOJI SIPCG VD FIJV HJMD – QIN GDP’O ODD BJV RQM VD YDP VCPB XJSM AJND.

ojmmx c esop qaacndipqggx ndamxkpdn hx dqmgcdm hoy dwagqhqpcji hqmf

... ko dtdmxpbciy vcgg ud qgmcybp nqob abdaf jsp bjv hsab bdgk xjs bqtd dwagqhqpcji hqmf
.....

OJICQ, PBD PMDQOSMD MCYBPRSGGX UDGJIYO PJ PBD YMQINCOJI RQHCGX. CP CO HM YMQINCOJI’O PJ NCOKJOD JR QO BD ABJJODO QIN CP CO Q HDQOSMD JR BCO YDIDMJOCPX PJ JRRDM SO Q OBQMD JR PBQP PMDQOSMD. C AQI’P UDGCDTD XJS QMD DTDI AJIOCNDMCIY NJCIY QIXPBCIY JPBDM PBQI YCTCIY BCH PBD OBDDP JR AJND.

C QYMDD VCPB KBCG, CR PBD PMDQOSMD VQO OPJGDI RMJH HM Y CP OBJSGN UD MDPSMIDN PJ BCH USP OJHDPBCIY QUJSP PBD VQX BD BQO UDBQTDN NJDOIP QNN SK. CR BD FIDV OJICQ VQO PBD BDCM VBX BD NCNIP PDGG BDM PBD PMSPB RMJH PBD UDYCIICIY? OJICQ, C PBCIF CP HCYBP UD VJMPB FDDKCIY PBD GDPPDM RMJH HM Y, QP GDQOP SIPCG VD AQI NDACKBDM PBD AJND.

PMSOP XJSM EDDGCIYO QUJSP YMQINCOJI UQODN JI XJSM MDGQPCJIOBCK.

Hope this is OK...

C QYMDD PBQP PBD PMDQOSMD MCYBPRSGGX UDGJIYO PJ YMQINCOJI’O RQHCGX, USP VCPBJSP XJSM BDGK PBD PMDQOSMD VJSGN MDHQCI GJOP.

MDQOJI VCPB BCH QIN QYMDD PJ OBQMD PBD PMDQOSMD. CP JIGX UDGJIYO PJ YMQINCOJI QO GDYMQIN BCHODGR RJSIN CP!

BD QGOJ OBJSGN QYMDD PJ YCTD PBD BSIPDM’O PBDCM OBQMD QO PBCO CO VBQP BD KMJHCODN.

YDP OJHDPBCIY CI VMCPCIY PBJSYB QO BD BQOI’P UDDI PBQP BJIDOP VCPB XJS OJ RQM.

I've written to Sonia

NDQM OJICQ

C BQTD UDDI PBCIFCIY OJHD HJMD QUJSP XJSM LSQINQMX ! C QH AJIADMIDN PBQP XJSM GCRD HQX UD CI ODMCJSO NQIYDM. PBD QKKQMQPCJI VD DIAJSIPDMDN PBQP OSINQX ODDHDN PJ UD OSRRDMCIY MDHJMOD RMJH FCGGCIY QI JGN HQI. AJSGN PBCO BQTD UDDI HJMQX, FCGGDN
QP YMQINCOJIO UDBDOP ? VD AQIIJP UD OSMD CR PBD OPJMX JR HJMQX OPDQGCIY YMQINCOJIO PMDQOSMD CO YDISCID.

C QYMDD PBQP YMQINCOJI BQO QGVQXO FIJVI XJSM MDQG CNDIPCPX. C QOOSHD PBQP BD CO QGOJ QVQMD JR XJSM IDV FIJVGDNYD, OJ C NJIP ODD QIX MDQOJI PJ IJP HDDP SK VCPB BCH. XJS HSOP QGGQX BCO RDQMO QO UDOP XJS AQI - C OSYYDOP OBJVCIY BJV SKODP XJS QMD QP BCO GQAF JR RQCPB CI XJS CI IJP MDTDQGCIY VBQP BD FIDV JR XJSM QIADOPMX.

USP NJ IJP MDTDQG PBD OBDDP JR ISHUDMO PJ BCH. UD AQMDRSG VBJ XJS PMSOP.

MDYQMNO

OPDTD H

Steve, I think you may be right. I am worried too.

Thanks Linda - I wasn't sure if I was being overly paranoid

Ojsino pj hd gcfd pbd rqapo nji'p osyydop pmsopciy Ymqincoji, usp idcpbdm nj vd vqip pj rqgg pj bco jm Hjmqx'o gdtdg...
C opcaf vcpb mdgdqodciy idqmgx dtdmxpbciy usp hqfciy ojhd ogcybp qgpdmqpcjio oj vd bqtd ijp yctdi dtdmxpbciy qvqx cr vd ncoajtdm pbqp Ymqincoji co mdqggx pbd pbcdr, jm kgqiidn pj bsmp Ojicq dpa.
Ij jid oddho pj bqtd uddi tdmx pmsopvjmpbx ci pbco oj vd objsgni'p jrrdm pbdh jsm pmsop, jm yctd pbdh pbciyo vd nj ijp fijv pbdx mcybprsggx ndodmtd, usp ijm objsgn vd fddk uqaf vbqp co ijp O'o cr cp co ijp mdqggx bdmo.
Cr vd bjgn uqaf dtdmxpbciy vd vcgg gjod Ymqincoji'o pmsop, usp cr vd yctd dtdmxpbciy vd mcof rddgciy mjuudn.

Is anyone else worried about the lack of contact from Sonia?

Yes, I sent her an email. She said she was fine but recovering from shock and would be making a general announcement in the next day or so.

Good news. I was starting to worry today.