ParanetOnline
The Dresden Files => DF Spoilers => Topic started by: KurtinStGeorge on September 21, 2020, 05:17:01 PM
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Obviously, there is a rational reason why Jim has Rudolph reappearing and going after Harry and Karin. However, there are things Rudolph and his partner say and things that happened that don't make sense. When Rudolph and his partner showed up they mentioned the murder of the accountant, but not the murder of Marcone's employee, just that a bank was robbed. OK, maybe they're using the old trap of not mentioning key elements of a crime in order to allow the suspect to trap themselves by mentioning that element. But there are other anomalies as well.
They have a photo of Murphy speeding down a Chicago street and Rudolph's partner knows that her injuries were deliberately inflicted by an unknown party. So, what!? As evidence it doesn't connect to either crime. Murphy had left the abandoned slaughter house and was driving after Butters and Harry. That doesn't connect her to Harry coming out of the bank or to the murder of the accountant. There was reported gang activity near by. I suppose those were Binder's summoned creatures chasing after Butters. Again, it's nothing that can be connected to Murphy.
They have one clear photo of Harry running down a street near where Harvey's body was found. Running by himself? When did that occur? Harry was dragging Harvey around with him the entire time. The only time Harry ran by himself was when he was chasing after Butters.
What happened to the bodies of the four dead ghouls? I think Rudolph should have said there were five murders, the four dead ghouls; who would have been identified as humans, and Harvey. Did Harry open a way to the Nevernever and drag the bodies of the ghouls to the other side and dump them there? That would have left a huge amount of blood on the floor that wasn't Harvey's. Remember that Goodman Grey sliced two of the ghouls up when he killed them. Harry smashed the frozen bodies of the other two ghouls into frozen bloody chunks. The DNA wouldn't have been Harry or Harvey's either. All that blood would have pointed to a fight with multiple parties involved. Finally, Harry hit Tessa hard enough to splatter bits of ichor from her onto the floor. That could contain her DNA as well.
Not an anomaly, but Harry has one thing going for him in the investigation of Harvey's murder that he hasn't considered. Harvey's body was discovered several days after his murder. That means there wouldn't have been a way to pinpoint the accountant's time of death. Goodman Grey pretended to be Harvey the rest of the day. Just a single phone call that Grey took or visitor he met while pretending to be Harvey would push back the estimated time of Harvey's death. A picture of Harry running down the street where Harvey died that was taken at 12 noon isn't evidence against Harry if Grey took a phone call or met a visitor after that time. This would be highly likely for a high level financial consultant. Harry just needs to talk to Goodman Grey to find the exculpatory evidence he needs.
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You forget there is a record of Harvey’s retinal scam at the bank, which pushes the time line waaay back. Marcone isn’t cooperating, no evidence from the Bank at all. HIS CPD made everything disappear, his clients are aware the Nicky the perpetrator, got handed his ass by Marcone.
Rudy has been pointed at “what happened on this day involving Harry Dresden” and he has skimmed public resources, receiving contradictory results. Harvey had a secretary out to lunch, and I bet she said Harvey was in the office all afternoon when Harry was clearly elsewhere, alibiing Harvey. Someone has promised Rudy a big payout if he gets the goods on Harry and he is reaching.
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Not only that, but Ruddy the Brown Nosed has always been trying to smack down Harry and Murph. They never really say why besides trying to rise himself up to power. The thing is, his fascination with Harry and Murph is downright obsessive. Murph constantly dealt with the weird, unexplainable cases and was essentially in a dead-end job. So why did Rudolph have this bug up his rear toward her and Harry?
In Fool Mool, Ruddy was traumatized from the loup-garu (who wasn't) and Harry being Harry wasn't all to gentle (acting rather manically with a Snoopy doll) while trying to save the precincts collective asses. Seems kinda petty to hold onto that all this time. So what's his deal with Harry?
Did Murph deny him a date or something, and now he's all carrying a plan to make her life a living hell? Is he just sexist again female cops? Again, petty reasons.
I'm positive Marcone wouldn't touch him with a 10 foot pool. Ruddy is a weasel and too much of a loud hassle. I picture Marcone buying off more quieter cops.
While Ruddy has been a severe pain in the tush, i don't believe his story has fully come to light and his reasons why. Even his partner was giving Harry and Murph the "I'm so sorry for this" eyes when they went to Murph's place. Rudoph is unhinged and on fire to tag Harry and Murph. Then again, he could just be a Morgan and is tired of seeing Murph and Harry get away with crap.
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They have one clear photo of Harry running down a street near where Harvey's body was found. Running by himself? When did that occur? Harry was dragging Harvey around with him the entire time. The only time Harry ran by himself was when he was chasing after Butters.
It might have been after he left the scene of the crime.
The best I can figure is that the ghoul's decay exceptionally rapidly. If their compatriots somehow removed their corpses, they wouldn't have left Harvey behind unless following very strict orders.
What I figured happened is that someone told Rudolph what happened. Probably someone who he's working for, but it could just be someone who tipped him off. I'm not sure if Rudolph is still in denial about the supernatural. If he is, he's running into a bunch of stuff that doesn't make sense and is very confused by it. That would just make him angry and more determined. If he does know about it, he knows no one will believe it, so he's got to come up with a story that works with the evidence to get Harry and Murphy into trouble.
They have a photo of Murphy speeding down a Chicago street and Rudolph's partner knows that her injuries were deliberately inflicted by an unknown party. So, what!? As evidence it doesn't connect to either crime.
There's suspicious activity. Activity that someone probably told Rudolph was connected. That's why there's an investigation instead of an arrest warrant.
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There's suspicious activity. Activity that someone probably told Rudolph was connected. That's why there's an investigation instead of an arrest warrant.
Then there would be a homicide investigation carried out by homicide investigators since Murphy hasn't been on the police force for years now, and Harry the same, they are private citizens. It shouldn't be Internal Affairs, when asked the question, Bradley guesses, "because Murphy and Harry used to be?"
Which strikes Murphy as very odd indeed.
She says page48 of Peace Talks;
"Because I was one of theirs,he guesses,"Murphy said. "Bradley doesn't guess about anything. He doesn't know why IA has the case."
I rubbed at the spot between my eyes and growled. "Someone is pulling strings behind the scenes. They got the case bumped over to one of their people. Rudolph."
"And Marcone owns Rudolph," Karrin said. She pursed her lips. "Or so we assumed."
"Who else would have him? Who else has so much influence in this town?"
By the end of the chapter, Harry wants to find out who else might be pushing Rudolph, he wants the Paranet to look into it. As my dear old dad used to say, you stir a pile of crap long and hard enough it will begin to smell, Bradley is good at that, though otherwise he is a decent cop.
This sounds like a set up for blackmail at some point down the road. If they had straight forward evidence to give them cause, it would be a homicide investigation handled by homicide investigators. Not an in house IA investigation where one of the investigators doesn't even know why it is them looking into it. No, it is someone who wants very badly to get something to hold over Harry and Murphy's head. My five cents goes on Nic, this whole caper backfired on him badly.. He wants the Spear of Destiny, he figures Harry has it. I bet if not by the end of this book, then in the next one or so, he will show up demanding Harry turn it over to him or he will see him or Murphy, or both arrested for murder one, assuming she survives.. We know what happened when Mavra tried that one. But that is the only way this chapter makes any sense, and I still think it is possible that because of what went down in front of Mab, Marcone would like to see Harry sweat a bit.. But at this point in Peace Talks, he has no clue of what is about to happen, otherwise he'd have forgotten the whole idea.
It also fits with Murphy not being there at Christmas, she has taken the fall and is in prison thanks to Nic.
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Nicky like Marcone would steer clear of Rudy, both would be contemptuous of such a petty douche like Rudy.
It should be noted Carlos knew that Nicky had had a major setback and may have been fishing for more from Harry, who doesn’t give him anything. Carlos is unaware of either his or Mab’s involvement, he puts forward it was all Marcone, looking for some comment from Harry, who has a known beef with Nicky. This suggests the White Council suspect or know of some involvement of Harry (but not Mab) and are trying to find out more. Hence Rudy and his ‘investigation’, only a short time after Carlos tried to get something.
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Nicky like Marcone would steer clear of Rudy, both would be contemptuous of such a petty douche like Rudy.
No they wouldn't if they could use him to their purpose. You think Nic wouldn't think twice about using Rudy if he gained an advantage? Or Marcone for that matter?
It should be noted Carlos knew that Nicky had had a major setback and may have been fishing for more from Harry, who doesn’t give him anything. Carlos is unaware of either his or Mab’s involvement, he puts forward it was all Marcone, looking for some comment from Harry, who has a known beef with Nicky. This suggests the White Council suspect or know of some involvement of Harry (but not Mab) and are trying to find out more. Hence Rudy and his ‘investigation’, only a short time after Carlos tried to get something.
No, Rudy showed up on Murphy's doorstep just before or while what was going down with Thomas was going down... And I might add before Mab and Lara showed up in the back of the Munstermobile with the orders that Harry was to honor the two remaining favors that Lara has coming to her.
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I thought the Ick ate his face. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part. Red Court assassins tried for him twice. Once downtown and once at his home. Jim's so far off the reservation it hard to know what's going on. Maybe Lara isn't Lara. Maybe the Spooky MIB guys are stirring the pot.
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I thought the Ick ate his face. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part. Red Court assassins tried for him twice. Once downtown and once at his home. Jim's so far off the reservation it hard to know what's going on. Maybe Lara isn't Lara. Maybe the Spooky MIB guys are stirring the pot.
Maybe it is Mr Grey posing as Lara? :o
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Maybe it is Mr Grey posing as Lara? :o
Grey and Dresden laying in a ring...
B O I N K I N G
Freyda would go bonkers over that bromance.
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It also fits with Murphy not being there at Christmas, she has taken the fall and is in prison thanks to Nic.
Even if the mortal legal system laid a charge against Karrin, I doubt they have anything strong enough to hold her without bail. And Harry could have her jailbreaked to a safe house pretty much as fast as it takes to brew a batch of the escape potion from SF.
I think she most likely takes the Valkyrie job out of necessity for the "health plan", and is away on assignment as of Christmas Eve. The narrative point of Thomas going into stasis in PT is to deprive Harry of a key ally for a while, but leave open the possibility to get him back later without killing him off for good. Ending BG with Murphy alive but elsewhere by necessity would mirror Thomas being benched, as well as Harry's choice in Changes to make a Faustian bargain to stay in the fight.
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I thought the Ick ate his face. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part. Red Court assassins tried for him twice. Once downtown and once at his home. Jim's so far off the reservation it hard to know what's going on. Maybe Lara isn't Lara. Maybe the Spooky MIB guys are stirring the pot.
The Ick would have found Rudy’s Face very disagreeable if it ate it.
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I hope the Rudolph subplot is resolved well.
I personally found the whole thing rather unbelievable. Not that the cops tried to put the hard word on them with minimal evidence (all of which was circumstantial), but that both Murphy and Harry didn't call them out on it. I know they both are not lawyers but they would be laughed out of any serious conversation if that's all they had on the day. I think Bradley realised that things were up with his assignment and that they didn't have enough evidence, but I believe he also smelled a rat around Dresden and Murphy which bugged him. I thought Harry (who hates bullies) and Murphy (who won't be cowed) would have both pushed back harder.
But the obvious wielder of the cat's paw, to me, is the White Court. It is their style. And they have power to rival Marcone, perhaps greater even, when it comes to using the mortal system for their own ends. Whether it is Lara or not remains to be seen, although I am sure it is, but Marcone benefits the least from sending the law and Dresden right now. The White Court however...
I put more in my thread about Jury Duty.
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Perhaps Rudolph isn't anyone's catspaw anymore.
We know he *was* working for the Red Court, possibly with lots of mind-magic manipulation to make him obsessed with Harry and Murphy.
Then the Red Court died.
A lot of what's happened since is about the unintentional fallout of destroying the Red Court and leaving a vaccuum.
Perhaps Rudolph is another example -- without his Red Court handlers, the magical obsession is driving him on its own without intelligent direction.
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Perhaps Rudolph isn't anyone's catspaw anymore.
We know he *was* working for the Red Court, possibly with lots of mind-magic manipulation to make him obsessed with Harry and Murphy.
Then the Red Court died.
A lot of what's happened since is about the unintentional fallout of destroying the Red Court and leaving a vaccuum.
Perhaps Rudolph is another example -- without his Red Court handlers, the magical obsession is driving him on its own without intelligent direction.
Good point. Too much black magic can make you go bonkers.
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I think all of this is easily explained by the idea that Rudy's evidence doesn't have to make sense. Rudy isn't operating on the up and up. He's got a vendetta against Harry. Why? Money. His house is way too nice, clearly someone has been paying him under the table.
I think Rudy being in the pocket of the Black Council all along, not necessarily the Red Court. If the Red Court were his direct handler (the Eebs... remember, they are possibly not dead...), then either the Eebs could still be working him OR it could be whoever was directing the Red Court at the White Council, which is, I believe, the Black Council. Cowl. Or someone working with Cowl. Hell, Cowl could have bargained for the lives of the Eebs and gotten them out of the Erlking's court.
Come to think of it, why didn't Harry ask the Erlking about the Eebs when he met the Erlking in Cold Days? He didn't have a ton of time, sure, but no reference at all to the last time he saw the Erlking being a rumble? None at all? Probably because Jim didn't want us to know what happened to them.
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Then there would be a homicide investigation carried out by homicide investigators since Murphy hasn't been on the police force for years now, and Harry the same, they are private citizens. It shouldn't be Internal Affairs.
Yeah, but that doesn't have much to do with my point of how there is an investigation when there's a known crime. The point of an investigation is to find evidence, so it shouldn't be surprising that Rudy doesn't have all the evidence he needs to get an arrest warrant.
I thought the Ick ate his face.
No. He was with Murphy and Tilly last we heard from him in Changes.
Not that the cops tried to put the hard word on them with minimal evidence (all of which was circumstantial), but that both Murphy and Harry didn't call them out on it.
Most evidence is circumstantial. The unbelievable part is how bad Murphy and Harry are at dealing with being the subject of a criminal investigation, one in which they are actually guilty of numerous crimes. Don't talk to the cops is a pretty good rule of thumb. It's not even a bad idea if you're innocent. It's a really good idea if you're guilty.
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You forget there is a record of Harvey’s retinal scam at the bank, which pushes the time line waaay back. Marcone isn’t cooperating, no evidence from the Bank at all. HIS CPD made everything disappear, his clients are aware the Nicky the perpetrator, got handed his ass by Marcone.
Rudy has been pointed at “what happened on this day involving Harry Dresden” and he has skimmed public resources, receiving contradictory results. Harvey had a secretary out to lunch, and I bet she said Harvey was in the office all afternoon when Harry was clearly elsewhere, alibiing Harvey. Someone has promised Rudy a big payout if he gets the goods on Harry and he is reaching.
You are right. That actually helps Harry. Nic's plan took three days to carry out. Harvey's murder took place on the second day and the vault job and the retina scan happened on day three, which makes the photo of Harry taken on day two even less valuable.
Yeah, but that doesn't have much to do with my point of how there is an investigation when there's a known crime. The point of an investigation is to find evidence, so it shouldn't be surprising that Rudy doesn't have all the evidence he needs to get an arrest warrant.
No. He was with Murphy and Tilly last we heard from him in Changes.
Most evidence is circumstantial. The unbelievable part is how bad Murphy and Harry are at dealing with being the subject of a criminal investigation, one in which they are actually guilty of numerous crimes. Don't talk to the cops is a pretty good rule of thumb. It's not even a bad idea if you're innocent. It's a really good idea if you're guilty.
Yes, I have an uncle who is a retired judge who once told me to never talk to the police if I thought there was the slightest chance I could be a suspect. He added that, "If you witnessed someone running out of a bank with a gun in one hand and a bag full of money in the other hand, that would be different; but even then you need to careful, don't say too much. Just say what you saw and nothing more."
I once watched one of those true crime shows about an investigation of a police officer for murder and several other related crimes. Of course with these reality TV shows you never really know how much you are seeing is so much hot air, but the investigator in that case said, "You would think that a police officer who committed a crime would be one of the toughest subjects to trip up and get useful information out of, but often it's just the opposite. Knowing how to question a subject can give the person who is being questioned a false sense of security that they know the game, so they become overconfident and trip themselves up. Plus, because a police officer or former officer knows how the system works it can sometimes be easier to make it appear that walls are closing in around them, that it's time to come clean."
I also thought Karin's attitude towards Harry when he said, "What should we do?" to be out of line. I don't remember her exact words but it was something like, "What are we, Bond villain's in Rudolph's detective fantasy?" Harry and Karin have both figured out that someone is targeting them and this individual or faction probably won't have any compunctions about creating false evidence to frame them. Harry knows people and not people who could literally make evidence disappear. That should be a reasonable back up plan for both of them to consider.
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Rudolph's arc; if that's what we can call it, doesn't make much sense at this point. For example, with Marcone, even if we don't know his back story it's plenty to know that he chose a life of crime and has risen to the top of his profession. Everything he does fits in with a crime lord's quest for power and riches, even if we find that Marcone is a much more complex person than average thug killer who runs a crime family.
In Fool Moon Rudolph was a useless coward. In Grave Peril he threatened to kill Harry if Harry let anything bad happen to Murphy. Did Rudy have a thing for his boss back then and Karin rejected him? Who knows. I don't think we saw Rudolph again until Changes when he turned into an abject coward again. Maybe there's a cool way to make Rudy's changes in attitude make sense and make Rudolph's vendetta seem like a natural progression of events but right now it's somewhat messy and doesn't feel right, at least to me.
(By the way; according to Jim's new definition of what it means to be a tough guy, just as Butters is tough and dangerous because he threatened to knock Harry's teeth out if Harry made fun of the three way relationship Butters now finds himself in, Rudolph must also be; or at one time was, a tough and dangerous person because he threatened Harry in a convincing manner. What nonsense. As someone who has known two or three really dangerous people, the most dangerous people don't threaten, they just act. Your best defense; aside from a loaded weapon, is to able to read their moods and body language so you can get the hell out of their way when it looks like they're about to go off. Of course, even better is to avoid them all together.)
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Agreed, in my forces days you learn the people who are really dangerous are the loose cannons. The thing that makes them dangerous is unpredictability. They might just fly off the handle because they get looked at the wrong way. But really they'll get you and everyone else killed because they will do something rash. Which isn't to say people who are more controlled are not dangerous. Plenty of those around. But they are generally more predictable and therefore easier to manage. Of course, smart and controlled people...that's when you need to start watching yourself as if they can outthink you then they are just as unpredictable as the loose cannons.
In my reading, Rudolph is only mildly dangerous. Mostly because of his tendency to do stupid things under pressure. Harry is more of a danger to himself in a confrontation with the law because of his fairly irrational belief in the institution (considering he is a Wizard in a supernatural world). If he bothered to fight his way out of being arrested for example (like he would against a supernatural threat), he would be likely be fine.
The reintroduction of Rudolph is all about whoever is wielding him/the law as a weapon against Harry and Jim needed/wanted a familiar face.
Also: does anyone notice that nearly every character under 6ft who is dangerous and male is built like a body builder? Will, the new cop Bradley (?), Jack Murphy etc
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Yeah, but that doesn't have much to do with my point of how there is an investigation when there's a known crime. The point of an investigation is to find evidence, so it shouldn't be surprising that Rudy doesn't have all the evidence he needs to get an arrest warrant.
However Bradley doesn't even know why it is IA that is investigating, he guesses because Murphy used to be a cop? Come on, does that sound right to you? If they are looking into a homicide then homicide should be looking into it. Chicago has a sizable department. No, it still sounds to me like Rudy is gathering what he can to be used later in blackmail.
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I think the main reason we are seeing Rudolph now is that we are going to watch his total breakdown during the battle.
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I think Rudolph's in the book to die and introduce his partner.
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I think we are going to see not Rudolph’s breakdown, but his total destruction, his disgrace. Prison time for him and disgrace.
There is a theory on Reddit that The Man In The Suit is Rudolph and that he tries to kill Murphy and Harry. We see Harry generate a shield and use it offensively to grind the man in a suit into a wall when he pulls a gun on Harry.
Harry won’t kill with magic but he would be willing to injure.
If so this shows two things, Harry may no longer need his shield bracelet as a focus, and secondly Harry has figured out a defensive shield can be an offensive shield. I never understood why he hasn’t ever run a spherical shield around an enemy and then contracted it massively compacting them to basketball size, would work nicely for Blamps, or if in a room full of adversaries just expanded his shield suddenly to crush them against the walls all at the same time, or created a shield around an adversaries head and then contracted it whilst striking a Darth Vader pose.
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Apparently Rudy was also tailing Harry and Murphy when they went to Lara's place to plan the escape. What is that all about? Assassination/murder of elves by a vampire and the F.B.I are involved?
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I think we are going to see not Rudolph’s breakdown, but his total destruction, his disgrace. Prison time for him and disgrace.
There is a theory on Reddit that The Man In The Suit is Rudolph and that he tries to kill Murphy and Harry. We see Harry generate a shield and use it offensively to grind the man in a suit into a wall when he pulls a gun on Harry.
Harry won’t kill with magic but he would be willing to injure.
If so this shows two things, Harry may no longer need his shield bracelet as a focus, and secondly Harry has figured out a defensive shield can be an offensive shield. I never understood why he hasn’t ever run a spherical shield around an enemy and then contracted it massively compacting them to basketball size, would work nicely for Blamps, or if in a room full of adversaries just expanded his shield suddenly to crush them against the walls all at the same time, or created a shield around an adversaries head and then contracted it whilst striking a Darth Vader pose.
Because he struggles with maintaining a full bubble around himself, he is nowhere near good enough to use a shield offensively outside of melee range.
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Because he struggles with maintaining a full bubble around himself, he is nowhere near good enough to use a shield offensively outside of melee range.
The line between adapting the shield and forzare spells is actually kind of blurry. The shield is made of force, and he's used forzare with the focus turned out to full-body as a nonlethal for human gunmen since way early in the series. There's also blowing the front off Gard & Hendricks' safe house to create an escape in SmF, which is at least mid-range.
He seems to find planes easier than spheres to work with, but I'd argue what Harry did to Namshiel in the aquarium fight - squeezing him and batting him around with a soulfire-enhanced force spell - is pretty close to what Conspiracy Theorist is suggesting. He has the capability, he just has to figure out how to do it without Uriel bumping his elbow.
Though, generally, the strangler he tried to use on Shagnasty is probably lower effort. He just needs a couple extra loops to restrain the target's limbs and prevent drawing a circle to counter it.
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I also thought Karin's attitude towards Harry when he said, "What should we do?" to be out of line. I don't remember her exact words but it was something like, "What are we, Bond villain's in Rudolph's detective fantasy?" Harry and Karin have both figured out that someone is targeting them and this individual or faction probably won't have any compunctions about creating false evidence to frame them. Harry knows people and not people who could literally make evidence disappear. That should be a reasonable back up plan for both of them to consider.
They should definitely get a criminal lawyer who is aware of the supernatural seeing as how they are guilty of numerous crimes and have a bunch of diamonds from the crime. The government would definitely seize the diamonds if the found them, so they might as well use them to get a good lawyer using them now.
As to the evidence of Harvey being at the bank, I'm not sure if that exists. I don't know if the law requires it or if there are cameras in the vault.
However Bradley doesn't even know why it is IA that is investigating, he guesses because Murphy used to be a cop? Come on, does that sound right to you? If they are looking into a homicide then homicide should be looking into it. Chicago has a sizable department. No, it still sounds to me like Rudy is gathering what he can to be used later in blackmail.
That it's weird that IA is investigating still doesn't have anything to do with my point that a lack of evidence isn't a reason to not have an investigation when there is sufficient evidence to know a crime has occurred and who is likely involved in some way.
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That it's weird that IA is investigating still doesn't have anything to do with my point that a lack of evidence isn't a reason to not have an investigation when there is sufficient evidence to know a crime has occurred and who is likely involved in some way.
Then you have homicide investigate.. Harry and Murphy are civilians. IA is for in house investigations pertaining to police misconduct, plus one of the investigating officers doesn't even know why they are there.
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The problem with getting a criminal lawyer au fait with the supernatural world is that they are all Whamps, and Malvora and Skavi’s to boot. The Skavi’s feed when they send you the bill. Actually I think that applies to all lawyers.
Diamonds from what crime? They weren’t stolen from Marcone’s vault, indeed they gave Marcone diamonds, in what Pratchett would call an anti-crime. After this his vault will have had more diamonds in it, not less.
Why would the Government take them? Since they will predate any Kimberley records and are unlikely to capable of being shown to be blood diamonds (Greek and Roman diamonds came from India, nor Africa ) the Government would scratch their head and conclude they are heirlooms.
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Any search that leads to the bank leads to the iris scanner, and unless some very quick repair work is done, the mines in the wall would be revealed. Nothing in the banks inventory is stolen. And for large sums of cash there are some very funny rules. This is a distraction. Either Marcone, Lara or the agents of Nemesis.
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Any search that leads to the bank leads to the iris scanner, and unless some very quick repair work is done, the mines in the wall would be revealed. Nothing in the banks inventory is stolen. And for large sums of cash there are some very funny rules. This is a distraction. Either Marcone, Lara or the agents of Nemesis.
Or old Rudy is just losing it, but has enough pull that he thinks he can make a great tree grow from a very small hill of beans, evidence wise.
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I think we are going to see not Rudolph’s breakdown, but his total destruction, his disgrace. Prison time for him and disgrace.
There is a theory on Reddit that The Man In The Suit is Rudolph and that he tries to kill Murphy and Harry. We see Harry generate a shield and use it offensively to grind the man in a suit into a wall when he pulls a gun on Harry.
Harry won’t kill with magic but he would be willing to injure.
If so this shows two things, Harry may no longer need his shield bracelet as a focus, and secondly Harry has figured out a defensive shield can be an offensive shield. I never understood why he hasn’t ever run a spherical shield around an enemy and then contracted it massively compacting them to basketball size, would work nicely for Blamps, or if in a room full of adversaries just expanded his shield suddenly to crush them against the walls all at the same time, or created a shield around an adversaries head and then contracted it whilst striking a Darth Vader pose.
I agree I think it would be more satisfying to see Rudy be humiliated and disgraced for his actions than killed.
Interesting idea that Rudy is the Man in the Suit.
I would argue, based on previous data, Harry won't kill willingly. Doesn't mean he might not accidentally.
I think we have known since Cold Days that Harry doesn't need his magical foci. He prefers them for the same reasons even the most experienced Wizards do: safety. It's just easier and safer to have them. But where he would once have been almost helpless or ridiculously inaccurate without them, he now has enough self-control to replicate most of his normal evocation. But I think it tires him out mentally faster.
Any search that leads to the bank leads to the iris scanner, and unless some very quick repair work is done, the mines in the wall would be revealed. Nothing in the banks inventory is stolen. And for large sums of cash there are some very funny rules. This is a distraction. Either Marcone, Lara or the agents of Nemesis.
Agreed. But I doubt Marcone would allow anyone to examine anything to closely and anything they did find he would be able to silence.
As to the investigation...I think it hardly matters why it is IA. Other than it was a convenient way to bring back Rudolph. If Rudy is leading the charge it will be short lived, and the only important thing is to find out who is paying Rudy.
The relevant factors to do with the investigation have little to do with evidence, and wholly to do with the subjects of the investigation and the timing of it. Why Harry and Murphy? Why both? Why now? Solve those and it's pretty clear what's happening.
Cowl doesn't seem to use money or even mortal authorities, so he is unlikely to be involved at this level. If he wanted Dresden distracted he would send monsters or something far more distracting. It doesn't fit his style. Marcone...doesn't benefit from Harry being arrested but even assuming he did why bother using the law? His distractions in the past have been more murky. And smarter. He would more likely put Dresden in a situation where he made Dresden have to be the hero and protector/savior while going down for something. He knows Dresden's weakness is his constant need to do the right thing. And he might even do it in such a way that Harry wouldn't want to get out from under it. Look how skillfully he got Dresden to save his associate in Jury Duty.
No, this feels far more White Court or (had they still been alive) Red Court. In fact, it feels rather similar to when Mavra blackmailed Harry last time...and didn't Freydis just mention she had been seen recently? Lara or Mavra is my guess. Whichever it is tells us a bit more about their involvement with the Black Council and how they operate.
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Yes Mab has been training Harry since Cold Days to work without foci BUT Harry still needs them like a magic feather. Only when he is truly pushed to shield without a foci will he realise otherwise. I think Battle Ground will be that he realises he no longer needs his bracelet or blasting rod. He will have reached the point that a wizard a couple of centuries old will have and as such he can become more efficient in the use of his power.
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Yes Mab has been training Harry since Cold Days to work without foci BUT Harry still needs them like a magic feather. Only when he is truly pushed to shield without a foci will he realise otherwise. I think Battle Ground will be that he realises he no longer needs his bracelet or blasting rod. He will have reached the point that a wizard a couple of centuries old will have and as such he can become more efficient in the use of his power.
That happened in Skin Game, he came away from it with a shot to the leg he wouldn't have got with a shield bracelet. He's not completely dependent on it but it helps a lot.
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Mab kept trying to murder Harry during his recovery, partly to get him to work without foci, but also to rely on the Mantle.
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Mab kept trying to murder Harry during his recovery, partly to get him to work without foci, but also to rely on the Mantle.
Or she was preparing him for what is in store for him, she knows he is star born. What makes Harry an effective Knight isn't reliance on the Mantle. The whole idea is control to control the Mantle, not for the Mantel to control him. The Mantle is mindless, it is all adrenaline and reaction to stimulus. It is up to the Knight to control that reaction, Slate couldn't do that and became a monster, it took a while but Harry seems to have found a way that he is comfortable with. Thus he can call on the Mantle when he needs it, recognize when it is yanking his chain inappropriately and tamp it down.
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Or he's the first wizard-knight, and they were expliring that together
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Or he's the first wizard-knight, and they were expliring that together
Is he though? And that wouldn't necessarily mean just because he is a wizard he can or would control the Mantel.
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Yes Mab has been training Harry since Cold Days to work without foci BUT Harry still needs them like a magic feather. Only when he is truly pushed to shield without a foci will he realise otherwise. I think Battle Ground will be that he realises he no longer needs his bracelet or blasting rod. He will have reached the point that a wizard a couple of centuries old will have and as such he can become more efficient in the use of his power.
Maybe so. I think that would be cool by and large and Harry doesn't seem to use his foci that much anymore. But then again, even the older Wizards and such use foci. All the Senior Council use staves, The Merlin even has a wand, Eb has a shield bracelet I think, Rashid still uses ointment for seeing through glamours, even Vadderung uses his Spear and Eldest Gruff has a staff. Perhaps it's a personal choice thing.
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Maybe so. I think that would be cool by and large and Harry doesn't seem to use his foci that much anymore. But then again, even the older Wizards and such use foci. All the Senior Council use staves, The Merlin even has a wand, Eb has a shield bracelet I think, Rashid still uses ointment for seeing through glamours, even Vadderung uses his Spear and Eldest Gruff has a staff. Perhaps it's a personal choice thing.
I believe Harry also says it take more energy to work magic without foci. They can do it, but why sprint and be tired after a mile when you can jog and last for 5 miles?
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All wizards use foci. It just gives a better result. But Harry had become too dependent on it and Mab knew about the circle at demonreach destroying all stuff not from the island. You can loose your stuff and that should not stop you. It might also be a Sidhe thing, Molly made comments About Harry needing his props.
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I believe Harry also says it take more energy to work magic without foci. They can do it, but why sprint and be tired after a mile when you can jog and last for 5 miles?
I think it is something that comes with age and experience, older wizards not needing them. However he is learning, in his fight with Eb, he diverted the boulder that Eb sent towards the Water Beetle, and not waste a lot of energy by smashing it.. Eb even commented that he had learned something.
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The explanation has been without his lab he didn't have the capability to replace the foci. Plus Jim has been consistently over the years cluttering Harry up with junk. A staff, a blasting rod, force rings, a bracelet and his amulet and the coat. He needed to declutter. Harry was starting to look like a cheesy wrestler. And he gave him a car upgrade. Imagine for a moment what Lara and Mab would have looked like in the rear of the Blue Beetle.
And, wait for it..............................his lab exists beneath the castle. How convenient is that?
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The explanation has been without his lab he didn't have the capability to replace the foci. Plus Jim has been consistently over the years cluttering Harry up with junk. A staff, a blasting rod, force rings, a bracelet and his amulet and the coat. He needed to declutter. Harry was starting to look like a cheesy wrestler. And he gave him a car upgrade. Imagine for a moment what Lara and Mab would have looked like in the rear of the Blue Beetle.
And, wait for it..............................his lab exists beneath the castle. How convenient is that?
Well, he did need a bigger car.. That is if he gets the castle. He must have a lab somewhere now, he made the blending potion. Here is another thought you may not like, if Murphy does die, Harry might inherit her house for him and Maggie to live in. Much more wholesome than Macone's castle, and I really cannot see him turning it over to Harry if he does survive.
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Is he though? And that wouldn't necessarily mean just because he is a wizard he can or would control the Mantel.
I have absolutely no idea what you are responding to with the second half of that. I simply noted he may be the first wizard knight as a possibility. Mab would be excited to see the new features of the mantle.
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I have absolutely no idea what you are responding to with the second half of that. I simply noted he may be the first wizard knight as a possibility. Mab would be excited to see the new features of the mantle.
All I am saying is since we don't have a list of all the Winter Knights, we don't know if there were any other wizard Knights. I am not sure if it is that or the fact that Harry has a strong will, isn't dumb, had the advantage of seeing what happens when the Knight cannot control his mantle or gives into it's temptations. What he figured out was long hard exercise counteracted the adrenaline testosterone rush from the mantle that triggered overly violent reactions to stimuli. He still has a ways to go as far as being self aware of his body, important because the mantel numbs pain.
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Then you have homicide investigate.. Harry and Murphy are civilians. IA is for in house investigations pertaining to police misconduct, plus one of the investigating officers doesn't even know why they are there.
I'm still trying to figure out what this has to do with my point. I'm not saying that IA should be investigating. IA is investigating. The investigation was directed there through legitimate channels, otherwise Bradley wouldn't be there. That IA is investigating lets us know that it's corrupt motives. Bradley let's us know it's a real investigation with potentially real consequences.
The problem with getting a criminal lawyer au fait with the supernatural world is that they are all Whamps, and Malvora and Skavi’s to boot. ...
Diamonds from what crime? ...
Why would the Government take them?
Mab's a lawyer. Her rates are probably too high. Harry knows for a fact that there is at least one human lawyer in Chicago familiar with criminal law and at least the existence of the supernatural. Unfortunately, she's a judge.
Any of the crimes I've listed.
I've got three words for you, civil asset forfeiture.
the Government wouldshould scratch their head and conclude they are heirlooms.
Kinda normative vs. descriptive.
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I know that this is probably too good of a thing for Harry and Murph to be the actual reason... but what if it's been handed off to IA because the real IA investigation is into Rudolph, who is at this stage quite obviously dirty, and they're using this investigation to give him the rope needed to hang himself.
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Harry committed 2 crimes, at least in Chicago. Breaking and entering and felony murder. Harry and everybody involved in the robbery. The accountant is the least of their worries. When the guard was killed, their fate was sealed, if the police connect the dots.
“A person who kills an individual without lawful justification commits first degree murder if, in performing the acts which cause the death…he or she is attempting or committing a forcible felony other than second degree murder.” – 720 ILCS 5/9-1(a)(3)
Murphy wasn't at the robbery and so committed no crime, she was in a hospital. Neither can they place her at the scene when the accountant was killed, because again, she wasn't there. “Grey, Deirdre, and Dresden will run this particular errand,” he said, “while the rest of us busy ourselves here.”
Butcher, Jim. Skin Game: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 113). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
So unless you can be criminally charged for being maimed, f**k IA! No DNA for Murphy at either location either since, well, she wasn't there to leave it.
Having the diamonds isn't a crime, since they weren't stolen in this Universe. And to confiscate them they would first need to know about them. Harry has a vault supreme and it would be a slick piece of writing to have Rudy obtain a search warrant on Demonreach since first, it isn't on any map and second it isn't in Chicago. Murphy could bury them in her garden or her underwear drawer. Since the cops can't possibly have a robbery report from Hades, exactly what would the search warrant be for?
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Harry committed 2 crimes, at least in Chicago. Breaking and entering and felony murder. Harry and everybody involved in the robbery. The accountant is the least of their worries. When the guard was killed, their fate was sealed, if the police connect the dots.
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Then homicide investigates, not IA. IA can be kept quiet, covered up, and used for blackmail, it is a in house investigation, no one was working for the police department at the time.. Homicide investigations lead to grand juries, indictments, charges, arrests, public trials, prison sentences or acquittal, no real use to Rudy.
Murphy wasn't at the robbery and so committed no crime, she was in a hospital. Neither can they place her at the scene when the accountant was killed, because again, she wasn't there.
Again, that's the whole point, she is the only one that ever was a policeman, but she hasn't been for a number of years.. So it doesn't make any sense does it? Especially since Rudy's partner was totally clueless as to why their department was doing the investigation.. Harry and Murphy weren't even part of the police department when all this supposedly happened in the first place.
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I agree about IA, but that is more a jurisdictional thing. Otherwise a cop is a cop is a cop.
But this is Jim writing horseshit.Karrin snorted. “We were there, and we’re lying to the police about it. That would get us put away for a while all by itself. But our DNA was at the scene, and they might turn up eyewitnesses who saw us on the street or find more images from a camera somewhere. Or . . .” “Or someone could make some more evidence happen,” I said.
Butcher, Jim. Peace Talks (Dresden Files) (p. 49). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
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I agree about IA, but that is more a jurisdictional thing. Otherwise a cop is a cop is a cop.
But this is Jim writing horseshit.
I agree, it does seem like horseshit, unless it is laying down the groundwork for black mail at some point in Battle Ground or in some other future book. While it is true, a cop is a cop, if a former cop does wrong, internal affairs isn't meant to investigate the now civilian cop, because they investigate wrong doing with in the force. It is like being an Army veteran living as a civilian for the last ten years, not even a reserve. You are suspected of committing a crime that has nothing what so ever to do with the Army.. Yet because you are a veteran, the Army decides to do a court marshal investigation of you because you were Army once..
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I'd like to remind everyone that I'm primarily arguing that Harry and Murphy shouldn't talk to the cops about February of whatever year SG takes place, much less tell Tilly everything that happened. Whether or not they are guilty, that's a good idea. I'm saying this because I believe any decent lawyer could put them into a world of hurt for what they did.
Murphy wasn't at the robbery and so committed no crime, she was in a hospital.
I'm not a criminal lawyer in Chicago, but a decent prosecutor could get her on some theory of accomplice liability and/or criminal conspiracy. Murphy was part of the criminal conspiracy.
Murphy wasn't at the robbery and so committed no crime, she was in a hospital.
She loaded all the magazines for the submachine guns. Unless she wore gloves, her fingerprints and possibly DNA are there. Of course, loading magazines isn't a crime. That alone probably isn't enough for a conviction. It is enough for the cops to connect her and investigate.
Having the diamonds isn't a crime, since they weren't stolen in this Universe.
I'm just going to leave a left wing link about civil asset forfeiture abuse: https://www.aclu.org/issues/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police/asset-forfeiture-abuse (https://www.aclu.org/issues/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police/asset-forfeiture-abuse), and a right wing one: https://www.cato.org/events/policing-profit-abuse-civil-asset-forfeiture (https://www.cato.org/events/policing-profit-abuse-civil-asset-forfeiture).
And to confiscate them they would first need to know about them. Harry has a vault supreme and it would be a slick piece of writing to have Rudy obtain a search warrant on Demonreach since first, it isn't on any map and second it isn't in Chicago.
That's why you gotta move the diamonds and hire a lawyer before the indictment comes down.
@Mira: It doesn't matter one lick which department investigated you when they find evidence of the crime.
It is like being an Army veteran living as a civilian for the last ten years, not even a reserve. You are suspected of committing a crime that has nothing what so ever to do with the Army.. Yet because you are a veteran, the Army decides to do a court marshal investigation of you because you were Army once.
It is almost nothing like that. IA and Homicide are departments of a municipal agency. They have the exact same jurisdiction. They just have different briefs. The Army can only prosecute those in the military. The DoJ basically has global jurisdiction with limited subject matter jurisdiction.
It's more like the FBI Cyber Crime guys investigating a civil rights violation. So what? It's weird and all, but it doesn't make any legal difference. Once the investigation reaches a certain point, they're going to turn the case over to the same US Attorney's office for prosecution.
The point is to alert the reader to the weirdness.
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Oh but it does, you have to examine the motives for how the investigation was coming about. Because if IA wants to, it can do it quietly and hush it all up, keep the infor for later and blackmail..
That's the point Jim was trying to make and why it was so weird to everyone concerned except for Rudy. He was pulling a lot of the evidence out of his rear end.
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@Bad Alias
I understand civil forfeiture. I'm a liberal. ;) But you can't seize what you can't find. And since they don't exist from a law enforcement perspective they don't even know to look.
I understand that she could have left prints, but not DNA. But her prints would have been on file and it wouldn't take three months, and they wouldn't have needed the pictures. The same for Harry, since he is a licensed PI in Chicago. This was a capital crime, felony murder.
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If they have you under surveillance for knocking over a (probably) known mob bank, and chronically poor Harry makes a trip to a diamond merchant, questions will be asked. I'm just saying get an attorney before the heat is on.
With the amount of rounds she loaded, I would be surprised but not shocked if she left some DNA behind.
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If they have you under surveillance for knocking over a (probably) known mob bank, and chronically poor Harry makes a trip to a diamond merchant, questions will be asked. I'm just saying get an attorney before the heat is on.
With the amount of rounds she loaded, I would be surprised but not shocked if she left some DNA behind.
As morriswalters says, if they really had that kind of evidence what would be the point of further surveillance? No need for further investigation, especially by IA, they would have just arrested them. That didn't happen.
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As morriswalters says, if they really had that kind of evidence what would be the point of further surveillance? No need for further investigation, especially by IA, they would have just arrested them. That didn't happen.
Because a prosecutor would want more evidence before proceeding to trial. And Murphy might not be the big fish they're after. Let's say they have enough to arrest Murphy, but know she won't be easy to flip. What they really want is to get everyone involved all at once. So surveillance. They also might not have Murphy's DNA on file, so they'd have to have enough for a warrant to get her DNA before they'd have enough for an arrest warrant. Or they didn't test the cases for DNA. If the cops figure out that Murphy loaded hundreds of rounds, they might start looking.
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Because a prosecutor would want more evidence before proceeding to trial. And Murphy might not be the big fish they're after. Let's say they have enough to arrest Murphy, but know she won't be easy to flip. What they really want is to get everyone involved all at once. So surveillance. They also might not have Murphy's DNA on file, so they'd have to have enough for a warrant to get her DNA before they'd have enough for an arrest warrant. Or they didn't test the cases for DNA. If the cops figure out that Murphy loaded hundreds of rounds, they might start looking.
Doesn't matter, if they have what Rudolph claimed, they had enough for an arrest warrant, still sounds like a set up for black mail, no more no less.
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I finally got it yesterday. Does anyone else think that maybe Rudolph wasn't in anyone's pocket, but he was just pathological about everything bad/supernatural that happened to him was Harry and Murph's fault? Rudolph was a political weasel. He could have enough pull to take the case. We've seen that sort of thing before in the books.
Also, will Rudolph get (mortal) justice? Only Harry saw him murder Murph.
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Bradley.
There's no body and no proof. But Bradley.
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Last Bradley saw Rudolph, he was unconscious.
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I predict a great fricking trial short story... Harry will be on trial for Harvey's murder.. Harry's defense lawyer will be Mab, she will put Rudolph on the stand and produce such a Perry Mason moment that Netflix will pester her for the movie rights after the acquittal.