So, 2012 Topps Allen & Ginter has been out for a couple of weeks now, and I had a chance to take a look at a couple of sites trying to get people together to crack the code.
As you probably all know, this year's Ginter Code takes the form of a murder mystery in the fictional town of Willow Cove. Lennie Guttman, the owner of Guttman's Gutters, a bowling alley in Willow Cove, was found murdered on July 18, 2012. The race is on now to find out who did it? To help in the chase, our good friend
@thegintercode is
following 25 people who live in town.
It gets even better folks.
If you go onto the website
murderinwillowcove.com, you will get a message that reads:
"Welcome to Willow Cove
Pop. 12,756"
Now if you keep on adding to the website on your address bar (the thing on top that has the website you're looking at), you will either get:
"You are off track. There is nothing to see here. Turn back now."
Or something else. There are twelve locations you can enter (found amongst the clues and people cards). Type any in after a "/" and you will get more information. For example, I started continuing the web address using Tom's Place "murderinwillowcove.com/tomsplace" and I got:
"Tom's Place is the best kind of dive bar. Friendly and welcoming to all, but with no affectations whatsoever."
"There's usually a pretty good crowd here, so there'll never be a good time to search unobserved. Best to just be subtle."
"Of course there's the bar and some tables to sit at, as well as an area to play darts, pool tables, and a jukebox. A hallway leads towards the back of the bar."
Now, from here, you can start entering key words and either you'll get:
"You are off track. There is nothing to see here. Turn back now."
Or something else.
I kept going. Starting with tables:
"The tables are mostly occupied with couples and groups of friends having a good time."
Then darts:
"There's a group of people playing darts, having a good time."
Then pool tables:
"The pool tables are stained and scuffed, but they get the job done."
Then jukebox:
"The jukebox has all the standards of a small-town bar."
Finally hallway:
"You head for the hallway leading to the back of the bar. Three doors let off of it: the men's room, the women's room, and one specifying employees only."
That sounds interesting...let's continue with the hallway line "http://murderinwillowcove.com/tomsplace/hallway/"
Starting with men's room:
"You knock and peek your head in. Nothing worth investigating in here."
Then women's room:
"You knock, but then decide against even looking in. What could possibly be helpful in there anyway?"
Finally, employees only:
"It's an office."
"There's a ratty old couch, a desk with a calendar hanging above it on the wall, a filing cabinet, a small table, and three lockers that look like they were once part of a larger set."
Now, we're getting somewhere. Continuing the website now http://murderinwillowcove.com/tomsplace/hallway/employeesonly/"
Starting with couch:
"This couch isn't worth sitting on, much less examining."
Then desk:
"The last time you sae a desk this messy you were helping clean up after an earthquake." (sic = spelling is correct).
Curious, typing the word "examine" after "desk/" brings us:
"You move some papers around, but if there's anything useful here, you have no chance of finding it before someone finds you."
Then calendar:
Typing the word "examine" after "calendar/" brings:
"Taking a closer look, you realize this calendar is for 2006."
"Someone did draw a sad face on July 18th, though."
Moving on. Filing cabinet:
"This thing is more stuffed than hot-dog-eating champion."
Typing the word "examine" after "filingcabinet/" brings:
"A quick perusal turns up nothing but the receipts and invoices essential to running a bar."
Next is table:
"You've seen chopping blocks less chipped and scarred than this table."
Typing the word "examine" after "table/" leads us to:
"Come to think of it, someone may actually be using this table as a chopping block."
Now we're at lockers:
"Three dented lockers stand side by side. They look as if they came from Willow Cove High School during the renovations."
Typing the word "examine" after "lockers/" brings us:
"You make your way toward the one with a piece of masking tape with "J-Pritch" scrawled on it slapped to its front. It's not locked."
Plot thickens folks. The address bar now reads "http://www.murderinwillowcove.com/tomsplace/hallway/employeesonly/lockers/examine/open/" and the words below appear on screen:
"You quickly look through the locker and find a letter on the top shelf. This could be something."
It's getting interesting. Type the word "letter" after "open/" and you get:
EVIDENCE!
You've found evidence!
Lennie's letter to Jackie
It's a letter from Lennie to Jackie. Actually, it's more like a note. It reads, in its entirety:
J,
Our worst fears have come true. We can't wait for it to work itself out any longer. She knows and she doesn't care. If you don't put an end to it, I will.-L
Lennie is Lennie Guttman, the man found murdered in his bowling alley on July 18. Jackie is Jackie Pritchard, who has been helped by Guttman on numerous occasions. Based on the Pritchard's file card, "Tension between the two since their children began dating. Possibly more going on here." What could this all mean???
That's about as far as I got, and since I don't have any clue cards, I'm not about to keep on digging. Here are the rest of the locations.
- Back Alley
- Burgers Fries Pop
- Gas 'n' Go
- Givens Residence
- Guttman Residence
- Klugman Residence
- Skudlow Park Gazebo
- Tom's Place (what we've been following)
- Vacant Lot
- Willow Cove High School
- Willow Cove Trainyard
Type one in and go nuts. This is beginning to read like one of those 80's computer text games or a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book. I'd love to see how this all turns out in the end. If this somehow helps you solve the mystery and crack the code, let me know. If this is all old news...it is to you. I'm just trying to catch up.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
