The Haunted Carousel Lore

CONTAINS SPOILERS

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ROLFE KESSLER

Rolfe Kessler was a renowned woodcarver and artist known for his intricate and realistic carousel horses. Born in Austria in 1882, Kessler had a deep affinity for animals and a passion for riding racehorses. In 1907, he moved to the United States with dreams of becoming a jockey but faced challenges due to his reclusive nature and poor social skills.

Despite this setback, Kessler's talent as a woodcarver became evident when he obtained an apprenticeship at the Philadelphi Toboggan Company in 1907. However, his time there was short-lived, lasting only a day and a half. Nevertheless, Kessler used the skills he acquired during his brief apprenticeship to carve his first carousel horse within a month, working in his father-in-law's garage. Within a year, he convince the mayor of Zamboni, New York, to commission him to create a carousel for the town.

From 1910 to 1920, Kessler went on to carve horses for four more carousels, including two in New Jersey, one in Pennsylvania, and one in Connecticut. In some instances, he negotiated for his own private workshop in exchange for a lower price. His carousels typically featured two rows with thirty horses and one chariot.

Kessler's craftsmanship was characterized by intense expressions and remarkable attention to detail, giving his creations a lifelike quality. Each of his horses bore a trademark black rose, albeit in different stages of bloom, adding a distinct touch to his work. However, Kessler's eccentricities and peculiar convictions often overshadowed his artistic talent.

In 1909, Kesser married a woman named Amelia, who understood him like no one else. Unfortunately, their marriage was fraught with difficulties, exacerbated by Kessler's severe mood swings and belief that the horses he carved existed as living creatures in a parallel dimension. Eventually, Amelia left him in 1921, seeking solace from his tumultuous personality. Devastated by her departure, Kessler ceased carving and embarked on a two-year search for his wife. Tragically, he found her only to lose her again when she succumbed to tuberculosis.

Following his wife's death, Kessler's life took a downward spiral. He became homeless, friendless, and lost his passion for carving. Eventually, he disappeared from history, leaving his fate unknown. Unfortunately, Kessler's artistic brilliance is often dismissed due to his eccentricities, leading some to label him as a lunatic. However, his carousel horses, with their expressive eyes and delicate details, stand as enduring works of art that evoke deep emotions.

DETECTIVE KJ PERRIS

In 1980, Detective KJ Perris was assigned to the investigation of a theft at the Captain's Quarters Hotel. Valuable jewelry had been stolen from the hotel safe. The thief made his getaway by running through Captain's Cove Amusement Park. The thief was never caught and the jewelry was never recovered.

On July 10, 1983, a young man named Mike DeSalle discovered some of the stolen jewelry hidden within the padding of a ride at Captain's Cove called the Orbiter. Detective Perris recalled that the thief had escaped through the park, leading him to believe that the rest of the jewelry might be concealed in different places throughout Captain's Cove.

In the end, it is revealed that the thief had stashed some of the jewels inside the carousel horse, Glory, that Joy's mother purchased for her.

INGRID COREY

Ingrid Corey is the chief engineer at Captain's Cove Amusement Park. She is a competent and knowledgeable professional who manages the park's maintenance staff. Ingrid's expertise lies in electronics and engineering. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The Ohio State University.

Ingrid is described as a smart and unpredictable individual. She enjoys surprising people and believes that unpredictability adds interest to life. Despite her expertise in engineering, Ingrid holds some unconventional beliefs. She subscribes to New Age philosophies and believes in the psychospiritual effects of food and the environment. Ingrid thinks that what you eat and the conditions under which you consume it influence who you are. She has a particular interest in vitamin deficiencies and suggests remedies to individuals based on her interpretations. She often delves into topics such as energy, karma, auras, and the effects of negative vibes. However, her unconventional beliefs do not detract from her competence as an engineer.

Nancy confronts Ingrid about her possession of expensive items, like a $20,000 gold watch, that seem beyond her means. It is revealed that Ingrid has been making money on the side by helping someone design a roller coaster. Ingrid keeps this a secret, fearing it could be seen as a conflict of interest, but she justifies it as a risk she is willing to take for substantial financial compensation.

Ingrid's connection to Lance Huffington raises suspicion. However, Ingrid clarifies that she called him to offer a remedy for his neck pain rather than being involved in any insurance fraud related activities.

Nancy discovers that Ingrid's pliers were behind a hidden door in the haunted house. Ingrid confirms that the pliers are hers but believes they were deliberately placed there by someone else.

In the end, Ingrid remains dedicated to her work at Captain's Cove and takes pride in her job as the chief engineer.

HARLAN BISHOP

Harlan Bishop is a security guard at Captain's Cove Amusement Park. Harlan is described as a friendly and conscientious individual who takes his job seriously. He willingly accepted a pay cut to continue working during the park's closure, displaying his dedication and loyalty. While he has only been working at Captain's Cover for a couple of weeks, Harlan is determined to familiarize himself with the park's equipment and operations.

Harlan is somewhat evasive when Nancy asks him about his previous job, and she suspects that he may be hiding something. Harlan dismisses the rumors of the park being cursed. He does not believe in supernatural explanation and remains focused on practical issues.

Nancy finds out that Harlan used a security camera to obtain the access code to Ingrid's workshop and suspects that he may be entering the workshop without permission. However, it later becomes apparent that Harlan had good intentions and wanted to maintain the security of the park.

It is revealed that Harlan has a criminal record and was previous incarcerated for 30 months for check kiting and forgery. Paula Santos had been aware of Harlan's past when she hired him and was willing to give him a chance. He assures Nancy and Paula that he has turned his life around and sees his job at Captain's Cove as an opportunity to prove his trustworthiness.

In the end, Harlan helps Nancy apprehend Elliott Chen. His involvement in solving the case brings him recognition and job offers from other companies, but he chooses to remain loyal to Captain's Cove out of loyalty to Paula Santos.

ELLIOTT CHEN

Elliott Chen is the art director at Captain's Cove Amusement Park. He is described as a talented but slow worker who tends to procrastinate.

Despite their initial mishap when Nancy accidentally spilled paint in his studio, Elliott remains friendly and open to her. Elliott has fallen behind in his work and uses Nancy's presence as an excuse to avoid his tasks. He seemed to enjoy their conversations and welcomed the distraction.

Nancy discovered that Elliott had recently received a large shipment of bass wood, a material commonly used by carousel horse carvers. She also discovered an order of horse tails in his studio. When confronted about this, Elliott states that he had been planning to carve a replacement horse for the stolen one, but he kept it a secret out of fear that he might fail at the task.

Eventually, this was revealed to be a lie. Elliott admitted to stealing the carousel horse. He had been secretly making several forgeries of the horse. He orchestrated the "haunted carousel" to generate publicity and enhance the value of his forgeries on the black market. It became evident that Elliott's reputation as a procrastinator was a cover for his illicit activities.

After his capture, Elliott was reported to the authorities and he faced the legal repercussions of his actions.

JOY TRENT

Joy Trent is the bookkeeper at Captain's Cove Amusement Park, responsible for managing the park's finances and paying the bills. She is described as joyless, distant, and not very social. Joy prefers to focus on her work and avoids social interactions with her colleagues. She tends to keep to herself and has difficulty socializing and connecting with others.

Joy's father, Darryl Trent, was once the co-owner of Captain's Cove. However, due to financial difficulties, he had to sell his share to Paula Santos. When Darryl passed away, Joy discovered that he was bankrupt. Joy harbors some resentment towards Paula, believing that Paula could have helped her financially-troubled father but chose not to. Joy believes Paula hired her out of guilt.

Darryl Trent cared deeply for his daughter and worried about her well-being. He wanted her to be happier and more carefree, often expressing disappointment that she didn't laugh enough. Darryl was an inventor and created a talking computer called Miles the Magnificent Memory Machine with the intention of helping Joy reconnect with her childhood memories and bring more happiness into her life.

Darryl programmed Miles with a series of riddles designed to help Joy remember and revisit her childhood experiences. Darryl believed that memories, even challenging ones, had a place in a fulfilling life. Initially, Joy is resistant to the idea of using Miles and solving the riddles. She is apprehensive about rekindling her memories, as she has suppressed and forgotten many aspects of her childhood. Miles served as a tool for Joy's emotional growth and self-discovery.

Joy is able to remember that she once loved riding the carousel and her favorite horse was the one named Glory. Joy's mother purchased Glory as a gift for Joy's fourth birthday. However, on the day of Joy's birthday, Joy's mother died in a car accident. This event had a profound impact on Joy, and she blamed the carousel at Captain's Cove for her mother's death. As a result, she developed negative feelings towards the park and its rides. Joy destroyed every picture of her mother and grew up without any memories of her.

Joy admits to sabotaging the roller coaster at Captain's Cove in an attempt to teach Paula Santos a lesson. She believed that Paula orchestrated the hauntings to increase park attendance. However, after further reflection, she takes responsibility for her actions and chooses to apologize to Paula.

Joy goes through a transformation as she starts questioning her assumptions, confronts her past, and seeks redemption. By the end of the story, Nancy recovers one picture of Joy's mother. Joy begins to smile again and finds solace in riding the carousel, symbolizing her emotional healing and rediscovery of her childhood joy.