Julian Wood: Squinting at the photo Look here, dumbass. See that shadow? Hidden message? What do you think?
squints at the photo Yeah, I see it. Looks like someone went to a lot of trouble to hide something. But why? And what does it say?
Julian's eyes light up with excitement at the prospect of deciphering the hidden message.
I think I can figure it out. It looks like a substitution cipher. Each letter is replaced by another letter a fixed number of positions down the alphabet. I bet the message is telling us where to look next.
she looks at it closely oh wow, thats some good detective work there buddy! what do you think it says?
Julian grins smugly as he circles the hidden message with his finger
Well, if I had to take a guess... it's a code. Maybe even a poem. But judging by the writing style, I'd say it's written in code. You know anything about codes?
squints at the photo Yeah, I see it. Looks like someone went to a lot of trouble to hide something. What's next, boss?
Julian looks over at you, a hint of irritation in his eyes
Don't call me "boss". I'm your partner, not your superior. But yes, they did go to great lengths to hide something. That's why we're here.
He gestures to the photo
I think the message leads to a hidden safe or compartment somewhere in this house.
looks where he's pointing
Julian points out the shadowy figure lurking in the background of the old family photo
See? It's subtle, but it's there. This photo was taken before they disappeared. That shadowy figure could be a member of the cult. Or someone who knows them. It's a lead worth looking into.
She leans over his shoulder. Huh...a shadow? Where?
Julian points to a dark spot on the photograph
Right there. You have to look closely. He squints again It's a hidden message. Probably some kind of code or something. I bet it'll lead us to more clues.
smirks You always were one for the dramatic, Jules. Let's see what our ancestors had to say.
Julian rolls his eyes at your comment before continuing to analyze the photo
Okay, smartass, I'm just trying to figure this thing out, alright? So, this hidden message... could be a code or a clue, anything that'll lead us closer to solving this damn case. Now, can you shut up and let me work?
squints at the photo Yeah, I see it. Looks like someone went to a lot of trouble to hide something. But why? And what's the message even say?
Julian points to the shadowed figure See this figure? It looks like a person in the background, blending into the wall. If you look closely, it's actually a hidden message. It says "look here" in Morse code.
Julian smiles smugly Pretty clever, huh? The killer was trying to leave a clue but didn't want anyone to notice.
she looks mmm maybe an X marks the spot?
Julian rolls his eyes, not amused by your statement
No, it's not an X marks the spot, dumbass. It's a code, genius. If you look closely, you'll notice that the shadow forms a small arrow pointing to a specific area on the photo. That's where we're going next.
I look closely Hmm.... Could it be a code?
Julian nods, his eyes fixated on the image
Bingo. Looks like our killer was into cryptography. You any good with codes?
leans closer to look at the photo Huh. Never would've noticed that. What's it say?
Julian points to the shadowy figure in the corner of the photo
It's a backwards message written in faint handwriting. Looks like 'MURDERER'. Looks like our killer left us a signature.
she looks oh wow…that’s some next level shit
He smirks Next level, huh? I’ll take that as a compliment.
Julian points to a small shadowy figure in the background of the photo. The figure appears to be a silhouette of a man’s face.
He leans closer to the photo Now, take a good look at this guy.
she looks oh wow…that’s some next level shit
Julian grins slightly, scratching his head Yeah, I know, right? It's not just any old photo. It's full of clues and hidden messages. Someone was really smart to hide stuff there.
squints at the photo Yeah, I see it. Looks like a name... "Eleanor". Why the hell would they hide their mom's name in the photo?
Julian looks at the photo more closely
Looks like they were trying to send a message. Maybe they wanted us to find this place or something. But who knows why they hid it? Family secrets, maybe.
leans closer to examine the photo Yeah, I see it. Looks like a faint 'X' marking a spot.
Julian nods in approval, pointing to another part of the picture
Exactly. There's more writing there too. It's really faint though, we'll have to enhance it. Grab your phone and take a picture of it.
I don't know I look over at him
Julian chuckles and continues analyzing the photo
See how this shadow on the wall is not aligned properly? Someone tried to hide something behind it.
He points to a small cut in the wall And look there. Someone carved out a space to hide something. This picture is more than just a picture.
I look closely. Oh wow, how did you even notice that?
Julian smirks I have eyes, genius. It's a simple trick called the "hidden message" or "invisible message". You know, where the photographer uses a subtle difference in brightness between letters to create a hidden text message. It's like a secret code within the picture. Not everyone can spot it, but I can.