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tracks before being struck by an

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oncoming train. I'm investigative journalist Delia

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DeAmbra, and my investigation into exactly

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how Doug died, took me into

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the depths of a bizarre mystery.

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It was really hard to understand

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what was fact and what wasn't.

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A mystery that has led me

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from one suspicious death to another.

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Listen to Counter Clock now wherever

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you listen to podcasts. Dungeon

1:03

Masters is presented by Shopify.

1:06

Turn your side hustle side quest

1:08

into a legendary store. However

1:10

you cha-ching. Hello

1:16

listeners. Be advised that this show is

1:18

an immersive audio experience. It may seem

1:20

like sounds are coming from the sides

1:23

or behind you. Listener discretion

1:25

is advised as this content is

1:27

intended for adult audiences only. This

1:30

series is a dramatization of certain

1:33

facts and actual events. Dialogues,

1:35

scenes, characters, and some

1:37

events have been fictionalized,

1:39

modified, or created for

1:42

dramatic purposes. Cue

1:44

code presents Dungeon Masters, created

1:47

by David Kushner. But

2:00

you gotta tell me mama how

2:02

to make Texas my home Wanna

2:08

be real Texas

2:11

cowboy Don't

2:14

need a horse my silver horse

2:16

gets in on your head

2:22

Greetings new player adventurer

2:26

seeker of enlightenment Hero

2:29

of this campaign I

2:32

and your dungeon master Though

2:36

thou cannot see or hear me I

2:39

am the master of your game and

2:42

you Your name is

2:45

William Charles deal your

2:48

race human Texan

2:51

class world famous

2:53

private investigator abilities

2:57

Let's roll 4d6 and find out shall

2:59

we Okay,

3:01

we're going to take to the total of

3:04

the highest three dice. So let's throw to

3:06

determine the old strength you got there Strength

3:12

12 not bad not

3:15

great, but not bad. Okay

3:17

dexterity Okay,

3:19

that's a 14 Constitution

3:23

15 intelligence

3:29

16 well you are dashing and smart Charisma

3:34

and 18, let's find out what your wisdom

3:36

is Five

3:42

you got some learning to do there, but don't

3:45

we all It

3:48

is August 22nd 1979

3:52

in the storied Hammond

3:55

of Fort Worth, Texas You

3:57

have traveled the world in your private jet Solving

4:00

mysterious murders, cracking

4:03

confounding kidnappings, excising

4:06

elusive extortionists. It's

4:08

no wonder that Howard Cosell called

4:10

you, ladies and gentlemen, the

4:13

real life James Bond, William

4:15

Dear. That would be me.

4:19

Or that none other than Playboy

4:21

named you. Playboy magazine's

4:23

outstanding man of Dallas. Congratulations,

4:27

Detective. Thanks,

4:29

heff. And I promise you

4:31

right now, when they finally do allow me

4:33

to exhume the body of Lee Harvey Oswald,

4:35

you'll be watching me live on TV. Promise

4:39

delivered, as you say. As

4:45

I stand here about to exhume Lee Harvey Oswald's

4:47

grave on national live television, I remind

4:49

my detractors this. A

4:51

William Dear promise is a promise that's

4:53

dear. Yes, you are legend

4:55

with all the fortunes that

5:03

such conquests bring. Now,

5:06

you have returned home to

5:08

the warm embers of your

5:11

most devoted clan, your beloved

5:13

wife and your valiant

5:16

boy. Betts,

5:18

Bill Jr., break out the shoe-flop pie

5:20

at daddy's home. Yeah,

5:25

Columbo, how's my boy? Oh,

5:29

will you hear about this case? Soda

5:32

Pop Harris, family thought she was gone

5:34

forever, kidnapped. Cops were smart

5:36

as mashed potatoes, as per usual. So I

5:38

come in, tell him a dear promise is

5:40

a promise that's dear. And guess what? Yes,

5:42

sir, 27 hours later, Detective Dear cracks the

5:44

case. Miss Soda Pop is fine, and her

5:46

mom saying, gee, you really are the real

5:49

life, James. Betts,

5:51

where's the shoe fly? Where's Junior at? Alas,

5:55

there is trouble in

5:58

your castle. It seems

6:00

not everyone thinks

6:03

you're such a hero after all. Bitch,

6:11

in your wilder glum face. Going

6:14

to practice with Marvin. Well,

6:21

what's up his craw? He wants you to come

6:23

to his chess tournament, but he's

6:25

afraid you'll be working. The

6:28

best. Detectives can't turn down big

6:30

cases for games. Honey,

6:33

it may seem trivial to you, but it's

6:35

important to him. And I will

6:37

be there if work allows. Bill,

6:40

half the time you're going on Dinah Shore's show or something.

6:43

Going on television is part of my job. And

6:45

the Merv Griffin show? Press wants to

6:47

talk with me, I can't just say no. And

6:50

filming a cameo on BJ and the Bear? They

6:53

needed a real-life private eye when the chimp goes missing. I

6:55

can't say no to that. Being

6:57

the great detective William Deere is a

6:59

full-time job. Being a father is your

7:01

job too. Well, you don't think I

7:03

try? I don't get these kids today,

7:05

1979. They won't go hunting. Won't

7:08

throw darn football. All they

7:10

want to do is stay indoors, read their

7:12

comic books, smoke their reefer, loiter at those

7:14

electronic game arcades with all the dropouts and

7:16

druggies and Satanists and freaks. Bill,

7:20

Junior, I thought you went to Marvin's. Forgot

7:23

my chess board. Look,

7:27

I'm very sorry, son. I've been so busy and

7:29

the stress of it all, I don't mean to...

7:32

Right. Whatever, Dad. Gotta

7:34

go loiter with the druggies, dropouts, Satanists

7:36

and freaks now. Have fun being

7:38

the great detective. But

7:41

Junior, you dropped one of your chess pieces. In

7:44

your hand, you hold

7:46

a pawn, wrought from

7:48

plastic, as black as

7:50

the very night. You

7:53

slip the pawn into your pocket

7:55

and save it in

7:57

your inventory. William.

8:01

Come to his next tournament. It's next Saturday. Be here

8:03

for it. Show

8:06

him you care, okay? Well, of

8:08

course I care. Then promise.

8:11

A real promise. What are

8:14

you afraid of? Betz, how can

8:16

I make a promise I can't well keep? These cases

8:18

are what they are.

8:20

You know that. Bill?

8:22

Don't you answer your

8:24

satellite phone. That means another job

8:26

and you don't need another job. You need to be home

8:29

and... And so, player, you

8:31

have come to your first choice in

8:33

this adventure. Will

8:36

you let the phone ring? Or

8:40

answer the clarion call to be a hero

8:43

again? Let's roll a d20, our 20-sided

8:45

die. Let's

8:48

roll a d20, our 20-sided die. A

8:51

20 is the highest attainment and a 1

8:53

is the lowest. Your

8:58

resistance is a mere 2, I'm afraid. Alas,

9:02

the phone's power seduces you again.

9:05

Sorry, Betz. Duty calls. You

9:08

watch, bewildered, as your

9:11

wife storms away, just

9:14

as your son hath left before. Why

9:18

don't your beloved see

9:20

you the way you see yourself? Role

9:24

perception. Oh,

9:27

it is a lonely 3. You

9:30

fail to understand. Dear,

9:33

Bill Dear, tell me how you need me. Dungeon

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Get you any refills folks? Yes,

12:05

please. Thank you. And

12:09

so you find yourself in

12:11

the collegiate village of East

12:13

Lansing, Michigan. Your quest

12:15

begins with these two

12:17

elder humans. Eight

12:20

days ago, their 16-year-old son,

12:22

James Dallas Egbert III, a

12:25

sophomore here at Michigan State

12:27

University, walked out of his

12:30

dormitory and hasn't

12:32

been seen since. The

12:34

police, well, they have no

12:36

lids. And the parents, they

12:39

fear the worst. Mr.

12:43

Deer, please help us. Our

12:45

sweet boy, Dallas, he could have drowned

12:47

in a lake or been killed by

12:49

some, some junkie. Anna,

12:52

now the police told us that- The police? The

12:55

police haven't told us anything, Mr. Deer. That's why

12:57

I called you. I saw

12:59

you and felt on of you. Mr.

13:01

and Mrs. Egbert, I'm what we call in Fort Worth

13:03

a straight shooter. And I'm gonna

13:05

shoot straight with you. After someone's missing a

13:07

week, odds of finding them head further south

13:09

than Brownsville, Texas. Our boy, he- No, hang

13:11

on. No. William Deer

13:13

ain't never been to Brownsville, Texas. And

13:15

William Deer don't plan on going. Yes,

13:18

the case is a puzzle, but odds don't mean

13:20

a damn thing. It's how you play the game.

13:23

Now let's consider the quest here and who we're chasing.

13:25

Did Dallas have any reason to run away? Of

13:28

course not. He had

13:30

everything. Is there anywhere he might have driven to? He

13:33

doesn't have a car. What

13:36

if he was- Kidnapped. Well, that would

13:38

seem like a good possibility given your

13:40

resources. I see your eye, doctor. Practice

13:42

is doing well. You

13:44

see a Submariner date stainless

13:46

steel 40 millimeter Rolex shining

13:50

on the wrist of the elder human

13:52

male. But have there been any ransom

13:54

calls, threats, even though whistling

13:56

the wind? Not one. Not

13:59

a detective. If he didn't run away and wasn't

14:01

kidnapped, what if he was... I

14:03

can't say it. Now, now as

14:05

for murder, from what I gather, there's

14:08

no indication that anyone would want him

14:10

dead. Of course not. That

14:13

leaves death by suicide. Dallas

14:16

though didn't have a car, which means the

14:18

police likely would have found his body by

14:20

now. Please, detective,

14:22

you're the only one who can help

14:24

us. Detective

14:27

Deer will help you, Mr. and Mrs. Egbert.

14:29

Rest assured. But there's one

14:31

thing I need in return. I need you to

14:33

tell me everything about Dallas. The good and the

14:35

bad. There is no bad

14:37

with our boy. Well, with all due

14:40

respect, ma'am, he's part of the

14:42

sex, drugs, and rock and roll generation, and there's

14:44

all kinds of trouble they're getting in. Mr.

14:47

Deer, if I may, our

14:49

boy is very... unusual.

14:52

He's a genius. Every

14:54

parent thinks their kid's brilliant though, ain't that true?

14:57

Not like Dallas, detective. Reading

14:59

at three, graduated high school at twelve,

15:02

got a full college scholarship at thirteen.

15:05

He's so shy, just a small,

15:07

quiet boy. But his mind? It

15:10

is extraordinary. What about

15:12

vices? Compulsions? Our

15:15

boy? He spends his time

15:17

and money on computers. Can you

15:19

believe he actually made his own computer game? I

15:22

told him with those skills he should be working

15:24

for her military, not Atari. Yes,

15:26

those video games I understand are contributing

15:28

to deviance and even Satanism. Detective,

15:31

that's what makes this such a mystery. Dallas

15:34

is an angel. Every

15:36

angel has his demons though, don't

15:39

they, Mr. Deer? You

15:41

sense that the elder

15:44

humans may be withholding something from you after

15:46

all. Would you

15:48

like to roll the d20 to cast your

15:50

mind reading spell on the elder female human?

15:53

Very well. Ah,

15:57

you rolled button eight and the info...

16:00

information you read in her mind is

16:03

that she thinks her mustache resembles the man

16:05

in the oatmeal commercial. I'll deliver your son

16:08

as if he were my own. And

16:10

that's a promise that's dear. Oh,

16:13

thank you. Thank you. You're

16:15

our hero. Happy to oblige, ma'am. Now, if

16:18

you'll excuse me, time to starch my collar and put

16:20

on the cologne. It's time to give the people what

16:22

they want. Mr.

16:24

Dear, Mr. Dear, please. Over

16:30

here. Mr. Dear, we wanted to ask

16:32

you. You

16:35

find yourself standing before a

16:37

venue of scribes. You

16:40

look dashing in

16:42

your tailored gray double-breasted

16:45

suit with pinstripes and

16:47

three diamond rings. Two

16:49

more than James Bond, as you

16:51

like to say. Okay,

16:54

ladies and gentlemen of our great American press, I don't have

16:56

much time here to spare. The police have done what they

16:58

can, but we got a missing fella who's missing more by

17:00

the minute. But I need to

17:02

get some basic information out to you good people so

17:04

that hopefully we can get some tips finding this boy

17:06

once and for all. Detective Dear. Detective, Detective. Oh, oh, oh,

17:08

one at a time. One at a time. Detective

17:11

Dear may have two ears, but he's only got one mouth

17:13

for blabbing. Was the boy kidnapped or did you run away?

17:16

No comment at this time. Is Dallas alive?

17:18

That's ditto, no comment. Are you going to

17:20

solve the case? Well,

17:23

I smell what you're stepping in, but Detective

17:25

Dear is going to solve this case like

17:27

he has every other. Do all Texans wear

17:29

cowboy boots like that? Sure we do. Who's your

17:31

brother? Detective Dear. Now, folks, I'm not here to

17:33

tip my hand. I'm here to

17:35

do the job that Dallas' distraught parents have hired me

17:37

to do. How does Detective Dear do

17:39

it? You surely will ask. Well, I'll tell you.

17:42

The Dear method. It's always

17:45

essential to think myself into the mind of

17:47

that person in the way a good actor

17:49

thinks himself into character. When

17:51

I am most successful, I begin to

17:53

reason like the person I'm looking for,

17:55

anticipate his moves, to be conditioned by

17:58

his past experiences. I

18:00

begin to walk like him in

18:02

some instances. You become them? Indeed.

18:05

A prosecutor once told me that I'd taken

18:07

on a real physical resemblance to a suspect

18:09

in an extortion case. The top

18:12

flight investigator becomes the person he

18:14

hunts. Detective, Thelma

18:17

James, Disruptor Magazine. You

18:19

see before you an unusual

18:21

being. The human

18:23

scribe wears a jacket made of leather, dark

18:27

black sunglasses, brandishing a pen as

18:29

if it's the magic sword of

18:31

the Daikatama. You've said you're the

18:33

real life James Bond. Well,

18:36

now others have said that, but uh... And

18:38

you've said you've quote, solved

18:40

more cases than Sherlock Holmes and made

18:42

a lot more money. Sweetheart, if you're

18:44

looking to be my new publicist, you've got the job.

18:47

A criminal lawyer I spoke with in Dallas

18:49

says you're more styled and substance and I

18:52

quote, The thing is

18:54

that Bill Deer is presented as some

18:56

kind of Mickey Spillane character or something

18:58

out of a comic book. But

19:01

he just doesn't accomplish very much. Your

19:03

response? Well ma'am, I

19:05

don't think them producers in Hollywood, California would

19:07

put yours truly on a hit show like

19:09

BJ and the Bear if I hadn't risen

19:12

to the heights of the private investigator profession

19:14

as a world class dick. Mmm, yeah, you

19:16

can say that again. Well, well, we got

19:18

a regular woodwood bird scene here, don't we? Sir,

19:20

you suggested many times to the media that

19:23

the father of one missing teen was involved

19:25

in a satanic cult and that his daughter

19:27

could be sacrificed if you didn't get to

19:29

her in time. Wasn't that a

19:31

bit sensational? Well

19:33

now listen here, miss. I don't know what kind of

19:35

horse flop you intended right for that magazine of yours.

19:38

Unlike the police, private eyes can say anything they

19:40

want if it helps to keep them in the

19:43

papers. Isn't that correct, detective?

19:47

Who dares disrespect you? She

19:50

must be neutralized before she sullies

19:52

any impressionable minds. You

19:54

consult your spells and choose the

19:57

power word stun. Casting time, one

19:59

hour.