[center][h3]Jeremiah Dupree[/h3]
Physical State: A bit breathless, but healthy otherwise
Mental state: Sane, but suspicious[/center]

Ah, that was what the officer had wanted: university permission. Professor Dupree almost fancied for a moment he'd be giving a quick statement, offer control of the scene, and that would be the end of his involvement in the affair. It wouldn't happen, he knew. But he fancied it.

"You certainly have my permission on behalf of Miskatonic University to erect a perimeter. It's been difficult keeping the curious at bay long enough for you to get here, much less for actual investigation of the scene." [color=292929]Was it a good thing or not that August had not mentioned the disappearing watchers yet?[/color]

So, questions... in private? Was that standard procedure? Professor Dupree couldn't be certain, but something about it made him wish he'd found some excuse to leave with Dr. Steiner. Still not a fan of the police. Being alone felt worse. It was almost a relief that August chose to intervene. [i]Almost[/i] was the key word: he was sure of it now, that the two shared something that Dupree would want no part of, were he anyone else. As a scientist, he'd of course prod when it was convenient and unlikely to cause him harm. That time was not now, not with both of them speaking with razors, lest the blades be spit at him. He tried not to be foolish. [color=292929]Didn't always succeed.[/color]

"Yes, that sounds agreeable to me as well. I believe Dr. Atkins worked in that building over there." He gestured to the stone monument, hardly far from the scene. Certainly time enough that Lexington could make his inquiries. He led the way, the blood drying on his briefcase and flecking off in pieces as he bumped his leg against it. Bits clung to the fabric of his pants, still damp on the inner side. The two men, each investigating their own mysteries, were at his side. Lexington had begun his questioning, and Professor Dupree did his best to recall the scattered information about the man.

"His name was Howard Atkins. He was a professor, yes, though I knew more [b]of[/b] him than I knew him. While we both studied ancient culture, his work focused on... the unpopular religions, shall we say? I prefer to study the larger civilizations that formed the one of present day, as well as those that diverged so I may discover why." He was getting off-topic. "Dr. Steiner was the one who was able to identify him once he... reached the ground. They were friends. He may be able to tell you more about the man, when you visit his office. As for myself, however, I had not heard of any news of professors to be fired - it's difficult to do so once the semester has started, after all. If there was some personal tragedy or affliction torturing his mind before today, it never made newspapers, nor did anyone on the staff discuss it casually." That much was true. His odd subject matter aside, it wasn't as if he'd been mocked for having a suffragette wife or offered condolences for a lost sibling. Professor Dupree, for his part, was a conscientious reader of the newspaper. That was occasionally a subject of jokes.

Then Lexington asked a very odd question. 

"...Or more puzzling, even to me; how is it that he made it up on top of the monument? To my knowledge, the only way to get up there is to climb up using a ladder from the upper parts of the tower, but when I saw it just a few moments ago, the snow lying there had not been disturbed, and no ladders on the outside either."

Professor Dupree was ready to wave off the question with the very simple point that the man had not been thrown or set down, and simply rolled over to his demise. Professor Dupree knew what he had seen and heard - the man had, by all appearances, chosen to jump off of his own accord. Yet...

"I...cannot say for sure. August, did you see a ladder? I was rather distracted. What I do know for sure was that the man was conscious and alert, if not deranged, while he was on top of that tower, and he was making no effort to safely climb down its side." It... was a suicide. He was sure. But that was rather odd, wasn't it?

They finally reached the office with the man's name, copied onto a plaque to the side. The frosted glass made it impossible to see within. Professor Dupree grabbed the handle, turned it, and pushed.

The door did not open. Instead, he heard a light thudding sound. 

He tried again. The door refused to yield.

He pushes again, though he knew he was hardly the one to turn to when something jammed or stuck. Physical strength was something he lacked. He finally turned back towards August and Lexington.

"The door is unlocked, but I'm having a devil of a time opening it. Could one of you two try?"