Stalker - Walker? Not a far cry.

In her own words...SS says...

For me it started with the arrival of mystery mail. A royal flush poker hand, in an envelope from Bess Tudor... perplexed, thought about a stalker... was someone in love with me? Who could I ask?...I said nothing for about a week.

SO SS WRITES AN E-MAIL TO OUR GROUP ONE DAY...

I got something interesting and unexpected in the mail.

An envelope addressed to me with a return name, but no address. It is from someone named Bess Tudor, anyone heard of her?

No note, just 5 playing cards pased together to form a royal flush - hearts.... It is post marked in Martinsburg WV.... any thought now?

Let me know what you think, I cannot imagine who it is from.

SS


OF COURSE WE HAD TO PLAY DUMB ! HERE'S MY RESPONSE...
Hey! I'm in Martinsburg, and T's got family here.

I Googled Bess Tudor Martinsburg and got no hits.

Googling just "Bess Tudor" gets me a bunch of flatware and a Karen Harper mystery series.

I'll check the phone book. Could it be a letterboxer whose real name you didn't know?

A royal flush... What's the card brand?
And what's pased? Is that like a collage or decopage (sp)?

What's the zip code...that should tell you what area of M'burg. Oh wait, no address, but does a postmark have a zip code on it?

Addressed to your work name or home name? Work name would show a connection to the artworld.

Cursive? Print? Typeface? Any indicators? Calligraphy pen, font, color?

AND SHE REPLIES

My money is still on you for the card thing... you're the most creative and stalker like.... no brand on the cards, red backs, but nothing unusual, zip 25404, mailed Aug 20,,, My name is just the home name, I was sort of freaked out at first, but now I just don't know. Perhaps I will turn it into a collage or art...

STILL PLAYING STUPID

Okay, I'll try to help you figure it out.

>you're the most creative
I won't tell Rick you said that.

> and stalker like....
Hey! Wait a minute.

>zip 25404,
I did a Mapquest, but 25404 just comes up as Martinsburg. I'm sure there's some sort of district like search I could do.

>mailed Aug 20,,,
Monday. No clue there.

>My name is just the home name,
Okay- so it's not artworld connected. Probably.
Hmmm. I don't know. Is there no other hint?

THEY STILL DON'T GET IT...

SS- Well, we can anagram Bess Tudor into Brest Duos..... are you trying to tell me something?

CHUCK- Although I have found that the train people call me "Boob Man," I refrain from making reference to your boobies in polite conversation. . . (Boobies.)

SS- Which is precisely why I suspect it's you.... anagrammed, and mailed to my home.....

CHUCK- I feel maligned. If I wanted to accentuate your attributes...I'm sure I could think of something more fun (and spelled better) than that. You only think it's me 'cause it's from Martinsburg.

It could be letterbox related, but I can't think of anything specific to connect it to.
Charles Town gambling? But I don't think they have card tables. (I've never been.)
And then, why would it be sent to you? Is there anything card-related near you?

Is there any other connection that can be made? You know you better than me.

SS- Well not entirely true, I do not think of you ONLY because of Martinsburg....

1. You are one of the most creative people I know
2. The handwriting looks suspiciously like it could be yours, we are waiting on comparisons from the lab now.
3. You love a mystery/game/joke better than the next guy
4. You have had a little time on your hands between work and class
5. Fingerprints are hard to get off playing cards, and I suspect you knew this already.
6. Its clever, that's you in spades (well these are hearts...)
7. You live in Martinsburg

Don't feel maligned, feel honored that out of all the people I know, it is your smiling face and warm hands that I think of first when I think "Stalker?"

Kisses- SS

CHUCK- Thank you for saying such kind things. It's really breaking the monotony of writing an anotated bibliography. (I don't know HOW I thought I'd be able to work another job AND go to school.)

Hmmm, is it a man's handwriting? You never answered those questions, you know, calligraphy? ink color? etc.

OH! You said warm hands. That is a HAND of cards. Does that mean anything?

SS- A Heart in a hand is an international friendship symbol... not usually
like this but it works.... now if only I knew a Bess...

Black ink, nothing fancy, block letters, all caps, does look more
masculine....

IT'S APPARENT TO US THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT. AND DANG IT! WE DROVE ALL THE WAY TO FALLING WATER SO IT WOULD HAVE A FALLING WATER POSTMARK ! THAT MARTINSBURG POSTMARK INSTANTLY PUT THEM ON OUR TAIL.

TIME TO SEND THE SECOND AND THIRD CLUES.