Virginia Sullivan

**Virginia Sullivan** is a county medical examiner and the third 911 caller.

## History

Virginia was a licensed doctor of medicine and general surgery (M.D.), employed by an unspecified county in Iowa at the medical examiner's office. She lives in Gallows Creek, which is within the county she works in and has a sister who suffers from a chronic health condition that requires regular treatment, having cause Virginia heavy financial troubles for much of her life.

In the early morning of September 3, 1968, Virginia arrived at work to find the cadaver of a teenager on the examination slab in her office. At precisely 7 a.m. she began the autopsy, recording her medical report on a casette player and from the information she gathers from the examination, she makes the informed opinion that the young man died in an attempted escape from a pursuer that ended in the deceased falling off a high point into the nearby river as what resulted in death by drowning. Before she could end the report, Clive Elforth bursts into the office, who tells Virginia that they must talk in private, just as he notices the recorder, which he tells her to shut off.

Clive reveals that he was the one who brought in the body, that of George Barrow, and demanded she hand over all the documents and reports related to his autopsy, and while she refused at first, but Clive made it clear that Virginia was in no position to turn him down. Clive promised to compensate her by having the man he was working for, businessman Theodore C. Gallows, pay for her sick sister's treatment, threatening her with violence if she spoke about this to anyone. Virginia provided falsified documents that changed the time of death from 2 a.m. to 9 p.m., changing the mention of cuts and bruises consistent with those sustained from foliage and falling to abrasions on his knuckles to support the narrative that George was a violent hoodlum, and wrongfully noting that there was alcohol in his system, thus making it appears as if the victim had simply drowned by accident while swimming drunk. Although Virginia upheld her end of the deal, she would live the next 19 years in fear that Clive might return to brutalize her in order to get rid of loose ends.

In the early hours of September 3, 1987, Virginia receives a call by the Whistling Man, whistling his signature tune through the receiver. As Virginia did not listen to the radio, she was unaware that the Whistling Man was in the midst of a rampage in the whole town and believed that this was Clive taunting her. Fearing for her life, she calls 911, only to be redirected to KFAM 189.16 - The Scream, with Forrest Nash and is initially so afraid that she is unable to speak. Forrest calms Virginia down just enough for her to give her name and tell him what happened before she breaks down in panic again when she thinks about what the Whistling Man might do to her. She is unable to give her address, but mentions that there's a loud fraternity party going on next door, commenting that they've been getting take-out and shudders when she realizes that they'll likely be none the wiser when she dies. When Forrest asks for the fraternity's name, Virginia shuts down completely and hangs up.

With little to go by except the mention of a frat house in the neighborhood and them ordering take-out, Forrest asks Peggy about restaurants with delivery services, those being Ponty's Pizza, Chalupacaba's and Grilling Spree. Forrest initially wants to call all three to ask about their take-out customers, hoping to narrow down the frat house's location and thus the address of Virginia, but Peggy says that wouldn't work, since the eateries all have "client-takeout privilege", instead suggesting they call in pretending to be the frat, calling in another order for the same address as before while asking them to include a note with KFAM's number to call so that the fraternity contacts them. In order for the complicated plan to work, Forrest must figure out which restaurant a house of party-loving frats would order from by getting informed on the local specials. The correct choice is Ponty's Pizza, as they are hosting a special promotion for free beer corresponding to the number of points scored by the town's high school's football team.

No matter which restaurant is chosen, Forrest calls in with his best frat bro impression and orders something with a note with KFAM's number attached. Shortly after, the fraternity will call back and if Ponty's Pizza was chosen, a frat named Plunker be on the line, talking about the number that came with the latest delivery. In his intoxicated state, he mistakes Forrest for Goose, another frat who he thinks is prankcalling him. Forrest needs to prove that he is actually a radio host by playing a song by "The Flow" at their wish, at which point Plunker becomes compliant and obeys Forrest without question when he asks the fraternity to check on their neighbor. Virginia calls back just after, in distress that the Whistling Man is just outside her front door, as evidenced by his whistling. Virginia cries out Clive's name and swears that she "didn't talk". If the right call was made, the frat bros rush to Virginia's place, scaring the Whistling Man away, much to her relief. Plunker hands Virginia a drink and loudly announces that the party will continue here, with Virginia saying that she could use the down time before thanking Forrest and hanging up.

When Forrest enters the storage room of the basement with the second key found in Clive's office, they discover several audio recorders, with five of them containing the tapes with the original autopsy report on them by Virginia. Forrest also finds the revised county medical examiner's office report, which also has a sticky note by Clive that says "I'm sorry I made you do this Virginia", something that he seems to have written for himself rather than her.

If Virginia survived, at 3 a.m., she will be called by Forrest in a follow-up call. Plunker picks up and hands the phone to Virginia, whom Forrest questions about what the station learned about her involvement in the coverup. Virginia tries to feign ignorance, but easily cracks when confronted with what Forrest already knows, pleading with him to stop talking, scared that he'll incite Clive's wrath, still convinced the Whistling Man is him. Forrest tells her that they have reason to believe that Clive is already dead. She is confused when Forrest says that they found her autopsy tapes, as she personally saw Clive destroy them, but continues to confirm their suspicions, revealing the details of her deal with Clive. Forrest and Peggy thank her for her time and hang up.

During the Whistling Man's interview, Marie will bring up how George's death report falsely claimed that he had drowned by his own fault after drinking too much. If Virginia survived, Forrest will bring up how Virginia only forged the report after being promised life-essential care for her sister and having her own life threatened. Marie responds that regardless of that, Virginia should have done the morally correct thing and not given in, though she says this with noticeable hesitation and a lack of conviction, probably being struck by the mention of a sister, a late hint to the hidden family history between her and Peggy.

## Possible deaths

* If Forrest calls either Chalupacabra's or Grilling Spree, the staff (Gary or Harry) will process the order and agree to delivering it to the "same place as before". The following call is always from Dudley of the Brotherly Fraternity of Engineers, who are clearly not the same partying frats from Virginia's neighborhood. Virginia calls again, but this time, just as she pleads with who she thinks is Clive, the Whistling Man breaks through the door and stabs her several times.
* If Forrest calls Ponty's Pizza, orders the slow roast instead of the garlic bread and confrims that this is what he wants, the delivery will happen too late and Virginia's call will play out with her dying.

## Trivia

* Virginia at one point says that the frats are "getting wasted and I'm about to get..." before shuddering in abject horror, as "getting wasted" can mean both getting drunk or dying.
* In her final recording, Virginia lists "the coroner's opinion", which is apparently her own, given that she just autopsied George's body while Marie also calls her a coroner. This would be an inaccurate title, as a coroner is employed as an elected official in the government's capacity, who does not require medical qualifications as they only launch inquests for examination, whereas a medical examiner is the one to actually examine a dead body.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/publications/coroner/iowa.html#:~:text=To%20serve%20as%20a%20county,%C2%A7%20331.801.
2. ↑ As it requires a minimum of 11 years to become earn a M.D. or other doctor in the United States, Virginia was at least 29 in 1968, assuming she graduated high school at 18 and immediately pursued a medical career.