The OOC information I was referencing was in fact several suggestions I'd heard about the bullet extraction method being ordinary science, rather than magic or Science. I was referring to the fact that if Drake attempted to use ordinary science to extract the bullet without being told that it would work by a reliable source, it would be bad roleplaying on my part. That was what I meant; nothing to do with the relationship between you and your characters.

As for the many clues, they paled in comparison to being outright told, at the beginning, "You must find the one who did this and convince him to undo it." Hard to see stars in daylight