No Fragments Archive 10: Diskmags/nf_archive_10.iso/MAGS/NEWSDISK/NEWSDSK1.MSA/SOLUTION_SUSPECT.ASC

Text File | 1989-12-31 | 11KB | 192 lines

                        Suspect

"Suspect" is a little different from the previous two Infocom mysteries.
In both "Deadline" and "Witness", you were the police, gathering
evidence, questioning suspects, and making the arrest. This time around,
however, you're on the other side of the fence: YOU are the suspect,
and the police are gathering evidence against you, for a crime you
didn't commit. The game is thus a race against time, as you desperately
attempt to collect the real evidence before you're arrested.

 The adventure is centered on a critical point; until you realize that
point, you really don't know what you're looking for, and much evidence
can be overlooked or spoiled. The critical point is the fact that
Veronica is murdered before the game begins. That elaborate fairy
costume, with its over-the-head mask, allows someone else to
impersonate her, and thus provide an alibi for the real murderer.

Also, you will notice that this is by far the busiest Infocom ever;
people move around a lot in the game, and you're almost always running
into, or seeing, someone or other. Most of the time, you don't have to
worry about that (I think they just put that that in there to confuse
you a little, and make you waste time following harmless people around).

It is also necessary to collect ever last bit of evidence. Overlook one
thing, and you'll never be able to get a conviction, no matter how sure
you are of who is guilty. So, with all that in mind, let's get started.

So there you are in the plush Ashcroft manor on Halloween night,
enjoying a costume ball being hosted by Veronica Ashcroft, and
wondering what sort of story you can work up for your newspaper. As the
game begins, you're invited to join Michael, dressed as a sheik, and a
small group of people.

You might as well go over there, and marvel at the performance given by
the woman in the fairy costume, supposedly, but not really, Veronica.
Having made sure she creates a fuss by spilling a drink on herself, she
promptly leaves. Don't bother following her, you have better things to
do. Go East to the bar, then North to the French Doors.

Unlock the doors, then open them and go East. Wow, it sure is pouring
out there, isn't it? This is one of the crucial points of evidence in
the game; you must note the rainfall now, and again in a little while.
In the meantime, you can drop your costume receipt, pen, and notebook
here; they are merely excess baggage, and you won't need them for
anything.

Ok, now it's time to head for the front door, to let in a late arrival
who is on her way. Go West to re-enter the Ballroom, South to the Bar,
then straight West until you reach the Long Hall South. Go South from
there to where the Long Hall Begins, and West again until you come to
the Front Hall.

Now it's South to the Entry Hall. Anytime now, the front doorbell will
ring. When that happens, unlock the front door and open it. Alicia will
comes ashaying in. After she does that, step outside South, and observe
the rain. Hmmmmm, looks like it's let up a little, only a drizzle is
falling now.

Having gained your first piece of evidence, you now go get some more,
by heading to the office, where Veronica sits, strangled with your
cowboy lariat. Go North to the Front Hall, West to the Hallway
Intersection, South to the Corner, West, and then North.

And here you are in a very messy office. Whoever did this sure did a
good job! But there's no time to worry about the papers and other items
strewn about. First, get the manila folder from the desk and the fairy
mask from the floor. Look in the waste basket and get the business
card. Finally, unpleasant though it may be, search the body.

Aha! A silver bullet. In fact, it's a bullet from your gunbelt,
thoughtfully placed on the scene as additional evidence against you.
Take the bullet and put it back in your belt. Under no circumstances
remove the rope; if you do that, you will never get a conviction against
the real killer.

Since there is some time yet before the murder is discovered and the
police arrive, you can go pick up another vital piece of evidence, in
the kitchen. Make your way back to Long Hall South, then straight North
to the Dining Room and from there East into the Kitchen.

Here is a trashbasket with the remains of the broken glass that
"Veronica" dropped. Careful now; don't get the glass (or you'll spoil
the fingerprints on it!), get the whole basket (you may feel a bit odd
running around with the trashbasket, but it's necessary!). Now it's
time to play hide and seek.

So, trashbasket in hand, you now make your way to the garage. Go North
at the Hallway Intersection (you should know how to get there by now!),
until you come to the door to the walkway. The door is locked, but
fortunately, being on the inside, you can unlock it, and open the door.
Go North onto the walkway, then West to the garage.

The first thing you notice is a tool chest. Open that, and get the
crowbar. Now you can take a moment to admire the BMW and the Mercedes,
but don't take too long. Someone will be coming soon. So, hide behind
the Mercedes and wait. In fact, you can wait for Michael.

The reason you are waiting is that, while you've been busily collecting
evidence, a carefully-faked argument has taken place in the Ballroom.
This will lead to the discovery of the body by Michael, Colonel Marston,
and Cochrane. And as soon as Michael leaves the office, he will head
straight for the garage (if you've played this part before, you may
have been suspicious of his doing something so odd, but following him
won't help you to find out what he's up to).

And yes, here he comes. From your vantage point, you can see him open
the trunk of the BMW, although what he's doing there isn't clear...yet!
Keep waiting until he leaves (by that time, the police will have
arrived), then open the BMW trunk with the crowbar. Well, look at that,
there's a Trust Folder in the trunk!

Drop the crowbar and get the folder. The next part is crucial, and you
have very little time to spare. You must get back to the Fireplace in
the Ballroom as soon as you can. You have to be there when Marston
arrives, or you'll lose an important piece of evidence.

While you've been breaking into the car trunk, Michael and Marston
have been meeting briefly in the library, where Michael hands over a
piece of paper to Marston. You could hide in the library, and watch
the transaction (instead of first going to the garage and hiding there),
but still you have to go the garage later anyway. Either way, you must
get to the Fireplace quickly.

So high-tail it directly back to the Ballroom. Don't take any time to
do sight-seeing. Once at the Fireplace, just wait. You won't have to
wait very long. Marston will come in, and try to burn something in the
Fireplace. Grab the paper before it's reduced to ashes. Whew! That was
a close one.

At this point, you have two ways to go. You can try spooking the guilty
parties, or you can just go about giving your evidence to the
detective, and let it go at that. If you want to try shaking up Michael
and Alicia (you probably guessed that by now), you need to show your
evidence to them. Show everything that concerns Michael to Michael, and
everything that concerns Alicia to Alicia (don't forget the analysis
reports later on). This is tricky, since you must also give the
detective some of your evidence, before he decides to arrest you, so
 watch your timing if you want to go about doing this (I won't tell
you what happens; try it and see for yourself).

Speaking of the detective, it's time to go find him and begin presenting
some of the items you've been collecting. He's usually in the vicinty
of the office, checking out the various rooms, after which he heads to
the Ballroom and stays there. You don't want to wait for that, since
he'll probably arrest you for the crime. It's better to go after him,
and give him a few other things to think about.

Once you've located the detective, and he stays in one place long
enough, you can begin to hand over some ofyour little treasures. First,
have him get the glass analyzed for fingerprints (and now, at last, you
can drop the trashbasket!).

While Duffy is on his way to the lab, give the detective the two
folders and the paper. Hey, that sure got him interested, didn't it?
However, hang on to the mask and the card, because it's not yet time
for those (by the way, have you looked inside the mask yet? You'll need
to get that hair analyzed too, and Duffy isn't here to do that).

You still need some more evidence to wrap up the case, so head back
once more to the Ballroom. Along the way, stop off in the East Coat
Closet, and pick up the wet overcoat. A quick glance at the label tells
you that it belongs to Alicia. Hmmmm, suspicious that it's so soaked,
and it was only drizzling when she arrived!

When you get to the Ballroom, locate Cochrane (dressed as an astronaut).
You'll most likely find him at the Bar. Show him the card, and he will
give you some important (verbal) evidence. Now go back to the Fireplace,
and hang out until the detective arrives.

When he does get there, show him the coat. He doesn't seem too
impressed, so tell him about the rain (NOTE: There is a variance among
the different computer versions. Save the game first, and then try:
TELL DETECTIVE ABOUT RAIN. If that doesn't work, restore and try: TELL
DETECTIVE ABOUT WEATHER. One or the other of these should do the trick)

Somewhere along the line, the detective will get the fingerprint
analysis and show it to you (actually, he gives it to you). You aren't
surprised to find that it's not Veronica's prints on the glass. Now,
have the dark hair analyzed (did you ever look at Veronica's hair? She
is (or was) a blonde).

While you wait for the hair analysis, give the business card to the
detective (you don't have to tell him about Cochrane). Then just wait
again until the hair analysis comes back. All right, this is the big
moment! Tell the detective to arrest Michael and Alicia.

TA-DA! Your evidence makes an air-tight case, and both Michael and
Alicia will be in prison for a long, long time! For a journalist,
you're a pretty good detective (of course, there was a small incentive
involved!).