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City In Fear by David Whyld

1) Start the game

2) Background

3) How to play this game

> 2
It started, as did most of the bad things in my life, with a call from my assistant, Clancy.

"We got another one, boss," were his first words to me. Most assistants might have started a telephone conversation with 'hello, boss' or 'good morning, boss'. Not Clancy. "Or another three actually. The Chief wants you to handle it personally."

"Why me personally?" I asked. In all honesty I didn't care why me personally but I was always hopeful of wriggling my way out of a difficult case. Difficult often read danger as far as I was concerned because most of the hoodlums I'd encountered over the years had a problem with being arrested and tended to turn violent.

"Not sure, boss," replied Clancy from the other end of the phone. From the background sounds I guessed he was either in a pub or a bar. Then again, as Clancy tended to live in such places that wasn't saying much. "I think it's because he doesn't like you."

"You mean after the Incident?" Already it had assumed capital letter status in my mind.

Clancy nodded (or I guess so anyway) from the other end of the phone. "Anyway, the Chief says to get your slimy yellow ass down to the plaza asap before he comes and drags it down it and gives it a kicking in the bargain- er, those are his words, boss."

"I gathered that, Clancy. Where?"

"Your favourite place in the whole of the city, boss."

I groaned. Very loudly. There was only place that fit that description. "The Plaza."

To see this information at any time during the game, just type "intro" or "introduction".

1) Start the game

2) Background

3) How to play this game

> 3
City In Fear is bigger and (hopefully) better than Scene Of The Crime but it bears many of the hallmarks of the previous game. You're a detective out to solve a murder and depending on how you go about it you could well end up being added to the list of murdered parties…

CIF is a large and complex game. And also a difficult one. While it might seem easy to make progress at first, as the game unfolds and more and more options become available to you, it will quickly become apparent that solving the murders is a lot harder than it might at first seem. Hints are provided throughout the game (accessed by typing either "help" or "hint") although these are meant to do little more than steer you in the right direction. If you're finding the game impossible and want to know how to get further on (or just feel like cheating!) typing "I cheat" will give you a short walkthru for the first part of the game. Also be sure to look out for a guy called Henriek who's selling a hints book...

Throughout the game you'll come across a wide variety of items which at first might come across as little more than red herrings designed to waste your time and throw you off the trail. But not all of the items are as useless as you might at first think. While some are useless, a good number (particularly any written in code or containing letters which don't appear to have relevance to the rest of the game) relate to the password to the game. The password contains 9 characters and if you find all 9 of the clues (or less if you're really good at guessing 9 character words) you can open the game up in the Generator and take a look at how it was all put together.

To see this information at any time during the game, just type "game" or "gameplay".

City In Fear understands the basic commands of any text adventure: north, south, east, west, look, get, drop, wear, remove, and so on.

Interacting with Other Characters

Conversation with the NPC's in City In Fear is handled differently to most ADRIFT adventures in that the standard conversation format of "ask [character] about [subject]" has been replaced with the more straightforward "talk to [character]" format. The "ask" command can still be used and will generate either the NPC's standard response to whatever question they are asked or the same response as generated by "talk to [character]". For the most part, all conversations can be handled with the "talk to [character]" option.

Driving Your Car

One of the things you'll soon discover about the layout of the game is that it is divided into segments which are accessible only via your car. Driving around is simpler in City In Fear than it was in Scene Of The Crime - simply type "drive [location]" and you'll be away. Of course, you actually have to be inside your car at the time - typing "drive home" while you're standing at the side of it won't get you anywhere!

When you first play the game, be sure to check your logbook as this contains a list of all the locations you can drive to in your car. Other locations are out there, you just have to discover the name of them. Once you've played the game a few times, you'll know more than a few of these locations and will be able to access them as soon as the game starts - with one exception. The final set of locations in the game can only be reached once certain tasks have been completed.

Firing Your Gun & Shooting Bad Guys

As a cop, you have a gun. Unfortunately what you don't have are bullets. (Realistic? Maybe not. But it sure adds a level of difficulty to the game that might otherwise have not been there.) Once you come across some bullets, the mayhem can begin. Quite a few of the NPC's in the game can be killed although as the majority of them are good and law-abiding citizens, you shouldn't take it into your head to just wander around the game killing them for no good reason. Generally, if someone isn't doing something criminal it's probably a good idea just to try talking to them before you blast them to Kingdom Come.

Bullets don't need to be loaded into your gun. As soon as you come across any they are automatically loaded. Just be careful how many you use because there are certain parts of the game that can only be completed by sheer firepower and if you find yourself lacking you'll be heading for your very own plot in the city cemetery.

To see this information at any time during the game, just type "game", "gameplay" or "instructions".

1) Start the game

2) Background

3) How to play this game

> 1
PLAZA
Considered by many to be the true heart of the city and by others (i.e. me and me alone) to be the sleaziest dump known to man, the plaza is a sprawling mess of cheesy pan-handlers, robbers, politicians and the other dregs of society. A statue of one of the previous mayors of the city (one of the few who didn't get assassinated during his first week in office) rises somewhat unmajestically in the centre. Its head is there, I am sure of this, although quite obscured by graffiti and bird droppings.

North of here is the crime scene, inwards lies my (for want of a better word) car, and paths lead around the plaza to the east and west.

> north
I move north.
CRIME SCENE
The plaza opens out towards the centre and there is usually a market here on weekdays. Today, however, there are three dead bodies lying on the ground in three slowly spreading pools of blood and a host of cops standing around trying to look like they know what they're doing. A couple are wrestling with a "Police - Do Not Cross" tape, several others are attempting to question a squirrel which was found at the crime scene and has so far proven most unhelpful and the rest sip from plastic cups the way they've no doubt seem cops do on TV. South of here lies the entrance to the plaza and west, northwest, northeast and east are paths leading either to woodlands or the others part of the plaza.

"You made good time, boss," says Clancy as I reach the crime scene. "Only eight hours since I called you."

"I had important business to take care of, Clancy," I reply.

Clancy nods knowingly. "Nasty one this is, boss. Three dead men. This one-" he points to each of the corpses in turn "-is Carlos. Shot twenty-two times in the back of the head. Next to him is Michael. Knifed to death although he was also shot so we're not sure what actually killed him yet. Last is Larry. Knifed and shot and beaten with a hammer. Some people just don't make friends easily."

"What can you tell me?"

"Not much," says Clancy (a typical response for Clancy). "Feel free to ask questions though, boss. As soon as you're done here, the Chief wants me to ship the bodies off to the coroner so he can do an autopsy on them."

I decide a few questions might well be in order.

1) Were there any witnesses?

2) Don't these people have surnames?

3) What do we know about the dead men?

4) Why are there no dead women, Clancy? Seems rather sexist to me.

> 1
"Witnesses?" Clancy checks through his notebook and frowns. "Darn! I knew there was something I'd forgot to do!" He slaps his head. "Sorry, boss. There were probably quite a few witnesses but I plain forgot to get their names, addresses or telephone numbers. Well, you can't win 'em all."

1) Let me ask you something else.

> 1
"What shall we talk about, boss?" asks Clancy.

1) Were there any witnesses?

2) Don't these people have surnames?

3) What do we know about the dead men?

4) Why are there no dead women, Clancy? Seems rather sexist to me.

5) Come with me, Clancy.

> 5
"Always happy to do that, boss," says Clancy.
"I should warn you, Clancy, there may be work involved," I say.
Clancy gulps. "I'm aware of that, boss," he says, looking a little queasy.

1) Let me ask you some more questions.

> x corpses
The corpses have been tagged as "corpse 1", "corpse 2" and "corpse 3", an overhelpful officer informs me.
"It'd mean ever so much, boss, if you'd examine 'em as 'corpse 1' and 'corpse 2' and 'corpse 3', boss, it would, boss," adds the overhelpful officer.

> x corpse 1
A quick perusal of the corpse - along with the overhelpful officer's less than helpful comments - tells me that the first corpse is called Carlos and that he lives (or lived actually) on Chase Avenue. The twenty-two bullet holes in the back of his head indicate either that the shooter wanted to be really sure he was dead or they just had a lot of ammo to use. As such, there isn't really a whole lot of Carlos' head left.
"Pretty gruesome, eh, boss?" says the overhelpful officer. "I mean, twenty-two times in the head? Man, he must have made some big enemies!"
"Did he have any possessions?" I ask.
The officer hands me what Carlos was carrying at the time of his death: a small business card, a library card, 3 dollars (which I promptly pocket on the grounds that I need the cash a lot more than he does) and Carlos' keys.

> x corpse 2
Corpse 2 - Michael. According to Clancy, he was both shot and stabbed. The corpse is quite a grisly sight and isn't helped much by the fact that Clancy has dropped half an ice cream cone over it.
"The coroner should be able to tell us more, boss," says the overhelpful officer. "I mean, as soon as he gets one look at that gaping knife wound, he… he-" The overhelpful officer is mercifully quiet for the next minute or two (aside from some painful-sounding vomiting) allowing me to study the corpse in peace.
There doesn't really seem a lot to see. The knife wound is in Michael's left shoulder and the bullet hole in his right. Either could have killed him though a hunch tells me there is some significance to the multiple wounds.
"Was he carrying anything?" I ask.
"Nyeah," says the overhelpful officer who hasn't quite finished being ill.
Another officer translates this as, "no, boss. We figure pickpockets got here first and swiped everything he owned. I've arrested him before, though, and I know he's got a pad on Balabon Street."

> x corpse 3
Corpse 3 belongs to some chap called Larry who, from what Clancy tells me, was knifed, shot and beaten to death. Some people just don't get on well with others.
"Did he have any possessions when you found him?" I ask the overhelpful officer.
"No, boss," he replies. "We just know the guy's name is Larry 'cos he's got it tattooed on his left wrist but apart from that we don't know a thing about him."

> x library card
Just a common library card in the name of Carlos (his surname has been left suspiciously blank). It lists the library as being on Emming Street in the hard part of town.

> x small business card
The card is printed on cheap material and appears to be a kind of promotional business card. It doesn't say where Carlos works which I find quite odd.

> south
I move south.
PLAZA
Considered by many to be the true heart of the city and by others (i.e. me and me alone) to be the sleaziest dump known to man, the plaza is a sprawling mess of cheesy pan-handlers, robbers, politicians and the other dregs of society. A statue of one of the previous mayors of the city (one of the few who didn't get assassinated during his first week in office) rises somewhat unmajestically in the centre. Its head is there, I am sure of this, although quite obscured by graffiti and bird droppings.
North of here is the crime scene, inwards lies my (for want of a better word) car, and paths lead around the plaza to the east and west. "Oh, dear," says Clancy. "I left my car at the garage this morning. Can I ride along with you?"
"How'd you get here without a car?" I ask.
"I walked. It took a long time as I had to cross forty-six city blocks but I got here in the end."

> ask clancy about car
"It's at the garage," he says. "I meant to collect it last month but then I forgot because Friends was on and so I decided I'd pick it up last week but then they were repeating Cheers and I forgot again so I decided I'd get it today but then, well… you know what happened, boss."
"There was a triple murder so you didn't have the chance?" I suggest.
Clancy frowns. "Oh, I'd forgotten about the murder. No, I meant they were showing a double bill of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I spent so long setting the timer on my video that I plain forgot about my car."

> in
I climb into my car.
MY CAR
There are few things in life as depressing as the inside of my car and today it looks even more depressing than usual. Quite why it looks such a mess is a mystery to me although I suspect that never cleaning it, throwing half-eaten lunches on the floor and using the passenger seat as a temporary storage room for used tissues doesn't help matters much.
The dashboard is cluttered with whatever junk I've been eating for snacks for the past two months, along with several case files, some evidence I borrowed from the evidence store a while back and have been meaning to return, and various other sundry items. Looming before me looking worse for wear than I do after a marathon drinking session is the steering wheel. Out lies the world that does not include my car. Also here is my trusty screwdriver, a hammer and a whistle. "Where to first then, boss?" Clancy asks. "Maybe we should head to the station and see if anyone's discovered anything."
"Might be a little early for that, Clancy," I say, not wishing to acknowledge that he's just said something useful.
"Maybe, boss," says Clancy. "But we oughta make a point of heading back there from time to time in case someone finds out something they need to let us know."

> drive home
Executing a shortcut I know through what used to be an abandoned field but is now a school, I cross town with remarkable speed, slowed only at one point to let off the irate teacher who was clinging precariously to my bonnet.

> x dashboard
Amongst the other junk piled high on the dashboard, I find a bullet which must have fell out of my gun the last time I tried to shoot someone from my car.

> x sundry items
Nothing really very exciting, just the sort of items that don't really warrant a more exciting description than "sundry items". Rest assured, there's nothing I can do with any of them.
Not legally anyway.

> get all
I take my trusty screwdriver, the hammer and the whistle.

> out
I leave my car.
OUTSIDE MY HOUSE
I once won an award for my house but as this award began with the words "Worst House In..." it wasn't something I was really bothered about. In all honesty, my house (seen from the front) doesn't look too bad. It's only when you get up close that you see all the little imperfections: the lack of a front door making the burglar's lot a very easy one, the windows which aren't so much windows as strategically placed pieces of old newspaper with a 'glassy' look to them, the chimney which currently resides in my front garden following the unfortunate incident in which it fell off the roof. North lies my house, east and west the street I live on (I've never bothered learning its name so "the street" will just have to do for a description) and in is my car (which looks almost as sorry as my house right now). Clancy follows me from inside.

> x windows
I used to have windows in my house and was very proud of them. But in this neighbourhood, windows are practically asking for some kid with a pile of rocks to take a few shots at them. After they were smashed for the fifteenth time in as many days, I decided enough was enough and downgraded to newspapers.

> x newspaper
Ignoring the occasional dead fly and spider that seem to think old newspapers are a cemetery for their kind, I can pretty much see every bit of news that has happened for the past six months. One article in particular catches my attention.

> read article
It's about the opening of a new shop and even gives me a token to spend there. Unfortunately a few spiders have decided to call it a day over the area where the name and location of the shop are mentioned and I've yet to work up the nerve to move them. But I take the token just in case it comes in handy.
Below it is another article which also catches my attention.

> read article
The article reads: "Looking for the fifth letter? There's only two of them in this sentence if you don't count the word 'sentence'." Hmm. Strange.

> north
I move north.
LOUNGE
"Lounge" is perhaps not the most accurate description for this room as it functions more as whatever it needs to be depending on what I need it for. Right now, it's a dumping ground for whatever garbage I haven't yet got around to carting out to the trash. Scattered around the room in no real order are my TV, stereo, video, sofa and a large cabinet which I bought some time ago and since which time have completely forgotten what is in it. Doorways lead off north to my bedroom, east to my kitchen and south to the street.

As I enter my house, Clancy grabs my arm. "Did you hear that, boss?" he asks.
"Hear what?"
My ever helpful assistant nods towards my bedroom. "There's someone in there."

> watch tv
I spend a while watching Ally McBeal before coming to the stunning realisation that the show lost it big time after series 1 and is now just a pale imitation of its former self. In one scene, Ally is pictured standing next to a stick of celery although it's hard to tell which is which.

> watch tv
I don't know the title of this program but it seems to involve a couple of people getting 'intimate' with each other. Amazing the sort of thing you can see on the Kiddies Channel these days.

> watch tv
A repeat of The X-Files is showing in which Mulder and Scully appear to be wandering around a large dark building. At one point Scully gets abducted by aliens, taken aboard an alien spaceship, is shown detailed proof that aliens really do exist, and then states that she still isn't convinced. Rivetting stuff.

> watch tv
The news is on. I watch in dread as it revealed that one of the letters I'm after is 'T', although whether this is the 1st letter or the 6th letter isn't specified.

> x video
It's amazing what you can do with video recorders these days: cram 9 hours worth of video onto a 3 hour tape, record a dozen different programmes at different times and on different dates, make the picture so clear crystal you can pick up spots on an ant's head, and so on...

Unfortunately my video can't do any of those things as it's fifteen years old. But, hey, it was free. Or as free as anything I've appropriated out of the evidence store is. It contains the usual array of buttons - play, pause, eject, fast forward, rewind and record - but I've never really got a lot of use out of them as the majority don't seem to work.

> press eject
I push my video's one working button and out pops a video cassette. I pick it up and wonder what is on it. A pity my video doesn't work because then I could watch it and see.

> x sofa
Too uncomfortable to sit on, I'm thinking of having my sofa sold to a local museum as an instrument of torture. The springs in it are completely gone and sitting on it actually puts you several inches lower than merely sitting on the floor.
However, acting on a hunch I have a rummage down the back of the sofa and come across $3 which I dropped down there sometime last month and never got round to retrieving on account of the nasty fellow with the pick axe handle trying to kill me.

> north
I move north.
BEDROOM
If the rest of the house was a mess, then this would be classed as a bomb site. How Carlos can live in such conditions is a mystery (although in his current state it's probably not bothering him a whole lot). It looks like someone has gone mad in here with several gallons of multicoloured paint and done a number on the bed, chest of drawers, wardrobe and window. One wall used to hold a full length mirror but someone with a penchant for smashing things obviously took a dislike to it and now bits of it are lying scattered all over the floor making walking around in here quite treacherous. And lying on the floor in a pool of spreading blood is the dead body of the man who tried to kill me. Doorways lead southwest to the lounge and south to the bathroom.

As I enter my bedroom, I catch a sudden movement out of the corner of my eye and, ever on the lookout for would-be assassins, throw myself to the floor. At the same time (or a fraction of a second later actually as if it had been at the same time I would be lying dead on the floor with a bullet hole in me), a bullet smacks into the wall where my head would have been a moment ago.
"Darn!" yells the gunman, a thin rat-faced fellow standing all of five feet away. Not at all pleased by his lack of gunmanship, he raises his gun to fire again-
But not before I've drawn my own gun and shot him clean between the eyes (okay, so the bullet hit him in the chest but if he had eyes there I'd have got him right between them).
The body sways for a moment before becoming aware of its unfortunate demise and promptly collapses in front of me.
"Boss!" yells Clancy a little later on. "Watch out! He's got a gun!"
"He's dealt with, Clancy," I say.
"Phew!" Clancy mops his brow and bends over the corpse. "Lucky I was here, eh? Without my warning who knows what might have happened…"
"You were a big help, Clancy," is all I can force myself to say. Clancy follows me from the south.

> x man
My attacker appears somewhat unwell. In fact, it'd be fair to say that he won't be trying to kill me again anytime soon. Now normally this would be cause for rejoicement - one less person in the world with the desire to kill me - but right now I've got a dead body lying on my bedroom floor and no idea why he tried to kill me. On a hunch I go through his pockets and come across nothing more interesting than $5 and a piece of paper. I take both figuring that while I might not get a whole lot out of them, at least I'm likely to make better progress than the dead guy.

> read paper
In bold type are the following words: "URGENT THAT MCCLANE IS DEALT WITH. THE MEETING MUST GO ON WITHOUT HIS INTERFERENCE."

Interesting.

> x bed
I don't remember the last night I got a decent night's sleep in this bed. Either a hitman is bursting through the window in the middle of the night trying to kill you (which kind of puts you in a non-sleepy mood) or the bed bugs are starting to bite. Maybe I ought to try getting a better security system then maybe I'll be able to get some use out of my bed again.

However, I do note that my heavy duty boots are lying alongside my bed. I take them with me in case I need them for anything.

> wear boots
I put on the heavy duty boots.

> south
I move south.

LOUNGE
"Lounge" is perhaps not the most accurate description for this room as it functions more as whatever it needs to be depending on what I need it for. Right now, it's a dumping ground for whatever garbage I haven't yet got around to carting out to the trash. Scattered around the room in no real order are my TV, stereo, video, sofa and a large cabinet which I bought some time ago and since which time have completely forgotten what is in it. Doorways lead off north to my bedroom, east to my kitchen and south to the street. Clancy follows me from the north.

> south
I move south.

OUTSIDE MY HOUSE
I once won an award for my house but as this award began with the words "Worst House In..." it wasn't something I was really bothered about. In all honesty, my house (seen from the front) doesn't look too bad. It's only when you get up close that you see all the little imperfections: the lack of a front door making the burglar's lot a very easy one, the windows which aren't so much windows as strategically placed pieces of old newspaper with a 'glassy' look to them, the chimney which currently resides in my front garden following the unfortunate incident in which it fell off the roof. North lies my house, east and west the street I live on (I've never bothered learning its name so "the street" will just have to do for a description) and in is my car (which looks almost as sorry as my house right now). Clancy follows me from the north.

> drive to station
Knowing the city like the back of my hand (only less full of veins), I choose a shortcut I know which leads the wrong way down a one-way street and arrive at my destination in record time.

> out
I leave my car.
OUTSIDE POLICE STATION
The police station looks pretty much the same as it has done for the past fifty years, mainly on account of the fact that it hasn't been painted or cleaned in all that time. The front facade looks shabbier than a dead man left lying in the gutter for a fortnight; hardly the sort of thing that inspires you to come into work every day. A flight of steps lead north to the (somewhat) unimposing main doors and, beyond, lies my place of work.
A street winds away to the east and west and the steps are north. My car lurks nearby. Clancy follows me.

> north
I move north.

LOBBY
The police station lobby is the acceptable face of the police that is shown to the public: hence the lack of torture devices, battered suspects and gun-carrying officers. Instead, a desk runs along one wall, manned by Old Moe (asleep as usual during working hours) and a flight of stairs lead up to the main area of the station behind him. Somewhere around here is the door to the interrogation room but I can't quite remember where. South lies the exit from the station, north my old office and up a flight of stairs. Officer Windle is here. Clancy follows me from the south.

> north
I move north.

MY OLD OFFICE
Many a happy time was spent within these four walls. With the door shut, I could catch up on some beauty sleep and no one would be any the wiser. Now, my old office is just an untidy storeroom where people dump whatever rubbish they've acquired and haven't got around to destroying yet. As such, it looks pretty much the same as it did when I was using it. Amidst the tangle of filing cabinets, broken guns and wrecked chairs, I spy my old desk. South lies the police station lobby. Clancy follows me from the south.

> x desk
Shoving aside piles of files, evidence that was "borrowed" from the evidence store months back, several pairs of handcuffs (strictly job-related, I assure you) and whatever, I have a good look at my desk.
And see nothing whatsoever out of the ordinary.

> x paper
A small piece of paper, torn from a notebook by the look of things. Maybe I should read it and see if there are any clues to be found.

> read paper
"URGENT THAT MCCLANE IS DEALT WITH. THE MEETING MUST GO ON WITHOUT HIS INTERFERENCE."

Interesting.

> close door
I try to but some jackass has piled a load of boxes behind it and as such it won't shut. On the plus side, a quick forage through the boxes leads me to $3 some poor schmuck must have dropped.

> fix guns
I set to it - and then a wave of despair washes over me at the thought of just how much effort that would take. I give up (but a small part of me feels better for at least trying in the first place).

> south
I move south.

LOBBY
The police station lobby is the acceptable face of the police that is shown to the public: hence the lack of torture devices, battered suspects and gun-carrying officers. Instead, a desk runs along one wall, manned by Old Moe (asleep as usual during working hours) and a flight of stairs lead up to the main area of the station behind him. Somewhere around here is the door to the interrogation room but I can't quite remember where. South lies the exit from the station, north my old office and up a flight of stairs. Officer Windle is here. Clancy follows me from the north.

> up
I move up.
MAIN AREA
Around me is spread the main area of the police station and it looks slightly less active than Chomslea Park on a wet Sunday afternoon with a curfew in place. Somewhere I can hear a phone ringing but, with this being the place where people phone when they're in desperate need of help, no one seems to be rushing to answer it. A few clerks wander about chatting to themselves, throwing paper aeroplanes at one another and doing whatever it is that clerks do during the hours when they should be working. East lies Captain Slorb's office, northwest is my new office, north the evidence room, northeast an empty office awaiting some poor unsuspecting schmuck and down the lobby. Clancy follows me from below.

> talk to clancy
"Ask away, boss," asks Clancy.

1) Tell me about yourself, Clancy.
2) Do you have any insights you'd care to share with me?
3) Wait here for me, Clancy.

> 3
"It's a pleasure, boss," says Clancy and makes a point of standing still.

1) Let me ask you some more questions.

> north
I move north.

EVIDENCE STORE
A new idea in the station, the evidence store (where we're supposed to store something called 'evidence' though my grasp of the whole thing is a little limited to say the least) is a small room, barely big enough to swing a medium-sized cat. The walls are lined with shelves which contain (I would hazard a guess anyway) this elusive stuff called evidence. The clerk with the unenviable task of keeping watch over this horde is fast asleep at his desk, his snoring being quite a bit louder than my home stereo. South lies the main area of the station.

> x desk
Careful not to disturb the clerk (who in any case could sleep through a hurricane), I search the desk. And come across the clerk's key and a dollar he must have dropped. I take both figuring that as a cop the key is as much my property as anyone's and the dollar my just reward for being so clever as to search the desk in the first place.

> open box
Using the key I swiped off the sleeping clerk, I unlock the box. And am quite disappointed to find it empty aside from a measly badge. I take it out and wonder if I've wasted my time here after all.

> wear japan badge
I put on the Japan badge.

> south
I move south.

MAIN AREA
Around me is spread the main area of the police station and it looks slightly less active than Chomslea Park on a wet Sunday afternoon with a curfew in place. Somewhere I can hear a phone ringing but, with this being the place where people phone when they're in desperate need of help, no one seems to be rushing to answer it. A few clerks wander about chatting to themselves, throwing paper aeroplanes at one another and doing whatever it is that clerks do during the hours when they should be working. East lies Captain Slorb's office, northwest is my new office, north the evidence room, northeast an empty office awaiting some poor unsuspecting schmuck and down the lobby. Clancy is here.

> nw
I move northwest.
MY NEW OFFICE
What with my promotion, I'd have expected being transferred to a larger office but instead I seem to have just moved up a floor. My new office is pretty much the same size as my old one and just has the added (dis)advantages of a larger table, more filing cabinets and a noticeboard listing my solved and unsolved cases of the last year. A coffee maker sits on my desk next to my computer (which looks to be slightly coffee-stained from where I'm standing) as does a fan. A window gives an excellent view of the sewage works company housed next to the station. Southeast lies the main area of the station

> x table
Aside from the piles of ancient files which clog my desk up, there isn't a lot to see.
Aside from $3 which I quickly shove in my pocket before anyone else sees them.

> x coffee maker
For some reason, there's a mace propped up at the side of the coffee maker. I'm not sure why but I take it with me anyway on the basis that you don't go leaving dangerous weapons lying around your office (in case someone pinches them).

> x desk
My desk is the usual ungodly pile of papers, files and general all round junk that seems to accumulate wherever I happen to be. There's supposed to be a cleaning lady who comes in and tidies away all this sort of stuff every now and then but I get the distinct impression she leaves my desk well and truly alone. I'll have to arrest her son or something to get her attention.
Peering out from under a set of files I come across a battered video recorder. It looks like someone has given it one hell of a thump with a baseball bat but the little screen on top is lit indicating that at least the thing is still working.
I also come across $3, a bullet and a club (most likely something I was "meaning" to return to the evidence store but never got around to it). As there's no point in leaving such things lying around, I take them with me.

> get fan
For reasons that escape me right now but which will no doubt become clear as day later on, I swipe the fan from my desk.

> watch cassette
Curious as to just what the cassette contains, I pop it into the video recorder, sit back and wait...

Of course, nothing happens as I've yet to press the PLAY button but once that little problem is out of the way there's no stopping me.

The quality of the picture on the cassette is poor to say the least which indicates either the force is getting even more stingy than ever when it comes to buying decent equipment (not hard to imagine) or that the tape has been used several thousand times before and the quality has deteriorated as a result.

Even so I'm able to make a darkened room. I see a table. Standing around the table are four men.

One I recognise straightaway as Michael, looking in quite a bit better condition than he did when I saw him this morning with several bullet holes in him. Next to him is another face I recognise: Nik 'The Slasher' Grogan, one of the city's most notorious hitmen. Rumour has it he's killed people for looking at him wrong. We've been after him for years but, as is usual with really dangerous men who have a tendency to shoot you if you try to arrest them, Nik's evaded arrest.

The camera angle pans a little to the right and I catch sight of the other two people around the table. One is none other than Larry, dressed in a red coat and orange gloves which is probably reason enough for someone to want to kill him. Even if he wasn't standing right next to 'Angry' Adam, personal bodyguard to the Randolphi family of mobsters and all round seriously unpleasant person.

Interesting. So it seems both Michael and Larry have connections with the mob. Where Carlos fits into this I'm not sure but it's something that definitely bears checking up on.

> se
I move southeast.
MAIN AREA
Around me is spread the main area of the police station and it looks slightly less active than Chomslea Park on a wet Sunday afternoon with a curfew in place. Somewhere I can hear a phone ringing but, with this being the place where people phone when they're in desperate need of help, no one seems to be rushing to answer it. A few clerks wander about chatting to themselves, throwing paper aeroplanes at one another and doing whatever it is that clerks do during the hours when they should be working. East lies Captain Slorb's office, northwest is my new office, north the evidence room, northeast an empty office awaiting some poor unsuspecting schmuck and down the lobby. Clancy is here.

> east
I move east.
CAPTAIN SLORB'S OFFICE
Usually this would be the hive of activity within the police station but as Slorb is currently on holiday there isn't a lot going on. An ancient mahogany desk takes up the bulk of the area and the rest seems to be given over to the vast and varied collection of awards Slorb has been given over the years for his expertise in solving dangerous crimes. The main cabinet of gongs is seven feet high, eight feet wide and contains over a hundred of the things. A lesser man might feel humbled by all this. I just feel like sliding open the cabinet door and swiping a few. West lies the main area of the station.

> x computer
Quite why the Captain has got a computer in his office is a mystery. He's one of those cops who fears the modern age and considers anything built after the mid-1700's to be cursed. Seeing a computer - and a brand spanking new one besides - on his desk leaves little chills down my spine.
A closer examination of the screen shows some words there.

> x screen
The words say nothing more than:

"Type waht you want and infromation will be displaed for your kind preusal.

"Please do noy abuse the computor and refrain from typin in words it may not it may not unnerstand.

"SP - any spelling mistaks are purely intentional."

> type michael
The screen displays:

"Widely regarded as an all round lowlife, Michael has an apartment on Balabon Street and is known to frequent a bowling alley in Machorsky Walk."

> type crapone
The screen displays:

"Alice Crapone - head of the Crapone mobster family, one of the city's worst family of serial killers. Though only nine years of age, Alice is reputed to be a sadistic little minx with a vicious streak a mile wide. She is currently studying at the city college for a degree in Murder even though she's several years under the minimum age limit for admission to the college. The college can be found near Copper Row."

> west
I move west.
MAIN AREA
Around me is spread the main area of the police station and it looks slightly less active than Chomslea Park on a wet Sunday afternoon with a curfew in place. Somewhere I can hear a phone ringing but, with this being the place where people phone when they're in desperate need of help, no one seems to be rushing to answer it. A few clerks wander about chatting to themselves, throwing paper aeroplanes at one another and doing whatever it is that clerks do during the hours when they should be working. East lies Captain Slorb's office, northwest is my new office, north the evidence room, northeast an empty office awaiting some poor unsuspecting schmuck and down the lobby. Clancy is here.

> talk to clancy
"Ask away, boss," asks Clancy.

1) Tell me about yourself, Clancy.
2) Do you have any insights you'd care to share with me?
3) Follow me, Clancy.

> 3
"Always happy to do that, boss," says Clancy.
"I should warn you, Clancy, there may be work involved," I say.
Clancy gulps. "I'm aware of that, boss," he says, looking a little queasy.

1) Let me ask you some more questions.

> down
I move down.
LOBBY
The police station lobby is the acceptable face of the police that is shown to the public: hence the lack of torture devices, battered suspects and gun-carrying officers. Instead, a desk runs along one wall, manned by Old Moe (asleep as usual during working hours) and a flight of stairs lead up to the main area of the station behind him. Somewhere around here is the door to the interrogation room but I can't quite remember where. South lies the exit from the station, north my old office and up a flight of stairs. Officer Windle is here. Clancy follows me from above.

> south
I move south.

OUTSIDE POLICE STATION
The police station looks pretty much the same as it has done for the past fifty years, mainly on account of the fact that it hasn't been painted or cleaned in all that time. The front facade looks shabbier than a dead man left lying in the gutter for a fortnight; hardly the sort of thing that inspires you to come into work every day. A flight of steps lead north to the (somewhat) unimposing main doors and, beyond, lies my place of work.
A street winds away to the east and west and the steps are north. My car lurks nearby. Clancy follows me from the north.

> drive to garage
Before I know it, I have arrived. Funny, I don't remember running into anything but there is now a sizeable dent in my bonnet which I could swear wasn't there yesterday.

> out
I leave my car.
OUTSIDE GARAGE
I'm standing on a patch of waste ground in the middle of nowhere. The only building for miles around (if "building" is the right word and not "dump") crouches off to one side: a ramshackle garage that looks like a gust of wind would be all it takes to send it crashing to the ground. From the roof (full of gaping holes where tiles have fallen off or been pinched by thieving magpies) to the walls (just full of gaping holes) this is one sorry looking garage. The door which normally leads inside such places is actually lying on the ground a few feet away from where I stand. The way into the garage is east, the patch of waste ground extends to the north and my car lies in. Clancy follows me.

> east
I move east.
GARAGE
From the inside the garage doesn't look as bad as it did from the outside. Indeed, it's quite cosy what with the carpetted walls and suspicious-looking boxes piled all over the place. There isn't a lot of sign of any of the activity you generally associate with a garage (like cars and engineers) but instead there is just a table in the middle of the floor around which are seated several rugged fellows playing cards. They don't so much as look up at me indicating that they're not bothered about new custom or just don't like the look of me. A door to the north leads to the manager's office and a hole in the wall where there used to be a door to the west leads to the waste ground outside the garage. Clancy follows me from the west.

> talk to morley
"Well, well, one of da boys in blue come to pay me a visit," says Morley. "Look round all you want, officer. I've got nothing to hide."
"Nothing?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
Morley hesitates and amends it to, "well, nothing you ain't gonna find without a warrant. What can do for you, officer?"

1) I'm here to pick up my sidekick's car.
2) I was just in the neighbourhood.
3) I'm here the protection money. Hand it over now!
4) Any new cars I might be interested in?

> 1
"Er, you are?" says Morley and looks worried. He glances to the doorway nervously then looks at me. "Well, I'm sure I don't know anything about a car."
"He's lying, boss!" Clancy protests. "I dropped the car off here myself!"
"Er..." says Morley then just stands there looking uncomfortable.

1) Tell me more about the car, Morley.
2) Okay, you're under arrest.
3) Forget the car. Let's talk about something else.

> 1
"Oh, hell," Morley says and throws his hands up. "I got a call from Mendez Randolphi - he's a, er, 'customer' I sometimes do business with - and he said the car that had just been brought in needed fitting with a special device."

1) Tell me more.

> 1
"He didn't say what the special device was but I figured it must have been some kind of tracking or listening device so he could pick up on what people were saying when they were in the car. He, er, he has a few 'dealings' with the police so he wanted to know what they were saying about him."

1) And where's the car now?

> 1
"Some of Mendez's men came and took it. I think it's at Mendez's mansion now in Machorsky Walk. He said if I ever needed to see him about the car, I was to use the secret entrance in the changing rooms in the nearby bowling alley. I think he feels that the front gates might be watched."

1) What else do you know about Mendez?

> 1
"Nothing," says Morley. "Except that he's got a morbid fear of garlic. Thinks one of his ancestors was some kind of vampire and he might have the taint in his blood. Just about has a fit if anyone comes near him with some garlic."

1) Let me ask you some other questions.

> south
I move south.

GARAGE
From the inside the garage doesn't look as bad as it did from the outside. Indeed, it's quite cosy what with the carpetted walls and suspicious-looking boxes piled all over the place. There isn't a lot of sign of any of the activity you generally associate with a garage (like cars and engineers) but instead there is just a table in the middle of the floor around which are seated several rugged fellows playing cards. They don't so much as look up at me indicating that they're not bothered about new custom or just don't like the look of me. A door to the north leads to the manager's office and a hole in the wall where there used to be a door to the west leads to the waste ground outside the garage. Clancy follows me from the north.

> west
I move west.
OUTSIDE GARAGE
I'm standing on a patch of waste ground in the middle of nowhere. The only building for miles around (if "building" is the right word and not "dump") crouches off to one side: a ramshackle garage that looks like a gust of wind would be all it takes to send it crashing to the ground. From the roof (full of gaping holes where tiles have fallen off or been pinched by thieving magpies) to the walls (just full of gaping holes) this is one sorry looking garage. The door which normally leads inside such places is actually lying on the ground a few feet away from where I stand. The way into the garage is east, the patch of waste ground extends to the north and my car lies in. Clancy follows me from the east.

> north
I move north.

BEHIND GARAGE
The waste ground comes to an end behind the garage at a place where several large sacks have been dumped. From the smell which hangs in the air I'm guessing that whatever's in the sacks isn't very healthy. The ground here is both dusty and muddy in equal parts and walking around for too long is pretty much guaranteed to ruin any shoes I might be wearing. Above me is a window to the manager's office. To the south is the area outside of the garage. Clancy follows me from the south.

> x ground
I give the ground a quick once over and come across nothing more exciting than a pebble. I decide to keep it anyway just so my search won't have been for nothing.

> throw pebble at window
I toss the pebble and it hits the window with a hollow clacking sound and falls back to the ground. Nothing else seems to happen.

> south
I move south.

OUTSIDE GARAGE
I'm standing on a patch of waste ground in the middle of nowhere. The only building for miles around (if "building" is the right word and not "dump") crouches off to one side: a ramshackle garage that looks like a gust of wind would be all it takes to send it crashing to the ground. From the roof (full of gaping holes where tiles have fallen off or been pinched by thieving magpies) to the walls (just full of gaping holes) this is one sorry looking garage. The door which normally leads inside such places is actually lying on the ground a few feet away from where I stand. The way into the garage is east, the patch of waste ground extends to the north and my car lies in. Clancy follows me from the north.

> north
I move north.
MORLEY'S OFFICE
From the girlie calendar on the wall to the desk cluttered with stray papers, this is the typical office you generally expect to see in a garage. It's a very small office and not helped by the sizeable filing cabinet standing in one corner or the four chairs which crowd the battered old desk. A window on the west wall gives a not very interesting view of the area outside the garage. To the south lies the main area of the garage. Morley is here.

"Ah, officer," says Morley. "You got here quick."
"Er," I say, this being the best I can come up with on short notice.
"Some little sod's been throwing pebbles at my window again," Morley explains. "When I catch him I'm gonna take this tyre iron and wrap it round his neck and choke the-" Morley suddenly realises who he's talking to. "And, er, give him a damn good telling off. Make sure he doesn't do it any more. Anyway, I'll be back in a minute so if you could just guard my office and make sure no one ransacks it while I'm gone, it'd be most appreciated." Clancy follows me from the south. Morley rushes off to the south.

> x desk
With Morley not here to stop me, I have a rummage through the junk on his desk. None of it seems very interesting aside from a single sheet of paper on which are scribbled the words: "combination is 3110 I'm sure of it. Best he doesn't learn of what I've discovered before I have chance to sell it to the highest bidder..." The rest of the paper has been torn off.

> drive to chase avenue
When I get to where I'm going, it is to find, quite surprisingly, that I haven't run anybody over or smashed any cars on the way. While this isn't a wholly new occurrence for me, it is one that doesn't happen more than once or twice a year and I feel especially lucky as a result.

> out
I leave my car.
CHASE AVENUE
Chase Avenue lies in the hardest part of the hard part of town. This is the sort of district where the toddlers carry knives as well as dummies and girl guides know a hundred and one ways to choke you. I've been to some lousy places before but none quite so bad as this.
Carlos' house lurks ominously ahead of me, looking for all the world like it's auditioning for a part in Psycho. It's the first time I've seen a house which looks more rundown than my own and believe me that takes some doing. All the windows are either smashed or boarded up, the chimney is hanging off the roof and the door looks to be hanging off its hinges.
Some girl guides lurk nearby, eyeing me with ill-concealed menace. Carlos' house lies north, a dingy alley is northwest, my car is inwards and Chase Avenue extends off to the east and west although quite why I'd want to wander around in this neighbourhood is a mystery in itself. Clancy follows me.

> open door
Using the keys I took from Carlos' body, I open his front door.
A couple of passersby call out "far out, dude! Man's only been dead a few hours and already some honky's breakin' into his joint!"

> north
I move north.

LOUNGE
The main room of Carlos' house (for want of a better word to describe it) is a jumbled mess of broken furniture, smashed up boxes and crates and rolls of carpet that look like they've been lying here for years. In one corner is a TV although from the way the screen is hanging at an angle I doubt it's got much chance of working again. There is an unpleasant smell emanating from somewhere in the room but I'm not able to place it. Either Carlos owns the record for having the most untidy house in history or someone has recently ransacked this place. Doors (mostly broken and hanging from the hinges) lead off northwest to the kitchen, northeast to the bedroom and east to the bathroom. The front door stands open to the south. Clancy follows me from the south.

> x carpet
Five rolls of carpet in all, all the same colour and all coming from the same carpet store - Bagleys on Morping Road. I wonder why Carlos would have five lots of carpet lying around like this and can only conclude he was some kind of carpet fetishist.

> nw
I move northwest.
KITCHEN
The terrible smell of burnt meat is always present in Carlos' kitchen although it's somewhat overpowered by the stench of spilt milk. Piled high on the grubby sink are a stack of unwashed pots that look like they've been sitting here for months if not years. Light from a cracked window illuminates the worst stains on the pots and, believe me, they could certainly do without the illuminating. A set of (battered) cabinets above the (broken) washer and a (rusty) fridge complete what is without a doubt the most unhygienic kitchen I have ever set foot into and considering that my own would hardly win awards for cleanliness that is really saying something. The lounge lies to the southeast. Clancy follows me from the south-east.

> open cabinets
One of the cabinets is locked and no amount of wrenching the handle, kicking or swearing bloody murder will get it open. Another is open but contains nothing more than the usual garbage strewn around Carlos' house so I go on to the third and final cabinet. And find a button attached to the wall. There's no label on the button or anything else to indicate just what it does so if I'm the curious type I'm just going to have to press it and see what happens…

> push button
I tap on it - and hear a ladder drop down from the roof to the alley outside the kitchen window.

> se
I move southeast.
LOUNGE
The main room of Carlos' house (for want of a better word to describe it) is a jumbled mess of broken furniture, smashed up boxes and crates and rolls of carpet that look like they've been lying here for years. In one corner is a TV although from the way the screen is hanging at an angle I doubt it's got much chance of working again. There is an unpleasant smell emanating from somewhere in the room but I'm not able to place it. Either Carlos owns the record for having the most untidy house in history or someone has recently ransacked this place. Doors (mostly broken and hanging from the hinges) lead off northwest to the kitchen, northeast to the bedroom and east to the bathroom. The front door stands open to the south. Clancy follows me from the north-west.

> ne
I move northeast.
BEDROOM
If the rest of the house was a mess, then this would be classed as a bomb site. How Carlos can live in such conditions is a mystery (although in his current state it's probably not bothering him a whole lot). It looks like someone has gone mad in here with several gallons of multicoloured paint and done a number on the bed, chest of drawers, wardrobe and window. One wall used to hold a full length mirror but someone with a penchant for smashing things obviously took a dislike to it and now bits of it are lying scattered all over the floor making walking around in here quite treacherous. And lying on the floor in a pool of spreading blood is the dead body of the man who tried to kill me. Doorways lead southwest to the lounge and south to the bathroom. Clancy follows me from the south-west.

> open wardrobe
My feet cunningly protected by the heavy duty boots I'm wearing, I cross over to the wardrobe, swing it open and find myself face to face with the world's trendiest jacket. Reverently, I take it down from the rack and marvel at it. Quite how someone like Carlos could afford a jacket like this is a mystery but as he won't be wanting it any more, it would be a shame to let it go to waste.
"You're not pinching that jacket, are you, boss?" pipes up my ever-helpful assistant. "'Cos that'd be… that'd be theft, boss!"
"Of course I'm not pinching it, Clancy," I say hastily. "It's just, er… helping me with my enquiries."
"A jacket?"
"Yes, Clancy. A jacket."
Clancy doesn't say anything else but I can tell from the way he's looking at me that he suspects something is amiss here.
But I don't let that stop me from perusing my jack- er, the jacket helping me with my enquiries. As I'm studying it, I notice a couple of lines of text down one sleeve.

> x text
The lines read: "Clue - my third is in bird but not in chick, guess the solution and all will click". A vital clue I'm sure, although the poetry could certainly use a little fine tuning.

> wear jacket
I put on the trendy jacket.

> x chest of drawers
This looks like the sort of thing you'd be able to pick up a jumble sale for a tenth of its true value - and still be ripped off. From the battered way its slumped against the wall, I'd guess Carlos isn't any more gentle with his furniture than he is with the rest of his house. There is one drawer in the chest that isn't opened.

> open drawers
The glass underfoot unable to harm me due to the heavy duty boots I'm wearing, I cross over to the chest of drawers and open the final, unopened drawer. Now, if I was expecting to find some big revelation inside that would help me to complete my case in record time I'm sure to be disappointed. However, if I was expecting to see a key marked "drawer" then I'm dead right. I swipe the drawer key and shove it in my pocket on the off chance it comes in handy then shut the drawer again.
"Isn't that theft, boss?" Clancy asks.
"No, Clancy," I reply. "It's only theft when it's a member of the public stealing things. When I do it, it's called 'following an unusual course to bring the case to a satisfactory conclusion."
Clancy considers this then says, "oh".

> sw
I move southwest.
LOUNGE
The main room of Carlos' house (for want of a better word to describe it) is a jumbled mess of broken furniture, smashed up boxes and crates and rolls of carpet that look like they've been lying here for years. In one corner is a TV although from the way the screen is hanging at an angle I doubt it's got much chance of working again. There is an unpleasant smell emanating from somewhere in the room but I'm not able to place it. Either Carlos owns the record for having the most untidy house in history or someone has recently ransacked this place. Doors (mostly broken and hanging from the hinges) lead off northwest to the kitchen, northeast to the bedroom and east to the bathroom. The front door stands open to the south. Clancy follows me from the north-east.

> south
I move south.

CHASE AVENUE
Chase Avenue lies in the hardest part of the hard part of town. This is the sort of district where the toddlers carry knives as well as dummies and girl guides know a hundred and one ways to choke you. I've been to some lousy places before but none quite so bad as this.
Carlos' house lurks ominously ahead of me, looking for all the world like it's auditioning for a part in Psycho. It's the first time I've seen a house which looks more rundown than my own and believe me that takes some doing. All the windows are either smashed or boarded up, the chimney is hanging off the roof and the door looks to be hanging off its hinges.
Some girl guides lurk nearby, eyeing me with ill-concealed menace. Carlos' house lies north, a dingy alley is northwest, my car is inwards and Chase Avenue extends off to the east and west although quite why I'd want to wander around in this neighbourhood is a mystery in itself. Clancy follows me from the north.

> nw
I move northwest.
ALLEY
I'm in an alley at the side of Carlos' house which leans rather alarmingly at an angle. One good kick in the wrong place and I could well imagine it collapsing right into the alley. There are several dumpsters here, all of which are full to the brim and don't look like they've been emptied in weeks, if ever. No doubt as a result of me banging that button in the kitchen, a ladder has dropped from the roof and dangles a few feet above one of the dumpsters. The unmistakeable stench of filth exudes from every pore of the alley and it's all I can do not to add my breakfast to it. As soon as I'm out of here the better. Chase Avenue lies to the southeast (and not a moment too soon) and the roof of Carlos' house lies up. Clancy follows me from the south-east.

> up
I climb up the ladder and find myself on the:
ROOF
From the roof of Carlos' house, I get a wonderful and inspiring view of the locale in which he lives: I can see muggers plying their trade, school kids breaking into a bank further up the street, an old woman throwing a thug down some steps…
The roof itself is pretty much barren aside from a chalk figure someone has drawn by the chimney. What it represents I don't know. A ladder leads down to the alley. Clancy follows me from below.

> x figure
Usually these are drawn where murder victims have lain to give officers an indication of where the dead body was once it's been carted away (it generally not being a good idea to leave corpses lying around until the crime has been solved. They tend to smell after the first week or two.) What it indicates here I'm not sure: the figure has only one hand (curiously shaped as well and something about it strikes me as curious), and two heads. Maybe ET's brother met an unfortunate end up here at some distant time in the past. But as alien murders don't fall under my jurisdiction it's one crime I thankfully won't be called upon to solve.

> x hand
Bending down, I examine the hand and notice that two of the fingers are pointing to the edge of the roof. Either that, or the chalk figure is making a rude gesture at me.

> x edge
Following the pointing fingers of the chalk figure, I cross to the edge of the roof and study it as best I can. What I'm supposed to be looking for isn't at first obvious but when I push a loose stone to one side and a severed finger falls out, it's pretty obvious this is what I was being directed to. Why is another matter.

> get finger
I take the finger.

> blow whistle
The moment I blow the whistle, it's amazing how everything changes. The muggers take one look at me standing on the roof and scram; the school kids halt what they're doing and instead break out their homework assignments and start discussing algebra; the old woman reaches out a hand and helps up the thug she was trying to murder, then invites him in for a nice cup of tea.
It feels good to make a difference.

> down
I move down.
ALLEY
I'm in an alley at the side of Carlos' house which leans rather alarmingly at an angle. One good kick in the wrong place and I could well imagine it collapsing right into the alley. There are several dumpsters here, all of which are full to the brim and don't look like they've been emptied in weeks, if ever. No doubt as a result of me banging that button in the kitchen, a ladder has dropped from the roof and dangles a few feet above one of the dumpsters. The unmistakeable stench of filth exudes from every pore of the alley and it's all I can do not to add my breakfast to it. As soon as I'm out of here the better. Chase Avenue lies to the southeast (and not a moment too soon) and the roof of Carlos' house lies up. Clancy follows me from above.

> se
I move southeast.
CHASE AVENUE
Chase Avenue lies in the hardest part of the hard part of town. This is the sort of district where the toddlers carry knives as well as dummies and girl guides know a hundred and one ways to choke you. I've been to some lousy places before but none quite so bad as this.
Carlos' house lurks ominously ahead of me, looking for all the world like it's auditioning for a part in Psycho. It's the first time I've seen a house which looks more rundown than my own and believe me that takes some doing. All the windows are either smashed or boarded up, the chimney is hanging off the roof and the door looks to be hanging off its hinges.
Some girl guides lurk nearby, eyeing me with ill-concealed menace. Carlos' house lies north, a dingy alley is northwest, my car is inwards and Chase Avenue extends off to the east and west although quite why I'd want to wander around in this neighbourhood is a mystery in itself. Clancy follows me from the north-west.

> drive to japantown
On my drive across town, I make record time. The lights were for me all the way - a straight line of beautiful red - and so I didn't have to stop once. Great the way things turn out like that sometimes.

> out
I leave my car.
JAPANTOWN
A pall of smog hangs over the whole of Japantown. Whether this is due to the large number of Japanese restaurants or the large number of burning police cars I can't really tell. Japantown is pretty much a law unto itself and that law doesn't include cops who can't trace their ancestry back to at least five Japanese families of high regard.
A narrow road leads up to a large square not far away but right now I'm feeling a little non-Japanese and, as such, a little non-safe. North lies the square (and my potential death if I'm not careful) and in lies the safe haven of my car. Clancy follows me.

> north
I move north.

HING TONG YANG MING SQUARE
Lit by a bonfire on which roast at least two dozen police cars, Hing Tong Yang Ming Square is the thriving heart of Japantown. Literally hundreds of market stalls selling every kind of rubbish you'd never want to buy stretch away as far as the eye can see (or about fifty feet in every direction if the truth be told). Looming over everything is a monument dedicated to Poo Wee Plop, a local Japanese hero. I find myself with directions galore to choose from: north to a dark alley, northeast to Mertle Avenue, northwest to what look like some roadworks, west to a massive warehouse, east to the trendiest nightclub in town - The Ritz - and south to where my car is parked. Clancy follows me from the south.

> east
I move east.
OUTSIDE THE RITZ
Undoubtedly the swankiest nightclub the city has to offer, The Ritz is the place to be. If you're anyone, this is the place you come to be with everyone else who is anyone. If you're no one, you probably don't even know the place exists... Myself, I've never set foot inside the dive in my life.
Several thuggish-looking minders stand on either side of the main doors and look seriously unlikely to let anyone in without a very good reason or a very large amount of cash. Beyond them, the sound of uncontrolled mayhem erupts from time to time. East lies the insides of the club, west the square. Clancy follows me from the west.

> east
The minders take one look at my trendy jacket and immediately throw several other partygoers out of the way to make room for me.
"Chill!" one of them says as I pass by into the club.

THE RITZ
Judging by the look of things, The Ritz occupies roughly the size of a large city block and contains nearly twice as many people. No doubt there's a bar in here somewhere but I'm damned if I can see where it is. People either in the throes of epileptic fits or dancing (it's hard to tell which) make a fool of themselves all about me. I, needless to say, maintain my ever present cool and just bop along to the music from time to time. The way out is west and the rest of the nightclub spreads out to east, southeast and south. Clancy follows me from the west.

> south
I move south.

THE RITZ
Surrounded on all sides by madmen dancing to the beat and 'gettin wiv it', I scan frantically for an oasis of calm in all this insanity. Unfortunately all I see are more madmen 'gettin' wiv it'. Time I made my move out of here. North, northeast, east, southeast and south lie open to me. Clancy follows me from the north.

> south
I move south.

THE RITZ
The crowd of manic dancers part for a moment and I catch sight of the club toilets to the southwest. Leading to it is the longest queue of people I have seen since the day the Mayor gave out free money if you lynched a biker. Judging by the state of things, it might be quicker to go home and use the toilet there. The toilets are southwest and the dancefloor to the north, northeast and east. Clancy follows me from the north.

> sw
I try to go southwest but the crowd blocking the toilets doesn't seem to want to move.

> wave badge
The moment I wave my badge, it's like the parting of the Red Sea. The queue to the toilets mysteriously disappears as people remember "prior engagements" and have "other places they have to be". I take this opportunity to sneak into the toilets before someone questions whether a man with a police badge really has the right to throw his weight around like this.
TOILETS
I could go into great detail here and describe the overpowering stench of the toilets, the way there are numerous individuals using the nearest wall as a urinal, how several others are snorting drugs and how the floor is ankle-deep in pi-
But I don't really there's any need for that. Suffice to say, the toilets are the most disgusting place I've ever been in - my own house not counting here - and, due to the noise of the flushing sounds from various cubicles, one of the loudest. The way back to normality lies northeast. Clancy follows me from the north-east.

> knock on cubicles
I bang on the final cubicle and an irate voice yells out at me: "gods above! Can't I even do my business in peace!"

1) This is the police! Get your sorry ass out of there!
2) I'm the club toilet cleaner. I need to come in an unblock that toilet you're using.
3) Are you the guy who's been sleeping with my wife?

> 2
"Oh... Christ!" the irate voice mutters. "Geez, I've only been in here three hours and already they're calling in the cleaners. Look, pal, there ain't nothin' wrong with my bowels that $500,000 of surgery won't cure."
"Just doing my job, pal," I say in my best snivelling voice.
A moment later the toilet opens and - amidst a smell that a rabid skunk would die for - a short, red-faced man storms out of the toilet. He doesn't even look at me. He just goes thundering out of the toilets, muttering and cursing as he goes.
The way to the toilet - in a rough southerly direction - seems to be open.

> south
I move south.

THE WORST CUBICLE THAT EVER EXISTED
From the urine-drenched walls to the unspeakable messes fouling the floor, this is undoubtedly the worst cubicle in the world. I've seen some dumps in my time - my own house being foremost in my mind - but nothing prepares you for this sort of thing. The stench alone is enough to make your eyes water. I shudder to think just how many diseases are floating around in the air but I'll probably find out very soon if I haven't taken adequate precautions beforehand. There is a single toilet here although more than that I daren't comment on. North lies out of this hellhole. Also here is a crowbar. Clancy follows me from the north.

> get crowbar
I take the crowbar.

> north
I move north.

TOILETS
I could go into great detail here and describe the overpowering stench of the toilets, the way there are numerous individuals using the nearest wall as a urinal, how several others are snorting drugs and how the floor is ankle-deep in pi-
But I don't really there's any need for that. Suffice to say, the toilets are the most disgusting place I've ever been in - my own house not counting here - and, due to the noise of the flushing sounds from various cubicles, one of the loudest. The way back to normality lies northeast and the only available cubicle in the place is due south. Clancy follows me from the south.

> ne
I move northeast.
THE RITZ
The crowd of manic dancers part for a moment and I catch sight of the club toilets to the southwest. Leading to it is the longest queue of people I have seen since the day the Mayor gave out free money if you lynched a biker. Judging by the state of things, it might be quicker to go home and use the toilet there. The toilets are southwest and the dancefloor to the north, northeast and east. Clancy follows me from the south-west.

> east
I move east.
THE RITZ
Sandwiched between two large ladies (large in that they weigh nearly half a tonne between them) I feel quite overcome by the heady aroma of their perfume and look frantically for an exit. Fortunately, several avail themselves. To the west, northwest, north, northeast and east. Clancy follows me from the west.

> east
I move east.
THE RITZ
I have reached the far southeastern corner of the nightclub and find myself faced with a large door. A larged locked door that is. And one guarded by two definitely unfriendly bodyguards who look down on me in pretty much the same way I might look down on a bug I was planning to squash into the sidewalk. The din from the rest of the nightclub is still overpowering here but it seems somehow quietened by the presence of the bodyguards. The locked door lies east and the rest of the nightclub is to the north, northwest and west. Clancy follows me from the west.

> east
I move east - only to find my way blocked by the bodyguards.
"No one goes in the manager's office except the manager," says one, "and you ain't him, pal, so beat it!"

> arrest bodyguards
The bodyguards shy away from me.
"Er, maybe we made a mistake, officer," one says nervously. "What say we let you into the office and you don't arrest us?"
"I think we have a deal," I say.
The other bodyguard hurries over and opens the door for me.

MANAGER'S OFFICE
Some places just scream 'class' at you. This is one of them. Most of the office is taken up with an old oak desk on top of which are a TV and a stereo system. The walls are lined with expensive portraits of previous owners of the club and priceless works of art. One painting in particular - that of a policeman being hung - catches my attention though I can't be sure why. A single window about the size of my house overlooks Hing Tong Yang Ming Square. A door leads west to the nightclub. Clancy follows me from the west.

> x desk
The TV and the stereo system I ignore because they look pretty much your standard models. The desk I concentrate on.
Alas, there isn't really a lot to see. Several months paperwork, a collection of unpaid parking tickets, some unpaid bills, a bag of crisps...
Oh, and the smoking pistol. I pick up this last item because it seems slightly out of place in these lavish surroundings. From the look of things, it seems to have been fired recently.
There's nothing else very interesting about the desk aside from a single drawer on the left hand side.

> open drawer
I insert the drawer key I took from Carlos' house into the drawer - and am very very disappointed to find it doesn't fit. Damn. I was sure I was onto something there.

> drop drawer key
I drop the drawer key.

> open drawer
Using the crowbar I found lying on the floor of the worst cubicle in the world, I manage to force open the drawer. In doing so I succeed in breaking it but as the man who uses this office is well and truly dead, I don't anyone will be lodging complaints against me.
For my troubles, I find myself staring at an empty drawer. Empty, that is, aside from a diamond necklace. Knowing that no good will come of leaving it lying around here I stash it in my pocket for later perusal.

> get drawer key
I take the drawer key.

> move painting
Acting on one of my ever reliable hunches, I move the painting a few inches to one side - and discover a hidden safe behind it.

> x drawer
Taped to the side of the drawer is a piece of paper which at first looks like a poem but upon closer inspection turns out to be nothing of the sort:

The first is the number of moons that Pluto has
The second the number of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The third is the middle number in a baker's dozen
The fourth relates to the fourth letter of the alphabet

The drawer seems to be locked.

> 247d
The moment I key in the final digit in the combination, the safe springs open!

Out of it falls... not a lot really. No cascade of jewels, no wads of cash in easy to carry bundles. Just some pearls and $10. I can't help feeling more than a little disappointed by all of this.

> west
The bodyguards must be psychic because as I approach the door, one of them opens it and ushers me out into the club.

THE RITZ
I have reached the far southeastern corner of the nightclub and find myself faced with a large door. A larged locked door that is. And one guarded by two definitely unfriendly bodyguards who look down on me in pretty much the same way I might look down on a bug I was planning to squash into the sidewalk. The din from the rest of the nightclub is still overpowering here but it seems somehow quietened by the presence of the bodyguards. The locked door lies east and the rest of the nightclub is to the north, northwest and west. Clancy follows me from the east.

> west
I move west.
THE RITZ
Sandwiched between two large ladies (large in that they weigh nearly half a tonne between them) I feel quite overcome by the heady aroma of their perfume and look frantically for an exit. Fortunately, several avail themselves. To the west, northwest, north, northeast and east. Clancy follows me from the east.

> west
I move west.
THE RITZ
The crowd of manic dancers part for a moment and I catch sight of the club toilets to the southwest. Leading to it is the longest queue of people I have seen since the day the Mayor gave out free money if you lynched a biker. Judging by the state of things, it might be quicker to go home and use the toilet there. The toilets are southwest and the dancefloor to the north, northeast and east. Clancy follows me from the east.

> north
I move north.

THE RITZ
Surrounded on all sides by madmen dancing to the beat and 'gettin wiv it', I scan frantically for an oasis of calm in all this insanity. Unfortunately all I see are more madmen 'gettin' wiv it'. Time I made my move out of here. North, northeast, east, southeast and south lie open to me. Clancy follows me from the south.

> north
I move north.

THE RITZ
Judging by the look of things, The Ritz occupies roughly the size of a large city block and contains nearly twice as many people. No doubt there's a bar in here somewhere but I'm damned if I can see where it is. People either in the throes of epileptic fits or dancing (it's hard to tell which) make a fool of themselves all about me. I, needless to say, maintain my ever present cool and just bop along to the music from time to time. The way out is west and the rest of the nightclub spreads out to east, southeast and south. Clancy follows me from the south.

> west
I move west.
OUTSIDE THE RITZ

Undoubtedly the swankiest nightclub the city has to offer, The Ritz is the place to be. If you're anyone, this is the place you come to be with everyone else who is anyone. If you're no one, you probably don't even know the place exists... Myself, I've never set foot inside the dive in my life.
Several thuggish-looking minders stand on either side of the main doors and look seriously unlikely to let anyone in without a very good reason or a very large amount of cash. Beyond them, the sound of uncontrolled mayhem erupts from time to time. East lies the insides of the club, west the square. Clancy follows me from the east.

> west
I move west.
HING TONG YANG MING SQUARE
Lit by a bonfire on which roast at least two dozen police cars, Hing Tong Yang Ming Square is the thriving heart of Japantown. Literally hundreds of market stalls selling every kind of rubbish you'd never want to buy stretch away as far as the eye can see (or about fifty feet in every direction if the truth be told). Looming over everything is a monument dedicated to Poo Wee Plop, a local Japanese hero. I find myself with directions galore to choose from: north to a dark alley, northeast to Mertle Avenue, northwest to what look like some roadworks, west to a massive warehouse, east to the trendiest nightclub in town - The Ritz - and south to where my car is parked. Clancy follows me from the east.

> ne
I move northeast.
MERTLE AVENUE
The street comes to an end here at a quaint cul de sac. Tall trees (unusual in Japantown to see them without a police man hanging from one of the branches) stand on either side of the road. At the very end of the road is a single house, small and somehow frightening in appearance with red pebble-dashing over the walls. To the north is the house and the southwest lies Hing Tong Yang Ming Square. Clancy follows me from the south-west.

> open door
Using the key marked (of all things) "drawer key", I succeed in getting the front door of the house open.

> north
I move north.

CARLOS' GRANNY'S HOUSE
From the overpowering aroma of cats that pervades this small dwelling it's easy to guess that the inhabitant is an elderly woman. That, and the unbelievably large piles of knitted garments which cover every surface, wall and (on a few occasions) the ceiling. Peeking out from under the garments are a TV and a table although what else might be around is hidden by mounds of knitting. Of Carlos' granny there is no sign. South lies Mertle Avenue. Lying on one of the piles of knitting is a letter. Clancy follows me from the south.

> x light fittings
Moving aside some knitted garments hanging from the light fittings, I make out what appears to be some writing.

> read writing
It reads (in very, very small print):

"Granny,

"Hope you are still well and not at all worried by the telephone calls threatening brutal murder if you don't tell the bad guys where I am. Not to worry. Everything will be taken care of soon. Only another forty-three death-defying days to go through and I'll be in the clear.

"No time to say much here due to the lack of space on your light fittings but if anything happens to me like I wind up massacred or my head shows up in the mail or something along those lines, you should give what I've hidden to the police. I put it in the cabinet in the corner and hid it behind a load of knitted garments. It's hidden away pretty well and I doubt anyone who didn't know what they were looking for would be able to find it. But search the room and you'll have no problem.

"No time to write anything further. I've got a meeting with a sadistic criminal overlord who would shoot me dead in a second if he suspected the truth about me.

"Your loving grandson, Carlos."

> search room
Following the instructions on the light fittings, I make a quick search of the room and, sure enough, find the cabinet in the corner hidden beneath a mass of knitted garments. Opening the cabinet proves to be more of a problem due to the large number of garments that have got jammed in front of the door but after I hit upon the ingenious method of moving them I soon hit the jackpot. Inside the cabinet is a dossier which I take with me.

> south
I move south.

MERTLE AVENUEThe street comes to an end here at a quaint cul de sac. Tall trees (unusual in Japantown to see them without a police man hanging from one of the branches) stand on either side of the road. At the very end of the road is a single house, small and somehow frightening in appearance with red pebble-dashing over the walls. To the north is the house and the southwest lies Hing Tong Yang Ming Square. Clancy follows me from the north.

> sw
I move southwest.
HING TONG YANG MING SQUARE
Lit by a bonfire on which roast at least two dozen police cars, Hing Tong Yang Ming Square is the thriving heart of Japantown. Literally hundreds of market stalls selling every kind of rubbish you'd never want to buy stretch away as far as the eye can see (or about fifty feet in every direction if the truth be told). Looming over everything is a monument dedicated to Poo Wee Plop, a local Japanese hero. I find myself with directions galore to choose from: north to a dark alley, northeast to Mertle Avenue, northwest to what look like some roadworks, west to a massive warehouse, east to the trendiest nightclub in town - The Ritz - and south to where my car is parked. Clancy follows me from the north-east.

> south
I move south.

JAPANTOWN
A pall of smog hangs over the whole of Japantown. Whether this is due to the large number of Japanese restaurants or the large number of burning police cars I can't really tell. Japantown is pretty much a law unto itself and that law doesn't include cops who can't trace their ancestry back to at least five Japanese families of high regard.
A narrow road leads up to a large square not far away but right now I'm feeling a little non-Japanese and, as such, a little non-safe. North lies the square (and my potential death if I'm not careful) and in lies the safe haven of my car. Clancy follows me from the north.

> drive to minsc grove
I spend most of the drive across town stuck behind a tractor and when the opportunity to overtake him comes along, I do so. Then spend ten minutes writing him a ticket for speed violations as a way of getting my own back.

> out
I leave my car.
MINSC GROVEWith stormclouds gathering overhead on a seemingly permanent basis, Minsc Grove is not one of my favourite spots in the city. The road is lined with burnt-out cars and abandoned houses and rumours persist that if you venture here after the hours of darkness, you learn just how unfriendly the locals can be. With their pitchforks...
I can make out a few undamaged buildings around that have either had the fortune to escape the rampant vandalism of the Grove or are just the next on the list. Weirdest sight of all is what looks like a massive tower rising somewhere off in the distance. To the west is a rundown supermarket, north lies the sole block of flats still standing, northeast is the road to the tower and in lies my car. Clancy follows me.

> ne
I move northeast.
DARK & WINDING PATH
The road leaving Minsc Grove also leaves behind much of its tarmac and ends up as this dismal-looking path, flanked on both sides by tall hedges. Looming majestically to the northeast - though quite a way off yet - is a tower of truly gigantic proportions. Quite why anyone would choose to build a tower out here is a mystery but it's a mystery I'm yearning to solve. Minsc Grove lies southwest and the path to the tower northeast. Clancy follows me from the south-west.

> ne
I move northeast.
DARK & WINDING PATH
This part of the path seems pretty much the same as the last part, and the next part. Whoever designed this place sure knew a lot about spooky locations but their skills in variety were definitely lacking. A way to the southwest is Minsc Grove while the tower still looms to the northeast. Clancy follows me from the south-west.

> ne
I move northeast.
DARK & WINDING PATH
I seem to be just over halfway along the dark & winding path and getting more than a little tired of the unchanging scenery. The hedges seem the exact same here as they did in the last location I visited and, I suspect, will be the exact same in the next one I visit. Northeast lies the tower, southwest (although hardly visible now) is Minsc Grove. Clancy follows me from the south-west.

> ne
I move northeast.
DARK & WINDING PATH
The dark tower looms not far away now, taking up most of the sky with its massive frame. I wonder again at the mentality of building a tower out here in the middle of nowhere and also wonder at how much such a thing would have taken to build. One thing's for sure, whoever built it must have been some kind of demented genius. The tower lies east and the dark & winding path winds darkly away to the southwest. Clancy follows me from the south-west.

> east
I move east.
OUTSIDE THE DARK TOWER
The sheer size of the tower is overwhelming: it seems to stretch up impossibly high into the sky and contains literally hundreds and hundreds and stories. It also looks a little... unreal. As if it isn't quite all there. Imposing steps lead up to the main doors of the tower and from where I'm standing I can see what looks like a note pinned to them. For all its size, the tower is surprisingly quiet and I can't see a single light on in the whole place. West lies the end of the dark & winding path and up lie the main doors. Clancy follows me from the west.

> up
I move up.
MAIN DOORS
All is quiet as I stand before the looming monstrosity that is the dark tower. From here it seems to occupy almost all of my vision and no matter how hard I strain my neck back I'm unable to see the top of it (if, indeed, it has a top. In a game like this, who knows?) Before me stand the main doors of the tower and even a casual glance tells me they are locked. Pinned to them is a note. I can go down to the area outside the tower. Clancy follows me from below.

> x note
I read:

"Due to unforeseen delays, the dark tower isn't officially open yet. Please try again in A.L.D.F.A."

"PS - just so you don't think you've come all this way for nothing, the first letter you need is L."

"Thank you for your trouble."

> down
I move down.
OUTSIDE THE DARK TOWER
The sheer size of the tower is overwhelming: it seems to stretch up impossibly high into the sky and contains literally hundreds and hundreds and stories. It also looks a little... unreal. As if it isn't quite all there. Imposing steps lead up to the main doors of the tower and from where I'm standing I can see what looks like a note pinned to them. For all its size, the tower is surprisingly quiet and I can't see a single light on in the whole place. West lies the end of the dark & winding path and up lie the main doors. Clancy follows me from above.

> west
I move west.
DARK & WINDING PATH
The dark tower looms not far away now, taking up most of the sky with its massive frame. I wonder again at the mentality of building a tower out here in the middle of nowhere and also wonder at how much such a thing would have taken to build. One thing's for sure, whoever built it must have been some kind of demented genius. The tower lies east and the dark & winding path winds darkly away to the southwest. Clancy follows me from the east.

> sw
I move southwest.
DARK & WINDING PATH
I seem to be just over halfway along the dark & winding path and getting more than a little tired of the unchanging scenery. The hedges seem the exact same here as they did in the last location I visited and, I suspect, will be the exact same in the next one I visit. Northeast lies the tower, southwest (although hardly visible now) is Minsc Grove. Clancy follows me from the north-east.

> sw
I move southwest.
DARK & WINDING PATH
This part of the path seems pretty much the same as the last part, and the next part. Whoever designed this place sure knew a lot about spooky locations but their skills in variety were definitely lacking. A way to the southwest is Minsc Grove while the tower still looms to the northeast. Clancy follows me from the north-east.

> sw
I move southwest.
DARK & WINDING PATH
The road leaving Minsc Grove also leaves behind much of its tarmac and ends up as this dismal-looking path, flanked on both sides by tall hedges. Looming majestically to the northeast - though quite a way off yet - is a tower of truly gigantic proportions. Quite why anyone would choose to build a tower out here is a mystery but it's a mystery I'm yearning to solve. Minsc Grove lies southwest and the path to the tower northeast. Clancy follows me from the north-east.

> sw
I move southwest.
MINSC GROVE
With stormclouds gathering overhead on a seemingly permanent basis, Minsc Grove is not one of my favourite spots in the city. The road is lined with burnt-out cars and abandoned houses and rumours persist that if you venture here after the hours of darkness, you learn just how unfriendly the locals can be. With their pitchforks...
I can make out a few undamaged buildings around that have either had the fortune to escape the rampant vandalism of the Grove or are just the next on the list. Weirdest sight of all is what looks like a massive tower rising somewhere off in the distance. To the west is a rundown supermarket, north lies the sole block of flats still standing, northeast is the road to the tower and in lies my car. Clancy follows me from the north-east.

> west
I move west.
SUPERMARKET
Though most of the shelves are either empty, on fire or missing in action (i.e. stolen by the locals), this supermarket is a thriving business. The aisles are packed with shoppers and the cries of old aged pensioners as they fight over the last packet of weetabix is enough to drive anyone mad. To make matters worse, only one person is serving: a pasty-faced girl wearing too much makeup and alternatively operating the till and yelling abuse at customers. To the east lies Minsc Grove. Clancy follows me from the east.

> talk to girl
"The name's Jolene," says the girl. "I ain't answerin' to anythin' else so get used to it or get the hell out."
A hulking fellow looms behind me and grabs me in a neckhold. "This fellow botherin' yer, Jolene, love?" he grunts.
"Nah," says Jolene, "but throw him out on his ass anyway."
I struggle vainly as the ape drags me to the supermarket doors and throws me out into the street.

MINSC GROVE
With stormclouds gathering overhead on a seemingly permanent basis, Minsc Grove is not one of my favourite spots in the city. The road is lined with burnt-out cars and abandoned houses and rumours persist that if you venture here after the hours of darkness, you learn just how unfriendly the locals can be. With their pitchforks...
I can make out a few undamaged buildings around that have either had the fortune to escape the rampant vandalism of the Grove or are just the next on the list. Weirdest sight of all is what looks like a massive tower rising somewhere off in the distance. To the west is a rundown supermarket, north lies the sole block of flats still standing, northeast is the road to the tower and in lies my car. Clancy follows me from the west.

> talk to jolene
"What d'you wanna know, pal?" Jolene asks.

1) What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?
2) Where did you hulking friend disappear to?
3) Fancy a date?
4) I've got a hankering for some chocolate. Have you got any to sell?
5) [going down on one knee] Jolene, marry me! I think I'm in love!

> 4
"Sure, I've got one box left. Special offer - just $4."

1) I'll take it.
2) Any chance you could lower the price?
3) Sorry. Not interested.

> 1
"Here you are," says Jolene as she takes the money, slips it into her back pocket and hands me the chocolates.

> 1
"It's a long story," says Jolene.
"I've got time," I say.
"Oh, Christ!" mutters someone who's been standing in the queue for the past six hours with a can of baked beans.
"Shuttit!" Jolene snarls at him. She turns back to me. "I was raised on a small farm in Montana by my parents, a couple of rustic country folk who never really knew what happened in the modern world. Then one day..."

1) They died?
2) You decided life on the farm wasn't for you and decided to leave?

> 1
"No, you jackass!" she snaps. "They didn't die. They were murdered."
A hush falls over the supermarket.
"Murdered?" I say.
Jolene nods. "By the Martians."

1) Your parents were murdered by aliens from outer space?
2) Tell me more...

> 2
"So anyway, the Martians - a family of brutal drifters who passed through town from time to time - murdered my parents. I swore to get revenge. I've been working at my revenge ever since. Sometimes I seem to be catching up with them, other times I seem to be falling further behind. But I'll get them one day, I know I will." Jolene hesitates then glances at me. "Or maybe a knight in shining armour will get revenge on them for me."

1) It would be an honour.
2) A knight in shining armour. Around here? Yeah, right.

> 1
"Come let me know the moment you get those swines," Jolene says, "and I'll be very grateful to you."
Even the lecherous catcalls of half the customers in the supermarket can't ruin this splendid moment although one old guy's heavy breathing comes close.

1) Let's talk about something else.

> east
I move east.
MINSC GROVE
With stormclouds gathering overhead on a seemingly permanent basis, Minsc Grove is not one of my favourite spots in the city. The road is lined with burnt-out cars and abandoned houses and rumours persist that if you venture here after the hours of darkness, you learn just how unfriendly the locals can be. With their pitchforks...
I can make out a few undamaged buildings around that have either had the fortune to escape the rampant vandalism of the Grove or are just the next on the list. Weirdest sight of all is what looks like a massive tower rising somewhere off in the distance. To the west is a rundown supermarket, north lies the sole block of flats still standing, northeast is the road to the tower and in lies my car. Clancy follows me from the west.

> north
I move north.

BLOCK OF FLATS
I'm in the bomb-blasted reception area of the city's seediest block of flats. This is the sort of place that not even beggars would live in and even the roaches tend to give it a wide berth. A flickering neon sign over what used to be the reception desk displays (very badly) the name of this block. Doorways lead off throughout the building and both an elevator and a flight of stairs lead up to different floors but considering the way the block seems to rock from side to side with every gust of wind, I'm not too sure whether venturing anywhere is a good idea. Doorways lead off west, northwest and north into the building, a flight of stairs lead up, an elevator is east and Minsc Grove lies back to the south. Clancy follows me from the south.

> south
I move south.
MINSC GROVEWith stormclouds gathering overhead on a seemingly permanent basis, Minsc Grove is not one of my favourite spots in the city. The road is lined with burnt-out cars and abandoned houses and rumours persist that if you venture here after the hours of darkness, you learn just how unfriendly the locals can be. With their pitchforks...
I can make out a few undamaged buildings around that have either had the fortune to escape the rampant vandalism of the Grove or are just the next on the list. Weirdest sight of all is what looks like a massive tower rising somewhere off in the distance. To the west is a rundown supermarket, north lies the sole block of flats still standing, northeast is the road to the tower and in lies my car.

As I breathe in the fresh air of Minsc Grove (well, fresh aside from the smell of burnt cars and general neglect), I hear what sounds to be someone moving around in the building I just left. Clancy follows me from the north.

> north
I move north.
BLOCK OF FLATS
I'm in the bomb-blasted reception area of the city's seediest block of flats. This is the sort of place that not even beggars would live in and even the roaches tend to give it a wide berth. A flickering neon sign over what used to be the reception desk displays (very badly) the name of this block. Doorways lead off throughout the building and both an elevator and a flight of stairs lead up to different floors but considering the way the block seems to rock from side to side with every gust of wind, I'm not too sure whether venturing anywhere is a good idea. Doorways lead off west, northwest and north into the building, a flight of stairs lead up, an elevator is east and Minsc Grove lies back to the south. Jeremiah is here wandering back and forth across the reception area.

Stepping back inside the block of flats, I see there is now an old man called Jeremiah here. Quite where he was hiding before I don't know. Clancy follows me from the south.

> talk to jeremiah
Jeremiah ignores whatever I say to him and instead seems to mutter to himself inanely.

> talk to jeremiah
Jeremiah seems to ignore me again but this time I manage to pick out a few words from his babble: "it's" and "damn" and "hot" and "in" and "here".
Hmmm. Damned if I can figure out what he's saying.

> give fan to jeremiah
As I hold the fan out to Jeremiah, he stops his shuffling back and forth across the reception area and stand up straight.
"My dear boy!" he cries. "What a positive godsend you are! There, just plug it in and we'll have this placed cooled down in no time!"
"Plug it... er, where exactly?" I ask.
Jeremiah sighs. "Damn, you've got a good point there. Damn bomb blast sort of took care of all the electrical sockets. Still, I guess I can always head over to my pad in Posh Hills and plug it in there."
"Wait," I say. "You've got a pad in the richest part of the city and instead you're wandering around here?"
"Atmosphere, dear boy. Atmosphere," says Jeremiah. "Why, I bet you've never lived in a house that cost $30,000,000.000 have you?"
"No, you got me there."
"Well, they don't have atmosphere, dear boy. None at all. So I come here, dress in atmospheric clothes, and just soak up the vibes. Makes me feel alive all over again." Jeremiah looks around with the fan in his hands. "Hmmm. Nope, not a socket in sight. Guess it's back to Posh Hills then." He starts for the door then stops and turns back to me. "I suppose one good turn deserves another, dear boy. A few friends of mine operate a secret shop out of a shadowy apartment in this very building, selling handy items they've found and that other people tend to want. I'm sure a chap like you could do with some of the things they've picked up. Just say the word 'cabal' and as if by magic you'll be teleported there."
"Cabal?" I echo.
"That's it," says Jeremiah. "Just saying that word and you'll be teleported there."
"Cabal," I say again.
"Yep, you've got it."
"Cabal, you mean?"
"Yep."
"All I've got to do is say 'cabal' and I'll be teleported there?"
"Indeed."
"Cabal."
Jeremiah sighs, glances at an imaginary watch, and remarks, "my, is that the time? Must dash. Be sure to say hello to my friends in the secret shop, dear boy." Before I can swipe the fan back off him, he's out of the door.

"Was he mad or something?" asks Clancy a minute later.
"Without a doubt," I say.
"But he still got your fan off you, boss," says Clancy.
"Thanks for reminding me."

> cabal
The moment I utter the words, a door to one side of me that I hadn't seen before suddenly flies open and masked men rush out. Before I and Clancy can do anything, they throw a bag over our heads and usher us along a dark corridor. I hear a door opening and find myself pushed through. The bag is ripped off my head.

SHADOWY APARTMENT
I can see very little in this place as the lights are out and the curtains drawn. What I can see is a chair before me, deep in the shadows, in which someone is sitting. Behind them is a covered window and what looks like a shelf. Between the two of us is a table on which are laid out a selection of items. I don't see any exits.

"Ah, a visitor," says the figure I can just about see. "No doubt our mutual friend, Jeremiah, gave you ze password?"
"'Ze' password?" I query.
The figure nods. "Indeed. Let me explain ze situation, friend. My name is Henriek. I am a... collector of rare and expensive (hence ze expensive part if you would) items. Zese items I am willing to zell to you for a small sum. Observe." The figure gestures to the table. "Ze items. Merely examine an item and I will tell you its price. If you wish to purchase said item, merely speak its name aloud. Clear?"
"And, er, how do I get out of here?"
"You merely speak ze password again and magic will teleport you out of here just as it teleported you in."
"Magic?" I ask but the man isn't saying. Clancy follows me.

> x items
Arrayed on the table are the following items:

Some armour
A hints book
A city plan showing the location of every place I might have to visit
Ten bullets
The second letter in the password for the game

> ten bullets
"Ah, you wish to go on a killing spree," says Henriek. "Very good, very good. All of my best customers are psychopaths."
I give Henriek $7 and the bullets are mine.

> second letter
"Ah, you are after ze password for the game, eh?" remarks Henriek. "Be sure to finish it beforehand or else zat is considered cheating."
I hand over my $10 and Henriek hands me the second letter. Which turns out to be "O".

> cabal
The incident with the bag is repeated and before long I find myself back in the bomb blasted reception area.

BLOCK OF FLATS
I'm in the bomb-blasted reception area of the city's seediest block of flats. This is the sort of place that not even beggars would live in and even the roaches tend to give it a wide berth. A flickering neon sign over what used to be the reception desk displays (very badly) the name of this block. Doorways lead off throughout the building and both an elevator and a flight of stairs lead up to different floors but considering the way the block seems to rock from side to side with every gust of wind, I'm not too sure whether venturing anywhere is a good idea. Doorways lead off west, northwest and north into the building, a flight of stairs lead up, an elevator is east and Minsc Grove lies back to the south. Clancy follows me.

> south
I move south.

MINSC GROVEWith stormclouds gathering overhead on a seemingly permanent basis, Minsc Grove is not one of my favourite spots in the city. The road is lined with burnt-out cars and abandoned houses and rumours persist that if you venture here after the hours of darkness, you learn just how unfriendly the locals can be. With their pitchforks...
I can make out a few undamaged buildings around that have either had the fortune to escape the rampant vandalism of the Grove or are just the next on the list. Weirdest sight of all is what looks like a massive tower rising somewhere off in the distance. To the west is a rundown supermarket, north lies the sole block of flats still standing, northeast is the road to the tower and in lies my car. Clancy follows me from the north.

> drive to morping road
There is a howl of rage as I drive off and I look out of my window to see a red-faced man hopping around in pain and clutching his foot. Eager to show what a good citizen I am, I reverse and go to his aid. Unfortunately, I leave my foot on the accelerator a fraction of a second too long and knock him flying. This, on top of the broken foot I caused him when I drove over it, doesn't leave the man best pleased so I quickly floor the accelerator and get out of there.

> out
I leave my car.
MORPING ROAD
A pleasant change from the usual rush of the city, Morping Road is quiet and peaceful for the most part. This is mainly down to the fact that hardly anyone lives here and as far as I can see only one shop seems to be open: Bagleys Carpet Store (and even this looks one small step away from closing down by the lack of goods on display). Several feet away from me, a small boy is breaking into a car with a crowbar. The entrance to Bagleys lies east and my car is in. Clancy follows me.

> east
I move east.
BAGLEYSI'm standing in a carpet store, although from the empty shelves and serious lack of carpet it doesn't look to be a carpet store that is doing very good business. A faded sign by the door advertises the shop's wares. Behind the counter the sound of rap music pollutes the air, adding a slightly menacing feel to the atmosphere. The door lies west. Doreen is here looking angry. Sid is here looking depressed. Clancy follows me from the west.

> talk to doreen
"You want to talk?" she snaps. "Geez, I'm trying to run a business here and you want to talk?" She sighs, curses, looks ready to throw something, then just says, "oh, hell with it. Ask your questions."

1) So why are you in such a cheerful mood then?
2) Tell me about the carpet trade.
3) I found several of your carpets in the house of a man who had been married. Do you know anything about someone called Carlos?

> 1
"Some arse stole my necklace!" she snaps. "And what the hell is that to you?"

1) Geez, anger management course on its way. Er, in the meantime can I ask you something else?

> give necklace to doreen
"My... necklace?" says Doreen, hardly able to get the words out. "You found my necklace?" She snatches it out of my hand and puts it on. "But... some thieving sod stole it! He came right in here and just swiped it! Where did you find it?"
I tell her.
"And what about the animal who made off with it? I want him punished."
"He's dead," I say.
Doreen considers this. "Well, that'll do for starters. But let the cemetery know that I'll be round later on to dance on his grave. Ooh, he made me so mad..."
"...don't we all know it..." mutters Sid.
"I mean, coming into the store and just pinching it like that. I said to Sid I could have killed him."
"...she did alright..." mutters Sid.
"And Sid said back to me... well, not a lot, but I could he was as angry as I was. Isn't that right, Sid?"
"...that's right, dear..." mutters Sid.
"Sid here would have had the bugger's head off given half the chance. Real vicious when he gets going is our Sid. Isn't that right, Sid?"
"... real vicious..." mutters Sid.
You see? He'd have slaughtered the swine if he'd caught him only he was... indisposed at the time weren't you, Sid?"
"...taking a pee, dear..." mutters Sid.
Doreen sighs. "Yes, well... whatever. Anyway, thanks, officer, for returning my necklace and if you ever need a cheap carpet you just come to us."
"Ah, a discount carpet," I say, always on the lookout for a bargain.
"No," said Doreen. "I mean all we sell is cheap carpets. Crap most of 'em are. If you want a decent one you'd best try somewhere else. But you find yourself needing a real piece of trash and you come here. Isn't that right, Sid?"
"...real crap, dear..." mutters Sid.

> west
I move west.
MORPING ROAD
A pleasant change from the usual rush of the city, Morping Road is quiet and peaceful for the most part. This is mainly down to the fact that hardly anyone lives here and as far as I can see only one shop seems to be open: Bagleys Carpet Store (and even this looks one small step away from closing down by the lack of goods on display). Several feet away from me, a small boy is breaking into a car with a crowbar. The entrance to Bagleys lies east and my car is in. Clancy follows me from the east.

> drive to balabon avenue
When I get to where I'm going, it is to find, quite surprisingly, that I haven't run anybody over or smashed any cars on the way. While this isn't a wholly new occurrence for me, it is one that doesn't happen more than once or twice a year and I feel especially lucky as a result.

> out
I leave my car.
BALABON AVENUE
Balabon Avenue is a fairly short street in the rough part of town. Cops - myself included - rarely set foot in this area for fear of just what might happen to us if we did. The streets are generally roamed by gangs of tough, gangly men with a penchant for lynching anyone they come across not rich enough to buy their way to saf