Suspect

Suspect

SUSPECT (Infocom)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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