The Scoop
Walkthrough by Jerry Barnes
criticalj@gmail.com
2008/09/14
You play as reporter for a big city newspaper. Recently, a rival reporter
was found stabbed to death in a phone booth. Your job is to travel around
the city following suspects, listening in on conversations, and even
searching in their homes when they're away. Based on an Agatha Christie
novella.
This game was released in 1988. I bought it in the early 1990's off a
discount rack. The graphics looked dated then, so you can imagine what it
looks like now. I played around with it, but never solved it.
It has been abandoned by the publisher so it is available for free download
from many abandonware sites. I thought about giving it another shot, so I
downloaded it (I used Home of the Underdogs). I also searched for
walkthroughs and FAQS but could find none. I thought I would give this a
shot as well.
If you decide to play this game, you will probably need to use DOSBOX.
It is a dos emulator that lets you run old games on current PC. I used the
DOG frontend for DOSBOX. It ran with no problem.
The gameplay is a cross between interactive fiction (think of Zork or
Suspect) and an adventure game. Understand that this game is dated.
Compared to today's game, it is archaic. If you play it, you will need
to play it with an eye on when it was developed and conentrate more on
the plot instead of eye candy.
One more note. The game asks for a password on start up. The version I
downloaded did not require one. I just pushed enter and it started.
======
Monday
======
The Daily Courier
* Enter Courier.
* Speak - What's on your mind?
* Exit.
* Travel to Victoria Station.
* Enter and move to crime scene.
* Observe.
* Speak with Mr Denis Oliver.
* What's on your mind?
* Tell me about yourself.
* Tell me about Mr. Johnson.
* Tell me about Beryl Blackwood.
* Tell me about someone - Mrs. Tracey.
* Tell me about someone - Mr.Tracey.
* Tell me about someone - Mr Hemingway.
* Tell me about someone - Mr Redman.
* Where were you on Saturday night?
* Where were you on Monday night?
* Speak with Inspector Smart.
* What's on your mind?
* Tell me about someone - Mr. Tracey.
* Tell me about someone - Mr. Hemingway.
* Tell me about someone - Denis Oliver.
* Tell me about someone - Mr. Redman.
* Tell me about someone - Miss Blackwood.
* Tell me about someone - Mr. Johnson.
* Tell me about someone - Mrs. Tracey.
* Tell me about someone - Henry Vaugh Fisher.
* Sleep.
=======
Tuesday
=======
* Wake up.
* Travel to Victoria Station.
* Enter.
* Travel to Brighton Station.
* Search.
* Move right until the court house is reached.
* Enter and move one screen left.
* Speak with Henry Vaughan Fisher. Must be after 11:02.
* Observe Mawaring being questioned.
* Manwaring leaves and Fisher enters.
* Observe Fisher being questioned.
* Fisher leaves and Sharp enters..
* Observe Sharp being questioned.
* Sharp leaves and Smart enters.
* Observe Smart being questioned.
* Follow Sharp out.
* Speak with Inspector Smart.
* What's on your mind?
* Tell me about someone - Arthur Potts.
* Exit the court house.
* Move one screen right.
* Enter Cafe.
* Observe.
* Exit and move one screen right.
* Travel by bus to Jumbles.
* Move one screen left.
* Enter Cat n' Fence.
* Speak with Arnold Ayres
* What's on your mind.
* After 4:30 Fisher and Sharp enter the Cat n' Fence.
* Observe.
* Move one screen left to the Hollow Tree
* Search and find footprints 8-E, 6-D, and 9-DD.
* Move one screen left to the Lonely Bungalow.
* Observe Oliver and Potts.
* Enter the bungalow and search. Find footprint size 11-EEE.
* Move one screen right and search. Find blood stain.
* Enter bedroom and search. Find letter. Take letter. Examine letter.
* Exit the bungalow and search. The door has recently been jimmied.
* Move two screens left. Enter Hargo Hovel.
* Speak with Mrs. Hargot.
* Tell me about someone - Mr. Tracey.
* Goto bus stop. Take bus to Brighton. Take train to Victoria Station.
* Exit and travel to Picadilly Palace.
* Enter Picadilly Palace.
* Speak with Amethyst Manwaring.
* What's on your mind?
* Tell me about Yourself.
* Tell me about Mr. Tracey.
* Tell me about Mr. Fisher.
* Tell me about Mr. Potts.
* Tell me about Mrs. Sharp.
* Tell me about Ms. Blackwood.
* Tell me about Mr. Johnson.
* Tell me about Mr. Redman.
* Tell me about Mrs. Tracey.
* Where were you on Monday night?
* Where were you on Saturday night?
* Exit.
* Travel to Morning Star.
* Enter.
* Search.
* Take Phone Log
* Examine Phone Log.
* Move right.
* Move up.
* Search.
* Take Paper.
* Examine Paper.
* Travel to Old Mill St.
* Move right.
* Enter Oliver's Flat.
* Search.
* Take Journal.
* Examine Journal.
* Travel to Victoria Station.
* Search (outside station).
* Take Johnson's note.
* Examine note.
* Travel to Scotland Yard.
* Move one screen left.
* Enter Redman's Flat.
* Search.
* Take scrapbook.
* Examine scrapbook.
* Exit.
* Move one screen right.
* Travel to Morning Star.
* Enter Morning Star.
* Move right.
* Move up.
* Take Paper (Wednesday's version). Needs to be after 12:00.
This can be done the next day.
=========
Wednesday
=========
* Wake up.
* Exit.
* Travel to Morning Star.
* Enter.
* Move left.
* Move up.
* Move left.
* Search.
* Take Hemingway's note.
* Travel to Bond Street.
* Enter.
* Speak to Mr. Araby
* Tell me about Fisher.
* Travel to Picadilly Palace.
* Move four screens left.
* Enter Blackwood's Flat.
* Search.
* Take poem.
* Examine Poem.
* Travel to Morning Star.
* Move one screen right.
* Speak with Beryl Blackwood.
* Show the phone log.
* Show Hemingway's note.
* Travel to South Hampton by train.
* Go two screens right.
* Enter Potts home.
* Speak to Mrs. Hardney
* Tell me about Aurthur Potts.
* Exit.
* Go three screens right.
* Entery Pyecraft's house.
* Speak to Pyecraft.
* Show scrapbook. A scrap breaks loose.
* Tell me about Mr. Redman.
* Tell me about Amethyst Manwaring.
* Search
* Take photo of Manwaring.
* Take news clipping.
* Examine each.
* Exit home.
* Move to Potts' house.
* Speak to Mrs. Hardney.
* Show phot of Amethyst.
* Travel to Brighton by train.
* Travel to North Street.
* Move to Fisher's shop.
* Enter Fisher's office.
* Search.
* Take Brooch.
* Exit.
* Take Taxi to Maidstone Ave.
* Entery Catsby's House.
* Show Catsby Brooch.
* Search.
* Take Portrait.
* Examine Portrait.
* Exit.
* Travel to Brighton Bus stop.
* Travel by bus to Jumbles.
* Move one screen right and enter Sharp's Shanty.
* Speak with Gladys Sharp.
* Show Catsby's portrait.
* Show news clipping.
* Exit. Move left. Travel to Brighton bus stop.
* Travel to Brighton Station.
* Travel to Victoria Station.
* Travel to Morning Star.
* Goto press room, search, and take Thursday's editon. Examine.
* Exit.
* Travel to Scotland Yard.
* Enter and search. Take photo of the murder weapon. Examine.
========
Thursday
========
* Travel to Broad Street.
* Go left and enter the Curio Shop.
* Speak to Curio Proprietress.
* Show photo of murder weapon.
* Tell me about Mr. Redman.
* Travel to Bond street. Enter.
* Speak to Mr. Araby.
* Show photo of murder weapon.
* Travel to Victoria Station.
* Travel to Brighton Station.
* Travel to Hove.
* Enter Fisher's Townhome.
* Search.
* Take Promissory Note.
* Examine Promissory Note.
* Travel to North Street.
* Move two screens right.
* Enter jewerly shop and then move to Fisher's office.
* Show Photo of murder weapon.
* Show gold brooch.
* Travel to Victoria Station.
* Travel to the Morning Star.
* Enter and move to Mr. Hemingway's office.
* Speak to Mr. Hemingway.
* Where were you Monday night?
* Where were you Saturday night?
* Exit.
* Travel to BBC Headquarters.
* Speak to BBC Staff Member.
* Where were you Monday night?
* Exit.
* Travel to Picadilly Palace.
* After 6:30, enter Madame Evanalda's (to the left of Picadilly Palace).
* Search.
* Take package of white powder.
* Examine white powder.
* Exit.
* Travel to the Morning Star.
* Go to Hemingway's office.
* When office is empty, search.
* Take crumpled note.
* Examine crumpled note.
* Exit.
* Travel to Victoria Station.
* Travel to Southampton.
* Go to Pyecraft's house.
* Speak with Pyecraft.
* Show crumpled note.
* Exit.
* Return to Victoria Station.
* Return home and sleep.
======
Friday
======
* Exit.
* Travel to Hampstead (new location).
* Enter.
* Search.
* Speak with Mrs. Kent.
* Where were you Monday night?
* Where were you Saturday night?
* Move one screen right.
* Search.
* Speak with Mrs. Hemingway.
* Where were you Monday night?
* Where were you Saturday night?
* Move two screens left.
* Search when the room is empty.
* Take toy whistle.
* Examine toy whistle.
* Exit and travel to BBC Headquarters.
* Enter.
* speak with BBc Staff Member.
* Show toy whistle.
* Take the Monday Radio Schedule.
* Examine Monday Radio Schedule.
* Exit.
* Travel to Scotland Yard.
* Speak with Inspector Smart.
* Show Johnson's note.
* Show Hemingway's note.
* Show Oliver's journal.
* show the promissory note.
* Show Johnson's poem.
* Show Brooch.
* Show Catsby's portrait.
* Show package of white powder.
* Show the Monday radio schedule.
* Exit.
* Travel to the Morning Star.
* Search press room and take Friday edition. Examine.
* Roam until it is time to sleep.
========
Saturday
========
* Be at the Morning Star by 12:00.
* Follow Gladys Sharp to Hemingway's office.
* Observe.
======
People
======
Arnold Ayres - Bartender of Cat n' Fence.
Mr. Araby - Exotic jeweler.
Inspector Bradford - Works for Scotland yard.
Henry Vaughan Fisher - Jewler
Mrs. Hardney - Arthur Potts' housekeeper.
Mrs. Hargot - Neighbor of bungalow.
Mr. Hemingway - Works for the Morning Star.
Andrew Johnson - Reporter and Victim
Amethyst Manwaring - Geraldine Tracey's best friend.
Denis Oliver - Reporter.
Arthur Potts - Geraldine's Brother. Steward at night.
Harry Redman - Works for the Morning Star.
Gladys Sharp - House keeper.
Mr. Smallpiece - Works for the Narcotics Bureua of Egypt.
Inspector Smart - Works for Scotland Yard.
Ms. Timmons - Works for the Morning Star.
Mr. Toombs - Inquisitor.
Mr. Tracey - Geraldine Tracey's husband.
Geraldine Tracey - Formerly Geraldine Potts.
Mr. Wrightwell - Editor of Daily Courier
========
Timeline
========
Saturday:
3:00 PM Geraldine last seen by Sharp.
7:00 PM Earliest possible time of death.
Tracey gets off bus in Jumbles and walks towards bungalow and then
straight back.
9:00 PM Fisher arrives at Tracey's bungalow.
9:30 PM Latest time of death.
10:00 PM Hemingway went to bed after a day of golfing with Pyecraft.
12:00 PM Fisher calls police.
1:00 AM Police arrive at bungalow.
2:30 AM Interviewed Fisher.
Monday:
7:00 PM Johnson calls Blackwood asking to be put through to Hemingway.
Manwaring leaves work and goes to Picadilly Palace. Stays
till 9:00.
7:20 PM Johnson for Blackwood (From Phone Log).
7:23 PM Johnson for Hemingway (From Phone Log).
7:30 PM Hemingway leaves for home.
8:00 PM Hemingway arrives home and dines with wife and mother. Left then
8:10 PM Oliver for Redman (From Phone Log).
Wife says Hemingway came home at 8:10. The clock was stopped.
8:10 PM Oliver arrives from Newcastle.
9:00 PM Johnson catches train from Brighton to Victoria Station.
10:00 PM Berle Blackwood picked up at Victoria Station. She was upset.
Hemingway returns home from club.
BBC plays Handel's Water music.
10:15 PM Johnson stabbed in the back while making a call.
Hemingway broke radio.
10:30 PM Oliver checks in and starts writing.
10:40 PM Oliver receives call about about Johnson's body.
Amazing Games. Many Cheats. Such Wow.
