Part 8: Redhead Rescue

(Music: Four Minutes Before Death)

It's finally time to see how Lynne's (second) death went.







Not the most inconspicuous place to hide a bright pink notebook, is it?

: Oh! Uh...I was hungry! So I was trying to get something delivered!
: What?! Don't do that!
: Oh, I'm sorry...
: You should leave jobs like that to me! Is chicken all right?



: Oh, that's okay! Ha ha! I'm not feeling very hungry anymore! I would like to go back to the station for a minute, though.
: You would? Oh, uh, I'm afraid I can't let you do that. Inspector cabanela is on his way. He'll be here any minute.



: Evening, patrolmaaaan.
: Good evening Inspector Cabanela, sir!
: Nice work. Now, do me a favor and take a little patrol outside, would you? Thaaat's a nice fellow.
: Yes, sir!

: Yo, how's it going, baby?
: Inspector Cabanela! What are you doing here...? I thought the Special Investigation Unit had an important top-secret assignment tonight?
: What does that matter at a time like this, when my Lynne's in crisis?
: I appreciate it, sir! Wait a minute...did you just say "crisis"?



: Suspected of shooting that pointy-haired man in the red suit? I mean, I've never even met the guy before!
: Hmm..."never", baby?
: Oh! Well, uh...before tonight, I mean. He asked me to meet him here. He said he had important information about the big case I'm working on. He's the one who contacted ME!
: I see, I seeee...but it's funny, isn't it? I took a look at the list of cases your station is handling right now, and I didn't see you listed as "involved" on any "big cases."
: ...!



: You know I don't suspect ya, baby. Just tryin' to clear things up. You're not the type to ever shoot anybody. Heeey, who knows ya better than me, baby? You know, if anything ever happened to you, I'd never be able to look HIM in the eye again...
: Inspector Cabanela, I'm going to ask you a question.
: Yeah? And what's that?
: And I want you to answer honestly. Is it tonight? Is that when it's happening?
: I have nooo idea what you're talkin' about, baby.





: By Inspector Cabanela?! No! He's not like that!
: Just for the record...did you shoot me?
: Me?! I would never do anything like that!
: (Anyway, it looks like the hitman fired from outside. It'd be hard to prevent the bullet from coming in, though...) In any case, let's just give it a try. Our "four-minute game"!



(Music: Fate Updated)

We're stuck waiting around a bit before we can do anything, so let's check out the conversation bubble that pops up as soon as we start.

: You know what? I have an idea. The guy who shot me is outside, right?
: Looks that way, yeah.
: Instead of trying to stop the bullet when it gets in here, wouldn't it be more fun to go out and stop the guy who's shooting the bullet?
: ("Fun", she says with eyes gleaming. Oh boy...)
: You can use the telephone to move around, right?
: That's right. And I know the number to the junkyard's pay phone, too.
: I don't want to get shot again. You what they say, about three strikes and you're out...
: As long as you don't become a ball player, you'll probably be "safe". (But the telephone thing's a good idea. Maybe I'll give it a try.)

Before anyone wonders why Sissel isn't shutting down that idea straight away, it's possible to get this far without hearing the "you can't use the telephones in the 4 minutes before death world" spiel. Of course, we know that Sissel can't use the telephones now, so how is he supposed to get outside?

The answer comes when the cop decides to order chicken for Lynne. Possess the phone then, and...





: Would you like an order of fried chicken with that?
: Oh, that's okay!



It looks like we can use the phone lines to move around while people are making calls. Let's make use of that and go to the land of delicious chicken.



(Music: Chicken Paradise)



: ......they hung up.





Awesom...wait, what exactly can we do to help Lynne here?

: La la la! What does it matter, a chicken order or two lost? If it were three orders that would be a different story, though! La la la!





There's not even much we can reach from here...

: We just popped over here while we had the chance, without much thought. But this isn't where the hitman who's trying to kill me is.
: Clearly. (We probably oughta hurry back.)

And then we get the "you can only use the telephone lines in 4-minute-before-death Land when the phone is being used to make a call" thing spelled out for us when we try to go back. Welp, time to rewind!

While we're waiting for stuff to happen, let's see how we can mess around with this step ladder!



: Hey! Don't scare me like that! You could shorten my life! Poor little me...
: (Um, your "life" is already over, actually...)
: You don't have to rub it in!



And now that we're over here, there's a couple optional things to examine. Like the photos I just moved to.

: These pictures are old. What are they of? Little fragements of rock? And the fragments are glowing...do you know what these are?
: Sorry, but I've lost my memory. Probably not the best person to ask...
: That's okay. I was only being polite. I didn't really think you'd know.
: (Ouch. This lady's tongue can be sharp.)
: Uh, I can hear what you're thinking, remember?
: I know.

Eh, considering that this place is owned by a guy with a pigeon on his head, that doesn't seem too weird. Now let's get back to doing what we're supposed to be doing. After the cop's finished on the phone, he starts mumbling something to himself...



: Now that I'm really looking at her, she sure is cute. They told me to call the detective outside if she does anything suspicious...so here I stand. Hey, maybe I need to call the detective outside after all...she's so beautiful, it's criminal!
: Say, did you hear what that officer just said?
: Yes. Strange taste that fellow has...
: His taste is perfectly normal! Hmph. But, anyway, not that part. The part about the order he got. The order to telephone outside if I did anything suspicious. I was acting really suspicious a few minutes ago, but he didn't call. He should've been more observant!

Indeed. Maybe we need to help him out by making it easier to see the bright pink notebook that's blatently sticking out of the bookcase. ...but first, let's see what Sissel has to say about it if we try to do a Trick on it.



: Oh, that's mine. Isn't it adorable? Hee hee hee!
: Why isn't your adorable notebook in your pocket?
: I panicked, okay?! Don't you shove things in the bookcase when you panic?
: Who were you calling, anyway?
: It was personal business.

Okay, now to see how we can get the cop to notice that notebook...well, that's easy enough!



: Huh? That's Lynne's notebook. Hey, wait a minute, I thought she was practicing a dance move when I came in...nope. That was definitely suspicious! No question! I'd better report this! I wonder if I can make the call without her noticing?



Let's get to that phone fast!





: ...and I noticed something suspicious!
: You did?! So Inspector Cabanela was right...
: She was hiding her notebook when I came in!
: Her notebook, eh?
: Yes, sir! In a very suspicious manner! And in a very conspicuous place!
: Anything else?
: Um, let's see...it's pink, and it's a notebook!
: Anything else?
: Um, let's see...come to think of it, she was using the phone when I came in, too, and referring to her notebook.
: Okay, someone will be over later. Don't let on you noticed anything.



And then we get told we can use the telephone lines now, since (once again) what we learned earlier was technically optional. Some people noted that the game keeps hand holding for a while, but honestly, a lot of it is the fact that it's possible to learn something before you HAVE to, so you end up getting told things twice if you're thorough in your playthrough.



Nothing special happens if we stick around the office, so let's head down to the junkyard!





: Eek! Wh-what are you?! A desk lamp...that sounds like an old grandpa...?
: Just call me "Ray".
: "Grandpa Ray"?
: (You just have to get the "grandpa" part in there somewhere, don't you?)
: We're souls. We can choose any appearence we like.
: Which means you have no intention of showing us what you really look like, right?
: ......Now then, about that gunshot that took your life...
: ...!
: I heard it way up on the upper level, a scant few minutes from now. The hitman is probably getting his rifle ready right now.
: All right, I'm going in! I'll get him with those "ghost trick" thingies!
: I'm very sorry, young lady, but you don't have those powers.
: What?! Why not?!
: I'm afraid I don't know the reason. But only a special few have the powers of the dead.
: What?! Are you saying I'm not special?! That's not fair!
: Anyway, we don't have much time. Come on and hop in.



(Music: Fate Updated ~ Variation)



We have to head back up towards the top of the junkyard again. We accomplish this...exactly the same way we did waaaaay back when we were here the first time. Jump into the fan, turn it on, jump into the blender, turn it on, and ride the flag on up.





Once we're up there, the next stop is this searchlight.



: He must be around here somewhere, preparing to take his shot. There isn't a lot of time. Let's try to find him, fast.
: I'm going to make good and sure he understands what happens to people who point guns at others!
: (There's a gleam in her eye that's absolutely blinding...)

Timing is everything now. Cabanela will pass by the searchlight with his bike, which is also the only core that can lead you towards where you need to go. If you miss that chance, you have to start over from the fate change.



But it's really not that hard to time it right.



And now that we're in the right place, we can deal with the hitman. In fact, he pops up almost as soon as we get over here!



: I'll be head of the hitman division by next month for sure.



: (I think his name is actually "Tengo", but that doesn't matter now.) We have to stop him from shooting...fast!



First, let's raise up this car door...



But there's not much up there to spook Tengo with...except for another spotlight...



: There. We put a stop to that shot, at least.
: We did it! So I'm safe now, right?
: Well that changed your fate a little, but it didn't avert it completely. We're not done yet. The hitman is a professional. And he really, really wants to be head of the division, apparently. (I doubt that blocking a shot here and there is going to stop him.)
: If you want to rough him up a little bit, I promise I won't put it in my report.
: Let's think of something else before he gets a shot in!





At this point, the cops start walking back and forth. Their batons have cores, so we can now use them as a way to get from one end of the junkyard to the other. Meanwhile, Tengo pops up again.



: Division head is my ambition for this year. Next year, my motto will be, "if I want to be director, I have to be careful of even the least bit of scandal."
: So it sounds like he won't show up in spots where the light is on.
: And next year, I'm going to spread some nasty, scandelous rumors about him!

Okay, but what can we do to stop him? ...well, let's start by messing around with the police car's siren!



: Hey, did you turn that flashing light on?
: Wasn't me. It went off all by itself. Scared the heck out of me.
: Well, just make sure you lay off it. Don't wanna waste any electricity.
: Have things gotten that tight? That's pretty sad.
: They're really putting the squeeze on us lately for using too much power at sites. They won't even let us use all of our searchlights at once.
: Oh, boy...we oughta be free to do at least that much, especially on a dark night like tonight.

I think you can already tell that this is going to be part of the puzzle, although it honestly doesn't make things THAT hard...but hey, why can't we just use the crane to deal with this guy? It worked with Jeego!



...looks like the crane's stuck where it is. How sad. But Tengo shows back up where he was shortly after this; looks like the siren only spooks him a little. What if we turn on the light above Tengo...



: Oh! Look at that! One of the lights went out!
: There are three lights here altogether. Apparently we can't have all three on at once.
: Our station is crazy cheap when it comes to electricity. Just so another detective could see what he was doing the other day, I had to pedal my bicycle in place to work the headlamp.
: A very sad tale indeed. (Sounds like they're taking things way too far...)

After a quick jaunt back to the right side to turn that light back on again, I come back here. Now, I actually made things harder on myself - if I had remembered to turn off the leftmost light while I was there the first time, I wouldn't have to bother doing everything I'm about to do now.



First, I have to sound the siren again. This brings both cops over to the car in a more timely manner than waiting around for them to get here. And after that, they have something new to say...

: Hey, I told you to lay off that thing!
: And I told you, it wasn't me!
: Uh-oh. I think I know what's going on here...this is the work of, you know...
: What? Hey, shut up! You're creeping me out!
: But you know as well as I do, the only explanation for mischief like this...Inspector Cabanela!

: So they tell tales about him as though he's a ghost, eh?
: But Inspector Cabanela is really a very nice person!

But enough about that. Now I have to jump into the baton of the cop to the left, so he'll bring me around to the light on that side.



He gets freaked out a bit when I turn it off, but he doesn't have anything to say about it.



And then I go back over here to turn on this light again. This finally puts Tengo where I want him to be. Although he actually has something new to say right before I do that.

: Musings of a Hitman, Part 1. When I fire a bullet, I put my heart and soul into it. The bullet is my soul. The shot is the expression of my soul. That's why I never waste bullets. Besides...I'd have to put the extra bullets down as an extra expense, and accounting never likes that.
: What the heck is that idiot blathering about?!
: Hey, don't get mad at me!

He also has two more of those if you hang around a while.
: Musings of a Hitman, Part 2. To fire a bullet, I need a stable location and a stable income. When I aim my rifle, the location I choose has to be stable and unwavering. Otherwise, any small external influence could cause me to miss the target. Likewise, worries over an unstable income could also cause me to miss.
: Musings of a Hitman, Part 3. When I fire a bullet, I should always draw in my chin. "A rifle is impartial when it metes out damage. It can hurt the hunter as well as the hunted." That's a quote from a hitman who bit his tongue due to the shock of the kickback...I have no intention of biting my tongue. I only want my bullet to bite my prey.

At any rate, turning the middle light on while the right light is also on(and stays on, since I already turned off the left light) forces Tengo to go all the way near the left light.

And time's tight, so let's hop on over to go to where he is!



(Music: COUNT DOWN)

: But I can't work under a spotlight, after all. Never mind. A shot like this is nothing for a man of my skill.
: "Mr Division Head" seems to like dark, gloomy places. I'd be happy to throw him in a dark, gloomy cell! C'mon, Sissel. Get him!
: (Hold up! When did I become HER assistant?!)

Time's a-wasting! We need to reach the crate that the crane is holding, so let's raise the crossing gate...



...and hop onto the crane's hook.





Not quite as satisfying as the wrecking ball, but it'll do.



: I'm telling you, it wasn't me!
: Nobody said it was.
: There. We found a nice dark spot for our gloom-loving hitman. I think your death has just been erased. Again.





: Huh?
: Why don't I have powers like you? If I could do things like you do, it would really help me pursue my case...Why only the "special few", huh? It's not fair!
: (That's the same thing the little doggie said, too.) Well, I'm jealous of YOU, actually.
: You are? Why?
: Because your life can be saved. Even if you die again tonight. I can save you, with my ghost tricks. Nobody can save my life, though.
: Oh...
: (These powers of the dead...why have they chosen me? Will I find the answer to that question tonight?)
: Sissel...I'm so sorry.
: Well, you're free to do as you please now. I guess this is goodbye, Detective.
: Will we ever see each other again?
: If you ever want to see me again, all you have to do is die.
: Okay, got it!
: (I was kidding.)

: Well, guess we'd better be getting back...to the present!





: But that doesn't mean she's out of the water yet. I'd better go see how she's doing.

And we'll be saving that for next time!


New & Updated Records
Tengo
Jovial Tenor
Typical Cop
The Chicken Kitchen

Video
4 Minutes Before Lynne's Second Death

There's no video of the puzzle solution this time since my computer literally crashed during each and every attempt at capturing more than 5 minutes of it. Sorry! (though I have more free time now, so I may try to fiddle around and make it work if I feel like getting frustrated again)