Part 9: The Incredible Murder Machine

(Music: AWAKENING)

Last time, we'd just saved Lynne from death(again) by brutally murdering a hitman(again). Now let's go see how Lynne's doing.



But first we have to get off this crane. Luckily, there's an umbrella hanging from it, so let's possess it and Trick it...



And from there, it's easy enough to get back to the phone.



: ...it looks like "congratulations" are in order. You erased yet another death.
: But I haven't gotten any farther in solving my own mystery, though.
: But that woman holds the key. Don't forget that.
: Lynne, huh? Now that she's alive again, she's probably being detained in the super's office. She won't be able to pursue her case without the freedom to move around. (I'd better go back to the super's office and see her.)
: That sounds like a good idea.

But first, let's get distracted from our goal!





: The "atmosphere" is so thick here, it's enough to make your eyes smart. I think I'd better leave, before this air suffocates me...



: Maybe Emma was right...maybe it was a mistake that I was ever born at all...
: But wait a minute! If I'd never been born, Amelie wouldn't be here right now! *groan* It's gotten to the point where I don't know what my mistakes were...what defines a "mistake", anyway? If something isn't right, does that make it a mistake?!
: I'm out of here.

Cold, Sissel. Cold.



: The detective who was ordered by Cabanela to perform a stake out is nowhere to be seen. Maybe he's in the restroom? I wonder if that strange young man followed him in there...?



: (I hear singing coming from the kitchen)



: My darling Miss Chicken! Let me shower you with gifts of salt and pepper! La la la!
: He's not a bad singer. (But I guess I'd better be going).



(Music: GHOST TRICK)







(Music: Intermission ~The Deepening of the "Night")









(Music: SUSPICION)

: My apologies, sir! But I never th-thought she would run away! Lynne is our angel...I mean, friend. I mean...she's like family to us!
: Angel, friend or family -- they all run when they get the chance! Do you have any idea how many years it's been since my wife ran away?!
: I'm very sorry! I have no idea, sir!
: Hmph! You'll never make detective at that rate! Now, find Lynne!
: Yes, sir!
: If Inspector Cabanela gets word of this, it's all over!

: So our red-headed detective escaped, did she? (But I just barely saved her a few minutes ago. Whew, she's fast.) Well, guess I'll look around for leads.





: Who could she have been calling on the phone before she hid it there? (I wish I could find out...)

There's nothing more to be done on this side of the room, so let's go bug the cops.





: Look at all these precision instruments and complicated devices...what are you doing?
: Sir! I think maybe this is how Lynne escaped -- through here.



: She couldn't possibly fit in that tiny little elevator!
: Oh, I don't know, sir...Lynne is pretty slim...
: Fool! Don't you know that women can make themselves appear slim through fashion?! To this day I STILL don't know how much my wife really weighs!
: I'm very sorry! I had no idea, sir!
: Hmph! You'll never make detective at that rate! Anyway, where is that old pigeon man?
: Oh, him, sir? He went through the door behind me, sir.



: It won't open.
: Apparently that door leads to the basement, but it's currently locked, sir.
: These instruments...they're all very suspicious. You'd better keep your eye on that old man, too.
: Yes, sir!



Not much to mess around with over here, either. But if we check out the microscope...



: As a matter of fact, this whole desk is filled with things I've never seen. I know I've lost my memory, but still...that old pigeon man seems like a pretty strange guy.

Oh Sissel. But enough of that, let's see what else we can do here. If we Trick the step ladder back to the other side of the room...





: Don't tell me...! Could it be...it sensed the tension between me and the detective, and it moved to get away from it?
: (That was an unexpected tangent.)
: I'll never make detective at this rate...what I need is some sort of achievment, a feather in my cap. If only I could find a helpful lead, that might do the trick...
: (A helpful and blindingly obvious lead is staring you in the face right now...)

Looks like it's time to helpfully point out the notebook to him. Again.



: If I give this back to her, it might "spark" something between us...Hmm, what to do, what to do? This is a very complicated matter.
: What have you got there?
: What, this?! Oh...uh...this is...um...
: Wait a minute, is that...?
: Y-yes, sir! It's Lynne's notebook!
: Notebook, eh? Come to think of it, there was something about that in the report. Something about her looking at her notebook and making a call...this must be it. This telephone number with the big circle around it. Aren't you curious to know who she was calling?
: I am! I really am, sir! I'd like to know! ...Oh! But I don't have any ulterior motive for wanting to know, though. No, sir! No, sir!
: This number might be an important lead. I'd better check it out.

(Music: COMPLICATION)







: This is a criminal investigation. We need your cooperation.
: Hey, I know that voice...is that you, Detective McCaw?
: Oh, is that...Officer Bailey?
: What's up, sir? You don't usually call this late.
: Oh, uh...did you get a call from one of our detectives, Lynne, earlier?
: From Lynne? Yes, I did. She calls every night. Maybe she senses it's about to happen.
: Did she say anything special?
: No, not really. Is something wrong?
: Yes, well...ahem. I might be contacting you again if I have any other questions.







: Excuse me, Detective, but...
: What is it?
: That notebook...would you mind if I gave...? ......Uh, never mind, sir!
: Hmph. Just stay on your toes.



Looks like we're gonna be swinging by that new location soon. But first, let's take one last look at what Pigeon Man is doing downstairs.



: But will that close the matter? Her appearance here -- and tonight, of all times...I hardly think it's coincidence...

Mysterious. But there's nothing more we can learn from him now, so let's just check out that Bailey dude's office.



(Music: The Imprisoned)



: I don't really know. If I had to take a guess, though, I would probably say...something's going on with her.
: Ha ha ha! The only place in the world where nothing is going on is inside your brain, Bailey!



: What is that supposed to mean?! ......I mean, I know what the words mean...that's not what I'm asking. That was my way of expressing indignation, putting it in the form of a question...
: I just hope Lynne's not doing anything crazy. I'm a fan of hers, ya know?
: According to my log, Lynne has been calling here every night as of late.

: So, let's see...this is the place Lynne took all that risk to call, eh? (But what exactly IS this place?)



Shortly after Trick Time starts, Bailey pins some paper to his bulletin board.



So let's make the paper come loose from the board.



: Hey, what's this?
: Oh, that? I wrote down my duties for the night, so I wouldn't forget any of them.
: You can't keep 'em in your head? It's not like you have a ton of "duties", after all. Use a little brain power.



: What are you talking about?! Weren't you the one who just said nothing is going on inside my brain?!
: ......Hmm, didn't think you'd take it in quite that direction...so let's see this important "to do" list of yours. "9:00: Take Prisoner C38 to the telephone room."
: Yes, he just made a request to use the phone a little while ago.
: 9:00, eh? That's when Lynne usually calls.
: Well, we can't let her talk to "him" tonight. Rules are rules.
: Aw, poor Lynne. Sure wish I could comfort her...



: W-what do you think you're doing?! That's my important "duties memo"!
: That's okay. I've got it all memorized for ya.
: W-well it's your duty to guard the telephone room, you know!



And then Bailey gets a phone call. Luckily, we were still in that wad of paper when it got tossed back to his side of the room.





: I'm sorry. I don't have much time. Please let me talk to him!
: I-I'm sorry, Detective. I can't do that tonight.
: You can't? But you always let me talk to him before...
: Well, uh, the telephone room is already reserved. That's why.
: Oh. *sniffle*
: By the way, is something going on with you tonight?
: What? Why do you ask?
: I got a call from one of the other detectives a minute ago, asking about you.
: O-oh, really? Well, I don't think it's anything important. Officer Bailey? Do you think you could keep this call just between us? Even if only for tonight?
: Well, I...uh...
: Well, I've gotta go! See you tomorrow!





: Oh, boy...well, guess I'd better call the detective division.
: Hold on there, Bailey!
: What?
: Don't tell me you're gonna report that call from Lynne?
: What else can I do? It's my duty.
: Just write it down on one of your important "to do" lists! And then I can wad it up for you and throw it away.
: You mean, you want me to keep quiet about it?
: Well, isn't that what she asked you to do?
: Well, yes, but...
: Tonight is kind of a "special case" for us. Can't you make a special exception for my Lynne, too?
: *sigh* "Special case", huh? All right, you win.





: ...but, for ME, it's my "only" night. Lynne is on the other end of that telephone line. I'd better hurry.



(Music: DARKNESS)



...oh, for fuck's sake.



: Oh, why couldn't it have been me instead?! I'm no use as a police officer! It should've been me!
: It looks like she's dead. We'd better not touch her.
: Who did this?! Who shot Lynne?! Hey...excuse me, mister.
: You talking to me?
: This room...there aren't any other exits besides this one, are there?
: Do you see one?
: Huh? Then how did...? We must have one of those mysterious "locked room" murder cases on our hands! One of those cases where the murderer vanishes into thin air in a vacuum!
: Just go find a real detective. I'll keep watch here.
: Yes, sir!
: *sigh* What a terrible turn of events...







Oh god, we have to do something. Quick, back upstairs!



: ...while downstairs, a terrible situation is calling out for my attention. (I'd better get back down there...)

Oh right, silly me. Let's get back down to the bottom of the junkyard.



: Yeah, just checking to see if anything's new.
: Well, let me see...a moment ago, your corpse was taken away by the police.
: It was? Oh. (I guess I'll never see my poor corpse again...)
: Nothing is permanent. We lose everything in the end...
: But there are some things we can get back. Right, Ray?
: I suppose you are right.

Enough monkeying around. Let's go save Lynne AGAIN.



(Music: The World of the Dead)



: ......I thought you'd be a little more grave, under the circumstances.
: Yeah, well, this is the third time, after all. It's scary what a girl can get used to, don't you think?
: (Frankly, the way her mind works is a whole heck of a lot scarier to me...) So what happened this time? Who shot you?
: I don't know.
: What?
: I'd like to know myself. Who could've done it...? WHO SHOT ME?
: What are you asking me for?! (Oh boy...guess I'll just have to go find out for myself.)
: Okay, you just go do that. Hurry along, now!
: (I get the distinct impression I'm being used here...) Okay. Looks like it's time to go back...to four minutes before your death!







Video: Four Minutes before Lynne's Third Death.



: So the "murderer" was a mechanical "murder machine"?!
: "Murder machine"...?
: When I came into the room, it was pitch dark, so I turned on the light. That must've been what set it off -- the murder machine, I mean.
: Can you please stop repeating the words "murder machine"?
: That old pigeon guy must've made it. But why?
: (What could be the meaning behind this weird room?)
: Anyway, you'll have to find some way to stop that creepy machine. Once Cupid fires his arrow, it's all over.

(Music: Fate Updated)





There's nothing we can reach right at the start, but Lynne already has something to say.

: You know what, Sissel? I think this death might be easier to prevent than the others.
: Why's that?
: You know. Because the murderer is mechanical!
: (She has a point. I can't manipulate living creatures, but I can manipulate this machine. Now I just gotta figure out how to stop it...)
: When the "four-minutes-ago me" turns on the light, that's when the murder machine is set in motion, apparently.
: (It looks like the key to solving this one is understanding this Rube Goldburg machine.)

After a bit of waiting, Pigeon Man walks closer to us, giving us the chance to jump into his lamp.



And then he leaves the room, causing four-minutes-ago Lynne to freak out.





: I've always liked small, cramped spaces. Whenever I see a little hole or crevice, I always feel like crawling in. The place I feel most at home is that space between my bed and the wall.
: Yeah, I guess I can understand that.
: Ah, we're birds of a feather! We should get together and talk about it sometime!

But while Sissel and Lynne are busy talking about how much they like small spaces, Pigeon Man goes to answer the phone once it rings.



: I'm so glad! I thought I was all alone...
: ......



Remember how we could jump into the basement's fan motor from the top floor of the office? Well, now we HAVE to do that if we want to stop the murder machine; there's no way to reach any of the machine parts from where we are now. So let's go up there!



And when we do, the pigeon man hangs up on the cop.

: It's all over...it's all over for me...Lynne -- sweet, cute Lynne, who shines as bright as the sun -- ran away on me. And then those detectives -- matching bookends, blue and green -- yelled at me...and then the old man with the dirty blue dove on his head completely ignored me...if only somebody could give me a kind word right about now...
: You wanna give him a kind word, Miss Bright-As-the-Sun?
: Um...let's see..."hang in there!"
: (That's all you've got?)
: I'd like to see you do better!

Well, let's make the cop's day a little nicer by closing the kettle lid. That way he won't get scalded by the steam!





: And then the kettle nearly scared me to death...my life is in complete shambles!
: That's gratitude for you! We were just trying to warn him with the kettle whistle! Would he have preferred getting scalded by the steam?
: Well, at least his fate was changed a bit. That's good, anyway.



Yes, this is just an excuse to have a restart point right before you start tinkering with the murder machine.



At any rate, helping out the cop caused him to lower the kettle down, so now we can reach the fan motor & get back down into the machine's room.



From here, there's nothing to do but hop into the ball that's on the fan blade. And right around then, 4-minutes-ago Lynne turned the lights on, which means...

(Music: COUNT DOWN)



So how do we stop this crazy thing?



That toolbox to our lower left seems like a good start.



Once we're there, we can open it...



Looks like a vital part of stopping this, but the timing was off.



And then Sissel blathers on about how the shovel can help, but that was obvious enough. So let's try that again, but timing it so that the shovel hits the ball!





: Maybe if we were on a putting green.
: Well, with a swing like that...maybe we could put it to some use here.

And then there's more about how we have to change the ball's path. But how do we do that?



Hmm, is there anything we can do with the rotating metal...thing...to the right?



: Hey, look! There's a thread attached to it!
: It loops around the clock and is tied to the frame the gun is in...and it seems to be connected to our firey Mr. Cupid as well.

Awesome, so let's just turn it to a stop with a Trick and...

: (This toy seems to be the "heart" of the entire mechanism. But inertia is surprisingly powerful...I can't stop it once it's set into motion!)

Oh. Fuck.

Then we can try opening the trap door in what little time we have left, but it doesn't do much. Except for making Lynne say this:



But we've actually figured out both halves of the puzzle now. We just have to time everything correctly. First you wait for the ball to reach the table, then quickly go to the trapdoor and open it. Then you quickly jump back to the toolbox and open it, causing this to happen:



(Music: GHOST TRICK)



: It looks like your future just got a whole lot rosier. Your death has been erased...again.
: I, uh...thank you. ......you kept your promise, didn't you, Sissel?
: My promise?
: You said I'd see you again if I died.
: I don't remember making any promises. It's all for my own benefit anyway...





: Hmm...I can't imagine.
: Those things that went off at the end. They were party poppers, weren't they?
: Party poppers? (I have no recollection of what they are, but that's no surprise...)
: The party poppers, the gun going off...it seems familiar somehow...
: ......I'll leave that part of the puzzle to you. I have my own "puzzle" to figure out. Well, shall we go back now? Back to your new "present"?



(Music: DARKNESS)



: (Lynne is...talking to me...?)
: If you're there, could you say something? If you're not there, I guess I'm just a weird girl who talks to herself.
: (Well, you ARE kind of a weird girl, whether you talk to yourself or not...)





Let's leave Lynne to her own devices for a minute and see how Cop and Pigeon Man are doing.



: Look, kid, I want to make my tea.
: Shh! Please don't talk to me right now! Adjusting this stove is a really delicate business.
: Huuuh?
: If I turn the knob left, the flames get smaller. If I turn it right, they get bigger. In just another minute, I'll have them adjusted just right!
: I wish you had a knob on your head...I'd adjust you just right...

: Oh boy, this could take a while. Besides, I can't just leave Lynne behind. She said she wanted to talk to me.



Fine, let's get to that, then.

(Music: Lynne ~ A Targeted Redhead)



: Shame on you for stepping foot into a girl's head uninvited. Wait a minute...! Don't give me that "a ghost doesn't have feet" bit. It's just a figure of speech!
: Hey, did I say anything?
: There! That tone! It's that tone of yours that makes me mad!
: So...did you have something in particular you wanted to say to me?
: ......I just thought I'd share some information with you. I'm investigating a case right now. A murder case. And I'm doing it alone.
: A murder case, all by yourself?
: Yes, well, that's because the case was closed a long time ago. The "culprit" is already behind bars, forgotten by the world.
: So why are you looking into it, then?
: Because I think the person's innocent, that's why! There's something strange behind the case, some big mystery. I firmly believe that. So, anyway, I finally have my memory back. I'm not at liberty to tell you about the case, but if there's anything else you want to know, I'll try to answer what I can.

Why she can't tell a ghost about this case is as much of a mystery to me as it is to you. Anyway, we have a couple questions we can ask, so let's start from the top.



: You have your life AND your memory back now...so let me ask you again...who shot me tonight?
: Yeah, I thought that might be the first thing on your mind...
: What else would it be? There's a good chance I was shot while I was with you, after all.
: I'm afraid my memory just isn't clear on that part.
: Not clear?
: I met with you tonight, and then you fell down right in front of me. I think I remember seeing that part. I'm pretty sure you were shot. Maybe...from somewhere far away?
: So you didn't see the culprit?
: I'm sorry. I wish I could be of more help...but I know I wasn't the one who shot you.
: Your colleages seem to think you're a suspect, though.
: I wanted the information you had for me. So why would I shoot you before I got it?
: ("Information", huh? I wonder what info I had for her?)



And that adds a third topic, but first we really should ask Lynne about Kamila.

: By the way, I see you have a little roommate.
: Kamila? How do you know about her?
: There was a tiny...incident...at your apartment a little while ago.
: An incident? What kind of incident? What happened?! Is Kamila all right?!
: She's fine, thanks to her loyal little friend, Missile. Although I did have a little trouble bringing him back to life...
: Oh my...



: You're being targeted by a certain organization.
: What?!

(Music: A Dashing Enigma)



: So I'm a suspect and a target? Could this night possibly get any worse?!
: It does sound pretty rough. Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?
: Huh?
: You know what they say...when it rains, it pours. Isn't it time you admitted you need me, need my powers?
: ......I'm sorry. I can't cooperate with you.
: ......
: Yes, you saved my life tonight. I'm completely grateful for that. But as a detective, I still can't trust you.
: That's...too bad.

Sigh. Oh well, let's talk about the info Sissel apparently had for Lynne.

: So I had some important "information" that you wanted, huh?
: That's right. You called the station yesterday. And you asked to talk to me. You told me you had an important lead on the case I was working on.
: Important lead, eh...?
: You said you wanted to meet me and talk to me directly. Tonight, at the junkyard.
: And you fell for it? Even given how fishy it sounds?
: You're the last person I want to hear that from, you know. But I just couldn't let it go, no matter how shady it seemed. That's because I'm running out of time.
: Hey, that's right. You said something was going down tonight. Does that "something" have to do with the case you're working on?
: ......I'm sorry, but I can't talk about it.
: (Oh, boy...but I guess I understand.)





: Run, I guess. They'll catch me again if I don't get out of here. And I have to get to the restaurant. I'm worried about Kamila.
: Oh, yeah. What was it...? The "Chicken Kitchen" on Dead End Drive, right?
: What about you, Sissel? What are you going to do?
: I don't know, to tell you the truth. You're my only lead. If you leave...



: I just realized...you and I are in the same boat. We're both looking for answers tonight, and neither one of us has anybody to help us.
: That about sums it up. Hey, even if you can't cooperate with me, how about if we just agree to use each other?
: That's not a bad idea...you're on. But can I ask you to do a favor for me first?
: What's that?
: I need you to sneak into a certain place for me. A prison, to be exact.
: Prison...?
: That's the place I was calling from the office upstairs. I want you to go find out a certain prisoner's work schedule for tomorrow.
: Work schedule? For a prisoner?
: Yes, the prisoners are given different job details every day. Each prisoner's schedule for the next day is written on a small blackboard in his cell.
: So just go check out a certain prisoner's blackboard, huh? Okay.
: His prisoner number is D99. If you do that for me, I'll cooperate with you.
: Okay. You're on.

(Music: GHOST TRICK)





: See you. But don't die again, if you can help it.







Videos:
Saving Lynne (again)

New/Updated Records:
Sissel
Lynne
Green Detective
Pigeon Man
Navy-Blue Square
Junkyard
Pigeon Man's Office
Pigeon Man's Basement
Uniformed Men's Office
The Chicken Kitchen