Part 12: Odd Girl.

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









That's a very, very good question. It's not every day that you see a car driven through a window, a giant chicken on the floor, and two people whose life status seems rather uncertain.



(Music: SUSPICION)



: I would've paid the poor child more! I would've cooked more chicken for her! I would've sung to her as much as she liked, until she'd had her fill! ......actually, about the singing...she did tell me she'd had her fill a time or two...
: (The chef seems to be in quite a panic.)



: According to that police radio conversation I heard, Lynne should be here...but I don't see her anywhere. It seems like bad luck has it in for that redhead, so I was half expecting to see her in trouble again. (...I spotted the corpse of the van driver.)

Can YOU guess where she is? Though it's not much of a guess, since we'll roll her way quickly enough...





Yep. She was underneath the gigantic chicken. Woman really needs to stop dying so often; that sort of thing can't be good for her.



(Music: Lynne ~ A Targeted Redhead)

: ......Well...that's one way to greet a guy. What happened here?
: Hey, how should I know? I'm the victim.
: (Is it just my imagination or is she getting more and more brazen every time she dies?)
: Oh, that's because I'm a detective. Have to be tough, you know. Well? And? How did it go? Did you check out tomorrow's work schedule for Prisoner D99?
: Yeah, just like I promised. Actually, I have a few things I want to ask you about too...
: Sure! We agreed to "use each other" after all, right?
: Okay, let's swap info then.



Even aside from my usual habit of going from top to bottom, it seems kinda sorta maybe important that we confront Lynne about the fact that she shot us.

: On my way here, I stopped by the Chief of Police's office.
: Oh, it was just on your way, was it?
: And while I was there, I saw who did it. I saw my murderer.
: You saw him? Where?! How?!
: Not "him." "Her." There was a security camera set up at the junkyard where I got shot. The security tape showed the person who shot me. It was you.



(Music: AWAKENING)





: What do you have to say for yourself, detective?
: It wasn't me...I didn't shoot you!
: If I recall, this is what you said about who shot me..."My memory just isn't clear on that part." So how can you say for sure that it wasn't you?
: B-because! I told you before! You were supposed to give me some information!
: "Information", huh...? Maybe that information was the reason you shot me.
: What? What do you mean?



Was it really necessary to have this turn into a new conversation topic?

: You said you had information on the case I was looking into. So I would hardly shoot you before I even heard that information, right?
: I agree. That wouldn't make sense if it WAS "before"...
: Huh?
: But what if it was after you'd already gotten the information from me?



: And whatever it was, it really shocked you. What did I tell you?
: ...! I don't remember...I don't know! You've got to believe me! After you saved me, I thought I got all my memories back...but maybe I really didn't...You told me something...? I can't remember that part at all!
: You got the information you wanted from me, and then you shot me. Isn't that what happened?
: No...no! I didn't shoot you! ......Please tell me, what did you tell me that time? What did I learn from you...?
: ......

We're not getting anywhere like this, so let's switch gears and tell Lynne about D99's blackboard.

: Just like you said, each prisoner had a little blackboard in his cell. But, the thing is...there wasn't anything written on D99's blackboard. It was blank.
: What?
: I guess maybe it means his schedule for tomorrow hasn't been decided yet?
: B-blank? BLANK?! NOOOOOO!
: (Huh? I didn't think she'd lose it over a blank blackboard...) How come you're so upset about an undecided work schedule? I get the feeling that back when I was alive, I never had much of a schedule to worry about, myself...
: Do you know what it means when a prisoner doesn't have a schedule for the next day?
: Huh? It means something?
: It doesn't mean "he doesn't have work to do." It's more like, "he can't work." And that's because...he's going to be executed.

(Music: Towards Nothingness...)

: Executed?!



Looks like we're not the only person who's going to...cease to exist...tonight.

: Do you know what Prisoner D99's "crime" was?
: I think so. They said something about him murdering his wife, right in front of a family member...
: That's what they say. But it's not true. He would never...Detective Jowd would never do anything like that! And the death penalty hasn't been enforced in this country in a very long time...not for decades...even if the prisoner wants it...like in this case.
: ...! (The prisoner wants it?)
: There's definitely something else going on with this case. I just know it. And I have to find out what! And if his work schedule is blank for tomorrow...I have to do it right now!
: (So this Prisoner D99...Detective Jowd...he must be connected to me in some way, too.)



And of course, the conversation ends there without Sissel actually mentioning this to Lynne. Oh well, nothing to do but move on to talking about Point X.

: The police were staking out this restaurant tonight. They called it "Point X."
: "Point X," huh? That's a good name for this place.
: That white-suited inspector was surprised to find out you just casually waltzed in here.
: Inspector Cabanela...?
: What in the world made you pick this place, anyway?
: I guess I'd have to say...because of you.
: Me? Huh?



: Do you remember that note I found?
: Yeah, I remember. (That note I didn't get a chance to read...)
: It had a place and a time written on it. "The Chicken Kitchen, 10:00." In other words...
: (...I was supposed to meet somebody here tonight?)
: Yup, apparently so. I just had to get that information you were going to give me. That's why I came here. It was the only lead I had left.
: And this "here" is Point X. So that must mean... (the mark the police were waiting for was...me?)
: ......So...what are you going to do now? I mean, you fulfilled your goal, right? You found out who shot you.
: ......

Oh, like they'd even consider ending the game here.

: Are you going to get revenge? That would be easy enough to do. All you have to do is not save me.
: ......





(Music: A Dashing Enigma)

: What am I going to do now? I'm going to save you, that's what.
: You are?
: I want to know everything. Who I was, why I was killed...



: I want answers, and I'm gonna find them. But to do that, I'm gonna need your help.
: ......Okay. I won't say "thank you." Not yet. And I won't say "I'm sorry" either. But I'll help see to it that you get your answers.
: Good. Now, I think it's time to go back to the past. I can't leave you lying flattened under a huge chunk of chicken forever, after all.
: *groan*







Four Minutes Before Lynne's Fourth Death



: Leave me alone. Can I help it if I got tired of dying the usual ways?
: But I'll say this. It was a death any detective could be proud of.
: Huh? What makes you say that?
: The way you saved somebody else before dying yourself.
: Oh, that waitress? The one with the chicken on her head?
: The next time you put a chicken on YOUR head, try one about the size of the waitress's.
: I'll make a note of that for next time.
: But, anyway...if you hadn't tried to save that waitress, you'd still be alive.
: I couldn't help it! You know, the detective thing and all. I wasn't able to save that poor van driver, though...
: (At that speed, he must've died instantly.) Well, we can't let a heroic detective like you stay dead. (The root of this whole disaster is clear. The only question is, how do I stop it?)
: Okay, let's get started!



(Music: Fate Updated)

First thing's first. We again overhear 4-minutes-ago Lynne wondering who "that pointy haired man" is going to meet here, and...



: Sorry about that! I'm really bad with names.
: (The future of this lady's career as a detective looks pretty bleak...)

And now to check out the sign on the table.



: (I can't read what it says!)
: Let's see...oh hey! Now I remember what that sign says! "If you would like some water, please ring the bell three times."
: "Three times"...?
: Yeah, the waitress doesn't bring any water if you only ring the bell once. She said "those are the rules, apparently." I said "apparently? What do you mean, 'apparently'? Don't you work here?"
: (Quite a stickler for the details, this detective...)

And finally, let's check out that note.



: I...I think so. (But I don't remember.)
: "Ten o'clock"? That means it's already time for your meeting with whoever it is. Now that I think about it...whoever you were supposed to meet might already be here.
: You're the detective. Shouldn't you have checked that when you got here?
: Oh, yeah. Sorry! The chicken at this restaurant is really good, so...you know. Ha ha.
: (Um, no, I don't know.)
: Maybe we should take a look around the rest of the restaurant.

Hm, but how to do that? There's no path of cores leading anywhere but this table. Let's try ringing the bell, since that's the only thing I haven't tried yet.



: Huh...? Oh, sorry, I didn't ring the bell.
: Oh, okay...I get it. This was a little dig, wasn't it? Kind of like "Hey, where's my food?", right?
: No, not at all! Besides, I didn't ring it.
: Oh, okay. That's all right, then. But the chef is the one who makes the chicken. No sense in harassing me about it, right? Just keep that in mind, 'kay?



: I agree.
: Me, too.

Well, that wasn't helpful. But wait, I just rung the bell once. If I ring it three times, the waitress is supposed to bring water...and she does.



The water jug also has a core, so I can hitchhike around the Chicken Kitchen in it. It also gives the waitress more to say to Lynne.

: You want MORE water?
: Huh...? Oh, sorry, I didn't ring the bell. And what's with the "MORE water" bit?
: Oh, well. C'mon, this is your third glass. Oh, okay...I get it. This was a little dig, wasn't it? Kind of like "Hey, where's my food?", right?
: No, not at all! Besides, I didn't ring it. But I would like to see you bringing me my chicken soon.
: Duly noted. In the meantime, enjoy a nice glass of water.





Now that we're over here...we should hop into that cart. Otherwise, we'll be stranded here, and that'd just be pointless!



And when we hop into the big red suitcase and examine it...not much happens.



: It's very suspicous...and red. Hey, let's see what's in it!
: Sorry, but that's not possible. (It's locked.)
: Darn. I wanted to see what's inside...

But more intriguingly, the two blue people are having a little chat. Let's listen in.



: Do you really think we can trust this "deal"?
: Who knows? It's not our job to think about that. But those incidents DID happen in this country, just as he predicted.
: Yes, and they were pretty amusing too, weren't they? That fellow who sang out national secrets during a live TV broadcast...
: And the man who laid siege to the Metro Police Department, taking the top dog hostage...
: But what if he double-crosses us? It wouldn't be pretty...
: No, no. He needs this deal too. And we've accepted all his conditions, as well.
: Yes, and thanks to that, we have to be here on this extra little "assignment"...but as long as I'm paired up with you, Beauty, I don't mind.

: How do these two...? How do they know about the cases at the Special Prison...?
: Special Prison...?
: The guy who sang national secrets...the man who held siege to Metro Police...those cases are classified information.
: Hmm, I've heard about both of those cases...and recently, too.
: The perpetrators in those cases are being held at a special facility. That's what the "Special Prison" is. But it's not known about by the general public.
: So Prisoner D99 -- Detective Jowd -- is one of those "special cases" too, huh?
: ......
: (These two are talking about the very same cases I heard about just tonight. That couldn't be just coincidence, could it?)

: Hmm.
: What is it, Beauty?
: Why don't we move to a different spot?



: Now you're talking, Beauty, my dear! Just what I've been waiting for. A quiet, secluded spot, just the two of us...I wouldn't object to that.
: All of a sudden, I get this feeling somebody is eavesdropping...my sixth sense is very strong, you know.
: That's all right, my dear. You don't have to make excuses...off we go, across the bridge of poultry, to the land of love!



: What just happened? Did she sense we were here?
: What, with her "sixth sense"? Ha ha.
: But you know, I have some pretty amazing powers myself...
: Yeah? Like what?
: Like...like if there's chicken nearby, I can tell right away!
: ......that's called a "sense of smell." (But anyway, at least the situation has changed a little bit now.)



: I don't believe in a "sixth sense." It's not scientific.
: (...says the ghost.)
: But come to think of it, we've been left behind, haven't we?
: It looks that way.
: Not having legs is even more inconvenient than I thought it would be. But what are we going to do now?! They're all the way over there! I'm telling you, you had better shake a leg, or we're going to miss what they're saying!
: It'd be pretty hard to "shake a leg", not having legs and all...



Hm, what can we do from here? There's nothing over here that seems to let us get over to the blue people, and more importantly...there's nothing over here that looks like it can save Lynne. So how can we get away from here? Let's...break a glass!



Okay, nothing helpful. Summoning the waitress worked last time, so let's try ringing the bell!



: Oh...I get it. You saw that couple over there, and you started to get lonely, right? And so you decided to call me. Aww, how sweet!
: Forgive me...but I didn't ring for anybody.
: What?
: Now, could you not stand in my light, please? I can't see my glass properly.
: I've been working here for two days, and I've been waiting this whole time for you to notice me! Now, would you stop trying to shake me up, and just stick to shaking cocktails?
: She has a surprisingly short career with this place...

Well, that didn't accomplish much. But wait...what if we break the glass while the waitress is watching? The bartender doesn't seem to notice, but maybe she will.



: A broken glass can never be put back the way it was. Just leave it there.
: You can't just leave it! Somebody might get hurt!
: Doesn't this trunk belong to the couple over there?
: The only thing we allow customers to lose here are their cares. Miss, please go and let them know about the trunk, if you would be so kind.
: How gallant of you! I just might fall for you, you know.



: I agree.
: Me, too.

Now's the time to jump into the trunk. Once the waitress comes back from telling the blue people about their trunk...

: Well, goodbye! I've been working here for two days, and I've had my eye on you the whole time! I think this might be my last night working here, though. It's been fun!
: I guess she's leaving this place with her surprisingly short career intact!

And then Mr. Blue catches up to his trunk.





: Here we are, finally!
: I feel kind of bad about eavesdropping, though.
: Not me! I mean, we just delivered their lost trunk to them, after all! They owe us at least that much!
: (What kind of detective says something like that?)



: I can't believe I forgot the trunk, of all things!
: With such a small body, you probably have a small brain to match.
: Ouch, that hurts, Beauty! But that's okay...that's what I love about you.
: THAT'S what he loves about her?
: I don't get it, either.
: Now, where were we? Oh, right! Who to invite to the wedding...IF we got married, that is. Of course.
: We can talk about that when we're alone.
: Hmm? But aren't we alone now, Beauty?
: Huh?! Do you think she senses our prescence again?
: I spy a ladybug.
: A ladybug?
: I just hate little bugs...



Well this isn't telling us much...wait...weren't we supposed to be saving Lynne or something?



Oh. Well. Shit.



: I-It looks that way, yes. It's not over yet, though.
: It's not? What are you talking about?
: You're not dead yet.
: N-No, but I'm going to be, in just a few seconds!
: (But before that happens, maybe there's something we can do from here!)

(Music: COUNT DOWN)

How the fuck are we supposed to stop a gigantic chicken statue?! Well, let's start by at least going over to it...first, we've gotta swing the lamp at the right time to be able to reach it...



And then the chicken rotates and starts to break loose of more of its chains...



And with mere moments left before Lynne dies...there's still nothing we can do. Or is there?



Hmm, that looks like a core over there...



I have the feeling this is about to get rather ridiculous. And rather long, so I'll save the rest of it for next time.