Part 19: Meatshop

Update 8 – Meatshop

(MT32)

We just bought a copy of The Maltese Falcon off of a black-market video dealer. Let's check it out.

Inspect the video tape
Unmarked.

Hopefully he didn't just rip me off and give me a blank tape. Anyway, he mentioned that the twins on the other side of the bar are involved in criminal activity. Not a surprise to me, but sounds like it's worth checking out.

We head to the front part of the club.





That was fast.



Quiet night!
Shut your face, vomit-brain!
Yeah. Crawl somewhere and die, slug-face!



Waste of time. Now what? I know! Another drink!





We head into the bathroom.






Inspect the toilet bowl
This toilet has given many years dutiful service.

Inspect the flush unit
This example of Soviet know-how is in perfect working order.

Inspect the trashcan



I don't think that's sugar...

Inspect the small clear plastic bag




Now, what would my father do? Maybe he'd try to disrupt the drug trade, which would disrupt the profits of various criminal organizations. Or maybe he'd just leave it be, to avoid attracting attention while on an important mission. I don't know.

If you take the cocaine to the police, it will be back on the black market in an hour and at a higher price, no doubt. Just flush it down the toilet and be done with this vile business.

Wow. Dad was more cynical than I remembered. Well, that's good advice. I don't want to end up a corrupt scumbag like the people I'm supposed to be policing. I'll flush it down the toilet.



We dump it in the toilet.

Might as well do what I came here to do.




Much better. Shame there's no sink.




Damn it. If they found out what I did to that bag...



Whew. They don't seem to be pointing their fingers at me...yet. Still, I'm running out of leads. Maybe Petka and Lyonka are connected to Hollywood. Worth a try.



Mind if I join you?
Yeah, we mind. Don't we, Petka?
Course we don't mind! I we minded all the time, we'd never make new friends, Lyonka.
You've got a point! We don't mind a bit!
This place is too quiet tonight. I know some people who're throwing a great party. You want to come with Petka and me?
A party? Well, I'm a bit busy, actually.




Ask about...the club
Nice. Eh, Petka?
Not very nice, Lyonka, no. You sure you don't want to come with us to the party? Worth a try, no?
Just how stupid do these guys think I am? Guess they didn't see me listening in on their conversation in the stairwell.

You decide...not to go

I know these guys are criminals. How can I know if they're connected to Hollywood? Only one way to find out.
I'm Buyer 2.
You what? What you take me for?
Shut up, Lyonka. The gentleman says he's Buyer 2.
Exactly, Petka. So?
So, we say oh?
Oh? Why...
Because we want to know a little more before we believe him. Right?
Right! Tell us more and then we might believe you!



Who are you two bozos?
Who do you think, Buyer 2?
Stop playing games, junior. Where's Hollywood?
Hollywood. That's more like it. He's not here. We are.
Why isn't he here?



That wasn't the arrangement.
That's the arrangement now. Take it or leave it. Coming?




I'm suspicious as all hell, but I'll go.





Goddamn it.




Well, here goes nothing.

We attack Lyonka.



Yeah! I got 'em!



Oh. He's dead. Maybe I shouldn't have hit him so hard. Well, at least I got a lockpick.

Inspect the lockpick
A well-crafted gadget.



I was trying to help this drunken fool to his feet.
Where have you been? We were waiting for you!
Go home, old man.



Mother Russia thanks you, grandfather!
Thanks he says! Try living on it!

With that, he's out of here.

That was too close. I have to hide the body, fast, before the militia get here. I killed Lyonka in self-defense, mostly, but I'm supposed to keep a low profile. The militia getting involved would ruin the entire mission. If I recall, there was a trashcan nearby.

We move Lyonka's body to the right.




We dump his body in the trashcan.



The trash collectors will be in for an unpleasant surprise tomorrow morning. Hopefully by then, I'll be out of here.

At the meatshop...




Time to try out our new toy.




We try the other door.





Better not to attract too much attention.

We use the matches on the matchbox.





Inspect the fridge
It looks like it should have retired twenty years ago.

Inspect the calendar
The cover features honest toilers of the agricultural sector. No significant dates have been circled.

There's nothing of interest in here. That door looks like it leads to the meatshop, though.




We light another match.




Inspect the counter
Bloodstained.

Inspect the meathooks
No meat.

Inspect the cold-door
A solidly-built cold-room door. A plastic-coated wire emerges from the wall beside the door-frame and runs discreetly as far as the cash desk.

Doesn't look like there's anything meaningful in here. I'll keep searching.

Inspect the cash desk
Concealed beneath the cash desk is a switch beside which is a red diode. The diode emits no light.



Inspect the switch and diode
A plastic-coated wire runs discreetly from the switch-box to the wall and continues to where it disappears under the frame of the cold-room door, at door-handle height.

That's probably an alarm.

We flick the switch.



Hopefully, no light means the alarm's on, and red light means it's off. I'd guess so, because why wouldn't Sytenko leave the alarm on? I'm taking a bit of a gamble here, though. Well, on through the cold-door.




We light another match.



Damn cold in here. Strange. Everyone says that Sytenko has no meat in his meatshop. That looks like meat.