Part 21: Reading a Newspaper

Music: Gusty Town


What made you think he was weird?

What made you think he was weird?
For one, he's been coming here all the time, starting two or three days ago. Sending long hours with just a single cup of coffee, staring at my customers.

Spending long hours in a café with just one cup isn't really weird (at least not anymore). It depends on how many hours is "long hours." The staring part is weird, so that statement is still true.

And also...
There's more?
He goes around asking all kinds of questions.
Such as?
About stuff from the past mostly.

(Stuff from the past?)

What kinds of notes has he been making?

What kind of notes has he been making?
When I took his coffee over once, I nearly caught a glimpse of his notes...
But he noticed right away and snapped his notebook shut.

Stuff from the past? Like what?

Asking about stuff from the past? Like what?
He tends to be fixated on this building's past. When it used to be a hotel.
That's quite a while back.



He also asked about something that happened 13 years ago.

(What happened 13 years ago?)

He never revealed his motives about why he was so interested in that particular event.

What happened in the hotel 13 years ago?

What happened in the hotel 13 years ago?
That's a tough question, and I'd appreciate it if you kept this to yourself.
Mrs Patrice asked me to avoid talking about it.
She seemed especially keen to keep it from the people living in the apartments.
What happened?
I think I can trust you not to spread it around, Mr Hyde.

It's nice that Sidney trusts us from the start of the game and don't have to be confronted about the secret

If the truth be known, when this building was still a hotel...



On top of that, the case was never solved.

What do you know about it?

An unsolved murder? What do you know about the incident?
I don't think I'd better go into any more detail, Mr Hyde.
Come on, you've told me this much.
Thing is, someone involved in the incident is rather close to me.
There are also those who are keen to forget about the incident once and for all.
Please understand, I'm just not happy to continue discussing it.

Music: Glass in the Hand
Ah, one more thing...
What is it?
That Rex Foster guy seems to be after information concerning that murder. He could be a reporter.



That doesn't really refute my theory about him being an informant for Martin.

A shady character like him would make a perfect reporter for one of those gossip mags.
I'll bet money that's where he's from.
Could be.
Changing the subject, Mr Hyde, have you decided who's going to get your vote?
I haven't quite made my mind up.
The media seems to be focused on Hugh Speck, the ex-congressman.
I personally don't like the idea of him winning, though.
Really, why's that?



Even Sidney agrees that someone like Hugh Speck in a videogame can't be trusted

I've got a friend who swears the guy was on the take during his days on the force. He said he was also into racketeering, among other things.
We're talking about Hugh Speck, right? I've never heard these rumours.
Well, it's politics, right? Everyone's at least a bit corrupt.
It won't be easy for whoever becomes mayor. Lowering the crime rate will be tough.
Ain't that the truth.
Say, did you hear about the robbery at the jeweller's near here yesterday?



This kind of crime gives people like me the jitters.
It reminds me of a very similar incident a while back.



Yeah?



Sure thing, I'll be right over.
Duty calls, Mr Hyde, I'll catch up with you another time.
Do you mind if I take a look at this newspaper?
Not a problem, take your time.

Sidney makes his way back behind the counter.



As Kyle said, Sidney is behind the counter. Claire is nowhere to be found.

What's it going to be?
You want something to drink?
No, I'm good.



Now we can examine the left part of the café.

Music: Hidden Proof

Small frame There's a landscape painting on the wall depicting a row of stores on a city street.
Large frame The picture on the wall has a photograph from when this building was a hotel.

Photo The photo is black and white. It says it was taken in 1956.
(So this is what Cape West looked like when it was a hotel...)
Window Through the window I can see a train that's, uh, stopped in its tracks.

I don't remember there being anything south of the café. Let's see where the door there leads to.

(What's wrong with me today?)
(I almost left by mistake.)

It goes outside, apparently. Makes sense, I guess. Now let's go through the north door.

Hey, Mr Hyde!
You can't go into the kitchen.

Fine then. Let's just examine the rest of this place.




Left bench There isn't a single bit of trash anywhere near the seating area.
Table The table's showing its age but it's been scrubbed to perfection.
Window I can see the street in front of the apartment building.
Bottles One bottle is ketchup. The other is mustard. Together they liven up any meal.
Frames There are a variety of small, framed photographs on the wall.
Right bench This bench has a crease in the leather. Sure to be a vital clue.




Left bench A red two-seater bench with leather upholstery. The colour's looking a little faded.
(This might have been here since the days when this place was a hotel.)
Table The dining table has a melamine surface with a whole lot of scratches.
Bottles Ketchup. Mustard. Two of my favourite condiments.
Window The window's spotless. I can see exactly how little is going on outside.
Frames There are a couple of landscape paintings on the wall depicting lush forests.
Poster There's a poster with a cow on it stuck to the wall.

Zoomed-in poster It's a poster advertising the café's beef stew.
(I've never eaten it, but it sounds damn fine.)
Right bench A red bench with leather upholstery. There's room for two.

Newspaper Sidney's newspaper is on the table.



December 19, 1980. New Development in Serial Jewel Robbery Cases!?

With regard to the succession of jewel burglaries that have taken place recently, the Los Angeles Police Department announced a new lead - that the culprit could be a jewelry theft ring called "Condor", based on the information that a woman with a black hat had been witnessed at the crime scene before the incident. The group once frightened the whole nation and there are fears that their reign of terror is beginning once more.

(Hmm, the woman in this article... Sounds just like the woman I saw outside the building yesterday.)

Music stops
(Things have been more hectic than usual since yesterday.)
(Guess there's only one thing for it. If I think back over the events, maybe I can clear a few things up.)