Part 35: Playing a Game

Music: Gusty Town


What kind of person bought the place?

What kind of person is the new owner?
Without divulging any particulars, let me tell you this.
They weren't only interested in the building, but in the land as well.
Can you tell me who bought it?
For obvious reasons, I can't reveal the person's name.
But why are you so keen to know about them, Mr Hyde?
I've been thinking about the whole thing.
Why is it so important to you?
The new owner asked you to leave the fourth floor as it is... But if they're only going to tear the place down anyway... Well, something didn't fell right about that, so I was curious.
I see.
It may be strange, but it's entirely up to them what they do with their property.

Why was the fourth floor not converted?

Why was the fourth floor not converted?



After my husband passed away, I was left to fend for myself.
I had to use all the money that had been left to me to buy this place.
There simply wasn't enough to convert each and every room.
If the truth be known, times were very tough here at the beginning.
I apologise for taking up so much of your time with our chat, Mr Hyde.
I'll be on my way now.

Mags returns to her room.

(Hmm... So the fourth floor is just as it was 13 years ago.)

Mr Hyde...





Music: Ace of Diamonds
Can I ask you something?
You'd better not be wasting my time.
You want to see what's up on the fourth floor, right? I can show you...
But you've got to promise me you won't breathe a word of it to Mrs Patrice.
Were you eavesdropping just now?
I wasn't eavesdropping, I just happened to overhear your conversation.
Anyway, if you really want to take a look around up on the fourth floor...
I can open the fire door for you and let you in. On one condition though...

Other than not telling it to Mrs Patrice? That makes it two conditions, you know.

What's the catch?
I want to hear about that guy.
Could you be a little more specific?



(And I thought I was the curious type.)
I'm not an information service, you know. Why do you want to know about him?
Why?
Because I'm curious, that's all!
He's been snooping round here for two or three days now. He even asked me for some information about a second-floor resident...
Dylan! I thought I warned you to steer clear of him. He's bad news.

Dylan just wanted to hear about some leads or secret tip-offs. Kyle, however, is tired of them after receiving too many (based on the novel).

But, Mr Hyde, if he's such bad news, why did you speak with him in the lobby last night?
(How did he...)
So you were listening in then, too.
No, I was just in the right place at the right time.
I was coming down the stairs and heard voices in the lobby.

That makes 3 now. He really gets around, doesn't he?

So you managed to discover that he's an insurance investigator then.
What if I did?
And you also figured out that he's been targeting a woman living here.
Maybe.
You don't have to cover it up. I know what's going on. It's Marie from 206 that's who he's after!



Don't press

...
Looks like I'm out of luck.
I thought you'd at least share a little info on Marie.
So you were fishing for information!
Ah, you got me.
I was on to you from the beginning. If you think I can be sweet-talked into giving up information, think again!
Easy to see why you were a detective.
Dylan, just drop it!
But Mr Hyde...
What could you possibly want with this kind of information?

We've been taught the hard way that sometimes the best action is to let it slide. However, let's press, just to see what happens!

Dylan, look...



Suppose you overheard that too?

Suppose you overheard that too?
Yeah, kind of.
Do you think this is some kind of game?
I thought so!
Looks like I was right on the money this time!
Stop jumping to conclusions!
Take it easy, there's no need to get worked up or anything.
I'm getting a little tired of your bull, Dylan.
Speaking to you is just a waste of my time and energy.
That's a little strong, Mr Hyde.
I'm outta here.

So we move away...

Music: Insomnia (Last Window)
(Hang on. What was up with Dylan just now?)
So that guy's been after Marie from room 206! I'm right, aren't I? You can tell me.
(Why is Dylan so interested in Marie?)

We can't actually leave now since we do need his help, so we go back and talk to him again.



You got a moment?
What can I do for you?

Music: Gusty Town


Show bugging device
Is that...
Mr Hyde, why do you have a device like that in your pocket?
Show entry slip
I see you entered the prize draw too.
Show winning bottle cap
You should show that to Sidney or Mrs Patrice. They'll give you a prize for finding it.
Show Pinkie Rabbit Land
Is that a game about Pinkie Rabbit?
Can't say I'm interested in cartoons, personally.

Why are you so interested in Marie?

All choices converge here.

Why are you so interested in Marie anyway?
Well...
I wanted to make sure.
You know, check if my assumptions were correct.
And what exactly are your assumptions?
For one, that Marie isn't the person everyone thinks she is.
There's something you should know, Mr Hyde. I knew Marie before she moved in here.

(How come?)

That's why I'm curious about her activities.

How did you know her before moving in here?

How did you know her before moving in here?
It's like this. When her husband was still alive...



Seems she doesn't remember me at all though.

That makes 4 instances where Dylan happened to be at the right place and time. How convenient!

My suspicions were raised even way back then. I had a strange feeling about her.
What do you mean?
You see, she and her husband had a really bad relationship. When I was fixing hte pipes, they were quarrelling almost all the time. Then six months later, her husband winds up dead. That's about the time the insurance company began looking into her.
I'm almost afraid to say it, but I think that Marie may have had her husband murdered to claim the insurance money!

That's a very bold claim.

So that's what you've been thinking about.
Yeah.
You seem to be the kind of guy who likes to unravel mysteries.
Do I?
That explained why you were excited when you discovered I was a detective. Then when you got wind of Marie's husband dying, you jumped to the conclusion that she must have murdered him in order to claim the insurance money.
It's true. I loved this kind of thing.



Is this supposed to be criticism at people playing this game?!

If you come with me, Mr Hyde... I'll let you take a look around the fourth floor.
If you're serious about wanting to check out those rooms,
Meet me up there at 4 this afternoon. Okay, I've got things to do.



(That guy has some serious problems, but I don't want to miss this chance.)
(Gotta get myself up to the fourth floor by 4.)

*beeping sound*

It's my pager.



Meanwhile, have some descriptions.

Music: Overstepped Memory



We get this winning cap the first time we buy a Cool Pop at the beginning of each chapter (buying it at the middle or end won't work). The game is going to force us to do it later, so this cap isn't missable.



We can examine this slip right now, but it just shows the number which can be clearly seen here.



We also can play Pinkie Rabbit Land right now.



It's a minigame!



The game is very simple, really. Just go up to grab the carrot and back down to get points while avoiding everything the ninjas throw. Those can be pliers, hammer, baseball, or shuriken.



Get hit 3 times and the game is over. This has absolutely no reward whatsoever, but it's a nice addition nonetheless.