Part 74: Returning a Ring

The room where the condor picture is.
Where's the picture of the condor?
Where do you think?
Cut the crap, Dylan!
Go on, have a look around and try to find it.
You would've needed to look around anyway if I hadn't accompanied you here.
Yeah, you've got a point.

Dylan even knows what we're going to right after this conversation. He really feels like he could've been the protagonist but since that's not the case he ended up being creepy.

Anyway, I've got to go. I'll come back and lock up later.

Dylan leaves the room.

Music: Creeping Shadow


Like Dylan said, we're going to explore this place.


Chair Over there in the corner is a chair covered in a sheet.
Sofa Like a lot of the unused furniture, this sofa has been covered with a sheet.
(It almost looks like some kind of ghost sofa.)




Curtains The curtains are violet mixed with dirty brown. They really need to be washed...or thrown out.
Bed There's a white sheet covering the bed.
(It has a thick layer of dust on top of it.)
Safe There's an old safe with a dial on it next to the wall.
Cabinet There's a large filing cabinet next to the wall. The drawers are all locked, so I can't open them.




Picture There's a picture on the wall. The frame is slightly worn from age. It's an old photograph of Hotel Cape West from the outside.
(This photograph...)
(It looks like it's from back when the hotel first opened.)

Zoomed-in picture
This looks like a picture from the time this building was still a hotel. The frame's a little crooked.
Wing
(Huh?)
(That design...)
Obviously this is what we're looking for, but let's continue looking elsewhere first.
Big wrapped frame This wrapped-up picture frame is pretty big.
Small wrapped frame Some picture frames have been wrapped up in material and left on this table.
(They've been tied up too securely for me to unwrap them and take a look.)
Table There's a table in the corner covered in a sheet and various other things.
Right carpet Some old carpets have been left leaning against the wall.
Left carpet There are some rolled-up carpets leaning against the wall. Up close they look pretty moth-eaten in places.
Lamp I hope the shade on this lamp wasn't white at any point. Even the light bulb is dusty. I won't try turning it on.
Chairs Some beat-up old chairs that are a little lacking in the stability department.

Book



It has a star symbol on the cover.

A star... (Marie told me about this.)



It was a sort of secret code, linked to the closing down party.
(A star...)






Tissue holder This thing held up toilet paper back in its glory days. It's broken on one side, though. Guess the glory days are over.
Toilet It's a thankfully disused toilet.

Pipe This pipe is damaged, and some of the screws look like they could fall out at any second.
Faucet It's the taps for the bathtub. I can turn these ones, but nothing comes out when I do.
(Water's disconnected, huh?)
Bathtub The bathtub is covered in a thick layer of mould.
(This is disgusting.)
(All the scrubbing in the world won't make this suitable for human bathing again.)
Curtain There's a blue curtain covering the window. No one's gonna be looking in here.




Mirror The mirror is caked in dirt, and the frame is orange from all the rust. I think going near the wash basin and mirror has actually made me dirtier.
Sink The wash basin is covered in layers of moisture and dust.




Left candelabra A rusty old candlestick holder.
Vase There's a vase on the table. Almost seems too nice to be stuck up here.
Table Another dusty table...
Right candelabra There's a rusty candlestick holder on the wall. Up close I can see the pools of wax and dust left behind all those years ago.

Well, that was interesting. Now let's get back to the hanged picture.



Zoomed-in frame after examining the wing

There's something underneath the frame.



Obviously we should get rid of this picture so we can see another picture behind it. This is similar to the situation with the fire alarm.



...Or so you might think. But try as we might, it won't work.

So what do we do now?









































It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure this out

The picture's come off the wall.
Ah! Found it.

There's a picture of a condor drawn on the wall.

This must be what Dylan was talking about.
(Now why would this picture also be engraved on Marie's ring?)



Condor There's a drawing on the wall of a condor spreading its wings.

(This must be the drawing Dylan was talking about.)



Discolored wall There's a faded spot on this part of the wall.
Picture There's a picture on the floor. The frame is slightly worn from age. It's an old photograph of Hotel Cape West from the outside.



I love how the map and first-person view reflects our actions

(The design in room 406 is the same as the one I found engraved on Marie's ring.)
(That condor design's got me thinking. Before I get stuck into that though, I'd better let Betty know what I've found out.)



And so ends our fourth visit to the fourth floor.

Now that I'm through the door, I retrieve the doorstop and put the lever back how it was.

Music: Sorrowful Nightfall
Music: Overstepped Memory


Knock



Have you got a moment, Betty?
Oh, it's you, Mr Hyde.

Nice to see you too

Try not to get too excited.
Were you waiting for somebody?
No, not really.
I've checked out that ring for you.
You did?
Yeah.
You'd better come in.



Another new room, another round of...

Mr Hyde!
Don't just touch things that aren't yours!

...of not snooping around, it seems.



Music: Dancing Cat
Betty.
Tell me what you found out about the ring.
I'm sorry about this, but checking whether the diamond in your ring is genuine or not... Well, it may not be as easy as I thought.
It won't?
Did Marie tell you anything about the history of the ring?
No, not a thing.
(Looks like Betty hasn't got a clue about the condor mark or its meaning.)

To be fair, not many people actually take off the jewel out of a ring.

Is there something wrong, Mr Hyde?
Not really, it's just that I remembered something when I was staring at the ring.
Remembered what?
Something Marie told me about it.
She was telling me how she come to have it.



Are you serious? I certainly didn't know that.
It's true, I'm afraid. Her parents died when she was very young and her brother looked after her. They were very close and the ring was a present from him to her.
I'm sure that ring has great sentimental value for her.
You're right, it must have, but she didn't breathe a word of that to me when we spoke!
I imagine she was worried that you would have refused to buy it.
This may not be what you want to hear, but I think you should return it to her.
I'm sure it'd be for the best.
You may be right. I would never have bought it if I'd known all the facts.
I don't think I'm up to handing it back to Marie myself.
Would you mind doing it for me, Mr Hyde?



That's very nice of you

You sure about this?
Yeah, completely.
Well, if you say so. I'll return the ring.

*buzzer rings*

Huh?
Looks like I'm popular today. Let me see who that is.



I can hear the voices of Betty and her visitor from beyond the closed door.

"You said you'd give it back to me today, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"Here you go."

*door opens*



Who was it?
Just a friend.
Nobody you know, Mr Hyde.
Okay then.
I think it's time I got out of your hair.
Of course.

I leave Betty's room.



Nobody we know, eh, Betty?