Part 80: Episode 4, Day 1, Investigation: Lotta Hart

Part 80: Episode 4, Day 1, Investigation: Lotta Hart



Music: Happy People

Apparently the April May music is going to get re-used for other ridiculoushappy people.

Eek!
^{Sound: Stab 2}

What in the Sam Hill...!?


^{Sound: Whack}

Ah? Wha... huh? S-sorry!


^{Sound: Damage 2}

I-I'll pay you back!


^{Sound: Whack}

Uh... well...

What!
^{Sound: Light Bulb}



Hey, don't blame us because your camera for some reason uses a whole roll of film all at once. Come to think of it, what exactly are you trying to take a picture of with that kind of setup? Maybe it's Gourdy, and it roars or something when it comes out of the water?

Yeah, I know how y'all Yanks think!
^{Sound: Whack}



Are there country redneck types in Japan? What did this conversation look like in Japanese? It's localized really well.


^{Sound: Realization}

I... what.

N-Nick, help!

And who are you, now? Her chaperone?
^{Sound: Whack}

Yeah, uh, no, rather, uh... we're sort of... friends?


^{Sound: Whack}

Half of these dialogue screens advance without any prompting, like she keeps interrupting or talking over us. I can barely get a word in myself.



(Oh boy...)

(I guess we should pay her for the film...)

Watch it!
^{Sound: Whack}

Yes ma'am.



Pretty sure we don't have any money, anyway.

I'm really sorry!



Well we certainly have another interesting character in front of us.



Instead of talking to her, let's go poke at her camera again.

This camera is rigged to respond to noise.



Or a gunshot! Geez, just say it!



Anyway, we'll start by introducing ourselves.

Music: Silence

I, er, this is my badge.



Phoenix, you are the king of smooth.

Umm... I'm a lawyer.

Wh-what!?
^{Sound: Light Bulb}



Phoenix hasn't read that book yet, so you're probably safe.


^{Sound: Objection}

N-no, that's not it at all.
^{Sound: Stab}

We're here investigating a murder that took place here, on the lake.


^{Sound: Realization}

...

Sounds cool!
^{Sound: Light Bulb}



Apparently if we don't present our badge, she won't talk to us?

(Finally! Some cooperation!)



(Come to think of it, where did Maya get to?)

S-sorry...
^{Sound: Realization}





Maya doesn't exactly strike me as a city slicker, either. I guess she's a different kind of country girl.

Th-thanks. I think I'll be okay.
^{Sound: Light Bulb}



Lotta Hart, her name's a pun because she is overflowing with... spirit.



You're full of shit, meteor showers don't make noise so they wouldn't set off your camera.

Mighty pleased ta meet ya!

Music: Happy People



We got a lot out of that last conversation, so let's turn around and show our badge to Ms. Lotta Hart again!

So yer a lawyer, huh?



Hah hah!

*glare*





Let's talk to Lotta some more.

Oh yeah, when was that murder, anyway?



It happened late in the night on Christmas Eve.

That so? Christmas Eve?

A man on a boat was shot...

Did you see anything?



A boat, ya say?

I reckon I mighta seen one... Not sure though.





Well, this one would have been at night. Around the time of the loud gunshot.



For some reason we're now allowed to ask about the camera; we'll get there next.

So, what is it you do, Lotta?

Huh? Me?
^{Sound: Light Bulb}

Hah hah. Y'all don't really want to know that, do ya?



Wow! Neat!



Uh... so I hear.

So, when did you come up here?



I'm going to call this sprite her lying face. I don't trust anything she says with that side-eye look.

What are you photographing?

D-didn't I tell y'all that already?

Meteors! Yep, meteor showers!

(Falling stars...?)



Totally just meteors. I'm kind of surprised we get this camera topic for free; I would've expected to present the party poppers to talk about it, but those disappeared from our evidence list as soon as Maya used them.


That's quite a camera you have there.



Solingen isn't a real camera brand. However a camera manufacturer named Montanus started out of a city called Solingen in Germany, and made a bunch of cameras in the 1950s before giving up the business to Japanese competitors. Interesting reference, but...

(Isn't that where they make knives...?)

Phoenix rightly points out that Solingen is actually a company (from the city of the same name) that is famous for a different product.

Umm...



Huh? Device?





And how does that help with photographing meteor showers again?

It's programmed to pick up loud noises right now.

A programmable camera! Neat!



Beat me over the head with it, why don't you?

^{Sound: Select Jingle}



Even if you don't have good adventure game habits, you probably turned right around and shoved this evidence back in Lotta's face upon reading that description, like I'm doing right now.

Lotta?

Yeah?



Ayup.



A pistol...?
^{Sound: Realization}



I guess it would.



Great cross, Phoenix!

...

Hey!
^{Sound: Light Bulb}



Huh?

I see what yer sayin'...



It would have been a photo taken late last night...

I checked 'em once, don't remember if there was anything on 'em though.

Lies!



For some reason I'm doubting that we're going to get the right photo here. This game has made me paranoid.

I'll go check that film. Y'all come back now, y'hear?

Music: Silence



Lotta disappears, and we pan around to remind everyone that there was a car over there.

She went inside her SUV.



Examining the SUV doesn't do anything. We need to hit some plot trigger to continue.



I stop to check our new friend's profile on the way out of the park. I like the "claims to be" part. The game doesn't trust her either!



Maya, what say you about this camera?

Who was that with the camera...? Lotta something?



I'd love to, but she doesn't seem to have it for us yet.



We're left with one option - visiting Gumshoe!