Part 50: Episode 3, Day 2, Investigation: Studio Revisit

Part 50: Episode 3, Day 2, Investigation: Studio Revisit



Looks like we're back at home base. I've been thinking about what we learned last update, and for this phase of the investigation I'm on the lookout for two things:

1. The director was at the run-through, and would've known about WP's injury, so could've faked it in the photo.
   
2. Anyone who was hanging out at Studio Two could've wandered over to Studio One without getting caught by the camera.

We're only halfway done with the day, Phoenix.



Yeah, you tell him Maya!

Say, you think WP's got a chance?



The director and the producer...?

Yeah, them.

After the last trial, I'm expecting every killer to be the highest-ranked person we come across. So don't forget about the studio bigwigs!



All in due time.

Music: Maya Fey ~ Turnabout Sisters Theme



Examining doesn't reveal anything new, so let's just talk to Maya, even though I'm pretty sure these are still going to just amount to "go to the studio dummy!"

What do you think we should do?



We gotta get the scoop on this director and producer.

Oh, right. Then there's no point hanging out here.


^{Sound: Whack}



Hmm.



That's exactly the same thing you said yesterday!

Just admit it: you don't have a clue what happened.

Technically the last day of investigation was two days ago, but whatever. She probably said the same thing yesterday off-camera anyway.





Let's see if we can entice some new dialogue out of Maya today.

Hey, see this?



Yup!



Hey, you still have that! Great!



And its owner isn't missing it in his detention cell...

Poor old WP...

Our evidence list is the same as last update, though the order has been jumbled around for some reason. Guess we still need everything here...



Interesting, at some point the photo's description was updated. Looking back, this change happened when Oldbag testified about the injury.

You know, what if this really was Mr. Powers?



I seriously doubt it was that old windbag.

So Mr. Powers is... lying?





The spear's break-and-mend story hasn't really been relevant yet, either. That's sure to come up at some point. I'm still not convinced it's really the murder weapon...

I wish I had my own Samurai Spear!



Me!? Why me!?



Right, well, we're not really going to find anything new sitting around our office. Before we had back to the studio, however, let's go talk to our client again!

Music: Silence



Oh, Mr. Wright! Thank you for earlier!

Not at all. We got lucky, to tell the truth.

You can say that again!

Let's not.

So, WP!



Hmm...

S-sorry, but no.



We can't rely on getting lucky again tomorrow.

Y-yes... *sniff*

He's a fountain of information, our client.

Music: Detention Center - Jailer's Elegy



Maybe some direct questions will help here.

Do, er, "fanboys" sneak into the studios often?

No, not that I know of.

That security lady's pretty strict with them.



The kids really, really love the Steel Samurai.

They sneak past when she's not looking, I guess.

Still unhelpful.



Was the director present at the morning run-through?

Y-yes, yes he was.



Why didn't you tell us that before!?
^{Sound: Whack}

W-well, just, the studio asked us to keep quiet...

That has nothing to do with this!
^{Sound: Whack}

Dude you were arrested for the murder but you're still going to cover for your bosses? Sheesh.



Hey now. We're doing pretty well for ourselves!



Yeah, okay, that might be true.

I... I see. *sniff*

(Whose side is she on!?)

You aren't hiding anything else from us, are you!?

N-no, I sure hope not.



There are a couple things we never got to show our client, let's see what he says about them.

We found this cardkey in your dressing room.

Oh, that's mine, yes.
^{Sound: Light Bulb}

Can people outside the studios get these cards?

I don't think so.

Even I have to return the card.



Huh...

Yeah, that's weird. I guess it narrows our suspect pool down to only people who were at the studio that day, since anyone else would have had to turn in their card and thus couldn't access Studio One?



Regarding this photograph...

Y-yes...?

This really, truly, absolutely isn't you, right?

R-right. *sniff*



But who else could have worn it!?

Your costume was in your dressing room?

Yes.



(But who!?)

Pretty brazen theft, too.



Regarding the murder weapon...

Yes?

Is it heavy, that spear?

It's pretty hefty, yeah.



Hmm...

So we're looking for a suspect that can fill out the costume, had access to the studio, and is strong enough to wield the spear and kill someone with it.



Oh yes, I goofed on a round kick, you see...

I broke the spear.


^{Sound: Realization}

With duct tape. We heard.

And the duct tape apparently held through the attack on Hammer...



All right, let's get back to the studio.

Music: Silence



No one's here.



Ha, the Oldbag is in for questioning. Wait, we just set up an innocent person. Ah well, I'm sure it will work out.

I guess they don't have anyone else to replace her...

H-hey! In the guard station! Look! She left her donuts!

...

...



They're probably stale, anyway.



I guess we can look around a bit more with no one standing in our way.

The main entrance to the studios.

They probably have a police officer on patrol out there.

Probably? You didn't see them when you went in?



The computer that runs the studio security cameras.

Huh? It looks like it's been turned off for the day.



Going to Studio Two would probably advance the plot, so let's go everywhere else first.




^{Sound: Light Bulb}

Hey!

Music: Investigation - Opening



I honestly wasn't sure we'd ever see her again.

I heard about the trial! Great job, guys!

Oh? Oh hoh hoh. Don't mention it.



Oh! Oh... oh hoh hoh!

Phoenix are you having a stroke? He didn't have this reaction the last time Penny showed up.

Actually, she just called me.



It does look roughly patched-up, now...

You mean that one?

(Wow, what a mess...)

I... I know...



Yeah, but you do work on the props, and the back-drops, right?

R-right.



...This studio is so weird.


^{Sound: Light Bulb}

You're right! I won't!
^{Sound: Whack}

(Personally, I think she should worry at least a little bit more...)



I'm supposed to fill in for Ms. Oldbag.

Right! See you later, then!

Good luck with your investigation.

Music: Silence



I guess we'll find Penny back at the main gate if we want to talk to her. More importantly we've had this interesting change to the open drain - it's been covered up! A change to a static background! I really wasn't expecting something like that.



Yeah, we're going to poke at it!



He came in through that drain?

So it seems. I guess they covered it up in a hurry.

Hey... Hey, Nick!



Maya's got her mischievous face on again.

Uh, yeah. I think that was the idea...?

I feel kinda sorry for him, though. Don't you?

What, you want to rip the grate off?


^{Sound: Light Bulb}



You bet we're ripping it open!

Well, I guess some things are just made to be broken.


^{Sound: Light Bulb}

(Sometimes...?)


^{Sound: Stab 2}

And just like that, the drain is open again!

There. That should make the kids happy.

The things we do...




Let's look at this thing again...

The drain gate is off.

And I know who did it.


^{Sound: Stab 2}

Doesn't it make you feel great to do a good deed like that?

(Must be nice to live so free of guilt.)

No option to block it back up, so I guess we're stuck with an open drain again.



Not much else new to see, so let's poke around the dressing room again?

The door to the dressing room. It's not locked.



H-hey! We're not thieves!

But we did take that cardkey...

W-we borrowed that! There's a difference.



Anyway, let's head inside.





That's what Mr. Powers says, at least.

I guess they snuck in and took it while he was sleeping.



I wonder what the killer was planning on doing then?

Huh... (She's got a point!)

I'm re-iterating my "he was drugged at lunch" theory. This whole plot seems too carefully arranged to just hope that Mr. Powers won't notice the killer sneaking into his dressing room to take the costume.

Music: Investigation - Opening



Well, let's look around again. I don't see anything suspicious that the killer might have left behind, so let's see if there's anything else useful in this bag?

Mr. Powers's bag. I wonder what's inside?

Hey!

Supermarket tabloids? Wow. I'm kind of shocked.



Phoenix rarely gets to goof off during investigations, so that scene was a nice break.



Were these snacks drugged maybe?



Some tea and cookies...

Wait... Nick!
^{Sound: Light Bulb}

W-what now?



So, not drugged, just slightly stale?

...Then don't eat them.



Such a waste of good snacks!

Music: Silence



Only minor and uninteresting variations in dialogue for examining anything else, so let's head back to the main gate to talk to Penny.


^{Sound: Realization}

Ho hoh! You look a little out of place.

It's the clothes, isn't it?

I thought my camo vest might do the trick...




Music: Investigation - Opening



This update has been dragging on and we're still ridiculously short on new information, give us something good!

So, how are the studios doing?



They won't even let me clean up. Don't want me "disturbing evidence."



Yay for static backdrops! (Other than that temporary drain blockage...)

You mean those plates with the steak bones left over on them in the employee area?

Yeah. Can you believe it?



Do kids sneak in here a lot?

Well...



Maybe Oldbag just can't tell the whippersnappers apart and thinks it's a different kid each time?

He's always gawking at the sets, or snapping pictures.

You should see Old Windbag's eyes flash when she sees him.

She has a bit of trouble catching him, though...



We're really here for the director, give us the goods!

I heard something at the trial today.



Oh, sorry...

I was in the prop storage room, so I didn't see them.

I guess they were here, though.



Penny you are the worst witness.

So they were trying to protect the director?

More the producer, really.

The producer's our real star here.



I don't think we'd still be in business if it weren't for that producer!

Okay, that kind of explains everyone casually lying to the police, if they really liked that producer?


^{Sound: Realization}



We do get some reactions to our evidence this time at least.

Wow, they gave a lawyer one of those cardkeys?

Well, I'm sort of borrowing it.

I see.

You better be careful not to lose that.

They're very strict about those cardkeys here.



Thanks, I'll be careful.

More reinforcing that our suspect pool is pretty much limited to who we can prove was known to be here on the day of the murder, since no one else would have had a cardkey.



Could you take a look at this?

That's Mr. Powers.

Why is he dragging his leg like that?

What is this, anyway?



Uh... Never mind.

Worst witness.





You mean the Samurai Spear?

Yeah, it's a prop, but it's still pretty heavy.

I hate having to carry that thing around.



(Why is Mr. Powers the only person I can think of!?)



Our badge and other evidence have no effect...

Umm... Not really sure what that is. Sorry.




Let's continue revisiting everywhere we've already been, shall we?

Music: Silence



Hey, Nick.

It looks like Detective Gumshoe isn't here today.

You're right.



Poor Gumshoe.

So, Nick...



It was down that path with the fallen tree, right?

Yeah, I think that's what they said.



I hope so, or we're at a rather quick dead end here.

Now's our chance, Nick! Let's check it out!
^{Sound: Light Bulb}



Let's look around again first. I still expect this busted statue and fallen tree to come into play at some point.

The studio mascot.

Apparently it's a monkey of some kind.

I've never seen a monkey with a nose like that before!



Maybe we should ask that assistant?

I'm not sure we really want her fixing anything.

And you'd probably need a crane to move that thing.

Probably so.

What kind of heavy impact occurred here...



In the trial, they said Studio Two was down this path.



This monkey head is real heavy!

Well, it did knock that tree over when it fell.



Yeah, that's what Detective Gumshoe said.

Still suspicious...



I'm bushed. Maybe I'll sit down here for a bit.

This is exactly why I don't want to get old, ever.

H-hey! I'm still young! I'm just tired!



(But... but I AM still young!)

Oof, Maya with the sick burns today.



That's the security camera that automatically takes pictures of people here.



One of them was the Steel Samurai. The other was a grade school boy.

It doesn't seem to be switched on today.

I guess we're not leaving open the possibility of additional missing/deleted pictures then.



It says "Welcome."



Nick! Let's come here some day! Whaddya say?

Sure, if that security lady lets us in.

Let's go to that hotel and see the bellboy again while we're at it.



We're able to travel down the path to Studio Two now, but we have one last revisit to complete first.



I... don't really want to be in here.

Yeah... It is a murder scene.

I want to go someplace else. Nick?

(*sigh*...)



Not really anything new here, but let's look around anyway.

Wow, look at that camera! That must cost a ton!

Yeah! So don't touch it!



S-stop that!



With that, we're finally ready to head into Studio Two... next time!