Part 66: Episode 3, Day 3, Investigation: More Blackmail
Part 66: Episode 3, Day 3, Investigation: More Blackmail
Close vote this time. We know Studio Two is really the crime scene, now, so let's head over there right away.
Music: Silence
Mr. Hammer put on the Steel Samurai costume. Then he left from here to go to Studio Two...?
Right.
But why?
Now that's interesting. The gate here says "STUDIO 1". But the one at the Studio 2 entrance didn't. I guess the photo makes a little more sense now; maybe the background just lost that detail somehow. Or more conspiracy-like, maybe someone painted it over!
Studio Two is down that way. Studio Two... the real scene of the crime.
Well... ... Actually, it's a long story, I'll you another time.
The entrance to Studio One. This is the studio where they found Jack Hammer's body.
Anyway, onto the main event.
I don't normally show the scene cards slowly typing out their text, but the producer's idle animation is too good to ignore.
Sound: Realization
Hello?
...
...
H!Sound: Whack
E!Sound: Whack
L!Sound: Whack
L!Sound: Whack
O!Sound: Stab 2
Sound: Damage 2
...
... (That's all she had to say, apparently...)
That gate doesn't say "STUDIO" on it. That's going to bother me the rest of this episode. I know the description of this place says "Outside Studio Two", but maybe we're really inside the gate?
There's a big "2" painted here.
Something still isn't lining up here. That picture wasn't taken from this location. It must be from the other side of that gate. Which must be the outside, if it matches the Studio One gate. I'm probably over-thinking this.
And to think, if he hadn't brought that photograph in... Don't get all teary eyed yet.
This is where Sal Manella and Dee Vasquez ate. There's nothing left on the plates.
... Something wrong?
Sound: Realization
Something about this just feels... odd, you know? Can't say that I do...The bones are missing... were they pointing to Hammer's presence here somehow? We should test those glasses.
I'm not expecting much here, to be honest.
Shh.
?
I'm watching the clouds. I'm not interested in talking to you.
Sound: Realization
(Oh dear...)
Umm... Mr. Powers wasn't the killer!Sound: Light Bulb
I think I'm tired of the Steel Samurai.Sound: Realization
You... you did it!
Sound: Whack
My Fey blood speaks to me! I know it! I know it!Sound: Drama Pound
(Oh dear...)The pun on her last name makes that sentence read very differently.
Um, I was wondering if you could tell me about Mr. Manella? ... If you must talk about that man...
By yourselves? (Oh, oh dear...)Triple bust.
I think we're going to have to show her something to get her to talk. I'm just not sure we have it yet.
... (She's not even looking.) Okay. Hey, you look.
Well, our badge wasn't it. Neither was anything else we currently have.
If Studio Two is the scene of the crime, we haven't seen any evidence of it yet. Was it in the trailer? Out where they had lunch? Somewhere else?
...
Funny, it still seems pretty messy in here. I guess she was still on a high from getting that rare card she needed.
Nothing actually new to see here. I guess we need to head for the Employee Area after all. Maybe we can find some more evidence of Mr. Powers getting drugged and having his costume stolen there.
Maya the hero is still in jail and the villain is in the morgue somewhere. What did you expect them to be filming? Does this studio have other shows? Do you even care about them?
I did want to see them filming... just one time. This trial will be over and done by tomorrow. You can come see them film later. I guess...
Uh huh.
I wonder if there're any other clues lying around.
Sound: Super Shock
Uhhhh....
Music: Investigation - Core
Sound: Super Shock
Sound: Objection
Yikes! Gumshoe is on the warpath! Looks like Edgeworth outsourced his homework.
Eeek!Sound: Stab 2
Or...maybe not. He's still a teddy bear. And we're on the other side of the area now for some reason.
Oh, sorry, pal.Sound: Light Bulb
Didn't mean to frighten you.
Sound: Whack
I suppose it's the actor in me... ("Dramatique" indeed...)
Ahem.
Music: Silence
Wait, are you looking for sleeping pills?
Yeah, pal. Traces thereof.Music: Dick Gumshoe - Detective Gumshoe, Pal
We're just going to ignore that tantalizing hook and look around ourselves.
Despite what you may think, the plates don't offer any new dialogue. This drain, however...
That grate's still lying here.
They know if they fixed it I'd just kick it off again.Sound: Realization
That poor assistant...
Let's cut right to the chase.
So you're looking for traces of the sleeping pills... how?
But I have the capabilities to make a cursory examination right here! Our science guy gave me some testing solution.
I'm not sure any such testing agent really exists, but it at least sounds plausible to most people.
Wow! Neat!Sound: Light Bulb
Well, Detective Gumshoe? What are you waiting for?
Music: Silence
... ...
Sound: Realization
Music: Investigation - Core
Looks like it.
Sound: Select Jingle
This one stinks of a setup. What are the chances Edgeworth doctors up a report saying that the "thorough examination" back at the precinct had the opposite result?
Interesting - that conversation topic disappears entirely, rather than sticking around with a check mark. I guess we can't keep testing that plate over and over.
How goes your investigation?
To tell the truth, it's a real mess, pal.
And some people think we should switch suspects! What do you think, Detective Gumshoe? Well, pal, I hate to admit it...
Wow, he can be reasonable!
I feel kind of bad for Mr. Edgeworth, though.
Speaking of dramatic, let's talk about King Smug now.
How is Edgeworth doing, anyway?
Mr. Edgeworth is outta control!
Whoa... Talk about burns, pal!Sound: Whack
Sound: Light Bulb
Yeah, crushing paper cups... (Cups... bottles...?)Phoenix has a moment of word association...
Oh, the bottle of sleeping pills? Well, I got some good news for you about that.
Looking good for our Hammer-drugged-Powers theory then!
So that means...
(So I was right!)
Sound: Select Jingle
We get the bottle back, with a useful description update.
Time to run all our evidence through the poor detective.
Hey we know plenty about our own badge!
Anyway, Gumshoe will only talk about the two things he just gave us.
It's looking like Will Powers was drugged...
You're being very... free with your information today, Detective.
Well... don't go telling anyone this, pal.
...!Sound: Light Bulb
Most lawyers would've given up after that director's testimony.
Aww, thanks, pal!
Detective, about that bottle...
I don't care if this animation has shown up three times now and it's partially blocked by that pill bottle, I'm showing it anyway.
Oh, that? Talk about embarrassing, pal!
Oh, good point. Don't feel too bad, we missed it the first time, too!
Don't know how I can apologize to Mr. Edgeworth.
Oh, heh heh. *blush*
Well, that was a productive encounter. Let's see what/who we can find in the dressing room.
Music: Silence
Sound: Light Bulb
Penny interrupts our location intro card.
What are you doing here?
I guess WP won't be using it anymore, so...
Sound: Light Bulb
But WP's innocent! Yes, and I'm really grateful for all you've done. But...
Sound: Realization
Sound: Stab 2
Music: Investigation - Opening
We've been interacting with Penny a lot more than I expected when we first met her. She hinted at some gossip about Hammer earlier, maybe we can get her to reveal a little more now.
Looks like someone was sleeping here.
Judging by the static state of the studio, Penny is really bad at cleaning.
There's a box for snacks on the table. They must give these to the employees. Hmm. It's completely empty. ...
The continuously deteriorating state of the snack box amuses me.
It's Powers's bag. I put all of WP's personal belongings in there.
I'm sure he'll come, yes.
There's an array of cosmetics here. This is the wig used in "Samurai Boogey-Woogey."
Thanks to you...
They always have mirrors like this in dressing rooms. I always check my hairdo when I look in a mirror.
Did the shocking revelation earlier today frizz out your hair Phoenix?
All right, enough messing around. Penny doesn't have any more to say about our chief suspects, but we can still try and get some more gossip out of her.
I was wondering if I could ask you about Mr. Hammer... Yes? On the day of the murder, he went to Studio Two.
Sound: Light Bulb
He stole the Steel Samurai costume, too!Sound: Whack
What!?Sound: Stab
... Oh...Music: Silence
Sound: Realization
The rumor?Music: Suspense
She had some dirt on him... He'd do anything she said, apparently. Some "dirt"?Seems like we have another blackmailer on our hands.
Sound: Whack
... Dirt. You know, bad stuff. ...
About five years ago, they were filming a movie starring Mr. Hammer.Right when Ms. Vasquez showed up on the scene...
Some sort of accident happened during filming. After that, they never used Studio Two again. They left the film set the way it was, too.
Maybe we've unlocked the ability to poke around Studio Two some more here.
There's a new topic, but let's go in order here and ask about Maya's top concern.
I know it's a shock, but nothing can be done to save it now.
No... no!
They're not going to make kids' shows anymore.I guess the invisible assistant is privy to all the executive gossip. Kind of an odd direction for the studio take; kill your star villain, frame your star hero, and use the chaos to pivot away from kids' shows? There has to be something else to it.
Sound: Damage 2
I don't know. It's sad, but that's what Global Studios decided.
Hmm let's pull on that thread some more.
Why aren't they going to make kids' shows anymore?
I guess a bunch of media sensationalist stories about your hero killing your villain in real life would be hard to come back from?
They want to forget all this ever happened. They want it quiet, understand? H-how can they just do that!
It's okay. I'm sure the kids will be fine. They'll find a new hero to follow. No, that can't be true!Sound: Whack
I'm with Maya. I'm still not over 90's animated Spiderman ending after just five years. They had just opened up the multiverse and he hadn't found Mary Jane yet! Uh, anyway...
N-Nick! Say something!Sound: Whack
Umm... yeah.Sound: Light Bulb
Weird time to present something, but all right game, I'm in.
This thing is an actual testament to a crazy fanboy's love for the show.
Music: Silence
And this is...?Sound: Realization
A fan collected all of these photographs. The kids love the Steel Samurai!
I would think you would understand that better than anyone.She is obsessed with those trading cards.
quote:
We could also show her our badge, or anything else we have...
Sound: Realization
Sound: Realization
We're stuck in a loop until we get this one right.
... ... You're right... Okay!Sound: Light Bulb
Well, for starters... You can tell me something.
Tell me about this accident five years ago.Sound: Realization
...Wasn't there another conversation topic about that? I guess it would have been locked unless we got through this one first?
... Okay!
Right, give us the details, lady!
Music: Investigation - Core
Could you tell us what happened five years ago? Well, I can tell you what I've heard.
S-someone died!?Sound: Light Bulb
It was an accident, of course! Anyway...Was this a "Redd White" style accident?
And that's the "dirt" she had on Mr. Hammer?
... But, it was an accident, right? Why didn't they just make it public? Well, you know Mr. Hammer was a big star back then.
The same career that they subsequently buried in kids' show villain roles? I'm not buying it.
I see...
She was here at the studios back then, you know. Thanks. We'll try asking her. (If she'll talk...)quote:
As expected, this conversation goes differently if we haven't shown her the album yet.
Music: Suspense
Music: Silence
Sound: Realization
Let's move on to showing our badge (and maybe other evidence).
I'm sorry... I'm not sure what to make of that.
Onto things that get a meaningful reaction now.
So this photo was Mr. Hammer all along? It seems that way.
Uh, probably related to everything else you just told us? Just a guess.
We can also show her the album again.
Wow... wow!
Kids love the Steel Samurai. They do, don't they?Showing Penny the album here doesn't unlock anything or bypass the need to present it in the earlier conversation.
For some reason Penny has something to say about this pill bottle.
What's that? An empty bottle of sleeping pills.
... Now I'm really confused!That seems like a good note to end on. I suppose next time we'll have to go talk to Ms. Oldbag again!