Part 10: Episode Seven: The Title... Explained!

Good morning, Sonny.

Oh, you're back! Hello there.

You seem awfully chipper for some reason.



Well, see, when a cop and his girlfriend love each other very much...

Oh god, stop right there! ...wait a minute, that's my schtick you're doing. I'm not sure how to react to this. Should I say something anal about rules now?



Normally, I'd probably tell you to shut up, but it's such a beautiful morning that I just can't bring myself to be upset with anything.

You're a morning person, on top of everything else? Sweet Jesus, take me now.



Aw, come on now, can't you see what a lovely morning it is?

No. Morning isn't lovely. It's the time when the hideous day-star pierces my brain with its wrath.

I know just what could cheer you up.



See? Just listen.



You do know the way to a man's heart, Bonds.

Alright, enough clowning around. Let's get to the office and get down to business.



So, where do we start?

We should try to figure out what Bains is going to do next.



I'll try to put myself in his shoes. First, let me grow a mullet and a horrible porn 'stache...

Come on, I thought we were stopping the clowning.



OK. So what do we know? What is Bains trying to do? Why didn't he get on that plane? And what's in this envelope?

We don't know for sure that he didn't yet. And this is the report from the crime lab, see?



We're pretty sure, though. For one thing, he wants you dead. Hard to accomplish that if he flies to Texas.



Yeah. So he wants revenge.



That seems like the most likely explanation.



So that means he'll be looking for me.

Well, that's convenient. You won't have to do a thing to find him. He'll find you!



...



...I'm going to head to the range.

"Hey Bonds!" the Captain blurts. "We have a traffic cop standing by in the old warehouse district with a 187 victim." Continuing, the Captain says: "The victim took it in the back of the head. Looks like it could be a professional hit. Sonny! The address is 160 West Rose. Take Keith and get over there!"

Yes, sir!



Think it's related?

No way to tell until we get there, but we don't have a lot of murders here. Especially not anything you'd describe as a "professional hit".



Aren't you going to get Keith?

He heard. He'll catch up to us.



Damn, it's like a cat and a can opener.

Glad you could join us, Keith.

Don't do that, man! You know I don't like running. Wait... who's "us"?



Tell him you meant the handcuffs.

Just me and my rulebook, Keith. Come on, let's get to the warehouse district.



Stay classy, Keith.

Keith grabs the mike and calls dispatch... "Dispatch... 53mary2 is 10-8 from the office."

Dispatch comes on the air and responds... "53mary2... 10-4. Dispatch copies 10-8 from the office."

Keith keys the mike... "Dispatch... 53mary2. Be advised we are enroute to 160 West Rose."

Dispatch answers... "53mary2... 104. We copy you are enroute to 160 West Rose."

"Boy!" Keith says... "After yesterday, I was hoping for a slow day."

Keith, you always hope for a slow day.

Considering what we do for a living, partner, that's the only sane thing to do.

You know, I hate to say it, but the man has a point.



Dispatch responds... "53mary2... 10-4. Dispatch copies 10-97 160 West Rose."



Just shoot me. Shoot me right now. You have a gun. Do it.

Sorry, Mario, we got here as fast as we could. What's the situation?



Was it down a pipe? Up a flagpole?

The door was un'alocked, with'a the keys innaside.

I... oh, what the hell. What more can I even say about this?

(We all get to that point eventually. Nobody knows why he talks like that. Just accept it.)



Woody Roberts. I know that name.

The walrus!

The bartender from the Delphoria who managed the backroom poker game. Oh, no.



Thanks, Mario. I'll take a look.



I'll search the car, Sonny. YOU can examine the trunk.

My, how generous of him.

I was going to do it myself anyway.



It's definitely going to be Bains now, isn't it?

Has to be. This fits right in with what we said earlier.



I guess it's not just you he wants revenge on. Woody got a plea bargain for his testimony and Bains went to jail.



That poor bastard.

Let's see what we can find.



How did he even find Woody?

Bains probably still has connections in this town. Or maybe he just used a phone book. Woody wasn't exactly good at hiding.



I really, really do not want your job.

Someone has to do it, or there'd be a lot more people stuffed in car trunks.

You return the eyedropper to the kid, and add the vial of blood to your inventory of evidence.

It looks like he's got something in his hand.

Can you... get it open?

I think so.

Anything else in there?

Nothing I can see.




Right you are, my ridiculous stereotype.

It's a hell of a world we live in, Mario. That's why we do what we do. It'd be a better world if nobody needed us, wouldn't it?



Here we go.



Oh, no, not this guy.

Hey, at least he isn't letting his job get him down.



Yes, he's in the trunk. Just... hurry it up, okay?



Tell me something I don't know.

The capital of Mozambique is Maputo.

Not helping.



Eh, four out of ten on that one.

...



Officer Gelepsi and the coroner struggle to carry the victim into the back of the coroner's vehicle.



Oh god.

Forget Keith, that guy should be your partner. Can we get him to transfer?

Don't even suggest that. I really will find some way to shoot you no matter how impossible it is.



Let's take another look in here now that the body is out of the way.



What's that?

Looks like a note.



Well.

If he wanted to get my attention, he succeeded.



I sure did.



It's certainly providing me with some... motivation. I'll see you later, Mario.



I'm sorry, Sonny.

It's not like we didn't know he was after me already. The bloodstained note doesn't really change that.

Shall we go get Keith?



No, let's let him stay there a minute while we look at this torn-off paper Wally had.


Well, I guess we know where our next stop is.

Let's get going.



Next time on Police Quest: Loss.

I'm not sure I like the sound of that.