An Act of Murder
by Christopher Huang (2007)
Genres: Mystery


action: %
response: Hugh Dunnett



The following story is set up with a great deal of randomisation, and is different each time you start or restart. It would therefore be highly advisable to save the game before you even begin your investigation.

The story uses the basic "ask X about Y" format of speaking to other characters. For the most part, "tell X about Y" will be unimportant: it is generally (though not always!) assumed that your questions about something will include asking about any new discoveries you have made elsewhere about the topic. The main exception to this rule is when laying out your case before Chief Inspector Duffy: in that event, you will have to depend exclusively on "tell..." instead.

Time in the story proceeds at 15 seconds a turn, allowing you ample time (one hopes) to complete your investigation. However, there is in fact a time limit: Chief Inspector Duffy will arrive to speak to you at 2:00 am; and, whatever time he arrives, he will eventually lose patience if you don't manage to make an arrest within a certain time of his arrival.

And that's all that's new. Good luck, Inspector! Your public awaits!

"Frederic Sheppard." Chief Inspector Duffy pulls at his moustache mournfully and stares up at the house through the windshield. "Theatrical sort, usually has a finger in some play or other. He bought up Gull Point about ten years ago. Never any complaints from the neighbours, never any scandals." He pulls at his moustache again. "He was found dead in the cove at the foot of the cliff behind the house about half an hour ago. Caller said it looked as though he fell from his study window."

"Think he might have jumped?"

"She's your investigation: you tell me. We're treating this as a murder unless you can find anything to prove otherwise."

You nod. As you get out of the car, the Chief Inspector yawns and says, "All right. I'm heading back to HQ. I'll be back in a couple of hours. The investigation's all yours. And if at any time you think you're ready to make an arrest, give me a call first, got it?"

"Got it."

What a wonderful way to spend the night. As Chief Inspector Duffy drives off into the darkness, you check your watch to see just how late it really is -- only to find that your watch has stopped.



You are standing on the front drive of Gull Point, residence of noted theatrical patron Frederic Sheppard. The house, a rambling old place, stands to the south.

Beside the front doors, the large doorbell button gleams amber in the moonlight.

You can also see a red Triumph Roadster, a blue Austin and a green Morris Saloon here.
action: Look around
response: You are standing on the front drive of Gull Point, residence of noted theatrical patron Frederic Sheppard. The house, a rambling old place, stands to the south.

Beside the front doors, the large doorbell button gleams amber in the moonlight.

You can also see a red Triumph Roadster, a blue Austin and a green Morris Saloon here.
action: No
response: She raises an eyebrow. "No? What do you want, then?" Faced with a distinct lack of anything else to say, you admit that you are, after all, the police. The woman draws her lips into a tight line and says, "This is hardly the time to be playing the fool, Inspector. Now please, come in."

Theatrical bills on the walls give this otherwise sterile entry hall the appearance of a theatrical lobby. The front doors are to the north, and the central hall is to the south. The cloak room is to the east.

"My name is Deborah Wolf, by the way. Frederic Sheppard was my uncle. My husband and I just arrived today to spend the weekend...." She shakes her head. "I'm sorry. It has all been a terrible shock. Please, come this way."

She takes a few steps towards the south and pauses, waiting for you.
action: Go south
response: As she walks with you, Deborah Wolf says, "I should explain that my husband is Alexander Wolf, the playwright. He's working on a new stage musical called Twisty Passages, with a friend, Elinor Lamb. They were going to spend the weekend here, working on it together."

Just as you pass under the arch into the central hall, the grandfather clock by the stairs chimes the midnight hour in doleful tones. Wonderful.

The central hall is a two-storeyed room, with wide arches north, northwest, southeast and east. French doors to the south open into the library, and a flight of stairs leads upstairs. The kitchen is through a discreet little door to the west. High above, the night sky is visible through a vast skylight.

Deborah Wolf is here, watching you attentively.

Loud, ponderous ticking echoes from the grandfather clock by the stairs.

The hall telephone stands in its niche beneath the stairs like an inscrutable modern art sculpture.

As you set your watch and wind it up, a tall, slender young man emerges from the drawing room to the east. "Ah," he drawls, "the illustrious representative of the Law. How perfectly delightful." He looks down at you with a vaguely supercilious manner.

Deborah Wolf makes the introductions. "Inspector, this is Mr Benedict Lamb, Elinor Lamb's brother. As I mentioned, Miss Lamb is collaborating with my husband on a stage musical; and Benedict here is acting chaperone."

"Never trust a Wolf alone with a Lamb, I always say."
action: You ask Deborah about the window
response: Benedict Lamb interrupts you, saying, a little sharply, "I think we can leave my sister out of any of this, Inspector. She's in a wheelchair; her health is practically non-existant. She's quite incapable of any acts of violence. Would you agree?"
action: No
response: Benedict Lamb's grey eyes flash angrily, but Deborah Wolf quickly says, "The Inspector hasn't even seen the -- the body yet. You can't honestly expect him to make that sort of a judgement without evidence!"

Benedict merely sneers. Deborah Wolf rolls her eyes and says, "Where is Elinor, Ben?"

"She's in the conservatory, of course." Benedict jerks his head to the northwest arch, through which you can see the dining room. "I told her she should go to bed and get some rest, but she insists on staying up for the investigation." He looks in your direction. "Any time you want to speak with her, Inspector, be my guest. Though I assure you it won't be necessary."

Benedict turns on his heel and strides back into the drawing room. Deborah heads towards the door to south. "Shall we continue, Inspector?"
action: Yes
response: Deborah lowers her voice and says, "Ben's very protective of his sister, which is sweet but perhaps a little obsessive, in my opinion. Elinor may be wheelchair-bound, but she is nowhere near as delicate as he seems to think."

The study door to the west is almost obscured by the near-solid screen of crowded bookshelves occupying the west wall. The rest of the room is occupied with modern art. French doors open north to the central hall and southeast onto the terrace. The billiards room is through an anonymous-looking door to the east.

Deborah Wolf is here, watching you attentively.

On closer inspection, one piece of modern art turns out to actually be a clock.

You can also see a tide table here.

A short, red-headed young man is bent over a leather briefcase as you enter the Library. He looks up, startled, as you come in, and hurriedly shuts the briefcase. Then he's all smiles and cheerful camaraderie as he tosses his briefcase into a corner and comes forward to shake your hand.

"Inspector," says Deborah, "I'd like you to meet Mr Cedric Crane, my uncle's former accountant. He was the one -- along with Mr Lamb -- who discovered the crime and raised the alarm."

Cedric Crane pumps your arm with all the excessive energy of a campaigning politician. Close up, you realise that he must actually be quite a bit older than he appeared at first glance. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance," he says expansively, beaming from ear to ear.
action: You ask Cedric about the briefcase
response: Cedric Crane doesn't seem to have much to say about the leather briefcase.

There is a short burst of music from the west. Cedric Crane says, "We left Mr Sheppard's wireless on. Since it was part of the crime scene, we didn't want to disturb it."

"You'd best take the Inspector to the body," says Deborah to Cedric, "since you were the one who found him, after all."

Cedric does not look too happy at this, but turns towards the southeastern exit.
action: You get the briefcase
response: "Inspector, that briefcase is private." Cedric smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes.

The door to the east suddenly crashes open, revealing a broad-shouldered, truculent-looking man holding a billiard cue. He glares at you.

"This is Alexander Wolf," says Deborah, "my husband." Alexander makes a brief sweeping gesture by way of greeting, and growls, "let's get this over with as quickly as possible, eh?"

"Alex, you've been drinking."

Cedric Crane whispers to you, "We'd best head on out, Inspector." He quietly exits the room to the southeast.
action: Go southeast
response: The wide, stone-paved terrace overlooks the sea here to the west and south, and stairs lead down towards the beach. French doors go north to the billiard room and northwest to the library. The terrace itself continues to the west, around the corner of the library.

You can see Cedric Crane here.

Cedric Crane nods to you. "Right then. You've met the Wolfs, of course; have you met the Lambs? Benedict and Elinor? The five of us would be the only people in the house at the moment, other than yourself. Anyway, it seems plain that Mr Sheppard must have been killed in his study," he says, pointing to a part of the house just west of the library, "but Mr Lamb and I found him among the rocks down by the beach. Come on, I'll show you."

Cedric Crane turns and descends the stairs to the cliffside path below.

From the direction of Library, you hear Alexander Wolf's raised voice, and then the slamming of a door.
action: Go downward
response: On one side is the steep cliff, punctuated with scrubby bushes clinging to crevices in the rock face; on the other side, you are completely exposed to the wide expanse of the sea. Stairs go up to the terrace of Gull Point, not quite visible from here, and the path itself winds down to the rocky beach below.

You can see Cedric Crane here.

Cedric Crane goes down.
action: Go downward
response: It is a quiet, moonlit night. The waters of the lagoon lap gently against the sand. Treacherous-looking rocks surround the beach, but a narrow path back up to the house has been cut into the cliff face behind you, and the rocks to the northwest look just safe enough to clamber over.

You can see Cedric Crane here.

Cedric Crane looks around at you and points off to the northwest. "There's a small tide pool out that way. That's where Mr Lamb and I found the body. I think it must have been a bit after 11:00 pm -- probably about 11:10 pm -- we're not surrounded by clocks out here as we are up in the house. We did take a closer look, of course, to make sure we weren't just making a horrible mistake, but otherwise we didn't touch anything."
action: You go to the northwest
response: As you begin picking your way through the rocks, Cedric Crane turns and heads back up to the house.

If the beach was isolated, this rocky area is even more so. Seawater filters in through the rocks all around to fill this little tide pool, currently at a low ebb. On one side, the cliff rises sharply up, and from here you can just make out the broken window of Frederic Sheppard's study. The least treacherous path through the rocks goes southeast, back to the beach.

A sturdy wooden post stands upright in the water, just a short distance from the body.

Frederic Sheppard is sprawled across the rocks, clearly dead.
action: You look at the body
response: In life, Frederic Sheppard was a big man, still quite robust at the age of 60. Right now, he's looking quite battered from the precipitous drop from his study window; it is not immediately apparent if it was the fall which killed him, or something else. He is also quite thoroughly soaked, though he's mostly clear of the water.
action: You search the body
response: What's this? There's a bit of a broken branch clutched in his hand. He must have pulled it off of one of the scrubby little bushes in the cliffside, on his way down.

Further examination of the body reveals a a number of injuries consistent with either a sharp blow with a blunt object, or an unfortunate encounter with the side of a cliff. You're not quite enough of a forensics expert to distinguish between the two.
action: You get the branch
response: You already have that.
action: Examine post
response: A bold, white line near the top of the post indicates the high water mark. It seems pretty accurate: the wood still seems wet from the last high tide, right up to the mark itself.
action: You look at the cliff
response: By the light of the moon, you can make out a few stunted, twisted bushes clinging desperately to the rocks of the cliff.
action: Go southeast
response: It is a quiet, moonlit night. The waters of the lagoon lap gently against the sand. Treacherous-looking rocks surround the beach, but a narrow path back up to the house has been cut into the cliff face behind you, and the rocks to the northwest look just safe enough to clamber over.
action: Go upward
response: On one side is the steep cliff, punctuated with scrubby bushes clinging to crevices in the rock face; on the other side, you are completely exposed to the wide expanse of the sea. Stairs go up to the terrace of Gull Point, not quite visible from here, and the path itself winds down to the rocky beach below.
action: Go upwards
response: The wide, stone-paved terrace overlooks the sea here to the west and south, and stairs lead down towards the beach. French doors go north to the billiard room and northwest to the library. The terrace itself continues to the west, around the corner of the library.
action: Go west
response: You can't go that way.

There is a sudden swell of dramatic music. It seems to be coming from the study.
action: You go to the north
response: This is Frederic Sheppard's study, a neat, spacious, modern room decorated with old theatrical bills. The library is through a door to the east, and french doors open south to the terrace. Cold, damp air flows in through the broken window to the west.

The well-ordered study desk stands to one side of the broken window.
On the study desk are a Faberge egg clock, a black telephone, a scrap of paper and an annotated ledger.

A corner fireplace occupies, well, a corner.

You can also see a wireless, an antique fireplace poker and a hunting rifle here.

There is a sudden commotion: you hear raised voices and the sound of breaking glass from the wireless.
action: You examine the scrap of paper
response: Odd that this scrap of paper would be found sitting on Frederic Sheppard's pristine study desk, but perhaps he never got around to clearing it away. A telephone number has been hastily scrawled across it.

From the wireless comes the soft hiss of static and the dramatic tension of a late-night radio show.
action: You call number
response: You're not messing with the dead man's telephone any more than you can help. A fancy country house like this ought to have another telephone that you can use, probably out in the hall.

You hear a muffled explosion from the wireless. It's rather convincing, but in fact it is merely part of tonight's radio show.
action: You get the scrap of the paper
response: Taken.

From the wireless comes the soft hiss of static and the dramatic tension of a late-night radio show.
action: You look at the poker
response: This poker hails from a time when fireplaces were the sole source of household heating, and, as such, were much larger and required pokers nearly the size of pool cues to reach properly into their recesses. Well, perhaps that's an exaggeration, but you certainly wouldn't want to be poked by this particular poker.

From the wireless comes the soft hiss of static and the dramatic tension of a late-night radio show.
action: Fingerprint poker
response: The forensics crew will be taking everybody's fingerprints in the morning, if you can't determine a Most Likely Suspect before then; frankly, the Chief Inspector would really prefer to spare everyone the inky fingers. So right now, the only useful set of prints you're likely to have are Frederic Sheppard's ... and this being his home, they're on absolutely everything.

From the wireless comes the soft hiss of static and the dramatic tension of a late-night radio show.
action: You look at desk
response: Frederic Sheppard's desk is spacious and tidy, with everything easily visible and within reach. A pair of drawers are stacked one atop the other on one side of the desk.

From the wireless comes the soft hiss of static and the dramatic tension of a late-night radio show.
action: You search the fireplace
response: Which do you mean, the corner fireplace or the antique fireplace poker?
action: Corner
response: You find nothing of interest.

From the wireless comes the soft hiss of static and the dramatic tension of a late-night radio show.
action: You turn off the wireless
response: And not a moment too soon. That thing was as annoying as all hell.
action: Look around
response: This is Frederic Sheppard's study, a neat, spacious, modern room decorated with old theatrical bills. The library is through a door to the east, and french doors open south to the terrace. Cold, damp air flows in through the broken window to the west.

The well-ordered study desk stands to one side of the broken window.
On the study desk are a Faberge egg clock, a black telephone and an annotated ledger.

A corner fireplace occupies, well, a corner.

You can also see a wireless, an antique fireplace poker and a hunting rifle here.
action: You examine the window
response: It doesn't look as though it was ever particularly sturdy; positioned as it is over a steep drop into the sea, it probably never needed to be. The casement opens outwards; the panes are cracked but otherwise intact. The latch, a rather flimsy affair, is twisted half off the frame. The sill is quite high off the floor: it seems highly unlikely that anyone might have fallen through it by accident.
action: You examine the ledger
response: This ledger details the investments and various business dealings of Frederic Sheppard and the Sheppard Trust. While the numbers seem to indicate a perfectly healthy state of affairs, someone has gone through this ledger with a red pen, making annotations in the margin, and pointing out subtle discrepancies. While he is far from ruined, Frederic Sheppard is clearly not quite as well-off as everyone seems to think, nor is the Sheppard Trust quite so healthy. The annotations culminate in a note to "Please speak to Cedric" written across the final page and underlined twice.
action: You examine the clock
response: An ostentatious antique: a clock in the shape of a gold easter egg, with all manner of baroque designs picked out over its surface.
action: You examine the rifle
response: It's fancy enough to be purely decorative, but it is after all a working firearm. A careful inspection shows it to be loaded.
action: You open the drawer
response: Which do you mean, the upper drawer or the lower drawer?
action: Upper
response: You open the upper drawer.
action: You search the upper drawer
response: The upper drawer is empty.
action: You close the upper drawer
response: You close the upper drawer.
action: You open the lower drawer
response: You open the lower drawer, revealing a pistol.
action: You examine the pistol
response: This little pistol is so small, it might easily be mistaken for a toy. It is, however, quite the real thing.
action: You take the pistol
response: Taken.
action: You go east
response: The study door to the west is almost obscured by the near-solid screen of crowded bookshelves occupying the west wall. The rest of the room is occupied with modern art. French doors open north to the central hall and southeast onto the terrace. The billiards room is through an anonymous-looking door to the east.

Deborah Wolf is curled up in a comfortable armchair, reading a mystery novel.

On closer inspection, one piece of modern art turns out to actually be a clock.

You can also see a leather briefcase and a tide table here.
action: You look at the tide table
response: Your eye goes straight for the present date. It seems the last high tide was 8:40 pm yesterday (or, if you prefer, 8:40 pm earlier tonight). Low tide is at 3:05 am and the following high tide at 9:30 am.
action: You examine the clock
response: Its face appears to be formed from a collection of shattered gramophone records.
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You are carrying:
a pistol
a scrap of paper
a broken branch
your notebook
action: You read the notebook
response: Flipping through your admittedly untidy shorthand, you pick up the following points:
broken branch
broken window
annotated ledger
tide table
action: Go north
response: The central hall is a two-storeyed room, with wide arches north, northwest, southeast and east. French doors to the south open into the library, and a flight of stairs leads upstairs. The kitchen is through a discreet little door to the west. High above, the night sky is visible through a vast skylight.

Loud, ponderous ticking echoes from the grandfather clock by the stairs.

The hall telephone stands in its niche beneath the stairs like an inscrutable modern art sculpture.
action: You call number
response: You find yourself on the line with Frederic Sheppard's bank manager, who does not seem particularly happy about being called up at this time of the night, especially once you inform him of the circumstances. "Yes, I spoke to Mr Sheppard this evening. He called ... must have been about 8:20 pm, maybe a little after. I was listening to the wireless at the time. Mr Sheppard's been very anxious of late about his financial affairs, and I should never have given him my home phone number. Fat lot of good I could do him without my files, anyway. Mr Crane could probably tell you more."
action: You read the tide table
response: What do you want to read the tide table in?
action: Notebook
response: Tides: 8:40 pm (high)
3:05 am (low)
9:30 am (high again)
action: Go south
response: The study door to the west is almost obscured by the near-solid screen of crowded bookshelves occupying the west wall. The rest of the room is occupied with modern art. French doors open north to the central hall and southeast onto the terrace. The billiards room is through an anonymous-looking door to the east.

Deborah Wolf is curled up in a comfortable armchair, reading a mystery novel.

On closer inspection, one piece of modern art turns out to actually be a clock.

You can also see a leather briefcase and a tide table here.
action: You open the briefcase
response: The briefcase is locked tight. Apparently a healthy amount of expense was put into ensuring its security.
action: You ask Deborah about Cedric
response: Deborah Wolf purses her lips before saying: "Not an honest man, I'm afraid. Vain, and a little too much in love with his own cleverness. Uncle Fred never recognised any of this, of course."
action: You examine the briefcase
response: An expensive-looking leather briefcase, with the initials "C.C." picked out in gold on the handle. It appears to be locked.
action: You take the briefcase
response: Deborah looks up from her book. "You shouldn't take that, Inspector. Cedric's very touchy about his things, and would probably start screaming about whether or not you had a warrant."
action: You ask Deborah about the ledger
response: "The ledger on Uncle Fred's desk? I was the one who marked that up. I'd been wondering how Sheppard Trust was doing, so I took a look in Uncle Fred's books ... well, it does appear that Cedric Crane has been embezzling from the Trust. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. He's a little too extravagant to be satisfied with an accountant's salary. Anyway, that was a couple of days ago, and I assume that Cedric was invited here today because Uncle Fred wanted to confront him about it face-to-face."
action: You go east
response: The middle of the billiards room is, of course, taken up by the billiards table. A bar occupies one corner of the west wall, beside the door to the library. The drawing room is through the arch to the north, and wide french doors open south onto the terrace. The central hall is to the northwest.

Alexander Wolf and Cedric Crane appear to be deeply engrossed in a game of pool.

One of those old-fashioned schoolroom clocks hangs on the wall.
action: You ask Cedric about the ledger
response: Cedric Crane turns a trifle pale. "You can't prove anything. Mrs Wolf is hardly a qualified accountant; she's probably made a mistake."
action: You ask Cedric about the alibi
response: "I stayed in the dining room after dinner -- to digest the meal properly, you know -- must have been about 6:45 pm. Had a cigar. Benedict Lamb was there, as I recall, at least until 8:05 pm when I decided to go stretch my legs. I met Elinor Lamb in the library, around 9:05 pm. Rather a surprise to see her without her brother hanging around, I thought. Anyway, we were together until 10:20 pm, when I decided to go take a walk on the beach. Benedict came down some time later, about 11:10 pm, I think, and we talked for a while. We wandered over to the rocks at the northwestern end of the beach, and that's when we found Frederic Sheppard's body."
action: You ask Wolf about the murder
response: "It was supposed to be a sort of working holiday -- for Elinor and me, anyway. We're working on a musical production, Twisty Passages, for the West End, and Fred was supposed to be backing us financially. Anyway, Debbie and I arrived separately: I had some stuff to attend to, and arrived only just as everyone was sitting down to dinner. That was about 5:30 pm. After dinner, we all wandered off to do our own thing. Nothing to it. Next thing you know, Ced comes pounding up from the beach bellowing for the police, and now Fred is dead and here you are. How are we supposed to get financial backing now?"

You ask Alexander Wolf about his movements after dinner, to which he replies: "I was playing billiards with Ben from 8:15 pm until about 9:35 pm. Round about 10:00 pm, I joined Debbie in the drawing room. We were together until 10:50 pm. Sure, it doesn't cover the whole evening, and maybe I might have wandered by the study at some point, but I didn't kill the old bastard, if that's what you're thinking."
action: Go north
response: The drawing room is a study in contrasts. The walls are very white, and there is a modern-looking fireplace in the middle of the north wall; grouped around the fireplace is a collection of the most old-fashioned drawing room furniture one can imagine. Wide arches go west to the central hall and south to the billiards room.

An oversized carriage clock sits on the fireplace mantle.

Benedict lounges off to one side, watching you discreetly.

A painting of Lord Dundreary, outlandish whiskers and all, looks down on the room with a vaguely befuddled air.
action: You ask Benedict about the alibi
response: "Let's see. I was in the dining room with Cedric from 6:45 pm until 8:05 pm. Later, about 8:15 pm, I wandered into the billiards room and played billiards with Alex until 9:35 pm, when I must confess I wandered off. Round about 11:10 pm, I decided to head down to the beach. I happened to run into Cedric there, and shortly thereafter we spotted Fred lying dead among the rocks. And that was my evening. I'm afraid that does leave some awfully large gaps, doesn't it? I suppose iron-clad alibis only happen in stories, anyway."
action: You go west
response: The central hall is a two-storeyed room, with wide arches north, northwest, southeast and east. French doors to the south open into the library, and a flight of stairs leads upstairs. The kitchen is through a discreet little door to the west. High above, the night sky is visible through a vast skylight.

Loud, ponderous ticking echoes from the grandfather clock by the stairs.

The hall telephone stands in its niche beneath the stairs like an inscrutable modern art sculpture.
action: You ask the deb about the alibi
response: "I met Elinor in the library as I was taking out a book. That was after dinner, about 7:30 pm. We chatted until 8:50 pm. Otherwise, I spent most of the evening alone in a quiet corner of the drawing room, reading a book. Alex was there as well from about 10:00 pm to 10:50 pm. I'm afraid I didn't see anything unusual."
action: Go northwest
response: The dining room still bears traces of the evening's entertainment. A discreet little door leads south to the kitchen, while a wide arch goes southeast to the central hall. Through another arch to the west is the conservatory.

An elaborate clock keeps time on one wall.

From the west, you hear the soft tinkling of someone muddling around on a piano.
action: You go to the west
response: Evidently an addition to the house before Frederic Sheppard ever bought the place, the Conservatory is only half-heartedly furnished. A few sad-looking plants testify to the man's lack of any real interest in horticulture. The dining room is back to the east.

A baby grand piano sits in a corner of the room. Evidently there was some indecision as to which definition of "conservatory" to adopt.

A girl in a wheelchair is parked in front of the piano.

A large clock hangs from a bracket by the door.

The girl in the wheelchair, a fragile-looking blonde, looks up as you enter, and for a moment you get the impression of some sort of "fight-or-flight" instinct kicking in. Then she smiles hesitantly and introduces herself as Elinor Lamb. "And you must be the police inspector investigating the murder. Oh dear, it's such a terrible shock...."

Elinor absently fingers the keys of the piano, humming a little as she does.
action: You ask Elinor about the alibi
response: "I spent some time in the library. Debbie was there. That was between 7:30 pm and 8:50 pm, I think. Cedric came by later, and the two of us were together in the library from 9:05 pm to 10:20 pm. I went to the conservatory after that to continue with my music. I was alone in the conservatory for the rest of the evening after that. I'm sorry, I can't think of anything else that might be important."
action: You look at the notebook
response: Flipping through your admittedly untidy shorthand, you pick up the following points:
broken branch
broken window
annotated ledger
tide table
telephone call
Cedric Crane's alibi
Alexander Wolf's statement
Alexander Wolf's alibi
guest arrivals
Benedict Lamb's alibi
Deborah Wolf's alibi
Elinor Lamb's alibi
action: You read about the telephone call in the notebook
response: Sheppard called his bank manager, 8:20 pm; was concerned about finances. Manager suggested speaking to Crane?
action: You read about tide table in notebook
response: Tides: 8:40 pm (high)
3:05 am (low)
9:30 am (high again)
action: You ask Elinor about the murder
response: "It's just horrible. Ben and I arrived at about 3:30 pm; it's his first visit, and I wanted to surprise him with the secret passage behind one of the kitchen cabinets. But Deborah and Mr Sheppard were fixing dinner, and I never got around to doing that. We were all having such a fine time ... it seems impossible to believe that that was just a few hours ago, and the most important thing on my mind then was some stupid secret passage."

Elinor absently fingers the keys of the piano, humming a little as she does.
action: You ask Elinor about secret passage
response: "From the study side, you turn one of the candlesticks on the fireplace, and from the kitchen side, you turn one of the hooks in the empty cabinet."
action: You go to the east
response: The dining room still bears traces of the evening's entertainment. A discreet little door leads south to the kitchen, while a wide arch goes southeast to the central hall. Through another arch to the west is the conservatory.

An elaborate clock keeps time on one wall.

From the west, you hear the soft tinkling of someone muddling around on a piano.
action: You open the cabinet
response: Going through the contents of the cabinets could take all night. Or, in the case of the one empty cabinet, about two seconds.
action: Turn hook
response: You jiggle the hooks, and one of them turns in its place. There is a click, and then the back wall of the empty cabinet swings open to reveal a room beyond.
action: Go south
response: On one side, a kitchen counter with cabinets and a small kitchen sink takes up the length of the wall; on the other, narrow stairs lead up and down, though the stairs going up are now used as storage shelves instead. There are narrow doors to the north and south.
action: Go south
response: The door swings open, and you find yourself passing through a secret panel into the study....

This is Frederic Sheppard's study, a neat, spacious, modern room decorated with old theatrical bills. The library is through a door to the east, and french doors open south to the terrace. Cold, damp air flows in through the broken window to the west. To the north, a secret panel leads into a room beyond.

The well-ordered study desk stands to one side of the broken window.
On the study desk are a Faberge egg clock, a black telephone and an annotated ledger.

A corner fireplace occupies, well, a corner.

You can also see a wireless, an antique fireplace poker and a hunting rifle here.
action: You go northwest
response: If the beach was isolated, this rocky area is even more so. Seawater filters in through the rocks all around to fill this little tide pool, currently at a low ebb. On one side, the cliff rises sharply up, and from here you can just make out the broken window of Frederic Sheppard's study. The least treacherous path through the rocks goes southeast, back to the beach.

A sturdy wooden post stands upright in the water, just a short distance from the body.

Frederic Sheppard is sprawled across the rocks, clearly dead.
action: Measure mark
response: The current water level is about 48 inches below the high water mark. The body itself is 12 inches below the high water mark, at its, for want of a better phrase, highest point.
action: You examine notebook
response: Flipping through your admittedly untidy shorthand, you pick up the following points:
broken branch
broken window
annotated ledger
tide table
telephone call
Cedric Crane's alibi
Alexander Wolf's statement
Alexander Wolf's alibi
guest arrivals
Benedict Lamb's alibi
Deborah Wolf's alibi
Elinor Lamb's alibi
Elinor Lamb's statement
body position
action: You read about the body position in the notebook
response: Body at 12" below high water mark. 12:23 am: sea level 48" below high water mark.
action: Go southeast
response: It is a quiet, moonlit night. The waters of the lagoon lap gently against the sand. Treacherous-looking rocks surround the beach, but a narrow path back up to the house has been cut into the cliff face behind you, and the rocks to the northwest look just safe enough to clamber over.
action: New
response: The study door to the west is almost obscured by the near-solid screen of crowded bookshelves occupying the west wall. The rest of the room is occupied with modern art. French doors open north to the central hall and southeast onto the terrace. The billiards room is through an anonymous-looking door to the east.

Deborah Wolf is curled up in a comfortable armchair, reading a mystery novel.

On closer inspection, one piece of modern art turns out to actually be a clock.

You can also see a leather briefcase and a tide table here.
action: You ask the deb about the murder
response: "It's difficult to believe that just half a day ago I was chopping onions with Uncle Fred in the kitchen. We were talking and laughing, and then Cedric Crane and the Lambs showed up, and it was just a regular kitchen party." Deborah pauses, then says, "Speaking of the kitchen, I should probably tell you: there's a secret way from the kitchen into the study. From the study side, you have to turn one of the candlesticks on the fireplace mantle to get in, and from the kitchen you turn one of the hooks in the empty cabinet. The murderer might have gotten in and out that way -- though I rather think that everybody here already knows about it."
action: You ask the deb about Benedict
response: "Poor boy. He tries so hard to seem aloof and indifferent. Actually, I think it's rather sweet how he cares for his sister."
action: You ask the deb about Alex
response: "Alex is my husband. He's a brilliant playwright, but he needs direction and discipline." She smiles enigmatically and crosses her legs. "I'm not sure what else there is to tell you, except to assure you that he really is a very talented man."
action: You ask the deb about Elinor
response: "I feel sorry for her, I admit. People will insist on treating her as though she's a child."
action: You ask Cedric about Deborah
response: "She's a bit of a priss, if you ask me. Always so very superior."
action: You ask Alexander about Deborah
response: "Debbie? She's my wife. Are you trying to insinuate something, here?"
action: Go north
response: The drawing room is a study in contrasts. The walls are very white, and there is a modern-looking fireplace in the middle of the north wall; grouped around the fireplace is a collection of the most old-fashioned drawing room furniture one can imagine. Wide arches go west to the central hall and south to the billiards room.

An oversized carriage clock sits on the fireplace mantle.

Benedict lounges off to one side, watching you discreetly.

A painting of Lord Dundreary, outlandish whiskers and all, looks down on the room with a vaguely befuddled air.
action: You ask Ben about the deb
response: "Deborah's probably the most intelligent woman I've ever met." Benedict frowns. "Which makes her marriage to that first class yob, Alexander Wolf, so very baffling. Love is blind, I suppose, however trite that may sound."
action: You examine notebook
response: Flipping through your admittedly untidy shorthand, you pick up the following points:
broken branch
broken window
annotated ledger
tide table
telephone call
Cedric Crane's alibi
Alexander Wolf's statement
Alexander Wolf's alibi
guest arrivals
Benedict Lamb's alibi
Deborah Wolf's alibi
Elinor Lamb's alibi
Elinor Lamb's statement
body position
Deborah Wolf's statement
action: You read the deb's statement in the notebook
response: Arrived early, separately from AW. In kitchen prepping dinner when others arrived. Mentioned secret access from study to kitchen.
action: Go northwest
response: The dining room still bears traces of the evening's entertainment. A discreet little door leads south to the kitchen, while a wide arch goes southeast to the central hall. Through another arch to the west is the conservatory.

An elaborate clock keeps time on one wall.
action: You go west
response: Evidently an addition to the house before Frederic Sheppard ever bought the place, the Conservatory is only half-heartedly furnished. A few sad-looking plants testify to the man's lack of any real interest in horticulture. The dining room is back to the east.

A baby grand piano sits in a corner of the room. Evidently there was some indecision as to which definition of "conservatory" to adopt.

Elinor Lamb is parked in front of the piano.

A large clock hangs from a bracket by the door.

Elinor absently fingers the keys of the piano, humming a little as she does.
action: %
response: Hugh Dunnett



The following story is set up with a great deal of randomisation, and is different each time you start or restart. It would therefore be highly advisable to save the game before you even begin your investigation.

The story uses the basic "ask X about Y" format of speaking to other characters. For the most part, "tell X about Y" will be unimportant: it is generally (though not always!) assumed that your questions about something will include asking about any new discoveries you have made elsewhere about the topic. The main exception to this rule is when laying out your case before Chief Inspector Duffy: in that event, you will have to depend exclusively on "tell..." instead.

Time in the story proceeds at 15 seconds a turn, allowing you ample time (one hopes) to complete your investigation. However, there is in fact a time limit: Chief Inspector Duffy will arrive to speak to you at 2:00 am; and, whatever time he arrives, he will eventually lose patience if you don't manage to make an arrest within a certain time of his arrival.

And that's all that's new. Good luck, Inspector! Your public awaits!

"Frederic Sheppard." Chief Inspector Duffy pulls at his moustache mournfully and stares up at the house through the windshield. "Theatrical sort, usually has a finger in some play or other. He bought up Gull Point about ten years ago. Never any complaints from the neighbours, never any scandals." He pulls at his moustache again. "He was found dead in the cove at the foot of the cliff behind the house about half an hour ago. Caller said it looked as though he fell from his study window."

"Think he might have jumped?"

"She's your investigation: you tell me. We're treating this as a murder unless you can find anything to prove otherwise."

You nod. As you get out of the car, the Chief Inspector yawns and says, "All right. I'm heading back to HQ. I'll be back in a couple of hours. The investigation's all yours. And if at any time you think you're ready to make an arrest, give me a call first, got it?"

"Got it."

What a wonderful way to spend the night. As Chief Inspector Duffy drives off into the darkness, you check your watch to see just how late it really is -- only to find that your watch has stopped.



You are standing on the front drive of Gull Point, residence of noted theatrical patron Frederic Sheppard. The house, a rambling old place, stands to the south.

Beside the front doors, the large doorbell button gleams amber in the moonlight.

You can also see a red Triumph Roadster, a blue Austin and a green Morris Saloon here.
action: Look around
response: You are standing on the front drive of Gull Point, residence of noted theatrical patron Frederic Sheppard. The house, a rambling old place, stands to the south.

Beside the front doors, the large doorbell button gleams amber in the moonlight.

You can also see a red Triumph Roadster, a blue Austin and a green Morris Saloon here.
action: No
response: She raises an eyebrow. "No? What do you want, then?" Faced with a distinct lack of anything else to say, you admit that you are, after all, the police. The woman draws her lips into a tight line and says, "This is hardly the time to be playing the fool, Inspector. Now please, come in."

Theatrical bills on the walls give this otherwise sterile entry hall the appearance of a theatrical lobby. The front doors are to the north, and the central hall is to the south. The cloak room is to the east.

"My name is Deborah Wolf, by the way. Frederic Sheppard was my uncle. My husband and I just arrived today to spend the weekend...." She shakes her head. "I'm sorry. It has all been a terrible shock. Please, come this way."

She takes a few steps towards the south and pauses, waiting for you.
action: Go south
response: As she walks with you, Deborah Wolf says, "I should explain that my husband is Alexander Wolf, the playwright. He's working on a new stage musical called Twisty Passages, with a friend, Elinor Lamb. They were going to spend the weekend here, working on it together."

Just as you pass under the arch into the central hall, the grandfather clock by the stairs chimes the midnight hour in doleful tones. Wonderful.

The central hall is a two-storeyed room, with wide arches north, northwest, southeast and east. French doors to the south open into the library, and a flight of stairs leads upstairs. The kitchen is through a discreet little door to the west. High above, the night sky is visible through a vast skylight.

Deborah Wolf is here, watching you attentively.

Loud, ponderous ticking echoes from the grandfather clock by the stairs.

The hall telephone stands in its niche beneath the stairs like an inscrutable modern art sculpture.

As you set your watch and wind it up, a tall, slender young man emerges from the drawing room to the east. "Ah," he drawls, "the illustrious representative of the Law. How perfectly delightful." He looks down at you with a vaguely supercilious manner.

Deborah Wolf makes the introductions. "Inspector, this is Mr Benedict Lamb, Elinor Lamb's brother. As I mentioned, Miss Lamb is collaborating with my husband on a stage musical; and Benedict here is acting chaperone."

"Never trust a Wolf alone with a Lamb, I always say."
action: Go north
response: This is Frederic Sheppard's study, a neat, spacious, modern room decorated with old theatrical bills. The library is through a door to the east, and french doors open south to the terrace. Cold, damp air flows in through the broken window to the west.

The well-ordered study desk stands to one side of the broken window.
On the study desk are a Faberge egg clock, a black telephone, a scrap of paper and an annotated ledger.

A corner fireplace occupies, well, a corner.

You can also see a wireless, an antique fireplace poker and a hunting rifle here.

Over the wireless comes an advertisement for the Higgins School of Elocution.
action: You call number
response: You're not messing with the dead man's telephone any more than you can help. A fancy country house like this ought to have another telephone that you can use, probably out in the hall.

From the wireless comes the soft hiss of static and the dramatic tension of a late-night radio show.
action: You get the scrap of the paper
response: Taken.

From the wireless comes the soft hiss of static and the dramatic tension of a late-night radio show.
action: Fingerprint poker
response: The forensics crew will be taking everybody's fingerprints in the morning, if you can't determine a Most Likely Suspect before then; frankly, the Chief Inspector would really prefer to spare everyone the inky fingers. So right now, the only useful set of prints you're likely to have are Frederic Sheppard's ... and this being his home, they're on absolutely everything.

From the wireless comes the soft hiss of static and the dramatic tension of a late-night radio show.
action: Corner
response: You find nothing of interest.

The sound of hoofbeats thunders from the wireless.
action: You turn off the wireless
response: And not a moment too soon. That thing was as annoying as all hell.
action: You close the upper drawer
response: That's already closed.
action: You examine the poker
response: This poker hails from a time when fireplaces were the sole source of household heating, and, as such, were much larger and required pokers nearly the size of pool cues to reach properly into their recesses. Well, perhaps that's an exaggeration, but you certainly wouldn't want to be poked by this particular poker.
action: You go south
response: The central hall is a two-storeyed room, with wide arches north, northwest, southeast and east. French doors to the south open into the library, and a flight of stairs leads upstairs. The kitchen is through a discreet little door to the west. High above, the night sky is visible through a vast skylight.

Loud, ponderous ticking echoes from the grandfather clock by the stairs.

The hall telephone stands in its niche beneath the stairs like an inscrutable modern art sculpture.

The study door to the west is almost obscured by the near-solid screen of crowded bookshelves occupying the west wall. The rest of the room is occupied with modern art. French doors open north to the central hall and southeast onto the terrace. The billiards room is through an anonymous-looking door to the east.

Deborah Wolf is curled up in a comfortable armchair, reading a mystery novel.

On closer inspection, one piece of modern art turns out to actually be a clock.

You can also see a leather briefcase and a tide table here.
action: You ask the deb about the alibi
response: "I met Elinor in the library as I was taking out a book. That was after dinner, about 7:30 pm. We chatted until 8:50 pm. Otherwise, I spent most of the evening alone in a quiet corner of the drawing room, reading a book. Alex was there as well from about 10:00 pm to 10:50 pm. I'm afraid I didn't see anything unusual."
action: New
response: The dining room still bears traces of the evening's entertainment. A discreet little door leads south to the kitchen, while a wide arch goes southeast to the central hall. Through another arch to the west is the conservatory.

An elaborate clock keeps time on one wall.

From the west, you hear the soft tinkling of someone muddling around on a piano.
action: You go to the west
response: Evidently an addition to the house before Frederic Sheppard ever bought the place, the Conservatory is only half-heartedly furnished. A few sad-looking plants testify to the man's lack of any real interest in horticulture. The dining room is back to the east.

A baby grand piano sits in a corner of the room. Evidently there was some indecision as to which definition of "conservatory" to adopt.

A girl in a wheelchair is parked in front of the piano.

A large clock hangs from a bracket by the door.

The girl in the wheelchair, a fragile-looking blonde, looks up as you enter, and for a moment you get the impression of some sort of "fight-or-flight" instinct kicking in. Then she smiles hesitantly and introduces herself as Elinor Lamb. "And you must be the police inspector investigating the murder. Oh dear, it's such a terrible shock...."

Elinor absently fingers the keys of the piano, humming a little as she does.
action: You ask Elinor about the alibi
response: "I spent some time in the library. Debbie was there. That was between 7:30 pm and 8:50 pm, I think. Cedric came by later, and the two of us were together in the library from 9:05 pm to 10:20 pm. I went to the conservatory after that to continue with my music. I was alone in the conservatory for the rest of the evening after that. I'm sorry, I can't think of anything else that might be important."

Elinor absently fingers the keys of the piano, humming a little as she does.
action: You look at the notebook
response: Flipping through your admittedly untidy shorthand, you pick up the following points:
broken branch
broken window
annotated ledger
tide table
telephone call
Cedric Crane's alibi
Benedict Lamb's alibi
Deborah Wolf's alibi
Elinor Lamb's alibi
action: You read about the telephone call in the notebook
response: Sheppard called his bank manager, 8:20 pm; was concerned about finances. Manager suggested speaking to Crane?
action: You read about tide table in notebook
response: Tides: 8:40 pm (high)
3:05 am (low)
9:30 am (high again)
action: You ask Elinor about the murder
response: "It's just horrible. Ben and I arrived at about 3:30 pm; it's his first visit, and I wanted to surprise him with the secret passage behind one of the kitchen cabinets. But Deborah and Mr Sheppard were fixing dinner, and I never got around to doing that. We were all having such a fine time ... it seems impossible to believe that that was just a few hours ago, and the most important thing on my mind then was some stupid secret passage."
action: You ask Elinor about the secret passage
response: "From the study side, you turn one of the candlesticks on the fireplace, and from the kitchen side, you turn one of the hooks in the empty cabinet."

Elinor absently fingers the keys of the piano, humming a little as she does.
action: You go east
response: The dining room still bears traces of the evening's entertainment. A discreet little door leads south to the kitchen, while a wide arch goes southeast to the central hall. Through another arch to the west is the conservatory.

An elaborate clock keeps time on one wall.
action: You take the tape measure
response: Taken.
action: You look at the notebook
response: Flipping through your admittedly untidy shorthand, you pick up the following points:
broken branch
broken window
annotated ledger
tide table
telephone call
Cedric Crane's alibi
Benedict Lamb's alibi
Deborah Wolf's alibi
Elinor Lamb's alibi
Elinor Lamb's statement
body position
action: You read about the body position in the notebook
response: Body at 12" below high water mark. 12:22 am: sea level 48" below high water mark.
action: You go northwest
response: The wide, stone-paved terrace overlooks the sea here to the west and south, and stairs lead down towards the beach. French doors go north to the billiard room and northwest to the library. The terrace itself continues to the west, around the corner of the library.

The study door to the west is almost obscured by the near-solid screen of crowded bookshelves occupying the west wall. The rest of the room is occupied with modern art. French doors open north to the central hall and southeast onto the terrace. The billiards room is through an anonymous-looking door to the east.

Deborah Wolf is curled up in a comfortable armchair, reading a mystery novel.

On closer inspection, one piece of modern art turns out to actually be a clock.

You can also see a leather briefcase and a tide table here.
action: You ask the deb about the murder
response: "It's difficult to believe that just half a day ago I was chopping onions with Uncle Fred in the kitchen. We were talking and laughing, and then Cedric Crane and the Lambs showed up, and it was just a regular kitchen party." Deborah pauses, then says, "Speaking of the kitchen, I should probably tell you: there's a secret way from the kitchen into the study. From the study side, you have to turn one of the candlesticks on the fireplace mantle to get in, and from the kitchen you turn one of the hooks in the empty cabinet. The murderer might have gotten in and out that way -- though I rather think that everybody here already knows about it."
action: You ask the deb about Cedric
response: Deborah Wolf purses her lips before saying: "Not an honest man, I'm afraid. Vain, and a little too much in love with his own cleverness. Uncle Fred never recognised any of this, of course."
action: You ask the deb about Alex
response: "Alex is my husband. He's a brilliant playwright, but he needs direction and discipline." She smiles enigmatically and crosses her legs. "I'm not sure what else there is to tell you, except to assure you that he really is a very talented man."
action: You ask the deb about Elinor
response: "I feel sorry for her, I admit. People will insist on treating her as though she's a child."
action: You examine notebook
response: Flipping through your admittedly untidy shorthand, you pick up the following points:
broken branch
broken window
annotated ledger
tide table
telephone call
Cedric Crane's alibi
Benedict Lamb's alibi
Deborah Wolf's alibi
Elinor Lamb's alibi
Elinor Lamb's statement
body position
Deborah Wolf's statement
action: You read the deb's statement in the notebook
response: Arrived early, separately from AW. In kitchen prepping dinner when others arrived. Mentioned secret access from study to kitchen.
action: You go west
response: The central hall is a two-storeyed room, with wide arches north, northwest, southeast and east. French doors to the south open into the library, and a flight of stairs leads upstairs. The kitchen is through a discreet little door to the west. High above, the night sky is visible through a vast skylight.

Loud, ponderous ticking echoes from the grandfather clock by the stairs.

The hall telephone stands in its niche beneath the stairs like an inscrutable modern art sculpture.
action: Go northwest
response: The dining room still bears traces of the evening's entertainment. A discreet little door leads south to the kitchen, while a wide arch goes southeast to the central hall. Through another arch to the west is the conservatory.

An elaborate clock keeps time on one wall.

From the west, you hear the soft tinkling of someone muddling around on a piano.
action: Go west
response: Evidently an addition to the house before Frederic Sheppard ever bought the place, the Conservatory is only half-heartedly furnished. A few sad-looking plants testify to the man's lack of any real interest in horticulture. The dining room is back to the east.

A baby grand piano sits in a corner of the room. Evidently there was some indecision as to which definition of "conservatory" to adopt.

Elinor Lamb is parked in front of the piano.

A large clock hangs from a bracket by the door.
action: You ask Elinor about the deb
response: "I never know what she's thinking, but she seems quite nice, otherwise."

Elinor absently fingers the keys of the piano, humming a little as she does.
action: You read the notebook
response: Flipping through your admittedly untidy shorthand, you pick up the following points:
broken branch
broken window
annotated ledger
tide table
telephone call
Cedric Crane's alibi
Benedict Lamb's alibi
Deborah Wolf's alibi
Elinor Lamb's alibi
Elinor Lamb's statement
body position
Deborah Wolf's statement
action: You ask Alex about the alibi
response: "I was playing billiards with Ben from 8:15 pm until about 9:35 pm. Round about 10:00 pm, I joined Debbie in the drawing room. We were together until 10:50 pm. Sure, it doesn't cover the whole evening, and maybe I might have wandered by the study at some point, but I didn't kill the old bastard, if that's what you're thinking."
action: You ask Alex about the murder
response: "It was supposed to be a sort of working holiday -- for Elinor and me, anyway. We're working on a musical production, Twisty Passages, for the West End, and Fred was supposed to be backing us financially. Anyway, Debbie and I arrived separately: I had some stuff to attend to, and arrived only just as everyone was sitting down to dinner. That was about 5:30 pm. After dinner, we all wandered off to do our own thing. Nothing to it. Next thing you know, Ced comes pounding up from the beach bellowing for the police, and now Fred is dead and here you are. How are we supposed to get financial backing now?"
action: %
response: Hugh Dunnett
action: You read the notebook
response: Flipping through your admittedly untidy shorthand, you pick up the following points:
broken branch
broken window
annotated ledger
tide table
telephone call
Cedric Crane's alibi
Benedict Lamb's alibi
Deborah Wolf's alibi
Elinor Lamb's alibi
Elinor Lamb's statement
body position
Deborah Wolf's statement
Alexander Wolf's alibi
Alexander Wolf's statement
guest arrivals
action: You ask Cedric about the murder
response: "I actually arrived earlier than expected: Mr Sheppard was still fixing dinner when I came in the door, and I went to join him. I suppose I should have gone home straight after dinner, but that always seems a little rude. And besides," he adds with a wink, "Mr Sheppard keeps a beautifully well-stocked bar. Anyway, I wound up heading down to the beach late in the evening for some fresh air and alone time. I'd already been there rather a while when Benedict Lamb came down from the house, and we happened to wander close enough to the tidal pool at the base of the cliff to notice Fred lying there dead, and that's when we raised the alarm." He shrugs his shoulders and continues, "I wish I'd been paying more attention. For all I know, whatever happened could have happened while I was right there, strolling about on the sand."
action: You ask Cedric about the twisty Passages
response: "Currently, the main draw on the Sheppard Trust resources would be this stage musical production ... Twisty Passages, I think it's called." He glances around and lowers his voice. "I shouldn't be saying this, but then this is rather a serious business. The others will probably tell you that Mr Wolf was writing the script and Miss Lamb the music, with Mr Sheppard supplying the funds ... but musical productions generally run into greater costs than non-musical stage plays. The entire project was sliding deep into debt, and Mr Sheppard was thinking about cutting his losses. He let slip about it while we were all in the kitchen, before dinner, and there was a tremendous uproar."
action: You ask Alex about the twisty Passages
response: "Yeah, Twisty Passages is the working title. Drama, romance, swashbuckling goodness, everything the public loves, with the added bonus of actually sounding intelligent. The script is mine, the score is Elinor's, and the money is Fred's. It's the first time any of us are working on a musical, and I thought it was going very well."
action: You ask Alex about Fred
response: "I could respect the guy. Not understand him and his fussiness, mind you, but I could respect him."
action: You ask Cedric about Fred
response: "Poor chap. He was a good fellow -- not wonderful with figures, but you can't have everything."
action: You check your inventory
response: You are carrying:
a tape measure
a pistol
a scrap of paper
a broken branch
your notebook
action: You ask the deb about the twisty Passages
response: "Twisty Passages is one of Alex's better scripts, if I do say so myself. Elinor's providing the music, and Uncle Fred's money was supposed to actually get it onto the stage. Investing in the theatre was something of a hobby with Uncle Fred, you know: he didn't always get a good return, but he did love feeling like a great patron of the arts. Naturally, when Alex and Elinor started talking about producing something, I went straight to Uncle Fred and arranged it all with him."
action: You ask deb about the funding
response: She closes her eyes momentarily. "I was ... disappointed ... in Uncle Fred. Very disappointed."
action: You ask Ben about the musical
response: "I don't pretend to pay it all too much attention. I know it's called Twisty Passages and that Frederic Sheppard was supposed to finance it. My sister Elinor, who is writing the music for it, could probably tell you more; as could Alex, who is writing the script."
action: You ask Ben about funding
response: "So you heard that Fred Sheppard was cutting the funding. Hmph. Elinor nearly had a relapse."
action: You ask Ben about Elinor
response: "My sister has had a very unfortunate life: first the accident that put her in the wheelchair, then her ... her health issues, and now this. She can't possibly have anything to do with this, believe me. As a matter of fact, I happen to have her latest medical report in one of my coat pockets. Go ahead and see for yourself; my coat's the green zimarra in the cloak room."
action: You ask Ben about the health issues
response: "Elinor's always been rather delicate. Then there was the accident that put her in a wheelchair, and when that happened they discovered she was already --" Benedict clears his throat and fidgets. "Well, you did get around to looking at that medical report, didn't you? It explains things better than I ever could."
action: You go to the north
response: Theatrical bills on the walls give this otherwise sterile entry hall the appearance of a theatrical lobby. The front doors are to the north, and the central hall is to the south. The cloak room is to the east.
action: You go east
response: A fancy name for a what is essentially a walk-in closet, with a powder room attached. The clutter gives it a more lived-in appearance than the entrance foyer back to the west.

Half hidden by the green overcoat is a tall umbrella stand in the shape of an elephant's foot.

You can also see five coats (a green overcoat, a leather jacket, a tan trenchcoat, a Burberry jacket and a brown blazer) here.
action: You search the overcoat
response: You spend a few seconds searching -- no, excavating -- through the pockets of the green overcoat and finally emerge into daylight (figuratively speaking) with issue no. 2 of The Incredible Hulk. As it is quite useless to you, you return it to the pockets of the green overcoat. You also find and take a medical report, but then you knew that would be there.
action: You examine the report
response: This sheaf of documents sets out in excruciating detail the circumstances of Elinor Lamb's health. Tucked between the pages is the following note: "Mr Lamb, your sister has not much longer to live. While it is true that the completion of this magnum opus you describe will be a very great thing by which to remember your sister after she is gone, and that this is what she most certainly wants, is not her comfort now, while she is alive, more important? Why must you insist on encouraging her in this foolhardy project?"
action: You look at notebook
response: Flipping through your admittedly untidy shorthand, you pick up the following points:
broken branch
broken window
annotated ledger
tide table
telephone call
Cedric Crane's alibi
Benedict Lamb's alibi
Deborah Wolf's alibi
Elinor Lamb's alibi
Elinor Lamb's statement
body position
Deborah Wolf's statement
Alexander Wolf's alibi
Alexander Wolf's statement
guest arrivals
Cedric Crane's statement
musical
medical report
action: You read about the medical report in the notebook
response: EL's med report found in green overcoat. Note from Dr: BL sees musical as memorial, insists on EL's continued involvement.
action: You ask Ben about the doctor's note
response: Benedict seems to have entirely too much to say about that.
action: You check your inventory
response: You are carrying:
a medical report
a tape measure
a pistol
a scrap of paper
a broken branch
your notebook
action: You ask Alex about the elinor's health
response: "It's too complicated for my tiny little brain. Why don't you ask her? Or better yet, talk to that nursemaid brother of hers. He'll fill you in on the details you want and some that you don't."
action: You examine the branch
response: This small sprig of cliffside greenery was found clutched in the dead man's hand.
action: Search jacket
response: Which do you mean, the leather jacket or the Burberry jacket?
action: Leather
response: You quickly rummage through the pockets of the leather jacket, discovering an appointment book, which you take.
action: You look at appointment book
response: The name on the inside cover identifies this as belonging to Alexander Wolf. Paging through to yesterday's date, you find that Alexander Wolf had an appointment, which he apparently kept, with Frederic Sheppard's lawyer just that afternoon.
action: You examine the stnad
response: In the elephant's foot umbrella stand is an ebony walking stick.
action: You examine the stick
response: It's shiny and black, with a gold inlay ring about six inches down from a gold knob handle. It seems a little heavy, but is otherwise completely ordinary.
action: Search stand
response: In the elephant's foot umbrella stand is an ebony walking stick.
action: You take the stick
response: Taken.
action: You ask Alex about the appointment
response: Alexander Wolf grimaces. "I suppose it'll all come out sooner or later. All right. Fred told me a couple of days back that he was thinking of pulling out of the project. He hadn't actually made up his mind about it, but I figured I'd see what my options were. So I made an appointment to find out exactly what sort of control Fred had over the Sheppard Trust. I waited all afternoon and the bastards still didn't have time for me. At least they left me a copy of Zack Sheppard's will. Here, I haven't looked at it yet, thanks to all this mess, but I'm guessing you'll want a look at it."

Alexander Wolf takes a plain legal envelope out of an inside pocket and hands it to you.
action: You ask Alex about the zach
response: "Deb's father. He died when she was very young, before I ever met her. So no, I never knew the man, and have nothing to say about him."
action: You open the envelope
response: You open the legal envelope, revealing a copy of Zachary Sheppard's will.
action: Examine will
response: The main part of the will concerns the Sheppard Trust, the main purpose of which is to fund deserving theatrical projects, the secondary purpose of which is to provide Mr Zachary Sheppard's heirs with a steady income. Frederic Sheppard is named as a manager of the Trust. Thanks to some clumsiness in the wording, it seems that the Trust is to exist only for the duration of Frederic Sheppard's life, after which the capital is to be divided among various charities. Stapled to the back of the document is a list of figures detailing large chunks of money being shifted out of the Trust and into what appears to be Deborah Wolf's bank account.
action: You ask Deb about the will
response: Deborah Wolf pauses, then says, "Have you looked at the terms of my father's will, Inspector? My father meant the Trust to support struggling theatrical projects, yes, but he never meant for it to die with Uncle Fred. What we were doing was only practical, to ensure that the Trust lived on. Of course, now that Uncle Fred's gone ... I wish we hadn't left this so very late."
action: You ask Cedric about the will
response: Cedric Crane chuckles and says, "Oh, those money transfers? That was Mr Sheppard and Mrs Wolf trying to get around the setup of the Sheppard Trust. The Trust's supposed to die with Mr Sheppard, leaving Mrs Wolf with nothing, so the two of them decided to engage in a spot of embezzling and shift the money into her bank account. It was rather slow going, but give them a couple more years, and I think they might even have succeeded." He shrugs. "Well, it's a victimless crime. Can it still be embezzling if you're stealing from yourself, and if you let all the lawyers and accountants know what you're up to? I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know: I just like calling it that."
action: You call Chief
response: You get Chief Inspector Duffy after a couple of rings. "Good man. I'll be there in five minutes."
action: Wait
response: Time passes.
action: You call Chief
response: It's a few rings before you get one of the junior policemen at the station. "The Chief Inspector is already on his way," he says. "No need to get in a twist about it."
action: Go north
response: Are you sure you want to quit?
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

The door swings open, admitting Chief Inspector Duffy. He looks more put-upon than ever. "I hope you have something for me, Inspector. I want to be home and in bed some reasonable amount of time before having to get up and head back to the station."

He sighs. "At the moment, as far as I know, everybody had the means and opportunity, and nobody had any motive. Tell me about anything you've found that will change this."
action: You tell Chief about the ledger
response: Chief Inspector Duffy nods thoughtfully as you fill him in on what you've learnt so far.

"That's a very serious accusation on Mrs Wolf's part. If Mr Crane were afraid of Mr Sheppard finding out about his little sideline, it might have been a very good reason to want him dead.
action: %
response: Hugh Dunnett



The following story is set up with a great deal of randomisation, and is different each time you start or restart. It would therefore be highly advisable to save the game before you even begin your investigation.

The story uses the basic "ask X about Y" format of speaking to other characters. For the most part, "tell X about Y" will be unimportant: it is generally (though not always!) assumed that your questions about something will include asking about any new discoveries you have made elsewhere about the topic. The main exception to this rule is when laying out your case before Chief Inspector Duffy: in that event, you will have to depend exclusively on "tell..." instead.

Time in the story proceeds at 15 seconds a turn, allowing you ample time (one hopes) to complete your investigation. However, there is in fact a time limit: Chief Inspector Duffy will arrive to speak to you at 2:00 am; and, whatever time he arrives, he will eventually lose patience if you don't manage to make an arrest within a certain time of his arrival.

And that's all that's new. Good luck, Inspector! Your public awaits!

"Frederic Sheppard." Chief Inspector Duffy pulls at his moustache mournfully and stares up at the house through the windshield. "Theatrical sort, usually has a finger in some play or other. He bought up Gull Point about ten years ago. Never any complaints from the neighbours, never any scandals." He pulls at his moustache again. "He was found dead in the cove at the foot of the cliff behind the house about half an hour ago. Caller said it looked as though he fell from his study window."

"Think he might have jumped?"

"She's your investigation: you tell me. We're treating this as a murder unless you can find anything to prove otherwise."

You nod. As you get out of the car, the Chief Inspector yawns and says, "All right. I'm heading back to HQ. I'll be back in a couple of hours. The investigation's all yours. And if at any time you think you're ready to make an arrest, give me a call first, got it?"

"Got it."

What a wonderful way to spend the night. As Chief Inspector Duffy drives off into the darkness, you check your watch to see just how late it really is -- only to find that your watch has stopped.



You are standing on the front drive of Gull Point, residence of noted theatrical patron Frederic Sheppard. The house, a rambling old place, stands to the south.

Beside the front doors, the large doorbell button gleams amber in the moonlight.

You can also see a red Triumph Roadster, a blue Austin and a green Morris Saloon here.
action: You tell Chief about the will
response: Chief Inspector Duffy nods thoughtfully as you fill him in on what you've learnt so far.

"Interesting. So Mrs Wolf knew the provisions of her father's will, and, what is more, she knew she had a lot to lose by her uncle dying when he did. I can't say I can picture her as our murderess, in that case."
action: You tell Chief about the phone call
response: Chief Inspector Duffy nods thoughtfully as you fill him in on what you've learnt so far.

"Financial worries? That's rather vague ... but at least we know Mr Sheppard was still alive at 8:20 pm."
action: You tell Chief about the window
response: Chief Inspector Duffy nods thoughtfully as you fill him in on what you've learnt so far.

When you finish, he strokes his moustache and says, "I imagine that pushing a full-grown man up against a window, and then through it when it breaks open, would entail quite a bit of physical exertion -- especially given the height of the window sill."
action: You tell Chief about the body position
response: Chief Inspector Duffy nods thoughtfully as you fill him in on what you've learnt so far.

Chief Inspector Duffy reaches for his notebook and begins jotting down calculations. "That suggests that the murder probably occurred some time before 9:15 pm ... give it another ten minutes; I'd say 9:25 pm would be the very latest that the body could have gone into the water."

Chief Inspector Duffy compares his notes. "Well, that clears two of our suspects, at least: Benedict Lamb and Alexander Wolf appear to have alibis for the small window of opportunity in between Frederic Sheppard's telephone call, when he was last known to be alive, and the time at which he must have gone into the water. And if they're eliminated, then that leaves just one possibility among our suspects. Which means, I think, that we can make an arrest and go home."
action: Arrest cedric
response: "Very well," says Chief Inspector Duffy. "Let's get on with it...

Cedric Crane is still playing pool with Alexander Wolf when you find him, leaning across the table for a difficult shot. He looks up as you approach. "I was wondering when you'd come for me," he says.

You read out the charges and are about to cuff him when Alexander suddenly roars, "Murder AND embezzlement? You bastard! You're the reason Fred wanted to bail on us!" Alexander vaults over the table -- a surprising feat for a man his size -- and it is all you and Chief Inspector Duffy can do to keep him from tearing Cedric Crane apart right there.

The commotion draws the attention of all the other former suspects. Deborah, looking triumphant in the doorway of the library, says, "I told you he was a dishonest man."

Cedric glares at her. "Damn you. It's your own fault -- if you hadn't tipped the old man off, we might have gone on for years. As it was, engineering this little farce was the last chance I had, given the short notice. Shoving the old bastard out the window was child's play; and Mr Lamb played right into my hands when he suggested we walk out towards the rocks.... I would have gotten rid of that confounded ledger, too, but I couldn't find it. I suppose you had it all along and left it lying conveniently on Mr Sheppard's desk for the police to find."

Deborah says, "Of course I did. When I saw the state of the study, I guessed what had happened, and took steps accordingly." She turns to you. "Take him away, Inspector. I hope you put him away for a very, very long time."