Color the Truth
by mathbrush (2016)
Genres: Mystery

Rosalita Morales is dead, and you have to figure out who did it. The four people closest to her had the motive and the means: her partner, her secretary, her ex-husband, and her sister. Re-live their memories of Rosalita's last days to discover what really happened. But be careful: Everyone has something to hide, and everyone will Color the Truth.

action: %
response: Are you sure you want to quit? ]  Exits:
Phone Booth

You put a quarter in the slot and dial Rosalita's number. The phone rings a couple of times; there's nothing to do but wait.

[If you are playing Color the Truth for the first time, you are strongly encouraged to type ABOUT.]
action: Wait
response: You wait for a moment, taking deep breaths to keep your calm.

The phone rings one more time before Rosalita picks up.

She says, "Hello?"

[New topic - Hello]
action: You say hello
response: (to Rosalita)
"Hello, Rosalita." You speak quietly, glancing through the glass to see if anyone's watching.

"What do you want this time?" she asks.

"I think you know," you say. "Same as last time."

"Good luck with that. It's all gone now. You just take, and you take, and you take, and now there's nothing left. I don't know what you want anymore."

[New topic - Broke]

She sounds sincere, but she has to be lying. You've been looking into this for over a year, seeing where the money goes. It took months before it all came together, and you're not about to let your work go to waste. You read your notes again:

Rosa. Income:

Roses for Rehab: 500K?

Cassette sales: 250k?

[New topic - Charity]

[New topic - Sales]
action: Link broke to charity
response: She says she's broke, but she's stolen more from Roses for Rehab than she's given you.

[New topic - Funds]
action: Link broke to sales
response: She says she's broke, but her cassetes have been selling better than ever.
action: You say  the funds
response: (to Rosalita)
"Cut it, Rosalita. I have the figures. You say you're broke, but you have plenty left to give. I'll expect my next payment in two days."

Rosa is silent.

"Two days, Rosalita." You hang up the phone.

"

They answer. "Hector, this Chief Schwarz. I need you to come in early tomorrow..."



You glance about the office. The Chief's office is full of shades of black; he's told you that it's a symbol of authority, and makes him more imposing. You find it depressing.

The office is large, and the leaden morning light from the window does little to brighten it. Its many bookshelves are filled with sable leather-bound volumes; it smells like a library in here, a mix of old books and card stock. The new chief's broad oak desk is in the center of the room, spotted with ink stains. A banker's lamp with a ebony shade stands on the desk, turned off.

The only way out is through the coal-black door to the south.

The Chief should be here soon.
action: Your thoughts
response: You are currently not thinking of anything.
action: About yourself
response: You are Detective Hector King, a 30-year veteran of the force and nearing retirement. You are wearing a frayed ash-grey suit suit with a checkered tie and a silvery dress shirt. Your stiff black-and-grey hair is cropped short, and your badge is pinned to your suit pocket.

The door behind you opens, and Chief Schwarz slips in. "Good, you're here," he says as he grips your hand before sitting down. "Listen, Hector. Rosalita Morales was found dead in the KOLR studio yesterday."

"Yeah, I heard."

He cracks his knuckles and says, "The lab is working on the evidence, but so far we've got nothing. I've got our people talking to everyone she knew. There's a special assignment for you."

"She's left money to four people. A lot of money. I've asked them to come to the studio for questioning."

He reaches into a drawer and grabs a folder that he tosses on the desk. "I've prepared a dossier on the suspects, along with the preliminary report on the death. Take it with you."

[New topic - Testament]

[New topic - Suspicion]

On the desk is a worn manila folder.
action: You say the testament
response: (to Schwarz)
"What all can you tell me about the will?"

"I had the agency attorney look over it. It looks legitimate; she signed the newest version about 2 years ago."

"And you said there are only four people in the will?" you ask. "What about the rest of her family?"

"We checked it out. Only had one sister, and her parents died when they were teens."

"Murder?"

"Car crash. Looks like she kept to herself, too. Not many friends outside of work. So what does that leave us? Her sister, her coworker-turned-husband-turned-ex, her business  partner, and her personal assistant."

"Do you remember what she left them?"

"No, I don't. It's in the folder I left you, though; you can just look up each suspect."
action: You say the suspicions
response: (to Schwarz)
"Chief, what makes you so sure that one of these people was involved?"

"Listen, it's easy: Follow the money. These four are all much better off now that she's dead. It's not hard to see a connection there."

"Right," you say, "but anyone could have done it when you come down to it; some stalker, or something."

"You know, I'd almost prefer that. Find some psycho that's roaming the streets, clean up the city. And I'm working on that angle. But the fact is these four have a clear motive. You do your job, and I'll do mine."
action: You get the envelope
response: You typed a valid action, but it was for something that isn't visible right now, something that isn't in the game, or possibly a typo. If you're stuck, type HINT repeatedly to find the next action you can try.
action: You get folder
response: Taken.

The Chief smiles grimly. "You can go now," he says, pointing to the door to the south.

"Call me whenever you want to talk," he says, pointing to his phone. He fixes you in place with his stare. "This case is important to me. If you need anything, please call."

[New topic - Assistance]

The Chief looks thoughtful, and taps his fingers on the desk.
action: Go south
response: (first opening the Chief's door)
You brace yourself as you leave the precinct. Piercing winds cut through your clothes and the rain drives at you as you get in your car. You turn the key and go.

"

"Yes. And you are?"

She says, "Oh, I'm just the secretary here. They asked me to come here for questioning, or something like that. A bunch of us, actually; we all took different rooms."

You hear a rustling sound from the north hallway. You both turn to look. You catch a glimpse of neon green hair, and you hear footsteps down the hallway.

The secretary looks back at you. "That's Rosalita's sister. She's supposed to be waiting in the studio." She rolls her eyes. "She's a singer who calls herself Andromeda. Chuck's in his old office across the hall from her, and Danny's at the very end by...well, uh, by Rosalita's office. Anyway, I'll be in the break room."

She walks off to the west. You realize that you didn't catch her name. You'll need to get that later, along with her statement.

[New topic - Greeting]

[New topic - Statement]

Some small speakers in the ceiling are tuned to KOLR. From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing We Got The Beat.
action: You check your inventory
response: You are carrying:
worn manila folder

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for Ronald Reagan.
action: You open the folder
response: The Chief has provided you with a worn manila folder. There are five names and a single word written on the outside in black pen:

You can look up individual names to review your information, or
the timeline to review the timing of events.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom".
action: You look up daniel
response: Name: Daniel Kostopoulos.

Age: 63

Occupation: Host of the conservative talk show, "The Danny Kostopolous Show".

Summary: Daniel Kostopolous co-founded KOLR with Rosalita Morales over 20 years ago. His talk show and her "An Evening with Rosa" have consistently brought in the highest ratings and ad sponsorships for KOLR, outside of nationally syndicated programs. Daniel always goes by the name "Danny". Daniel lives alone, with no former marriages or children.

In her will, Rosalita left him all of her share of KOLR, making him the sole owner.

[New topic - Partner]

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for a trivia board game.
action: You read folder
response: The Chief has provided you with a worn manila folder. There are five names and a single word written on the outside in black pen:

You can look up individual names to review your information, or
the timeline to review the timing of events.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for Infocom's Suspect.
action: You look up lee
response: Name: Chuck Lee.

Age: 45

Occupation: TV News Anchor for WESL.

Connection with Morales: Chuck Lee is Rosalita's ex-husband, and former coworker. Chuck was the news anchor for KOLR local news. He recently left KOLR for television after being headhunted by WESL.

Chuck and Rosalita were married 16 years ago, with no children resulting from the marriage. They divorced six years ago amicably, and for unspecified reasons.

Chuck resides at 75 Radhaus Lane #701.

In her will, Rosalita left Chuck the house that they had lived in together.

[New topic - Ex]

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing Through The Years.
action: You look up cindy
response: Name: Cindy Jalcek.

Age: 19

Occupation: Receptionist for KOLR and personal assistant for Rosalita.

Connection with Morales: Cindy Jalcek has worked for KOLR as a receptionist for 3 years. Due to the small size of the organization, her duties also include cleaning, supply shopping, and working as Rosalita's personal assistant. Rosalita hired her permanently after a successful internship, and she became Rosalita's confidant. In the will, Rosalita left Cindy her car and a lump sum of $50,000.

[New topic - Secretary]

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing Through The Years.
action: You look up maia
response: Name: Maia Morales (stage name Andromeda).

Age: 39

Occupation: Vocal artist.

Connection with Morales: Maia Morales, aka Andromeda, is Rosalita's only sibling. Both of their parents are deceased, making her Rosalita's closest living relative.

Maia is an aspiring singer. Under the stage name Andromeda, she has released two singles and has fronted several big-name bands in the local area. Her two singles were recorded in KOLR studios.

Rosalita left Maia the remainder of her estate, after the other bequests.

[New topic - Sister]

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing Through The Years.
action: You look up Rosalita
response: Name: Rosalita Morales

Age: 42

Date of death: February 29.

Cause of Death: Gunshot wound in the head.

Summary: Officers were called to KOLR studios at 9:25am by her assistant, Ms. Jalcek, who discovered the body in the office when she came into work.

The investigation is ongoing, but initial results suggest a break-in: the office windows were forced open, and Ms. Jalcek and Maia Morales report seeing an intruder flee the scene.

Background: Rosalita Morales was the host of the popular romance talk show, "An Evening With Rosa". She was the co-founder and co-owner of KOLR, together with Daniel Kostopoulos. She was previously married to celebrity news anchor Chuck Lee, but divorced 6 years ago, and now lives alone. Her closest associates were her assistant Cindy Jalcek and her sister Maia Morales, aka Andromeda.

[New topic - Death]

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for the CD-ROM.
action: You look up the timeline
response: Timeline of Events:

Wednesday, February 27-Chuck Lee cleans out his office and leaves KOLR at approximately 5:00pm. He claims to have seen Rosalita, but left without talking.

Thursday, February 28-Daniel Kostopolous discussed the annual report with Rosalita at around 3:00pm. He did not see her again after this.

Friday, February 29-Maia Morales visited Rosalita at work some time before 9:00am, then left. Cindy Jalcek was cleaning the studios, and discovered a stranger in a yellow poncho standing over Rosalita's body. She called emergency dispatch at 9:05am.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing Rapture.
action: You look around
response: The neutral tones suggest a professional but boring atmosphere. A faded rainbow stencil on the wall invites you to KOL studios; the R has worn off. The sepia-hued front desk hardly fits in this cramped room, but the beige ceiling is quite high; it looks like it was once part of a larger room. The muddy carpet is scuffed and worn, curling up on the edges. One of the off-white fluorescent lights in the ceiling flickers intermittently. Another light buzzes at the edge of your hearing. The smell of burnt popcorn wafts in from a break room to the west. The doorway to the north leads to the hallway.
The parking lot is back to the south, and a bathroom door stands to the east. An ivory telephone sits on the desk.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing Rapture.
action: Your thoughts
response: Current thoughts:
Death - "Rosalita was shot on February 29th in her office."
Sister - "Maia Morales was Rosalita's sister."
Secretary - "Cindy Jalcek was Rosalita's Secretary."
Ex - "Chuck Lee is the former husband of Rosalita Morales."
Partner - "Daniel Kostopoulos was the business partner of Rosalita Morales."
Statement - "You need to take the statements of the suspects"
Greeting - "You need to introduce yourself to the suspects." Assistance - "The chief is always willing to give you help. (This gives a basic tutorial)."
Suspicion - "The Chief thinks that someone close to her was
involved in her death."
Testament - "Rosalita left all of her possessions to four people in her will."
action: You go west
response: The stench of burnt popcorn lingers in the air. A microwave with a thin tan layer of grease sits in the corner. A tawny brown vending machine sags in the corner with half of its buttons darkened or flickering. A small oat-colored fan is oscillating in the center, trying to clear out the smell. A few coffee-stained tables and several chairs are scattered around the room. The lobby is back to the
east.

Cindy is sitting at a table.

She looks up expectantly as you walk in.
action: You say the greeting
response: (to Cindy)
"I didn't catch your name earlier."

Cindy says, "Oh! Cindy. Cindy Jalcek."

You say, "My name is Hector King." She nods. You say, "I've been assigned to investigate the murder of Rosalita Morales, and I'd like to ask you some questions."

She blanches. "I've been wondering... am I under arrest?"

"No, I'm just gathering information from everyone here at the station."

She nods, relieved. "Okay, like I said, my name is Cindy Jalcek. I'm the receptionist here at KOLR. I also helped Rosalita with some of her other activities, including her charity, Roses for Rehab. I was responsible for accounting for the charity."

[New topic - Accounting]
action: You say the statement
response: (to Cindy)
"Tell me what you know about the death of Rosalita Morales."

"All right. Here's what happened."

You lean back as Cindy gives you a statement. You can picture it all in your head...


Parking Lot
The dawn sun smiles on you as you stand in the parking lot, and you smile back. Looks like you got here just in time; the lot is starting to fill up, and that means the studio will open soon. The wind cuts through your jacket like a knife, but the smell of rice and hot oil from the Chinese restaurant warms your heart. You know where you're getting lunch today. The lobby door is north from here.

The bus drops you off, then gasps and wheezes away. You're lucky you got here in time; the police were closing off the streets for a parade. The next bus isn't until noon.

[New topic - Parade]

Time to get to work.
action: You say the parade
response: (to yourself)
During flashbacks, conversation advances by using TALK TO [someone].
action: You go north
response: This lobby is much bigger than the one at your old receptionist job. You glance at the KOLR logo you stenciled on the wall your first week; it always comforts you. The ceiling in this room is ten feet high, and your desk is huge. You've vacuumed this carpet so many times that it's almost worn through in places. The lights in the ceiling are wigging out again, you'll have to replace them, but the stepladder has been missing for weeks. The doorway to the north leads to the
hallway. The parking lot is back to the south, and the bathroom is to the east.

The phone sits on the desk.

The unmistakable stench of burning popcorn rolls in from the break room to the west. Oh no.

You see Rosalita coming out of the break room. She smiles. "Oh, Cindy, it's good to see you. Listen, my sister's in the break room again. Can you make sure she leaves? I've got to pick the lineup for my show tonight." You nod, and she walks into the hallway. She turns around and touches the door. "Oh, and can you take the trash out of my office?" With that, she walks to her office.

The radio is playing an ad for the Apple IIc.
action: You go west
response: This lobby is much bigger than the one at your old receptionist job. You glance at the KOLR logo you stenciled on the wall your first week; it always comforts you. The ceiling in this room is ten feet high, and your desk is huge. You've vacuumed this carpet so many times that it's almost worn through in places. The lights in the ceiling are wigging out again, you'll have to replace them, but the stepladder has been missing for weeks. The doorway to the north leads to the
hallway. The parking lot is back to the south, and the bathroom is to the east.

The phone sits on the desk.

The unmistakable stench of burning popcorn rolls in from the break room to the west.

As you rush in to find the source of the smell, you smack into someone and knock them to the ground!

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" you say. Your victim rolls over, revealing a mop of green hair.

"Oh," you say. "It's you." You frown, but lift her up. You say, "Rosalita said to make sure you left the station. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to go; I just have to take care of something real quick." Maia frowns and walks away back to the lobby and out of sight.

The radio is playing Uptown Girl.
action: You go west
response: The vending machine is still on the fritz; you called the manufacturer three times in the last week, and you'll have to call them again. A few tables and several chairs are scattered around the room. The smell of burnt popcorn overpowers you. The lobby is back to the east.

Smoke billows from the microwave. Something's burning!
action: You open the microwave
response: You open the smoky microwave, revealing a bag of burnt popcorn.
action: You get the popcorn
response: (the bag of burnt popcorn)
You gingerly pick it up by the edges. You'll have to throw it away in the bathroom!

The bag of popcorn is smoking in your hands.
action: Go east
response: You look around, but Maia seems to be gone.

This lobby is much bigger than the one at your old receptionist job. You glance at the KOLR logo you stenciled on the wall your first week; it always comforts you. The ceiling in this room is ten feet high, and your desk is huge. You've vacuumed this carpet so many times that it's almost worn through in places. The lights in the ceiling are wigging out again, you'll have to replace them, but the stepladder has been missing for weeks. The doorway to the north leads to the
hallway. The parking lot is back to the south, and the bathroom is to the east.

The phone sits on the desk.

The unmistakable stench of burning popcorn still leaks in from the break room to the west.

The radio is playing She Works Hard For The Money.

The bag of popcorn is smoking in your hands.
action: You go to the east
response: (first opening bathroom door)

At least the bathroom's moldy smell will help cover up the popcorn. You don't know why they won't let you remodel this bathroom, clearly the walls are crawling with mold. But at least it makes your job easier when nobody uses it. Even the sink is pretty clean, below the mirror, and the trash can is empty. Oh, looks like the paper towel dispenser is empty too. Oops. The toilet itself squats in a corner.

The bag of popcorn is smoking in your hands.
action: You put the popcorn in the trash
response: That's a good idea. You throw the popcorn into the toilet and turn to go. Wait! The toilet? Not again. You always mix the two up when you're in a hurry. It's caused a lot of messes.

Now the burnt popcorn is floating in the toilet.
action: Flush
response: You flush the popcorn down the toilet. It disappears, thankfully, but the toilet starts backing up. Crap! Well, actually, just water, but still, you're glad no one uses this toilet.

You've got to deal with that smell in the break room, now. Time to get the fan from the closet.
action: Look around
response: At least the bathroom's moldy smell will help cover up the popcorn. You don't know why they won't let you remodel this bathroom, clearly the walls are crawling with mold. But at least it makes your job easier when nobody uses it. Even the sink is pretty clean, below the mirror, and the trash can is empty. Oh, looks like the paper towel dispenser is empty too. Oops. The toilet itself squats in a corner.
action: You go west
response: This lobby is much bigger than the one at your old receptionist job. You glance at the KOLR logo you stenciled on the wall your first week; it always comforts you. The ceiling in this room is ten feet high, and your desk is huge. You've vacuumed this carpet so many times that it's almost worn through in places. The lights in the ceiling are wigging out again, you'll have to replace them, but the stepladder has been missing for weeks. The doorway to the north leads to the
hallway. The parking lot is back to the south, and the bathroom is to the east.

The phone sits on the desk.

The unmistakable stench of burning popcorn still leaks in from the break room to the west.

The radio is playing an ad for The Very Best of An Evening With Rosa (boxed set).
action: Go north
response: (first opening hallway door)

You've scrubbed the walls in this hallway a hundred times, and they are clean as a whistle. Chuck's office lies to the west.
Looking closer, it seems like someone's gouged his door. You'll have to repaint it. The studio to the east is closed, and the On-Air
light is glowing. Someone must be recording. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

The radio is playing an ad for Who's the Boss.
action: You go north
response: The hallway from the south ends here. Rosalita's wooden door
stands to the north. Danny's hand-carved door is to the
west. And your very own bright yellow door lies to the
east: the janitor's closet.

The radio is playing an ad for "A Nightmare on Elm Street".
action: You go east
response: (first opening the closet door)
You yank hard on the handle of the door. Everyone thinks you lock it, but it's just really, really hard to open.

This cool, concrete closet is tiny, but it is neatly
organized and perfectly sorted. Rags, a mop, a bucket, a straw broom, a push broom, bottles of cleaner, two dustpans, extra toilet paper, and so on.

Oh, and the fan you were looking for.
action: You get fan
response: Taken.
action: You get the paper towels
response: Your sentence had too many words; you can try typing just the part where you wanted to get the extra toilet paper.
action: You get towels
response: I didn't understand the object in that command.
action: Go west
response: The hallway from the south ends here. Rosalita's wooden door
stands to the north. Danny's hand-carved door is to the
west. And your very own bright yellow door lies to the
east: the janitor's closet.

The radio is playing I Can't Go For That.
action: You go south
response: You've scrubbed the walls in this hallway a hundred times, and they are clean as a whistle. Chuck's office lies to the west.
Looking closer, it seems like someone's gouged his door. You'll have to repaint it. The studio to the east is closed, and the On-Air
light is glowing. Someone must be recording. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

The radio is playing I Can't Go For That.
action: Go south
response: This lobby is much bigger than the one at your old receptionist job. You glance at the KOLR logo you stenciled on the wall your first week; it always comforts you. The ceiling in this room is ten feet high, and your desk is huge. You've vacuumed this carpet so many times that it's almost worn through in places. The lights in the ceiling are wigging out again, you'll have to replace them, but the stepladder has been missing for weeks. The doorway to the north leads to the
hallway. The parking lot is back to the south, and the bathroom is to the east.

The phone sits on the desk.

The unmistakable stench of burning popcorn still leaks in from the break room to the west.

The radio is playing I Can't Go For That.
action: Go west
response: The vending machine is still on the fritz; you called the manufacturer three times in the last week, and you'll have to call them again. A few tables and several chairs are scattered around the room. The smell of burnt popcorn overpowers you. The lobby is back to the east.

The microwave sits smugly and smokily against the wall.
action: You examine the fan
response: It runs on batteries; you can just drop it anywhere you want and turn it on.
action: You drop the fan
response: Dropped.
action: You turn it on
response: You turn on the fan. It sputters, then begins to blow.

The smell dissipates somewhat. Now you can finally get to cleaning Rosalita's office.
action: You go east
response: This lobby is much bigger than the one at your old receptionist job. You glance at the KOLR logo you stenciled on the wall your first week; it always comforts you. The ceiling in this room is ten feet high, and your desk is huge. You've vacuumed this carpet so many times that it's almost worn through in places. The lights in the ceiling are wigging out again, you'll have to replace them, but the stepladder has been missing for weeks. The doorway to the north leads to the
hallway. The parking lot is back to the south, and the bathroom is to the east.

The phone sits on the desk.

The unmistakable stench of burning popcorn still leaks in from the break room to the west.

The radio is playing an ad for kid's dolls.
action: Go north
response: You've scrubbed the walls in this hallway a hundred times, and they are clean as a whistle. Chuck's office lies to the west.
Looking closer, it seems like someone's gouged his door. You'll have to repaint it. The studio to the east is closed, and the On-Air
light is glowing. Someone must be recording. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

The radio is playing an ad for "The Aquitane Progression".
action: You go to the north
response: The hallway from the south ends here. Rosalita's wooden door
stands to the north. Danny's hand-carved door is to the
west. And your very own bright yellow door lies to the
east: the janitor's closet.

The radio is playing an ad for WESL weather alerts.
action: Go north
response: (first opening the brown door)
As you open the door, you hear a loud gunshot, and you see Rosalita crumple to the floor.

You see an unfamiliar man wearing a yellow poncho hovering over Rosalita, holding a gold-handled revolver. Startled, he turns to look at you, and his bloodshot eyes widen in his stubble-covered face. He runs to the door and you shrink back in fear as he races down the hall outside.

[New topic - Stranger]

What do you do? What do you do? You have to call the police!
action: You go south
response: The hallway from the south ends here. Rosalita's wooden door
stands to the north. Danny's hand-carved door is to the
west. And your very own bright yellow door lies to the
east: the janitor's closet.

The radio is playing Karma Chameleon.

You have to call the police NOW!
action: You go south
response: You've scrubbed the walls in this hallway a hundred times, and they are clean as a whistle. Chuck's office lies to the west.
Looking closer, it seems like someone's gouged his door. You'll have to repaint it. The studio to the east is closed, and the On-Air
light is glowing. Someone must be recording. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

The radio is playing an ad for "Pet Sematary".

Is the killer still out there? What's going on?
action: Go south
response: This lobby is much bigger than the one at your old receptionist job. You glance at the KOLR logo you stenciled on the wall your first week; it always comforts you. The ceiling in this room is ten feet high, and your desk is huge. You've vacuumed this carpet so many times that it's almost worn through in places. The lights in the ceiling are wigging out again, you'll have to replace them, but the stepladder has been missing for weeks. The doorway to the north leads to the
hallway. The parking lot is back to the south, and the bathroom is to the east.

The phone sits on the desk.

The unmistakable stench of burning popcorn still leaks in from the break room to the west.

The radio is playing Harden Heart.

In the lobby--the phone-- you've got to call the police!
action: You call police
response: "I called the police. And I waited up there until they showed up. It was horrible..."

Cindy falls silent, shivering.

You clear your mind, and return to yourself.


Break Room
The stench of burnt popcorn lingers in the air. A microwave with a thin tan layer of grease sits in the corner. A tawny brown vending machine sags in the corner with half of its buttons darkened or flickering. A small oat-colored fan is oscillating in the center, trying to clear out the smell. A few coffee-stained tables and several chairs are scattered around the room. The lobby is back to the
east.

Cindy is sitting at a table.

You catch Cindy looking you up and down with an unhappy expression.
action: You look at the fan
response: The fan clicks and hums as it rotates about the room, trying to clear the air.

Cindy sniffs and wrinkles her nose. She glances at the microwave.
action: You examine the microwave
response: This seems like a fairly pricey microwave; but its once-white microwave has been yellowed by accumulated layers of grease. It stinks of popcorn.

Cindy taps her leg.
action: You examine the vending
response: The vending machine leans in the corner. Half of the buttons are dark or flickering; all that works is a couple of rows of iced tea. Not your favorite.

You hear a distant rumble of thunder.
action: Your thoughts
response: Current thoughts:
Stranger - "Cindy saw a strange man in a yellow poncho hovering
over Rosalita Morales."
Parade - "The streets were closed down for a parade all morning." Accounting - "Cindy did the accounting for Roses for Rehab"
Death - "Rosalita was shot on February 29th in her office."
Sister - "Maia Morales was Rosalita's sister."
Secretary - "Cindy Jalcek was Rosalita's Secretary."
Ex - "Chuck Lee is the former husband of Rosalita Morales."
Partner - "Daniel Kostopoulos was the business partner of Rosalita Morales."
Statement - "You need to take the statements of the suspects"
Greeting - "You need to introduce yourself to the suspects." Assistance - "The chief is always willing to give you help. (This gives a basic tutorial)."
Suspicion - "The Chief thinks that someone close to her was
involved in her death."
Testament - "Rosalita left all of her possessions to four people in her will."
action: You say the parade
response: (to Cindy)
"You said there was a parade the morning of Rosalita's death?"

"Yes, the Founder's Day Parade. I saw the floats in a big parking lot, and they were putting up barricades."

"So you're sure there were no buses after you?"

"Yes, I'm sure. The bus driver told me I was lucky to catch the last bus."
action: You say stranger
response: (to Cindy)
"Did you see anything else about the killer?"

She shakes her head. "No, he was gone so fast."

"Was he tall, short, old, young?"

"Listen, I don't know! I was terrified!"

"Was there anything you remember?"

"He was wearing some sort of yellow poncho, and he had a gun. He was unshaven, and I think he smelled a bit like week-old leftovers."
action: You say the accounting
response: (to Cindy)
"Ms. Jalcek, could you describe for me exactly what your responsibilities were for Roses for Rehab?"

She chews on her lower lip for a second, looking you directly in the eyes. "I was the primary person in charge of receiving donations by phone or by check. I conducted quarterly audits, and kept the records."

"Thank you Ms. Jalcek, it's important for the record that I had this in your own words."
action: You say the death
response: (to Cindy)
"Cindy, our records show that Rosalita Morales died two days ago, shot to death in her office."

Cindy sits silently.

"Miss Jalcek, do you have any comment?"

"Oh! No, no comment. Just...it was so terrible. Do we really have to talk about this?"

"Yes, it's part of the investigation."

"I was there when she was shot, but I didn't see it. I just heard it in the hallway, and saw the killer running away."
action: You say the sister
response: (to Cindy)
"What do you know about Maia Morales?"

Cindy opens her mouth, then pauses. "I... I don't like her very much. Not much at all."

"Why don't you like her very much?

"I mean, she's a mooch! My job is to keep people like her out. She's always hitting up Rosalita for money, or trying to sneak into our studio."

You ask, "Why was she sneaking into the studio?"

"To record. She thinks she's a rock star because she dyed her hair and calls herself Andromeda." She shakes her head. "I just don't like her."
action: You say secretary
response: (to Cindy)
"Tell me more about your work with Rosalita."

She nods.

"Rosalita was the one who hired me on, three years ago. Apparently the previous secretaries couldn't handle the job," she says, smugly. "I've made a real impact here, and Rosalita liked it. I could clean the studio, help her with errands, and run the front desk without breaking a sweat." A tear wells up in one eye. "I really miss her."

"You were close?"

"Yes, she liked to confide in me. She knew she could trust me."

"Did she tell you anything unusual around the time of her death?"

She says, "Nothing that I haven't told the police."
action: You say ex
response: (to Cindy)
"What do you know about Chuck Lee?"

She seems startled. "What? What did you say?"

"I said, what's your relationship like with Chuck?"

She sighs in relief. "Oh, our relationship. Well, you know, he was never one of the managers or owners at KOLR, so I didn't have to deal with him as much. He's a nice guy, handsome and all, but he and Rosalita..." She bites her lip. "I mean, they broke up, you know? It was kind of awkward after that."
action: You say the partner
response: (to Cindy)
"What do you know about Danny Kostopoulos?"

"Well, obviously I respect him as one of the owners, you know? And he is 'The Voice of the Bread Basket' or whatever he calls himself."

You say, "The Voice of the Heartland."

"I know, I know. But he's so irritable all the time, he's got a real mean streak. Sometimes I'll pretend to be on the phone just to avoid talking to him."
action: You go east
response: The neutral tones suggest a professional but boring atmosphere. A faded rainbow stencil on the wall invites you to KOL studios; the R has worn off. The sepia-hued front desk hardly fits in this cramped room, but the beige ceiling is quite high; it looks like it was once part of a larger room. The muddy carpet is scuffed and worn, curling up on the edges. One of the off-white fluorescent lights in the ceiling flickers intermittently, and another buzzes at the edge of hearing. The smell of burnt popcorn wafts in from a break room to the west. The doorway to the north leads to the hallway. The
parking lot is back to the south, and a bathroom door stands to the east. An ivory telephone sits on the desk.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for Infocom's Sorcerer.
action: You go east
response: (first opening bathroom door)

The musty smell trapped in this room almost overwhelms you. Its low ceiling sports a single, dim bulb and a ventilation fan. The floor has faded from whatever its original color was into a dingy brown. A sink sits below a small mirror, and a nearby paper towel dispenser hangs over a battered trash can. The toilet itself squats in a corner.
action: You look at the dispenser
response: A paper towel dispenser set over a trash can.
action: Go west
response: The neutral tones suggest a professional but boring atmosphere. A faded rainbow stencil on the wall invites you to KOL studios; the R has worn off. The sepia-hued front desk hardly fits in this cramped room, but the beige ceiling is quite high; it looks like it was once part of a larger room. The muddy carpet is scuffed and worn, curling up on the edges. One of the off-white fluorescent lights in the ceiling flickers intermittently. Another light buzzes at the edge of hearing. The smell of burnt popcorn wafts in from a break room to the west. The doorway to the north leads to the hallway. The
parking lot is back to the south, and a bathroom door stands to the east. An ivory telephone sits on the desk.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing MacArthur Park.
action: You go north
response: (first opening hallway door)

You are standing in a dim hallway with muddy carpet and beige walls. A battered navy blue door leads to the west. A heavy
seaweed-green door to the east is labelled "Studio". A red
On-Air light is mounted next to the door. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing MacArthur Park.
action: Go north
response: You move carefully through the dim and narrow hallway. It smells of cleaner mingled with faint perfume. It terminates to the north
at a hazel wood door. Its smooth surface is polished and warm in the chill hallway. A nameplate next to the door reads "Rosalita Morales". To the west hangs an apple red door, with a nameplate saying
"Daniel Kostopolous". To the east is a narrow metal closet
door.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing MacArthur Park.
action: Go north
response: (first opening the hazel wood door)
Rosalita's office has been sealed off, and you don't want to disturb it. Your specialty is interrogation, not forensics.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for "Gremlins".
action: You go east
response: (first opening closet door)
It seems to be locked.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for "The Terminator".
action: Go west
response: (first opening plain door)

This office is decorated with flashy shades of red. It's large enough to fit a massive cherry desk, rows of mahogany bookshelves, and a battered scarlet cabinet. The walls are empty and clean, although the paint is patchy in spots, reaching to a textured plaster ceiling. A wine red floor lamp in the corner has been turned off. The blinds are open to the dim light from outside, punctuated by flashes of lightning. The soft rose carpet is matted and ragged, but looks recently cleaned.

Danny sits slightly slumped in his chair with his hands clasped on his lap.

You pause by the doorway, and he glances at you. "Please, come in," he says, and you step into the room.
action: You say the greeting
response: (to Danny)
"Daniel Kostopolous?"

He rises to grip your hand firmly. "I usually go by Danny," he answers in a husky voice. He looks you up and down. "I've seen you before, down at city hall. You've been on the force for a while, haven't you?"

"Excellent memory, Mr. Kostopolous. I'm Detective King; I've been assigned to investigate the death of Rosalita Morales. I apologize for disrupting your broadcasting."

Danny says, "Not at all; we're broadcasting from the telephone line, right now. All of our local shows air in the evening." He looks at his watch. "Hopefully this won't take too long."

You say, "Of course. I would like to ask you some questions about what happened that night."

"Listen, call me Danny. Real shame what happened. She... I don't even like to think about it. It shouldn't have happened. Not to Rosa." He sits down.
action: You say the statement
response: (to Danny)
"When was the last time that you saw Rosalita Morales?"

"All right, sure, I'll tell you. It was the day before she died. Here's what happened."

You lean back as Danny gives you a statement. You can picture it all in your head...

This studio is the jewel of the station; a green-colored jewel, like an emerald, you suppose. The walls, floor, and ceiling are thickened and hollowed, covered with acoustic panels. The microphones hanging from the ceiling are vintage, from the golden era of broadcasting, when they made microphones right. You constructed the table in the center out of soft wood. The chairs, though, are just left over from the last tenants, years ago. The soundproof door to the west
leads to the hallway. The control room is to the east, but the technician is still reviewing the show before broadcast.

"I'm Danny Kostopolous, the Voice of the Heartland. Join me tomorrow, when I'll present my top ten government agencies that need to be eliminated. Thanks for listening."

You pause until your theme song finishes playing. The technician from the control room gives you a thumbs up. You switch off your microphone.

You stand up. You have a meeting with Rosalita to go over the annual report. You need to look over it first, though.
action: You go to the west
response: (first opening the studio door)

You're just outside the studio door, by Chuck's old office. Still stings each time you walk by. The On-Air light is turned off. Your office and Rosa's are to the north. You can also go
south to return to the lobby.

The radio is playing Sister Christian.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
nothing

The radio is playing an ad for "Amadeus".
action: You go to the north
response: This hallway always smells like Rosalita; she loves Chanel No. 5. Her office lies to the north. Her plain hazel wood door is not
nearly as impressive as your bright red door to the west. The
closet to the east is the receptionist's.

The radio is playing Footloose.
action: You go west
response: (first opening plain door)

Your spacious office is neat and tidy; the receptionist must have cleaned it up. Bookshelves line two walls, stuffed with overflow from Chuck's office. Your heavy desk sits in the middle of the room with a black swivel chair pushed close to it. The large window that you pushed hard for stretches across one wall, and your soft carpet cushions your feet.

The cabinet with your documents is here. All you really need is the report, though.
action: You open the cabinet
response: You keep all of the financial records in here. You can look up
any files by name. You have many files, but the annual report is your main concern.
action: You look up the report
response: You look over the annual report. You and Rosalita need to do your yearly audit of the budget. It's been a tough year, but you've done fairly well for yourselves. The charity drive had a record year, too. All accounts have been audited and all expenditures and donations have been accounted for, and the receipts carefully filed away.

With the information in mind, you feel more comfortable talking to Rosalita.

[New topic - Records]
action: You go to the east
response: This hallway always smells like Rosalita; she loves Chanel No. 5. Her office lies to the north. Her plain hazel wood door is not
nearly as impressive as your bright red door to the west. The
closet to the east is the receptionist's.

The radio is playing Beat It.
action: You go north
response: (first opening the hazel door)

This huge office sprawls across the north side of the building. You offered it to her when you moved here. A tall desk chair upholstered with crimson leather dominates the room behind an art deco desk. Bookshelves crawl up the walls, illuminated by giant windows with burgundy drapes.

[Use TALK TO [someone] to talk during flashbacks.]

Rosalita is wearing a muted pink dress with a black suit jacket. A large carnation is pinned to her lapel. Her brown hair dips low over one eye and is pulled into a low ponytail behind her. The creases under her eyes and at the corners of her mouth are deeper than they were a year ago.

On the desk is a vase of flowers with a note that draws your attention.
action: You look at the vase
response: A slender blue vase with a potpourri of colors, filled with a bouquet of flowers. A note is attached.
action: You examine the note
response: A small note is attached to the flowers. It says:

"Thanks for dinner. Let's do it again some time.

-Chuck"

[New topic - Flowers]
action: You talk to Rosa
response: (Rosalita)

Rosalita speaks first. "Danny, I'm glad you're here. Have you had a chance to review the annual report?"

"Just finished looking over it."

She stands and rubs her eyes. They look red. "Rosalita, are you okay?"

"It's nothing. It's just that it's getting harder each year to get advertisers, you know? Everyone's moving over to television."

"You've got your cassette sales."

She smiles wryly, but then the smile fades. "Also, I'm exhausted. I had dinner with a friend yesterday, then spent the evening at the shelter on Broad Street. It was exhausting."

"But you always say the charity work makes you happier, like you're a better person." She shrugs

"Rosalita, listen," you continue, "if there's something going on, you can tell me."

She shakes her head. "I'm fine." She walks to the door, and hesitates before going out. "I'll file the report tomorrow," she says, and she walks out of the room and down the hallway.

[New topic - Troubled]

[New topic - Volunteer]
action: Look around
response: This huge office sprawls across the north side of the building. You offered it to her when you moved here. A tall desk chair upholstered with crimson leather dominates the room behind an art deco desk. Bookshelves crawl up the walls, illuminated by giant windows with burgundy drapes.

On the desk is a vase of flowers with a note that draws your attention.
action: You examine the chair
response: A tall, imposing crimson chair that Rosalita bought two years ago.
action: You look at the desk
response: The desk is polished and gleaming. Rosalita has carefully locked away all of her files, but a blue vase of flowers lies on the desk with a note attached.

On the desk is a vase of flowers with a note that draws your attention.
action: You examine the bookshelves
response: Bookshelves line the walls, filled with the sort of books that look good but serve little purpose.
action: You examine the windows
response: The light through the drapes is weak and gray, and the sound of raindrops striking glass comes through.
action: You examine the drawers
response: I didn't understand the object in that command.
action: You look under the desk
response: You crouch down and look, but you don't find anything.
action: Go south
response: This hallway always smells like Rosalita; she loves Chanel No. 5. Her office lies to the north. Her plain hazel wood door is not
nearly as impressive as your bright red door to the west. The
closet to the east is the receptionist's.

The radio is playing an ad for The Danny Kostopolous Show.
action: Go west
response: Your spacious office is neat and tidy; the receptionist must have cleaned it up. Bookshelves line two walls, stuffed with overflow from Chuck's office. Your heavy desk sits in the middle of the room with a black swivel chair pushed close to it. The large window that you pushed hard for stretches across one wall, and your soft carpet cushions your feet.

The cabinet with your documents is here.
action: You look at the bookshelves
response: Your shelves are full of Chuck's leftover radio kitsch. There's hardly room for your stuff: an old crystal radio set, stacks of tapes, rows of sleeved vinyl, histories of America, patriotic magazines, and other objects lost in the gloom.
action: You look at the window
response: You begged, threatened, and cajoled Rosalita into getting this window.
action: You look at the desk
response: Your desk is a classic; it cost you two months salary to convince the previous owner to give it up.
action: You look at the carpet
response: This carpet is top notch; you spent quite a bit of money to get it installed. It may be wearing out a bit, but you wouldn't change it for the world.
action: You go to the east
response: This hallway always smells like Rosalita; she loves Chanel No. 5. Her office lies to the north. Her plain hazel wood door is not
nearly as impressive as your bright red door to the west. The
closet to the east is the receptionist's.

The radio is playing an ad for Infocom's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
action: Go south
response: You're just outside the studio door, by Chuck's old office. Still stings each time you walk by. The On-Air light is turned off. Your office and Rosa's are to the north. You can also go
south to return to the lobby.

The radio is playing an ad for Jeopardy.
action: You go south
response: (first opening hallway door)

The lobby is the first thing visitors see when they visit KOLR, so you try to keep it looking good. As you cast about a critical eye, you notice that the stencil on the wall is wearing off. It'll need repainting in about a month. The carpet is clean, but it's looking worn out. The front desk looks pretty good, so you can keep that for a while. The buzzing of one of the lights resonates in your skull in a painful way; that's got to get fixed quick. The offices are back to the north, and the parking lot is south. You can also
reach the bathroom or the break room from here, but you prefer to spend as little time in those two rooms as possible.

Cindy is here, answering phone calls.

"Thank you for calling KOLR Studios, this is Cindy."
action: You talk to Cindy
response: Cindy points to the phone and mouths the word "sorry!"

"Don't worry, the fundraiser is still going on. You can buy a box of dark-chocolate candybars or a year's supply of frozen pizza."
action: You go north
response: You're just outside the studio door, by Chuck's old office. Still stings each time you walk by. The On-Air light is turned off. Your office and Rosa's are to the north. You can also go
south to return to the lobby.

The radio is playing Call Me.
action: Go west
response: You don't want to see Chuck's empty office.

The radio is playing Call Me.
action: Go east
response: This studio is the jewel of the station; a green-colored jewel, like an emerald, you suppose. The walls, floor, and ceiling are thickened and hollowed, covered with acoustic panels. The microphones hanging from the ceiling are vintage, from the golden era of broadcasting, when they made microphones right. You constructed the table in the center out of soft wood. The chairs, though, are just left over from the last tenants, years ago. The soundproof door to the west
leads to the hallway. The control room is to the east, but the technician is still reviewing the show before broadcast.
action: You go south
response: The lobby is the first thing visitors see when they visit KOLR, so you try to keep it looking good. As you cast about a critical eye, you notice that the stencil on the wall is wearing off. It'll need repainting in about a month. The carpet is clean, but it's looking worn out. The front desk looks pretty good, so you can keep that for a while. The buzzing of one of the lights resonates in your skull in a painful way; that's got to get fixed quick. The offices are back to the north, and the parking lot is south. You can also
reach the bathroom or the break room from here, but you prefer to spend as little time in those two rooms as possible.

Cindy is here, answering phone calls.

"Yes, cassettes are available for individual episodes or for boxed sets. Of course I recommend the boxed set!"
action: Go south
response: "But she was gone, Detective. And that's what happened."

You clear your mind, and return to yourself.


Danny's Office
This office is decorated with flashy shades of red. It's large enough to fit a massive cherry desk, rows of mahogany bookshelves, and a battered scarlet cabinet. The walls are empty and clean, although the paint is patchy in spots, reaching to a textured plaster ceiling. A wine red floor lamp in the corner has been turned off. The blinds are open to the dim light from outside, punctuated by flashes of lightning. The soft rose carpet is matted and ragged, but looks recently cleaned.

Danny sits slightly slumped in his chair with his hands clasped on his lap.

Thunder booms in the distance.
action: Your thoughts
response: Current thoughts:
Volunteer - "Rosalita told Danny she was at the shelter Wednesday night."
Troubled - "Rosalita was troubled by something when Danny spoke to
her last."
Flowers - "Chuck sent Rosalita flowers the day after they talked." Records - "All receipts and files for KOLR were accounted for last year."
Stranger - "Cindy saw a strange man in a yellow poncho hovering
over Rosalita Morales."
Parade - "The streets were closed down for a parade all morning." Accounting - "Cindy did the accounting for Roses for Rehab"
Death - "Rosalita was shot on February 29th in her office."
Sister - "Maia Morales was Rosalita's sister."
Secretary - "Cindy Jalcek was Rosalita's Secretary."
Ex - "Chuck Lee is the former husband of Rosalita Morales."
Partner - "Daniel Kostopoulos was the business partner of Rosalita Morales."
Statement - "You need to take the statements of the suspects"
Greeting - "You need to introduce yourself to the suspects." Assistance - "The chief is always willing to give you help. (This gives a basic tutorial)."
Suspicion - "The Chief thinks that someone close to her was
involved in her death."
Testament - "Rosalita left all of her possessions to four people in her will."
action: You say volunteer
response: (to Danny)
"Did Rosalita give you any more information when she said she visited the shelter?"

"No, but she's told me she spends a lot of time there. She likes to disburse some of the cash, help some of the families. She says she loves it there."
action: You say troubled
response: (to Danny)
"Why do you think Rosalita was upset when you spoke with her last?"

"I'm not sure. She's been under a lot of pressure recently, you know. Advertising revenue is down, Chuck is leaving, we're all getting older. My guess is she was broken up about that loser Chuck."

"You said revenue is down?"

Danny says, "Yeah, it's TV, right? TV is more popular these days, you get to see the cereal or the soap flakes or the new toy. Drives down the demand for radio ads."
action: You say the flowers
response: (to Danny)
"Tell me again about the flowers."

"I came in on Rosalita, red-eyed, sad, and of course I look over and see flowers with a note from good old Chuck." Danny shakes his head. "It kills me to know that the day before she died she spent cut up about that loser."

"Did he often send flowers to Rosalita?"

"When they were married, sure, it was his signature smooth move. But they haven't been together for a long time."
action: You say the records
response: (to Danny)
"Mr. Kostopoulos, can you tell me about the record-keeping system you used for the studio?"

He says, "Yes, the idea was that we kept all records on paper. All original receipts were filed away, as well copies of all expenditures, which were recorded in a log which was also filed away. It's a good system."

"Is it though? What would you do if you found errors, something incorrect?"

He shakes his head. "Not going to happen."
action: You say stranger
response: (to Danny)
"Cindy saw a strange man in a yellow poncho shoot Rosalita."

Danny says, "Did she see anything else about him? Was he old, young, heavy, thin? Did he have a scar, a limp? Did she see anything at all but a poncho?"

"She didn't get a good look at him."

Danny leans back. "Well, I shouldn't be too hard on her; it's a hard situation all around. But I wish she had seen more."
action: You say the parade
response: (to Danny)
"Cindy claimed that the streets were closed down for a parade the morning Rosalita died."

"Yes, that makes sense. I was watching it on the news. Is this important for the investigation, or are you just making idle chitchat?"

"We'll have to see, won't we?"
action: You link the volunteer to the records
response: You can't link those.

Danny frowns. He says, "I probably already told you this, but we need to be done here by ten. We can only broadcast reruns so long."
action: You link the volunteer to the accounting
response: You can't link those.

Danny looks you over with a critical eye.
action: You say the accounting
response: (to Danny)
"Mr. Kostopolous, what was Cindy Jalcek's relationship with Roses for Rehab?"

He says, "Oh, Ms. Jalcek; well, I'm sure you want me to be as specific as possible, so...if I recall, she would take the donations over the phone and in person, file them away, and do quarterly internal auditing and budget reports."

"So she was closely involved in the accounting, right?"

He nods. "That's correct."
action: Link accounting to records
response: You can't link those.

Danny frowns in thought.
action: You say death
response: (to Danny)
"Our records show that Rosalita was shot two days ago in her office."

Danny looks incredulous. "Well, isn't that fantastic. Congratulations on your wonderful record-keeping software. What's wrong with you? I got a phone call two days ago, telling me that my best friend and business partner was dead. That's how I knew."

"You're being sarcastic."

Danny rolls his eyes. "You cops. No heart. No heart at all."

Danny is clearly agitated, and this conversation is making him worse. Although he is trying to calm down.
action: You say the Sister
response: (to Danny)
"What do you know about Andromeda?"

Danny rolls his eyes. "She's even got the police saying her stage name. Listen, she's just Maia Morales, Rosalita's sister and the scum of the earth."

"You don't like her."

He snorts. "Like her? She's been riding off Rosalita's back for years. Always asking for gas money, or borrowing her clothes and never returning them. This Andromeda thing is her latest racket; I think she's been sneaking into the studio to record, and I am not
pleased with that."

Danny is clearly agitated, and this conversation is making him worse. Although he is trying to calm down.
action: Your thoughts
response: Current thoughts:
Volunteer - "Rosalita told Danny she was at the shelter Wednesday night."
Troubled - "Rosalita was troubled by something when Danny spoke to
her last."
Flowers - "Chuck sent Rosalita flowers the day after they talked." Records - "All receipts and files for KOLR were accounted for last year."
Stranger - "Cindy saw a strange man in a yellow poncho hovering
over Rosalita Morales."
Parade - "The streets were closed down for a parade all morning." Accounting - "Cindy did the accounting for Roses for Rehab"
Death - "Rosalita was shot on February 29th in her office."
Sister - "Maia Morales was Rosalita's sister."
Secretary - "Cindy Jalcek was Rosalita's Secretary."
Ex - "Chuck Lee is the former husband of Rosalita Morales."
Partner - "Daniel Kostopoulos was the business partner of Rosalita Morales."
Statement - "You need to take the statements of the suspects"
Greeting - "You need to introduce yourself to the suspects." Assistance - "The chief is always willing to give you help. (This gives a basic tutorial)."
Suspicion - "The Chief thinks that someone close to her was
involved in her death."
Testament - "Rosalita left all of her possessions to four people in her will."
action: You say secretary
response: (to Danny)
"What do you know about Cindy Jalcek?"

He rolls his eyes. "Cindy. She's good intentioned but she just... She wears holes in everything with her scrubbing, she hides the toilet paper, she'll take really long lunch breaks at the Chinese restaurant."

"She seems to have been on good terms with Ms. Morales."

"Yeah, I would have fired her long ago, but Rosalita liked her. And at least she did good with the phones. Good service. Drove up sales. But still, I wish she had more sense. "
action: You say ex
response: (to Danny)
"What do you know about Chuck Lee?"

Danny glowers. "Chuck Lee. The most trusted man in the county. What a joke. He was always after Rosalita's money, when he first dated her, and her connections."

Before you can respond, he says "That's how he got his big breaks, you know; he'd get interviews by telling people he was Rosalita Morales' husband. Then he got too big for her, I guess. Left her, but kept a hefty chunk of money in the divorce settlement. She still gives him anything he wants. At least, he used to.

Danny is having trouble focusing, clenching and unclenching his hands. He stands up for a second, and sits down again.
action: You say the partner
response: (to Danny)
"Tell me more about your business relationship with Ms. Morales."

Danny leans back and looks off at the corner for a second before looking back at you.

"Rosalita Morales and I built this station. Years ago...I provided the experience, I ran the business end of things, attracting clients. I already had spent a few years as a political guest expert on a few talk shows. Rosalita was the pretty face; she met with advertisers, potential employees, a charmer, you know? And her voice, oh man. There's a reason her show is so popular, you know. I was the brain, she was the face."

He rubs his nose and goes on. "Or, at least, that's how it was going to be. But she knew her stuff; she started doing our taxes, choosing our investments, selling cassetes. Before I knew it, she was running the day to day operations of KOLR, and I just kept to my own show."
action: You say the testament
response: (to Danny)
"Mr. Kostopolous, are you aware that Rosalita's will names you and three other people as inheritors?"

"Yes, I know, and please, call me Danny. Rosalita always said she'd leave her half of the station to me."

"You two were co-owners?"

"That's right," he says, and shakes his head. "But the others are a bunch of sycophants and parasites. Chuck certainly doesn't deserve anything from her, and that sister... who was the fourth person again?"

"Cindy Jalcek."

"Hmph. Don't get me wrong, Cindy's not bad, but Rosalita should have just given her money to charity."

Danny is having trouble focusing, clenching and unclenching his hands. He stands up for a second, and sits down again.
action: Go east
response: You move carefully through the dim and narrow hallway. It smells of cleaner mingled with faint perfume. It terminates to the north
at a hazel wood door. Its smooth surface is polished and warm in the chill hallway. A nameplate next to the door reads "Rosalita Morales". To the west hangs an apple red door, with a nameplate saying
"Daniel Kostopolous". To the east is a narrow metal closet
door.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for Matlab.
action: You link stranger to parade
response: You can't link those.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for Karate lessons.
action: You go to the south
response: You are standing in a dim hallway with muddy carpet and beige walls. A battered navy blue door leads to the west. A heavy
seaweed-green door to the east is labelled "Studio". A red
On-Air light is mounted next to the door. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for Infocom's Seastalker.
action: You look up the timeline
response: Timeline of Events:

Wednesday, February 27-Chuck Lee cleans out his office and leaves KOLR at approximately 5:00pm. He claims to have seen Rosalita, but left without talking.

Thursday, February 28-Daniel Kostopolous discussed the annual report with Rosalita at around 3:00pm. He did not see her again after this.

Friday, February 29-Maia Morales visited Rosalita at work some time before 9:00am, then left. Cindy Jalcek was cleaning the studios, and discovered a stranger in a yellow poncho standing over Rosalita's body. She called emergency dispatch at 9:05am.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing We Got The Beat.
action: Yank studio door
response: Your first word had a typo or was a word not anticipated by the author. Try a different word or type HINT repeatedly to get suggestions.
action: You go west
response: (first opening the blue door)

This comfortable office is mostly empty, but the owner's thoughtful personality is still evident in the azure carpet and the sky-blue walls. Lighter patches on the walls show where posters, picture frames and bulletin boards once hung. A navy blue door leads east to
the hallway. A long desk has been shoved out of the way, and a single chair remains. The carpet is still dented from furniture legs.

Chuck sits in the chair, trying not to look exhausted.

His eyes follow you as you enter the room, but he doesn't say anything.
action: You say the greetings
response: (to Chuck)
In this game, speech is handled by using SAY [a topic], where topics can be found by typing T.

A tear runs down Chuck's cheek.
action: You say the greeting
response: (to Chuck)
You extend your hand, and he pauses for a moment before shaking it. You say, "Thanks for coming into the studio today, Mr. Lee. I'm Detective Hector King, and I've been assigned to investigate the death of Rosalita Morales."

He nods absent-mindedly, then regains his focus and looks you in the eye. "You can call me Chuck," he says in a hoarse voice. He flashes his famous TV grin, but it doesn't reach his eyes.
action: You say the statement
response: (to Chuck)
"Tell me what you know about the death of Rosalita Morales."

"All right. Here's what happened."

You lean back as Chuck gives you a statement. You can picture it all in your head...


Your Office
Your office is depressingly empty. The movers have packed away and taken out most of the furniture; your desk remains, shoved against the wall, and a single chair. Danny pressured you into giving him most of your KOLR memorabilia, leaving you almost nothing. The hallway and the long drive home are waiting for you to the east, once you're
finished here. Your rugged blue carpet is still dented from furniture legs. At least you left a mark on something.

A packing box lies in the middle of the room.

You can also see a certificate, a KOLR poster, and a bulletin board here.

It's time to clean up. You have to get all of your personal effects out of this room before you can go home.
action: You examine certificate
response: You pick up the certificate to look at it more closely.

You wonder yet again if you should even bother to keep this. A certificate of merit for 15 successful years of service at KOLR. It was signed by Danny and Rosalita as the station co-owners, and by the mayor. Danny always liked involving local politicians; it stoked their egos.
action: You read it
response: You wonder yet again if you should even bother to keep this. A certificate of merit for 15 successful years of service at KOLR. It was signed by Danny and Rosalita as the station co-owners, and by the mayor. Danny always liked involving local politicians; it stoked their egos.
action: You put it in the box
response: You put the certificate into the packing box.
action: Examine poster
response: (the KOLR poster)
You pick up the KOLR poster to look at it more closely.

You didn't let Danny bully you out of this one. This was the first poster printed after you joined the team. It proclaims "Tune in to KOLR 99.8!" in large, day-glo letters at the top; the bottom has pop-art style portraits of you, Danny, and Rosa.
action: You put it in the box
response: You roll up the poster and set it in the box.
action: You look at the bulletin board
response: (the bulletin board)
You pick up the bulletin board to look at it more closely.

This bulletin board is covered with fragments of your time at KOLR: letters from listeners, photos of the studio, your first paycheck. They must have been important to you, once.

As you lift the bulletin board off the wall, a picture flutters to the ground.
action: You look at the picture
response: You pick up the picture to look at it more closely.

This a photo of the "grand opening" of your renovated live room. You can pick out Danny in the corner; Rosalita's sister Maia is in the foreground, before she went by Andromeda. You and Rosalita sit together, your arm around her. Your eyes begin to tear up, looking at it.
action: You put all in the box
response: picture: You go to pack it, but you hesitate. Better to keep this one with you.
bulletin board: Done.

Footsteps tread down the hallway, and a scent wanders into the room: Chanel No. 5, Rosalita's perfume. She must have stayed late; you didn't expect her to be here tonight.

You step towards the door, then stop. The footsteps move on, and the smell fades.
action: You look around
response: Your office is depressingly empty. The movers have packed away and taken out most of the furniture; your desk remains, shoved against the wall, and a single chair. Danny pressured you into giving him most of your KOLR memorabilia, leaving you almost nothing. The hallway and the long drive home are waiting for you to the east. Your rugged
blue carpet is still dented from furniture legs. At least you left a mark on something.

A packing box lies in the middle of the room.
action: You examine the desk
response: This mahogany desk has been recently washed and scrubbed. Its warm colors are offset by its bare surface.
action: You examine the chair
response: You'll be glad to abandon this old chair; Danny carved it for you, and you could never tell him how uncomfortable it was.
action: You examine the carpet
response: The blue carpet scrapes against the bottom of your shoes. Heavy furniture, now absent or moved aside, has left indentations in the carpet.
action: You get box
response: The movers are going to take it tomorrow.
action: You go to the east
response: (first opening the your door)

You are standing across from the studio door. You look around at the narrow hallway, the dingy carpet, the patchy walls; nothing like the WESL offices you toured. The On-Air light is off, and the studio seems deserted. Danny and Rosa's offices are north, but the faint scent of Rosalita's perfume draws you south to the lobby.

The radio is playing Mr Roboto.
action: You go north
response: Everyone's gone for the day, including Rosalita; maybe you should see if you can catch her.

The radio is playing Mr Roboto.
action: You go south
response: (first opening hallway door)

You look around the lobby for the last time. The stencil on the wall has almost faded off. The furniture Rosalita bought for this room is getting worn out. The muddy carpet is scuffed and worn, curling up on the edges. The old break room is to the west, and the bathroom to the east, but those are places you'd rather forget. The doorway to the north leads to the hallway, but you never plan on going back there again. The parking lot, and Rosalita, are to the south.

The radio is playing Mr Roboto.
action: You go to the south
response: The parking lot is mostly empty, like usual for a Wednesday. Brick walls hem you in on either side. You've never enjoyed the claustrophobic feeling you get out here. Your blue car is parked near the back, to the south. KOLR studios squats behind you to the
north.

As you walk out, you try to see Rosalita. You spot her getting into her car, at the south end. She is wearing a blue, short-sleeved dress and her long hair is parted in the middle. Her thick eyebrows are shaped in gentle curves and her large hoop earrings dangle as she walks. She looks the same as she did 20 years ago when you first met.

You walk towards her, but she gets in her car and leaves without seeing you.

[New topic - Speechless]
action: You go south
response: "And that's what happened."

You clear your mind, and return to yourself.


Spare Office
This comfortable office is mostly empty, but the owner's thoughtful personality is still evident in the azure carpet and the sky-blue walls. Lighter patches on the walls show where posters, picture frames and bulletin boards once hung. A navy blue door leads east to
the hallway. A long desk has been shoved out of the way, and a single chair remains. The carpet is still dented from furniture legs.

Chuck sits in the chair, trying not to look exhausted.

You feel a cold chill seeping in from outside.
action: Your thoughts
response: Current thoughts:
Speechless - "Chuck claims he didn't have a chance to talk with Rosalita on Wednesday afternoon."
Volunteer - "Rosalita told Danny she was at the shelter Wednesday night."
Troubled - "Rosalita was troubled by something when Danny spoke to
her last."
Flowers - "Chuck sent Rosalita flowers the day after they talked." Records - "All receipts and files for KOLR were accounted for last year."
Stranger - "Cindy saw a strange man in a yellow poncho hovering
over Rosalita Morales."
Parade - "The streets were closed down for a parade all morning." Accounting - "Cindy did the accounting for Roses for Rehab"
Death - "Rosalita was shot on February 29th in her office."
Sister - "Maia Morales was Rosalita's sister."
Secretary - "Cindy Jalcek was Rosalita's Secretary."
Ex - "Chuck Lee is the former husband of Rosalita Morales."
Partner - "Daniel Kostopoulos was the business partner of Rosalita Morales."
Statement - "You need to take the statements of the suspects"
Greeting - "You need to introduce yourself to the suspects." Assistance - "The chief is always willing to give you help. (This gives a basic tutorial)."
Suspicion - "The Chief thinks that someone close to her was
involved in her death."
Testament - "Rosalita left all of her possessions to four people in her will."
action: You say speechless
response: (to Chuck)
"So, Chuck, you didn't speak to Rosalita at all last Wednesday?"

He rolls his eyes. "Yes, that's what I told you. I didn't want to see her and she didn't want to see me."

"But you knew she was in the building," you ask.

"Yes."
action: You say volunteer
response: (to Chuck)
You say, "Danny says Rosalita was volunteering at the shelter last week."

Chuck yawns and stretches his arms before answering. "I'm sorry," he says. "I didn't sleep well last night. Anwyay, Rosalita really did seem to care about her charity. She was a good woman." He stares at the floor. "I wish she was still alive. I can't stop thinking about it."
action: You say troubled
response: (to Chuck)
"Chuck, Danny says that Rosalita seemed unusually troubled the day before she died."

Chuck sighs in exasperation. "Danny loves to gossip, doesn't he? Well, I don't mean to be arrogant, but she was probably still upset that I was leaving. I mean, she clearly still had feelings for me. And she always hated WESL."

You say, "And WESL is the television station you've joined?"

"What? Yes, Rosalita hated their style, called it 'sensationalist'. But a job's a job. I strongly suspect that that was the cause of Rosalita's tension."
action: You say the flowers
response: (to Chuck)
"Chuck, Danny saw the flowers that you sent Rosalita last Thursday. She had them on her desk."

Chuck narrows his eyes. "Yes, I sent Rosalita flowers. What's your point?"

You say, "I'm just asking some basic questions, Mr. Lee, there's no need to get upset."

He taps his fingers on his leg, and says "Let's talk about something more useful."
action: You say records
response: (to Chuck)
You ask, "Mr. Lee, were you involved in the accounting for the studio?"

He pauses before answering. "The accounting...well, the accounting...I'm sorry, I've just been thinking about Rosalita so much it's hard to think of anything else. What was the question again? Was I involved in it? No, Not at all, officer. I was never involved in the business side of KOLR."

"Do you know anything about the filing system?" you ask.

He concentrates, furrowing his brow. "The filing system...I'm sorry, I'm just not much of an accountant. Danny talked about his system a lot. He was always paranoid that he'd lose a file and get audited, or something. Maybe you should talk to him."
action: You say stranger
response: (to Chuck)
You say, "Cindy saw Rosalita get shot by a man in a yellow poncho."

Chuck looks like he's been kicked in the stomach, and nods. "Yeah, I heard that." He says, "Do you know anything more about the killer? Are you close to finding him?"

"Not yet."

"It makes me sick, thinking about some stranger breaking into KOLR and killing Rosalita." He grimaces.
action: You say the parade
response: (to Chuck)
You say, "Cindy says that a parade shut down the streets the day Rosalita died."

"Yes, the Founder's Parade. I was supposed to cover it for WESL but I was at home, sick." Tears well up in Chuck's eyes. "Sorry, I just haven't had any sleep, and this is just so exhausting."

You say, "But you were sick? The first week of work? That must have been very unfortunate. Do you feel better now?"

Chuck makes an equivocating gesture. "Yes, I am. Well, mostly. Thanks for asking."
action: You say the accounting
response: (to Chuck)
You ask, "Mr. Lee, is it true that Rosalita's secretary took care of accounting for Roses for Rehab?"

Chuck rubs his forearm as he answers. "Cindy? Yeah, she was the one who did the internal auditing. She would go through about four times a year and reconcile all of the records. She would also take most of the donations and record them."

"So she was heavily involved."

"Yes, I would say that's accurate."
action: You say the death
response: (to Chuck)
You say, "Our records show that Rosalita died two days ago, February 29th,  from a gunshot wound to the head."

Chuck thinks for a moment. A couple of tears roll down his cheek, one at a time. He nods. "That's right." He wipes his cheek. "I identified the body."

"Do you know any more details about the death?" you ask.

"No. But I know this: the murderer was a savage. He deserves to die," Chuck says, clenching his fist. He stares you in the eye. "If you find out who did it, they should die."

"I'll pass that along," you say.
action: You say the Sister
response: (to Chuck)
"How well do you know Maia Morales?"

"Who, 'Andromeda'?" He slowly shakes his head. "I know her pretty well. She was always over at our place when we were married."

"Is that the house where Rosalita resided at the time of her death?" you ask.

Chuck massages his neck for a moment, stretching, then answers. "Yes. After Rosalita and I broke up, I didn't see her very much. As soon as I got the job at WESL, though, Maia started calling me, talking about our friendship, our past. I think she's just looking for an angle."
action: You say ex
response: (to Chuck)
"Tell me about your relationship with Rosalita," you say.

Chuck's eyes water up. He asks, "You want me to tell you what our marriage was like?"

"I mean, what sort of interaction have you had with her recently?" you say.

Chuck stares at the floor as he answers. "Well, I'll admit, things were tense at times. Anyone here at the station could tell you that. Can you imagine working next to your ex for half a decade? That's one reason I wanted to leave."

"But she kept you in her will," you say.

Chuck closes his eyes momentarily and sighs. "Rosalita... had trouble letting go. She always wanted to go out for drinks, or to talk to each other. But it just wouldn't have worked out."
action: You say secretary
response: (to Chuck)
"What do you know about Cindy Jalcek?" you ask.

Chuck yawns broadly. "Cindy? Cindy is pretty reliable. We went through half a dozen interns before her, but she managed to last."

"Did she fit in well at the studio?"

Chuck says,  "Oh, hmmm, well, I don't think Danny really likes her. Rosalita loved her. They use to take lunch together, and Cindy was always chatting in Rosalita's office. When I found out that Rosalita had written her into her will, though, it made me worried about Cindy's sincerity."
action: You say the partner
response: (to Chuck)
"What do you know about Daniel Kostopoulos?"

Chuck says, "Danny? I really respect him. "The Voice of the Heartland", right?" He smiles briefly. "And the voice of authority, here at KOLR. He likes to be involved with all the day to day operations at the station."

"What is your personal relationship like?"

Chuck blinks slowly. "Our personal relationship? Oh, let me think...Well, I don't think he likes me. I actually applied to work at the studio because of him; he was big back then. But then I met Rosalita. She was beautiful. But about Danny, we haven't really gotten along in the last few years. He's too touchy, too erratic; I irritate him."
action: You say the testament
response: (to Chuck)
"Are you aware that Rosalita left her house to you in the will?"

"Yes, they told me about it when they had me identify the--her body, " says Chuck.

"So you weren't aware of it before?"

Chuck massages his temple with one hand. "When we were still married, I knew her will left the house to me, but I thought she would have changed it by now."

"Why do you think she left it to you?"

He says, "It was our house together; she was always sentimental. I think she shouldn't have done it, but I'll preserve it in her honor."
action: Go east
response: You are standing in a dim hallway with muddy carpet and beige walls. A battered navy blue door leads to the west. A heavy
seaweed-green door to the east is labelled "Studio". A red
On-Air light is mounted next to the door. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for the Macintosh.
action: Go east
response: (first opening the studio door)

The studio is decked out in luxurious shades of green. The hardwood floor in this large room steps up almost half a foot more than the carpet in the hallway to the west, and is covered in a
juniper-green carpet. The pistachio walls are noticeably thicker here, and partially covered in lime fabric-lined boards. A single table is placed in the center of the room with a few scattered chairs. Adjustable microphones hang from the ceiling, which is covered in pale mint acoustic panels. It's subtle, but you notice that none of the walls are at a right angle. The perfect stillness in the room is a relief after the incessant pitter-patter of rain and the buzzing of fluorescent lights. in the rest of the building. A bank of windows to the east reveals the intricate electronics of the control room, accessible by a slim door.

Maia Morales sits at the table, looking bored.

She gives you a once-over as you walk in the room, then sighs, disappointed.
action: You say the greeting
response: (to Maia)
You glance at your folder for a moment. "Maia Morales?"

She rises, extending her hand. "Please, call me Andromeda."

"For the purpose of this interview, I'd prefer to use your legal name."

Her face falls, but she recovers. "That's alright then." She sits back down. She leans forward, looking at your badge. "And you're Officer... King?"

"Detective King, actually. I'd like to ask you some questions."
action: You say the statement
response: (to Maia)
"Tell me what you know about the death of Rosalita."

"All right. Here's what happened."

You lean back as Maia gives you a statement. You can picture it all in your head...

"
action: You talk to Rosa
response: "Hey Rosa, you know how hard it's been to get any recording ti-"

"You can't use it."

"What do you mean?"

"You can't use the studio."

You frown. This not good. Maybe you should try again.
action: You talk to Rosa
response: "Rosa, please."

The microwave whirrs quietly.

"Rosa, this important. I don't even need a tech, I can do it mys-"

Rosalita stands and glares at you. "Maia, I have a real job to do. That's something you wouldn't know about, right? Do you have any idea what could happen to me if I let you screw around with the recording equipment? The audio mixer alone costs more money than you've made in your entire life. Go home and get a real job." She stands up and walks out of the room.
action: You open the microwave
response: If Rosa wants to overcook her popcorn, that's her prerogative.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
nothing
action: You go to the east
response: As you exit the break room, you notice an odd smell from behind you. Is that...burning? You turn around, but someone rushes into and knocks you over!

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" you hear someone say. You roll over to see the secretary standing above you.

Lobby (on the floor)
The original ceiling in this comfortable room has been lowered for the installation of office lights and ceiling panels. A huge desk extends from one wall almost to the hallway, a telephone placed on its center. The black door to the hallway is solid, a throwback to times when security and safety mattered. KOLR has its own parking lot, to the south. The bathroom is to the east and the break room is to the
west, but you don't want to even think about the first and that nosy secretary is in the other. The station logo has been stenciled on the wall in faded, tasteful colors.

You can see Cindy here.

The radio is playing Every Breath You Take.
action: You talk to Cindy
response: "Oh," she says. "It's you." She frowns, but helps you up. "Rosalita said to make sure you left the station. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to go; I just have to take care of something real quick." She runs off to the west.

You dust yourself off.

The original ceiling in this comfortable room has been lowered for the installation of office lights and ceiling panels. A huge desk extends from one wall almost to the hallway, a telephone placed on its center. The black door to the hallway is solid, a throwback to times when security and safety mattered. KOLR has its own parking lot, to the south. The bathroom is to the east and the break room is to the
west, but you don't want to even think about the first and that nosy secretary is in the other. The station logo has been stenciled on the wall in faded, tasteful colors.

The radio is playing Every Breath You Take.
action: Go north
response: You heard Rosa. She doesn't want you here.

The radio is playing an ad for "Who Killed the Robins Family?".
action: Go east
response: You don't have to go to the bathroom now, and you need to hurry.

The radio is playing an ad for robot action figures.
action: Go south
response: Rosa's studio has its own private parking lot. The sunlight glistens off the dripping bushes. A few cars are parked here and there, but all are empty and no one can be seen. Brick walls point up to an empty sky on either side. The lobby door is north from here.

You can go south to take the bus home.
action: You go south
response: You hail the bus, and go back home.

"And that's the last I saw of Rosa. I can't believe anyone would kill her," she says, shaking her mane of green hair.

[New topic - Home]

You clear your mind, and return to yourself.


Studio
The studio is decked out in luxurious shades of green. The hardwood floor in this large room steps up almost half a foot more than the carpet in the hallway to the west, and is covered in a
juniper-green carpet. The pistachio walls are noticeably thicker here, and partially covered in lime fabric-lined boards. A single table is placed in the center of the room with a few scattered chairs. Adjustable microphones hang from the ceiling, which is covered in pale mint acoustic panels. It's subtle, but you notice that none of the walls are at a right angle. The perfect stillness in the room is a relief after the incessant pitter-patter of rain and the buzzing of fluorescent lights. in the rest of the building. A bank of windows to the east reveals the intricate electronics of the control room, accessible by a slim door.

Maia Morales sits at the table, looking bored.

Maia stares at the door, lost in thought.
action: You link home to the parade
response: The statements don't match up; Cindy said the streets were closed for a parade, but Maia said she took a bus home.

[New topic - Buses]

Maia waves her hand at her nose before letting out a high-pitched, loud sneeze.
action: You say the buses
response: (to Maia)
"Cindy Jalcek said that there was a parade the day that Rosalita died, shutting down the buses. But you said you took the bus home."

"I probably just remembered wrong. I think I actually took a taxi."

"Ms. Morales, all of the traffic was shut down. What did you really do that morning?"

Maia looks panicked. She says, "Listen, it's not what you think!"

"What is it, then?"

"I want to change my statement."
action: You say the statement
response: (to Maia)
"Tell me your story again."

"Fine."

You lean back as Maia gives you a statement. You can picture it all in your head...

"
action: You talk to Rosa
response: "Hey Rosa, you know how hard it's been to get any recording ti-"

"You can't use it."

"What do you mean?"

"You can't use the studio."

You frown. This not good. Maybe you should try again.
action: You go east
response: As you exit the break room, you notice an odd smell from behind you. Is that...burning? You turn around, but someone rushes into and knocks you over!

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" you hear someone say. You roll over to see the secretary standing above you.

Lobby (on the floor)
The original ceiling in this comfortable room has been lowered for the installation of office lights and ceiling panels. A huge desk extends from one wall almost to the hallway, a telephone placed on its center. The black door to the hallway is solid, a throwback to times when security and safety mattered. KOLR has its own parking lot, to the south. The bathroom is to the east and the break room is to the
west, but you don't want to even think about the first and that nosy secretary is in the other. The station logo has been stenciled on the wall in faded, tasteful colors.

You can see Cindy here.

The radio is playing Maneater.
action: You talk to Cindy
response: "Oh," she says. "It's you." She frowns, but helps you up. "Rosalita said to make sure you left the station. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to go; I just have to take care of something real quick." She runs off to the west.

You dust yourself off.

The original ceiling in this comfortable room has been lowered for the installation of office lights and ceiling panels. A huge desk extends from one wall almost to the hallway, a telephone placed on its center. The black door to the hallway is solid, a throwback to times when security and safety mattered. KOLR has its own parking lot, to the south. The bathroom is to the east and the break room is to the
west, but you don't want to even think about the first and that nosy secretary is in the other. The station logo has been stenciled on the wall in faded, tasteful colors.

The radio is playing Maneater.
action: Go north
response: (first opening hallway door)

You hold your breath and step quietly through this hallway. The office to the west looks unused. A red "On-Air" light is mounted next to the door. The hallway extends north to Rosa's office. The lobby is
south from here.

Rosa's studio lies to the east, behind a heavy black door.

The radio is playing Maneater.
action: You go to the east
response: (first opening the studio door)
You close the studio door behind you.

This studio is incredible, decorated in gorgeous greens. The walls are specially built to provide the perfect sound. The microphones hanging from the ceiling are incredibly expensive, much better than the ones you use at Saul's cousin's place. You're not too crazy about the table and chairs, given that you're not doing a radio show, but they won't be a big issue. The soundproof door to the west leads to the hallway, where Rosa might be lurking. The control room is to the east.
action: Go east
response: (first opening the control room door)

This small room is packed with the best equipment available. The original plaster ceilings and wainscoted walls distinguish this room from the dumpy studios you've been using. A large patch bay in the corner is surrounded by a nest of wires.

The session tapes are spooled here.

There is an emergency door to the outside here.

You see the audio console here, filling up a third of the room.
action: You examine the door
response: (the emergency door)
You look over the emergency door, but don't see anything important.
action: You examine the bay
response: This device and the wires flowing in and out of it are used to decide what inputs end up in the console. It seems to be set up just fine for a vocal solo.
action: You record the solo
response: Your sentence had too many words; you can try typing just the part where you wanted to do something to the record button.
action: You look at the console
response: This console is top of the line, with hundreds of switches and knobs. You could record anything in this studio; string ensemble, barbershop quartet, orchestra... well, if you could fit them in. You recognize a few of them: noise gate, expander, limiter, compressor, delay, harmonizer, modulation.

You also see a record button, a stop button, and a playback button. The session tapes are spooled here.
action: You go west
response: This studio is incredible, decorated in gorgeous greens. The walls are specially built to provide the perfect sound. The microphones hanging from the ceiling are incredibly expensive, much better than the ones you use at Saul's cousin's place. You're not too crazy about the table and chairs, given that you're not doing a radio show, but they won't be a big issue. The soundproof door to the west leads to the hallway, where Rosa might be lurking. The control room is to the east.
action: Sing
response: You belt out a song with all your heart.
action: Keep going
response: You reach within yourself and burst out in song.
action: You go east
response: This small room is packed with the best equipment available. The original plaster ceilings and wainscoted walls distinguish this room from the dumpy studios you've been using. A large patch bay in the corner is surrounded by a nest of wires.

The session tapes are spooled here.

There is an emergency door to the outside here.

You see the audio console here, filling up a third of the room.
action: You get the tapes
response: You go to grab the tapes, but they seem stuck. You yank hard,  and the whole console shifts, knocking you to the floor. You rise and dust yourself off, holding the tapes.

You seem to have dislodged something from behind the console.
action: You look
response: This small room is packed with the best equipment available. The original plaster ceilings and wainscoted walls distinguish this room from the dumpy studios you've been using. A large patch bay in the corner is surrounded by a nest of wires.

There is an emergency door to the outside here.

You see the audio console here, filling up a third of the room.

You can also see a stack of receipts here.
action: You examine the receipts
response: A stack of receipts? What are they doing here? You pick them up. This is odd... You flip through the stack, kicking dust into the air. These receipts are for payments to KOLR. Why would Rosa keep them here?

[New topic - Hidden]

You hear the a siren wailing, far away but steadily approaching. Oh no... someone must have seen you. You have to get out of here!
action: You go east
response: You're out of here!

"And so I left. I found out later that day that Rosalita was dead. I didn't tell the police because I knew how bad it looked."

"Do you still have the receipts?"

"No, I tossed them in a dumpster in an alley. I don't even remember where they are."

You clear your mind, and return to yourself.


Studio
The studio is decked out in luxurious shades of green. The hardwood floor in this large room steps up almost half a foot more than the carpet in the hallway to the west, and is covered in a
juniper-green carpet. The pistachio walls are noticeably thicker here, and partially covered in lime fabric-lined boards. A single table is placed in the center of the room with a few scattered chairs. Adjustable microphones hang from the ceiling, which is covered in pale mint acoustic panels. It's subtle, but you notice that none of the walls are at a right angle. The perfect stillness in the room is a relief after the incessant pitter-patter of rain and the buzzing of fluorescent lights. in the rest of the building. A bank of windows to the east reveals the intricate electronics of the control room, accessible by a slim door.

Maia Morales sits at the table, looking bored.

Maia looks at the window to the control room.
action: You go east
response: (first opening the control room door)
It is locked.

Someone knocks at the door. You turn to see who it is.

Danny Kostopolous is standing at the door. He points at Maia. "Officer, this woman should not be in here. There's expensive equipment in here."

Maia looks at you. "Please," she says, "I've been in here many times." Danny's face gets red at this. She continues. "I think I can handle it without breaking anything."

You turn to Danny. You say, "I'll try and hurry, Mr. Kostopolous. But I'd like you to return to your room; you're delaying the investigation."

He grumbles, and begins to walk away, but he stops and walks to the control room door. He jiggles the handle, but it's locked. He gives Maia a smug grin and says, "At least you're not getting in there." Then he walks out.
.
action: Your thoughts
response: Current thoughts:
Hidden - "Maia found a bunch of receipts hidden in the studio."
Buses - "Maia said she took a bus home, but Cindy said the buses weren't running."
Home - "Maia took the bus home after talking with Rosalita." Speechless - "Chuck claims he didn't have a chance to talk with Rosalita on Wednesday afternoon."
Volunteer - "Rosalita told Danny she was at the shelter Wednesday night."
Troubled - "Rosalita was troubled by something when Danny spoke to
her last."
Flowers - "Chuck sent Rosalita flowers the day after they talked." Records - "All receipts and files for KOLR were accounted for last year."
Stranger - "Cindy saw a strange man in a yellow poncho hovering
over Rosalita Morales."
Parade - "The streets were closed down for a parade all morning." Accounting - "Cindy did the accounting for Roses for Rehab"
Death - "Rosalita was shot on February 29th in her office."
Sister - "Maia Morales was Rosalita's sister."
Secretary - "Cindy Jalcek was Rosalita's Secretary."
Ex - "Chuck Lee is the former husband of Rosalita Morales."
Partner - "Daniel Kostopoulos was the business partner of Rosalita Morales."
Statement - "You need to take the statements of the suspects"
Greeting - "You need to introduce yourself to the suspects." Assistance - "The chief is always willing to give you help. (This gives a basic tutorial)."
Suspicion - "The Chief thinks that someone close to her was
involved in her death."
Testament - "Rosalita left all of her possessions to four people in her will."
action: You examine maia
response: (Maia)
Maia Morales, aka Andromeda, is a tallish woman with shocking neon green hair and thinly plucked eyebrows. She is wearing a long emerald sundress, and a light aqua jacket is thrown over her shoulders. She glances languidly about the room.

Maia runs her finger over the table.
action: You say hidden
response: (to Maia)
"Tell me about the receipts again."

"You see, I was just trying to get the session tapes out, and I pulled something too hard, and the whole console shifted.

"And the receipts were behind the console?"

She says "Yes, that's exactly what happened."

"Where are they now?"

"I tossed them in a dumpster when I was running. I wouldn't know which one."
action: Link hidden to records
response: Maia found a stack of hidden receipts, but Danny claimed that all records were accounted for.

[New topic - Missing]

You hear a door close somewhere in the station. Maia leans to look out the door, then looks back at you and shrugs.
action: You say missing
response: (to Maia)
"Maia, Danny said that all the files were accounted for."

"I saw what I saw. A huge stack of receipts, hidden behind the audio console."

"Why do you think they were hidden?"

"Obviously someone had something to hide. If Danny was claiming that everything was perfect and tidy, he's the one to talk to."
action: You say volunteer
response: (to Maia)
"I heard that Rosalita volunteered at a shelter last Wednesday."

Maia rolls her eyes. "Rosalita doesn't care about the shelters."

You look at her, and ask, "What do you mean?"

She leans forward. "She just likes the attention. She made up some phony story about being in rehab as a kid, and people just lap it up. It makes me sick."

You say, "That's interesting."
action: You say troubled
response: (to Maia)
"Danny says that Rosalita seemed especially troubled the day before she died."

She nods. "Yeah, she really did seem to have something on her mind. That morning she died, she was really rude to me."

Your expression gives her pause.

She says, "Listen, I know she's dead, but I'm just trying to tell you what happened. She was more upset than usual. And it wasn't just before she died, she was troubled for a long time."

"Do you know what was troubling her?"

"Something financial, I think. I don't know for sure, though."
action: You say the flowers
response: (to Maia)
"Chuck gave flowers to Rosalita on Thursday, thanking her for letting him stay Wednesday night."

She looks put out. "I wasn't aware that they were still seeing each other." Her face saddens. She says, "It must be especially hard for him, then, her death."

You are silent.

"Maybe I should talk to him..."
action: You say the records
response: (to Maia)
"Your sister had a strict filing system set up. Did you ever work on it?"

Maia laughs. "Rosalita wouldn't let me get anywhere near the files. She thought I'd try to take a piece of the pie."

"Did you?"

She frowns. "Of course not."
action: You say stranger
response: (to Maia)
"Cindy saw a man in a yellow poncho shoot Rosalita."

"Who was he? Do you have any information about him?"

"No."

"Do you guys have any leads on this guy? Any open cases? Serial killers running around? It's absolutely frightening that a murderer just broke into the studio and killed my sister. Are you doing anything?"

You say, "The department has quite a few people working on this case. My job is just to get the facts from you and the other witnesses."
action: You say the accounting
response: (to Maia)
"Ms. Morales-"

"Andromeda, please."

"Ms. Morales, what do you know about the accounting for Roses for Rehab?"

Maia rolls her eyes and sighs. "I know absolutely nothing about it."
action: You say the death
response: (to Maia)
"Our records show that Rosalita was shot to death on February 29th."

Maia shivers. "Yes."

After a moments pause, she continues. "I can't believe that someone could do that to her. Rosalita didn't deserve to die, especially not like that."

"No one really deserves to be murdered."

"I know; It was just so shocking, so unexpected."
action: You say the Sister
response: (to Maia)
"What was your relationship like with your sister?"

She leans back. "With Rosalita? We were close, you know? I spent a lot of time at her house. We used to hang out, go shopping all the time. But she's been a lot more on edge this last year."

"On edge?" you ask.

"She wasn't happy with my career change and my new look," she says, pointing to her hair. "Me becoming 'Andromeda' disappointed her. She said it wasn't a real job. I said she was stuffy and boring, only cared about money. She would get really upset when I talked about it."

She shrugs. "I don't know how things got this way."
action: You say secretary
response: (to Maia)
"What do you know about Cindy Jalcek?"

Maia frowns. "Cindy's the secretary, right? I didn't know her last name. She's a suspicious sort of woman."

"Does she have a criminal record?"

"Oh, not that kind of suspicious! She's always watching me when I go there, following me around. I wish she would cool off a bit. She seems good at what she does, though; I like the stencil she put up in the lobby."
action: You say the partner
response: (to Maia)
"What do you know about Danny Kostopolous?"

"Danny?" She stretches her back and thinks. "He's famous and all, but he's wound up too tight. He only cares about his show. He keeps an iron fist on the studio, never lets anyone rent it out."

"He kept an iron fist? Even with Rosalita?"

"What? No," says Maia. "No one could keep Rosalita down. But she let him do what he wants around the station, if you know what I mean. He used to let people use the recording studio for a small fee on weekends, but that's gone and done."

"It sounds like you two didn't get along."

"I feel like he could be a lot more generous."
action: You say ex
response: (to Maia)
"What do you know about Chuck Lee?"

"Chuck is just great."

"So you like him."

"I was so proud when Rosalita married him, I mean he's just really handsome, especially since his surgery. WESL is lucky to have him."

"WESL the TV station?" you ask.

"Right. I know he and Rosalita broke up, but I've been trying to keep in contact with him. He's been pretty busy, though."
action: You say the surgery
response: (to Maia)
In this game, speech is handled by using SAY [a topic], where topics can be found by typing T.

Maia yawns.
action: You say the testament
response: (to Maia)
"Maia, are you aware that Rosalita left you a significant amount of money in her will?"

Maia's eyes gleam. "I wasn't aware of the amount, but I know she always believed in staying close to family. Do you have an estimate of the amount?"

"I'm sorry, I don't really deal with that end of things. I do know that her house has been left to her former husband, while her shares in KOLR were left to Mr. Kostopolous. Also, she left some smaller items to Cindy Jalcek."

"Oh. Well, you're right. This probably isn't the best time to talk about this all." She seems to be lost in thought.
action: You go to the west
response: You are standing in a dim hallway with muddy carpet and beige walls. A battered navy blue door leads to the west. A heavy
seaweed-green door to the east is labelled "Studio". A red
On-Air light is mounted next to the door. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing I Love Rock And Roll.
action: You go to the north
response: You move carefully through the dim and narrow hallway. It smells of cleaner mingled with faint perfume. It terminates to the north
at a hazel wood door. Its smooth surface is polished and warm in the chill hallway. A nameplate next to the door reads "Rosalita Morales". To the west hangs an apple red door, with a nameplate saying
"Daniel Kostopolous". To the east is a narrow metal closet
door.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing I Love Rock And Roll.
action: Go west
response: This office is decorated with flashy shades of red. It's large enough to fit a massive cherry desk, rows of mahogany bookshelves, and a battered scarlet cabinet. The walls are empty and clean, although the paint is patchy in spots, reaching to a textured plaster ceiling. A wine red floor lamp in the corner has been turned off. The blinds are open to the dim light from outside, punctuated by flashes of lightning. The soft rose carpet is matted and ragged, but looks recently cleaned.

Danny is highly irritated. He is breathing deeply, trying to relax.

Danny picks at a splinter on the desk.
action: You say hidden
response: (to Danny)
"Mr. Kostopolous, do you have any idea why a stack of receipts for payments to KOLR would be hidden in the control room?"

He glowers at you. "What do I look like, a janitor? It's none of my business if some idiot is stuffing paper in corners." But you notice that his fist clenches for a moment as you ask.
action: You say missing
response: (to Danny)
"I have information that a large number of receipts for payments to KOLR were found in the control room recently. You said that all such receipts were kept filed away."

Danny goes completely still except for the throbbing of a forehead vein. "So you found them in the control room?"

"Mr. Kostopolous, we need you to tell us everything that you know."

"Rosalita didn't keep secrets from me, and I don't want to betray her trust. She loved that charity. Two nights before she died, she was volunteering at one of the local shelters. Would a crook do that?"
action: You say yes
response: (to Danny)
In this game, speech is handled by using SAY [a topic], where topics can be found by typing T.

Danny looks over the memorabilia on his shelves.
action: Your thoughts
response: Current thoughts:
Missing - "Maia found a stack of receipts that Danny said was accounted for."
Hidden - "Maia found a bunch of receipts hidden in the studio."
Buses - "Maia said she took a bus home, but Cindy said the buses weren't running."
Home - "Maia took the bus home after talking with Rosalita." Speechless - "Chuck claims he didn't have a chance to talk with Rosalita on Wednesday afternoon."
Volunteer - "Rosalita told Danny she was at the shelter Wednesday night."
Troubled - "Rosalita was troubled by something when Danny spoke to
her last."
Flowers - "Chuck sent Rosalita flowers the day after they talked." Records - "All receipts and files for KOLR were accounted for last year."
Stranger - "Cindy saw a strange man in a yellow poncho hovering
over Rosalita Morales."
Parade - "The streets were closed down for a parade all morning." Accounting - "Cindy did the accounting for Roses for Rehab"
Death - "Rosalita was shot on February 29th in her office."
Sister - "Maia Morales was Rosalita's sister."
Secretary - "Cindy Jalcek was Rosalita's Secretary."
Ex - "Chuck Lee is the former husband of Rosalita Morales."
Partner - "Daniel Kostopoulos was the business partner of Rosalita Morales."
Statement - "You need to take the statements of the suspects"
Greeting - "You need to introduce yourself to the suspects." Assistance - "The chief is always willing to give you help. (This gives a basic tutorial)."
Suspicion - "The Chief thinks that someone close to her was
involved in her death."
Testament - "Rosalita left all of her possessions to four people in her will."
action: Link records to missing
response: You can't link those.

Danny says, "Did I tell you that I carved all the furniture in this office myself?"
action: You go to the east
response: You move carefully through the dim and narrow hallway. It smells of cleaner mingled with faint perfume. It terminates to the north
at a hazel wood door. Its smooth surface is polished and warm in the chill hallway. A nameplate next to the door reads "Rosalita Morales". To the west hangs an apple red door, with a nameplate saying
"Daniel Kostopolous". To the east is a narrow metal closet
door.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for "Full Circle".
action: You go to the south
response: You are standing in a dim hallway with muddy carpet and beige walls. A battered navy blue door leads to the west. A heavy
seaweed-green door to the east is labelled "Studio". A red
On-Air light is mounted next to the door. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for leg warmers.
action: Go south
response: The neutral tones suggest a professional but boring atmosphere. A faded rainbow stencil on the wall invites you to KOL studios; the R has worn off. The sepia-hued front desk hardly fits in this cramped room, but the beige ceiling is quite high; it looks like it was once part of a larger room. The muddy carpet is scuffed and worn, curling up on the edges. One of the off-white fluorescent lights in the ceiling flickers intermittently. Barely audible is the buzzing of another light. The smell of burnt popcorn wafts in from a break room to the west. The doorway to the north leads to the
hallway. The parking lot is back to the south, and a bathroom door stands to the east. An ivory telephone sits on the desk.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing Through The Years.
action: Go west
response: The stench of burnt popcorn lingers in the air. A microwave with a thin tan layer of grease sits in the corner. A tawny brown vending machine sags in the corner with half of its buttons darkened or flickering. A small oat-colored fan is oscillating in the center, trying to clear out the smell. A few coffee-stained tables and several chairs are scattered around the room. The lobby is back to the
east.

Cindy is sitting at a table.

Cindy's hand trembles slightly.
action: You say hidden
response: (to Cindy)
"Apparently, a large stack of receipts for payments to KOLR were found stuffed in the control room of the studio."

"What? Receipts? Who was in the control room?"

"That's not what I'm talking about right now. Do you know about these receipts?"

"No, but if it was Maia in the control room, I'm going to be extremely angry. Was it her?"

"Just tell me about the receipts."

"I don't know anything about them. Rosalita usually handles them."

"Is she the only one?"

"Danny always worked on the files, too; said he had the perfect system. I bet he's kicking himself now."
action: You say missing
response: (to Cindy)
"Cindy, apparently a number of files connected with the studio were missing. What do you know about this?"

"What do you mean missing?"

"I mean they weren't filed with the others. Were you aware of this?"

"No, Rosalita handled most of that by herself."
action: Your thoughts
response: Current thoughts:
Missing - "Maia found a stack of receipts that Danny said was accounted for."
Hidden - "Maia found a bunch of receipts hidden in the studio."
Buses - "Maia said she took a bus home, but Cindy said the buses weren't running."
Home - "Maia took the bus home after talking with Rosalita." Speechless - "Chuck claims he didn't have a chance to talk with Rosalita on Wednesday afternoon."
Volunteer - "Rosalita told Danny she was at the shelter Wednesday night."
Troubled - "Rosalita was troubled by something when Danny spoke to
her last."
Flowers - "Chuck sent Rosalita flowers the day after they talked." Records - "All receipts and files for KOLR were accounted for last year."
Stranger - "Cindy saw a strange man in a yellow poncho hovering
over Rosalita Morales."
Parade - "The streets were closed down for a parade all morning." Accounting - "Cindy did the accounting for Roses for Rehab"
Death - "Rosalita was shot on February 29th in her office."
Sister - "Maia Morales was Rosalita's sister."
Secretary - "Cindy Jalcek was Rosalita's Secretary."
Ex - "Chuck Lee is the former husband of Rosalita Morales."
Partner - "Daniel Kostopoulos was the business partner of Rosalita Morales."
Statement - "You need to take the statements of the suspects"
Greeting - "You need to introduce yourself to the suspects." Assistance - "The chief is always willing to give you help. (This gives a basic tutorial)."
Suspicion - "The Chief thinks that someone close to her was
involved in her death."
Testament - "Rosalita left all of her possessions to four people in her will."
action: You say speechless
response: (to Cindy)
"Chuck claims that he saw Rosalita last Wednesday but didn't talk to her."

"Makes sense; he was pretty torn up about leaving, and so was Rosalita."

"Were you there that day?"

She says, "I wasn't there when Chuck cleaned out his stuff; I think I was on my lunch break."
action: You say volunteer
response: (to Cindy)
"Rosalita told Danny she went to volunteer at the shelter last Wednesday night."

Cindy nodded. "She didn't tell me what she was up to, but she loves going to the shelters. She likes to connect with the people in rehab, tell them her own rehab story."

"Rosalita went to rehab?"

"Yeah, years ago, when she was a kid. Alcoholism. Makes for a great motivational story, made me feel motivated, even. It's part of the reason I signed up for the secretary job."
action: You say troubled
response: (to Cindy)
"Danny said that Rosalita was very upset the day before she died. She wouldn't tell him what it was about."

"Yeah, she's been-I mean she had been preoccupied at work recently."

"Do you know why?"

"I'm not sure. It could be just about anything. Chuck leaving, the two of them getting back together, or-"

"Excuse me, did you say that her and Chuck were getting back together?"

She blushes. "Oh, gosh, I wasn't supposed to....listen, I saw some flowers, okay? On her desk. When I was cleaning, the day before she died. They had a note from Chuck. I don't remember what it said, but basically, you know, it seems like they hooked up."
action: You say the flowers
response: (to Cindy)
"Danny said that Chuck had flowers delivered to Rosalita last Thursday."

She says, "Yes... Listen, Rosalita didn't want me talking about her relationships with anybody. I know it's important for the investigation and all, but I just don't want to talk about Rosalita and Chuck. Honestly, those two were back and forth with each other all the time. Getting together, breaking up, gifts, arguments, it just never stopped."

"But you think they were most recently together?"

"That's a weird way of phrasing it, but yes, that's what I think."
action: You link speechless to the flowers
response: The statements don't match up; Chuck says that he never had a chance to talk to her, but Danny says that they did.

[New topic - Conversation]

Cindy notices some trash on the ground and picks it up.
action: Go east
response: The neutral tones suggest a professional but boring atmosphere. A faded rainbow stencil on the wall invites you to KOL studios; the R has worn off. The sepia-hued front desk hardly fits in this cramped room, but the beige ceiling is quite high; it looks like it was once part of a larger room. The muddy carpet is scuffed and worn, curling up on the edges. One of the off-white fluorescent lights in the ceiling flickers intermittently. Another light buzzes at the edge of hearing. The smell of burnt popcorn wafts in from a break room to the west. The doorway to the north leads to the hallway. The
parking lot is back to the south, and a bathroom door stands to the east. An ivory telephone sits on the desk.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for "Ghostbusters".
action: You go to the north
response: You are standing in a dim hallway with muddy carpet and beige walls. A battered navy blue door leads to the west. A heavy
seaweed-green door to the east is labelled "Studio". A red
On-Air light is mounted next to the door. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for Walter Mondale.
action: You go west
response: This comfortable office is mostly empty, but the owner's thoughtful personality is still evident in the azure carpet and the sky-blue walls. Lighter patches on the walls show where posters, picture frames and bulletin boards once hung. A navy blue door leads east to
the hallway. A long desk has been shoved out of the way, and a single chair remains. The carpet is still dented from furniture legs.

Chuck sits in the chair, trying not to look exhausted.

Chuck's bloodshot eyes meet yours for a moment before turning away.
action: You say conversation
response: (to Chuck)
Chuck says, "We have a witness who claims that you talked to Rosalita the day that you cleaned out your office."

Chuck stares forward silently for an uncomfortably long amount of time. Without looking at you, he says "You're right, I did talk to her."

"Maybe we should go over your statement again."

"Yeah, we might as well."
action: You say the statement
response: (to Chuck)
"Tell me what you know about the death of Rosalita Morales."

"All right. Here's what happened."

You lean back as Chuck gives you a statement. You can picture it all in your head...


Your Office
Your office is depressingly empty. The movers have packed away and taken out most of the furniture; your desk remains, shoved against the wall, and a single chair. Danny pressured you into giving him most of your KOLR memorabilia, leaving you almost nothing. The hallway and the long drive home are waiting for you to the east. Your rugged
blue carpet is still dented from furniture legs. At least you left a mark on something.

A packing box lies in the middle of the room.

You can also see a certificate, a KOLR poster, and a bulletin board here.

It's time to clean up. You have to get all of your personal effects out of this room before you can go home.
action: You get all
response: KOLR poster: You pick up the KOLR poster to look at it more closely.

You know that Rosa loved this poster; maybe she'll ask to see it in a week or two, and it'll break the ice between you. It proclaims "Tune in to KOLR 99.8!" in large, day-glo letters at the top; the bottom has pop-art style portraits of you, Danny, and Rosa.
certificate: You pick up the certificate to look at it more closely.

You look over the certificate and smile. A certificate of merit for 15 successful years of service at KOLR, signed by the mayor; this should impress your new colleauges at WESL.
bulletin board: You pick up the bulletin board to look at it more closely.

You scan the board impatiently. It's covered with letters from listeners, photos of the studio, your first paycheck; later you'll take it all off and start a new one for WESL.

As you lift the bulletin board off the wall, a picture flutters to the ground.
packing box: The movers are going to take it tomorrow.
action: You examine the picture
response: You pick up the picture to look at it more closely.

This a photo of the "grand opening" of your renovated live room. You can pick out Danny in the corner; Rosalita's sister Maia is in the foreground, before she went by Andromeda. You and Rosalita sit together, your arm around her. You smile.
action: You put all in the box
response: picture: You go to pack it, but you hesitate. Better to keep this one with you.
bulletin board: Done.
certificate: Done.
KOLR poster: You roll up the poster and set it in the box.

Footsteps tread down the hallway, and a scent wanders into the room: Chanel No. 5, Rosalita's perfume. She must have stayed late; you hoped she would be here tonight.

You step towards the door, then stop. The footsteps move on, and the smell fades.
action: You go east
response: (first opening the your door)

You are standing across from the studio door. You look around at the narrow hallway, the dingy carpet, the patchy walls; nothing like the WESL offices you toured. The On-Air light is off, and the studio seems deserted. Danny and Rosa's offices are north, but the faint scent of Rosalita's perfume draws you south to the lobby.

The radio is playing an ad for "Full Circle".
action: Go south
response: You look around the lobby for the last time. The stencil on the wall has almost faded off. The furniture Rosalita bought for this room is getting worn out. The muddy carpet is scuffed and worn, curling up on the edges. The old break room is to the west, and the bathroom to the east, but those are places you'd rather forget. The doorway to the north leads to the hallway, but you never plan on going back there again. The parking lot, and Rosalita, are to the south.

The radio is playing an ad for Matlab.
action: You go south
response: The parking lot is mostly empty, like usual for a Wednesday. Brick walls hem you in on either side. You've never enjoyed the claustrophobic feeling you get out here. Your blue car is parked near the back, to the south. KOLR studios squats behind you to the
north.

As you walk out, you try to see Rosalita. You spot her getting into her car, at the south end. She is wearing a blue, short-sleeved dress and her long hair is parted in the middle. Her thick eyebrows are shaped in gentle curves and her large hoop earrings dangle as she walks. She looks the same as she did 20 years ago when you first met.

You walk towards her, but she gets in her car and leaves without seeing you.
action: You go south
response: "You were right; I lied earlier. I followed Rosalita that day."

You've parked your car here in front of a house on Rosalita's street. The driveway stretches out from the house here. Rosalita's house, your old house, lies to the west, and a door to a stranger's house is to the north. Trees dot the yard.

You see Rosalita off to the west, gathering her purse and her sunglasses. She hasn't seen you yet. You watch as she walks up the steps and into the house, closing the door.
action: Go west
response: The street stretches behind you, and Rosalita's house looms before you. The steps up to the front door are freshly cleaned, and bright blue drapes frame the windows. Rosalita's car is parked in front of you.

Her front door is to the north.
action: Go north
response: You knock on the door and Rosalita answers, with Cindy in the background turning to watch. A smile flashes on her face. "Chuck!" she says, and runs to embrace you. She steps back. "I wanted to see you before you go, but I..."

"Yeah, I know. I wasn't going to come here, but I just wanted to say goodbye."

"We talked all afternoon, remembering old times. It felt good. Now, I would never share this on my own, but just to be completely frank, we spent the night together, and the next day I sent flowers. I'd prefer not to go in more detail."

"And that's what happened."

[New topic - Tryst]

You clear your mind, and return to yourself.


Spare Office
This comfortable office is mostly empty, but the owner's thoughtful personality is still evident in the azure carpet and the sky-blue walls. Lighter patches on the walls show where posters, picture frames and bulletin boards once hung. A navy blue door leads east to
the hallway. A long desk has been shoved out of the way, and a single chair remains. The carpet is still dented from furniture legs.

Chuck sits in the chair, trying not to look exhausted.

A fly lands on Chuck's hair. He doesn't notice. It soon flies away.
action: You say the tryst
response: (to Chuck)
You ask, "So you spent the whole night with Rosalita last week?"

"Last week? Oh, yes, yes I did," he says.

"And you felt like hiding this fact?"

He slowly shrugs. "I'm sorry officer, I know it looks bad. But listen, would I have killed her if we were just getting back together?"

"I don't know, Chuck. I hope for your sake that that's all you lied about." He shrugs again.
action: Your thoughts
response: Current thoughts:
Tryst - "Chuck spent all night with Rosalita last Wednesday." Conversation - "Chuck said that he didn't talk to Morales, but
Danny claims that they did talk."
Missing - "Maia found a stack of receipts that Danny said was accounted for."
Hidden - "Maia found a bunch of receipts hidden in the studio."
Buses - "Maia said she took a bus home, but Cindy said the buses weren't running."
Home - "Maia took the bus home after talking with Rosalita." Speechless - "Chuck claims he didn't have a chance to talk with Rosalita on Wednesday afternoon."
Volunteer - "Rosalita told Danny she was at the shelter Wednesday night."
Troubled - "Rosalita was troubled by something when Danny spoke to
her last."
Flowers - "Chuck sent Rosalita flowers the day after they talked." Records - "All receipts and files for KOLR were accounted for last year."
Stranger - "Cindy saw a strange man in a yellow poncho hovering
over Rosalita Morales."
Parade - "The streets were closed down for a parade all morning." Accounting - "Cindy did the accounting for Roses for Rehab"
Death - "Rosalita was shot on February 29th in her office."
Sister - "Maia Morales was Rosalita's sister."
Secretary - "Cindy Jalcek was Rosalita's Secretary."
Ex - "Chuck Lee is the former husband of Rosalita Morales."
Partner - "Daniel Kostopoulos was the business partner of Rosalita Morales."
Statement - "You need to take the statements of the suspects"
Greeting - "You need to introduce yourself to the suspects." Assistance - "The chief is always willing to give you help. (This gives a basic tutorial)."
Suspicion - "The Chief thinks that someone close to her was
involved in her death."
Testament - "Rosalita left all of her possessions to four people in her will."
action: Link troubled to missing
response: You can't link those.

Rain patters on the window.
action: Link troubled to hidden
response: You can't link those.

If you strain to listen, you think you can hear singing from somewhere.
action: Go east
response: You are standing in a dim hallway with muddy carpet and beige walls. A battered navy blue door leads to the west. A heavy
seaweed-green door to the east is labelled "Studio". A red
On-Air light is mounted next to the door. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing Rapture.
action: Go south
response: The neutral tones suggest a professional but boring atmosphere. A faded rainbow stencil on the wall invites you to KOL studios; the R has worn off. The sepia-hued front desk hardly fits in this cramped room, but the beige ceiling is quite high; it looks like it was once part of a larger room. The muddy carpet is scuffed and worn, curling up on the edges. One of the off-white fluorescent lights in the ceiling flickers intermittently, and another buzzes at the edge of hearing. The smell of burnt popcorn wafts in from a break room to the west. The doorway to the north leads to the hallway. The
parking lot is back to the south, and a bathroom door stands to the east. An ivory telephone sits on the desk.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for "Who Killed the Robins Family?".
action: You go to the west
response: The stench of burnt popcorn lingers in the air. A microwave with a thin tan layer of grease sits in the corner. A tawny brown vending machine sags in the corner with half of its buttons darkened or flickering. A small oat-colored fan is oscillating in the center, trying to clear out the smell. A few coffee-stained tables and several chairs are scattered around the room. The lobby is back to the
east.

Cindy is sitting at a table.

Cindy pops her neck.
action: You say the tryst
response: (to Cindy)
"Cindy, Chuck admitted that he spent the night with Rosalita last week."

"I knew it. I just knew it." She shakes her head. "He...But I can't fault him. They were married for a long, long time. They probably still loved each other, you know?"

"Did you know anything about it?"

"I mean, I saw the flowers he sent her, but I didn't know they were together. But it doesn't surprise me. Although now I wonder
what Danny's up to; he told me she was at the shelter last Wednesday."
action: Link volunteer to tryst
response: Danny claims that Rosalita was volunteering at a shelter on Wednesday, but Chuck says she was with him.

[New topic - Absent]

Cindy runs her finger over the table, feeling the dents and stains.
action: You go east
response: The neutral tones suggest a professional but boring atmosphere. A faded rainbow stencil on the wall invites you to KOL studios; the R has worn off. The sepia-hued front desk hardly fits in this cramped room, but the beige ceiling is quite high; it looks like it was once part of a larger room. The muddy carpet is scuffed and worn, curling up on the edges. One of the off-white fluorescent lights in the ceiling flickers intermittently. Another light buzzes at the edge of your hearing. The smell of burnt popcorn wafts in from a break room to the west. The doorway to the north leads to the hallway.
The parking lot is back to the south, and a bathroom door stands to the east. An ivory telephone sits on the desk.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for Ronald Reagan.
action: Go north
response: You are standing in a dim hallway with muddy carpet and beige walls. A battered navy blue door leads to the west. A heavy
seaweed-green door to the east is labelled "Studio". A red
On-Air light is mounted next to the door. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing Too Much Heaven.
action: Go north
response: You move carefully through the dim and narrow hallway. It smells of cleaner mingled with faint perfume. It terminates to the north
at a hazel wood door. Its smooth surface is polished and warm in the chill hallway. A nameplate next to the door reads "Rosalita Morales". To the west hangs an apple red door, with a nameplate saying
"Daniel Kostopolous". To the east is a narrow metal closet
door.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing Too Much Heaven.
action: Go west
response: This office is decorated with flashy shades of red. It's large enough to fit a massive cherry desk, rows of mahogany bookshelves, and a battered scarlet cabinet. The walls are empty and clean, although the paint is patchy in spots, reaching to a textured plaster ceiling. A wine red floor lamp in the corner has been turned off. The blinds are open to the dim light from outside, punctuated by flashes of lightning. The soft rose carpet is matted and ragged, but looks recently cleaned.

Danny is highly irritated. He is breathing deeply, trying to relax.

Danny takes off his glasses to wipe them with his sweater, then returns them to his face.
action: You say absent
response: (to Danny)
"Danny, you said that Rosalita volunteered at the shelter last Wednesday, but Chuck says they spent the night."

He shakes his head. "I can't believe it..."

He looks up at you. "Why would Rosalita lie to me? Why?" His face turns reddish. "That woman..."

Danny furrows his brow and looks at the floor. He chews on his lip, then speaks. "I wasn't being completely honest about my conversation with Rosalita. There's more that I need to tell you."

"Sounds like we need to go over your statement again."
action: You say the statement
response: (to Danny)
"Tell me your story again."

"Of course, officer."

You lean back as Danny gives you a statement. You can picture it all in your head...

This studio is the jewel of the station; a green-colored jewel, like an emerald, you suppose. The walls, floor, and ceiling are thickened and hollowed, covered with acoustic panels. The microphones hanging from the ceiling are vintage, from the golden era of broadcasting, when they made microphones right. You constructed the table in the center out of soft wood. The chairs, though, are just left over from the last tenants, years ago. The soundproof door to the west
leads to the hallway. The control room is to the east, but the technician is still reviewing the show before broadcast.

"I'm Danny Kostopolous, the Voice of the Heartland. Join me tomorrow, when I'll present my top ten government agencies that need to be eliminated. Thanks for listening."

You pause until your theme song finishes playing. The technician from the control room gives you a thumbs up. You switch off your microphone.

You stand up. You sigh. If your suspicions are true, you're going to have to confront Rosalita. But you need to be absolutely sure; the annual report is in your filing cabinet, where she can't get it.
action: You go to the north
response: This hallway always smells like Rosalita; she loves Chanel No. 5. Her office lies to the north. Her plain hazel wood door is not
nearly as impressive as your bright red door to the west. The
closet to the east is the receptionist's.

The radio is playing Sister Christian.
action: You go to the west
response: Your spacious office is neat and tidy; the receptionist must have cleaned it up. Bookshelves line two walls, stuffed with overflow from Chuck's office. Your heavy desk sits in the middle of the room with a black swivel chair pushed close to it. The large window that you pushed hard for stretches across one wall, and your soft carpet cushions your feet.

The cabinet with your documents is here. All you really need is the report, though.
action: You look up the report
response: Paging through the report, your suspicions are confirmed. The amount KOLR donated to Roses for Rehab last year is less than you raised personally at your gala. There must be far more money than is being reported here. You could look at the bank reconciliation, but you already have enough information here.

How is this possible? You have to talk to Rosalita.
action: Go east
response: This hallway always smells like Rosalita; she loves Chanel No. 5. Her office lies to the north. Her plain hazel wood door is not
nearly as impressive as your bright red door to the west. The
closet to the east is the receptionist's.

The radio is playing an ad for "Amadeus".
action: Go north
response: (first opening the hazel door)

This huge office sprawls across the north side of the building. You offered it to her when you moved here. A tall desk chair upholstered with crimson leather dominates the room behind an art deco desk. Bookshelves crawl up the walls, illuminated by giant windows with burgundy drapes.

Rosalita is wearing a muted pink dress with a black suit jacket. A large carnation is pinned to her lapel. Her brown hair dips low over one eye and is pulled into a low ponytail behind her. The creases under her eyes and at the corners of her mouth are deeper than they were a year ago.

On the desk is a vase of flowers with a note that draws your attention.
action: You talk to Rosa
response: (Rosalita)

Rosalita speaks first. "Danny, I'm glad you're here. Have you had a chance to review the annual report?"

"Just finished looking over it."

She stands and rubs her eyes. They look red. You ask, "Rosalita, are you okay?"

"It's nothing. It's just that it's getting harder each year to get advertisers, you know? Everyone's moving over to television."

"You've got your cassete sales."

She smiles wryly, but then the smile fades.

"Rosalita, listen," you continue, "If there's something going on, you can tell me."

She shakes her head. "I'm fine." She walks to the door, and hesitates.
action: You talk to Rosa
response: (Rosalita)
You pause.

"Rosalita, I've checked the numbers. I know about Roses for Rehab."

She presses her lips together, and closes her eyes as tears run down her cheek. "Oh Danny, I'm so glad you know. It's been torture."

"I can't say I really feel sorry for you, Rosalita. That money--people really thought they were doing something good with it, like it meant something. And you just took it."

"Danny, I know, I know, I know. Listen, I'm going to write them a check, later in the week. I'm going to give the money back... I can't sleep, I can hardly eat, it's been torture. "

"Rosalita..."

I-I just-" She stands still for a moment, then gives you a hurried hug before rushing out the door and down the hallway.

[New topic - Fraud]
action: You go south
response: This hallway always smells like Rosalita; she loves Chanel No. 5. Her office lies to the north. Her plain hazel wood door is not
nearly as impressive as your bright red door to the west. The
closet to the east is the receptionist's.

The radio is playing Footloose.
action: You go to the south
response: You're just outside the studio door, by Chuck's old office. Still stings each time you walk by. The On-Air light is turned off. Your office and Rosa's are to the north. You can also go
south to return to the lobby.

The radio is playing Footloose.
action: Go south
response: The lobby is the first thing visitors see when they visit KOLR, so you try to keep it looking good. As you cast about a critical eye, you notice that the stencil on the wall is wearing off. It'll need repainting in about a month. The carpet is clean, but it's looking worn out. The front desk looks pretty good, so you can keep that for a while. The buzzing of one of the lights resonates in your skull in a painful way; that's got to get fixed quick. The offices are back to the north, and the parking lot is south. You can also
reach the bathroom or the break room from here, but you prefer to spend as little time in those two rooms as possible.

Cindy is here, answering phone calls.

"Yeah, Janet told me about it, it's called a Synpiece and you wear it like a contact lens. It's so weird."
action: You go south
response: "But she was gone, Detective. And that's what happened."

You clear your mind, and return to yourself.


Danny's Office
This office is decorated with flashy shades of red. It's large enough to fit a massive cherry desk, rows of mahogany bookshelves, and a battered scarlet cabinet. The walls are empty and clean, although the paint is patchy in spots, reaching to a textured plaster ceiling. A wine red floor lamp in the corner has been turned off. The blinds are open to the dim light from outside, punctuated by flashes of lightning. The soft rose carpet is matted and ragged, but looks recently cleaned.

Danny is highly irritated. He is breathing deeply, trying to relax.

Danny scratches his ear.
action: You say the fraud
response: (to Danny)
"Tell me again about Rosalita's charity."

"Listen, I'll try to keep it simple for you. Roses For Rehab has fundraisers every year. It's a big deal around here, everyone gets in on it. But I checked the records, and the numbers just weren't adding up. I confronted Rosalita about it, and she confessed to stealing it, then ran off. That's the last I ever saw her."

"Does anyone else know about this?"

"I don't know; Cindy did everything with Rosalita, maybe she would know."

"I'm not sure she'll talk to me. She might deny working with Rosalita."

"Did she tell you anything about it before?" he asks.
action: You link the fraud to troubled
response: You can't link those.

Danny rubs his knee, a grimace crossing his face.
action: Your thoughts
response: Current thoughts:
Fraud - "Rosalita Morales was defrauding her charity before she
died."
Absent - "Rosalita told Danny she was at the shelter, but she was
with Chuck."
Tryst - "Chuck spent all night with Rosalita last Wednesday." Conversation - "Chuck said that he didn't talk to Morales, but
Danny claims that they did talk."
Missing - "Maia found a stack of receipts that Danny said was accounted for."
Hidden - "Maia found a bunch of receipts hidden in the studio."
Buses - "Maia said she took a bus home, but Cindy said the buses weren't running."
Home - "Maia took the bus home after talking with Rosalita." Speechless - "Chuck claims he didn't have a chance to talk with Rosalita on Wednesday afternoon."
Volunteer - "Rosalita told Danny she was at the shelter Wednesday night."
Troubled - "Rosalita was troubled by something when Danny spoke to
her last."
Flowers - "Chuck sent Rosalita flowers the day after they talked." Records - "All receipts and files for KOLR were accounted for last year."
Stranger - "Cindy saw a strange man in a yellow poncho hovering
over Rosalita Morales."
Parade - "The streets were closed down for a parade all morning." Accounting - "Cindy did the accounting for Roses for Rehab"
Death - "Rosalita was shot on February 29th in her office."
Sister - "Maia Morales was Rosalita's sister."
Secretary - "Cindy Jalcek was Rosalita's Secretary."
Ex - "Chuck Lee is the former husband of Rosalita Morales."
Partner - "Daniel Kostopoulos was the business partner of Rosalita Morales."
Statement - "You need to take the statements of the suspects"
Greeting - "You need to introduce yourself to the suspects." Assistance - "The chief is always willing to give you help. (This gives a basic tutorial)."
Suspicion - "The Chief thinks that someone close to her was
involved in her death."
Testament - "Rosalita left all of her possessions to four people in her will."
action: You link the fraud to missing
response: You can't link those.

Danny tries to pick something out of his teeth covertly.
action: Go east
response: You move carefully through the dim and narrow hallway. It smells of cleaner mingled with faint perfume. It terminates to the north
at a hazel wood door. Its smooth surface is polished and warm in the chill hallway. A nameplate next to the door reads "Rosalita Morales". To the west hangs an apple red door, with a nameplate saying
"Daniel Kostopolous". To the east is a narrow metal closet
door.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for Walter Mondale.
action: Go south
response: You are standing in a dim hallway with muddy carpet and beige walls. A battered navy blue door leads to the west. A heavy
seaweed-green door to the east is labelled "Studio". A red
On-Air light is mounted next to the door. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for Jeopardy.
action: Go south
response: The neutral tones suggest a professional but boring atmosphere. A faded rainbow stencil on the wall invites you to KOL studios; the R has worn off. The sepia-hued front desk hardly fits in this cramped room, but the beige ceiling is quite high; it looks like it was once part of a larger room. The muddy carpet is scuffed and worn, curling up on the edges. One of the off-white fluorescent lights in the ceiling flickers intermittently, and another buzzes at the edge of hearing. The smell of burnt popcorn wafts in from a break room to the west. The doorway to the north leads to the hallway. The
parking lot is back to the south, and a bathroom door stands to the east. An ivory telephone sits on the desk.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing Think of Laura.
action: You go to the west
response: The stench of burnt popcorn lingers in the air. A microwave with a thin tan layer of grease sits in the corner. A tawny brown vending machine sags in the corner with half of its buttons darkened or flickering. A small oat-colored fan is oscillating in the center, trying to clear out the smell. A few coffee-stained tables and several chairs are scattered around the room. The lobby is back to the
east.

Cindy is sitting at a table.

The fan clicks and sputters.
action: You link the fraud to absent
response: You can't link those.

Cindy hums a short song.
action: You say the fraud
response: (to Cindy)
"I've been informed that Rosalita was stealing money from Roses for Rehab."

Cindy goes as pale as a sheet. "Oh, no..."

"Do you know anything about this?"

"No, no, no... I wasn't a part of this. I wasn't involved."

Something tickles the back of your brain... something Cindy said earlier...
action: You link the fraud to the accounting
response: Rosalita was defrauding Roses for Rehab, and Cindy did all of the accounting. Cindy must have been involved.

[New topic - Accomplice]

The lights flicker for a moment, and the fan slows. Then they pick up again.
action: You say the accomplice
response: (to Cindy)
"I've been informed that Rosalita was stealing money from Roses for Rehab before her death. And that you were involved."

Cindy looks surprised for a moment. Then a look of panic crosses her face.

"Cindy, you were Rosalita's personal assistant. These are serious allegations. You may have to be taken into custody if you're involved."

Her eyes harden, and she sits up straighter. "What if I made you a deal? Gave you some bigger fish to fry?"

"I can't make any promises, but if you cooperate in this investigation, your sentence may be reduced."

"Listen, I'm changing my statement. I have to tell you the truth. But you have to promise to work with me."

"I'll do what I can."
action: You say the statement
response: (to Cindy)
"Tell me your story again."

"Fine."

You lean back as Cindy gives you a statement. You can picture it all in your head...


Parking Lot
The dawn sun smiles on you as you stand in the parking lot, and you smile back. Looks like you got here just in time; the lot is starting to fill up, and that means the studio will open soon. The wind cuts through your jacket like a knife, but the smell of rice and hot oil from the Chinese restaurant warms your heart. You know where you're getting lunch today. The lobby door is north from here.

The bus drops you off, then gasps and wheezes away. You're lucky you got here in time; the police were closing off the streets for a parade. The next bus isn't until noon.

Time to get to work.
action: You go north
response: This lobby is much bigger than the one at your old receptionist job. You glance at the KOLR logo you stenciled on the wall your first week; it always comforts you. The ceiling in this room is ten feet high, and your desk is huge. You've vacuumed this carpet so many times that it's almost worn through in places. The lights in the ceiling are wigging out again, you'll have to replace them, but the stepladder has been missing for weeks. The doorway to the north leads to the
hallway. The parking lot is back to the south, and the bathroom is to the east.

The phone sits on the desk.

The unmistakable stench of burning popcorn rolls in from the break room to the west.

You see Rosalita coming out of the break room. She seems lost in thought. "Oh, Cindy, it's you!" She looks around, and leans in. "Listen, my sister's in the break room again. Can you make sure she leaves? I have to talk to Chuck in a few minutes, and I don't want her to be here."

You nod, and she walks into the hallway. She turns around and beckons you closer. "I'm worried that he knows about Roses for Rehab. You know what will happen to both of us if he does." With that, she walks to her office.

The radio is playing Harden Heart.
action: Go west
response: This lobby is much bigger than the one at your old receptionist job. You glance at the KOLR logo you stenciled on the wall your first week; it always comforts you. The ceiling in this room is ten feet high, and your desk is huge. You've vacuumed this carpet so many times that it's almost worn through in places. The lights in the ceiling are wigging out again, you'll have to replace them, but the stepladder has been missing for weeks. The doorway to the north leads to the
hallway. The parking lot is back to the south, and the bathroom is to the east.

The phone sits on the desk.

The unmistakable stench of burning popcorn rolls in from the break room to the west.

As you rush in to find the source of the smell, you smack into someone and knock them to the ground!

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" you say. Your victim rolls over, revealing a mop of green hair.

"Oh," you say. "It's you." You frown, but lift her up. You say, "Rosalita said to make sure you left the station. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to go; I just have to take care of something real quick." Maia frowns and walks away back to the lobby and out of sight.

The radio is playing Harden Heart.
action: You go west
response: The vending machine is still on the fritz; you called the manufacturer three times in the last week, and you'll have to call them again. A few tables and several chairs are scattered around the room. The smell of burnt popcorn overpowers you. The lobby is back to the east.

Smoke billows from the microwave. Something's burning!
action: You go east
response: You look around, but Maia seems to be gone.

This lobby is much bigger than the one at your old receptionist job. You glance at the KOLR logo you stenciled on the wall your first week; it always comforts you. The ceiling in this room is ten feet high, and your desk is huge. You've vacuumed this carpet so many times that it's almost worn through in places. The lights in the ceiling are wigging out again, you'll have to replace them, but the stepladder has been missing for weeks. The doorway to the north leads to the
hallway. The parking lot is back to the south, and the bathroom is to the east.

The phone sits on the desk.

The unmistakable stench of burning popcorn still leaks in from the break room to the west.

The radio is playing Harden Heart.

The bag of popcorn is smoking in your hands.
action: You go to the east
response: At least the bathroom's moldy smell will help cover up the popcorn. You don't know why they won't let you remodel this bathroom, clearly the walls are crawling with mold. But at least it makes your job easier when nobody uses it. Even the sink is pretty clean, below the mirror, and the trash can is empty. Oh, looks like the paper towel dispenser is empty too. Oops. The toilet itself squats in a corner.

The bag of popcorn is smoking in your hands.
action: You put the popcorn in the toilet
response: Good idea! Now you can flush it down.
action: Flush
response: You flush the popcorn down the toilet. It disappears, thankfully, but the toilet starts backing up. Crap! Well, actually, just water, but still, you're glad no one uses this toilet.

You've got to deal with that smell in the break room, now. Time to get the fan from the closet.
action: Go west
response: This lobby is much bigger than the one at your old receptionist job. You glance at the KOLR logo you stenciled on the wall your first week; it always comforts you. The ceiling in this room is ten feet high, and your desk is huge. You've vacuumed this carpet so many times that it's almost worn through in places. The lights in the ceiling are wigging out again, you'll have to replace them, but the stepladder has been missing for weeks. The doorway to the north leads to the
hallway. The parking lot is back to the south, and the bathroom is to the east.

The phone sits on the desk.

The unmistakable stench of burning popcorn still leaks in from the break room to the west.

You hear the doors open, and you turn. You see Chuck, smiling.

You frown. "What are you doing back here?"

His smile deepens. "I have a "business" meeting with Rosalita."

You smile as well. "You did it!" You kiss him on the cheek. "I can't believe you gave her those flowers after your last meeting. She wanted to throw them away, but Danny saw them already."

He nods, but his thoughts are elsewhere. "In 15 minutes, we'll get our last installment."

"Does she know about me?" you ask.

"I haven't told her yet; she's got some dirt on you too, you know. Best to keep her in the dark for now."

"Tell me how it goes," you say. He smiles, and walks down the hallway.

The radio is playing Harden Heart.
action: Go north
response: You've scrubbed the walls in this hallway a hundred times, and they are clean as a whistle. Chuck's office lies to the west.
Looking closer, it seems like someone's gouged his door. You'll have to repaint it. The studio to the east is closed, and the On-Air
light is glowing. Someone must be recording. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

The radio is playing Harden Heart.
action: Go north
response: The hallway from the south ends here. Rosalita's wooden door
stands to the north. Danny's hand-carved door is to the
west. And your very own bright yellow door lies to the
east: the janitor's closet.

The radio is playing Harden Heart.
action: Go east
response: (first opening the closet door)
You yank hard on the handle of the door. Everyone thinks you lock it, but it's just really, really hard to open.

The walls are thin in this closet. You can make out snatches of conversation. You hear Chuck mention "Rehab", "charity", and "money". Just like you planned.

You take the fan to the break room and turn it on, then come back to the office. You press your ear to the door.

"I can't give you any more, Chuck. You're asking for too much. "

"Rosalita, no!" There are the sounds of a struggle. Someone's getting hurt in there! You go to open the door when you hear a loud gunshot. You drop to the floor and remain motionless.

Chuck opens the door, his face ashen and a gun in his hand. "Cindy, it went bad, "it went really bad. She had a gun. We have to figure something out."

"Maybe we can-"

"Cindy, look!" Chuck says, pointing down the hall. You turn and look. The On-Air light is on!

"Chuck, just go, go! Get rid of that thing! I'll call the cops and tell them it was an intruder. Just get out of here!"

Chuck runs down the hall. You head to the lobby to call the police.

"And now, officer, you know the truth."

You clear your mind, and return to yourself.


Break Room
The stench of burnt popcorn lingers in the air. A microwave with a thin tan layer of grease sits in the corner. A tawny brown vending machine sags in the corner with half of its buttons darkened or flickering. A small oat-colored fan is oscillating in the center, trying to clear out the smell. A few coffee-stained tables and several chairs are scattered around the room. The lobby is back to the
east.

Cindy is sitting at a table.

[New topic - Truth]

Now that  you know what happened, you have to do something.

The stench of burnt popcorn lingers in the air. A microwave with a thin tan layer of grease sits in the corner. A tawny brown vending machine sags in the corner with half of its buttons darkened or flickering. A small oat-colored fan is oscillating in the center, trying to clear out the smell. A few coffee-stained tables and several chairs are scattered around the room. The lobby is back to the
east.

Cindy is sitting at a table.

Cindy looks like she's going to be sick, but she recovers.
action: Go east
response: The neutral tones suggest a professional but boring atmosphere. A faded rainbow stencil on the wall invites you to KOL studios; the R has worn off. The sepia-hued front desk hardly fits in this cramped room, but the beige ceiling is quite high; it looks like it was once part of a larger room. The muddy carpet is scuffed and worn, curling up on the edges. One of the off-white fluorescent lights in the ceiling flickers intermittently. There's a barely-audible buzz from another light. The smell of burnt popcorn wafts in from a break room to the west. The doorway to the north leads to the
hallway. The parking lot is back to the south, and a bathroom door stands to the east. An ivory telephone sits on the desk.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for the CD-ROM.
action: You go north
response: You are standing in a dim hallway with muddy carpet and beige walls. A battered navy blue door leads to the west. A heavy
seaweed-green door to the east is labelled "Studio". A red
On-Air light is mounted next to the door. The hallway extends to the north. You can also go south to return to the lobby.

From the speakers, you hear the radio quietly playing an ad for Karate lessons.
action: Go west
response: This comfortable office is mostly empty, but the owner's thoughtful personality is still evident in the azure carpet and the sky-blue walls. Lighter patches on the walls show where posters, picture frames and bulletin boards once hung. A navy blue door leads east to
the hallway. A long desk has been shoved out of the way, and a single chair remains. The carpet is still dented from furniture legs.

Chuck sits in the chair, trying not to look exhausted.

Chuck closes his eyes for a long moment.
action: You say the truth
response: (to Chuck)
Say, "Chuck, it's over. I know that you killed Rosalita."

Chuck looks you in the eyes. "Cindy told you, didn't she."

You say, "Mr. Lee, you're under arrest for the murder of Rosalita Morales."

Chuck is quiet. Thunder rumbles outside. He says, "Cindy...Did she tell you it was an accident? That it wasn't supposed to happen?"

You say, "You can tell us all about it at the police station. Would you care to step this way?"

Chuck nods and stands up slowly. You shepherd him down the hallway, passing the open doorways where the others are sneaking glances. You walk through the station doors together and into the night.

As you drive away, you turn on the radio; they're playing the end of another rerun of An Evening With Rosa:

"Thank you so much for sharing the evening with me. From all of us
at KOLR, I wish you a good night, and God bless.."