Self-Defense

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**Self Defense** is the seventh main case in *The Sinking City* following Deal with the Devil and preceding Fleeing Phoenix.

# Crown Theater

You start in the Crown Theater, right after entering and finding Johannes van der Berg's dead body. The following things can be inspected:

* The hat on the ground using his Mind's Eye (next to the #4 sign).
* Shell casings on the ground (next to the #2 sign).
* The medical kit next to van der Berg's corpse
* The bullet wounds on van der Berg.
* The circular item on the table using mind's eye.
* The bloodstains next to the telephone (#3 sign)
* Several books upstairs can also be inspected, (on the table and shelves)

this starts a retrocognition sequence,
1. van der Berg leading a man inside
2. another man pointing the gun at van der Berg
3. man fleeing, dropping his hat
4. man on the phone

Upon leaving the crime scene, Reed finds himself accused of the murder and sent to jail at the Oakmont Police Department.

# Oakmont Police Department

Some time after arriving at the police apartment Reed is bailed out by , either Graham or Brutus Carpenter, depending on who he supported in Fathers and Sons. After speaking to the man bailing him out, Reed can also speak to the officer near the entrance of the Police department.
From here, Reed needs to speak to his savior at Carpenter Manor.

# Carpenter Manor

After arriving, Reed can thank Graham or Brutus try to find out more about why he was arrested. Mr. Carpenter informs Reed that Milton Pierce claims to have witnessed Reed committing the crime.
He gave a statement to the police, saying he saw Reed murdering Johannes. The only other information that Mr. Carpenter can provide is that Milton Pierce is a prominent political voice who recently had an interview with the Oakmont Chronicle, and that he lives somewhere in Reed Heights.
From here, to get a more complete address, Reed heads to the Oakmont Chronicle and the archives there.

# Oakmont Chronicle

Once here, Reed can use the archives (People: Celebrities, Section: Articles and Interviews, District: Reed Heights), from this search Reed obtains a document entitled Pierce's interview which provides him with the address of the Apartment of Milton Pierce: Museum Avenue between Communion Road and Healog Street].

# Apartment of Milton Pierce

Once here, Reed can inspect a bloody handprint on a poster next to the door, he can also find a basket of bloody clothes in the basement. Reed can break the padlock to enter the apartment proper and can inspect the following things there.

* A box of posters next to the door
* A note to Milton Pierce from Johannes (on top of a short bookshelf
* A book on a small circular table near a couch
* A note entitled My fellow Oakmonters! on the same table.
* An empty bottle on the dining room table
* A newspaper article entitled New canidate for mayor framed on the wall
* Clothes hanging in a small wardrobe
* Knife on the desk in the bedroom
* A Letter from EOD on the same desk.
* A Letter from Throgmorton on a small vanity in the bedroom
* A bloody cloth under a basket

This initiates a retrocognition sequence
1. Men speaking at the door
2. Man drinking
3. Man changing clothes
4. Man carrying basket

From this, Reed learns that Milton left to speak at Oakmont City Hall, which is the next destination

# Oakmont City Hall

After searching the apartment, you go to the City Hall to meet him. After a short conversation, Milton tells Reed that the person he saw was certenly a newcomer, and offers to change his testimony if Reed poison his mother (Agatha Pierce), giving him the address to her home: Beacon Street near the corner of Bullock Street, in northern Oldgrove.

There are several ways to complete this case. You can either do what he asks to change his testimony, meaning poisoning his mother so he can get his inheritance and use it as funding for his campaign, or decide to find the real murderer right away.

If you choose the poisoning option, you have to go to Agatha Pierce's house and either poison her or change your mind and tell her about her son's plans. If you tell her, Milton won't change his statement. If you do, you have to go get a bottle of Chianti in her basement, clearing it of wylebeasts at the same time, and poison the drink.

You know that the real suspect is a newcomer and got recently married. This helps you located him thanks to the Oakmont City Hall archives, Reed can find a *Marriage license*

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This provides Reed with his next destination: Residence of Glenn Byers

## Residence of Glenn Byers

When meeting him, you can either choose to help his family, as he's been blackmailed to commit the murder, or force him to hand over the murder weapon. Charles also notice they look very much alike. You can choose if either Pierce knew it wasn't you or if he genuinely thought it was, and if Byers deserves mercy for his crime.
From here you will have some options, get Glenn Byers to confess, or frame Pierce for the murder.

## Option 1 : Get the real killer to confess

You explore Byers' apartment to find out what happened when his son and wife were kidnapped.
Exploring the apartment Reed can inspect the following things:

* Ransom note and a finger in an envelope on a desk near Byers.
* A suffregette card on the left side of the bed
* A seashell grammaphone on the right side of the bed.
* A bloody spade on the floor of the other upstairs room
* Boards on the floor
* Michael's diary, on a bed upstairs.
* Blood on the floor
* Scrap of cloth on the floor

After inspecting the evidence, a retrocognition sequence will begin:

* Man breaking down the door
* Woman being hit
* Man saying "Don't you dare touch my mom"
* Men leaving through the other door.

After this, Reed can speak to Glenn to get the key to the kitchen downstairs.

In the kitchen, Reed can inspect the following things:

* Broken box on the kitchen table
* Bottle on the table
* Letter in flower basket on dining room table.
* Leg next to the hole in the floor. (Use mind's eye)

In the basement, Reed can find a Torn bit of map in a leather container on the corpse.

> In the bag of a dead gang member I found a piece of map for the southern part of Salvation Harbor. One of the houses on Eel Street, north of the intersection with Skipper road, is marked with a red circle.
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This address leads Reed to the Gang Hideout. Once there, upstairs, behind an illusory wall, Reed will encounter Billy Drunnon again who is holding the Byers family hostage. After some dialog Reed can choose to fight and save the family, or leave.

Should reed choose to fight he will face several armed men with shotguns, rifles, and pistols. Afterwards, in the unlocked room, he can find several letters, and a key to the other upstairs room. In the locked room he will find the kidnapped Byers. In the other room upstairs Reed should pick up the Carefully folded letter on the table, which shows Milton Pierce agreeing to lie to the police. He tells them to find a place to hide while he goes back to speak with Glenn. Reed then can return to Glenns apartment and speak to him. After a short conversation Reed receives his confession.

After receiving the confession, all reed must do is return to Fred and provide the confession and the letter found at the Gang hideout and the carpenters will take care of the rest.

## Option 2: Frame Pierce

Reed, after convincing Glenn to tell him where the weapon is, heads downstairs to the kitchen to find it. It is underneath the sink. From here he takes the weapon back to Milton Pierces house, goes down into the basement and places it in the basket of bloody clothes. He takes a photograph then returns to Mr. Carpenters man with the evidence.

After this, regardless of the option chosen Reed will have a short vision inviting him to meet at the Devil's Reef Hotel.

# Devil's Reef Hotel

Once here, Reed can head upstairs to his room where he meets the curiously not-deceased Johannes van der Berg. He reveals he set up the entire "murder". He urges Reed to make the prophecy into truth, to take the Seal of Cthygonaar and open the gate, In order to actually have an impact on reality. He reveals more information about an archeologist named Joseph Hill and an address: Lumbert Street, between Healog Street and Hale Lane, in eastern Reed Heights.
Thus ends *Self-Defense* and begins *Fleeing Phoenix*

# Consequences

After completing this case one of the following notes can appear on the bulletin board in Reed's room in the Devils Reef Hotel depending on the choices made throughout the case.

* Criminal sentenced for life: Glenn Byers confesses to the crime, Reed does not kill Agatha Pierce, Reed asks Freed about clemency for Glenn.
* Politician executed!: Reed decided to frame Milton Pierce for the crime, Reed helps Byers family from hostage, Reed does not kill Agatha Pierce.