Start of a transcript of

THE Z-MACHINE MATTER
A Cold War Murder Mystery by Zack Urlocker
Release 1 / Serial number 110629 / Inform 7 build 6G60 (I6/v6.32 lib 6/12N) 
Copyright © 2011 Zack Urlocker
Game version 0.28 IntroComp - 06-29-2011 

You managed to wrap up the Arrowcraft Matter in LA and then headed up the coast to San Moreno for a little R&R. But things don't seem to be going as you planned.  It's a hot summer night and storm clouds have been gathering all evening. There's thunder and lightning in the distance and the power flickered a little while ago.

Act I - San Moreno
Identification number: //A8668DF5-DCEB-4A2E-96F1-51CAB6FE12F1//
Interpreter version 1.2.4 / VM 3.1.0 / Library serial number 080126
Standard Rules version 2/090402 by Graham Nelson
Exit Lister version 9 by Eric Eve
Measured Liquid version 2 by Emily Short
Telephones by George Tryfonas
Player Experience Upgrade version 1/110323 by Aaron Reed (Includes Approaches and Punctuation Removal by Emily Short, Epistemology by Eric Eve, Default Messages by Ron Newcomb, and Smarter Parser, Poor Man's Mistype, Numbered Disambiguation Choices, Small Kindnesses, Neutral Library Messages, Remembering, and Extended Grammar by Aaron Reed.)
Keyword Interface version 8 by Aaron Reed
Variable Time Control version 3 by Eric Eve
Glulx Text Effects version 4 by Emily Short

> look
Hotel Room
You're at the San Moreno Inn, room 108.  But there's nothing that makes this hotel room any different from any other, except perhaps the view --no doubt one of San Moreno's greatest ocean view parking lots. Still, you've got a desk, a dresser, a nightstand, a closet and your own bathroom.  So it could have been worse. The bathroom is to the east and there's a hallway to the south.

>desk
It's an old hotel desk, whose permanent cigarette burns and coffee stains show its age.  It has a small side drawer.

On the hotel desk are a gun and a hotel phone.

>take gun
Taken.

>dresser
It's a dilapidated wooden dresser.

On the dresser are a bottle of Dr Blank Cola, a bottle of Old Grue, an empty tumbler and an empty highball.

>nightstand
It's an old wooden nightstand, standing slightly crooked, with a small drawer that doesn't quite shut properly.

On the nightstand is a clock radio.

>open it
You open the nightstand drawer, revealing a bible.

>bible
It's an old copy of Gideon's Bible printed in 1938.  You flip through the pages and read a passage at random:
(Job 36:32) "Lightning is God's weapon.  He covers his hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark."

>e

Hotel Bathroom
The bathroom is cramped, dirty and home to several small spiders.  There's a sink, a toilet and a shower.  The hotel room is west.

Monica Robner is here with long auburn hair and a green dress.

You can also see a mirror and a counter (on which are a matchbook and a bottle of aspirin) here.

"Johnny," Monica says, "I was just fixing my makeup."

>matches
The matchbook is from The Brass Lantern in Cabeza Plana, ADeline 1308.  On the inside in pencil it's written: Tony -- CH 2481.

You take a note of this in your notebook.
(Note that your score, displayed in the upper right status line, has increased by 1.  Evidence will be automatically recorded in the notebook.  You can examine or consult the notebook about any entry.)

"Tell me, was someone calling on the phone earlier, darling?"

>tell monica about phone call
"Johnny, can't you leave this for the San Moreno Police to deal with?"

"Is there something you wanted to ask me?"

>ask monica about brass lantern
"The Brass Lantern is the best little night spot in Cabeza Plana. In fact it's the only night spot.  Charlie took me there on a couple of occasions.  It's kind of a rough roadhouse."

"Why don't you go make us some drinks."

>ask monica about charlie
"Charlie Tads is a nice man.  He's a bit old for me and not really my type.  He's worked with Dr Hugo forever, but I'm not sure I ever really trusted him.  There were times when I wondered what he was talking about.  But he took me to the Brass Lantern once in a while and that was nice."

"Now, I'd like some privacy, please."
"Why don't you get some music on that radio, Johnny."

>w

Hotel Room
You're at the San Moreno Inn, room 108.  But there's nothing that makes this hotel room any different from any other, except perhaps the view --no doubt one of San Moreno's greatest ocean view parking lots. Still, you've got a desk, a dresser, a nightstand, a closet and your own bathroom.  So it could have been worse. The bathroom is to the east and there's a hallway to the south.

>turn on radio
You switch the clock radio on.

...It's pitch dark, baby, and I don't know what to do...


>z
Time passes.

...That was "Lonesome Grue" by the Mike Berlin Jazz Band...


>z
Time passes.

...Looks like the Hollywood Stars / Angels game tonight has been called on account of rain...


>z
Time passes.

...And here's an important KTMS 1250 news flash...


You hear the sound of a toilet flush from the bathroom.

>z
Time passes.

...Klaus Fuchs, the arrested communist spy says he will name additional collaborators who worked with him at Los Alamos National Laboratory...


You decide to write this down in your notebook for later.

>open desk
You open the desk drawer, revealing a postcard.

...Now here's Liz Sir-Jones and the Raif Frotz Orchestra with their latest song...


>postcard
It's a postcard with a picture of the San Moreno Mission from the 1930s.  On the back it says "The San Moreno Mission and adobe villas of Cabeza Plana were restored by industrialist Blake Hugo, who worked closely with local Chumash Indians to understand and preserve their traditions."

...Hoop-dee-grue, Hoop-dee-grue...


>turn off radio
You switch the clock radio off.

>s
A woman's voice calls out from the bathroom.  "Johnny... wait.  We were having such a nice time. Tell me what's going on."  Monica Robner steps into the room and stands in front of the door.

>say goodbye to monica
"You're not going anywhere, buster."

>hint
There are things you can find in the hotel room & bathroom if you look around.

Other commands include: COMMANDS, TOPICS, SUSPECTS, ABOUT, HELP.

>hint
But you'll need to get past Monica.

>hint
There are several ways to get past Monica.

>hint
What would Monica like?

>hint
What would she dislike?

>kiss monica
You move in and kiss her.  She closes her eyes and leans into you, letting you.  But then after a moment she pulls back.  "Johnny, I... I can't do this," she says.  She's breathless and her cheeks are flushed.  "I should never have come to your room this late."  Then she grabs her purse, turns on her heels and heads out the door without even looking at you.

>s

Hotel Hallway
The corridor runs west to the lobby along a row of undistinguished hotel rooms. The dingy grey carpet is worn thin in spots.

The hallway lights flicker on and off.

>w
Hotel Lobby
The lobby is pretty quiet for this time of night.  Judging by the soft snoring noise, the desk clerk seems to be asleep in the back.

Sgt Duffy is here, waiting impatiently.

You can also see Front desk (on which is a San Moreno Informer) here.

A heavyset Sgt Duffy looks at his watch, nods and then steps up to you.
"Dollar?," he says, shaking your hand.  "Nice of you to finally make your way here.  I'm Sgt Duffy.  Apparently you've got some pretty big contacts in the insurance business.  The Captain told me to take you out to the Blakely Estate.  But remember, Dollar, this is my case.  Any questions or anything you want to tell me?"

The flickering neon sign of the hotel reflects dimly through the lobby windows.

>newspaper
You open the newspaper to reveal the front page story:

Thursday June 29, 1950  -  San Moreno Informer  -  Evening Edition
Scientist Reveals Plans for Fusion Demonstration
(Cabeza Plana) Local millionaire scientist Alan Hugo announced today that his company, Blakely Lab, is on the verge of a breakthrough in nuclear fusion.  "My senior scientist Paul Panks and I will demonstrate the power of nuclear energy with our Z-Machine fusion generator next week," Hugo told reporters. 

Hugo grew up in Cabeza Plana and taught Physics at Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts, before joining the Army in 1942. Hugo returned from the war a hero, helping to recruit prominent German scientists to the US at Los Alamos National Laboratory.  In 1947, Hugo returned to the family estate and founded Blakely Lab, named after his grandfather, the late Blakely Hugo, a local expert in the Chumash Indians.

You write this in your notebook.

You hear sounds of soft music and clinking glasses from the lobby bar to the west.

>show newspaper to duffy
(first taking the San Moreno Informer)
"Yep, I read about that press conference.  What they didn't say in the newspaper is that Dr Hugo and the Blakely Lab are running out of money.  We've heard he's in a serious jam.  You keep it."

You take note of this clue.

You can hear cars coming and going along the road in front of the hotel.

>ask duffy about blakely lab
"Dr Alan Hugo set up his Blakely Lab at the old estate and has been doing some kind of research into fusion generation.  But I guess they had an accident there and now his chief scientist, Paul Panks, is dead.  I'd have had a headstart if I didn't have to pick you up.  We sent a squad car over immediately to secure the place."

A couple of guys in dark suits stumble out of the bar, look at you oddly, and then head out of the lobby.

>ask duffy about panks
"Paul Panks was some kind of German scientist that Dr Hugo brought over after the war.  They worked together at Los Alamos before Hugo set up his own Blakely Lab."

You hear a loud crashing noise coming from the bar.

Sgt Duffy looks pointedly at his watch.

>ask duffy about accident
"Dollar, I've been a cop a long time and I've seen a lot of bad things.  A lot more than an east coast insurance dick with a desk job.  We'll investigate Paul Panks' death the best we can.  But I was stationed in Germany in the war, and I don't lose sleep over dead Nazi scientists, no matter what side of the fence they're on."

A dark sedan pulls up noisily in front of the hotel.

"Well, enough chit chat.  We're just wasting time.  Let's go."  Sgt Duffy gestures out to his waiting squad car and you walk out of the lobby together into the humid evening air.

Squad Car
You're in the passenger side of Sgt Duffy's police car.  Thankfully he's turned off the flashing lights as you drive out to Cabeza Plana.

Sgt Duffy is now driving.

>listen
You can just barely hear the car radio over the sound of the car's engine and Sgt Duffy's ongoing monologue.  "Tonight's Hollywood Stars game against the Los Angeles Angels has been called due to weather."
"Dollar, you're not really what I was expecting."

>ask duffy about himself
"Johnny, look, I've been on the force a long time.  So I know an ex-cop when I meet one.  Just remember we both gotta job to do here tonight.  Maybe we can split up and start asking people about their whereabouts."


>ask duffy about war
"Johnny, I fought in the Army during the war.  So believe me, going out to Cabeza Plana to investigate a death is not a big deal to me.  Maybe as a team we can figure this out."

"I hear all these stories about you --the famous insurance detective.  I figured you must be some kind of a stiff.  But you're alright...  Well, we'll be there in a few minutes and you can start questioning the witnesses at the house."

>topics
You can ask Sgt Duffy about the war, accident, Cabeza Plana, Paul Panks, Brass Lantern, San Moreno Informer, Tony. Or tell him about yourself, phone call, investigation or any of your discoveries.

>ask duffy about tony
"Lots of guys named Tony in this town.  But out at the Brass Lantern Tony Moriarty has a reputation as a bad actor.  If there's something illegal in Cabeza Plana, you can bet Tony is involved."

"This whole thing reminds me of a case I worked in LA back in '38, before the war.  It was front page news here.  A real high society murder.  I'm sure you've seen plenty of cases like that, am I right?  Seems like it was a long time ago now."

>ask duffy about deadline
"Deadline, yeah I get it, Dollar.  That's a good one.  The Captain says he wants answers by midnight."


Driveway
You arrive at the Blakely Estate.  There's an impressive circular driveway leading to a large adobe style house to the north with several low slung mission style buildings to the side.  Even in the pale moonlight, the building and grounds look immense.  To the north of you are front steps leading up to the house.

"Dollar, I'll let you out here and park the car. Ok, buddy?  I'll meet you inside after I radio the Captain to let him know our status."  Duffy drives the car around to the side of the house leaving you by yourself.

>n


Act II - The Blakely Estate

Front Steps
You're at the front steps of the Blakely Estate.  In the pale moonlight you can see that the adobe walls have chipped and crumbled in some spots. The windows are dirty and the garden has not been tended in quite some time.  The open front door is to the north leading to the front hall.

There's a quick flash of lightning and a slow, loud rumble of thunder and you realize you've got a deadline of midnight to gather evidence and testimony and report back to the police.

>n

Front Hall
The front hall opens onto a large adobe walled room with a tall ceiling.  To the north you can see a hallway running east and beyond that a kitchen area.  There is a spiral staircase that leads up to the second floor.  To the west is the hall closet.

A beautiful blonde woman in her early twenties greets you.  She has a glass in her hand.  "Hello there...  I'm Beverley Hugo.  You must be Mr Dollar, the insurance investigator the police said would be coming."

Beverley Hugo is here in an elegant black evening dress.

You can also see a small table (on which are a front hall phone and a wooden carving) here.

>say hello to beverley
"Well hello, sailor.  Is that the best you can do?"

>ask beverley about accident
"Mr Dollar, I hope you can get to the bottom of this faster than those bungling police.  We've had a dreadful thing happen with Dr Panks' death this evening."

>ask beverley about panks death
"I hate to speak ill of the dead, but it appears that Dr Panks was drinking gin all night and electrocuted himself on the Z-Machine.  Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?"

>ask beverley about z-machine
"Mr Dollar, I've been studying physics quite a bit when I was out east.  I have a few ideas of my own about fusion.   What would an insurance detective make of a beautiful blonde scientist?"

North of the front hall, you see an older, dark complexioned man walking down the hall heading east.  You hear a door slam shut.

>ask beverley about dark complexioned man
"Charlie Tads is daddy's most faithful employee.  I believe daddy asked great grandfather to send him out Miskatonic University to be his flunky.  Daddy's been unable to shake him ever since."

>ask beverley about whereabouts
"Mr Dollar, I was in bed when the accident happened.  I've just arrived earlier today by train from Arkham. My father picked me up at the station.  We had dinner around 7:00 pm, all of us together.  Then Mr Long wanted to go over some of my family history so we talked in the upstairs lounge for about an hour.  That was around 8:00 pm.  By 9:00 pm, I was tired, so I went upstairs to bed.  Alone, in case you were wondering."

You note this in your notebook.

Sgt Duffy steps into the room.  "Dollar, I see you've met Miss Hugo."

>ask duffy about beverley
Duffy whispers to you "You've met her, Dollar.  There's something about her that's not quite right."

>w

Hall Closet
A small closet used to store jackets, coats and the occasional umbrella.

You can see a coatrack (on which are a blue blazer, a black leather jacket, a long red raincoat and a white labcoat) here.

Sgt Duffy steps into the room.  "Dollar, I wish you'd stop wandering off like that.  We really should take a look at the crime scene, if you're ready."  Sgt Duffy gestures for you to follow him north toward the lab building and walks on ahead.

You hear the footsteps of someone walking down the front stairs and along a hallway.

>blazer
An elegant dark blue man's dinner jacket.

As you search the blazer you find it has an inside pocket containing a piece of paper.

>paper
It's small piece of paper with an official stamp and a hand-written receipt:

Southern Pacific Railroad  -  Cabeza Plana
Friday June 30, 1950 - First class tickets - $150.

This seems important enough to write down.

>take it
Taken.

You hear the clock tower off in the distance, reminding you'd better get moving.

>labcoat
A dirty white labcoat, whose pockets are stained.

As you search the labcoat, you notice deep in its pocket is a flask.

>flask
It's a small, pewter hip flask.  You unscrew the top and smell it.  It's full of schnapps.

You take note of this clue.

>take it
Taken.

>e

Front Hall
The front hall opens onto a large adobe walled room with a tall ceiling.  To the north you can see a hallway running east and beyond that a kitchen area.  There is a spiral staircase that leads up to the second floor.  To the west is the hall closet.

Beverley Hugo is here in an elegant black evening dress.

You can also see a small table (on which are a front hall phone and a wooden carving) here.

>n
Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Kitchen and to the south the Front Hall.

Sgt Duffy continues walking ahead of you.

"Come along, Dollar.  We haven't time to waste."  Sgt Duffy continues west down the hallway and then goes north to the dining room.

>n

Kitchen
The kitchen is spacious and equipped with all the conveniences you would expect: an icebox, oven, stove and a pantry area.  The windows open onto the backyard area.

You can see a kitchen table (on which is a LA Times) here.

An older, dark complexioned man nods at you.  "Hello there, I'm Charlie Tads.  I work for Mr Hugo.  How can I help you?"

>say hello to charlie
"Hello, Mr Dollar.  Was there something you wanted to ask me about?"

>ask charlie about whereabouts
"I don't even know where to begin, Mr Dollar.  Today seemed like any other day, and I've been working at the Blakeley Estate or for Mr Hugo just about my entire life.  This afternoon, I was working in the tool shop in the garage.  Since Mr Hugo sent the lab staff away for the long weekend, we had dinner here in the villa at 7pm.  After dinner, around 8, I went to my my room in the barracks, to listen to the Angels game.  I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I woke up when the lights were out, and there was a loud crash.  I guess that was the accident Panks had with the Z-Machine."

You note this in your notebook.

>ask charlie about chumash
"There are not so many Chumash around any more.  Many converted to Christianity at the San Moreno Mission.  Mr Blake was fascinated by the Chumash myths about higher dimensions and he inspired Mr Hugo to study it in a scientific fashion.  I don't know whether it can ever be understood by science alone, but Mr Hugo is certainly intent on it."

>ask charlie about higher dimensions
"In the Chumash view, there are worlds above and below our own.  Mr Hugo, and his grandfather before him, believe that with science they can break through to these higher dimensions.  But seeing the effects of forbidden knowledge on Dr Panks and on Mr Hugo's wife, I'm not always sure if this is the right thing.  Perhaps these dimensions were closed for a reason."

>ask charlie about hugo's wife
"Mr Dollar,  Hugo's wife, Amy Briggs, died back in 1940, when Miss Beverley was just a girl.  I was working as Mr Hugo's lab assistant at the time, out east at Miskatonic University.  Mr Blake Hugo wanted me to keep an eye on his son while he was out east."

You decide to write this down in your notebook for later.

Charlie Tads fidgets with his hands.  "Mr Hugo has asked me to help him get things in order."

>ask charlie about things
Charlie pauses, perhaps unsure of what to say next. "Mr Dollar, there are many things that require attention.  Lets leave it at that."

>s

Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Kitchen and to the south the Front Hall.

You hear a door open and slam shut.

>w
Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall. To the north you can see the Dining Room and to the south the Living Room.

You see Sgt Duffy waiting for you in the dining room to the north.

>n
Dining Room
The dining room has a large polished mahogany table that could easily sit a dozen people.  There are china cabinets with polished glassware along the wall.  There are large windows and a door to the north that opens onto the backyard area.

Sgt Duffy is walking briskly.

You can also see a mahogany table (on which is wedding photo) here.

"Come along, Dollar.  I want to wrap things up before the Brass Lantern closes.  The boys in the lab will be happy to analyze any evidence you find, but at midnight they all turn into pumpkins."  Sgt Duffy continues north out the building to the lab.

>n
The Backyard
You're outside the house. To the north is the lab building.  Off to the northeast is the barracks.

Sgt Duffy is walking briskly.

"Almost there, Dollar.  I'm sure you'll find this case interesting.  If you can make a determinition that there's been a crime, then I can make an arrest anytime needed."  Sgt Duffy continues north to the lab building.

>n
Research Office
The Research office is furnished with an old metal desk, a chair and a green filing cabinet.  There's a 1950 Hollywood Stars calendar on the wall.  To the west is the machine room.  You can see the backyard to the south.

Sgt Duffy leans against the filing cabinet.

"Dollar, you go on ahead into the machine room.  I'm sure you've seen worse.  I'll stop back in a few minutes."  Sgt Duffy directs you to the machine room to the west.

>desk
(the metal desk)
It's an old surplus military green metal desk that fits in with the overall spartan feel to the office.  It has a metal drawer.

On the metal desk is a Journal.

>journal
The journal has the Blakely Laboratory logo on the cover along with the date June, 1950 and Paul Panks' shakey signature.  You flip through the journal and notice that the last pages have been torn out.  You read a passage:
(June 5) "Request from AH to double voltage on Z-Machine.  Is it safe?  Told AH to fire that girl Monica.  She was asking too many questions."

You write this in your notebook.

>read it
The journal has the Blakely Laboratory logo on the cover along with the date June, 1950 and Paul Panks' shakey signature.  You read a passage:
 (June 10) "Latest experiments not going well.  Increasing pressure from AH.  Couldn't sleep last night -- tormented by strange voices.  Checked the lab --no one there."

>w

Machine room
This is a large, open room with high ceilings.  There's a foul smell in the air.  There's a corpse on the floor nearby.  Towards the center of the room is a large electronic machine.  To the west is the storage room and to the east is the Research office.

>corpse
Paul Panks' corpse lays on the ground, outlined in chalk.  The body is badly burned in parts and smells of charred flesh and alcohol.  You search the body and remove half of a torn $100 bill in his pocket, a train ticket to Mexico, and some keys.  You place the items on the ground.

You take a note of this in your notebook.

>bill
It's a crisp $100 bill torn in half, serial number Z 00069105.  You wonder what it means.

>train ticket
It's a first class ticket from Cabeza Plana to Mexico City.

>take bill and train ticket
torn $100 bill: Taken.
train ticket: Taken.

Sgt Duffy steps into the room.  "Dollar, I see you've searched the corpse.  What do you make of all this?  Anything you can tell me about?

>show ticket to duffy
"Looks like Panks was planning on taking a trip.  But was it an accident or did someone want to stop him?"

>ask duffy about body
(the corpse)
"Dollar, it's a mystery to me.  What do you make of the evidence on the body?  I was hoping you could shed some light on all this."

"Dollar, we should meet with some of the witnesses and see what we can learn, if you're all through here."  Sgt Duffy walks ahead and gestures for you to follow him to the living room.

>take keys
Taken.

>e

Research Office
The Research office is furnished with an old metal desk, a chair and a green filing cabinet.  There's a 1950 Hollywood Stars calendar on the wall.  To the west is the machine room.  You can see the backyard to the south.

>unlock cabinet with keys
You open Filing cabinet, revealing a satchel.

>satchel
It's a dark brown leather satchel.  There's a tag on it that says "PFC Charlie Tads".

>open it
You open the satchel, revealing an envelope of cash and bottles of pills.

>cash
The envelope contains several hundred dollars in various denominations including twenties, tens and even five dollar bills.

>pills
There are several bottles of prescription pills in the satchel.  The label says "Methamphetamine."

You write this in your notebook.

>s
The Backyard
You're outside the house. To the north is the lab building.  Off to the northeast is the barracks.

Sgt Duffy is walking briskly.

"Maybe you can learn something questioning these witnesses, Dollar.  They might open up more to you than to a cop like me.  Makes me wonder if they're hiding something.  Emile Long is staying in the guest room upstairs.  The rest should be around here somewhere."  Sgt Duffy continues towards the living room.

>s
Dining Room
The dining room has a large polished mahogany table that could easily sit a dozen people.  There are china cabinets with polished glassware along the wall.  There are large windows and a door to the north that opens onto the backyard area.

Sgt Duffy is walking quickly ahead.

You can also see a mahogany table (on which is wedding photo) here.

"Come along, Dollar.  The captain will have my head if we don't get some answers.  Let's go meet Alan Hugo."  Sgt Duffy continues south towards the living room.

>photo
It's a small black & white framed photo of a wedding party on the outside stairs of a limestone chapel.  From the looks of it you believe this is Alan Hugo and his bride.  You recognize a much younger Charlie Tads next to the groom.  There is a fourth person in the photo, a woman with dark hair you don't recognize.

On the back of the photo is an inscription "Miskatonic University Chapel, September 3, 1927" and below that "To your incredible journey, Charlie."

You take note of this clue.

>s
Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall. To the north you can see the Dining Room and to the south the Living Room.

You see Sgt Duffy waiting for you in the living room to the south.

>s

Living Room
The living room is spacious with tall ceilings and a large rug that covers much of the hardwood floors.  There's a fire burning in the fireplace.  Book shelves adorn the walls.

Suddenly there's another flash of lightning followed by a crash of thunder and and you see that Alan Hugo is here in the room with you.

Alan Hugo nods towards Sgt Duffy and then steps forward to meet you.  "Well Mr Dollar, I gather you've met my daughter Beverley.  I suppose you have some questions now that you've reviewed the scene of the accident."

Sgt Duffy is leaning against a book shelf.

Alan Hugo is here in a dark red jacket.

>say hello to alan
"Is there anything you can tell me about the case so far?"

>tell alan about pills
"If that Charlie Tads has got anything to do with illegal drugs, I should fire him right now.  He knows the rules here at Blakely Estate."

>ask alan about charlie
"Charlie Tads has been a friend of the family since I was a young man.  He was one of the local Chumash indian boys who worked for my grandfather, helping out around the workshop.   He followed me out to Arkham Massachusetts and worked in the university lab with me.  He was even my best man at my wedding.  When I joined the Army, he signed up and became my driver and man friday.  Coming from such a modest background, he's done well for himself."

Sgt Duffy says "I need to check on a few things with my men.  I'll leave you two to talk, if that's ok." Sgt Duffy steps out of the room and down the hall.

>ask alan about army
"Dollar, I was a ranking officer in the war and my role was to recruit German scientists over to the US.  We called it Operation Paperclip."

>ask alan about paperclip
"Operation Paperclip, is what we called it.  Officially I don't think you'll ever get anyone in Washington to use that name, but it was our project to recruit the top German nuclear scientists over to our side.  I helped bring over quite a few good men to Los Alamos National Laboratory.  I don't know that the top brass even understood the research we were doing into higher dimensions."

You write this in your notebook.

>ask alan about los alamos
"After the war, I brought some of the German scientists out to Los Alamos National Laboratory.  But not everyone there appreciated the research we were pursuing with the Z-Machine.  So it made sense for me to take a small crew and focus on this work independently."

>ask alan about fuchs
"Sure, I knew Fuchs.  There were alway rumors about him at Los Alamos.  Seems like he's been sending secrets to the other side, is that it?  But honestly, what Fuchs knew was a trifle compared to the experiments we're doing here.  We will break through to higher dimensions that Fuchs and others at Los Alamos never thought possible."

>ask alan about whereabouts
"I've had a long day, Mr Dollar. I picked up my daughter at the train station earlier today.  I also sent most of the staff away for the weekend.  I met with Paul this afternoon around 6pm to talk about a new formula he discovered that was key to a breakthrough with the Z-Machine.  We gathered everyone for dinner at 7pm.  After that, I was in my den doing some paperwork.  Around 8:45 Emile Long joined me in the den.  He's journalist over from England writing a profile about my company.  The lights went out and we assumed it was something to do with the electrical storm."

You take note of this clue.

Sgt Duffy steps into the room beckoning you.  "Dollar, if you're all set here, no doubt Mr Hugo has business to tend to."

>notebook
(You can also consult the notebook about any entry or type SUSPECTS for more specific information.)
The notebook contains 15 entries:
  9:43 pm - Matchbook
  9:47 pm - Radio report
  9:50 pm - San Moreno Informer
  9:51 pm - Alan Hugo's motive
  9:56 pm - Beverley's whereabouts
  9:58 pm - Receipt
  10:00 pm - Labcoat
  10:01 pm - Charlie's whereabouts
  10:03 pm - Amy Briggs death
  10:03 pm - Journal
  10:05 pm - Corpse
  10:11 pm - Wedding Photo
  10:11 pm - Drugs
  10:13 pm - German scientists
  10:14 pm - Alan's whereabouts

>consult notebook about german scientists
You read through your notebook for the entry on German scientists:
  Alan Hugo recruited german scientists to Los Alamos National Laboratory.

"Dollar, you should meet Emile Long, if you're done here."  Sgt Duffy steps out of the room and gestures for you to follow him north towards the dining room.

>consult notebook about journal
You read through your notebook for the entry on Journal:
  Paul Panks' journal is missing several pages.

>n

Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall. To the north you can see the Dining Room and to the south the Living Room.

Sgt Duffy is here.

>n
Dining Room
The dining room has a large polished mahogany table that could easily sit a dozen people.  There are china cabinets with polished glassware along the wall.  There are large windows and a door to the north that opens onto the backyard area.

You can see a mahogany table (on which is wedding photo) here.

>e

Kitchen
The kitchen is spacious and equipped with all the conveniences you would expect: an icebox, oven, stove and a pantry area.  The windows open onto the backyard area.

You can see a kitchen table (on which is a LA Times) here.

>la times
You open the newspaper to reveal the front page story:

Tuesday May 23, 1950  -  Los Angeles Times  -  Evening Edition
Second Russian Spy Arrested
(New York) Klaus Fuchs, a former Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist who was arrested in England last month on charges of espionage, has named a New York lab chemist, Harry Gold as his courier. Gold was arrested earlier this morning in New York.

This seems important enough to write down.

>s

Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Kitchen and to the south the Front Hall.

>e

Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Den and to the south a door that opens to the Garage.

>s

Garage
It's a large two car garage.  There are some storage cabinets against the wall and a workbench area with some tools.

Charlie Tads is here in a worn brown jacket.

>say hello to charlie
"I'm quite busy Mr Dollar, what do you want?

>ask charlie about pills
"I have a prescription for those, Mr Dollar."

>confront charlie
"Mr Dollar, the truth is much more complex than what you think."

>ask charlie about pills
"If you must know, I have a respitory ailment."

>ask charlie about dimensions
"In the Chumash view, there are worlds above and below our own.  Mr Hugo, and his grandfather before him, believe that with science they can break through to these higher dimensions.  But seeing the effects of forbidden knowledge on Dr Panks and on Mr Hugo's wife, I'm not always sure if this is the right thing.  Perhaps these dimensions were closed for a reason."

>tell charlie about rain delay
"Mr Dollar, I was listening to the baseball game in my room."

>confront charlie
"Mr Dollar, I cannot tell you everything, but what I am telling you is the truth."

>tell charlie about rain delay
"I admit, I may have misled you earlier.  I was not in my room all evening.  I had a rendez vous at the Brass Lantern.  But it was personal business, Mr Dollar."

>ask charlie about brass lantern
"The Chumash frown upon alcohol, but once in a while, I do go to the Brass Lantern for coffee after dinner.  Dr Panks used to go there quite frequently."

>ask charlie about flask
Charlie looks at you and then says "I believe that belongs to Dr Panks.  He was using a lot of alcohol lately, perhaps as a way to suppress his inner demons."

>n

Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Den and to the south a door that opens to the Garage.

>n

Den
The den has a sitting area, some book shelves and an old fashioned desk.  In the northeast corner is a closet.

You can see an office desk (on which is a letter from Davis Lebling) and a book shelf (on which are some books) here.

The lights flicker on and off.

>letter
You open the letter and read it:

Miskatonic University
Arkham, Massachusetts
October 15, 1949

Dear Alan,
It is with great regret that I write this letter.  We all had very high hopes for your daughter Beverley starting at old Miskatonic.  Perhaps one day she will be well enough to attend university and study Physics as you did so any years ago.  We understand that she has been recovering from a prolonged period of mental anxiety ever since your wife Amy's death.  We were willing to overlook her failing grades, given your generous past donations to the endowment fund.

However, we simply cannot have a student behave as recklessly as she has done.  Never before in my career have I had faculty and staff afraid for their lives.  For her safety as well as the safety of fellow students, we have sent her back to the Arkham Asylum for further treatment.

As your friend, this has not been an easy letter to write.  I'm sure you understand.  Once Beverley is well enough to operate independently, we can certainly bring her case back in front of the review board.

Sincerely,
Davis Lebling
Dean of Science

You take note of this clue.

You hear the sound of a door slam shut.

>desk
It's an old-fashioned wooden writing desk with a drawer in the center.

On the office desk is a letter from Davis Lebling.

You can hear a couple arguing about something.

>open desk
You open the center drawer, revealing a file folder.

The lights flicker on and off.

>folder
You open the folder and read it:

Arkham Asylum
Arkham, Massachusetts

Patient: Beverley Hugo
Diagnosis: Severe mental trauma.

Beverley Hugo has developed pathological and self-destructive behavior.  Not only is she a harm to herself, but she is harmful to others.  She exhibits classic symptoms of neurasthenia anxiety neurosis and occasional psychogenic fugue disorder.  She also has sociopathic tendencies and may be unable to function in normal relationships.

Recommend additional shock therapy.

This seems important enough to write down.

The lights flicker on and off.

>listen
The house is very quiet.  You strain your ears and in the distance you can hear an argument taking place, but it's hard to tell where it's coming from.

The lights flicker on and off.

>s

Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Den and to the south a door that opens to the Garage.

>w

Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Kitchen and to the south the Front Hall.

>s

Front Hall
The front hall opens onto a large adobe walled room with a tall ceiling.  To the north you can see a hallway running east and beyond that a kitchen area.  There is a spiral staircase that leads up to the second floor.  To the west is the hall closet.

Beverley Hugo is here in an elegant black evening dress.

You can also see a small table (on which are a front hall phone and a wooden carving) here.

>u

Second Floor Landing
A landing on the second floor opens to the upstairs of the house.  From here you can see the first floor foyer and part of the living room below.  There are three bedroom doors, one to the south and two along the Firstfloor Hallway that is north of you.  A spiral staircase leads back down to the first floor.

>n

Second Floor Hallway
The upstairs hallway runs east along the center of the house.  At the west end of the hall there's an endtable with photos.  There are several bedroom doors off the hallway to the east, south and north.

>n

Beverley's Bedroom
This appears to be Beverley Hugo's bedroom.  It's sparsely furnished with a white white desk, a bed and a window overlooking the backyard.

>desk
It's a white desk. It has a small right drawer on the right hand side.

On the white desk are a manual and a red purse (closed).

>manual
It appears to be an operational manual for the Z-Machine.

You note this in your notebook.

>purse
An expensive looking red leather purse.

You open the red purse, revealing several hundred dollar bills, a silver box, a red wallet and cologne.

>silver box
It's a silver cigarette box with a latch.

You open the silver box, revealing Juju cigarettes.

>jujus
There are several cigarettes with narrow gold bands.  They have a sickeningly sweet smell.

You decide to write this down in your notebook for later.

>smell
It smells of perfume and old lace curtains.

>s

Second Floor Hallway
The upstairs hallway runs east along the center of the house.  At the west end of the hall there's an endtable with photos.  There are several bedroom doors off the hallway to the east, south and north.

>s

Second Floor Landing
A landing on the second floor opens to the upstairs of the house.  From here you can see the first floor foyer and part of the living room below.  There are three bedroom doors, one to the south and two along the Firstfloor Hallway that is north of you.  A spiral staircase leads back down to the first floor.

>s

Guest Bedroom
This appears to be the guest bedroom.  There's a small writing table, a bed and a window overlooking the front of the house.  There's a small closet.

A dapper man in a stylish European cut suit and tie with a trim moustache greets you.  "Damn glad to meet you, Dollar, I'm Emile Long."

>table
It's a small writing table. It has a drawer on the left hand side.

On the small writing table is a portable typewriter (closed).

>typewriter
It appears to be a small portable typewriter.  You notice a short loop of wire protruding from the edge of the case.

>open it
You open the portable typewriter, revealing a transceiver.

>transceiver
It appears to be a long range transceiver with a copper wire antenna.  There are several dials, switches and knobs.

You note this in your notebook.

>suitcase
There are some folded clothes.  And underneath the clothes, a revolver.

>revolver
You recognize it as a Webley Scott Mk IV 38 caliber revolver, fully loaded.

You take note of this clue.

Emile Long looks out the window into the backyard.  "If you don't mind, Dollar, I'd like to get on with my writing."

>ask emile about revolver
"Dollar, that's mine and I'd like it back.  I'm fully licensed to have a sidearm.  I'll leave it in my room if it's all the same to you." 
"TTFN, Mr Dollar. I'll be downtairs if you need me. "  Emile steps out of the room heading east down the hallway.

>suit
A dark grey man's suit coat in a European style.

As you search the dark grey suit coat you find it has an inside pocket containing a large grey billfold.

>billfold
It's a large European billfold.  There are some English pound notes, several US dollar bills and a UK driver's license in the name of Emile Long.  There's also an FBI business card.

>business card
It's a business card from Sherman Howard, the Director of Liaison at the FBI, replete with an official looking government seal.  The phone number is DAkota 4578.

You note this in your notebook.

>n

Second Floor Landing
A landing on the second floor opens to the upstairs of the house.  From here you can see the first floor foyer and part of the living room below.  There are three bedroom doors, one to the south and two along the Firstfloor Hallway that is north of you.  A spiral staircase leads back down to the first floor.

>d

Front Hall
The front hall opens onto a large adobe walled room with a tall ceiling.  To the north you can see a hallway running east and beyond that a kitchen area.  There is a spiral staircase that leads up to the second floor.  To the west is the hall closet.

Beverley Hugo is here in an elegant black evening dress.

You can also see a small table (on which are a front hall phone and a wooden carving) here.

>n
Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Kitchen and to the south the Front Hall.

>n

Kitchen
The kitchen is spacious and equipped with all the conveniences you would expect: an icebox, oven, stove and a pantry area.  The windows open onto the backyard area.

You can see a kitchen table (on which is a LA Times) here.

>la times
You open the newspaper to reveal the front page story:

Tuesday May 23, 1950  -  Los Angeles Times  -  Evening Edition
Second Russian Spy Arrested
(New York) Klaus Fuchs, a former Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist who was arrested in England last month on charges of espionage, has named a New York lab chemist, Harry Gold as his courier. Gold was arrested earlier this morning in New York.

>notebook
The notebook contains 23 entries:
  9:43 pm - Matchbook
  9:47 pm - Radio report
  9:50 pm - San Moreno Informer
  9:51 pm - Alan Hugo's motive
  9:56 pm - Beverley's whereabouts
  9:58 pm - Receipt
  10:00 pm - Labcoat
  10:01 pm - Charlie's whereabouts
  10:03 pm - Amy Briggs death
  10:03 pm - Journal
  10:05 pm - Corpse
  10:11 pm - Wedding Photo
  10:11 pm - Drugs
  10:13 pm - German scientists
  10:14 pm - Alan's whereabouts
  10:17 pm - LA Times
  10:25 pm - University Letter
  10:26 pm - Arkham Asylum folder
  10:31 pm - Z-Machine manual
  10:32 pm - Juju cigarettes
  10:36 pm - Transceiver
  10:37 pm - Webley Scott Revolver
  10:39 pm - FBI business card

>w

Dining Room
The dining room has a large polished mahogany table that could easily sit a dozen people.  There are china cabinets with polished glassware along the wall.  There are large windows and a door to the north that opens onto the backyard area.

You can see a mahogany table (on which is wedding photo) here.

>s
Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall. To the north you can see the Dining Room and to the south the Living Room.

Sgt Duffy is here.

>e

Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Kitchen and to the south the Front Hall.

>e

Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Den and to the south a door that opens to the Garage.

>n

Den
The den has a sitting area, some book shelves and an old fashioned desk.  In the northeast corner is a closet.

Emile Long is here in a stylish European cut suit and tie.

You can also see an office desk (on which is a letter from Davis Lebling) and a book shelf (on which are some books) here.

The lights flicker on and off.

>ask emile about transceiver
Emile pauses before responding and looks around.  "Mr Dollar, it seems you've got me in a bit of a muddle.  I won't bother with the reporter act any longer.  But I'd like to keep it up in front of the others, if you would oblige me.  I'm here as a liaison from MI5 in London working with the FBI on a project called Operation Venona.  We've decrypted foreign cables that indicate there may be a possible defection of two Russian spies, codenamed Raven and Triad.  We don't know who, when or where, but we're covering all the bases, including Blakeley Lab.  Mum's the word though.  This is all top secret.  Hope that clears things up for you."

You take a note of this in your notebook.

The lights flicker on and off.

>ask emile about venona
"As I mentioned, Operation Venona is a joint project between MI5 and the FBI.  We've been able to intercept and decrypt some very important cables coming from foreign agents.  The evidence is pretty damning, I must say.  You've seen the arrests of Klaus Fuchs and Harry Gold.  We've got the evidence to put these lads to jail for a long, long time, thanks to Venona."

The lights flicker on and off.

>suspects
You consult your notebook and determine that the suspects are as follows:
 Alan Hugo: is a suspect.
 Beverley Hugo: is a suspect.
 Charlie Tads: is a suspect.
 Dietrich Plotkin: has not been met yet.
 Emile Long: is no longer a suspect since you learned he is an MI5 agent.

>s

Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Den and to the south a door that opens to the Garage.

>w

Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Kitchen and to the south the Front Hall.

>w
Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall. To the north you can see the Dining Room and to the south the Living Room.

Sgt Duffy is here.

>n
Dining Room
The dining room has a large polished mahogany table that could easily sit a dozen people.  There are china cabinets with polished glassware along the wall.  There are large windows and a door to the north that opens onto the backyard area.

You can see a mahogany table (on which is wedding photo) here.

>n
The Backyard
You're outside the house. To the north is the lab building.  Off to the northeast is the barracks.

>i
You are carrying:
  a keys
  a train ticket
  a torn $100 bill
  a flask
  a receipt
  a San Moreno Informer
  a gun
  a brown wallet
  cigarettes
  a notebook

>ne

Grassy area
You're on a narrow strip of grass between the lab building to the west and the barracks to the east.  In the distance to the north you can see the Crowther woods.

>e

Barracks entry
The barracks building has all the charm of a Quonset hut and smells just as good.  You can see rooms to the east and the backyard to the south.

>smell
The room smells like an old gym locker filled with sweat and hard work.

>e

Senior Quarters
It's a sparsely furnished shared room.  If this is the senior quarters, it doesn't look like seniority gets you much at the Blakely Lab.  There are a couple of beds, a desk and also a small barracks closet.

>desk
It's an old desk.

On the desk is a Cabeza Plana Courier.

>e

Barracks bathroom
There are sinks and showers here and not much else.  The room feels damp and musty.

>e

Panks' Quarters
This is the nicest room in the barracks.  It's more spacious and better furnished than the other barracks rooms.  Nice to know that Paul Panks got some kind of better treatment for all his scientific talent.  There's a messy desk, a bed and a small closet.

>e

Dining Hall
The dining hall is a large room with several large tables and many chairs.  There's an open area, a formica counter and big windows.  It can easily accomodate several dozen people.

A pale looking man in a rumpled coat is making notes in a small notepad writing quickly with his left hand.  He looks up at you and you can see his eyes are swollen and red.  He pockets the notepad and pen and reaches forward to shake your hand.  "Was gibt's?  I am Dietrich, Dietrich Plotkin.  I worked with Paul Panks in the lab... He... he was my friend."

>say hello to dietrich
"Yes, yes, what is it that you want to ask me about?"

>ask dietrich about panks
"Paul was the most brilliant scientist ever.  His treatment by the Nazis was a horror, but it was the only way he could continue his work.  That's how it was in Germany then.  He would never talk about it.  But you know what the Nazis did to people who did not fit.  Paul was never the same.  He said it was a small sacrifice to break through to higher dimensions."

>ask dietrich about panks drinking
"Ya, Paul liked his schnapps now and then.  But he was no alcoholic.  Sometimes it seemed he would drink to stay normal, if you understand.  It made Paul human again, not so obsessed with the Z-Machine and higher dimensions.  But me, I gave up drinking years ago.  In that department, I could not keep up with Paul."

>ask dietrich about whereabouts
"Ach, this is the most terrible day, Herr Dollar.  Paul had been working all day in the machine room.  I was in the research office working on my calculations.  Most of the staff was gone for the weekend, so we had our dinner together in the house,  those of us who remained.  Around 8pm, I went back to my room in the barracks.  I was reading some mathematical reports and I fell asleep.  I woke up when I heard the Z-Machine explosion and ran over to the lab as fast as I could.  That was a few minutes after 9pm.  Ach und Krach, I was too late. That's when I discovered Paul's body."

You decide to write this down in your notebook for later.

>ask dietrich about z-machine
"Paul and I built on Herr Hugo's original Z-Machine.  But our vision was much larger. We knew that to break through to higher dimensions, it need to be much more efficient.  Alan Hugo's design was good, but it had such limitations.  We built a much larger scale architecture."

>ask dietrich about higher dimensions
"Higher dimensions are a recent area of study in theoretical physics.  I'd discovered this area at the University of Heidelberg before the war.  That is where I met Paul.  He was a graduate student, a few years older than me.  When the war started, the government moved us to Berlin to work for the Nazis.  We had no choice.  We had some setbacks over the years, but we have overcome them each time with new breakthroughs.  We will one day transcend space and time.  I know we will."

>ask dietrich about alan
"Herr Dollar, Alan Hugo brought Paul and I over to America after the fall of Berlin.  He read our papers from the University of Heidelberg and knew our work.  I am very grateful for that.  He asked Paul and I to solve some problems to help breaking through to higher dimensions.  Beyond this, I cannot say I know Alan Hugo any better than anyone else.  He was, like the machine, an enigma."

Dietrich Plotkin looks down, avoiding your gaze.  "This has been a very great tragedy and I am in need of rest."

>ask dietrich about breakthrough
"Just this morning I was telling Paul about some new calculations that I worked on that I think could give us a breakthrough we need.  He was excited."

"Mr Dollar, I am going to my room. " Dietrich steps out of the room heading west down the hallway.

>w

Panks' Quarters
This is the nicest room in the barracks.  It's more spacious and better furnished than the other barracks rooms.  Nice to know that Paul Panks got some kind of better treatment for all his scientific talent.  There's a messy desk, a bed and a small closet.

>desk
The desk is messy, strewn with various papers.

>w

Barracks bathroom
There are sinks and showers here and not much else.  The room feels damp and musty.

>w

Senior Quarters
It's a sparsely furnished shared room.  If this is the senior quarters, it doesn't look like seniority gets you much at the Blakely Lab.  There are a couple of beds, a desk and also a small barracks closet.

Dietrich Plotkin is here in a slightly unkempt and rumpled jacket.

>ask dietrich about formula
"Paul was always grand in his thinking, whereas I have a more detail oriented mathematical approach.  But it is possible my new formula could enable the Z-Machine to scale to a much higher degree than before."

>w

Barracks entry
The barracks building has all the charm of a Quonset hut and smells just as good.  You can see rooms to the east and the backyard to the south.

>s

The Backyard
You're outside the house.  Off to the northwest is the lab building.  To the north is the barracks.

>w

The Backyard
You're outside the house.  To the northwest is the lab building.  To the northeast is the barracks.

>w

The Backyard
You're outside the house. To the north is the lab building.  Off to the northeast is the barracks.

>n
Research Office
The Research office is furnished with an old metal desk, a chair and a green filing cabinet.  There's a 1950 Hollywood Stars calendar on the wall.  To the west is the machine room.  You can see the backyard to the south.

>open desk
(the metal desk)
You open the desk drawer, revealing a packet of letters.

>letters
There's a packet of letters with handwritten envelopes addressed to Dr Panks postmarked from Arkham, Massachusetts over the last several months.  They all appear to have identical handwriting and stationery.  Many are unopened.  You read one of letters:
(January 5) "Dearest Paul, I miss you terribly and I hope that we'll be together soon.  Over time, you'll understand how much you mean to me.
Beverley"

You note this in your notebook.

>read letters
 You read one of letters:
(Febuary 14) "Darling Paul, I can't bear to think of living without you.  I know you have feelings for me too.  Daddy has been miserable sending me out east.  I hope we can be together when I am better.  I miss you terribly.
Beverley"

>g
 You read one of letters:
(April 9) "Paul, I know Daddy keeps you busy, but you must write back to me.  If there's someone else, I want to know.  I won't let anyone or anything come between us.
Beverley"

>consult notebook about letters
You read through your notebook for the entry on Letters:
  BH obsessed with Panks?

>s
The Backyard
You're outside the house. To the north is the lab building.  Off to the northeast is the barracks.

>s
Dining Room
The dining room has a large polished mahogany table that could easily sit a dozen people.  There are china cabinets with polished glassware along the wall.  There are large windows and a door to the north that opens onto the backyard area.

You can see a mahogany table (on which is wedding photo) here.

>e

Kitchen
The kitchen is spacious and equipped with all the conveniences you would expect: an icebox, oven, stove and a pantry area.  The windows open onto the backyard area.

You can see a kitchen table (on which is a LA Times) here.

>s

Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Kitchen and to the south the Front Hall.

>s

Front Hall
The front hall opens onto a large adobe walled room with a tall ceiling.  To the north you can see a hallway running east and beyond that a kitchen area.  There is a spiral staircase that leads up to the second floor.  To the west is the hall closet.

Beverley Hugo is here in an elegant black evening dress.

You can also see a small table (on which are a front hall phone and a wooden carving) here.

>ask beverley about letters
Beverley flashes angrily and says "You've no right to be rummaging through my things. Those were personal letters.  They've nothing to do with you or anyone else."

>ask beverley about panks
"Mr Dollar, yes, I admit, I had a crush on Dr Panks.  So what?  Are you going to arrest me for bad taste?"

>ask beverley about breakthrough
"Dr Panks did seem very excited about some breakthrough formula he discovered, but he didn't want to talk about it at dinner.  Dr Panks was arguing with my father about something today.  Perhaps that's what it was about."

You hear the clock tower at the train station strike the hour.  Only 1 hour left.

>ask beverley about argument
"Dr Panks was becoming increasingly erratic lately.  He was driving my father crazy with his schedule delays and drinking.  But knowing Dr Panks it could have been about anything.  My father can be pretty stern with people and maybe that set him off.  Panks got so drunk last night at the Brass Lantern that when he came home, he electrocuted himself with the Z-Machine."

>listen
The house is very quiet.  You hear someone walking along a hallway heading east.

>ask beverley about motive
"Mr Dollar, why would anyone want to harm Paul Panks?  I thought this was just an accident Besides, I was hoping to work under him at the lab."

>ask beverley about physics
"Mr Dollar, I've been studying physics quite a bit when I was out east.  I have a few ideas of my own about fusion.   I doubt that you'd be able to understand them.   What would an insurance detective make of a beautiful blonde scientist?"

>ask beverley about arkham
"Mr Dollar, I've been out east the last few years at Miskatonic University.  I don't care what that letter says, but I've been studying physics with the best of them."

>ask beverley about folder
Beverley looks at you coldly.  "That's, that's not something you should be... I don't know what that's all about.  And I don't want to talk to you any more."  She walks out of the room angrily.

Sgt Duffy enters the room.  "Dollar, I was wondering where you'd gotten to...  Why don't we head to the kitchen and you can tell me about the investigation."  Sgt Duffy leads you to the kitchen.

Kitchen
The kitchen is spacious and equipped with all the conveniences you would expect: an icebox, oven, stove and a pantry area.  The windows open onto the backyard area.

Sgt Duffy is here, looking tired.

You can also see a kitchen table (on which is a LA Times) here.

Sgt Duffy appears to be searching through the pantry with some relish.  "Dollar, have you made any progress?  Tell me about what you've discovered."

>tell duffy about breakthrough
"Dollar, if Panks was on the verge of a breakthrough maybe there's more to this than just an accident.  I wonder if there's some kind of motive we can ascertain."

>ask duffy about argument
"I wonder what it was Paul Panks and Alan Hugo were arguing about today.  It could be important.  But I don't think we're going to get a straight answer from Hugo.  And Panks isn't talking to anyone anymore."

"Dollar, while you were talking to the suspects, I did some investigating of my own.  Remember how we found Panks' flask of Schnapps, yet his body smelled of gin?  Well, here's the gin."  Sgt Duffy points with obvious pride to the bottle of Beefeater gin.

You write this in your notebook.

>examine beefeater
The bottle of Beefeater is mostly empty of gin.

Alan Hugo steps into the room.  He's clearly agitated. "Dollar, what the hell have you been saying to my daughter?  You've no right to upset her like that."

>ask alan about argument
"It's true Panks and I didn't always agree on things.  But when it came to the power of the Z-Machine and the importance of unlocking higher dimensions, we always believed in the same thing.  But our argument today?  Well, it was quite nothing.  Of course, I was upset with some of the delays we've had lately.  But in fact, Panks had good news today saying he'd uncovered a new formula that was going to give us the breakthrough we needed."

"Dollar, I don't know why I don't just call the mayor of Cabeza Plana and get you thrown out of here and sent all the way back to Hartford.  If you have questions, you're to ask me.  I don't want you badgering my daughter!"

>ask alan about formula
"Panks did some brilliant work today.  Honestly, his new formula could be exactly what we need to make the Z-Machine more scalable, operating at a much higher capacity than ever before.  That's what we need to break through to the higher dimensions."

>topics
You can ask a character about their alibi, motive, whereabouts, arrival, accident, Mrs Hugo, Panks death, Cabeza Plana, Blakely Estate, Chumash legends, rumors, higher dimensions, Z-Machine, him or herself, flask, file folder, transceiver, transceiver, train ticket, or any of the evidence you've found.  You can aell a character about yourself, the war, phone call, investigation, another character or any clues you've discovered.

>ask alan about chumash
"My grandfather Blake Hugo worked closely with the local Chumash Indians to understand their world view.  Most people assume these tales are mere folklore, myth as some might call it.  But he understood they broke through to dimensions beyond our own world.  That has much shaped my view of science; it's been central to my research for many years.  I believe the Z-Machine is our best hope at tapping into these higher dimensions beyond space and time."

>ask alan about blake
"My grandfather was a great man.  You should show a little more respect.  He wasn't well educated, but he inspired me to study at Miskatonic University and learn all I could.  He went to great lengths to study and work with the Chumash Indians when he restored the old mission and the adobe villas.  I hope one day my own daughter Beverley will follow in my footsteps studying at Miskatonic."

>tell alan about letters
"Mr Dollar, you know how things are with a young girl.  She, well, she imagines things sometimes.  She projects a lot of her fantasies.  It's just a school girl crush, that's all."

>tell alan about emile
"Emile Long?  Seems like a decent fellow for a Limey.  He's a reporter from one of the London papers, writing up a profile on Blakely Lab and our research into higher dimensions.  But given Panks' death I'm not sure this is the time for publicity."

>ask alan about dietrich
"Dr Plotkin has long been one of the key contributors on the Z-Machine.  He was Paul Panks' right hand man, if you ask me.  He worked with Panks back in Germany and they essentially came as a team when we were recruiting scientists for the US.  He's a bit of an odd bird, but his work is brilliant.  Far beyond your comprehension.  They had an odd relationship, a yin and yang of scientific collaboration.  But still, Plotkin was very devoted to Panks."

>s

Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Kitchen and to the south the Front Hall.

>s

Front Hall
The front hall opens onto a large adobe walled room with a tall ceiling.  To the north you can see a hallway running east and beyond that a kitchen area.  There is a spiral staircase that leads up to the second floor.  To the west is the hall closet.

You can see a small table (on which are a front hall phone and a wooden carving) here.

>e
You can't go that way.

From here, you can go to the north, the south, the west and the up.

Suddenly you hear the unmistakeable sound of a gunshot coming from the barracks.
You hear Sgt Duffy shout, "Dollar, come quick.  Something's happened in the barracks."

>n
Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall.  To the north you can see the Kitchen and to the south the Front Hall.

>w
Firstfloor Hallway
The hallway runs east along the center of the house. There are old black & white photos and a painting along the wall. To the north you can see the Dining Room and to the south the Living Room.

>n
Dining Room
The dining room has a large polished mahogany table that could easily sit a dozen people.  There are china cabinets with polished glassware along the wall.  There are large windows and a door to the north that opens onto the backyard area.

You can see a mahogany table (on which is wedding photo) here.

>n
The Backyard
You're outside the house. To the north is the lab building.  Off to the northeast is the barracks.

>ne

Grassy area
You're on a narrow strip of grass between the lab building to the west and the barracks to the east.  In the distance to the north you can see the Crowther woods.

>e

Barracks entry
The barracks building has all the charm of a Quonset hut and smells just as good.  You can see rooms to the east and the backyard to the south.

>e

Senior Quarters
It's a sparsely furnished shared room.  If this is the senior quarters, it doesn't look like seniority gets you much at the Blakely Lab.  There are a couple of beds, a desk and also a small barracks closet.

Sgt Duffy is here.

You can also see a revolver and corpse here.

>corpse
Dietrich Plotkin's corpse lays on the bed.  There's a severe gunshot wound to the head. His face and shirt are covered in blood.  There's a revolver in Dietrich's right hand.

You decide to write this down in your notebook for later.

>revolver
There's a Webley Scott Mk IV 38 caliber revolver in Dietrich Plotkin's right hand.  The gun has been fired.

You take note of this clue.

Senior Quarters
It's a sparsely furnished shared room.  If this is the senior quarters, it doesn't look like seniority gets you much at the Blakely Lab.  There are a couple of beds, a desk and also a small barracks closet.

Sgt Duffy is here.

You can also see a revolver and corpse here.

>wound
There's a severe burn mark on the right side of Dietrich's head indicating a close range shot.

>ask duffy about wound
"Helluva entry wound, I'd say.  Looks like Dietrich killed himself."

>ask duffy about revolver
"Was this Dietrich's revolver?  Looks like a suicide to me."

>ask duffy about dietrich
"Well whatever Dietrich was, he's dead now."

>desk
It's an old desk.

On the desk is a Cabeza Plana Courier.

>courier
The newspaper is folded over to the classified ads section with an entry circled in red ink:

Friday June 30, 1950  -  Cabeza Plana Courier  -  Classified
For Sale: Fancy Brass Lantern $8.30
PO Box 063050 Cabeza Plana. Discreet inquiries welcome.

This seems important enough to write down.

You hear the police radio crackle in the distance.

>ask duffy about courier
"Mr Dollar, what do you make of that?  Plotkin's not shopping for lighting fixtures.  What does it mean?  Hmmm... Fancy Brass Lantern...  There's the Brass Lantern here in town."

>suspects
You consult your notebook and determine that the suspects are as follows:
 Alan Hugo: is a suspect.
 Beverley Hugo: is a suspect.
 Charlie Tads: is a suspect.
 Dietrich Plotkin: is no longer a suspect since he was found dead.
 Emile Long: is no longer a suspect since you learned he is an MI5 agent.


Sgt Duffy shakes his head.  "Dollar, there are things going on here I don't understand.  Maybe none of us can.  That worries me..."


[Press any key]
Stay tuned for the third act of The Z-Machine Matter. 

I hope you'll enjoy the full game when it is completed.  Please send feedback to ZUrlocker@hotmail.com.

Yours truly,
Johnny Dollar.


    *** The End ***


You scored 38 out of a possible 50, in 248 turns, earning you the rank of Lieutenant.

