Start of a transcript of: Who Shot Gum E. Bear? An Interactive Fiction by Damon L. Wakes Release 1 / Serial number 220928 / Inform 7 v10.1.2 Inform 7 v10.1.2 Identification number: //CACB57F3-2876-499B-BC17-0BA5D79A7403// Interpreter version 1.3.5 / VM 3.1.2 >about That's not a verb I recognise. >help That's not a verb I recognise. >x me You're a street-smart broad with a hard sugar shell but a soft centre. Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >i You are carrying: a fedora (being worn) a trenchcoat (being worn) hi top trainers (being worn) a watch (being worn) Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >x federo You can't see any such thing. >oops fedora Standard private eye attire. Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >x trenchcoat Good to have something with a lot of pockets. Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >x trainers There's no gum on them, okay? Stop asking. Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >x watch It's always nighttime in Sugar City. Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >l alley A dim, dank, narrow pathway between the adult bookstore and Candy Kane's Club. Some dumpsters stand against a wall. Lying on the ground in a puddle of his own liquid centre is Gum E Bear. The alley is a dead end to the north, opening onto the street to the south. Emergency exits from the club and bookstore open onto the alley from the west and east respectively. You can see Officer Donut here. Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >* fun hard-boiled narration That's not a verb I recognise. >x dumpsters Small flies swarm above them, occasionally alighting on their syrup-sticky lids. Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >look in dumpsters You can't see inside, since the dumpsters are closed. Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >open dumpsters You open the dumpsters, revealing some trash bags and a Saturday night special. Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >x bags Gross, sticky plastic bags full of refuse. Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >open bags You open the trash bags, revealing a disgusting assortment of detritus. Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >search bags In the trash bags is a disgusting assortment of detritus. Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >x detritus You don't even want to think about what half of this stuff is. All that matters is that it isn't evidence. Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >search detritus You find nothing of interest. Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >x special A cheap, zinc alloy handgun chambered in .25 ACP. Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >take it Taken. Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >l alley A dim, dank, narrow pathway between the adult bookstore and Candy Kane's Club. Some dumpsters stand against a wall. Lying on the ground in a puddle of his own liquid centre is Gum E Bear. The alley is a dead end to the north, opening onto the street to the south. Emergency exits from the club and bookstore open onto the alley from the west and east respectively. You can see Officer Donut here. Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >x wall You can't see any such thing. >x gum Gum E Bear lies face-up on the floor, a gelatinous crater in his chest. A faint trickle of his liquid centre flows from it, pooling on the ground. A scattering of gummy chunks lie nearby, projected from the exit wound. There's something on his nose, though the rain is starting to wash it away. Finally, though minor in comparison to the injury that killed him, there is a cut on his nubby little right hand. Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >x nose There's a white, powdery substance caked around Gum E Bear's nose. On the nose is a white powdery substance. Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >x powder It's dissolving, beginning to wash away in the light rain that falls upon his face. Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >taek it That's not a verb I recognise. >take it You dip a finger in the substance caked around the corpse's nose and taste it. "Gross!" yelps Officer Donut, using his own fingers to cover his eyes. You ignore him. The substance cracks and fizzes on your tongue. Sherbet, cut with popping candy: it's the hard stuff. Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >x cut It looks as though this cut was already starting to heal at the point he was killed: it's probably nothing to do with whoever shot him. Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >* status line is weird That's not a verb I recognise. >l alley A dim, dank, narrow pathway between the adult bookstore and Candy Kane's Club. Some dumpsters stand against a wall. Lying on the ground in a puddle of his own liquid centre is Gum E Bear. The alley is a dead end to the north, opening onto the street to the south. Emergency exits from the club and bookstore open onto the alley from the west and east respectively. You can see Officer Donut here. Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >x gum Gum E Bear lies face-up on the floor, a gelatinous crater in his chest. A faint trickle of his liquid centre flows from it, pooling on the ground. A scattering of gummy chunks lie nearby, projected from the exit wound. There's something on his nose, though the rain is starting to wash it away. Finally, though minor in comparison to the injury that killed him, there is a cut on his nubby little right hand. Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >x crater It's slightly caramelised: he was shot at point-blank range. Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >x liquid It's cold and sticky. Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >* good detail That's not a verb I recognise. >x chunks You'd rather not look too closely. Suffice to say, these should be part of Gum E Bear but no longer are. Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >take chunks Those would really be better left at the crime scene. Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >x donut A heavy-set cop who's seen it all before. He wears a chunky Rolex on his powder-dusted wrist, and stares at you over designer shades, but you get the sense that no amount of material possessions will fill the hole inside him. Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >x rolex It's ostentatious, but not exactly stylish. Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >x shades They're Aviators - half the cops here have them, even though it's never sunny in Sugar City. Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >talk to donut To start a conversation, try to ASK Officer Donut ABOUT something or TELL Officer Donut ABOUT something. >ask donut about himself There is no reply. Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >ask donut about me There is no reply. Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >ask donut about gum There is no reply. Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >ask donut about gun You hand the gun to Officer Donut. He takes it. "Not a whole lot of stopping power, but then it doesn't take a lot to go through gelatine." Spinning the trigger guard inexpertly around his index finger, he hands it back to you. Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >* conversation is a little thinly implemented That's not a verb I recognise. >i You are carrying: a Saturday night special a fedora (being worn) a trenchcoat (being worn) hi top trainers (being worn) a watch (being worn) Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >take powder You dip a finger in the substance caked around the corpse's nose and taste it. "Gross!" yelps Officer Donut, using his own fingers to cover his eyes. You ignore him. The substance cracks and fizzes on your tongue. Sherbet, cut with popping candy: it's the hard stuff. Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >ask donut about powder Officer Donut counts on his fingers: "Crackle, fizz, funky sugar, nose sweetener - no matter what you call it, sherbet's bad news. Turns people into animals. We keep cracking down on it, but for every dealer we bust there's one more waiting to scuttle in like a hermit crab: lotta desperate souls around here since the old taffy plant shut up shop. Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >ask donut about cut "I noticed that. Could have been a struggle? It's something to look into, I suppose." Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >ask donut about body Officer Donut sighs. "Can't say he was exactly unknown to the force. Substance abuse problems: made himself a bit of a nuisance in these parts trying to fund his habit." He jabs a finger down the alley towards the street. "Caught him stealing newspapers from that box over there not a week ago. Really petty stuff." Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >ask donut about newspaper There is no reply. Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >l alley A dim, dank, narrow pathway between the adult bookstore and Candy Kane's Club. Some dumpsters stand against a wall. Lying on the ground in a puddle of his own liquid centre is Gum E Bear. The alley is a dead end to the north, opening onto the street to the south. Emergency exits from the club and bookstore open onto the alley from the west and east respectively. You can see Officer Donut here. Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >n You can't go that way. Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >s street Neon lights sparkle in the glucose haze. Brightest is the entrance to Candy Kane's Club, a short queue of patrons waiting to enter. Big Hunk the bouncer guards the door, looking bored. On the other side of the alley is the door to the adult bookstore. On the opposite side of the street is a small newspaper vending box. The alley is to the north, with Candy Kane's club to the northwest and the adult bookstore to the northeast (since you appear determined to Davey Crockett your way through this rain-slicked night city). You can see the silent chimneys of the old taffy factory far to the south. There's an apartment complex a few steps to the west, and to the east the street just stretches on and on: an inconsequential string of betting shops and pawnbrokers until you hit the freeway. You can see Big Hunk and some patrons here. Big Hunk quietly surveys the scene. >x box An unassuming little box. Put a some quarters in, get a paper out. Big Hunk slaps his massive appendages together aggressively. >open box You don't have any quarters. Big Hunk raises a fingerless slab of nougat to his head and struggles to adjust his earpiece. >x patrons They're loud and drunk. You don't envy Big Hunk having to deal with them all night every night. Big Hunk glowers a noisy patron into silence. >x hunk A towering mound of nougat, studded with peanuts, crammed into a too-small suit. Big Hunk quietly surveys the scene. >ask hunk about bear "Yeah, yeah, I heard what happened. The guy was making a bit of a nuisance of himself around here but he didn't deserve that." Big Hunk pauses to cross himself clumsily, the seams of his suit sleeve straining from the motion. Big Hunk glowers a noisy patron into silence. >ask hunk about sherbet "The streets are swimming in nose sweetener. Twenty bucks there's someone doing it in the toilets right now. I'd stop it if I could but I've got my hands full out here." Big Hunk raises a fingerless slab of nougat to his head and struggles to adjust his earpiece. >ask hunk about gun "I was here when it happened. Heard the bang. Didn't see who did it, though - there was a big line just then and most of them scattered when the shot went off. Could have been anyone." Big Hunk glowers a noisy patron into silence. >l street Neon lights sparkle in the glucose haze. Brightest is the entrance to Candy Kane's Club, a short queue of patrons waiting to enter. Big Hunk the bouncer guards the door, looking bored. On the other side of the alley is the door to the adult bookstore. On the opposite side of the street is a small newspaper vending box. The alley is to the north, with Candy Kane's club to the northwest and the adult bookstore to the northeast. You can see the silent chimneys of the old taffy factory far to the south. There's an apartment complex a few steps to the west, and to the east the street just stretches on and on: an inconsequential string of betting shops and pawnbrokers until you hit the freeway. You can see Big Hunk and some patrons here. Big Hunk raises a fingerless slab of nougat to his head and struggles to adjust his earpiece. >s The abandoned taffy factory is behind an abandoned storefront. You can't get to it from here. And even if you could, why would you want to? Big Hunk glowers a noisy patron into silence. >e Nothing for you out there but miles of tarmac. Big Hunk quietly surveys the scene. >w You've got little reason to investigate the apartments. With the noise out here you certainly don't envy the people who live there. Big Hunk slaps his massive appendages together aggressively. >ne (first opening the bookstore door) adult bookstore Wow. It's, uh, porny in here. There are shelves and shelves of the stuff. You'd say they've got quite a range of books, but they really have just one type of books. The bookstore entrance is to the southwest, and there's an emergency exit to the west that leads straight out into the alley. There's also a door to the north leading to a back room. You can see Jawbreaker here. Jawbreaker makes a sort of shoulder motion that suggests a fist punching a palm. It would be far more intimidating if he had fists or palms. Or any arms at all, for that matter. >x books You're never going to look at lollipops the same way again. Jawbreaker wobbles about in a vaguely threatening fashion. >* OK that's a good joke That's not a verb I recognise. >x jawbreaker You can't imagine a guy gets a name like "Jawbreaker" by becoming champion of the debate team. He's hard as nails, and buff to the point of being almost completely spherical. He's wearing a crisp sugar shell suit. Jawbreaker projects a gob of syrup into a nearby spittoon. >ask him about bear "No comment." Jawbreaker attempts to scratch his cheek against his massive shoulder. >ask him about hunk "No comment." Jawbreaker wobbles about in a vaguely threatening fashion. >ask him about books "No comment." Jawbreaker makes a sort of shoulder motion that suggests a fist punching a palm. It would be far more intimidating if he had fists or palms. Or any arms at all, for that matter. >ask him about gun "No comment." Jawbreaker attempts to scratch his cheek against his massive shoulder. >smell You smell nothing unexpected. Jawbreaker wobbles about in a vaguely threatening fashion. >lisen That's not a verb I recognise. >listen You hear nothing unexpected. Jawbreaker projects a gob of syrup into a nearby spittoon. >n Jawbreaker positions himself in the doorway, blocking your path. "Say the password and I'll let you in," he growls. Jawbreaker wobbles about in a vaguely threatening fashion. >ask him about password "No comment." Jawbreaker projects a gob of syrup into a nearby spittoon. >s You can't go that way. Jawbreaker attempts to scratch his cheek against his massive shoulder. >sw street Neon lights sparkle in the glucose haze. Brightest is the entrance to Candy Kane's Club, a short queue of patrons waiting to enter. Big Hunk the bouncer guards the door, looking bored. On the other side of the alley is the door to the adult bookstore. On the opposite side of the street is a small newspaper vending box. The alley is to the north, with Candy Kane's club to the northwest and the adult bookstore to the northeast. You can see the silent chimneys of the old taffy factory far to the south. There's an apartment complex a few steps to the west, and to the east the street just stretches on and on: an inconsequential string of betting shops and pawnbrokers until you hit the freeway. You can see Big Hunk and some patrons here. Big Hunk glowers a noisy patron into silence. >ask hunk about password "The password? Haha! Get this - it's 'password1'. Don't know if it was Jawbreaker or Don Toblerone who came up with that, but... Who am I kidding, it was definitely Jawbreaker." Big Hunk slaps his massive appendages together aggressively. >ne adult bookstore Wow. It's, uh, porny in here. There are shelves and shelves of the stuff. You'd say they've got quite a range of books, but they really have just one type of books. The bookstore entrance is to the southwest, and there's an emergency exit to the west that leads straight out into the alley. There's also a door to the north leading to a back room. You can see Jawbreaker here. Jawbreaker wobbles about in a vaguely threatening fashion. >say password1 "Alright. That's all I needed to hear." Jawbreaker shuffles aside to let you pass through into the back room. back room This place is, surprisingly, much less gross than the area of the adult bookstore that's open to the public. It's basically just a small, sparsely furnished office. You can see Don Toblerone here. Don Toblerone finishes his candy cigarette, then puts his face down to the pack on the table to fish another out with his tongue. It immediately ruins his suave, sophisticated image but then his entire body is just a long stick of chocolate wedges, so what else can he do? >x don Tall, dark, and delicious. He's wearing an exquisitely tailored white suit and several striking gold chains. A candy cigarette pokes out from the corner of his mouth. Don Toblerone puts a chocolate orange wedge in his mouth and makes mock-threatening noises for comedic effect. >x cigarette (the candy cigarette) Don Toblerone sees you looking. "I never can seem to quit these things!" he says, letting out another little puff of powdered sugar. Don Toblerone mutters something about this, the day of his daughter's wedding. >take cigarette (the candy cigarette) That seems to be a part of Don Toblerone. Don Toblerone finishes his candy cigarette, then puts his face down to the pack on the table to fish another out with his tongue. It immediately ruins his suave, sophisticated image but then his entire body is just a long stick of chocolate wedges, so what else can he do? >ask him about bear "A terrible misfortune, I'm sure. I myself was not present at the time, having been at a social gathering: something to which several of my compatriots will attest." Don Toblerone mutters something about this, the day of his daughter's wedding. >ask him about sherbet "Addiction is a scourge, my friend. Though I understand there are are probably some out there who must profit from it." Don Toblerone finishes his candy cigarette, then puts his face down to the pack on the table to fish another out with his tongue. It immediately ruins his suave, sophisticated image but then his entire body is just a long stick of chocolate wedges, so what else can he do? >ask him about gun "I'm afraid I simply wouldn't know a thing about that." Don Toblerone mutters something about this, the day of his daughter's wedding. >ask him about cut "I'm not sure what you're on about" Don Toblerone finishes his candy cigarette, then puts his face down to the pack on the table to fish another out with his tongue. It immediately ruins his suave, sophisticated image but then his entire body is just a long stick of chocolate wedges, so what else can he do? >ask him about shot There is no reply. Don Toblerone puts a chocolate orange wedge in his mouth and makes mock-threatening noises for comedic effect. >s adult bookstore Wow. It's, uh, porny in here. There are shelves and shelves of the stuff. You'd say they've got quite a range of books, but they really have just one type of books. The bookstore entrance is to the southwest, and there's an emergency exit to the west that leads straight out into the alley. There's also a door to the north leading to a back room. You can see Jawbreaker here. Jawbreaker makes a sort of shoulder motion that suggests a fist punching a palm. It would be far more intimidating if he had fists or palms. Or any arms at all, for that matter. >w (first opening the bookstore emergency exit) You push your way out into the alley. Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >w (first opening the nightclub emergency exit) There's no handle on the outside. Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >s street Neon lights sparkle in the glucose haze. Brightest is the entrance to Candy Kane's Club, a short queue of patrons waiting to enter. Big Hunk the bouncer guards the door, looking bored. On the other side of the alley is the door to the adult bookstore. On the opposite side of the street is a small newspaper vending box. The alley is to the north, with Candy Kane's club to the northwest and the adult bookstore to the northeast. You can see the silent chimneys of the old taffy factory far to the south. There's an apartment complex a few steps to the west, and to the east the street just stretches on and on: an inconsequential string of betting shops and pawnbrokers until you hit the freeway. You can see Big Hunk and some patrons here. Big Hunk raises a fingerless slab of nougat to his head and struggles to adjust his earpiece. >nw (first opening the nightclub door) Big Hunk turns to face you. "You're that private eye, right? Candy's expecting you: go right on in." He struggles to turn the knob with his fingerless nougat appendages. "Could you, uh..." You turn the knob and swing the door open. Candy Kane's Club This place is... "seedy" is probably a little charitable. It's got some definite strip club vibes, despite the chique branding outside. Jelly babes jiggle on a large stage at the back of the room, while Candy Kane herself works the bar. Various customers sit at tables nearby in various stages of intoxication. A crowd of dancers bobs up and down enthusiastically on a dance floor closer to the stage. The exit to the street lies to the southeast, a door marked "VIP Lounge" is to the west, and the washroom is to the north (in case you need to go). There's a small emergency exit leading to the alley to the east. You can see Candy Kane here. Candy Kane struggles to skewer a cocktail onion with her sugar-stick arms. >* Jelly babies I think are a british candy so that's a fun joke! That's not a verb I recognise. >x dancers They're really into it. Like, really into it. Candy Kane stiffly bops her head along to the music. >x customers The customers at the tables don't exactly seem to be having a good time. A few seem to be struggling even to sit upright. Candy Kane attempts to shake up a martini with her rigid candy arms, but ends up dropping the whole thing on the floor. >x stage You can't see any such thing. >x candy A stick-thin woman with a hard expression. Her black cocktail dress really makes her red and white stripes pop. She runs this place, and that gives her a surprising amount of sway outside it too. Candy Kane clumsily muddles mint and lime at the bottom of a mojito glass. >ask candy about don The Don and I get along alright. We've got an agreement: he doesn't ask me for protection money, and I don't use my connections in City Hall to bulldoze his sad little front business to the ground. Candy Kane struggles to skewer a cocktail onion with her sugar-stick arms. >ask candy about donut "Not much occasion for me to talk to the law, darling - I run a respectable establishment." Candy Kane clumsily muddles mint and lime at the bottom of a mojito glass. >ask candy about hunk "I gave him a chance after he got out of jail. Turns out he's a great bouncer. He's a good guy in general, just a little heavy-handed - especially when he's worked up about something." Candy Kane attempts to shake up a martini with her rigid candy arms, but ends up dropping the whole thing on the floor. >ask candy about gum There is no reply. Candy Kane stiffly bops her head along to the music. >ask candy about bear "I can't help but feel a little responsible for what happened. I barred him from this establishment about a couple of days ago, and if he hadn't been stuck out on the street..." Candy Kane sighs. "But I really couldn't have him in here. He was out of control. He smashed up the fixtures in the bathroom. The women's bathroom." Candy Kane attempts to shake up a martini with her rigid candy arms, but ends up dropping the whole thing on the floor. >ask candy about bathroom "I don't know why he did it. Or rather, I do know why he did it but it's still senseless vandalism." Candy Kane stiffly bops her head along to the music. >ask candy about sherbet "I try not to concern myself with my customers' habits unless they become a problem, but for Mr. Bear it was a problem." She pauses. "Big Hunk takes a different approach. I used to have him working security in here but he'd knock the sprinkles off anyone he caught with even an ounce of the stuff - put people off coming for a while. His services are better applied at the door." Candy Kane clumsily muddles mint and lime at the bottom of a mojito glass. >ask candy about powder "I try not to concern myself with my customers' habits unless they become a problem, but for Mr. Bear it was a problem." She pauses. "Big Hunk takes a different approach. I used to have him working security in here but he'd knock the sprinkles off anyone he caught with even an ounce of the stuff - put people off coming for a while. His services are better applied at the door." Candy Kane struggles to skewer a cocktail onion with her sugar-stick arms. >ask candy about gun "I didn't hear the shot, though I did notice a bit of a commotion at the door." Candy Kane clumsily muddles mint and lime at the bottom of a mojito glass. >l Candy Kane's Club This place is... "seedy" is probably a little charitable. It's got some definite strip club vibes, despite the chique branding outside. Jelly babes jiggle on a large stage at the back of the room, while Candy Kane herself works the bar. Various customers sit at tables nearby in various stages of intoxication. A crowd of dancers bobs up and down enthusiastically on a dance floor closer to the stage. The exit to the street lies to the southeast, a door marked "VIP Lounge" is to the west, and the washroom is to the north (in case you need to go). There's a small emergency exit leading to the alley to the east. You can see Candy Kane here. Candy Kane attempts to shake up a martini with her rigid candy arms, but ends up dropping the whole thing on the floor. >w (first opening the VIP door) It seems to be locked. Candy Kane stiffly bops her head along to the music. >ask her about vip (Candy Kane about that) Sounds swanky, but I can't help you there! Candy Kane struggles to skewer a cocktail onion with her sugar-stick arms. >n washroom The ladies' here is surprisingly clean and well maintained, though one of the sinks is smashed. Other than that, there's not much of note: just a row of stalls and a couple of hand dryers. >x sink Somebody's put a bit of yellow-and-black hazard tape over it but other than that nothing's been done about the situation. There's actually a small smear of red liquid on the broken porcelain. >x liquid Looks like whoever smashed this sink up cut themselves doing it. >x stalls Unremarkable bathroom stalls. >x dryers These things never get your hands completely dry. >s Candy Kane's Club This place is... "seedy" is probably a little charitable. It's got some definite strip club vibes, despite the chique branding outside. Jelly babes jiggle on a large stage at the back of the room, while Candy Kane herself works the bar. Various customers sit at tables nearby in various stages of intoxication. A crowd of dancers bobs up and down enthusiastically on a dance floor closer to the stage. The exit to the street lies to the southeast, a door marked "VIP Lounge" is to the west, and the washroom is to the north (in case you need to go). There's a small emergency exit leading to the alley to the east. You can see Candy Kane here. Candy Kane clumsily muddles mint and lime at the bottom of a mojito glass. >ask about bathroom You can't see any such thing. >ask her about bathroom (Candy Kane about that) "I don't know why he did it. Or rather, I do know why he did it but it's still senseless vandalism." Candy Kane stiffly bops her head along to the music. >s You can't go that way. Candy Kane struggles to skewer a cocktail onion with her sugar-stick arms. >se street Neon lights sparkle in the glucose haze. Brightest is the entrance to Candy Kane's Club, a short queue of patrons waiting to enter. Big Hunk the bouncer guards the door, looking bored. On the other side of the alley is the door to the adult bookstore. On the opposite side of the street is a small newspaper vending box. The alley is to the north, with Candy Kane's club to the northwest and the adult bookstore to the northeast. You can see the silent chimneys of the old taffy factory far to the south. There's an apartment complex a few steps to the west, and to the east the street just stretches on and on: an inconsequential string of betting shops and pawnbrokers until you hit the freeway. You can see Big Hunk and some patrons here. Big Hunk slaps his massive appendages together aggressively. >ask him about bear "Yeah, yeah, I heard what happened. The guy was making a bit of a nuisance of himself around here but he didn't deserve that." Big Hunk pauses to cross himself clumsily, the seams of his suit sleeve straining from the motion. Big Hunk glowers a noisy patron into silence. >ask him about bathroom Yeah, I heard Gum E Bear got absolutely hammered and broke some stuff in the women's bathroom. I haven't seen the damage myself but it sounds bad. Big Hunk slaps his massive appendages together aggressively. >ask him about do There is no reply. Big Hunk raises a fingerless slab of nougat to his head and struggles to adjust his earpiece. >ask him about don There is an uncomfortable silence. Big Hunk slaps his massive appendages together aggressively. >ask him about jawbreaker "Oh, him? He's a bit rough but he's alright. Sometimes turns up for Poker Night." Big Hunk raises a fingerless slab of nougat to his head and struggles to adjust his earpiece. > I beg your pardon? >s The abandoned taffy factory is behind an abandoned storefront. You can't get to it from here. And even if you could, why would you want to? Big Hunk slaps his massive appendages together aggressively. >w You've got little reason to investigate the apartments. With the noise out here you certainly don't envy the people who live there. Big Hunk raises a fingerless slab of nougat to his head and struggles to adjust his earpiece. >e Nothing for you out there but miles of tarmac. Big Hunk slaps his massive appendages together aggressively. >n alley A dim, dank, narrow pathway between the adult bookstore and Candy Kane's Club. Some dumpsters stand against a wall. Lying on the ground in a puddle of his own liquid centre is Gum E Bear. The alley is a dead end to the north, opening onto the street to the south. Emergency exits from the club and bookstore open onto the alley from the west and east respectively. You can see Officer Donut here. Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >ask donut about hunk "Not somebody you want to get on the wrong side of, that one. We've had a few call-outs to Candy's but not as many as you might think - the Hunk tends to take care of any troublemakers himself." Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >ask donut about candy There is no reply. Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >ask donut about kane "Obviously I've heard of Candy Kane - everybody's heard of Candy Kane - but what's she got to do with this? She'd hardly shoot a guy right outside her own club." Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >ask donut about don Ah, the Don. Anyone in Sugar City could tell you he's the head of the Sourballz, but finding hard evidence of that? Believe me, we've tried. Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >ask donut about jawbreaker Nasty piece of work, him. Off the record, I think he's the most likely culprit, but ever since he started working for Don Toblerone it's been near impossible to pin anything on him. Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >ask donut about password Huh? What would I need a password for? Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >ask donut about bathroom "I have absolutely no idea what you're on about." Officer Donut cleans his fingernails with the tip of his pen. >i You are carrying: a Saturday night special a fedora (being worn) a trenchcoat (being worn) hi top trainers (being worn) a watch (being worn) Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >s street Neon lights sparkle in the glucose haze. Brightest is the entrance to Candy Kane's Club, a short queue of patrons waiting to enter. Big Hunk the bouncer guards the door, looking bored. On the other side of the alley is the door to the adult bookstore. On the opposite side of the street is a small newspaper vending box. The alley is to the north, with Candy Kane's club to the northwest and the adult bookstore to the northeast. You can see the silent chimneys of the old taffy factory far to the south. There's an apartment complex a few steps to the west, and to the east the street just stretches on and on: an inconsequential string of betting shops and pawnbrokers until you hit the freeway. You can see Big Hunk and some patrons here. Big Hunk raises a fingerless slab of nougat to his head and struggles to adjust his earpiece. >ne adult bookstore Wow. It's, uh, porny in here. There are shelves and shelves of the stuff. You'd say they've got quite a range of books, but they really have just one type of books. The bookstore entrance is to the southwest, and there's an emergency exit to the west that leads straight out into the alley. There's also a door to the north leading to a back room. You can see Jawbreaker here. Jawbreaker attempts to scratch his cheek against his massive shoulder. >take all There are none at all available! >ask jawbreaker about don "No comment." Jawbreaker wobbles about in a vaguely threatening fashion. >ask jawbreaker about hunk "No comment." Jawbreaker makes a sort of shoulder motion that suggests a fist punching a palm. It would be far more intimidating if he had fists or palms. Or any arms at all, for that matter. >n Jawbreaker positions himself in the doorway, blocking your path. "Say the password and I'll let you in," he growls. Jawbreaker attempts to scratch his cheek against his massive shoulder. >password1 "Alright. That's all I needed to hear." Jawbreaker shuffles aside to let you pass through into the back room. back room This place is, surprisingly, much less gross than the area of the adult bookstore that's open to the public. It's basically just a small, sparsely furnished office. You can see Don Toblerone here. Don Toblerone finishes his candy cigarette, then puts his face down to the pack on the table to fish another out with his tongue. It immediately ruins his suave, sophisticated image but then his entire body is just a long stick of chocolate wedges, so what else can he do? >ask don about hunk "I'm afraid I simply can't be expected to recall every single person I might encounter in the course of my day." Don Toblerone puts a chocolate orange wedge in his mouth and makes mock-threatening noises for comedic effect. >ask don about jawbreaker "My assistant. He keeps an eye on the shop, runs errands, ensures I'm not bothered. He's very good at what he does." Don Toblerone stares pointedly at you, standing in his office. "Usually." Don Toblerone mutters something about this, the day of his daughter's wedding. >ask don about candy "I'm afraid I simply can't be expected to recall every single person I might encounter in the course of my day." Don Toblerone puts a chocolate orange wedge in his mouth and makes mock-threatening noises for comedic effect. >ask don about bathroom "I have absolutely no idea what you're on about." Don Toblerone mutters something about this, the day of his daughter's wedding. >s adult bookstore Wow. It's, uh, porny in here. There are shelves and shelves of the stuff. You'd say they've got quite a range of books, but they really have just one type of books. The bookstore entrance is to the southwest, and there's an emergency exit to the west that leads straight out into the alley. There's also a door to the north leading to a back room. You can see Jawbreaker here. Jawbreaker projects a gob of syrup into a nearby spittoon. >w (first opening the bookstore emergency exit) You push your way out into the alley. Officer Donut clicks his pen with his thumb a few times. >w (first opening the nightclub emergency exit) There's no handle on the outside. Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >s street Neon lights sparkle in the glucose haze. Brightest is the entrance to Candy Kane's Club, a short queue of patrons waiting to enter. Big Hunk the bouncer guards the door, looking bored. On the other side of the alley is the door to the adult bookstore. On the opposite side of the street is a small newspaper vending box. The alley is to the north, with Candy Kane's club to the northwest and the adult bookstore to the northeast. You can see the silent chimneys of the old taffy factory far to the south. There's an apartment complex a few steps to the west, and to the east the street just stretches on and on: an inconsequential string of betting shops and pawnbrokers until you hit the freeway. You can see Big Hunk and some patrons here. Big Hunk quietly surveys the scene. >nw Candy Kane's Club This place is... "seedy" is probably a little charitable. It's got some definite strip club vibes, despite the chique branding outside. Jelly babes jiggle on a large stage at the back of the room, while Candy Kane herself works the bar. Various customers sit at tables nearby in various stages of intoxication. A crowd of dancers bobs up and down enthusiastically on a dance floor closer to the stage. The exit to the street lies to the southeast, a door marked "VIP Lounge" is to the west, and the washroom is to the north (in case you need to go). There's a small emergency exit leading to the alley to the east. You can see Candy Kane here. Candy Kane attempts to shake up a martini with her rigid candy arms, but ends up dropping the whole thing on the floor. >w (first opening the VIP door) It seems to be locked. Candy Kane stiffly bops her head along to the music. >e (first opening the nightclub emergency exit) You push your way out into the alley. Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >s street Neon lights sparkle in the glucose haze. Brightest is the entrance to Candy Kane's Club, a short queue of patrons waiting to enter. Big Hunk the bouncer guards the door, looking bored. On the other side of the alley is the door to the adult bookstore. On the opposite side of the street is a small newspaper vending box. The alley is to the north, with Candy Kane's club to the northwest and the adult bookstore to the northeast. You can see the silent chimneys of the old taffy factory far to the south. There's an apartment complex a few steps to the west, and to the east the street just stretches on and on: an inconsequential string of betting shops and pawnbrokers until you hit the freeway. You can see Big Hunk and some patrons here. Big Hunk glowers a noisy patron into silence. >save Ok. >accuse hunk Are you entirely sure you wish to accuse Big Hunk? This decision is final! yes "I was...here...when it happened." Big Hunk stares at you. "In front of a whole bunch of people. Some of them are probably in the club right now. They'd back me up on this." Well, that's it. You've lost all credibility. Maybe take another crack at this, champ? *** The End *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT or UNDO the last command? > undo street [Previous turn undone.] >n alley A dim, dank, narrow pathway between the adult bookstore and Candy Kane's Club. Some dumpsters stand against a wall. Lying on the ground in a puddle of his own liquid centre is Gum E Bear. The alley is a dead end to the north, opening onto the street to the south. Emergency exits from the club and bookstore open onto the alley from the west and east respectively. You can see Officer Donut here. Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >accuse donut Are you entirely sure you wish to accuse Officer Donut? This decision is final! yes Officer Donut's eyes narrow. "What makes you think that I did this?" "It's pretty obvious when you think about it." You narrow your own eyes. "You're the only person here who has fingers. How could anybody else pull the trigger?" "Looks like you've got it all figured out. That's right. I shot Gum E Bear. And I'd do it again! Look at this city!" He puts his hands in the air and turns slowly, gesturing to all around him. "It's a mess! It's a disgusting, sticky mess all because of people like him. Do you know how many Gum E Bears there are out there? And do you know how many people would care if they were gone? If anybody else had come here to investigate, chances are they wouldn't have wasted their time on him. And even if they'd pieced it all together, I reckon they just wouldn't have cared. They might have thanked me! Of course, somebody just had to call in the great Bubble Gumshoe. But there's one thing you didn't consider." "Oh yeah?" you say. "What's that?" "HOW TO CATCH A ROLLING DONUT!!!" Officer Donut tenses up, then springs into the air, cartwheeling down the alley! But the moment he gets out onto the street, a seagull swoops down and snatches him. It's so brutal! Fragments of sweet bread and jammy filling scatter onto the crowd of people waiting to get into Candy Kane's Club. Everyone is traumatised! But you did work out who shot Gum E. Bear. So kudos, Bubble Gumshoe. Kudos to you. *** The End *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT or UNDO the last command? > undo alley [Previous turn undone.] >* LOL OK I lucked into that That's not a verb I recognise. >accuse me Are you entirely sure you wish to accuse yourself? This decision is final! yes Wait. Hang on. You? You're accusing yourself of the murder of Gum E Bear? Look, this isn't some M. Night Shyamalan shenanigans. There's an actual solution and this wasn't it. *** The End *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT or UNDO the last command? > undo alley [Previous turn undone.] >* Ha, that one's great! You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >e (first opening the bookstore emergency exit) There's no handle on the outside. Officer Donut spins his pen in his fingers. >s street Neon lights sparkle in the glucose haze. Brightest is the entrance to Candy Kane's Club, a short queue of patrons waiting to enter. Big Hunk the bouncer guards the door, looking bored. On the other side of the alley is the door to the adult bookstore. On the opposite side of the street is a small newspaper vending box. The alley is to the north, with Candy Kane's club to the northwest and the adult bookstore to the northeast. You can see the silent chimneys of the old taffy factory far to the south. There's an apartment complex a few steps to the west, and to the east the street just stretches on and on: an inconsequential string of betting shops and pawnbrokers until you hit the freeway. You can see Big Hunk and some patrons here. Big Hunk quietly surveys the scene. >ne adult bookstore Wow. It's, uh, porny in here. There are shelves and shelves of the stuff. You'd say they've got quite a range of books, but they really have just one type of books. The bookstore entrance is to the southwest, and there's an emergency exit to the west that leads straight out into the alley. There's also a door to the north leading to a back room. You can see Jawbreaker here. Jawbreaker attempts to scratch his cheek against his massive shoulder. >accuse jawbreaker Are you entirely sure you wish to accuse Jawbreaker? This decision is final! yes "You wot?" Jawbreaker narrows his eyes. "You shot Gum E Bear," you repeat. Jawbreaker thinks for a minute. You can practically see the candied brain cells grinding together inside his thick sugar skull. "Boss?" he says, at last, through the door behind him. "You know youse said not to admit to any murders what I done?" Don Toblerone leans to one side to stare at you over his desk. "I don't recall ever saying anything about something as ghastly as murder, but were I to offer advice on the subject - hypothetically - that would probably be it." "Yeah," says Jawbreaker. "What do I do about murders I didn't done?" Don Toblerone leans back in his chair and gives an exasperated sigh. "No...comment?" says Jawbreaker, still thinking very hard. Yeah... Based on this little exchange, you're more or less certain that he didn't do it. *** The End *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT or UNDO the last command? > undo adult bookstore [Previous turn undone.] >n Jawbreaker positions himself in the doorway, blocking your path. "Say the password and I'll let you in," he growls. Jawbreaker makes a sort of shoulder motion that suggests a fist punching a palm. It would be far more intimidating if he had fists or palms. Or any arms at all, for that matter. >password1 "Alright. That's all I needed to hear." Jawbreaker shuffles aside to let you pass through into the back room. back room This place is, surprisingly, much less gross than the area of the adult bookstore that's open to the public. It's basically just a small, sparsely furnished office. You can see Don Toblerone here. Don Toblerone puts a chocolate orange wedge in his mouth and makes mock-threatening noises for comedic effect. >accuse don Are you entirely sure you wish to accuse Don Toblerone? This decision is final! yes "Pardon me?" Don Toblerone leans forward. "I'm quite certain I must have misheard you. Did you say..." "It was you," you say again. "You shot Gum E Bear. You supplied him with sherbet while he still had money. Then when he ran out and started making a scene, you decided to get rid of him."" Don Toblerone gives an amused sigh. "Let's pretend that at least some of that's true. Assuming that I really am the mastermind behind some kind of vast criminal enterprise who'll have people shot the moment they become an inconvenience - and leaving aside the absurdity of choosing to make yourself just such an inconvenience - do you really think that I would be the one to pull the trigger?" He spreads his arms wide - or he would if he even had any. You're still convinced that Don Toblerone is guilty, but in hindsight probably not of this. *** The End *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT or UNDO the last command? > no Please give one of the answers above. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT or UNDO the last command? > undo back room [Previous turn undone.] >s adult bookstore Wow. It's, uh, porny in here. There are shelves and shelves of the stuff. You'd say they've got quite a range of books, but they really have just one type of books. The bookstore entrance is to the southwest, and there's an emergency exit to the west that leads straight out into the alley. There's also a door to the north leading to a back room. You can see Jawbreaker here. Jawbreaker attempts to scratch his cheek against his massive shoulder. >w (first opening the bookstore emergency exit) You push your way out into the alley. Officer Donut thumbs through the papers in his clipboard. >s street Neon lights sparkle in the glucose haze. Brightest is the entrance to Candy Kane's Club, a short queue of patrons waiting to enter. Big Hunk the bouncer guards the door, looking bored. On the other side of the alley is the door to the adult bookstore. On the opposite side of the street is a small newspaper vending box. The alley is to the north, with Candy Kane's club to the northwest and the adult bookstore to the northeast. You can see the silent chimneys of the old taffy factory far to the south. There's an apartment complex a few steps to the west, and to the east the street just stretches on and on: an inconsequential string of betting shops and pawnbrokers until you hit the freeway. You can see Big Hunk and some patrons here. Big Hunk glowers a noisy patron into silence. >nw Candy Kane's Club This place is... "seedy" is probably a little charitable. It's got some definite strip club vibes, despite the chique branding outside. Jelly babes jiggle on a large stage at the back of the room, while Candy Kane herself works the bar. Various customers sit at tables nearby in various stages of intoxication. A crowd of dancers bobs up and down enthusiastically on a dance floor closer to the stage. The exit to the street lies to the southeast, a door marked "VIP Lounge" is to the west, and the washroom is to the north (in case you need to go). There's a small emergency exit leading to the alley to the east. You can see Candy Kane here. Candy Kane struggles to skewer a cocktail onion with her sugar-stick arms. >accuse kane Are you entirely sure you wish to accuse Candy Kane? This decision is final! yes Candy Kane laughs. "Darling, I'm the biggest name in Sugar City. And I was right here behind the bar when it all kicked off! What would my motive be, anyway? Revenge for my broken sink?" She laughs. She's right, you know. This guess was bad and you should feel bad. *** The End *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT or UNDO the last command? > undo Candy Kane's Club [Previous turn undone.] >se street Neon lights sparkle in the glucose haze. Brightest is the entrance to Candy Kane's Club, a short queue of patrons waiting to enter. Big Hunk the bouncer guards the door, looking bored. On the other side of the alley is the door to the adult bookstore. On the opposite side of the street is a small newspaper vending box. The alley is to the north, with Candy Kane's club to the northwest and the adult bookstore to the northeast. You can see the silent chimneys of the old taffy factory far to the south. There's an apartment complex a few steps to the west, and to the east the street just stretches on and on: an inconsequential string of betting shops and pawnbrokers until you hit the freeway. You can see Big Hunk and some patrons here. Big Hunk quietly surveys the scene. >s The abandoned taffy factory is behind an abandoned storefront. You can't get to it from here. And even if you could, why would you want to? Big Hunk glowers a noisy patron into silence. >s The abandoned taffy factory is behind an abandoned storefront. You can't get to it from here. And even if you could, why would you want to? Big Hunk raises a fingerless slab of nougat to his head and struggles to adjust his earpiece. >w You've got little reason to investigate the apartments. With the noise out here you certainly don't envy the people who live there. Big Hunk slaps his massive appendages together aggressively. >z Time passes. Big Hunk glowers a noisy patron into silence. >z Time passes. Big Hunk raises a fingerless slab of nougat to his head and struggles to adjust his earpiece. >z Time passes. Big Hunk quietly surveys the scene. >z Time passes. Big Hunk raises a fingerless slab of nougat to his head and struggles to adjust his earpiece. >z Time passes. Big Hunk quietly surveys the scene. >z Time passes. Big Hunk slaps his massive appendages together aggressively. >z Time passes. Big Hunk raises a fingerless slab of nougat to his head and struggles to adjust his earpiece. >z Time passes. Big Hunk glowers a noisy patron into silence. >z Time passes. Big Hunk slaps his massive appendages together aggressively. >