Arson Desk V
A Different Kind of War

Arson Desk V -- A Different Kind of War

-- Special Notes for this Case --
Newspaper #12 -- On the counter of the exterminators office;
Newspaper #13 -- On Fontaine’s desk.

Did you see this coming?  I did not see this coming!  Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire, huh?  Well, it seems that our buddy is dead, there is an unknown whack-job on the loose.

The case starts with Elsa at the Doc's -- and as she unburdens herself, the Doctor pumps her for information -- clearly he is turning desperate...  Slowly Elsa starts to put the pieces together and she realizes that the Doctor is part of it -- but he knows she knows now, and so he takes action.  Just when you think it could not get more complicated, the Whack-job attacks the Doc.  After he helps the Doc, he grabs Elsa and splits -- and that is the story of that!

Do not panic -- you are on the hunt, working your way through a list of companies, starting with Rapid Exterminations -- the manager there says he does not work at their company, but before you leave, read Newspaper #12 which you will find on the counter. 

You get to see Cole finally confront Ray -- nice!

Nuclear Bug & Rodent Control is our next stop, but we cannot learn anything here as this is not the right place either, so grab a car and head to Westlake Pest Control, where we hit pay dirt and get the info we were looking for.  You learn where the whack-job lives --  the  Ranch Bunkhouse!

Finding the Keys to the Mystery

-- Doctor Fontaine's Office --

We change teams now, switching to Cole and Biggs -- we arrive at the Doc's to find Rusty waiting for us, and he fills you in on Elsa then invites you to check the scene.  When we get inside check the clues out:

-- Desk: Shade in the paper that was under the map to find the route

-- Desk: Move the newspaper clipping on to the shaded route to learn the secret

This should result in unlocking the Achievement "Magpie" (80 GP) for finding 95% of the clues.

-- Desk: Move the plot map above onto the shading

-- Desk: Newspaper #13

-- Floor: Crystal Ball -- examine the blood on it

-- Small Table: Evidence File -- examine the circled name for the clue to unlock

-- Body: examine the head and both hands -- examine the lighter closer

-- Floor: examine the shattered glass

-- Dispensary: examine the morphine in the cabinet

This now triggers a CS in which you figure out the entire plan -- everything unfolds, and you figure out why they are torching the houses!  You need to capture the Whack-job because he is the key to proving everything!

The Identity of the Firebug Is...

-- Ranch Rincon Bunkhouse --

We now swap back and are at the Ranch -- we want to go inside and look for clues first:

-- Flamethrower

-- Origami Cranes

-- Origami Flier (open it)

-- Photographs of Okinawa

-- River Tunnel Plans

If you figured it out, yes, the Whack-Job is the Cowboy Flamethrower Jocky from our old unit!

Kelso makes calls to meet at the police station -- and then you see a CS of Cole getting a radio call -- and then everything goes sideways as a new call of Kelso being chased by a prowl car comes over the radio!

If you are confused, here is what just happened: the cooked cops and politicians are now aware of what is happening thanks to Kelso calling in his plan, so they have dispatched the cops that are in their pocket to deal with him -- including the Chief of Police.

You join in the chase with the objective of helping Kelso make it to the river, which causes YOU to be added to the shoot-to-kill order and you end up running more than a few cops off of the road doing your part.

When you finally get to the river, Kelso introduces you to the Assistant DA, who will remain behind to run interference for you, while Kelso takes one tunnel, you take the other, and Biggs guards the only other exit.  You all go to your assigned places and the Chief arrives, at which point he talks to the Assistant DA, and they begin to hammer out a deal that will allow the Chief to survive the shitstorm that is about to come pouring down on the city government -- well, pouring down if you succeed that is!

-- In the Tunnels --

Despite the fact that the DA is trying to work out a deal, you are still facing a small army of crooked cops you will have to deal with, in addition to tracking down the Cowboy.  They have a variety of weapons on them, so you should have no trouble picking up a more effective weapon, but you want to keep your eyes peeled for a functioning Flamethrower, because that should be the final weapon you need to get a kill with, and there should be one early in the level.

There will be two rooms with weapons in them -- the Flamethrower will be in the second -- be sure to use it and get a kill with it if you want to unlock the associated Achievement, right?  Right!

If you pick up an SMG make sure you also grab ammo from the dropped ones when you can, so you do not run out, as it does not have unlimited ammo like the pistol does!  Once you get the Flamethrower you will need to get across the rising water room (A) before you drown and (B) without the cops shooting the tanks for your Flamethrower and frying you!  So be quick and remember, you can only cross where the rails are!

Making your Flamethrower Bones

The Flamethrower only has limited ammo so only fire when you KNOW you are close enough to hit!  This is tricky -- your best bet is to go ahead and get across the water flow and make for the ladder on the far corner, then rush the guy behind the crate and dry him, then the others quickly -- thereby unlocking the Achievement "Roscoe and Friends" (15 GP) for making one kill with each weapon!

Continue to battle your way through the tunnels with the Flamethrower until you find Elsa and trigger the CS that pretty much resolves the case...  You greet Tex, and you try to convince him to stop, to lay down his weapon, to stop! 

Cole shows up, and Ira here decides that he does have something that needs doing -- and here is where Cole's karma catches up with him...  We learn what the dark secret of his wartime service really was -- and then we see it -- the flashback to the cave, where we see the flames and the dead civilians, and you order the troops to execute the civilians.  And they do.

Maybe it was a mercy killing, but the hate that you earned that day, well...  Phelps you are a shit.

Kelso takes care of Tex, Cole saves Elsa, and then as suspected, Cole's karma catches up to him finally.

The next CS is at the church -- the church where we see Cole's casket.  The irony is that Cole is being praised by the very cops who ruined him.  Elsa has her say, and stalks out. 

The end of the eulogy unlocks the Achievement "Moth to a Flame" (70 GP) for completing all of the cases on the Arson Desk -- yay!

The credits now play out, and congratulations mates, you have completed the story mode -- but not the game!  There is still some stuff you will want to do in the next part, Wrapping Things Up!  So I will see you there, right?  Right!