Traffic Desk III
Fallen Idol

Traffic Desk III -- Fallen Idol

-- Special Notes for this Case --
Newspaper #4 -- Outside of Silver Screen Props on the workbench in the alley

The nearby scene of the crime

As usual the case begins in the daily briefing, where the Captain assigns it to you -- what is not usual is that it is located so close to home!  Getting assigned the case automatically gets you some clues, locations, and people added to your Notebook.  Our first task is to investigate the crash site, so head outside and jump in the car -- be sure to change your suit if it is reset on you -- and drive to the scene of the crime.

-- The Crash Site --

When you arrive on the scene you spot someone you recognize -- the uniform officer on the scene fills you in, and once you have the information, you can head down to the car where the Coroner fills you in briefly, pointing out the evidence on the trunk you should examine.

Examine the torn underwear and the letter to one of the victims from their mother.

Talk to the Coroner to learn about the shrunken head prop -- you do a really bad Hamlet, and then you learn it is a replica -- examine the head to get it as a clue -- and then you learn that the head is the murder weapon!  Check the inside of the car, and the license plate on the ground behind it before you return to the top.

Interviewing June Ballard

-- Interviewing June Ballard --

When you reach the top you will notice that there is an ambulance on the far side of the field -- head over to that and have a chat with the victim -- June Ballard -- who it seems is the wife of a major mafia figure... 

This one is no dummy -- and not a very good liar either thankfully, so you should have no trouble telling when she is BS'ing you.  You need to carefully observe her while you question her -- if you need them the answers are below:

-- Doping Allegation: Doubt

-- Injured Female Passenger: Lie / Underwear

-- Fake Shrunken Head: Doubt

-- Suspect Mark Bishop: Doubt

Well that was interesting...  But we still have a victim to interview, don't we?  Head for the car and drive to the Hospital -- say, shouldn't we have gotten coffee and doughnuts by now??

When you return to the car and get in if you are driving you get a radio message from Dispatch telling you that the victim has regained consciousness -- so head for the Hospital now to interview Jessica Hamilton.

-- The Hospital --

If you did not notice before, the hospital is actually attached to the police precinct, so all you need to do is head back to the station and you will get a CS that puts you at the correct door.

Go inside and check in with the receptionist at the counter to learn where the victim is, and then talk to the Physician outside of her room BEFORE  you enter the room -- he will tell you about the fact that she was abused, which is a fact you need to know in order to properly interview the victim. 

Interviewing Jessica Hamilton

When you enter the room BEFORE you interview her, step over to the foot of the bed and pick up and read her chart to add more clues to your Notebook.  Once you have done that you should then interview the victim.  If you need them the answers are below:

-- Crash Incident Report: Lie / Underwear

-- Contact with Parents: Lie / Letter from Mother

-- Association with Bishop: Doubt

-- Evidence of Abuse: Truth

After the interview ends and you are leaving the room you notice that the other "victim" is leaving with a man who rouses your suspicions -- so you discretely follow them outside and, once they get in their car, you follow it!

It is very important that you not be seen by her or noticed following her -- so keep your distance and tail her car until she arrives at a diner -- wait for her to go to the back to use the phone (you will hear the coins drop) and then causally walk (so NOT run) inside, and sit at the booth on the left, using the newspaper to disguise your presence there.  You just want to observe now,  and listen in on June Ballard's conversation.

If you manage to tail her and get inside to listen without being discovered, you will unlock the Achievement "The Shadow" (15 GP) for your efforts.  Nice one!

As you hide behind the paper you listen to her rip into the person she called -- and you hear about "the film" for the first time...

You need to get there fast  If you get there fast enough, you will encounter a pair of thugs but if you go too slow, you miss them...  This is a story branch:

-- If you miss them (take too long) you get there to find Bishop's wife and a messed up flat.

-- If you get there in time, you find a pair of thugs you can battle.  If you have not already obtained it, this is a chance to unlock the Achievement "Keep a lid on it" (15 GP) for winning a fight without losing your hat as a Detective...

Searching the Bishop Flat

Either way you need to have a look around the flat and check the following:

-- Saddle: check the saddle near the front door
-- $20,000 check: check the floor in the room closest to the front door
-- Movie Set Replica: check to the right of the photograph
-- Movie Set Photograph: check the green table in the second room
-- Prop Store Photograph: check the table to the left of Gloria

Once you have found all of the above, sit down to interview the wife; the answers are below if you need them:

-- Domestic Disturbance: Doubt

-- Whereabouts of Bishop: Truth

-- Check for $20,000: Lie / $20,000 check

-- Abuse of Jessica Hamilton: Doubt

She is one cold-hearted bitch!   On the way out use the phone to trace the location of the prop store, then head downstairs and grab your car and drive to Silver Screen Props...

Searching the Silver Screen Prop House

-- Silver Screen Props --

When you arrive head inside and chat with Marlon -- he is at the desk -- and he offers to show you the sound stage.  While your partner keeps an eye on Marlon, you have a look around the sound stage area, and you find the Chloral Hydrate on a shelf there!  On the floor by the shelf is one of the shrunken heads -- odd...  Check the mirror on the far wall, and then head outside of the building and to the left to the workbench in that back area to find other shrunken heads -- examine them to get the clue for those now.

On a second workbench nearby is the newspaper for this case -- go over and pick it up to watch the CS and see the story expand widely -- that is Micky Cohen the gangster! 

After you gain access to the hidden room make sure that you examine the empty film case and read the label, then the other film case, and then return to your partner, because it is time to get some answers out of Marlon!

Interviewing Marlon

When you approach you are prompted to hit 'X' to talk -- do that and, if you need them, the answers are below:

-- Association with Bishop: Lie / Chloral Hydrate

-- Whereabouts of Bishop: Truth

-- Relationship with Ballard: Lie / Empty Film Canister

-- Evidence of Blackmail: Lie / $20,000 check

Just as you are about to slap the cuffs onto Marlon a Detective from Vice shows up and takes over, pointing out that your are both poaching on his turf -- and that Marlon here is one of his valued informants!  What this means, in simple terms, is you do not get to arrest Marlon.

When you get outside you find two of Micky Cohen's thugs waiting outside -- and after you and your partner warn them off, they start shooting at you!  Drive your car a ways and they will appear along with another car and try to take you out.

A car chase with some tyre shooting!

Position your car so that you partner has a clean shot at their tyres and he will disable the cars -- once you have them both disabled -- as you can see from the video I took that a bit further -- you can safely drive to the next location, satisfied that you have not only disabled a pair of mafia cars, but you have also unlocked another Achievement -- "Traffic Stop" (15 GP) which you get for disabling the car with your partner's help!

-- The Jungle Drums Movie Set --

When you arrive at the set you will find Bishop -- but you will have to chase him down and actually capture him before he will go with you.  That was the good news -- the bad news is the mafia thugs are here and they are well-armed.   You need to get Bishop out alive and take him into custody -- but this is also a chance for you to get kills with the Tommy Gun, and the M1 Garands that you can take from the goons you kill.  You do not have to do that, but if you are looking to get that Achievement, it would be a good idea!

Note that when you are chasing him be very careful not to follow exactly in his footsteps because the place starts coming apart and if you do you will fall to your death.

After you battle your way out of the set and take out the final set of goons the Captain shows up to tell you that you are getting a promotion -- and the crooked Vice cop shows up to thank you for your work?

Once you get Bishop to safety you get a very long closing CS in which the crooked Vice Detective takes you on a rather strange tour -- once you reach the end of that CS, you will unlock the Achievement "Paved With Good Intentions" (15 GP) for finishing off all of the cases on the Traffic Desk.

You should have noticed that the two story lines are now coming together, as that is the Doctor from the newspaper CS's!  Even if you have some light damage to pay for you should still easily 5-Star this one because you got all of the Clues and the Questions, so good on ya mates!  Well done!  You have now been promoted to the Homicide Desk!