Homicide Desk III
The Silk Stocking Murderer

Homicide Desk III -- The Silk Stocking Murderer

The next wartime flashback starts this case, and we learn that Phelps was a smart cookie -- knew why the war happened, and he speaks Japanese!

After the flashback ends instead of a briefing in the squad room we meet with the Captain in a diner, and we learn that things are not going so well...  We have another case.

For getting all those lovely 5-Star levels you should have unlocked two new suits for your collection -- one called The Outsider, and a second, called Sunset Strip.  If you ask me both are ugly as sin, but it seems that a lot of the suits back in the 40's were ugly...

Jump in the car parked at the curb outside and head to the crime scene now -- another dead woman.  Is Rusty seriously convinced these are all not related?! 

Before you check out the body, take a close look at the evidence around the scene to gather as much information as we can before we look into the body and talk to the Coroner... 

A very complicated crime scene

This is a very complicated crime scene -- one of the most complicated we have had so far, so just do this by the numbers, as follows:

(1) Examine the bloody stocking

(2) Examine the pack of cigarettes and fabric softener bear the bushes

(3) Examine the broken pieces of plastic near the Coroner's Car

Now it is time to examine the body...

(4) First take a look her right hand where you find a torn piece of library card

(5) Examine the writing on her torso

(6) Examine her neck to note the markings and her other hand to note the missing ring

Talk to the Coroner now to get his report, and then follow the blood trail!

(7) Examine the blood trail nearer to the body

(8) Follow the trail to the bloodstained hat and examine that

(9) Continue along the blood trail, examining the hygiene products on the right

(10) At the trash can examine the show

(11)  As you follow the trail you encounter a box of Moz Kill -- a type of mosquito killer I have only seen in Australia...

(12) On a water standpipe is a house key tied by a cord

(13) Follow the trail to the paper with the dots on it.

(14) Note the clue pointing to the fire escape

(15) In the pigeon coop on the roof check the envelope

(16) Examine the blush compact on the other roof

(17) Examine the bloody pipe on the wall.

(18) Climb up and examine the wedding ring

(19) Examine the paint brush

(20) Examine the pocket book with the torn library card

The trail of clues conveniently has us appear right by our car now that we have the next destination to go to -- so go there!

-- The Maldonado Room --

We arrive at what is clearly a boarding house -- and when we knock we are introduced to a Mrs. Barbara Lapenti -- who invites you in to chat.

When you enter the room you find a smashed window and, outside, the iron bar from a picket fence that was used to gain entry into the room!

On the bed is an open suitcase, inside of which is a letter about her divorce that includes her husband's address. 

Examine the wedding photo in the nearby drawer paying particular attention to the bracelet she is wearing in the photo, which was not among the evidence you recovered at the scene!

Interviewing Barbara Lapenti

Now head back downstairs to interview Barbara Lapenti -- the correct answers are below if you need them:

-- Possible Suspects: Truth

-- Movements of Victim: Doubt

-- Evidence of Break In: Lie / Broken Window

-- Breakdown of Marriage: Lie / Charm Bracelet Photograph

Before we go and sweat the husband, let's go check out the bar we learned about from the old hag...

-- El Dorado Bar --

When we arrive at the El Dorado we meet the bartender, Diego Aguilar, who tells us that he was working the previous night -- with a bloke from the Temp Service...  Note that.. Temp Service...  That sounds familiar.  He gives you the Divorce Papers that Antonia left at the bar the previous evening, and then you ask a few questions:

-- Missing Jewelry: Doubt

-- Movements of Victim: Truth

I cannot believe that we did not ask about the temporary bartender!  What the heck?!  Glaring clue anyone??

Instead of following that smoking hot lead, we head  to the back of the bar to check the payphone, and then we head over to have a chat with the husband next.

Taking in Angel Maldonado

-- The Maldonado Residence --

They live in an apartment house, and when we arrive we check the mailbox -- as usual -- and then head inside to Apartment 304 and Rusty decides to take the door instead of knocking, which results in our getting into a fistfight with the husband and his brother.

If you have not yet unlocked it, you can unlock the Achievement "Keep a lid on" (15 GP) for finishing this fight without getting your hat knocked off...  Once you have beaten them and arrested them, you cuff them while Rusty calls for transport, then you search the flat.

-- On the kitchen floor is a Fruit Crate full of wine from that fruit market we learned about

-- A bloody shirt is hanging with the laundry in the kitchen

That is pretty much all of the clues you needed to find here, so now we should have a chat with the neighbors to see what else we can learn, right?

The bloke in 305 was not home, and the bloke in 301 went to bed early because he had his kids with him -- the woman in 302 heard the couple battling, and 303 is not home.

That wraps up what we can do now, so head back down to the car, where we get a radio message from Dispatch calling us back to the station -- it seems that they have received another letter about the  Black Dahlia case and we need to see it...

-- Central Police Station --

When you arrive you are directed downstairs where you learn about the new letter from the killer -- at least it seems like it is from the killer...  In addition to the letter there is a poem and, after you read it you identify who the author is -- Shelly -- and you speculate about the meaning of the two pieces of evidence.

The Captain wants you to go upstairs and interview Maldonado -- so upstairs we go!

Interview with Angel Maldonado

-- Interview with Angel Maldonado --

It does not seem like the husband is the perp in this case...  When we do the interview though, he admits to being with her the previous evening, but then he makes clumsy lies... 

-- Last Contact with Victim: Lie / Husbands Alibi

-- Divorce Proceedings: Lie / Divorce Papers

-- Jewelry Taken from Body: Truth

-- Bloodstained Shirt Found: Doubt

Well that did not end quite the way I expected...  But as he mentioned the market, it is time for us to go have a look, isn't it?

-- Just Picked Fruit Market --

When we arrive we end up talking to the bloke behind the counter in the back of the store, named Clem Feeny, who tells us that he saw the victim, so we interview him.

-- Distinctive Necklace: Doubt

-- Contact with Victim: Doubt

-- Movements of Victim: Truth

Clem describes the same car that the husband did -- and then we tell him we are looking around...

A pair of green doors lead to the storeroom that is packed with booze, and also a filing cabinet with a wooden box in it!  It requires a combination, and significantly the key uses dice!  Remember that piece of paper in the blood trail?  Change the settings to 2-5-3 and snap!  It opens!

Religions jewelry and a chain?

On the other desk is a bloody scalpel -- examine it carefully to add it as a clue, and then Clem sees what you have found and beats feet, jumping in his truck and roaring away.  Well, there really is nothing for it, we will have to chase him!

After the CS if you busting Clem finishes you get one with the Captain, who catches Rusty drinking some of the booze!  He throws you out of the booze room, and helps himself to the case on the desk, and the case is officially over!

One thing about this -- when I took out Clem he rolled his truck and it ended up upside down, but in the CS it was right-side up...  Sigh.