Patrol Desk I
Upon Reflection

Patrol Desk I -- Upon Reflection

-- Special Notes for this Case --
Newspaper #1 -- On the right side in the alley, near some bottles.

Before we head to the crime scene we need to cover something -- while a lot of the game moves slowly, the transition between events can sometimes happen fast, so fast you get surprised by how you moved from one part to the next with little of no warning!  So be prepared for that, and for the idea that often you do not get complete resolution of a case.

Now use the drive from where you are to the scene to get used to how cars work in the game -- which uses the standard controller layout made popular by the GTA games: Right Trigger is the gas, Left Trigger is the brakes; the Right Joystick controls your camera view (which allows you to see things to the side and behind you) and the left your direction so you can drive your car.  To turn the Siren on and off click the Left Joystick, and to see a rear-view, hold down the Right Joystick.  Well, there you have it, that is the car in a nutshell.

When you need to access your shotgun you will move to the trunk and hit 'A' -- but be aware that you must not shoot civilians and you must not run them over or hit them with your fist, you are a cop not a gangster and this is not a GTA game!

The First Newspaper

-- The Scene of the Crime --

Right Trigger is the gas, Left is the Brakes -- push down on the Left Joystick to turn on the Siren.  Now drive!

The Detective gives you instructions -- Detective Floyd Rose of Homicide -- turns out to be something of an ass hat.  He tells you which way is up:

"We had a shooting took place down this alleyway.  We have the vic, Scooter Peyton, a Negro male, bagged up and on his way to Central Morgue.  Witness says a tall white guy -- our shooter -- put two in the vic's head and then threw his piece.  I need you guys to try and recover the gat," he tells you.

Well, there is nothing for it -- he is a Detective and you are an Officer, so you fetch and carry, Water Boy.  As you work your way down the alley looking for clues, be sure to find the newspaper in the right side of the alley and  read it to spawn a Cut Scene (CS).

A careful examination of the alley does not reveal much in the way of evidence save for the bloodstains that were left on the ground and door that resulted from the vic getting his brains rearranged by a .357 Magnum revolver.  The thing is, the revolver is what you need to find -- and since it is not on the ground, perhaps we should look elsewhere?

The nice thing about this is that you do not actually have to notice anything to find clues, you just have to respond to the chime sound and your controller vibrating by hitting 'A' and you will be shown the clue you have "found" by walking near it.

In this case the clue is the reflection of the pistol in the open window above -- so now that you know where the gun is, you just need to reach it.  To do that continue along the alley to the drain pipe and climb it, then walk over the roof to the gun and examine it for clues which you then write in your notebook...  Oh, the notebook, we have not covered that yet have we?

Clues in the Alley

-- Your Notebook --

To open the notebook hit the Back Button on your controller -- this brings up the notebook on your screen.  The first page is a menu with the following selections on it:

-- People
-- Clues
-- Locations
-- Intuitions
-- Case Objectives

-- PEOPLE --

This part of your notebook is not just your notes on the suspects or victims, but includes any notable people you encounter, including other cops.

Using the Left Joystick you select the person from the menu, then hit 'A' to view their pages.  Select Detective Floyd Rose now -- you see general information about him, and you have the option of Reviewing Evidence for cases related to him.  Hit 'B' twice to return to the Main Notebook Menu.

-- CLUES --

This is exactly what you would expect -- notes about the clues you have found at the various crime scenes.  Clicking 'A' on the Blood Stains gives you a brief description of what you found.

As you get further into the game, these clues will be important to you as you will base some of your questioning choices off of them, so getting used to reviewing them now is a good idea.

-- LOCATIONS --

The crime scenes and significant places you have visited.

This is a useful part of the Notebook, because if you ever want to return to a location all you need to do is look it up in your Notebook, and select the SET AS DESTINATION option at the bottom, and it becomes the default destination on your map!

-- INTUITIONS --

Note -- you may need to adjust the brightness in the Options Menu in order to see and read this stuff, so if you do go do that now, I will wait for you.  Done?  Good, now you can properly read the Notebook!

In addition to explaining what this is, you also see your Rank and Intuition Points here, and using your Intuition Points, you can adjust the clues and answers you have.  This will become important later, for now just know that it is here.

-- CASE OBJECTIVES --

This section of the Notebook basically spells out in some detail the current objectives you are seeking.  This is especially useful if you have not played for a while, since it refreshes the case in your mind.

-- Back to the Scene --

Now that you have found the gun, it is time to carefully examine it.  You learn its model and serial number, and you check to see how many rounds have been fired.  With that noted in your book, you ask your partner if he knows of any gun shops in the area -- and he does!

Note that there are many objects in the game you will encounter that you can examine that are not really clues, and have no relation to your case, but to be safe you should examine anything and everything that you can, right?

An Interview at the Gun Shop

-- The Gun Shop --

A short drive away that lets you get some more wheel time, you find yourself at the all-night gunshop and shooting range.  Only in LA man.  Only in LA.

Inside is the owner, and he is happy to cooperate with the LAPD. Not only that, but he is certain that he sold this particular handgun, noting that it is a special model and rare.  You ask to examine his sales ledger, and find the gun listed on page two, noting down the details of the owner.

You can take a look around the gun shop, and examine the stuffed duck collection on the counters, and check out the shooting range in the basement, in fact you should do that!  When you are done, check your Notebook and set the destination, and then return to your car and drive to the apartment building next!

-- The Apartment of Errol Schroeder --

After you arrive you get a clue -- gold-handled doors are ones you can open -- and you head inside, where you examine the mailboxes to learn which flat belongs to Schroeder -- flat number 2.  Heading up the stairs you knock, and get immediate attitude from the suspect.

After you confront him over the gun and the murder, he attacks you, and you have your first fistfight in the game!

Busting Your First Perp!

Fighting is simple -- you hold down the Left Trigger to go into fighting mode, and then use 'A' to hit, and 'X' to Block.  If you block during an attack and then immediately punch you do more damage, something to consider.  Once you have damaged him enough you automatically do a finishing move, and the fight ends with the perp in cuffs.

Now you search the flat for clues -- which are a bunch of not-clues and one significant one: a green notebook in the drawer that has, among other names, the name of the Detective who put you on this case!  Interesting...

Your partner gets a little freaked out and convinces you to leave the book alone -- you call in the arrest, and that ends the case!