Suspect Transcript

[The map, consisting of six locations and five objects is left as an exercise to the reader.]

Your sister's birthday is tomorrow, and she made you promise that you wouldn't buy her anything expensive. As if she had to worry; on your salary you can't even take her to a nice restaurant. You know that she has refined taste and admires anything that comes from Lumet Fine Crystal and Silver; you also know that she would like a bud vase. You called Lumet, but they wouldn't quote prices over the phone. So you've come downtown to see if they carry anything you can afford.

Outside Store

You are on a busy east-west street outside Lumet Fine Crystal and Silver, whose entrance is to the north. It is raining lightly.

>GO NORTH

Lobby

You are in the elegant lobby of Lumet Fine Crystal and Silver. An ornate chandelier hangs from the ceiling. The salmon-colored marble floor is highly polished, and several signed prints hang from the jade-white plush-fabric walls. Classical music plays softly in the background. The exit to the street is to the south. Open doors lead to the nortwest and the northeast. A solid-brass coatrack holding one raincoat stands in a corner. A security guard in a dark blue uniform is standing by the exit. "I'm sorry," he says to you. "No loitering."

>SECURITY GUARD, WHERE ARE THE BUD VASES?

"Oh, you're a customer." He seems surprised. You wish you hadn't worn blue jeans. "There are bud vases in the Crystal Room, through this door here." He points to the door leading to the northwest. "You may be more interested in our less expensive vases, in the Glass Room next to the Crystal Room." He takes your raincoat and hangs it up.

>THANK YOU

(said to the security guard)

"You're very welcome."

>WALK NORTHWEST

Crystal Room

You are in the Crystal Room of Lumet Fine Crystal and Silver. Displayed on tables are magnificent plates, vases, decanters, bowls, ring holders and objets d'art, from Waterford, Lenox, Steuben and other crystal manufacturers. Even the ashtray in the corner - you think it's an ashtray - looks ridiculously expensive and too nice to dirty with ashes. There are open doors leading east to the Silver Room, north to the Glass Room, and southeast to the Lobby. A woman in bright blue satin dress enters the room from east. She seems officious, like a saleswoman, and looks at you with a mixture of politeness and arrogance.

>SALESWOMAN, WHERE ARE THE BUD VASES?

"Saleswoman! Hmmf! I don't work here, you pipsqueak!" She hits you on the head with her handbag and leaves the room to the southeast.

>SEARCH THE ROOM FOR A BUD VASE

There are two bud vases here on a table, one with Waterford label and one with Rotschild label.

>LOOK AT THE BUD VASE

(Which bud vase do you mean, the Waterford bud vase or the Rotschild bud vase?)

>WATERFORD

Ah, it's a beautiful, ornate bud vase, sparkling like a diamond. It looks perfect. The price tag on it says "$400."

>LOOK AT THE ROTSCHILD BUD VASE

It is a very fragile, very sophisticated bud vase, perfectly clear and resonating distinctively when you rap it with your fingernail. The price tag on it says "$300."

>NORTH

Glass Room

This is the Glass Room of Lumet Fine Crystal and Silver. Tables and shelves display a fine assortment of plates, glasses, vases, bowls, decanters, and objets d'art, from Corning, Oxford, Courac, and other glass manufacturers. The only exit is to the south. There is a step stool in the corner.

>FIND A BUD VASE

You can see a bud vase on a top shelf, but it's out of your reach.

>GET ON THE STEP STOOL

You're now standing on the step stool.

>TAKE THE BUD VASE THEN LOOK AT IT

Taken.

It is a simple yet elegant piece with the Chilton label. The price tag on it says "$30."

From the next room, you can hear a loud and expensive CRASH!

>GO SOUTH

You'll have to get off the step stool first.

>GET OFF THE STEP STOOL THEN GO SOUTH

You're now off the step stool.

Crystal Room

There is a lot of broken crystal lying on the floor next to one of the tables.

>EXAMINE THE BROKEN CRYSTAL

The shards are in all shapes and sizes. You can't figure what the piece was before it broke. Amidst the shards is a blue button. The security guard enters the room from the southeast. He looks at the broken crystal and asks, "Did you break that?"

>LOOK AT THE SECURITY GUARD

The security guard is a large, strong man, wearing a dark blue uniform. "Did you break that?" the guard asks you impatiently.

>LOOK AT THE UNIFORM

The uniform consists of dark blue trousers, a dark blue shirt with black buttons, a black tie and black shoes. A holster holds a gun. "Did you break that?" the guard asks you impatiently.

>NO

The guard frowns in disbelief. "I'd better get the manager." He heads off to the east.

>FOLLOW THE GUARD

Silver Room

You are in the Silver Room of Lumet Fine Crystal and Silver. Many locked cases display sterling tableware, teapots, trays and bowls; several are stamped with the lion passant, guaranteeing a silver content not less than 92.5% pure. A few items sit on top of the cases, allowing customers close inspection. Open doors lead west to the Crystal Room and southwest to the Lobby. A large wooden door, stenciled "Manager" in gold lettering, leads east.

>GUARD, WHERE IS THE OTHER CUSTOMER?

"She left a few minutes ago, before I heard the crash. Don't try to pin the blame on her." The security guard knocks on the large wooden door. After a moment, the manager opens the door. The manager sports a pencil-thin moustache, a gold tie clip, a Cartier watch, blue pin-striped trousers, and Italian designer-shoes. You doubt that he even owns a pair of jeans. "Sir," the guard says to the manager, "I believe this... customer broke the Steuben tulip. Accidentally, I'm sure." The manager looks at you sadly. "Accident or not, I'm afraid you'll have to pay for it. At cost, of course."

"Sir, look!" exclaims the security guard to the manager. "A set of sterling baby spoons is missing!" The manager and the guard look at you suspiciously.

>MANAGER, TELL ME ABOUT THE BABY SPOONS

"I think you probably know that they're very expensive. Give me that, you thief!" He grabs the Chilton bud vase away from you. "I'd call my lawyers if I were you!" He heads off to the west.

>GUARD, SEARCH ME

"I was just about to do that." He searches you. "Odd, no baby spoons. I'd better tell the manager." The security guard heads off to the west.

>EAST

Manager's Office

This is the manager's office of Lumet Fine Crystal and Silver. The office is very comfortably and expensively appointed; plush white carpeting, large mahogany desk, a leather swivel chair behind the desk and overstuffed lounger chairs in front of it, a rose-colored Chippendale sofa against one wall, and velvet burgundy drapes in front of the windows. The only exit is to the west.

A telephone sits on the desk.

A blue pin-striped jacket is draped over the leather swivel chair.

>PICK UP THE TELEPHONE

You hear a dial tone.

>CALL MY LAWYER

You left your little black address book in your raincoat.

>GO TO THE LOBBY

Silver Room

(on your way to the Lobby)

>CONTINUE

(on your way to the Lobby)

Lobby

A solid-brass coatrack holding one raincoat stands in a corner.

>LOOK IN RAINCOAT

You find your little black address book.

>TAKE THE BOOK

Taken.

>GO TO THE OFFICE

(on your way to the Manager's Office)

Silver Room

>CONTINUE

(on your way to the Manager's Office)

Manager's Office

>PICK UP THE TELEPHONE

You hear a dial tone.

>CALL MY LAWYER

Your lawyer's out to lunch. His secretary refuses to take a message.

>EXAMINE THE PIN-STRIPED JACKET

The jacket is in perfect condition. The label in it says "YSL." The pockets are empty.

>LOOK IN THE DESK

Inside the desk are pens, pencils, files, a white box, a blue box, tissues, aspirin, rubber bands, paper clips, and note paper.

>TAKE THE WHITE BOX AND THE BLUE BOX

White box: taken.

Blue box: you're carrying too many items already!

>LOOK INSIDE THE WHITE BOX

The white box contains the manager's business cards.

>DROP THE WHITE BOX

White box: dropped.

>TAKE THE BLUE BOX THEN LOOK IN IT

Taken.

The blue box contains eight sterling baby spoons.

>PUT THE BLUE BOX IN THE JACKET

The blue box containing sterling baby spoons is now in the blue pin-striped jacket.

You hear footsteps to the north.

>HIDE

Where do you want to hide?

>BEHIND THE DRAPES

You are now hiding behind the drapes.

The manager comes into the room.

Do you wish to keep hiding (YES or NO)? >YES

The manager closes the door, takes off the blue shirt he was wearing, and puts on a white shirt.

Do you wish to keep hiding (YES or NO)? >NO

You step out from behind the drapes.

"You!" the manager says furiously.

>TAKE THE BLUE SHIRT. EXAMINE IT

Taken.

The shirt is light blue and monogrammed with the manager's initials. The left sleeve has 2 blue buttons. The right sleeve has 1.

>ACCUSE THE MANAGER OF STEALING

"Don't be ridiculous. You have no evidence."

>TELL ME ABOUT THE BLUE BOX

(said to the manager)

The manager turns pale. He starts searching through his desk frantically. "Give them to me!" he demands. There is a knock on the door.

>OPEN THE DOOR

The security guard enters the room carrying a paper bag. "Here's the broken crystal," he says to the manager.

>SECURITY GUARD, GIVE ME THE BROKEN CRYSTAL

The manager says to the security guard, "Don't give the broken crystal to anyone but me. Quickly, you gorilla!" The security guard looks at the manager, then at you, shrugs his shoulders, and steps toward the manager.

>GUARD, WAIT

"Again he looks at the manager, then at you. "Well?" he asks.

>SHOW THE BLUE SHIRT TO THE GUARD

"So? It's missing a button. Who cares?"

>GUARD, EXAMINE THE BROKEN CRYSTAL

The security guard, not knowing why, sifts through the broken shards and finds the blue button.

>ACCUSE THE MANAGER OF STEALING

"Okay, I admit it, I broke the Steuben tulip!" says the manager, shaking.

"What happened to the baby spoons?" asks the security guard.

>GUARD, LOOK IN THE JACKET

The guard looks in the blue pin-striped jacket and finds the eight sterling baby spoons. "Sir," he says to the manager, "you're under arrest."

After the security guard phones the police and the Lumet headquarters in London, he says to you, "We can offer you a reward of up to $400 in merchandise. Is there anything you'd like?"

>GIVE ME THE WATERFORD BUD VASE

(said to the security guard)

"Of course. It would be a pleasure. I'll have it gift-wrapped for you."