Detective Herring and the Unorthodox Murder Case

(link-reveal:"Tonight is a wicked night.")[= Because blood has been shed, (link-reveal:"and the culprit is ahead.")[= <img src="Images/Herring1.png"> (link-reveal:"You are Detective Herring.")[= (link-reveal:"The great detective loved by scared children and feared by the demons of the night.")[= Highly analytical.(after:time+1s)[= Leaving no stone unturned.(after:time+1s)[= Few are as thorough as you.(after:time+2s)[= Your new challenge awaits…(after:time+2s)[= [[beyond the doors of the Morse mansion.->Start (1)]]

You are greeted with the murmurs of police, the whispering of your trainee as he looks around the mansion… and the sobs of a grieving wife, behind (link-reveal:"the bedroom door.")[= You open it… (after: time+2s, (cond: visits > 0, 200ms, 0))[= and find the horror you have prepared your entire morning for. (after: time+2s, (cond: visits > 0, 200ms, 0))[= A bloody,(after: time+1s, (cond: visits > 0, 200ms, 0))[= messy,(after: time+1s, (cond: visits > 0, 200ms, 0))[= corpse.(after: time+1s, (cond: visits > 0, 200ms, 0))[= [[Another murder case as usual.->Title (1)]]

(css: "font-size: 200%; line-height: 80px")+(text-style:"bold")+(align:"=><=")[''Detective Herring and the Unorthodox Murder Case''](after:time+2s)[= (align:"=><=")[[["Well, well, if it isn't our favourite detective..."->Prologue I]]]

{(track: 'audio', 'play') (track: 'audio', 'fadein', 1) } “Detective Herring. You’re (link-reveal:"12 minutes late.\"")[= “Madam, it is my fault! (after:time+1s)[=As his trainee, (after:time+1s)[=I was supposed to drive him to the mansion in time, and yet the traffic jam (after:time+0.5s)[=and the paper-eating dog and- (after:time+0.5s)[=oh you could NOT believe how terrible the rain was- "(after:time+0.5s)[= You shush the young student by your side. Isn't he supposed to be a paperwork guy? Why'd you even bring him to your (link-reveal:"important murder case?")[= [[You receive the police officer's rundown of the murder.->Prologue II]]

At 11:04PM, during an annual dinner party, police officers arrived to find (link-reveal:"Elena Morse")[(show:?Elena)] dead in her room. Her cause of death, a blunt force trauma wound, had been inflicted no more than 30 minutes ago. She was lying on an unmade bed, its sheets wrinkled and unkempt, surrounded by a room whose furniture was indiscriminately scattered around. Per tradition for a crime scene, really. {|Elena)[ Elena Morse; world-famous philanthropic billionaire. They say she had the most humble beginnings, and raised a great fortune through her own doing, and well, you know... (link-reveal:"the rest")[(show:?RichPeople)] happened. ] |RichPeople)[ A lovely wife, butlers and maids, a mansion so large, luxurious and distracting your trainee almost forgot he's here to assist you in a murder case. ]} {(unless: $ConsultKain is true and $ConsultMari is true)[The scene isn't going anywhere, so you consider a consultation from the people around you. (if: $ConsultKain is false)[The rather [[sweet-but-annoying detective trainee Kain->Kain]] following you like a loyal dog...](else:)[The rather sweet-but-annoying detective trainee Kain...] (if: $ConsultMari is false)[and the [[constantly-exhausted police officer Mari->Consult Mari]].](else:)[and the police officer Mari.]] (if: $ConsultKain is true and $ConsultMari is true)[Well, about time to crack this case open. Let's start [[with the crime scene.->The Crime Scene]]]}

“Thank you for bringing me with you, sir!” The trainee saluted you. It was annoying to you how cautious he was, down to dressing up as a bodyguard to protect the detective who certainly didn’t need it. Maybe he should have been in a boxing ring with all that passion instead? (link-reveal:"Kain scratches his still-sweaty head and squints his eyes.")[= "The police are in a rush, journalists meanwhile are slamming on the door, and oh jeez, this entire mess...! (link-reveal:"Detective, are you sure these all count as evidence? We probably may not have time to look at it all!”")[= (set: bool-type $ConsultKain to true) [[You considered his words for a bit before returning to what is around you.->Prologue II]]

“As much as I would love to tell you to be your usual analytical self, Herring,” the officer puffed a ring of smoke from her cigarette, “we’re short on time and resources, and the public is ''dying'' to hear the truth.” “So you better not waste all of it so quickly. (link-reveal:"Everything you do here’s going to take up precious time, ya get what I mean?\"")[= You are slightly taken aback by her mannerisms. She was always a tired woman, but did this case get to her? (set: bool-type $ConsultMari to true) [[You nod and return to what you were doing.->Prologue II]]

Where to start? Shriveled bedsheets, overturned chairs, broken bed lamp, cracked glass table, traces of blood splashed all over! You're surprised the windows weren't broken as well. The first thing you do is look through the trash can. (if:$EvidenceMain_Idol is false)[[[At the bottom is a conspicuous-looking idol statue.->Idol Evidence]]](else:)[You've already secured the idol.] Next, you look for any of Elena’s memorabilia to pinpoint a motive. (if:$EvidenceMain_Document is false)[[[A locked safe meets your suspecting eye->Documents Evidence]].](else:)[Aside from that safe, there doesn't seem to be anything else.] { (if:$EvidenceMain_Idol is true and $EvidenceMain_Document is true)[You notice two out-of-place items in the corner as you compile what you have. (if:$Bat_Kain is false and $Bat_Mari is false)[ [[A bloody baseball bat staining the carpet with a disgustingly red colour->Baseball Bat]], ] (else:)[The baseball bat, ] (if:$Vent_Check is false)[ and [[an open human-sized vent.->Vent]] ] (else:)[and the open vent.] You consider whether to investigate those items carefully, or if [[the evidence you have is enough.->The Witnesses]]] } { (if:$Herring_Value > 4)[ You spent quite some time compiling additional evidence... you hope the police are not already getting impatient.] }

{ (set: bool-type $ConsultKain to false) (set: bool-type $ConsultMari to false) (set: bool-type $EvidenceMain_Document to false) (set: bool-type $EvidenceMain_Idol to false) (set: bool-type $Vent_Check to false) (set: bool-type $Vent_Attempt to false) (set: bool-type $Vent_Map to false) (set: bool-type $Bat_Check to false) (set: bool-type $Bat_Story to false) (set: bool-type $Bat_Kain to false) (set: bool-type $Bat_Mari to false) (set: bool-type $Pyro_Investigation to false) (set: bool-type $Solaria_Investigation to false) (set: bool-type $Annabel_Investigation to false) (set: bool-type $Annabel_Suspicion to false) (set: bool-type $Saya_Investigation to false) (set: int-type $Herring_Value to 0) (set: int-type $Reasoning_Time to 80) (set: int-type $Max_Reasoning_Time to 80) (set: int-type $Final_Reasoning_Time to 80) (set: int-type $Herring_Time_Deduction to 10) (track: 'audio', 'loop', true) (track: 'atmos', 'loop', true) (masteraudio: 'stopall') (track: 'atmos', 'playwhenpossible') }

(link-reveal:"\"What's that silly-looking guy?\"")[= Kain pores over the idol in interest as you pick it up from the trash can. The figure depicted was a robed man, from a religion of some sort. What really interests you however is the sticky texture at the bottom of the statue, almost like someone just cleaned a thick liquid out of it. You cautiously put the statue in an evidence bag with Kain's help and [[go back to the crime scene.->The Crime Scene]] (set:$EvidenceMain_Idol to true)

"Oh, that is..." Pyro, the butler and the second person to come to the crime scene, noticed you looking at the safe. "Ah, yes, Elena's business endeavours. I am not sure if they are necessary, but I do know the code to the safe. After all, Elena trusts me with a lot of her secrets..." The butler, polite as ever, helps you (link-reveal:"open the safe, ")[=before immediately returning to the grieving widow's side.[= Indeed, inside are piles after piles of documents of Elena's ambitious business plans. All quite interesting, but one stands out to you in particular, an... (link-reveal:" essential oils business?")[= A quick glance and it's quite clear to you what this business is: (link-reveal:"a pyramid scheme. ")[A business model in which the highers-up suck as much blood from the lower ones' wallets as possible, all while assuring them that they'll profit with just one more recruit. Gross. ]Knowing how much philanthropy Elena Morse engages in makes this scheme quite a bit sicker. (set: $EvidenceMain_Document to true) [[Not as sick as the body over there, though.->The Crime Scene]]

It’s a baseball bat stained with blood, and, well, it wouldn’t take any tests for you to figure out that it was the blood of the unfortunate billionaire.{ (if:$Bat_Kain is true and $Bat_Mari is true)[[[You've spent enough time on this piece of evidence, though.->The Crime Scene]]] } (else:)[ According to the report, Elena’s cause of death was blunt force trauma. It was certainly possible for this baseball bat to have been the murder weapon; after all, (link-reveal:"you recall a case in which a baseball player murdered someone with his trusty bat…")[(show:?Bat_Story)] { |Bat_Story)[(if:$Bat_Story is false)[ Oh, yeah, it was one of your first cases! The way no one would dare touch that supposedly prized item except you! You investigated everything, and you didn't let anyone's pride get in the way. You spend some time reminiscing over your great victory. {(set:$Bat_Story to true)(set:$Herring_Value to it+1)(rerun:?MaxHerring)}] (else:)[ You would love to spend more time telling Kain all about it some time. ] ] } { In order to make sure, you can perhaps (link-reveal:"ask your trainee Kain")[(show:?Bat_Kain)] for more information on this strange weapon, or (link-reveal:"the police officer Mari...")[(show:?Bat_Mari)] Or not? Your detective senses say this bat is too out-of-place to be evidence; and [[you always believe your detective senses first.->The Crime Scene]] } { |Bat_Kain)[(if:$Bat_Kain is false)[ Kain scratches his head as he looks at the baseball bat. "Hmm, I guess it does make sense for this to be the murder weapon, but..." he wonders. "Isn't it strange how they didn't dispose of it in a cleaner manner, and it's just sitting around here like this?" "O-oh, but I mean, that's just what they do in the horror stories!" {(set:$Bat_Kain to true)(set:$Herring_Value to it+1)(rerun:?MaxHerring)}] (else:)[ You sternly remind Kain not to touch the bat with his bare hands.] ] } { |Bat_Mari)[(if:$Bat_Mari is false)[ The police officer glances at the bat for a bit, before returning to her cigarette and half-torn notebook. "Well, the Morse household was never into sports, that's for sure. We believe the only one who engaged in baseball was one of the servants. So if you think this is the murder weapon, do you assume someone from outside the house did it as well?" {(set:$Bat_Mari to true)(set:$Herring_Value to it+1)(rerun:?MaxHerring)}] (else:)[ Doesn't seem like there's much else to ask about...] ] } |MaxHerring>[(if:$Bat_Mari is true and $Bat_Kain is true)[You notice quite some time has passed. Guess there's not much else to do here.(set:$Bat_Check to true)]] ]

{} The vent’s lid is ajar, its rivets scattered all over the carpet, coincidentally next to the bloody baseball bat. Where does this vent lead to? Could the culprit have escaped from here? (link-reveal-goto:"Can you attempt to fit through the vent,", "Vent Attempt")[(set:?Vent_Attempt to true)(rerun:?Max_Herring] or (link-reveal:"ask the police officer Mari for a map of the area?")[(show:?Map)] Or maybe this [[is not worth your time?->The Crime Scene]] { |Map)[ (if:$Vent_Map is false)[ Officer Mari gives you a map of the mansion, which suggests that the vent in Elena's bedroom was connected to three other rooms: the kitchen, bathroom, and (link-reveal:"one of the guest rooms that was being used during the dinner party.")[ Seems it was Annabel, Solaria Morse's niece. What could this possibly mean?] {(set: $Vent_Map to true)(set:$Herring_Value to it+1)}(rerun:?MaxHerring)] (else:)["What? I don't have spare maps to give you."] ] } |MaxHerring>[(if:$Vent_Map is true and $Vent_Attempt is true)[ You check your watch and notice that significant time has passed. Was the annoyance really worth it?(set:$Vent_Check to true)]]

{ (if:$Herring_Value > 3)[Kain anxiously looks at his watch and to the rest of the room. "Everyone's looking at us. You think we have enough time?" You ignore what he says and continue the investigation with utmost focus. ] } Because of the dinner party, a large number of guests were gathered at the mansion. Regardless, the police did a lot of the hard work for you before you arrived and managed to target two key witnesses: [[Elena's wife Solaria Morse->Solaria]] and her [[trusted butler Pyro.->Pyro]] { (show:?Witness_Herrings) |Witness_Herrings>[ (if:$Solaria_Investigation is true and $Pyro_Investigation is true)[ As you order Kain to note down the alibis of Solaria and Pyro, you start to hear the voice of a young girl. You turn around to see [[Solaria's niece Annabel haughtily making fun of Mari->Annabel]], while the officer scolds her for making light of the scene. But it certainly can't be anything. [[You have everything you need already, right?->The Summary]] ] ] }

{ (set: bool-type _Untouched to false) (set: bool-type _Star to false) (if:$Solaria_Investigation is true)[[[There's nothing else to say to the grieving widow.->The Witnesses]]] } (else:)[ “Oh, my beloved Elena! (link-reveal:"My darling, my star")[(show:?Star)(set: _Star to true)(rerun:?Continue)], now gone!” Tears streamed down from the blonde as she tried to compose herself from running to the covered body of Elena Morse, the billionaire. “I-I did not know what happened! Oh, all I did was try to check on her, and when I opened the door, she was lying there, her head bashed open! A bloody scene in an otherwise (link-reveal:"pristine, untouched room!")[(show:?Untouched)(set: _Untouched to true)(rerun:?Continue)] A horrifying sight, a nightmare I wish I could wake up from!” She kneeled, cried and raised her hands up to the air, as if trying to win back her beloved wife from the sky. Her niece Annabel attempted to comfort her with a pat on the shoulder. { |Untouched)[ "An untouched room, you say?" You could not help but look around at the mess. "I-" the woman falters slightly before attempting to compose herself, "-Well, Elena always cleaned her room, so I was sure it was pristine. Only when my butler came to comfort me did I realise how badly everything looked... the bloody bat, and also that vent... Truly a tragedy only found in those detective novels I loved so much!" Solaria could only go so far before she averted her eyes, putting a hand to her face to hide her misery. {(set: _Untouched to true)} ] } { |Star)[ "Did she have any enemies?" "That's a bit blunt, Detective..." Kain whispers as you swat him away. "Elena was a self-built successful woman! She would never hurt anyone! Yes, she may be secretive to many. She never tells her servants anything about her plans, for instance, but she confides in me, always so happily telling me her future... You must believe me Detective!" {(set: _Star to true)} ] } { |Continue>[ (if:_Star is true and _Untouched is true)[ (set: $Solaria_Investigation to true) [[You think you're done here, for the time being.->The Witnesses]] ] (else:)[] ] } ]

{ (set:bool-type _Scene to false) (set:bool-type _Swindler to false) (if:$Pyro_Investigation is true)[[[You have his alibi, so you decide to leave the butler alone.->The Witnesses]]] } (else:)[ “I truly could not believe it… To think that- Elena would be killed, so (link-reveal:"brutally")[(show:?Scene)(rerun:?Continue)]. She (link-reveal:"sometimes came off as a swindler")[(show:?Swindler)(rerun:?Continue)], but regardless she was a true influencer, deserving all of her wealth…” The butler anxiously looked around the room, attempting to avert his gaze from the covered body every so often. { |Scene)[ "Brutally, huh...?" "Yes, Detective. As soon as I arrived, I saw Solaria, distraught at her wife, and horrified by the crime scene. But it seems like there is plenty of evidence left behind because of that. The culprit must have been in a rush. A robber, perhaps?"(set:_Scene to true)] } { |Swindler)[ "Why do you say she sometimes came off as a swindler?" "Well, Detective, please don't misunderstand me." Pyro straightens his tie and adjusts his posture as if trying to prepare for an apology. "It is just that Elena got rich so quickly, people started to... doubt her. And that is simply unreasonable I may say - Elena may have had some unscrupulous schemes, like that essential oils business, but she would never have the heart to carry them out. It was just a mistake, that is all..."(set:_Swindler to true)] } { |Continue>[ (if:_Swindler is true and _Scene is true)[(set:$Pyro_Investigation to true)[[You believe you've retrieved a good enough alibi.->The Witnesses]]] (else:)[] ] } ]

{ (set:$Reasoning_Time to $Max_Reasoning_Time - $Herring_Value * $Herring_Time_Deduction) (set:$Final_Reasoning_Time to $Max_Reasoning_Time - $Herring_Value * $Herring_Time_Deduction) } As you look through your notes, you feel a tight grasp on your shoulder. Turning around you see Chief Mari, seeming rather annoyed. "So? Are you done with your investigation? We have to make a statement soon - and by soon I mean in just (link-reveal:" (print:$Reasoning_Time) seconds.")[= "//That little//!? How do we even-" "Well, you'd have had twelve more minutes if you hadn't been late," the officer reasons while giving Kain an accusatory glance. "But your reputation and //our// reputation makes it so that we'll lose quite a lot of credibility if we can't solve it in the time we're given. So don't disappoint us, capiche?" Ignoring that the fact that it was them who called you on such massively short notice in the first place, you give an exasperated sigh and frantically look at all the clues you've gathered. [[''You have (print:$Reasoning_Time) seconds to look through your clues. Make them count.''->Reasoning Time]]

{(set: $Annabel_Investigation to true)} "Um, little girl," Kain attempts to strike a conversation as the two of you get near her, "why are you being so happy? Did something good happen?" The brunette, who could not have been more than twelve years old, laughs at the two of you. "Well, I just find everyone here acting so funny. Auntie says that this was supposed to be a Halloween dinner party, so this is just a fun prank she played on us all. I mean, you're even putting Mr. Gold in an ugly, dirty bag!" She remarks, pointing at the evidence bag with the statue in it. { (if:$Herring_Value > 4)[ While Kain looks greatly sympathetic for the girl who didn't understand what had truly transpired, his voice shows reluctance. "I'll like to talk to her,, but... I wonder if we've got enough time for that." ] You think about if you should (link-reveal:"enquire more")[(show:?Pyramid)], or [[dismiss her->The Witnesses]] as just a child who knows nothing better. (if:$Herring_Value > 4)[After all, you are running quite short on time here.] } { |Pyramid)[ "Do you know of this statue?" "Yes I do, detective! Mr. Gold is my best friend. Me and my mom sculpted it as a gift for Aunt Elena!" It seemed like Elena enjoyed the gift enough to put it in her room. Who could have just thrown it into the trash can? (set:$Herring_Value to it+1) ] } { (if:$Vent_Check is true and $Annabel_Suspicion is false)[ You think about the vent you investigated earlier, and how you were not able to fit into it. (link-reveal:"...But someone like her, could, right?")[ No, no, save such suspicions for the reasoning. You can always come back later. (set:$Annabel_Suspicion to true)(set:$Herring_Value to it+1) ] ] }

{(css: "color: red ; font-size: 300%")+(text-style:"bold")[|amount>[$Reasoning_Time]] (set: int-type _TruthValue to 0) (live: 1s)[ (set: $Reasoning_Time to it - 1) (if: $Reasoning_Time is 0)[(go-to: "Bad End Route")] (replace: ?amount)[$Reasoning_Time] (if: _TruthValue >= 5)[(show:?Clear)] ]} { (link-reveal:"''Solaria's alibi...''")[(show:?Solaria)] |Solaria)[ It's always quite troubling to interview the loved ones of the victims. They are emotional, forgetful, blinded by the tragedy. And so it is hard to get the facts out of them. But even so, there are still strange holes. Like what (link-reveal:"she claimed about the untouched room")[(show:?Room)], and (link-reveal:"her remarks about Elena's secrets")[(show:?Elena)]. |Room)[ Everything in that room was a living hazard, and yet she was fixated on the bloody bat and the vent, two items in the corner faraway from where the body should be. They can be quite incriminating evidence, but still...(set:_TruthValue to it +1)] |Elena)[ Was Elena she really so reserved that she wouldn't even trust servants who had worked for years? In fact, isn't there one person other than Solaria that she would actually have greatly trusted?(set:_TruthValue to it +1)] ] (link-reveal:"''Pyro's alibi...''")[(show:?Pyro)] |Pyro)[ He is deeply loyal to the billionaire and her wife, and certainly he would be of utmost assistance in this case, wouldn't he? And yet you can't help but notice some discrepancies in what he says. (link-reveal:"The faith Elena had in him...")[(show:?Trust)] |Trust)[...was the most suspicious of all. Solaria has mentioned that Elena would not even trust her servants with her business secrets. And yet what came out of his mouth indicated trust strong enough to reveal a pyramid scheme to. It could only be that he had been exposed to the secrets of the safe beforehand.(set:_TruthValue to it +1)] ] (if:$Annabel_Investigation is true)[(link-reveal:"''That girl Annabel...''")[(show:?Annabel)]] |Annabel)[ The girl so bewitched by the occult that she remained unaware of her beloved aunt's death. Annabel made a statue and gave it to Elena, who cherished it ever since. So why was it in the trash can? (if:$Vent_Check is true)[ You consider carefully the fact that Annabel could have fit in the vent, and could have made it from her room to Elena's. (link-reveal:"Could she have...?")[= No, a little girl couldn't possibly be a killer.(link-reveal:" But could she have distracted Elena somehow?")[= (link-reveal:"Perhaps to scare her, so she wouldn't notice the killer sneaking up on her...")[= (link-reveal:"...And Annabel herself would be told that this was all just a prank on her aunt, and she would be reassured that Elena was fine...")[= Ah, what has gotten into you? There are holes, holes in this theory! ] ] (link-reveal:"''The documents...''")[(show:?Documents)] |Documents)[ Elena was, according to the papers, a reasonable and philanthropic businesswoman. But she had her own unscrupulous secrets, manifested as shady business plans. Business plans that would hurt thousands of innocent people if put into the hands of a strong enough person... (link-reveal:"like a billionaire.")[= What if those were found out by someone who believed in Elena's kind heart enough... enough to work with her, or even marry her? (set:_TruthValue to it +1) ] (if:$Vent_Check is true)[(link-reveal:"''The vent...''")[(show:?Vent)]] |Vent)[ The vent could lead to many different rooms for an easy escape. Someone could easily come into the room, kill Elena, and then leave. So is this murder a free-for-all? Well, no, it can't exactly be. It would not be large enough to fit a man like you. Maybe someone more slender could have done it... maybe even a teenager? (if:$Annabel_Investigation is true)[Looking around the room, the only suspecting-looking person you see is Annabel. Yes, certainly she could've done so. But there's no motive, no murder weapon she can get her hands on, it's a baseless rumour, isn't it?] ] (link-reveal:"''The idol...''")[(show:?Idol)] |Idol)[ The idol was modest in size, but that just made it perfect as a murder weapon. The sculpted man's body made for a good handle, and the blunt stand at the other end would certainly be deadly with enough force. (link-reveal:"Why was it disposed in a trash can so lazily?")[=(link-reveal:" Was it because the culprit was confident enough that no one would bother to look into it?")[= Or was it because the culprit wanted it to look so obvious that no one think it could be a weapon? (set:_TruthValue to it +1) ] (if:$Bat_Check is true)[(link-reveal:"''The baseball bat...''")[(show:?Bat)]] |Bat)[ An interesting choice for a murder weapon, considering how the Morse household has never been connected to sports. The only one who could have easily come in possession of a bat was a servant who was not working during the crime. All the servants had master keys that they could use in an emergency, so another servant on-site could have taken the bat and used it to commit murder. But why haphazardly discard it in the crime scene itself? Why not bring it back to the sportsperson's room? Was this even relevant in the first place, with all these holes? ] |Clear)[ Right, you realise now. (if: $Herring_Value < 2)[[[To think the case would be so simple!->Good End Route]]] (else-if: $Herring_Value < 5)[[[To think the culprit would try to trick your analytical mind!->Good End Route]]] (else:)[[[To think the truth was hidden under layers of lies!->Good End Route]]] ] }

(after:time+1.25s)[= "...So you have not solved the case?" "It is unfortunate, but whoever killed our beloved billionaire must have been a skilled one." "How much effort did you put into the case?" "As much as we could." "Actually, I heard that a very popular detective was put on the case! How much progress has he made?" "...It seems that his health has not been quite well. We may enlist other detectives and officers to assist in the case soon." The crowd of interviewers and bystanders gather and murmur their own theories on the mystery, and Mari breathed a sigh of relief at finally not being the sign of attention. [[Of course, that's far from a good thing for you, anyhow.->Bad End]]

You sit dejectedly in one of the hallways of the mansion. Kain sits next to you, trying to comfort you, but his words flow like drainage down your ears. What went wrong this time around? Was (print:$Final_Reasoning_Time) seconds enough to solve this mystery? Was there any way you could have saved time? Any corners worth cutting? Whatever the case is, this murder case will go down as a great disappointment in your books. [[The curtains fall, disappointingly, on this unsolved tale.->END]]

The great detective, exuding a king's aura, walks to the centre of the room.(after:time+2s)[= His trainee holds the notes for him, slightly shaky but remaining strong.(after:time+2s)[= The culprits are captured by the police, unable to enact their plan to escape into the night.(after:time+2s)[= With a twirl of his coat,(after:time+1s)[= [[he lays his case.->Good End PT1]]

(link-reveal:"First: the whydunnit.")[= (link-reveal:"The billionaire was blinded by gold.")[= She was a philanthropist, perhaps. But also a businesswoman, with her own schemes. "A corporation only has one person at the top, and it is I." (link-reveal:"But the billionaire was also blinded by love.")[= She wanted to share the golden pyramid with one she believed would always be by her side. One she believed would always understand her. (link-reveal:"But she had not realised that people love for reasons beyond a golden pyramid.")[= [[And so, the whydunnit is made.->Good End PT2]]

(link-reveal:"Second, the howdunnit.")[= (link-reveal:"In thirty minutes, a life can be taken away.")[= An argument behind the safety of a bedroom.(after:time+1s)[= An outburst of emotion from the one whose love was betrayed.(after:time+1s)[= A statue on the bedside waiting to be used.(after:time+2s)[= (link-reveal:"And then - what next?")[= "An illusion, of course. Meant to deceive the weak." The servant had access to the master keys. A convenient decoy weapon. A convenient escape route. { (if:$Annabel_Suspicion is false)["You see, anyone could have done it."] (else:)[Was it perhaps a bit too cruel to make the young girl a scapegoat?] } [[And so, the howdunnit is created.->Good End PT3]]

(link-reveal:"Finally, the whodunnit.")[= From the beginning, they had lost this case. They had created a meticulous illusion, (link-reveal:"yet they forgot to conceal themselves.")[= Attempting to hide behind fake tears and dramatic shows-(after:time+0.75s)[= -won't help you escape Detective Herring!(after:time+1s)[= To the wife whose emotions led to a murder,(after:time+0.75s)[= and the servant whose loyalty led to the illusion,(after:time+0.75s)[= [['Your guilt is as clear as day!''->Good End PT4]]

(after:time+1.25s)[= "And thanks to the police force, as well as the timely deductions of Detective Herring, we've managed to solve Lady Elena's murder in an impressive time." "Officer Mari! Please tell us how long it took for Detective Herring to solve the case!" The police officer (link-reveal:"looked at her watch, straightened her tie, and coughed.")[= "There was some time put into gathering evidence beforehand... but overall, Detective Herring managed to deduce the culprit in (after:time+1.25s)[=(link-reveal:"(print:$Final_Reasoning_Time - $Reasoning_Time) seconds.\"")[ The crowd became even more lively at this statement. It seemed the (link-reveal:"elusive detective")[ (who was concealing himself from the public eye as usual)] lived up to his name, yet again. [[Frankly, you feel disappointed.->Good End PT5]] ]

"You seem gloomy... Detective. It's not like this ended badly, right?" Kain had just finished answering a slew of questions on your behalf, claiming that "Detective Herring was ill and did not want to potentially cause a pandemic". As you sip on the cup of chai latte he picked up for you on the way back, (link-reveal:"you try to articulate how you feel about the case.")[= "I guess it was... (after:time+1s)[=(link-reveal:"too simple.\"")[= Kain sips on his own coffee and purses his lips in thought. { (if:$Herring_Value > 3)[ "I guess so. I mean, a lot of the evidence we picked up didn't seem particularly important. right? All just a bunch of... herrings?" You slap the back of his head and evoke an "Ow!", but... he's not wrong.] (else:)[ "I suppose so. I mean, I was worried we collected too little evidence, but in the end it was just enough to pinpoint the culprit."] } As the crowd outside starts to die down, you start to daydream about a different kind of future. Playing detective is quite nice, but you feel like you should be using that mind of yours for something else to burn all the excess energy. (link-reveal:"Yes, something that would actually benefit from being complex, interesting, highly analytical...")[= .(after:time+0.7s)[= .(after:time+0.7s)[= .(after:time+0.7s)[= .(after:time+0.7s)[= .(after:time+0.7s)[= .(after:time+0.7s)[= (link-reveal:"\"...Hey, kiddo. Kain.\"")[= (link-reveal:"The trainee turns his head to you. \"Yes, Detective?\"")[= (link-reveal:"You close your eyes and take a breath before saying your ridiculous idea.")[= (after:time+2s)[= [["You wanna write a detective novel with me some time?"->END]]

(css: "font-size: 200%; line-height: 80px")+(text-style:"bold")+(align:"=><=")[''Detective Herring and the Unorthodox Murder Case''] (align:"=><=")[A subversive Murder Mystery written and illustrated by ''Kevin Minh''] (align:"=><=")[Playtested by ''Vierni, Erica, Jacoder23, rollingcrow''] (align:"=><=")[Additional assets from ''Eneide'' and ''Pixabay''] (after:time+2s)[= (align:"=><=")[(link:"Let's raise the curtains again.")[(restart:)]]

{ (if:$Vent_Attempt is false)[ ...(after:time+1s)[= ...(after:time+1s)[= ...(after:time+1s)[= ...(after:time+1s)[= "Detective... do you need help?" You feel a great deal of embarrassment at needing Kain to pull you out of the vent. [[The ache in your muscles is enough to tell you that a regular-sized man would not fit through.->Vent]] {(set: $Vent_Attempt to true)(set:$Herring_Value to it+1)}] (else:)[[[You're not going to do that again.->Vent]]] }

audio: ./Audio/Stepping_on_Glass_Eneide.mp3, ./Audio/Stepping_on_Glass_Eneide.ogg atmos: ./Audio/Atmos_Rain.mp3, ./Audio/Atmos_Rain.ogg