text: [Themes: Mystery]
  
  > Look around
  This is Frederic Sheppard's study, a neat, spacious, modern room decorated with old theatrical bills. The library is through a door to the east, and french doors open south to the terrace. Cold, damp air flows in through the broken window to the west.
  
  The well-ordered study desk stands to one side of the broken window.
  On the study desk are a Faberge egg clock, a black telephone and an annotated ledger.
  
  A corner fireplace occupies, well, a corner.
  
  You can also see a wireless, an antique fireplace poker and a hunting rifle here.
  
  > examine the window
  It doesn't look as though it was ever particularly sturdy; positioned as it is over a steep drop into the sea, it probably never needed to be. The casement opens outwards; the panes are cracked but otherwise intact. The latch, a rather flimsy affair, is twisted half off the frame. The sill is quite high off the floor: it seems highly unlikely that anyone might have fallen through it by accident.
  
  > examine the ledger
  This ledger details the investments and various business dealings of Frederic Sheppard and the Sheppard Trust. While the numbers seem to indicate a perfectly healthy state of affairs, someone has gone through this ledger with a red pen, making annotations in the margin, and pointing out subtle discrepancies. While he is far from ruined, Frederic Sheppard is clearly not quite as well-off as everyone seems to think, nor is the Sheppard Trust quite so healthy. The annotations culminate in a note to "Please speak to Cedric" written across the final page and underlined twice.
  
  > examine the clock
  An ostentatious antique: a clock in the shape of a gold easter egg, with all manner of baroque designs picked out over its surface.
  
  > examine the rifle
  It's fancy enough to be purely decorative, but it is after all a working firearm. A careful inspection shows it to be loaded.
  
  > open the drawer
  Which do you mean, the upper drawer or the lower drawer?
  
  > Upper
  You open the upper drawer.
  
  > search the upper drawer
  The upper drawer is empty.
  
  > close the upper drawer
  You close the upper drawer.
  
  > open the lower drawer
  You open the lower drawer, revealing a pistol.
  
  > examine the pistol
  This little pistol is so small, it might easily be mistaken for a toy. It is, however, quite the real thing.
  
  > take the pistol
  Taken.
  
  > go east
  The study door to the west is almost obscured by the near-solid screen of crowded bookshelves occupying the west wall. The rest of the room is occupied with modern art. French doors open north to the central hall and southeast onto the terrace. The billiards room is through an anonymous-looking door to the east.
  
  Deborah Wolf is curled up in a comfortable armchair, reading a mystery novel.
  
  On closer inspection, one piece of modern art turns out to actually be a clock.
  
  You can also see a leather briefcase and a tide table here.
  
  > look at the tide table
  Your eye goes straight for the present date. It seems the last high tide was 8:40 pm yesterday (or, if you prefer, 8:40 pm earlier tonight). Low tide is at 3:05 am and the following high tide at 9:30 am.
  
  > examine the clock
  Its face appears to be formed from a collection of shattered gramophone records.
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You are carrying:
  a pistol
  a scrap of paper
  a broken branch
  your notebook
  
  > read the notebook
  Flipping through your admittedly untidy shorthand, you pick up the following points:
  broken branch
  broken window
  annotated ledger
  tide table
  
  > Go north
  The central hall is a two-storeyed room, with wide arches north, northwest, southeast and east. French doors to the south open into the library, and a flight of stairs leads upstairs. The kitchen is through a discreet little door to the west. High above, the night sky is visible through a vast skylight.
  
  Loud, ponderous ticking echoes from the grandfather clock by the stairs.
  
  The hall telephone stands in its niche beneath the stairs like an inscrutable modern art sculpture.
  
  > call number
  You find yourself on the line with Frederic Sheppard's bank manager, who does not seem particularly happy about being called up at this time of the night, especially once you inform him of the circumstances. "Yes, I spoke to Mr Sheppard this evening. He called ... must have been about 8:20 pm, maybe a little after. I was listening to the wireless at the time. Mr Sheppard's been very anxious of late about his financial affairs, and I should never have given him my home phone number. Fat lot of good I could do him without my files, anyway. Mr Crane could probably tell you more."
  
  > read the tide table
  What do you want to read the tide table in?
  
  > Notebook
  Tides: 8:40 pm (high)
  3:05 am (low)
  9:30 am (high again)
  
  > Go south
  The study door to the west is almost obscured by the near-solid screen of crowded bookshelves occupying the west wall. The rest of the room is occupied with modern art. French doors open north to the central hall and southeast onto the terrace. The billiards room is through an anonymous-looking door to the east.
  
  Deborah Wolf is curled up in a comfortable armchair, reading a mystery novel.
  
  On closer inspection, one piece of modern art turns out to actually be a clock.
  
  You can also see a leather briefcase and a tide table here.
  
  > open the briefcase
  The briefcase is locked tight. Apparently a healthy amount of expense was put into ensuring its security.
  
  > ask Deborah about Cedric
  Deborah Wolf purses her lips before saying: "Not an honest man, I'm afraid. Vain, and a little too much in love with his own cleverness. Uncle Fred never recognised any of this, of course."
  
  > examine the briefcase
  An expensive-looking leather briefcase, with the initials "C.C." picked out in gold on the handle. It appears to be locked.
  
  > take the briefcase
  Deborah looks up from her book. "You shouldn't take that, Inspector. Cedric's very touchy about his things, and would probably start screaming about whether or not you had a warrant."
  
  > ask Deborah about the ledger
  "The ledger on Uncle Fred's desk? I was the one who marked that up. I'd been wondering how Sheppard Trust was doing, so I took a look in Uncle Fred's books ... well, it does appear that Cedric Crane has been embezzling from the Trust. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. He's a little too extravagant to be satisfied with an accountant's salary. Anyway, that was a couple of days ago, and I assume that Cedric was invited here today because Uncle Fred wanted to confront him about it face-to-face."
  
  > go east
  The middle of the billiards room is, of course, taken up by the billiards table. A bar occupies one corner of the west wall, beside the door to the library. The drawing room is through the arch to the north, and wide french doors open south onto the terrace. The central hall is to the northwest.
  
  Alexander Wolf and Cedric Crane appear to be deeply engrossed in a game of pool.
  
  One of those old-fashioned schoolroom clocks hangs on the wall.
  
  > ask Cedric about the ledger
  Cedric Crane turns a trifle pale. "You can't prove anything. Mrs Wolf is hardly a qualified accountant; she's probably made a mistake."
  
  > ask Cedric about the alibi
  "I stayed in the dining room after dinner -- to digest the meal properly, you know -- must have been about 6:45 pm. Had a cigar. Benedict Lamb was there, as I recall, at least until 8:05 pm when I decided to go stretch my legs. I met Elinor Lamb in the library, around 9:05 pm. Rather a surprise to see her without her brother hanging around, I thought. Anyway, we were together until 10:20 pm, when I decided to go take a walk on the beach. Benedict came down some time later, about 11:10 pm, I think, and we talked for a while. We wandered over to the rocks at the northwestern end of the beach, and that's when we found Frederic Sheppard's body."
  
  > ask Wolf about the murder
  "It was supposed to be a sort of working holiday -- for Elinor and me, anyway. We're working on a musical production, Twisty Passages, for the West End, and Fred was supposed to be backing us financially. Anyway, Debbie and I arrived separately: I had some stuff to attend to, and arrived only just as everyone was sitting down to dinner. That was about 5:30 pm. After dinner, we all wandered off to do our own thing. Nothing to it. Next thing you know, Ced comes pounding up from the beach bellowing for the police, and now Fred is dead and here you are. How are we supposed to get financial backing now?"
  
  You ask Alexander Wolf about his movements after dinner, to which he replies: "I was playing billiards with Ben from 8:15 pm until about 9:35 pm. Round about 10:00 pm, I joined Debbie in the drawing room. We were together until 10:50 pm. Sure, it doesn't cover the whole evening, and maybe I might have wandered by the study at some point, but I didn't kill the old bastard, if that's what you're thinking."
  
  > Go north
  The drawing room is a study in contrasts. The walls are very white, and there is a modern-looking fireplace in the middle of the north wall; grouped around the fireplace is a collection of the most old-fashioned drawing room furniture one can imagine. Wide arches go west to the central hall and south to the billiards room.
  
  An oversized carriage clock sits on the fireplace mantle.
  
  Benedict lounges off to one side, watching you discreetly.
  
  A painting of Lord Dundreary, outlandish whiskers and all, looks down on the room with a vaguely befuddled air.
  
  > ask Benedict about the alibi
  "Let's see. I was in the dining room with Cedric from 6:45 pm until 8:05 pm. Later, about 8:15 pm, I wandered into the billiards room and played billiards with Alex until 9:35 pm, when I must confess I wandered off. Round about 11:10 pm, I decided to head down to the beach. I happened to run into Cedric there, and shortly thereafter we spotted Fred lying dead among the rocks. And that was my evening. I'm afraid that does leave some awfully large gaps, doesn't it? I suppose iron-clad alibis only happen in stories, anyway."
  
  > go west
  The central hall is a two-storeyed room, with wide arches north, northwest, southeast and east. French doors to the south open into the library, and a flight of stairs leads upstairs. The kitchen is through a discreet little door to the west. High above, the night sky is visible through a vast skylight.
  
  Loud, ponderous ticking echoes from the grandfather clock by the stairs.
  
  The hall telephone stands in its niche beneath the stairs like an inscrutable modern art sculpture.
  
  > ask the deb about the alibi
  "I met Elinor in the library as I was taking out a book. That was after dinner, about 7:30 pm. We chatted until 8:50 pm. Otherwise, I spent most of the evening alone in a quiet corner of the drawing room, reading a book. Alex was there as well from about 10:00 pm to 10:50 pm. I'm afraid I didn't see anything unusual."
  
  > Go northwest
  The dining room still bears traces of the evening's entertainment. A discreet little door leads south to the kitchen, while a wide arch goes southeast to the central hall. Through another arch to the west is the conservatory.
  
  An elaborate clock keeps time on one wall.
  
  From the west, you hear the soft tinkling of someone muddling around on a piano.
  
  > go to the west
  Evidently an addition to the house before Frederic Sheppard ever bought the place, the Conservatory is only half-heartedly furnished. A few sad-looking plants testify to the man's lack of any real interest in horticulture. The dining room is back to the east.
  
  A baby grand piano sits in a corner of the room. Evidently there was some indecision as to which definition of "conservatory" to adopt.
  
  A girl in a wheelchair is parked in front of the piano.
  
  A large clock hangs from a bracket by the door.
  
  The girl in the wheelchair, a fragile-looking blonde, looks up as you enter, and for a moment you get the impression of some sort of "fight-or-flight" instinct kicking in. Then she smiles hesitantly and introduces herself as Elinor Lamb. "And you must be the police inspector investigating the murder. Oh dear, it's such a terrible shock...."
  
  Elinor absently fingers the keys of the piano, humming a little as she does.
  
  > ask Elinor about the alibi
  "I spent some time in the library. Debbie was there. That was between 7:30 pm and 8:50 pm, I think. Cedric came by later, and the two of us were together in the library from 9:05 pm to 10:20 pm. I went to the conservatory after that to continue with my music. I was alone in the conservatory for the rest of the evening after that. I'm sorry, I can't think of anything else that might be important."
  
  > look at the notebook
  Flipping through your admittedly untidy shorthand, you pick up the following points:
  broken branch
  broken window
  annotated ledger
  tide table
  telephone call
  Cedric Crane's alibi
  Alexander Wolf's statement
  Alexander Wolf's alibi
  guest arrivals
  Benedict Lamb's alibi
  Deborah Wolf's alibi
  Elinor Lamb's alibi
  
  > read about the telephone call in the notebook
  Sheppard called his bank manager, 8:20 pm; was concerned about finances. Manager suggested speaking to Crane?
  
  > read about tide table in notebook
  Tides: 8:40 pm (high)
  3:05 am (low)
  9:30 am (high again)
  
  > ask Elinor about the murder
  "It's just horrible. Ben and I arrived at about 3:30 pm; it's his first visit, and I wanted to surprise him with the secret passage behind one of the kitchen cabinets. But Deborah and Mr Sheppard were fixing dinner, and I never got around to doing that. We were all having such a fine time ... it seems impossible to believe that that was just a few hours ago, and the most important thing on my mind then was some stupid secret passage."
  
  Elinor absently fingers the keys of the piano, humming a little as she does.
  
  > ask Elinor about secret passage
  "From the study side, you turn one of the candlesticks on the fireplace, and from the kitchen side, you turn one of the hooks in the empty cabinet."
  
  > go to the east
  The dining room still bears traces of the evening's entertainment. A discreet little door leads south to the kitchen, while a wide arch goes southeast to the central hall. Through another arch to the west is the conservatory.
  
  An elaborate clock keeps time on one wall.
  
  From the west, you hear the soft tinkling of someone muddling around on a piano.
  
  > open the cabinet
  Going through the contents of the cabinets could take all night. Or, in the case of the one empty cabinet, about two seconds.
  
  > Turn hook
  You jiggle the hooks, and one of them turns in its place. There is a click, and then the back wall of the empty cabinet swings open to reveal a room beyond.
  
  > Go south
  On one side, a kitchen counter with cabinets and a small kitchen sink takes up the length of the wall; on the other, narrow stairs lead up and down, though the stairs going up are now used as storage shelves instead. There are narrow doors to the north and south.
  
  > Go south
  The door swings open, and you find yourself passing through a secret panel into the study....
  
  This is Frederic Sheppard's study, a neat, spacious, modern room decorated with old theatrical bills. The library is through a door to the east, and french doors open south to the terrace. Cold, damp air flows in through the broken window to the west. To the north, a secret panel leads into a room beyond.
  
  The well-ordered study desk stands to one side of the broken window.
  On the study desk are a Faberge egg clock, a black telephone and an annotated ledger.
  
  A corner fireplace occupies, well, a corner.
  
  You can also see a wireless, an antique fireplace poker and a hunting rifle here.
  
  > go northwest
  If the beach was isolated, this rocky area is even more so. Seawater filters in through the rocks all around to fill this little tide pool, currently at a low ebb. On one side, the cliff rises sharply up, and from here you can just make out the broken window of Frederic Sheppard's study. The least treacherous path through the rocks goes southeast, back to the beach.
  
  A sturdy wooden post stands upright in the water, just a short distance from the body.
  
  Frederic Sheppard is sprawled across the rocks, clearly dead.
  
  > Measure mark
  The current water level is about 48 inches below the high water mark. The body itself is 12 inches below the high water mark, at its, for want of a better phrase, highest point.
  
  > examine notebook
  Flipping through your admittedly untidy shorthand, you pick up the following points:
  broken branch
  broken window
  annotated ledger
  tide table
  telephone call
  Cedric Crane's alibi
  Alexander Wolf's statement
  Alexander Wolf's alibi
  guest arrivals
  Benedict Lamb's alibi
  Deborah Wolf's alibi
  Elinor Lamb's alibi
  Elinor Lamb's statement
  body position
  
  > read about the body position in the notebook
  Body at 12" below high water mark. 12:23 am: sea level 48" below high water mark.
  
  > Go southeast
  It is a quiet, moonlit night. The waters of the lagoon lap gently against the sand. Treacherous-looking rocks surround the beach, but a narrow path back up to the house has been cut into the cliff face behind you, and the rocks to the northwest look just safe enough to clamber over.
  
  > New
  The study door to the west is almost obscured by the near-solid screen of crowded bookshelves occupying the west wall. The rest of the room is occupied with modern art. French doors open north to the central hall and southeast onto the terrace. The billiards room is through an anonymous-looking door to the east.
  
  Deborah Wolf is curled up in a comfortable armchair, reading a mystery novel.
  
  On closer inspection, one piece of modern art turns out to actually be a clock.
  
  You can also see a leather briefcase and a tide table here.
  
  > ask the deb about the murder
  "It's difficult to believe that just half a day ago I was chopping onions with Uncle Fred in the kitchen. We were talking and laughing, and then Cedric Crane and the Lambs showed up, and it was just a regular kitchen party." Deborah pauses, then says, "Speaking of the kitchen, I should probably tell you: there's a secret way from the kitchen into the study. From the study side, you have to turn one of the candlesticks on the fireplace mantle to get in, and from the kitchen you turn one of the hooks in the empty cabinet. The murderer might have gotten in and out that way -- though I rather think that everybody here already knows about it."
  
  > ask the deb about Benedict
  "Poor boy. He tries so hard to seem aloof and indifferent. Actually, I think it's rather sweet how he cares for his sister."
  
  > ask the deb about Alex
  "Alex is my husband. He's a brilliant playwright, but he needs direction and discipline." She smiles enigmatically and crosses her legs. "I'm not sure what else there is to tell you, except to assure you that he really is a very talented man."
  
  > ask the deb about Elinor
  "I feel sorry for her, I admit. People will insist on treating her as though she's a child."
  
  > ask Cedric about Deborah
  "She's a bit of a priss, if you ask me. Always so very superior."
  
  > ask Alexander about Deborah
  "Debbie? She's my wife. Are you trying to insinuate something, here?"
  
  > Go north
  The drawing room is a study in contrasts. The walls are very white, and there is a modern-looking fireplace in the middle of the north wall; grouped around the fireplace is a collection of the most old-fashioned drawing room furniture one can imagine. Wide arches go west to the central hall and south to the billiards room.
  
  An oversized carriage clock sits on the fireplace mantle.
  
  Benedict lounges off to one side, watching you discreetly.
  
  A painting of Lord Dundreary, outlandish whiskers and all, looks down on the room with a vaguely befuddled air.
  
  > ask Ben about the deb
  "Deborah's probably the most intelligent woman I've ever met." Benedict frowns. "Which makes her marriage to that first class yob, Alexander Wolf, so very baffling. Love is blind, I suppose, however trite that may sound."
  
  > examine notebook
  Flipping through your admittedly untidy shorthand, you pick up the following points:
  broken branch
  broken window
  annotated ledger
  tide table
  telephone call
  Cedric Crane's alibi
  Alexander Wolf's statement
  Alexander Wolf's alibi
  guest arrivals
  Benedict Lamb's alibi
  Deborah Wolf's alibi
  Elinor Lamb's alibi
  Elinor Lamb's statement
  body position
  Deborah Wolf's statement
  
  > read the deb's statement in the notebook
  Arrived early, separately from AW. In kitchen prepping dinner when others arrived. Mentioned secret access from study to kitchen.
  
  > Go northwest
  The dining room still bears traces of the evening's entertainment. A discreet little door leads south to the kitchen, while a wide arch goes southeast to the central hall. Through another arch to the west is the conservatory.
  
  An elaborate clock keeps time on one wall.
  
  > go west
  Evidently an addition to the house before Frederic Sheppard ever bought the place, the Conservatory is only half-heartedly furnished. A few sad-looking plants testify to the man's lack of any real interest in horticulture. The dining room is back to the east.
  
  A baby grand piano sits in a corner of the room. Evidently there was some indecision as to which definition of "conservatory" to adopt.
  
  Elinor Lamb is parked in front of the piano.
  
  A large clock hangs from a bracket by the door.
  
  Elinor absently fingers the keys of the piano, humming a little as she does.
  
  Hugh Dunnett
  
  The following story is set up with a great deal of randomisation, and is different each time you start or restart. It would therefore be highly advisable to save the game before you even begin your investigation.
  
  The story uses the basic "ask X about Y" format of speaking to other characters. For the most part, "tell X about Y" will be unimportant: it is generally (though not always!) assumed that your questions about something will include asking about any new discoveries you have made elsewhere about the topic. The main exception to this rule is when laying out your case before Chief Inspector Duffy: in that event, you will have to depend exclusively on "tell..." instead.
  
  Time in the story proceeds at 15 seconds a turn, allowing you ample time (one hopes) to complete your investigation. However, there is in fact a time limit: Chief Inspector Duffy will arrive to speak to you at 2:00 am; and, whatever time he arrives, he will eventually lose patience if you don't manage to make an arrest within a certain time of his arrival.
  
  And that's all that's new. Good luck, Inspector! Your public awaits!
  
  "Frederic Sheppard." Chief Inspector Duffy pulls at his moustache mournfully and stares up at the house through the windshield. "Theatrical sort, usually has a finger in some play or other. He bought up Gull Point about ten years ago. Never any complaints from the neighbours, never any scandals." He pulls at his moustache again. "He was found dead in the cove at the foot of the cliff behind the house about half an hour ago. Caller said it looked as though he fell from his study window."
  
  "Think he might have jumped?"
  
  "She's your investigation: you tell me. We're treating this as a murder unless you can find anything to prove otherwise."
  
  You nod. As you get out of the car, the Chief Inspector yawns and says, "All right. I'm heading back to HQ. I'll be back in a couple of hours. The investigation's all yours. And if at any time you think you're ready to make an arrest, give me a call first, got it?"
  
  "Got it."
  
  What a wonderful way to spend the night. As Chief Inspector Duffy drives off into the darkness, you check your watch to see just how late it really is -- only to find that your watch has stopped.
  
  You are standing on the front drive of Gull Point, residence of noted theatrical patron Frederic Sheppard. The house, a rambling old place, stands to the south.
  
  Beside the front doors, the large doorbell button gleams amber in the moonlight.
  
  You can also see a red Triumph Roadster, a blue Austin and a green Morris Saloon here.