CSI-Gamer

INTRO
A body part has been found, alongside a dead alligator, on the Palm Glen golf course

Talk to Ty Landon (Golf pro and assistant manager):
1) After introductory speech, he tells us to speak with Judge Lawford: It was him who made the discovery
2) He explains that they've occasionally had gator's on the course
3) They've had no "incident" like this before: Normally they just chase the 'gators away
4) All players that were out on the course are accounted for and unharmed
5) He'll be around the club all day, if we need him

In main view, pan around to find Judge Lawford, sitting in a golf cart: Go and talk to him:
1) Introductions
2) The Judge explains that he was at the club before sun-up to discuss something with Ty: He went out onto the course and discovered the alligator and the limb in a sand trap (bunker)
3) Ask him if the club's in legal trouble: No, he and Ty were just discussing an upcoming tournament
4) He says often gets to the club early: He's an early riser plus, he can beat the rush to get on the course
5) He's seen a few 'gators on the course before, but no reports of them attacking anyone
6) If we need to talk to him again, he'll be in his study

Time to examine the gruesome find: You can see the 'gator in the sand trap (along to the right from where the Judge was)

Sand Trap:
1) Close in on the 'gator & limb (Look's like the crittur came up for a snack)
2) Close up on the arm: (Could there be more parts in the 'gator?: We need to get it to the Morgue)
2-a) Swab the black substance near the wrist end of the arm (It's oily: We'll have to analyse it)
2-b) Collect the arm
3) Back out to view the whole alligator and click on it spilled guts (half way between front and rear legs)
3-a) (It looks like it's been in a fight: We'll need to examine it more closely back at the Morgue)

Morgue
1) Ask Alexx to bring in the alligator: It's too big for tha table, but we can look at its internal organs
2) Alexx agrees that the creature probably went onto the course to eat its meal: She also thinks it's probably been in a fight
3) She says an alligator can kill its prey quickly but, in this case, the vic was ALREADY dead before getting eaten
4) Her best guess at time of death is 2 to 4 days
5) She CAN'T tell us how the victim died just from examining an arm (I bet Quincy could!): She CAN tell us that the hand was CUT off, not gnawed!

Let's examine the organs:
1) There's something, more or less rectangular, projecting out the top of the pile of innards: Click on it to close in
1-a) Collect it:It' a memory card from a PDA (Stomach acid damage may make data recovery difficult)
2) Back out and notice, in the foreground, partially covered by the organs, a metallic ring (bracelet?)
3) Close in on it: It is a bracelet, with an inscription (Something to do with Palm Glen)
3-a) Collect it: (Does the bracelet indicate a female victim?)

Lab (Give all new evidence to Valera):
1) Oil (forearm swab): Mechanical lubricant: Contaminants suggest mechanical use
2) DNA (from arm): No match on CODIS
3) Memory card: Encrypted data sent to computer: It also contains handwriting samples that could be used for comparison
4) Cryptogram (from PDA card): Interesting message (See CRYPTO, at the end of this article, if you can't solve it)
5) Bracelet: Style suggests it's a man's: The inscription refers to a championship at the Palm Glen (Maybe Ty can help?)

Palm Glen:
Talk to Ty:
1) He recognises the bracelet as belonging to either Tim Cole or his son Russ
2) They got their bracelets for winning a father-son golf tournament (Each year's design is distinctive)

Now that the 'gator's been moved, let's take another look round where it was found

Sand trap:
1) Click on the blood trail (It's partial: The rest's been washed away by the sprinklers)
1-a) Spray Luminol, in the hope of recovering traces of the 'gator's trail: It works: We'll follow it
1-b) But, before we go, take a swab for analysis
2) Back out to main view, and proceed to the bridge (in the distance, to right of sand trap)

Bridge:
1) The sewer pipe looks interesting: There's nothing at the outlet, but follow it back onto the bank: You can
make out a ruddy trail (among the vegetation, to the right): Click there to close in
1-a) We find some regurgitated matter: Collect it
1-b) We can now see a small green object, in the blood: Click on it and collect it (tweezers): It's plastic

Lab:
1) Swab (blood trail): Valera tells us it's not human blood: No further processing
2) Plastic: Just take a look at it for now: Maybe we'll find something to compare it to later
3) Regurgitated Remains: Human: Nothing more to say

Let's see if Yelina can get us some info on the possible victims

Yelina:
Get the address for the Cole Home (new location)

Cole Home:
(For future reference, note the boat, moored close by)

Talk to Heather Cole:
1) Her husband and son are not here: Can she help?
2) The bracelet: It could belong to either Tim or Russ: Both are prone to leave things behind
3) She hasn't seen her husband since she kicked him out, a week ago
4) She kicked him out because he was cheating on her (not for the first time, it sounds like)
5) She tells us Tim is a biologist, studying alligators and lizards in the area: That's why they live near the Everglades (Calleigh notes that this tributary leads to the swamp!)
6) Tim's affair was with Ronni Landon, wife of Ty (who's Tim's best friend)
7) What about her son?: She hasn't heard from him in a week: He's in Louisiana, at football camp (He paid for it himself)
8) Heather has filed for divorce several times, but Tim talked her out of it: This time, she's determined
8-a) She tells us that Ronni has filed for divorce against Ty
9) It seem's Ronni has been trying to get Ty to sign the divorce papers for ages
10) Ty won't sign 'cause he loves Ronni and wants to reconcile: Ronni has been trying to enlist
the help of Judge Lawford to persuade Ty
11) Can we have her DNA?: If it's to match to Russ? No good: He's her stepson: If she's a suspect: Get a warrant
12) She'll let us look around but we have to stay where she can see us

Back out and look around:
1) In the foreground: Notice the section of decking that looks different?: Click on it: (Calleigh photographs it, for now, since we don't have a warrant to investigate further)
2) To the right of the step, click under the decking: Calleigh will remind you that you need a warrant, but you'll notice a folded paper (green and white) stuck between the planks
3) By the sliding door into the house, click on the golf bag (There are a few clubs missing)
3-a) Theres a tag (similar to that paper under the decking):Click on it: Close up reveals it's Tim Cole's bag
3-b) Use the scope to zoom in on a fingerprint, below the string, in the top right corner of the tag: Develop the Print
4) Back out to main view: Click in the area of the easel etc, against the railing, to left of screen
4-a) Click on and collect the handsaw (Used for deck repair? Or something else?)
(You could sprayLuminol on the blade, in case there's any blood: There isn't)
4-b) Back out and then close up on the box of paints, on the left
4-c) Use the scope to zoom in on the fibre near ths cap of the tube of navy blue
4-d) Use the tweezers to collect the fibre
4-e) Back out: Click on the paint tube to collect it (and the whole box)
5) Back ot to main view and let's sneak a look at that boat: Click twice on it
5-a) Notice a reddish stain, down below the bottom left of the small gate (We need a warrant)

Back in main view: Talk again to Heather Cole:
She doesn't know anything about the deck repair

Lab:
1) Hair (fibre from paint): Microscopic comparison shows it's from a Sable Martin rabbit (paintbrush?)
2) Handsaw: Brand new and sharp
3) Paint: Nothing more (but if you didn't find that hair before, you could get it now)
4) Print (golf bag): AFIS match to Heather (she's probably tall enough to use the clubs)

Morgue:
Could that handsaw have been used to cut up the body?: No. Marks are not consistent: We're looking for something bigger

Let's just see why Heather's print was on that golf bag

Cole Home:
Heather Cole:
How often does she golf?: She hates golf (Maybe she just likes to caddy?)

Yelina:
1) Get Ronni Landon's address (new location)
2) Ask Yelina to check the whereabouts of Russ Cole: Check back later

Landon Home
Talk to the girl:
1) It's Jessica Landon, Ty and Ronni's daughter
2) She says her mother's in the garage
3) She knows Tim Cole: He's a friend of her parents
4) And Russ?: He's her boyfriend: They've been together about 6 months
5) When did she last see Tim: He's not exactly part of her crowd
6) She doesn't know where Tim is: You should ask her parents
7) Her relationship with Russ was OK: Her parents were against it, but, suddenly, her mother started taking an interest in Russ
8) She says she hasn't seen Russ in a week: She also mentions how his (step-)mother treated him like he was always in the way (This contrasts with the impression Heather gave us earlier)
9) The bruise?: She probably got it tripping on the stairs: She's prone to that

Pull out to main view and click just inside (the right half) of the open garage:
(Make a quick mental note of item that may be of interest: the stain, the golf bag etc)

Talk to Ronni Landon:
1) She hotly denies having an affair with Tim
2) We can ask all we like, but she's keeping her personal business to herself

(You could check in with Yelina to see if there's any news about Russ: There isn't)

Since we can't make any progress anywhere else, let's go and talk to Ty

Palm Glen:
Ty:
1) He can't say who might've written the message on the PDA memory card
2) Was Ronni cheating?: That's personal: Anyway, they'll sort out their marriage
3) He doesn't deny the divorce papers: They're on public record etc

Yelina's Office:
Get Judge Lawford's address (new location)
(He could throw more light on the Landon's situation if he WAS involved, like Heather Cole said)

Judge's Study:
1) Yes, he was helping Ronni prepare her case
2) Ty knew he was involved: That's part of what he was discussing with Ty before he found the alligator
3) The divorce papers will be with the law firm, but they should be on record (so we can get a copy)

Yelina's Office:
Get a copy of the divorce papers: We've also got Ronni's signature on them (Can we compare that with anything?)

Lab:
Give the divorce papers to Valera: She tells us the writing matches the samples on the memory card
Let's go and see what she has to say about it

Landon Home:
Jessica's not outside: Go in and talk to Ronni:
1) Jessica's in her room, upset about what she's heard
2) She doesn't remember writing the note on the PDA: She and Tim were close friends: She can't understand why Heather's "advertising" the matter
3) She last saw Tim a week ago (She realises we're asking because the arm could belong to Tim)
3-a) She says she broke off the relationship and, oh yes, she did leave him that message
3-b) She realised what a good man Ty is and wants to save their marriage
4) Ty knew about the affair with Tim
5) When he found out, Ty assaulted Tim
6) She doesn't object to us looking around, provided we don't touch Ty's things

So look around:
1) The stain on the floor: Close in and use the tweezers to pick up the plastic shreds (green)
2) Back out and click on the golf bag:
2-a) Click on the name tag (no prints on this one)
2-b) The clubs are Russ Cole's (Heather might know why they're here)
2-c) Back out and click on the brown object peeking out from the open pocket in the lower half of the bag
2-d) Click on the object again: It's a drawing of Ronni by Russ (Why did he draw HER?)
2-e) Use the scope to zoom in on the hair/fibre to the right of the chin: Tweezer it
2-f) Back out and collect the portrait
(You can also collect the hair after collecting the portrait, if you miss it here)

Return to main view and speak to Ronni again:
1) Seems she and Russ were "friendly": But it was legal, he was over 18
2) She doesn't know why the golf clubs are in their garage
3) She denies any knowledge of Russ' drawing of her

Lab:
1) Hair (portrait): Matches the one found on the paint tube
2) Plastic shreds (garage floor): No match to sample from the golf course

Landon Garage:
Ronni:
1) Tell her we have evidence Russ did the portrait for her: She explains, she got involved with him for her daughter's sake (to prove how no good he was), but then he said he was in love with her etc
2) She says Ty discovered her and Russ together one night (Sad story)
3) Ty didn't get mad, at the time: It was later, in that bust up at the club (Then Ronni realised what a fool she'd been)

Cole Home:
Heather:
1) She says Russ' clubs are either round about or he took them with him to Louisiana
(When we tell her they're not in either of those 2 places, she has nothing to say)
2) She found out about Ronni and Russ when the fight happened at the club: She suggests Ronni might've killed Tim

Palm Glen:
Ty Landon:
1) When asked about his wife's affair, he seems more interested in its effect on his image!
2) He says he's been being discreet about his personal business and will handle the matter in his own way
3) He says he lost his temper with Tim but didn't have serious blows with him
4) Then, why did Ronni say he assaulted Tim?: Just her way of looking at things

Maybe His Honor knows what went down?

Judge's Study:
Judge Lawford:
1) He says that not just Ty and Tim were involved in the row, but also Jessica and Russ
1-a) Seems Russ and Ronni had been spending a lot of time with each other
2) Jessica and Russ got in a fight at the club: It was over Russ and Ronni's relationship
2-a) Tim got involved, grabbing and shaking Jessica and calling her a "slut", just like her mother
(That's how Jessica got that bruise on her arm!)
2-b) At that, Ty joined in and attacked Tim: Ronni saw it all
3) Ty knocked [/B]Tim[/B] down (Being an athlete, it's likely he did Tim some damage)
4) Ty did threaten to kill both Tim and Russ: Was it just empty words?

None of our suspects has anything to say when we visit them: Maybe we can get someone in to talk?

Yelina:
1) She can tell us that Russ didn't arrive at the football camp: He could be the victim
2) Get Jessica in for a chat

Jessica (Interrogation Room):
1) She can't say exactly how long she's known about Tim and Ronni's affair: A week, maybe?
2) She tried to tell her dad about the affair, but he would just brush her off
3) She learned about Russ and Ronni's affair the night of the argument, when Russ tried to dump her
4) She doesn't know why Russ' clubs are in their garage

Yelina:
Get a search warrant for the Landon garage:

Landon Garage:
Serve the warrant on Ronni (She moves the truck out of our way):
1) The workbench in the corner: Close in
2) Use the flashlight to look down below and click on the chainsaw guard (orange) to the left of the middle box
2-a) Swab the oil stains, near the foremost edge
2-b) Collect the guard
3) Back out to main view and click on the broken window, on the right
3-a) Click on the green plastic covering the window (A make-shift repair)
3-b) On the left of the sill, notice a dark smudge: Dust it for a print
4) In main view again: Click on the cupboards, nearest to the window
4-a) Close in on the rightmost cupboard (GREY door) and then click on the door to open it
4-b) We see another golf bag: Do you see something UNUSUAL in the pocket? (Give's a whole new meaning to the word HANDBAG!)
4-c) Close in on the severed hand (Note that the bag's name tag shows it belongs to Ronni)
4-d) Collect the hand
4-e) Move back 3 steps (to the close-up on the cupboards) and close in on the one with the GREEN door
4-f) Open the door to discover a set of golf clubs belonging to Ty (Does he have more than one set?)

Lab:
1) Fingerprint (garage windowsill): Heather Cole: Matches print on name tag (Tim's golf bag) (Also AFIS match)
(Who, if anyone, invited her to the Landon's garage?)
2) Fingerprint (severed hand): AFIS match to Tim Cole (But Russ could still also be a victim)
3) DNA (severed hand): Cross-match to DNA from the arm
4) Oil (saw guard): Cross-match to the swab from the arm
5) Chainsaw guard: Valera tells us what it's used for (Thanks!)
6) Severed Hand: Provides DNA and prints (as above)

Lab:
1) Alexx confirms that the pieces fit: The arm and hand are from the same person
2) A chainsaw could've been used to dismember the body: The marks are consistent

Yelina
Talk again to Jessica:
1) She never had Heather Cole over to the house
2) She denies killing Russ
3) She tells us that he called her recently from Louisiana (to apologise): He was at Mardi Gras, not football camp
4) She tells us he's staying at the Thorngate hotel
5) She didn't kill Tim, either

Get Yelina to check on Russ:
He's being held by the Police (drunk and disorderly): We can interview him by phone...

...Russ Cole:
1) He knows about his father's death (as an accident) (That's why he got so drunk)
2) Jessica told him about the arm and the bracelet being found
3) He denies killing his father: They were close: When challenged that he had motive and opportunity he suggests his friends can alibi him
4) He says there were a lot of people who might've killed Tim - including Heather

Palm Glen:
Ty:
1) He says his chainsaw is in his garage: (Calleigh tells him it's not)
2) He doesn't know of Heather Cole every being at his house

Cole Home:
Heather:
1) She denies having ever been to the Landon's place
2) To explain her fingerprint at the Landon's she says that Ty and Tim used to borrow each other's stuff (Including Ronni: Miaouch!)

If you now go back to see Ty (eg to confirm that he and Tim borrowed stuff) he's gone!

Yelina:
Get a warrant for Ronni Landon:

Ronni (interrogation):
1) She doesn't know where the chainsaw is (At the club, maybe)
2) She say's her window was broken by a neighbour's kid, recently
3) She's never invited Heather to their house (So, none of them has)
4) She's shocked to hear about Tim's hand in her golf bag: She denies killing him: She's worried about Russ

Get warrant for Ty:
He's surprised about the hand in the bag: He doesn't think Ronni did it, but ask her; It was HER bag

Get a warrant for the Cole home: It's restricted to the deck: We can't examine the boat, yet

Cole Home:
Serve the warrant (Heather says Ronni's the killer): Look around:
1) Under the deck (remember?): Use the flashlight under here
1-a) Click the light on that paper (we saw earlier): Collect it: It's a score card with the name Cole on it
(It's dated 2 days ago, but Heather said she hasn't seen Tim for a week. And, she doesn't play golf)
1-b) Back out: To the right and forward of where the card was, click the light on the stain around the crack where the OLD and NEW decking meet
1-c) Swab the stain (It looks like blood)

Back in main view: Talk again to Heather:
She doesn't know anything about the score card from 2 days ago

Lab:
1) Score card: Nothing more
2) Oil (decking): Cross-match to the other 2 samples: All identical

Yelina:
Get a warrant for the Cole boat (at last):

Cole Home:
(We don't need to see Heather with the warrant)

Make your way to the Boat (The boarding gate is, conveniently, open for us):
1) Click on that stain (we saw earlier) leading into the boat, to close in
1-a) Spray Luminol on it, to show it's blood: Swab it
2) Back out and click on the green shreds inside the boat: It's plastic:
2-b) Use the tweezers to collect a sample for comparison

Lab:
1) Plastic shreds(boat): Match to sample from the Palm Glen (Was the body wrapped before dumping?)
2) DNA (blood from boat): Match to the vic's DNA (arm and hand)

Looks like time to get Heather in

Yelina:
Get warrant for Heather Cole and interrogate her

Heather Cole (interrogation):
Present her with the facts: She owns up to killing Tim and trying to frame Ronni

CRYPTO:
Solving the memory card cryptogram:

NOTE: I use a caret/circumflex (^) to represent an unknown letter

The first word, a single letter, will be either "I" or "A".
"I" seems more likely because of it's high frequency plus, word 15, with the apostrophe, would not be "A'^^".
If word 1 is "I", then word 2 is most likely "AM" (or "DO" - but that doesn't look promising).
Making the above substitutions ("IAM"), words 7 and 8 ("M^ ^AMI^^") suggest "MY FAMILY".
Also, the final word ("A^AI^)" looks like "AGAIN".
Note that 3 occurrences of "ING", in word-final position, tend to support our solution so far.
Word 13 now reads "F^^M", suggesting "FROM".
With the "R" in place, the long word 14 ("^^^RY^^ING") suggests "EVERYTHING".
This solution for "T" and "H" fits in with word 5, which would then read "RIGHT".
Similary, the solution for "E" and "V" makes word 15 now read "I'VE", which again lends support.
Thus we have the partial solution:

"I AM EN^ING IT RIGHT NO^. MY FAMILY I^ ^EING RI^^E^ A^ART FROM EVERYTHING I'VE ^ONE. YO^ ^ILL NEVER ^EE ME AGAIN"

The last few pieces, I leave to you.

EXTRAS (bonus material):
Cryptogram solution: "Nasal mucus. And it isn't even my birthday"