Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes – Game Introduction

Welcome to the Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes walkthrough on Gamezebo. Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes is an adventure game played on PC and Mac created by Her Interactive. This walkthrough includes tips and tricks, helpful hints, and a strategy guide on how to complete Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes.

Little Jackalope of the Amateur Sleuth Blog with Indy and Tess live streams Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes on Twitch. We eat ice cream (a LOT of it) take a drink every time we hear or see 'fire', play. Rank 1: ‘Alibi in Ashes’ The time has finally come for the unveiling of the best Nancy Drew game! Posting my thoughts on each game for the past month has been a blast, and I’m really grateful for the unexpectedly large response I’ve gotten from this ranking list.

Getting Started

This game is largely nonlinear, meaning that you will likely be playing the game in a different order than outlined in the walkthrough. In this walkthrough I have attempted to make it clear which actions are required to trigger the next step in the game.

Bess, George and Ned

New to this game is that you get to play as Nancy’s friends Bess, George and Ned as well as Nancy herself. You will need to switch between characters regularly, as not everyone can complete all tasks. To switch characters Nancy needs to call one of her friends and “hand the case over”. To switch to another one of Nancy’s friends, they will need to call Nancy and hand the case back to her, after which Nancy can call someone else.

Fortunately, George has installed an interactive journal on everyone’s phones to share the clues and information they find. This means that everyone will know everything about the game. The journal is quite amusing to read, especially Bess’s entries!

However, each character has their own inventory and they can’t pass items around. So if someone found something required for a certain task, they will have to be the one to complete the task. Ned, George and Bess can, however, pass items to Nancy, and Nancy can pass a few items to them, but the three friends cannot share items among themselves.

How to Be a Detective

You start the game at Nancy’s desk at home. Basic game controls are explained in the “how to be a detective” book on the left. They are largely the same as in the previous games.

You can scan your surroundings with your cursor to find interactive places.

• Yellow arrows will allow you to change direction and move to a different area.
• A red hand will appear when you can grab something.
• A red hand with a little lock icon on it will appear when you can put something in your inventory.
• The magnifying glass turns red when you can take a closer look at something.

In the bottom left of the screen are the following buttons:

• Inventory (bag icon): Contains all items currently in someone’s possession. An eye symbol on an inventory item means you can take a closer look at it. Each character has their own inventory.
• Journal (notebook icon): This link takes you directly to the interactive journal on the phones.
• Task list (note pad icon): In junior detective mode, this gives you a list of all the current objectives. You can check off objectives when you’ve completed them. Nancy’s tasks list will be different from everyone else’s.
• Phone: Use the phone to change characters, call people for more information or check the journal. You can also take pictures and play some games.

In the bottom right of the screen you can find a link to the game settings, you can load and save your game and you can exit the game.

Starting the Game

On the desktop is the case file for the current case. Hurray, there is no case right now! Instead, Nancy and her friends are on a treasure hunt, the Clues Challenge, to find the town’s time capsule, which is due to be opened soon. Nancy has solved a few of the clues already.

When you’re ready to start the game, click on the note to the right of the case file. The note is an anagram saying the next step is to check out the thermostat in the storage room of the old town hall.

Select if you want to play as a junior or senior detective. As junior detective you get a little more help in the form of an objectives list. As senior detective you have to figure out your own objectives. Also, some puzzles at the senior detective level are a bit harder than at the junior level.

Walkthrough

Escape the Burning Building

Check out the iron nugget in the cabinet on the wall. Then zoom in on the door, open it and go through.

Inspect the thermostat on the far wall. There is a snowflake-shaped ice cube on top of it.

When the fire starts, turn back to the door and click on it to find it is locked. Back out once. Pick up items lying on either side of the door and stack them up until they reach the window at the top. You can turn the items by right clicking. When everything is stacked up, you can open the window at the top.

Before you go, check the emergency evacuation map to the right of the door so you know how to get out. Then climb through the window above the door.

When you’re in the corridor, follow the directions you saw on the emergency evacuation map until you reach the front door. Do not open any doors on the way or you will be engulfed in flames, causing a fatal error. However, as usual with fatal errors in Nancy Drew games, you just get to retry and re-enter the game where you left off.

To exit, go to the end of the corridor and turn right; go to the end of the next corridor and turn right; turn right through the open door; go left towards the front door. Open the front door and exit.

Talk to the reporter and the policeman. It doesn’t really matter which answers you choose. When back home, Bess will call. While you’re talking to her, the doorbell rings. Chief McGinnis is there to arrest you!

Evidence: the Note, the Alarm and the Accelerant

Find the Note at the Town Hall

In prison, use the phone to call dad. After this, call any of Nancy’s friends, go through the dialogue and select one of them to play with. It doesn’t matter right now who you choose.

If you pick Bess, you start at Scoop, the ice cream parlor (yellow, #30). It is closed right now. If you pick George, you start at the Drew residence (white). You can explore the house, but I will describe that later. Ned will start off at the antiques shop (orange, #36), which is also closed right now.

Whatever scene you arrive in, back out to get to the city map. Find the old town hall and drive there (green, #59). When there, do not cross the yellow police lines, as this will cause another fatal error. The CHARRED NOTE is on the ground in the parking lot. Pick it up.

Drive to the police station and zoom in on the drop box to the right of the door. Open your inventory and drop the charred note in the drop box. Close the drop box and call Nancy to switch back to her.

Chief McGinnis isn’t such a bad man, really, and he allows Nancy to roam the police station while in captivity. Exit the room and do a thorough search of the police station. There are a lot of things to find, which I will discuss when you need them.

Of note right now is the suspect profiles board, which is on the wall opposite Nancy’s cell, next to the forensics department. Any new evidence Nancy’s friends bring in will go up on the board. You can ring the intercom to have Chief McGinnis take a look at things when you think you have enough evidence to clear Nancy’s name. Notice that the charred note that was just brought in is now up on the board.

Find the Evidence Locker Key

To the right of the suspect profiles board is a locker unit. Locker 205 is locked.

Zoom in on Chief McGinnis’s office door to the left of the forensics department and listen to the conversation. A rookie detective has lost the evidence locker key at Pancake City. Nancy suggests sending one of her friends to Pancake City.

Go back to the cell and use the phone to call any one of Nancy’s friends. Go through the dialogue. There is quite a lot you can do right now, but let’s first get that key!

Go to Pancake City, which is southwest of the Town Hall (lilac, #57). Then go to Mabel Rose’s in the top left of the map (lilac, #17). Finally, go to the antiques store on the east side of the map (orange, #36).

Go in. If you’re playing with Bess, she will knock over and break a priceless vase, and will be banned from the store. In that case, have her call Nancy to change back to Nancy, then switch to Ned or George.

When inside the antiques store with Ned or George, have a look around. On the right is a numbers game you can play as often as you like. If you beat the fastest time on the game, a compartment will open holding a TRUNK KEY. This can be quite hard. Fortunately, if you’re a junior detective and play the game and fail three times, the timer will malfunction on your next try, allowing you to beat the top score. If you click all prime numbers between 2 and 41 after you’ve won the game once, you will get an Easter egg!

Next to the game is a SAMPLE CONTAINER. You can pick it up now if you like, but remember who has it in their inventory, as you will need to use it later.

In the back of the shop is Alexei. Talk to him, going through all the dialog options. Detective Ryan left an unusual object on the new arrivals stand, which is to the left of the door, opposite the numbers game.

Zoom in on the stand and on the strange, circular contraption. There is a key under the pins in the center of the object. Click the buttons until the pins all disappear and you can grab the EVIDENCE LOCKER KEY. Back out to reset the game if required. The quickest way to solve this puzzle is by clicking the pins marked X in the image below.

Leave the store, and zoom in on the newspaper stand on the pavement. Read the paper to find out there was meant to be a talk of the Historical Society at the time of the fire, but it was postponed.

Go to the police station, drop off the EVIDENCE LOCKER KEY in the drop box and call Nancy to change back to her.

Open the Evidence Locker

Inside the police station, walk into the hallway beside Chief McGinnis’s office to the front door. Open the drop box to the left of the door and take out the EVIDENCE LOCKER KEY.

Go back into the main room and zoom in on the locker unit. Open locker 205 with the EVIDENCE LOCKER KEY. The bottom drawer contains Nancy’s personal belongings: her HOUSE KEY, a LOCK PICK KIT and her phone! The phone on the cell door will now disappear, and you can use Nancy’s own phone again.

The top drawer contains a post-it note with a clue for the computer password – we’ll get to that when we need it – a media disc with SUSPECT INTERVIEWS and the Krollmeister user manual.

The manual explains how to unlock the middle drawer. The explanation is a bit fuzzy, but basically, you need to click on the white tabs around the black triangles to light the colored lights on the triangles. Triangles next to each other cannot have lights of the same color lit, and only two lights of each color may be lit in total. When a link between two triangles is allowed (though not necessarily correct), the bar at the top will turn green. There appear to be several solutions possible; one is shown in the image below.

Go through the documents in the evidence file in the drawer. They found gasoline on Nancy’s clothes, but it isn’t known if gasoline was used as the accelerant in the fire. Nancy needs to find out what accelerant was used. Also, the fire alarm was switched off at the time of the fire.

Go to the desk right in front of the cell door – it belongs to someone named D.K. Daughters. On the desk is an electronic gadget you can use to play the media disc with the SUSPECT INTERVIEWS. Play the disc and listen to all interviews.

The Accelerant and the Alarm

Explore the police station a bit more. Explore the forensics department and find the chromatograph. Also find the book on arson that’s sitting on the desk beside the computer. It is essential that you pick up this book and zoom in on the chromatograph to be able to unlock the next step.

If you picked up the SAMPLE CONTAINER from the antiques store earlier, call the person who has it. If not, call either Ned or George and talk to them about the alarm and the accelerant. Then switch to Ned or George, go back to the antiques store and pick up the container from beside the numbers game.

Go to the old town hall and walk to the side of the building. Zoom in on the side wall. The window is too high, so pick up the shutter to the right and put it under the window. Climb through the window.

Inside, check the alarm panel next to the door to the storage room. It has indeed been turned off.

Go into the storage room and zoom in on the thermostat on the back wall. Use the SAMPLE CONTAINER to take the TOWN HALL SAMPLE.

Go back to the police station and drop the TOWN HALL SAMPLE in the drop box. Then call Nancy, talk to her about the alarm and then pass the case back to her.

With Nancy, pick up the TOWN HALL SAMPLE from the drop box. Go to the forensics department, put the TOWN HALL SAMPLE in the chromatograph and hit the Analyze button. Take the results from the printer.

Call Nancy’s dad, Carson. Talk to him about the sample and the alarm system. Make sure to pick the alarm system last as the conversation will end at that point. Dad will have someone drop off some info on chromatography results on the fireplace at the house. He will also look into the alarm system. You need to call him back in a few minutes.

The Suspects

While we’re waiting for dad, we can go get some more info on the other suspects.

Bess

Toni: First switch to Bess, who is back at the ice cream parlor. She can talk to Deirdre, but Deirdre isn’t forthcoming with information. Go inside and talk to Toni, the council woman who also runs an ice cream parlor (don’t you just love small towns). Go through all the dialog options.

Call Nancy and tell her you didn’t have much luck with Deirdre, and it is time to employ the secret weapon: Ned.

Ned

Switch back to Nancy, then call Ned. Ask him for help with Deirdre, then switch to him and go back to Scoop. Talk to Bess if you like. She sure is making the most of her stakeout of Deirdre!

Deirdre: Talk to Deirdre, going through all the options. Make sure Deirdre gives you the DEIRDRE NOTE. You can go in and talk to Toni again if you like, but she has nothing new for Ned.

Alexei: Go to the antiques store and go in. If you haven’t done so already, play the numbers game until you get the TRUNK KEY. Talk to Alexei, but he has no real information. Zoom in on the trunk opposite him. You can’t open it with Alexei in the room, but you can pick up the ALARM KEY lying next to it. Talk to Alexei about the alarm key and he will get very upset and throw you out.

Brenda: Exit the store and turn to the van outside. If you haven’t done so already, zoom in on the newspaper stand and read the paper. It says that a talk by the Historical Society about the time capsule that had been planned for Thursday had been delayed to Saturday.

Back out and zoom in on the van. Go in and turn left to talk to Brenda. You can actually do this with any of the characters, it doesn’t have to be Ned. Go through all the options.

Go back into the antiques store and talk to Alexei about Brenda. Also ask him why he is so unhappy and go through the conversation that follows. If you like you can then go back to Brenda and ask her about Alexei, but that doesn’t yield much.

Go back to the police station and drop off the ALARM KEY. Call Nancy. Talk to her about the key and about Deirdre’s note. Nancy tells Ned she has fingerprint dusting kits in her bedroom at home, and she will put the keys to the cabinet where she keeps them in the drop box. She also suggests she should call her dad about Alexei. Switch to Nancy.

Nancy

Call Carson Drew. Talk to him about the alarm system. He says it was switched off at 2:17 on the day of the fire. Then talk to him about Alexei.

Go to the drop box, take out the ALARM KEY and put in the HOUSE KEYS you found in evidence locker 205.

Alibis

Ned

Call Ned and talk to him about the alarm. Switch to Ned.

Take the HOUSE KEYS from the drop box and go to the Drew Home. Explore the house if you haven’t already done so. On the coffee table in the living room is a newspaper. Apart from stories about the fire, it also contains a story about Scoop unexpectedly being closed between 1:45 and 2:45 on the day of the fire.

Go up the stairs and inspect the book cases on the left. Find a newspaper clipping about Nancy uncovering an elaborate antiques hoax. There is also a cute book with actual pictures of people with their home baked Nancy Drew cakes.

Turn around and go into Nancy’s Bedroom. Walk in and pan right to some cabinets in a corner. Zoom in on the cabinets and unlock the small one with the HOUSE KEYS. Take a FINGERPRINT DUSTING KIT from the cabinet. Also read the book entitled On the Case, which has more information on arson and accelerants.

Go to Nancy’s desk and select the DEIRDRE NOTE from your inventory. The fingerprint dusting kit will open. Pick up the brush and dip it in the powder. Then dust the note. Finally, put some of the sticky tape on the fingerprint and pick up the tape with the print to get the PARTIAL FINGERPRINT.

Deirdre’s Alibi: Go back to Scoop and talk to Deirdre again. Talk about Brenda to find out that Brenda once dressed up as Nancy. Ask her where she was at 2:17 on the day of the fire. She says she was working on the Clues Challenge, and gives you her friends’ phone numbers to verify.

Go in and talk to Toni. While you’re talking to her, the delivery van will arrive and she will leave the counter (this may happen at a different time and with a different character – I haven’t been able to find out which specific action triggers it). Go to the back of the shop and turn left and left again to snoop behind the counter. Pick up the TOWN HALL PICTURES from the floor.

Open the cabinet to find snowflake-shaped ice cube trays and the CLOSET KEY. Don’t worry if you missed any of this first time round as you will be able to go back later.

Back out and turn right to the closet door, which is locked. Open it with the CLOSET KEY. Go in to the closet to find a locked filing cabinet on the right and paint thinner/toluene, a fire accelerant, on the left. Exit.

To check Deirdre’s alibi you need to call her friends, which you can’t do at the parlor. Go elsewhere, for example the antiques store and call both Holly and Jessica. They say Deirdre was actually a few hours late on the day of the fire and not actually plying the Clues Challenge with them at all!

Alexei’s Alibi: Go back to the antiques store and talk to Alexei about where he was on the day of the fire. He says he was giving a talk over at the Historical Society – but we know that the talk had been postponed (if you didn’t know, read the newspaper at the stand outside the store)! Confront Alexei about this.

Brenda’s Alibi: Go outside and talk to Brenda in the van where she was at the time of the fire. She says she was working.

Go to the police station and drop off the PARTIAL FINGERPRINT, the DEIRDRE NOTE and the TOWN HALL PICTURES. Call Nancy and talk to her about Alexei, the locked cabinet at Scoop and the toluene. Switch to Nancy.

Nancy

Go to the drop box and take out the PARTIAL FINGERPRINT, the DEIRDRE NOTE and the TOWN HALL PICTURES that Ned put in. Put in the LOCK PICK KIT you found in the evidence drawer.

Go back inside and go to the Suspect Profiles board. A lot of new info and evidence has arrived, which is pinned on the bottom right of the board. Move all the evidence to the suspects it belongs to.

To unlock the next part of the game, we need to scan the partial fingerprint we found. Zoom in on the desk with the computer, and zoom in on the computer. The clue for the password was in the top drawer of the evidence locker. You need to select one of each number, making sure that each row and each column only has one number selected. Solutions are as below. You now have access to the computer!

Exit the computer and zoom in on the fingerprint scanner to the left of it. Place the PARTIAL FINGERPRINT in the slot to scan it. Then go to the computer and select PrintSync. Click Load Sample and then Search. No matches found.

We still need Toni’s alibi, so call Bess, talk to her about the fingerprint and then change to Bess.

Bess

Toni’s Alibi: Go into the parlor and talk to Toni. Toni claims she was at Scoop at 2:17 on the day of the fire.

Talk more about Nancy’s arrest and the issue with Brenda and the antiques hoax. Talk about Alexei and why she closed the shop the other day. If you didn’t already talk to Toni earlier, a delivery van may arrive during the conversation. If so, follow the steps described under Ned, above. Then exit the store and go back in to talk to Toni again about the ice cube trays and the toluene.

Fingerprints

If you scanned the partial fingerprint Ned gave you, you now need to get fingerprints off all the suspects. Ned already has his fingerprint kit, but Bess and George still need theirs.

Bess

Go to the police station to pick up Nancy’s LOCK PICK KIT. Go to the Drew Home and get a fingerprint kit from the cabinet in the bedroom. Then go to Nancy’s desk and look at the book in the bottom drawer. It has information on how to pick various types of locks. The info on picking a filing cabinet is in the bottom left. The code is a lot to remember, so I recommend taking a picture of it on your phone for quick reference.

Note that anyone can pick the lock in the closet at Scoop, it doesn’t have to be Bess. However, Bess is the only one who can get Toni’s print, so since we’re already going to Scoop, we might as well pick some locks while we’re there.

Toni’s Fingerprint: Go back to scoop and talk to Toni. Ask for ice cream and pick any flavor off the board. Click on the bowl to access the fingerprint kit. Repeat the process with the brush, the powder and the tape to get Toni’s print.

Picking the Lock: While we’re here, we could try and pick the lock of the filing cabinet – if we can get Toni to leave! We’ll just have to wait for another delivery truck to arrive. And what better way of passing time than to play a game! So zoom in on the Swap A Lot machine in the back and play a game. You need to move the letters in each column around to make phrases. Start with single letters, which are usually I or A, and short words. Then move on to the longer words when fewer options are left.

While playing, it shouldn’t take long for another delivery truck to arrive. When it does, quickly exit the game and turn left to the closet door. If you didn’t already get the closet key and the pictures etc. from behind the counter, do so now. Enter the closet and use the LOCK PICK KIT on the filing cabinet.

Check the picture of the code you took. Place the picks so the colors are as in the picture: yellow (Y), red (R), blue (B), green (G). You now need to manipulate the picks in the order according to the code. The swirl in the center goes clockwise, and the code at the bottom says “every second”, so you need to click every second pick according to the order on the diagram, clockwise, starting at the grayed out one at the top. You will need to go around the circle twice. So you need to click: R, Y, B, G, G, G, B, R, Y, R, B.

Open the filing cabinet and inspect the two folders. One is on “criminal activity” related to Nancy’s previous cases. The other contains building plans for the town hall site.

If you take too long in the closet, Toni might come back and catch you, causing a fatal error. If so, just try again.

Exit the parlor to the world map and then go back in to talk to Toni about the plans.

Go to the police station, drop of Toni’s fingerprint and call Nancy. Talk about the plans. Nancy says she wants to call her dad again, so change back to her.

Nancy

Call Carson and talk about the plans. Then call special agent Ned again to get Deirdre’s fingerprints. Change to Ned.

Ned

Deirdre’s Fingerprint: Go to Scoop and talk to Bess. She orders Ned to ask Deirdre out on a date (and try not to be gross or creepy) to get her away from the table. Talk to Deirdre. When she leaves to get changed, zoom in on her table, pick up her cup and take a print. Remember to drop it off at the drop box.

Ned or George

To get Alexei’s prints, you can use either Ned or George, but I recommend playing with whoever has the TRUNK KEY from the numbers game, as this will save you a trip. If you play with George, make sure to pick up a fingerprinting kit for her at Nancy’s House.

Alexei’s Fingerprint: Go to the antiques store and talk to Alexei. Ask him to get something from the back (there are several options you can get. It doesn’t matter, as long as he leaves). If you accidentally anger Alexei and he kicks you out before you get him to leave, drive around the map or talk to Brenda or whatever and then come back and try again.

When he leaves, zoom in on his table. You can try and fingerprint the telescope, but Alexei’s been polishing it so much there’s nothing on it. Pick up the bottle of polish and fingerprint that.

While he’s away, also zoom in on the trunk and open it with the key. Inside is an empty ether bottle – another type of accelerant. Also in the trunk are a folder and note book containing information on what happened to Alexei when he was a detective.

Exit to the world map and then go back in to talk to Alexei again about his old case. Make sure you avoid asking him to find an item in the store, or you will have to exit and enter again!

Remember to drop off the fingerprint at the police station before you change characters again.

Nancy

Before you go on to Brenda’s fingerprint, check the prints you have found so far against the partial print scanned earlier.

First have Nancy take the prints out of the drop box. To scan the fingerprints, enter a print in the scanner, then go to the computer and click Search. A possible match will appear on the right. Then click on the partial print on the left and line it up with any of the prints on the right until you have a match. Deirdre, Alexei and Toni’s prints do not match the one on the note.

Time to go get Brenda’s print.

Ned, George or Bess

Brenda’s Fingerprint: This is only triggered after you’ve scanned and tried the first three prints.

Go back to Brenda’s van and ask her if you can get in touch with her later. Take one of her cards and exit the van.

Go to your phone and call Brenda. Answer yes to any of the questions to make her leave. Then enter the van again. Zoom in on the microphone she was holding earlier to print it.

Other things to find in the van are a make-up box on the left, which contains nail polish remover, or acetone, and a locked strong box on the right, which you can’t open right now. If you open and close the box four times you will get an Easter egg!

By now the chromatography information Carson had promised to send will have appeared at the Drew Home. So go there, go left into the living room, zoom in on the mantelpiece and pick up the envelope. It contains a CHROMATOGRAM CHART.

Exit, drop off the print and the CHROMATOGRAM CHART at the police station and change to Nancy again.

Nancy

Get Brenda’s print and the CHROMATOGRAM CHART from the drop box. Nancy will check the chart against the chromatogram results. Looks like the accelerant used is isopropyl alcohol, so click on that.

Scan Brenda’s print. Whaddaya know – it matches! Go and update the Suspect Profiles board.

Nancy Drew on the Case!

Now call Ned and ask him once again to ask Deirdre on a date. Change to Ned.

Ned

Go back to Scoop and talk to Deirdre. She’s not impressed with Ned standing her up earlier. However, this is soon forgotten when he asks her out again.

Bess or George

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Call Bess or George. I suggest Bess, as she is already at Scoop. Zoom in on Deirdre’s table and pick up her notebook. Turn the page to find a speeding ticket. Take the speeding ticket to the drop box at the police station and change back to Nancy.

Nancy

Take the speeding ticket from the drop box and take it to the computer. Access the computer and select TicketShark. Enter the code on the ticket, which is RH627E401. Deirdre was snapped near the town hall around the time of the fire!

Go to the Suspect Profiles board and place the last piece of evidence. You should be told that you don’t need any more evidence.

When all the evidence is under the suspect it belongs to, click the intercom to call Chief McGinnis. Yes! You’ve cleared your name! Exit through the front door.

You’re now back with Nancy and won’t need to change characters again. But you need to go interview all suspects again.

Go to Scoop and talk to Deirdre to clear things up about “the Ned situation”. She has little news. Talk to Bess for a giggle. Go inside to talk to Toni, who explains why she pressured the police to make an arrest.

Go to the antiques store and talk to Alexei. He’s actually a lot nicer than you think and much more forthcoming with information when talking to Nancy. Keep going through all the dialog options.

Exit the store and go talk to Brenda in her van. Keep talking through all the options and end with asking her how to get in contact with her later. Take another of her cards.

Exit the van and call Brenda away. Go back into the van and check her desk. There is a bottle of isopropyl alcohol – the accelerator used in the fire!

Zoom in on the screen on the back wall and play the interview with Bess. Nancy notices Deirdre talking on her phone in the background. Move the volume slides on each of the channels to optimize the sound of Deirdre’s voice. Slowly move the slide while listening carefully if you can hear Deirdre. If a channel has the optimal setting, the numbers will turn green. There seems to be quite a bit of variation in the positions of the slides, but one solution is pictured below.

Once all slides are in place, play the video again to listen to Deirdre’s conversation.

To the right of the monitors is a clipboard on the wall. Zoom in on it and take the VAN PANEL KEY. Also look at the clipboard itself.

Zoom in on the locked strongbox on the right and use the VAN PANEL KEY to open it. Read the papers inside. They’re about the antiques hoax story again.

When you’re done, exit the van and go back to Scoop to talk to Deirdre. Also talk to Bess. No one knows how Brenda gets everywhere so fast. Bess thinks she must have secret routes. Go in and talk to Toni. She has some very useful information…

Go back to the antiques place. If you like, you can call Carson, who has some interesting info about Toni. Also, he thinks Alexei is pretty trustworthy, so let’s go talk to Alexei again.

Ask Alexei about his detective days. Keep talking until he suggests you read a book. Turn around and pick up the Dust and Dirt book from the shelf by the trunk. Leaf to the back of the book and look at the notes tucked in the back (pictured lower down).

The entrance to the tunnels is right out front! Exit the shop and go talk to Brenda again to confront her about the notes. She is threatening to destroy you, so you need to find a way to stop her!

You can go talk to everyone again if you like, but no one is particularly useful. Not even Chief McGinnis! Talking to Bess is always entertaining, though, so talk to her a couple of times for a giggle! You can also call Ned.

Looks like there’s nothing else to do but go home, so go to Nancy’s house. Talk to George in the living room. Finally someone who is useful! You need to find her a battery, so go to the bedroom and get the battery from the pink toy in the top drawer of the desk.

Go back downstairs to George. Prepare for a bit of a fright! It gives me a jolt every time! George asks you to help her with a circuit puzzle.

After the conversation, go back to the Antiques place and call Brenda away. Enter the van. Turn left to where Brenda was sitting and zoom in on the antenna box on the right wall, beside the strong box. Open it and place the jammer.

You need to connect the colored terminals without the lines crossing. Click on a terminal and then drag your cursor across the board to make the lines.

When you’re done, a key drops down with the code 5C21B. Take it.

Turn around to face the front of the van. You can now interact with the floor tile. Under it is a hatch! Go down the hatch into the tunnel.

Turn around and go left down the tunnel. There are doors on your left. Door 5C21B is the third door down. If you like, you can go all the way to the end of the tunnel and up the ladder there to see you come out at the town hall. So that’s how Brenda got there so fast!

Go to door 5C21B and open it with the key. Go in and go to the desk. There is some interesting paperwork on the desk! Pick up the bag for evidence. Also note a big stash of isopropyl alcohol. Next to the alcohol is a SCREWDRIVER. Pick it up.

Uh oh, Brenda has arrived, and she locked you in! This is a good moment to save your game, as the next section is on a timer.

Check the door, which is locked, and then back up and turn around. Move the cardboard boxes to find a door that’s rusted shut. Unscrew the hinges with the SCREWDRIVER and go through the door.

Now it’s time to check the papers you found in Alexei’s book, which are in your inventory. First you need to figure out which of the cards finishes the sequence. The answer is C.

Now go to the second page and read the instructions under C. In each new room you get to, you need to check out the symbols next to all the doors and then select a door according to the instructions under C. The full solution is shown below.

When you’re out, make sure to pick up the medallion on the ladder under the hatch.

When you’re outside, go into the police station and talk to Chief McGinnis.