The Final Reel
On the final night before Oscar voting closes, a publicist's body is discovered in the studio's restricted screening room. The trail of physical evidence—a tape recording, paper logs, and scattered personal effects—conflicts with every official statement made by studio staff, campaign operatives, and rival producers.
Initial Crime Scene
The heavy door swings shut behind you, sealing you inside. The air is thick with the syrupy scent of old perfume and stale popcorn, a cloying sweetness that coats the back of your throat. A single, high window cuts a dusty beam through the gloom, illuminating swirling motes of dust over rows of empty, plush velvet seats. Your gaze lands on the massive, blank projection screen dominating the far wall, its surface a void of dark fabric. The only sound is the hollow, rhythmic tick of a wall clock.
Crime Scene Environment
The screening room is a cavernous, velvet-draped space under a permanent, artificial twilight from the high, lone window. The air is still, heavy, and carries a dense, acoustic density that muffles all but the most deliberate sounds. The temperature is cool and constant, a controlled environment that smells of dust, old paper, and a faint, underlying chemical note of film stock.
Investigation Constraints
Landline phones, physical intercoms, fax machines, paper memos, 35mm film projectors, reel-to-reel tape recorders, paper visitor logs, physical key systems, personal address books, paper campaign schedules, telegrams.
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