Scene Investigators’ first case file handles, as the name suggests, missing persons. This complex case introduces players to a family torn apart by stress, monetary troubles, and perhaps something more sinister. This guide will help you ace this stage of the exam by answering every question in the first scenario of “Missing” from tricky mystery title Scene Investigators.
The Family’s Whereabouts
The first scenario of “Missing” centers around a blended family. You are asked to identify where everyone in the family – mom Katherine, stepdad Thomas, and kids Hazel and Nicholas – were at 2PM on September 6th, 1998.
Look inside the wallet on the kitchen counter. The ID inside confirms that it belongs to Thomas. Inside is a casino cashout voucher which was issued on the 6th of September at 1:30. This means that, at 2PM on September 6th, he was at the GMG Casino. You can find the casino’s address on the slip – 4830 Sunrise Road, Las Vegas, NV.
Look at the planner inside a bag next to the TV in the living room. Someone in the family is listed as working two jobs – and it must be Katherine, because Thomas is mentioned as traveling often for his job. She was having money troubles, so was unlikely to skip work. Thus, at 2pm on September 6th, she was at her afternoon job at the home of the Wilson family. Their address can be found on a check in a desk drawer in Katherine’s room – 4572 Charter Street, Santa Clarita, CA.
Read the police report (inside a white envelope) on the desk in Katherine’s room. It discusses Hazel passing out and Nicholas getting help at the specified time, 2PM, on September 6th. Thus, both children were at the toy store mentioned in the incident report: Terry’s Toy Box. The address is 2839 Garner’s Ferry Road, Los Angeles, CA.
Insurance
The next question is whether or not Thomas’s health insurance would cover the hospital bill for Hazel’s accident. The insurance policy can be found on the floor next to Thomas’s desk in the adults’ bedroom. The important phrase can be found near the bottom of the page: “Dependents that are NOT married to, or legal family, can ONLY receive General Practitioner coverage and shall NOT receive full Benefits.”
A card on Katherine’s desk reveals that Katherine and Thomas are only engaged, with their wedding planned for 1999 – meaning it had not happened at the time of Hazel’s accident. Thomas is also not their biological father, as Katherine’s desk also contains a child support from a man named Josh. Thus, the high hospital bill from the accident was not covered by Thomas’s insurance.
Pickup
You are also asked to answer who picked up the children from school on September 18th.
- A phone next to Thomas’s wallet – presumably belonging to Thomas – has a voice message from a woman on September 17, asking him to pick up the kids the next day because she would not be able to. Thus, Katherine did not pick up the kids.
- An ATM transaction slip is next to the wallet on the kitchen counter. The withdrawal happened in Bakersfield on September 18. The number matches the card in Thomas’s wallet, so Thomas did not pick up the kids.
- The calendar mentions that the children had a caretaker named Gina, but that she had a family event on the 18th, so Gina did not pick up the kids
So who did pick them up? To figure this out, you need the following pieces of information:
- The bus schedule (on central table in living room) reveals the kids were dropped off at the bus stop at 1:40.
- The bus schedule also mentions that CPS had been investigating neglect among some of their students’ families – and Katherine and Thomas, with their busy schedules and money troubles, are prime candidates for investigation
- The number 348-113-9753 leaves a voicemail at 1:45 on the 18th saying “I’m taking things into my own hands” in a female voice. That number called the house many times over the past several weeks.
- A note in Katherine’s planner says that “Ms. Olson” keeps calling.
- Hazel’s diary (on her desk in the kids’ room) mentions being pulled aside and interrogated about her family by a woman named Hannah
- A note on the back of a receipt in Thomas’ wallet also mentions a meeting with a Hannah Olson just a few days after Hazel’s accident
Therefore, the person who said she was “taking things into her own hands,” and who picked up the children from school on September 18 was Hannah Olson, who was working with Child Protective Services because she felt Hazel and Nicholas were being neglected by Katherine and Thomas. (She may have also been having an affair with Thomas, as he was often lying to Katherine about where he was, but the scenario does not confirm this.)
Answers
Where was everyone at 2PM on the 6th of September?
Katherine: 4572 Charter Street Santa Clarita, CA (Wilson Family Home)
Thomas: 4830 Sunrise Road Las Vegas, Nevada (GMG Casino)
Hazel: 2839 Garner’s Ferry Road Los Angeles, CA (Terry’s Toy Box)
Nicholas: 2839 Garner’s Ferry Road Los Angeles, CA (Terry’s Toy Box)
Would the Insurance cover the hospital bill? NO
Who picked up the kids on September 18th? Hannah Olson (a social worker with CPS)
By answering these questions correctly, you can ace the first “Missing” scenario in Scene Investigators. You can now move on to Scenario 2 of “Missing” or return to the menu to select a different scenario entirely. And, if you find yourself struggling to solve any of the many mysterious cases in Scene Investigators, make sure to check out GameLuster’s other guides covering this mind-bending detective game!
