Into the Woods

Into the Woods (Case #83, or Case #27 of Pacific Bay) is the third case of White Peaks, the twenty-seventh case of Pacific Bay, and the eighty-third case of the game.

Case Background
Frank Knight harbored strong feelings of discontent having to put up with nature, in which Chief Marquez noticed Frank's city-bound attitude before Frank and the player headed to the lumber mill, only to find a tourist named Paula Mahler tied to a saw table and partially cut in half by the arbor saw of the timber mill. The player didn't hesitate to start a murder investigation in White Peaks' Logan's Pass, a nature attraction. The killer turned out to be Ruthie Samson, director of tourism in Logan's Pass.

Ruthie told the authorities that Paula and herself were buddies, but when Frank told Ruthie that she matched the description of Paula's killer, she admitted to the murder. Ruthie was disappointed in Paula's lackluster coverage of Logan's Pass in the Pretty Planet Tour Guide Book and insisted on Paula's unconditional help to make Logan's Pass the next Aspen. Paula opted to remove Logan's Pass from the tour guide book, which went against Ruthie's orders all the way through. To make Paula pay for her insubordination, Ruthie suckered her into the timber mill by pretending to be Judd Tucker, the lumberjack who saved her life. Ruthie cornered Paula albeit she climbed into the saw table to get away from her. Paula lost traction, allowing Ruthie to tie her into submission, ignited the arbor saw, and sliced her like butter, doing the job. Frank heard enough so the player shipped Ruthie to court.

Ruthie told Judge Dante that Paula should've worked with Ruthie instead of against her during the tour guide creation as a justification for the murder but Judge Dante made it clear that there were non-violent ways to deal with such disappointment, and made clear that homicide was not a valid answer to what Ruthie experienced. As a result, Judge Dante issued a 25-year jail sentence (without parole) to Ruthie.

In the hours following the incarceration, Chief Marquez ordered Frank and the player to check up on RCMP officer Brian MacKenzie and to do one final check in the Timber Mill of Logan's Pass before work resumed. Brian and Judd were caught in the middle of the Night Walker legend as Frank and the player discovered. Besides that, Duncan Young had to consult Allen Muir about the Night Walker for clues that can aid the police in incriminating a phenomenon that's responsible for the rise of crime in White Peaks.

Victim

 * Paula Mahler (tied to a saw table and partially cut in half)

Murder Weapon

 * Timber Mill Saw

Killer

 * Ruthie Samson

Killer's Profile

 * The killer had contact with wood mushrooms.
 * The killer knows knot making.
 * The killer wears hiking boots.
 * The killer has bruises.
 * The killer is at least 60 years of age.

Chapter 1

 * Investigate Timber Mill. (Clues: Saw Operation Button, Faded Card; Murder Weapon Registered: Timber Mill Saw)
 * Examine Saw Operation Button. (Result: Dark Powder)
 * Analyze Dark Powder. (03:00:00; Attribute: The killer had contact with wood mushrooms)
 * Examine Faded Card. (Result: Business Card)
 * Ask Ruthie Samson about her business card. (Prerequisite: Business Card revealed)
 * Investigate Victim's Tent. (Prerequisite: Talk to Ruthie; Clues: Victim's Backpack, Mountie Badge)
 * Examine Victim's Backpack. (Result: Torn Card)
 * Examine Torn Card. (Result: Thank You Card)
 * Ask Judd Tucker about the victim's thank you card. (Prerequisite: Torn Card restored)
 * Examine Mountie Badge. (Result: Badge Number)
 * Analyze Badge Number. (09:00:00)
 * Ask Brian MacKenzie about his Mountie Badge. (Prerequisite: Badge Number analyzed)
 * Autopsy Victim's Body. (18:00:00; Attribute: The killer knows knot making)
 * Go to Chapter 2. (No stars)

Chapter 2

 * Investigate Stone Circle. (Available after unlocking Chapter 2; Clues: Broken Gadget, Map)
 * Ask Allen Muir about his attacks in the woods. (Prerequisite: Play Stone Circle as a task)
 * Examine Broken Gadget. (Result: Compass)
 * Examine Compass. (Result: Black Chunks)
 * Analyze Black Chunks. (12:00:00; Attribute: The killer wears hiking boots)
 * Examine Map. (Result: Fingerprint)
 * Examine Fingerprint. (Result: Melody Rivers)
 * Ask Melody Rivers about her threat to Paula. (Prerequisite: Melody's fingerprint unraveled)
 * Investigate Picnic Table. (Prerequisite: Black Chunks analyzed; Clues: Torn Paper, Pile of Leaves)
 * Examine Torn Paper. (Result: Free Stay Voucher)
 * Ask Ruthie about the voucher she gave to Paula. (Prerequisite: Free Stay Voucher restored)
 * Examine Pile of Leaves. (Result: Tape Recorder)
 * Analyze Tape Recorder. (12:00:00)
 * Talk to Brian about Paula hurting his horse. (Prerequisite: Tape Recorder analyzed)
 * Go to Chapter 3. (No stars)

Chapter 3

 * Question Judd about his suicide attempt. (Available after unlocking Chapter 3)
 * Investigate Broken Slabs. (Available after unlocking Chapter 3; Clues: Camera Bag, Notebook)
 * Examine Camera Bag. (Result: Broken Camera)
 * Examine Broken Camera. (Result: Camera)
 * Ask Allen about the photo Paula took of him. (Prerequisite: Camera restored)
 * Examine Notebook. (Result: Drawing)
 * Analyze Drawing. (09:00:00)
 * Ask Melody about her drawing. (Prerequisite: Drawing analyzed)
 * Investigate Work Bench. (All tasks before must be done first; Clues: Torn Poster, Hard Hat)
 * Examine Torn Poster. (Result: Safety Poster)
 * Analyze Safety Poster. (09:00:00; Attribute: The killer has bruises)
 * Examine Hard Hat. (Result: Hair)
 * Analyze Hair. (15:00:00; Attribute: The killer is at least 60 years of age)
 * Arrest Killer.
 * Go to Additional Investigation. (No stars)

Additional Investigation

 * Investigate Timber Mill. (Available after unlocking Additional Investigation; Clues: Bag)
 * Examine Bag. (Result: Pistol Sword)
 * Examine Pistol Sword. (Result: Pistol Sword Serial Number)
 * Question Judd Tucker about his weird weapons. (Prerequisite: Pistol Sword Serial Number found, Reward: 20,000 Coins)
 * Ask Brian MacKenzie what's going on. (Available after unlocking Additional Investigation)
 * Investigate Victim's Tent. (Prerequisite: Talk to Brian first; Clues: Broken Trinket)
 * Examine Broken Trinket. (Result: Amulet)
 * Analyze Amulet. (06:00:00)
 * Reassure Brian MacKenzie about the amulet. (Prerequisite: Amulet analyzed; Reward: Burger)
 * Check up on Allen Muir. (All tasks before must be done first)
 * Investigate Stone Circle. (Prerequisite: Talk to Allen; Clues: Notebook)
 * Examine Notebook. (Result: Night Walker Notes)
 * Analyze Night Walker Notes. (06:00:00)
 * Ask Melody Rivers what she's found about the Night Walker. (Prerequisite: Notes analyzed; Reward: Pilot Uniform)
 * Investigate Next Case. (No stars)