Version 1.4 12/27/08 DDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD D DDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDD DDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDD DDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDD DDD DDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDD DD DDDDDDDDDDDD D DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDD DDDDDDD DDDDDDD DDDDDDD DDDDDD DDDDD DDDD DDDD DDDD DDDD DDDDDD DDDDDDDD DDDDDDDD DDDDDDDD DD DDDDDDD Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill Walkthrough A Walkthrough by Michael Gray AKA The Lost Gamer (ilovecartoonssomuch@yahoo.com) Videogame humor: http://www.gamecola.net/ Copyright 2008 Table of Contents: 001. General information 002. Walkthrough 003. Credits 001-General Information ----------------------------------------------------------- This is a walkthrough for the PC game called Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill. It's the first game in the Nancy Drew series, in which you play as Nancy Drew and go around and solve mysteries. If you want to contact me, e-mail ilovecartoonssomuch@yahoo.com, but make the subject blank if you do. If you want to reproduce this guide in some fashion, you should contact me before doing so. 002-Video Guide ---------------------------------------------------------- Hey! Want to see how to beat the game instead of reading about it? Well, I've got a video walkthrough, and you can see it at... http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B13AC5F604199003 The video comes complete with my commentary and such. 003-Walkthrough ----------------------------------------------------------- In this game, you can choose one of three levels, junior detective, senior detective, and master detective. The difference between the three is negligible. "Dear Dad, Who would have guessed that taking a semester off to visit Aunt Eloise in Florida would result in another case? It seems a student was murdered at the high school last night, and Daryl Gray, the Student Council President, found the body. When Aunt Eloise heard, she rushed me right over and introduced me to the principal. He asked if I would try to find out who did it and why. So it's undercover I go! My only contact is Daryl. So I'm off to solve a murder! I'm calling this case 'Secrets Can Kill'. Love, Nancy" The game starts out in Aunt Eloise's apartment. There are several things you can do here, but most of it (such as looking at all the paintings on the walls) is optional. Right in front of you is a desk-table. On top of it is a message from Aunt Eloise. She's left the key to the library in the safe, and the combination is hidden in the house. The safe is behind the tapestry in that little niche in the corner. You can open the drawer on the desk, and inside is a phone card. Pick it up if you feel like calling someone in this game. In the little side-room, you can look around. The coffee table has a jewelry box you can open and look at. You can look at some pictures of Aunt Eloise by the lamp, and you can look at the book of flowers on a side-table (the book has the word MITCH on it, written in green). Aunt Eloise has a TV, with bookshelves on either side. You can look at a map of Florida on the left bookshelf, which has the message "Blade up on glass / gets you in class" in Morse Code written on the border). You can open a book on the right bookshelf to find the key to the chest in the corner. Inside this chest, you can pick up a quarter. You don't have to do this to beat the game. What you HAVE to do is open the drawer on a side desk. In here, you must take the TV remote and read Aunt Eloise's letter from sigma phi kappa delta. Sigma phi kappa delta is the combination to the safe, so press those four letters in that order (which Aunt Eloise helpfully wrote down at the top of her paper for all those people who don't read Greek) onto the safe. Once the safe is open, take the spare key to the library. Click on the little box with a picture of flowers on it. It's a slider puzzle. On junior mode, it's a 3 by 3 puzzle. The way to beat it is by getting the top row into place. Now without moving the top row, get the two left- hand pieces into place. From there, rotate the remaining three pieces, and you're done. On senior/master mode, it's a four-by-four puzzle, which requires more strategy. Here's my four-by-four slider puzzle strategy. 12XX 34XX XXXX XXXX The key to every sliding puzzle is the order you put the pieces in. When the puzzle is solved, the missing piece goes in the upper/right corner. For some reason, this means you have to solve the lower/right corner first. Using my fancy diagram up there, do the following: Put piece 1 into place. Never move this piece again. Put piece 2 into place. Never move this piece again. Put piece 3 into place. Never move this piece again. Put piece 4 into place. Never move this piece again. Hmmm, was it really necessary for me to list out each piece separately? Maybe not. Oh well, now you've got the lower/left quadrant done. You don't need to touch any of those pieces again. ooXX ooXX 2XXX 13XX Find piece #2. Put it in spot #1. Find piece #1. Put it in spot #3. Now, you can move the empty square to spot #2, and from there, slide pieces 1 and 2 into their correct spot. You don't need to touch either of those pieces again. We repeat the process. ooXX ooXX o2XX o13X Find piece #2. Put it in spot #1. Find piece #1. Put it in spot #3. Now, you can move the empty square to spot #2, and from there, slide pieces 1 and 2 into their correct spot. You don't need to touch either of those pieces again. Now the entire left-hand side is done! Oo12 ooX3 ooXX ooXX Find piece #1. Put it in spot #2. Find piece #2. Put it in spot #3. Now, you can move the empty square to spot #1, and from there, slide pieces 1 and 2 into their correct spot. You don't need to touch either of those pieces again. As you might have guessed, you repeat the process. oooo oo12 ooX3 ooXX Find piece #1. Put it in spot #2. Find piece #2. Put it in spot #3. Now, you can move the empty square to spot #1, and from there, slide pieces 1 and 2 into their correct spot. Now just mix around the final three pieces until they're in place. Inside the slider puzzle box is Aunt Eloise's computer logon. Name: Eloise Drew. Password: O Wise Elder. Aunt Eloise's computer logon is really all you need to get from her apartment. Now you can leave. Head to Maxine's. There you can talk with Daryl Gray, your contact. If you got a quarter at Aunt Eloise's, you can use it on the jukebox player and the pinball machine. There are several hidden messages here at Maxine's. The menu behind Daryl is a simple message--read the red letters to spell out "soup ladle bolt cutter". Do the same sort of thing with a menu on a table--the red letters spell "danger," while the purple letters spell "sabotage". Head to the kitchen area behind Daryl. Under a "safety first" sign is a black container with the soup ladle inside. Under the "danger flammable materials" is a bolt cutter. This is what the sign behind Daryl was referring to. Take the bolt cutter and replace it with the soup ladle. If you don't put the soup ladle in place, the diner explodes due to a gas leak. Personally, I think it's really stupid for the diner to use soup ladles and bolt cutters to prevent gas leaks, but whatever. The only other thing to do at Maxine's (besides see the list of chores that the employees must do) is check the work calendar. See the numbers at the bottom? That's a simple alphanumeric code. 1=a, 2=b, 3=c, etc. The code spells out "Jake's fate happened deliberately / gravity was not his worst enemy". Um...yeah, all the clues in this game are poems. This same code is used on one of the napkin dispensers at Maxine's, but all it spells is "JAKE", which isn't much help at all. Once you have the bolt cutter, head to Paseo Del Mar High School. You have to switch CDs to do this. Map of school: Boiler Room | Jake's | Locker----|-----Entrance-----------| | | | |---Phone Room | | |-------Library------Study Hall | | | Gym The high school is FILLED with hidden messages, most on bulletin boards. The one on the board near Jake's locker is a simple code--rearrange the spaces to spell out this message. Find the morning edition And discover another crime The answer is in black and white To who will do the time. The bulletin board in the gym has three messages. One is upside down: He did what it took To make the grade Even if it meant cheating To keep up his charade One is flipped vertically and horizontally: Nowhere to turn to, Nowhere to hide, Let the books in the library Be your answer guide. And the third one is written from right to left, and bottom to top: A symbol of Kanji Worn with great pride Reflects a big secret That someone must hide The eye chart in the gym needs to be read backwards: If you can read this, Then make no mistake A genuine first class Detective you'll make. The bulletin board in crossroads that leads to the gym and the library is an upside-down note: In the face of danger Against a killer if you dare A very unlikely couple Could be a helpful pair The bulletin board in front of the library is an upside- down note: When things go astray Tonight at Vandelay It will not help to run So you must grab the gun The other bulletin board by the library spells out a clue if you rearrange the spaces: There's more than one way To remove a chain so thick Aside from the combination Mel's bolt cutter can do the trick. The bulletin board in study hall has a message written from right to left: Jake's locker combo Was a part of his fame Just find a phone To decode his name The bulletin board in the phone area has a flyer with a checkered border. There are letters in the border which spell out SIDE OF SCHOOL over and over again. The bulletin board outside of the phone area has underlined letters: SEARCH BELOW DANGER SIGN IN KITCHEN The SAT Prep Sheet on the librarian's desk in the library has several words that are bolded and in italics: Sabotage should cause concern But with the gloves you will not burn The book on dream symbols in the library has a message spelled out in purple: Don't run, Nancy. The paper in the lowest map drawer in the library has blue and green letters. Read the blue letters, then the green letters: The bolt cutter you must take Or you could be the next Jake The sign language book in the library highlights the letters J A K E and the numbers 5 2 3. The letters of the Principal's name on the dedication plaque in the library can be rearranged to spell "Boiler Room Door". The note on the notepad upstairs in the library has a backwards alphabet code (Z=A, Y=B, X=C, etc.): The one with the temper And the iron fist Is more than a suspect On Jake's blackmail list The list of teacher's names in the teacher's lounge spells out something with the first letter of each teacher's name: Tanaka cheats The "while you were out" pad in the teacher's lounge has a message where you read out numbers and letters: Before you see the enemy, Examine the elevator The alphanumeric code is repeated for the message at the bottom of the security report you can print in the teacher's lounge: Braille keypad There are highlighted letters on the periodic table of the elements in the teacher's lounge: Search behind boiler The map in the teacher's lounge has writing on the top and bottom: A trophy was not the only prize But also money of a great size The sign language note inside a book in the teacher's lounge is a color-coded anagram: O was innocent = Connie Watson Yep, there's a lot of hidden messages. Good thing I wrote them all out for you, so you don't have to waste time decoding them. You can talk with Hulk Sanchez at the gym. Hulk is the star football player for four years in a row. He doesn't like Jake. Hal Tanaka, the exchange student, is studying in the study hall. He tells you that Daryl's family recently lost a lot of money. You can talk to Connie Watson in the phone room. She doesn't like Jake Rogers, and she has a thing for Daryl Gray. Talking to the characters lets you talk to them about each other. Hulk and Connie think Hal studies too much. Hal tells you that Hulk was recently injured, and that Connie was dating Jake. The library has a lot of books that you can look at. Most contain completely unnecessary information. You can check the card catalog to note that the book Jake checked out from the library is, um, from the library. Helpful, I guess. The only thing you HAVE to do is check out the area on the side, which has tiny bookshelves that hold encyclopedia sets. The upper/left encyclopedia set lets you look at K for Kanji. Nancy notes that the Kanji symbol Connie is wearing stands for Crane. The lower/middle encyclopedia set lets you read B for Braille. That comes in handy later on. You can use the phone card from the drawer in Aunt Eloise's room to use a phone in the phone room. Using the phone, you can call Nancy's friends for hints. One of the hidden messages said to check a phone for Jake's name or something like that. What it means is that you can look at a phone, such as the one in the phone room. J A K E on a phone layout it 5 2 5 3. That's the combination to Jake's locker. The book in the library on sign language also hinted at this. Open Jake's locker. Inside is a VHS tape box, a library book and a judo magazine. Look at all of them. Apparently, a mystery competitor won the male judo competition. Look at the bottom of Jake's locker. There's a newspaper about somebody stealing steroids from the Vandelay Pharmaceutical building. There's also a video camera and a glass cutter. Pick up the glass cutter! You can use the glass cutter to break into the teacher's lounge. Leave the school, then go back to it, so you're at the place where you see the outside of the school. Look for a place on the right hand side of the screen. Yes, you can go on the side of the school, as one of the hidden messages said. You can follow another secret message by using Jake's paper cutter to cut a hole in the third window from the left. Using the hole, open the window to get in the teacher's lounge. You can log onto the computer in the lounge with Aunt Eloise's log-on. Look at the key on the computer to learn that the code for the boiler/maintenance room is NOTE. You can print out a security report if you want, which tells you some unneeded plot information that nobody mentions in the game. Open the drawer of senior final papers to read Hal's essay. It's the same as the one in the book in Jake's locker! Hal is a cheater! You can now enter the boiler room, now that you know the password. It's in Braille, and you can use the book in the library to decode it. NOTE in Braille looks like this: .. . . . . .. . . . . . You have to switch CDs to go inside, which is a hassle. Go in, and ride the elevator down. Check out the boiler and all the stuff in this area. Open the toolbox for gloves. That is all you're supposed to do at this point in time. Leave the school to talk to Daryl. Talk to him about whatever you want, but do not ask "Pressure the suspects?" or your game will mess up and not move on to the next part of the plot, which is... Daryl has a note for you if you've been in the boiler room. The note says to go BACK to the boiler room. Phooey. Go back to the boiler room. Oh no! The boiler is about to explode! You can rip off the chain with the bolt cutters, or use the combination on the wall (1967) to open the lock (you have to use the gloves to do so, though). You need to set the boiler levers to the position labeled on the wall. Pull the left lever twice, the right lever twice, and the left lever a third time. That solves the puzzle. You can't leave via the elevator, so leave through the grate behind the boiler. Crawl through it, and Nancy finds a VHS tape. Go back to Aunt Eloise's. Turn on the TV with the remote and stick in the tape. OH MY!!! Jake's tape has footage of Hulk stealing drugs! Hal cheating on his senior essay! Connie entering the judo competition by cross-dressing! And Daryl was...SELLING THINGS TO A MYSTERIOUS SMOKER? Oh, no, say it isn't so! Talk to Hal, Connie and Hulk about being blackmailed. Talk to them about everything. Then go to Maxine's and talk to Daryl. He's not there if you haven't talk to everyone else. Daryl says he's a drug runner for a scumbag named Mitch. Mitch killed Jake. Daryl says he'll confront Mitch tonight, and recruits Nancy as backup. Go to the school and talk to everyone about everything. No one agrees to help with Mitch. Leave school and the game skips to later that night. Go to Vandelay. Daryl gets in a fight with Mitch. Mitch pulls out a gun, but Connie comes to save the day. Yay! The gun is knocked aside and automatically lands in Nancy's inventory. Immediately use the gun on Mitch to make him surrender, or else he kills you. Once Mitch sees you have a gun, he puts his hands up. The game the ends, and it's a happy ending for everyone! Yay! I suppose a happy ending was needed after all that heavy plot about murder, drugs and blackmail. 004-Credits ----------------------------------------------------------- This FAQ is copyright of The Lost Gamer, 2008. If you want to use any part of this FAQ, ask me first (instructions under general information)