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Spoiler Warning |
| Plot details follow, read at your own risk. |
- "And now, some housekeeping. A warm Central Division welcome for Detective Cole Phelps."
- ―Gordon Leary
The Driver's Seat is a Traffic case in L.A. Noire. This is the first case Cole Phelps takes on the Traffic Desk, after being promoted from the Patrol Desk.
Description
Cole Phelps and his new partner, Stefan Bekowsky, are called up to investigate an abandoned car, which looks as if a murder was committed inside of it, at the P.E. Freight Depot in the Warehouse District. During the investigation, Phelps finds out that the car is registered to Adrian Black, who has been reported missing the previous evening. Phelps also finds a receipt for a live pig in the trunk of the car, bought by Frank Morgan.
Persons of Interest
- Adrian Black - The presumed murder victim.
- Nate Wilkey - A worker at the P.E. Freight Depot.
- Margaret Black - The wife of Adrian Black.
- Frank Morgan - Friend to Adrian Black located at Cavanagh's Bar.
Objectives
- Investigate P.E. Freight Depot
- Interview Nate Wilkey
- Interview Mrs. Black
- Investigate Black Residence
- Trace Address of Cavanagh's Bar
- Investigate Cavanagh's Bar
- Interview Frank Morgan
- Charge Frank Morgan or let him go
- Investigate Morgan's Apartment
- Apprehend Adrian Black
Walkthrough
|
Notice |
| Evidence markers aren't always consistent. |
P.E. Freight Depot
Once you arrive at the crime scene, talk to the coroner and then find the following evidence:
| Stencil | Details | |
|---|---|---|
[[Image: |center|frame|]] |
Inside a light blue Lincoln Continental Coupe. | |
| Description | Large splashes of blood, found inside abandoned vehicle. | |
 Clues |
Blood splashes | |
[[Image: |center|frame|]] |
In the trunk of the abandoned vehicle. | |
| Description | Live hog purchase receipt, signed by F. Morgan, found in abandoned vehicle. | |
| Clues |
Receipt for live hog | |
 P.O.I.'s |
F. Morgan | |
[[Image: |center|frame|]] |
In front of the vehicle, at the evidence A marker. | |
| Description | Wallet belonging to Adrian Black, found near abandoned vehicle. | |
| Clues |
Wallet | |
| P.O.I.'s |
Mrs. Black | |
 Objectives |
Interview Mrs. Black | |
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In front of the vehicle, at the evidence A marker. | |
| Description | Stenzel eyeglasses, broken and repaired, found near abandoned vehicle. | |
| Clues |
Glasses | |
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To the left of the vehicle between the forked train tracks, at the evidence B marker. | |
| Description | Length of steel pipe, InstaHeat brand, stained with blood. | |
| Clues |
Bloody pipe | |
Interview Nate Wilkey:
| Question | Response | Response (Remaster) | Evidence | Clue/Location/P.O.I/Lead/Objective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose at scene | Truth | Truth | ||
| Knowledge of Adrian Black | Truth | Truth | ||
| Contents of wallet | Doubt | Truth | ||
| Bloodstained pipe found | Truth | Truth |
Black Residence
| Stencil | Details | |
|---|---|---|
[[Image: |center|frame|]] |
On the dresser in Adrian Black's bedroom. | |
| Description | Photograph of Adrian, message on reverse reads 'Hurry back, my darling, Nicole.' | |
| Clues |
Concealed message | |
[[Image: |center|frame|]] |
On the dresser in Adrian Black's bedroom. | |
| Description | Stenzel glasses case, found empty. | |
| Clues |
Glasses case | |
[[Image: |center|frame|]] |
In the wardrobe in Adrian Black's bedroom. | |
| Description | Train ticket with receipt, Los Angeles to Seattle. | |
| Clues |
Train ticket | |
[[Image: |center|frame|]] |
On the table in the dining room, on the kitchen table next to the stove, and on the nightstand in Adrian Black's bedroom. | |
| Description | Matchbook marked Cavanagh's Bar. | |
| Clues |
Cavanagh's matchbook | |
| Objectives |
Trace Address of Cavanagh's | |
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On the kitchen table. | |
| Description | InstaHeat water heater installation receipt, dated recently. | |
| Clues |
InstaHeat receipt | |
[[Image: |center|frame|]] |
On the kitchen table. | |
| Description | InstaHeat water heater promotional pamphlet, with assembly diagram. | |
| Clues |
InstaHeat flyer | |
- Inspect both photos of Mr. and Mrs. Black in their separate rooms, which suggests marriage problems.
- In the dining room, there is a newspaper on the table.
Now, go outside and inspect the new water heater. You will find that you have to arrange the pipes, and once you do, you will find that the pipe that is missing is the same one found at the scene, covered in blood.
Interview Margaret Black
| Question | Response | Response (Remaster) | Evidence | Clue/Location/P.O.I/Lead/Objective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slaughterhouse receipt | Truth | Truth |  Frank Morgan (Updated) |
|
| Photograph signed 'Nicole' | Lie | Truth | Concealed message | |
| Location of Adrian Black | Truth | Truth | ||
| Stenzel glasses case | Truth | Truth | ||
| Cavanagh's Bar matchbook | Truth | Truth | ||
| Alibi for Mrs. Black | Truth | Truth |
Pay attention to the order of these questions, it depends on the order in which you gathered the evidence.
Once you are done, use the telephone in Black's home to find the location of Cavanagh's Bar, if you haven't already.
Cavanagh's Bar
Once you arrive at the bar, talk to the bartender.
Interview Frank Morgan
| Question | Response | Response (Remaster) | Evidence | Clue/Location/P.O.I/Lead/Objective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Link to Abandoned Vehicle | Lie | Truth | Receipt for live hog |  Adrian Black Whereabouts (?) |
| Location of Adrian Black | Doubt | Truth | Morgan's Apartment (Updated),  Investigate Morgan's Apartment |
You will have the choice to arrest or leave Frank Morgan.
- NOTE: If you fail the questioning, you will have to tail Morgan home to discover Adrian.
- If you answer the questions correctly, arresting or leaving Morgan alone will not affect your case rating, and he will still appear in a Homicide street crime later.
Morgan's Apartment
During the drive to Morgan's Apartment, you will get another clue via the police radio letting you know that the blood in the car was not human but in fact swine blood (most likely from the hog Frank ordered). If you have your partner drive and skip the scene, you may or may not miss the clue. If you don't get the clue on the way, commandeer a police vehicle, and you should get it.
If you correctly answered Frank's questions, just find his apartment number, number 2, walk up to the door. Adrian will answer the door, where he will tell you that he needed to leave L.A. for a while. He then tells you that he needs to pack his stuff. However, he slams the door in your face, prompting you to kick it down and go after him. However, if you didn't answer his questions correctly, Frank Morgan will answer the door after reassuring Black that they were "in the clear." However, he opens the door to find the detectives outside the door. Cole will ask Adrian to come with him to Downtown. However, Adrian will go out the window and try to escape, while Frank Morgan gives himself up.
Apprehend Adrian Black
Climb out the window and chase Adrian up the fire escape, across the rooftops, down the pipe and he will get cut off by Bekowsky.
Case Notes
"Adrian Black can look forward to his day in court, and a beating from L.A. press."
Gallery
Video walkthrough
Trivia
- While examining the blood-stained car, Officer Clyde Hart mentions that the victim appeared to have "copped the full Broderick." This is a colloquial 1950s slang term, meant to mean that the victim looks to have taken a thorough beating. This is also referenced in the Broderick suit, which improves fist-fighting ability.
- This case is loosely based on the real-life 1947 disappearance of Euguene White. For information about the real case, see the 1947 project time travel blog
- In the opening cutscene, wherein Phelps is introduced to the rest of the department, he is shown a proposed map of the L.A. freeway system. He remarks why they can't "build a freeway that goes past my place." In a twist of irony, US Route 101 will be constructed directly over Cole's home just off of Sunset Boulevard and Wilton Place in the years succeeding the story.
- At the Black residence, there is a note of InstaHeat with the name "M.Ryan," who appears in the later Arson case "The Gas Man."
- At the Black residence, if you go in the back of the house and across the alley Parsons Boarding House is located right behind the Black residence.
- The store to the right of Frank Morgan's apartment building is one "Geiger's Rare Books," referencing Raymond Chandler's famous hardboiled detective novel The Big Sleep.
- "The Driver's Seat" and "A Different Kind of War" are the only two cases where all Cole's detective partners are seen. Herschel Biggs, Roy Earle and Stefan Bekowsky are introduced by Mel Fleischer, and Rusty Galloway can be seen sitting in the far side of the briefing room while Capt. Gordon Leary welcomes Phelps.
- Even though Adrian will eventually be stopped by Bekowsky, losing tail of him will still count as a case failure.
- There is a 19 day period which passes between this case and the next case, "The Consul's Car."
- Even if you ask for your partner to drive to the first crime scene, the cutscene triggered there will show Phelps at the driver's seat.
- Leary mentions Cole's Silver Star in the opening cutscene, as he is one of two LAPD members to have received it in World War 2. The other is Lynn "Buck" Compton, a member of the decorated Easy Company 2nd Battalion 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the US Army's 101st Airborne Division, and is featured in the HBO Miniseries Band of Brothers.
- Outside of Cavanagh's, a drunk will beckon Cole with claims of having gone to school with him. He Will suggest Cole buy him a drink. There is a small cut scene but this seems to have no impact on the case.
- During the investigation of the crime scene at the rail yard, Cole can talk to the crime scene photographer, but if this is not done this will have no impact on the case.
- If the player decides to arrest Morgan, when Cole places him in the back of the prison van, Cole will shake out his hand, as if he had been in a fist-fight with Morgan. As the player does not ever engage Morgan in a fist-fight, it could be concluded that this is a developer error.
Notes
- Beginning with this mission, calls for assistance regarding various street crimes will begin to be heard periodically. The player has the option of ignoring these calls for now (to investigate them later while in free roam) or taking on these mini-cases, even in the midst of investigating the main assigned case. If the player chooses the "partner drives" option to get from place to place, these calls will not be heard.
- Also beginning with this case, the player does not need to immediately head to the scene of the crime or investigation destinations and may, effectively, free roam the city finding landmarks, unlocking vehicles and searching for film reels. However the player runs the risk of a lowered case rating should Phelps' vehicle be damaged, damage city property, or hit pedestrians during these drives (in free roam no such penalties are imposed). One way around this is to use the "partner drives" option, assuming one has a destination in mind (i.e. a landmark, etc.).
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