solutions
SpeedIF -1 (2001-11-18) [4c] [Baf's]
The solutions below are by David Welbourn and are based on the specified release or version of each game. See also the SpeedIF pages at FourCoffees and Baf’s Guide.
At first, you know six topics: mask, banana, tea, Hank, Theresa, and Eliot. Ask Eliot about tea and banana to learn two new topics: window and chair, respectively. Ask Theresa about chair to learn the crucial topic: cane. Finally, ask all three suspects about cane to solve your mystery. To wit:
>ask Eliot about banana. ask Theresa about chair.
>ask Theresa about cane. ask Hank about cane. ask Eliot about cane.
This game may be broken. I see no way to obtain tea, nor prevent Gustav and Katherine leaving the print shop together.
>x me. i. x Eliot. x chair. ask Eliot about anything. z. (continue to wait until Eliot sends you off for tea)
>s. s. x Gustav. ask Gustav about anything. z. (wait until Katherine enters)
>x Katherine. ask Katherine about anything. z. (wait until game ends)
[Museum]
>i. open bag. x monkey. x corkscrew. x tube.
>take monkey. take corkscrew. unscrew cork with corkscrew.
[Another Museum]
>x cavity. x banana. i. x plucker. take banana.
>x hole. put plucker in hole. take banana.
>take mask. restart. (This lets you know about the laser.)
>x mask. x thread. x eliot. take it. x mother. take it.
>x laser. x ledge. put eliot on ledge. cut thread with mother.
And screw the shopkeeper too, it seems. It doesn't matter to him whether you pay for his merchandise, only that you have just one "valuable" item at a time when you leave.
>x me. i. x money. w.
>x cob. x baby. x monkey. x corkscrew. drop money. take cob. e. e.
>x Gustav. n. give cob to Gustav. w. w.
>take corkscrew. e. e. n. Gustav, e. e. d.
>x hold. x crate. open crate. x tea. screw hull with corkscrew.