Building the warrant correctly

Knowing where the crook is going only wins half the case. To make the arrest count you must also name who the crook is, on a warrant, before you catch up to them. This is the part new players neglect and aces master.

Where suspect clues come from

Mixed in with the destination clues, witnesses describe the crook: hair color, eye color, sex, a hobby, a favorite food, the vehicle they drove, a distinguishing feature. Each is a trait the game can match against the dossiers of Carmen's gang. You will not get every trait in one city, so keep collecting as you travel.

Feeding the database

You enter the traits you have collected into the suspect database, called the Crime Computer in Where in the U.S.A. (1986) and the crime lab or Interpol database in the world titles. The computer compares your traits to the gang's profiles and tells you whether they point to one suspect yet. Until enough traits are entered, several suspects still fit and no warrant can issue.

Why a wrong or missing warrant loses the case

The arrest only sticks when a warrant naming the correct suspect is already on file. Catch up to the crook with no warrant, or with one naming the wrong gang member, and they walk free, the case is lost even though you found them. So the goal is not just "enough traits to issue any warrant," it is enough distinct traits that exactly one suspect matches.

Sleuth habits

• Re-run the database whenever you add a trait; the moment it names one suspect, file the warrant.
• Prefer rare traits. A specific hobby or vehicle narrows the field faster than a common hair color.
• File before the final city, never during the chase, so the arrest is automatic when you arrive.