When the sleuth solves the puzzle, the entire relic glows and reveals a shining gemstone. The young man is frozen solid, yet alive, in a small fishing shack on Dire Grove's lake a strange relic engraved with a puzzle sits in his lap. While exploring the inn and its surrounding area, the Master Detective discovers both strange holes in the ground and Matt. Both locals and the academic community dismiss the tale as a mere urban legend, but Allison believes that there is truth to the rumors. More tapes found in the location reveal that Allison was pursuing a long-lost legend for her dissertation-the story of the "Ice Lady," a banshee who supposedly haunts Dire Grove. The entire area is under a wintry storm, and the weather seems to be growing worse as the sleuth investigates. The Master Detective travels to an abandoned inn, where Allison and her friends had established a small camp. A dropped ID names her as Allison Sterling, a university student who traveled to Dire Grove with her friends Susan, Jack, and Matt after archaeologists discovered a relic nearby that Allison hoped to study. Determined to find the woman, the Master Detective travels closer to town, and discovers that the mysterious woman left several tapes behind in the hopes of being found.
She records herself writing the note, then leaves a desperate message begging for help. THE LEGEND IS REAL."- and a camcorder containing a tape of a young woman. Ahead, the Master Detective sees a second abandoned car investigation reveals a hastily scribbled note-"SHE IS REAL.
The sleuth stops at a small deserted town named Dire Grove, a tourist destination that has closed for the autumn season. With Ravenhearst Manor destroyed, the Master Detective is attempting to return to London when a fierce blizzard rises, making travel impossible. As the Master Detective, the player travels throughout numerous locations to find the solutions to numerous tasks the game gives to you. There are no discernible levels or stages, as both the hidden object screens and other forms of puzzle are integrated in the quest you have to complete.