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"Doesn't anyone eat regular meals anymore? Junkies feeding on popcorn and grasshoppers living on soup."
―Roy Earle
"You give me information and I won't give you to Immigration."
―Cole Phelps

Reefer Madness is a Vice case in L.A. Noire. Originally the second downloadable pack for the game, it is now a storyline case in the The Complete Edition of the game.

Description[]

"Vice Narcotics receives a tip from one Freddie Calhoun, junkie, snitch and all around no-hoper. Freddie seems to be playing it straight for once, sharing information on a city-wide marijuana distribution ring. Detectives Phelps and Earle will search, question and raid their way to the top of the operation, and in the process learn how the crooks could be smuggling fifty pound shipments of dope in plain sight."

Persons of Interest[]

Objectives[]

  • Interview Freddie Calhoun
  • Investigate Cruz Residence
  • Subdue Juan Garcia Cruz
  • Investigate 20th Century Market
  • Investigate Parnell's Soup Factory
  • Apprehend Grocery Clerk
  • Stakeout Parnell's Soup Factory
  • Raid Parnell's Soup Factory
  • Investigate Masangkay Metals

Detailed Walkthrough[]

After the case briefing, head to Mike Lyman's bar (corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Wilcox Blvd.), where Freddie Calhoun is located. He'll spill the beans on Juan Garcia Cruz and his base of operations.

Juan Garcia Cruz's Residence[]

Head to Juan Garcia Cruz's house and you will have a gunfight.

Shoot the man in the window on the right, head up the driveway and into the backyard, and then kick down the backdoor and shoot the second guy for the Forcible Rear Entry Achievement/Trophy.

  • Inspect the man in front of you, and in his left pocket is his wallet/I.D.
  • In his right pocket is a silver dollar.
  • Look at the boxes to left of the body and find the notepad with "Masangkay" written on it.
  • Next to the entrance to the kitchen, look at the stacked boxes labelled "Parnell's Soup Co."
  • Go to the room at the back for a newspaper with an advertisement for 20th Century Market.
  • Head out the back and straight to the shed. On the wall to the left is a bunch of cans. Look at the middle group and select the flour can that's second to the left to open a secret door.
  • Use the can opener to open the cans of soup containing marijuana buds. Open both cans for the Soup in the Pot Achievement/Trophy.
  • Go to the back of the stash room to find a ledger. Look for and highlight "E.J."

If you pick up and inspect the can to the right of the can that triggers the secret door, a jack-in-the-box will pop out and Earle will make a comment about Phelps jumping like a girl, though this may be Earle attempting to cover up his own surprised reaction, judging by his facial expression.

If Phelps forgets to look at the Parnell Soup Co. Factory ledger in the shed (in the back of the secret area revealed by the flour can) to update Phelps' notebook with the address, he can also use a phone in Cruz's house or a nearby gamewell to call R&I for the information.

Note that for a perfect five star score, you must visit the Parnell's Soup Co. Factory before 20th Century Market. However, to get the High Flyer Achievement/Trophy, you must instead go straight to 20th Century Market. Doing so will prevent you from getting a five star rating as you'll miss a clue and three interview questions; alternatively, botching the Airto Sanchez interview will leave the daytime Parnell visit open, but preclude a five star score. In order to get the achievement and obtain a perfect rating, you may have to play through the case twice. Alternatively, if you visit 20th Century Market first and then quit the game immediately after receiving the High Flyer achievement, when you resume the case you should be back at the Cruz Residence, allowing you to now go to Parnell's Soup Co. Factory first and continue on to get a five star rating.


Parnell's Soup Co. Factory[]

Follow the receptionist, Betty Williams, up the stairs and into Mr. Parnell's room.

Open the ledger and select Jorge Garcia Cruz, 1452 N. Las Palmas Avenue.

Interview Howard Parnell[]

Question Response Response (Remaster) Evidence Clue/Location/P.O.I/Lead/Objective
Factory sealed soup cans Doubt Bad Cop
Parnell's Soup Company Doubt Bad Cop
Knowledge of Cruz Brothers Doubt Bad Cop
Inside Man Jorge Garcia Truth Good Cop

Follow Mr. Parnell through the factory. When you get to the desk with a man standing to the left, look at the ledger, and highlight the 20th Century Market. Then interview Sergio Rojas and inspect another Silver Dollar in his possession.

Interview Sergio Rojas[]

Question Response Response (Remaster) Evidence Clue/Location/P.O.I/Lead/Objective
Factory sealed soup cans Doubt Bad Cop
20th Century Market Lie Accuse Sergio's/Juan's silver dollar

20th Century Market[]

Chase the clerk; you should be able to tackle him easily. If not, you will eventually engage in a fistfight with him. Then examine some reefer in his possession, along with another Silver Dollar and his identification.

Interview Airto Sanchez[]

Question Response Response (Remaster) Evidence Clue/Location/P.O.I/Lead/Objective
Knowledge of 'E.J.' Lie Accuse Airto's/Sergio's/Juan's silver dollar POI Ernesto Juarez
Parnell's Soup shipments Doubt Bad Cop
Juan and Jorge Cruz Truth Good Cop

Parnell's Soup Co. Factory[]

There is a big shootout here, so be prepared. It's recommended to get the Chicago Piano Gun out of your trunk, or the shotgun if you didn't download the Chicago Piano Gun DLC. Also, if unlocked, wear the Hawkshaw outfit for more health.

Phelps and Earle will start out in an alley near the factory. They will talk briefly about the large amount of dope coming into the country. Roy then notices a truck moving in, delivering the usual amount of dope. The driver and another person move to the back to unload the boxes. Roy tells Cole to wait for them to finish. After a few seconds, Cole will ask if they're good. Roy says yes. Cole starts the car and flashes his headlights a couple of times. Suddenly, three Patrol cars and a prisoner transport truck come down the alleyway, knocking boxes around and blazing their sirens.

Quickly drive out of the alleyway and follow the Patrol cars to the front doors. Get out, grab the gun in your trunk if you want, and quickly move into the factory. There are two ways you can burst into the interior of the processing plant: On the second floor door leading to the catwalk all sniper like or on the first floor double doors directly to the processing plant all guns blazing. Large amounts of Parnell's Soup Co. Factory employees will have weapons, so quickly take them down. Make sure to use a lot of cover and to let your backup take out any enemies if you're receiving a lot of damage. Remember to grab more guns from the ground if you run out of ammo for your Chicago Piano Gun or your shotgun.

Instead of going in through the ground floor, go upstairs and through the door that Mr. Parnell walked you through in the previous scene. This will give you a high point where you can see most of the hostile employees. Pick them off. After the shootout the officers will shut down the factory and the shootout will end.

Clues

The police photographers will arrive. Meanwhile, Officer Glen Wheeler will tell Phelps that there is something to see. Follow him to a small room nearby.

  1. Look at the boxed reefer shipment near the room.
  2. Go into the room and look at the body. In his left hand is another silver dollar and in his left breast pocket is his wallet.
  3. Leave the room and go up the stairs to the upper part of the factory and follow the path until you find another cop watching over a corpse. Inspect the body the cop takes you to. In his left breast pocket is a silver dollar and in his left hand is a roll of money.

After this, the coroner and Ray Pinker will arrive. Phelps will tell him that this whole incident was just like any other Vice case, then asks where the roll of money went, to which Roy states that he kept it for "safekeeping." Pinker will then tell Phelps he has something to show you. He has all the silver coins you've been collecting on a table.

  • Look at the silver dollars. Arrange them like this:
    1. The last coin to the right goes in the empty spot to the left.
    2. Move the third coin from the left to the last spot on the right.
    3. Move the first coin from the left to the empty spot in the middle.
    4. It should spell: (MAS) (ANG) (KAY) (MET) (ALS)
  • Completing this puzzle unlocks the Spare A Dime Achievement/Trophy.

Masangkay Metals[]

You can retrieve a weapon from the trunk of your car before proceeding. If you go north from the locked gate and around the corner, there is a gap in the barbed wire at the top of the wall that allows you to jump over. Another way to get in is to go around to the back of the building using the alley way off Romaine Ave. Climb up the drain pipe of the building next to and to the south of Masangkay Metals. Climb down the drain pipe on the north side of the roof, then head to the back entrance.

Upon entering, be ready for a gunfight. To make it easier you can run straight in and start shooting the people at the table. Next, you work your way up the stairs to find the boss, Victor Sanders. The case then ends as another crooked case.

Every Herb Bearing Seed Achievement/Trophy is unlocked.

Case Briefing[]

"Freddie Calhoun, 26 year old Caucasian male, drug addict and sometime police informer, requests a meeting. Roy and the Lieutenant are familiar with the kid - I've never heard of him, but they both seem doubtful his information will be worth the asking price. We'll meet Freddie at Mike Lyman's bar. Even if he knows nothing about marijuana distribution, Roy might enjoy the chance to catch up."

Case Notes[]

  • "Even without Victor Sanders, the Parnell's Soup Pot Bust is guaranteed to go down in LAPD history."
  • "Juan was no genius, and he might have left more traceable evidence than dope in the stash house."
  • "Sanchez is a family man, and would have ratted out his bosses if he saw the evidence stacking against him."

Achievements and Trophies[]

Trivia[]

  • The case's name refers to the 1936 film Reefer Madness. The plot of the film revolves around the events that take place after high school students are pushed into using marijuana.
  • Oddly enough, there were two enemies who fired at Cole with a Thompson M1 at Juan Garcia Cruz's Residence, but once you investigate inside, one of the Thompsons will be replaced by a longer barrelled, unusable revolver.
  • The cop that talks to you at the factory has 1247 on his badge, which is the same as Cole's badge.
  • Cole makes a reference to Confidential Magazine, however the first issue wasn't released until 5 years after the events of LA Noire.
  • Going from Cruz's Residence directly to 20th Century Market will cause Phelps to skip the daytime visit to Parnell's Soup Co. Factory and the interview with Sergio, and therefore prevent him from collecting Sergio's silver dollar. However, Ray Pinker will still have all five dollars for the puzzle.
  • If the player performs badly, Colmyer will say "The Reefer Soup Fiasco. That's what they're calling this FUBAR case you've brought me. All the beaners are going to skate. Reefer-crazed Mexicans carrying enough ordinance to outfit an Airborne Company in my goddamned jurisdiction, and they all walk." Phelps will then ask "What about Sanders?" Colmyer will reply "Victor Sanders? Are you kidding? If Sanders started naming names, the dailies would have to run special editions for a week. Put a stack of convictions on my desk by 9am Monday morning, or you can start clearing out your desk. Dismissed."
  • If you leave Masangkay Metals during the gunfight, you can "free roam" with your gun throughout the city without failing the mission.
  • These are the cases with the case "The Naked City", which are DLC cases where there is no car chasing the suspect.

Gallery[]

Video Walkthroughs[]

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