Part 2: 22nd October 1929 - 17:00.

Video: Ryouji Ihara.






Before we start chatting, let's see what the detective is thinking.



That's not very professional.

When the game allows, I'll always try to read a character's mind at the start of a conversation.



Who are you...?

I'm Police Detective Ihara.



Ihara

My name's Ryouji Ihara. Remember that.

Police Detective

You're a police detective?

That's right. You got a problem with the police?



No, I don't have any problem with the police.

Don't look like that. It‘s not like I've decided you are the culprit yet or anything. I just barely started the investigation into Denemon's cause of death.



Don't look

So, you come to the mansion and this happens. Now you don't know what to do. That's right. It's written all over your face.

Look like

It seems to me I've seen your face somewhere before...But I could be wrong.

The culprit

If Denemon was murdered by somebody, the culprit is somebody in this mansion.

The investigation

I got the report from the butler, Hachiya, this morning. I'm just starting on the investigation.

Cause of death

Denemon's cause of death...? How did Denemon Yoshinodou die...?

How did Denemon die? Don‘t you even know that? Denemon drank poisoned wine last night and was found dead in the study.



Dead

How was Denemon's body found...?

Denemon was found dead in his chair, with his face on the desk.

Who found the body?

That woman.

(That woman? Who is “that woman”?)



That woman? Who do you mean?

You don't know anything about the death or this mansion, do you? Hmph. A sorry state of affairs!

(I wonder who “that woman” is?)

When Takashi starts mentally questioning something in a conversation like the above, it's usually a hint that you need to use Divine Judgement, and look into a characters mind to continue. This can be helpful, since the conversation nodes are only of help for verbal questioning; if Takashi has asked the person he's talking to about all the words and phrases that will elicit a response, the node will turn red, even if you need to use Divine Judgement on a word/phrase to continue the story. Divine Judgment works in the same way as normal conversation; just highlight the word/phrase of interest, using the Triangle button, instead of the X button.



Kikuyo, the maid...

That's right. How did you know? Did Hachiya tell you? The first person to find Denemon dead was Kikuyo Rokujou, the maid.



Kikuyo Rokujou

Kikuyo has been working at this mansion for a long time.

Wine

Denemon was drinking an imported wine, a red Bordeaux.

The study

I hear Denemon was holed up alone in the study for the past several nights.

Poisoned wine

There was poison in the wine?

Yeah, there was potassium cyanide in the wine Denemon was drinking.



(A medicine bottle...)

What is it? Do you know anything about potassium cyanide? Potassium cyanide is a powerful drug. Just a little bit will kill a man.






I'm curious as to Takashi's thought process myself. He researched the murder before he came to Cinema Mansion, he knows how Denemon was killed, and he knows that Denemon was the first victim in a serial murder case. It could be that Takashi was pleading ignorance so as not to raise suspicion, but I somehow doubt it.

Maybe the people in this mansion are trying to pass this event off like Denemon took his own life, like it was just some unfortunate incident...But was it really? ...Nah, that death wasn't any suicide. It was murder!



The people

Denemon's family and employees.

This mansion

All this gorgeous furniture, rooms for more than fifty people...This mansion is as grand as they all say.

Took his own life

Nobody takes his own life without a reason...

Unfortunate incident

If this family was a normal family, Denemon's death might just be an unfortunate incident, but...

The last two options; suicide and murder, both open up new lines of conversation

Suicide

So you think it wasn't suicide?

That's right. I say it wasn't suicide. There wasn't any suicide note, and I can't see any reason why Denemon would want to take his own life.



Suicide note

I haven't found a suicide note. I doubt a man of Denemon's stature would attempt suicide without leaving a note.

Reason

You can't see any reason...?

Denemon took the trouble of seeking you--his illegitimate child--out and inviting you here to the mansion. I just don‘t see any reason why Denemon would kill himself before getting to meet you.

Going back to the poisoned wine line of conversation.

Murder

Murder...So Denemon was killed?

What about you? Haven't you ever thought about killing Denemon?

What?!

Just because you were illegitimate, you were abandoned as a child, and didn't get to live in this grand mansion. And judging from your clothes, you’ve probably had your share of hard times. It wouldn‘t be so strange if you hated Denemon enough to kill him.

Hated him enough...to kill him...?

That's right. And you're not the only one. I bet there's somebody else in this mansion who felt the same way.

(I wonder who else this man thinks hated Denemon...?)

I don't have to tell you who, but I’ve already got a feeling...I just know somebody hated Denemon in this mansion...



Denemon

I bet a guy like Denemon would think nothing of taking away what's precious to other people or trampling all over their feelings when it suited him.

This mansion

People call this place ”the Cinema Mansion.” Denemon made money in the film industry and built this palatial residence. I can just bet you this house has some kind of complicated story behind it...

Somebody (Divine Judgement)

(I wonder who he thinks hated Denemon...?)




(Who is that woman?)

What's the matter? You think you know what I was thinking?

No...

Of course not. How could you possibly know what I'm thinking?

These past several years, Denemon has closed himself off from the outside world. He doesn't set a foot outside this mansion, and only allows his new, young wife and three senior staff members to stay here with him.

Why was Denemon living like that? And after twenty years of no contact, why would Denemon suddenly call you, his illegitimate child, here?

I...I don't know.

I'm willing to bet there are quite a few hidden secrets in this mansion.



Secrets

Hidden secrets...?

Yeah. If I can find out those secrets, I can figure out Denemon’s death.

Figure out Denemon's death...

It'll take quite a bit of time to investigate a mansion this size, so I'll be staying here for a while. Until my investigation is over, none of the people involved with Denemon will be allowed to leave the mansion. That goes for you too. Got that?



Kikuyo starts whispering to Ihara.






With Ihara gone, we can do some looking around the Bellflower Room. As with the Study, the game helpfully shows us the areas that we need to look at.



We also get another tutorial screen.



The Bellflower Room as a whole.



The Table.



The Shelf.



The door back to the Great Hall.



Video: Through the first keyhole.

The door leading to the Garden.



Video: Through the second keyhole.

Our hero.

That guy is Matsunosuke, the gardener.



If you had waited like I told you, none of this would've happened. Get back to your room and stay there.




No, not me... It’s Kazuya Nanase they hate. Who in the world is this "Kazuya Nanase,” anyway...? What does he have to do with the unsolved murder case here?




Just make sure you stay away from angry rake wielding gardeners.

Emi...How are Emi and going to get back to our own time now...