Part 150: Episode 5, Day 3, Investigation: Evidence Tampering
Part 150: Episode 5, Day 3, Investigation: Evidence TamperingThis one isn't too hard. The logical thing to do with a mysterious handprint is to check for fingerprints!
But first, I didn't have enough characters free in the last update to present the completed jar to Gumshoe, so let's do that now!
I feel a lot better now that this jar's complete.
But it only raises another question:
Sound: Realization
More importantly, why wasn't there any money in there?
Isn't that what safes are for anyway!?Sound: Whack
(I have a feeling the outcome of tomorrow's trial just might hinge on this...)
We can also look closer at the odd mark on this jar...
Hmm... Looks like blood.Sound: Realization
This piece the Chief has is different, though.
but this one's a line!Sound: Light Bulb
(That is odd...)
Anyway, onto the fingerprinting set!
Detective Gumshoe. I'd like you to have a look at this.
Sound: Light Bulb
That's a great idea, Detective!
... ...Music: Silence
What are you doing? Why are you sticking out your hand like that?Sound: Realization
Sound: Realization
...
Huh?Sound: Light Bulb
Come on, this isn't the time for jokes.Sound: Whack
We're talking about that cloth we found in the safe!
Sound: Damage 2
Sound: Light Bulb
Sheesh, where's your sense of humor?
Music: Logic and Trick
Sprinkle the powder on the cloth,
Maybe that safe really preserved the oils in the fingerprints that allow for absorbing the powder? I'm not going to question this one too closely.
(What are you, my mom? I don't have to be told a million times.) All right, let's get this over with!
The hardest part of this process is guessing which of the five prints here will give us a complete result.
I've learned to be very wasteful with the powder in order to actually count as fully covering the print.
Sound: Light Bulb
Hmm... I gave it my best shot.quote:
If we select one print, and then go back:
Okay, let's move on to a different finger!
Simple and takes us back to the handprint. If we go back from the handprint, we get taken all the way back to the main menu for the room without any lines about it.
But it doesn't look like we'll get a clearer result from this print.
Back at the handprint now. We get that smudged print for four out of the five possibilities here. I'll spare you the rest of my trial and error and take you straight to the good print.
Sound: Light Bulb
This one took a couple of tries to fully cover it.
User whitehelm pointed out last time I messed around with fingerprint matching, that I don't need to just randomly guess. It's pretty clear from just looking at the two prints that there's no match here. But if not Gant, then who?
...
Now why would Gant have Ema's handprint in his safe? Where could it have come from?
quote:
Some hints from submitting an incorrect match:
Music: Silence
Sound: Realization
We get another flashback to Darke holding the knife over Marshall for the previous line.
The way I see it, there's a higher power at work here. You just gotta have faith.
Sound: Light Bulb
Music: Logic and Trick
We're brought back to the fingerprint matching screen. There's no option to go back from here; we have to find the match to proceed.
Music: Silence
Sound: Realization
(What are Ema's fingerprints doing here!?)
Sound: Light Bulb
Huh? Oh, uh... it seems the prints are too old.Sound: Stab
They aren't clear enough to get a match.Sound: Realization
That would've been interesting. I don't think Darke was in our comparison prints for matching, anyway.
Psst! Hey you. Over here.
Sound: Realization
Gumshoe cleverly calls us over to the other side of the room to discuss this news.
Don't ask me! Let's just keep this information from Ema for now. ...I'm on board with hiding this one from her. We don't need her pulling a DL-6 and confessing on the last trial day or something.
Sound: Select Jingle
Can we pair this up with the evidence list to figure out what it is? Maybe during trial tomorrow.
Music: Damon Gant ~ Swimming, Anyone?
Maybe Gumshoe can tell us more about it?
What is this piece of cloth, anyway?
I think I've felt something like this before... ... Nah. I can't remember. It seems this is becoming a habit with you.
Note to Self: Detective Gumshoe is going senile. (Ema's fingerprints were found on this cloth.) (I have a bad feeling about this...)
I'm stumped on this cloth. We can give it a closer look, though.
This is a handprint, right? Yeah. Someone left behind an oil stain on the fabric. Whoever it was, they must have had a really oily hand.
Sound: Light Bulb
Huh? A more likely explanation is...
getting wax all over their hand. Well, that would account for this amount of oil I guess.Sound: Realization
(I don't see what's so "scientific" about it though.)
...Did it happen right before you went to hang out in Lana's office that day? No, no reason for asking...
Sound: Light Bulb
I'm very confused by our new evidence, to be honest. That cloth in particular just opened up a lot more questions. Anyway, once we have cleared Gumshoe's topics again and obtained all three new pieces of evidence (the evidence list, the cloth-with-handprint, and the completed jar), we get tossed straight into a new scene.
Of course!
quote:
Since we trigger the scene once getting all three pieces of evidence, we lose the opportunity to present to Gumshoe whichever item we obtained last. I cheated to show you the results of all three anyway.
Sound: Realization
Scatter!
I guess we're not smart enough to run.
Sound: Realization
EEEEEEEK!Sound: Stab
C-Chief Gant!Sound: Stab 2
Music: Suspense
We didn't think you'd be back so soon.
Sound: Whack
As I was walking to my meeting,
Just then I thought of a certain detective. Do you mean... m-me, sir?
Sound: Realization
Y-yes sir!Sound: Light Bulb
Sorry... Oh, you in the coat. Me, sir!?Sound: Light Bulb
Sound: Realization
You won't be needing it anymore. But sir...
Gant does his trademark pause, though at least he's not slow-blinking at us this time.
Sound: Realization
Y-y-yes sir!Sound: Light Bulb
Sound: Drama Pound
We'll be on our way too, then. Wait.Sound: Light Bulb
You, the one without the spiky hair.
Sound: Realization
M-me, sir!?Sound: Light Bulb
I'd like a word with you.
You with the spiky hair.Sound: Light Bulb
You're free to go.Sound: Whack
Sound: Realization
Music: Silence
Phoenix, you coward! Please tell me you did not leave our under-age colleague alone with the killer!!
The Chief's office is off limits!I'm not sure what Gumshoe's trying here, but good effort I guess? Pretty sure he's still fired.
I'm going to pause a moment and look at some of our evidence with Ema not around to comment on it.
The dark red stains must be blood traces from the incident two years ago.
I think I've figured this one out. The prologue had a spinning knife. Did someone toss the true murder weapon across the room, striking and breaking this jar? Leaving a mark where the knife impacted it, and spatter elsewhere?
A clear handprint can be seen on the leather cloth.
A leather cloth... was Neil Marshall wearing a leather vest? Could this cloth be a scrap from it? How would Ema's handprint have gotten on it?
A picture is drawn on the back of the evidence list in magic marker.
I haven't figured this one out. It's Ema's drawing of what she saw when the lightning struck. It seems difficult to stab Neil Marshall in the back from this position, but I'm not sure it proves anything. However, between two of these items having ties to Ema, and Gant's interest in holding Ema back just now, I've come up with a new theory.
What if... Ema somehow caused Neil Marhsall's death? Gant walks in on the scene, tosses the real murder weapon away (accidentally breaking the jar), and stabs Marshall with Joe Darke's knife into the same wound. He then conspires with Lana to frame Darke and cover up that anything else ever happened in there. Maybe he even tells Lana about Ema's involvement to blackmail her. Lana being blackmailed and submitting to everything in this case so far explains all of her behavior in this episode, from her confession to her reluctance for us to investigate anything to do with SL-9. Then, two years later, Goodman can't let SL-9 just be closed forever, and Gant kills him to keep everything quiet. Gant then pressures Lana again, getting her to the parking garage where she ends up taking the fall for Goodman's murder. I think we have all the pieces now, with one big hole at the start of this paragraph still....
Oh, right, Gumshoe's still acting like he wasn't just fired.
I thought you said you didn't care anymroe if you were fired.Sound: Realization
I never would've said it!Sound: Whack
(Now that I've seen the evidence Chief Gant was hiding in his office...) (I think I'm finally starting to get the picture...)
Sound: Realization
Do we still have time to go talk to Lana again?
quote:
Original line: "It's hard to believe anyone could keep quiet about it all this time..." The line itself is fine, but the replacement is a better hint to go talk to Lana again.
Music: Investigation - Core
Anyway, you listenin' to me!?Sound: Whack
Sound: Drama Pound
Later, pal!Sound: Light Bulb
so she'll be busy for the rest of the day...
We didn't need a hint after all; the game brought us straight here on its own.
It's no use thinking about it. Tomorrow's the final day in court. I'm committed to doing everything I can to defend you, which is why I'm here.
What you've told me over these past couple of days... is absolutely nothing. Not a single, useful thing.
Something I told you right at the beginning.
You know, I think I've finally figured it out.She was telling the truth all along. She did stab Goodman. But she wasn't "the" one who did it; she was one of the ones...
Sound: Realization
quote:
Original line: "Who it is you're hiding behind those words." Using "lurking" gives the new line a more sinister context, I like it.
...
!Sound: Light Bulb
It seems Edgeworth was right. Edgeworth...?
"Thick-headed" is the term he used, I believe. (Now's my chance to get her to tell me the rest of the story!)
I'm guessing we have more topics unlocked, but first I want to run around to see if anything has changed elsewhere.
Instead of a list of locations, I get this explanation from Phoenix. That line probably should have been in your head, Phoenix.
Okay, so we can't move. Let's try out our evidence then.
(Showing evidence isn't going to do me any good now.) (I've got to get Lana to tell me everything she's hiding!) Mr. Wright.
I'm starting to see the hunger in your eyes.
We have no choice but to talk, and only one topic has revealed itself. It's a barely-interactive cutscene, really, but let's dive in.
I have to admit I was more than a little perplexed at first.
That's when it hit me. It's not that you're unwilling to tell the truth,
Sound: Realization
What an intriguing notion. A certain, "individual," you say?
Protecting? No. I think "afraid of" is more like it. !Sound: Light Bulb
If I'm not mistaken, the person in question may have persuaded you to silence. ...
The one I am supposedly so "frightened" of? What is this person's name?
This one's so easy, the game even presents it as the default option. I have no idea how these are sorted, actually.
Well, Ms. Skye? ...
Mr. Wright. You are addressing the Chief Prosecutor. Do not forget your place. (I take it she's still not ready to spill the beans.) My apologies.
quote:
Original line: "Could you please tell me a bit more about the circumstances?" Not as clear, for sure.
quote:
Wrong answers send us back to the conversation screen to try again:
Music: Silence
Sound: Whack
Sound: Realization
Sound: Light Bulb
Music: Investigation - Core
And we're back at our single topic; it plays out exactly the same as before when selected.
Our reward is a new single topic to go over. Our movement is still restricted, so nothing to do but put voice to our theory.
I respected him as a detective. Assuming he is respectable, then tell me something...
Sound: Realization
Even though it's a Phoenix line, I had to show Lana's well-timed reaction there.
His "crimes"...? Both you and Edgeworth will be brought before a board of inquiry for what you did. Specifically, hiding and forging evidence.
Why is it, though, that Chief Gant's name was never mentioned? Chief Gant...?Sound: Light Bulb
Edgeworth didn't know the truth behind the forgery. The only party who could have possibly tampered with the evidence was... Me.Sound: Realization
Yes you, but also one other: Damon Gant. ...
Show me proof that Chief Gant falsified evidence in that case!
Seems like there could be multiple options here, of the three things we got from Gant's office. I'll start with the buried evidence list.
I just found this in a safe in the Chief's office.Sound: Realization
Actually, we found that list in Gant's desk?
...Neither of those is the evidence list we presented.
The jar piece, yes. The strip of cloth, I'm not sure we've established as related to SL-9 directly, other than it having Ema's prints on it? So what's going on here? I think there's either a bug or there's a disconnect between the script and the gameplay here. Presenting the completed jar gets us this same scene, and it makes a little more sense that way. Normally when the scene shows two pieces of evidence like that, it's because either one works in the prior prompt, but that's not the case here. Presenting the piece of cloth that we found doesn't actually work here at all. So why does presenting the evidence list work, when the subsequent dialogue doesn't seem to refer to it?
I...
Now tell me! Why are you taking all the blame for him!Sound: Desk Slam
I've never been so tempted to use a non-default sprite for a Phoenix-line in an investigation segment. This whole conversation even feels more like a trial sequence!
quote:
As I mentioned, the strip of cloth doesn't work, so that or anything else besides the jar and the list just take us back to topic selection again, though we are still on the second topic instead of going all the way back to the beginning at least.
Music: Silence
Sound: Whack
From here, the conversation is the same as if we'd gotten the first choice wrong.
Music: Silence
even if it means being found guilty for murder.Sound: Realization
Music: Recollection ~ The SL-9 Incident
Why not?
Three days ago... I had no choice but to cooperate. (In the murder of Detective Goodman!)Sound: Realization
Yes, that's more accurate than "cooperate."
Topic #3, still locked into the program, here we go!
Although I can't tell you the details, I can say that I was given an order that day.Music: Silence
Sound: Wipe
Well, that rather plainly spells it out. No dialogue blips for either of those two lines, either.
Music: Recollection ~ The SL-9 Incident
Just as I suspected. Despite what everyone believes...
Correct.
And I discovered the murder weapon while inspecting the body. The murder weapon... You mean, Edgeworth's knife? No.
Sound: Realization
(The knife from the SL-9 Incident... serial killer Joe Darke's knife!)Sound: Light Bulb
so I took it out and stabbed him with another knife.Sound: Stab 2
Music: Silence
That would be Edgeworth's knife? That's right.
That's why I ended up cutting my hand.Sound: Realization
And that is the reason for the bandage on your right hand?Sound: Light Bulb
And then...
Sound: Shock 2
(Ms. Starr, huh...)The only thing I'm still not sure about - was Ms. Starr planted there to witness Lana disposing of Goodman's body, or was that fact a mere coincidence?
Music: Recollection ~ The SL-9 Incident
Why did you need to hide Darke's knife so badly?
We don't have to pass a test to unlock the next topic. I guess that means the previous topic can stick around and be repeated.
It took a lot of work to finally close the Darke case two years ago.
My intent was to prevent that by whatever means possible. So... you hid Darke's knife?
If word got out, which it would, the reporters would have a field day with that.Sound: Wipe
During the five-minute gap in Angel Starr's testimony, I assume.
In Edgeworth's exhaust pipe...
Sound: Realization
You asked Ema?Sound: Light Bulb
I didn't want anyone on the force to know about this.Music: Silence
Sound: Wipe
Well, except apparently Ema didn't hear Lana's instructions well enough to actually execute them. Instead she found us, and we ruined Lana's grand plan to confess and keep SL-9 buried by providing her with a competent defense.
Sound: Wipe
A bad feeling?
the first thing I did was make a phone call.
Sound: Realization
Music: Jake Marshall ~ The Detective from the Wild West
Sound: Light Bulb
Sound: Whack
I wasn't sure we'd be seeing this guy or hearing his music again; I approve.
I wanted that fact to be kept hidden, and I needed help. He was the only other person I could trust.
However, it seems that after I spoke to him he went off on an escapade of his own...Sound: Realization
Oh! You mean...Sound: Light Bulb
Sound: Wipe
He had already stolen the ID card...
So your phone call caused the incident in the evidence room!?Sound: Realization
Music: Silence
But Lana...
Now please...
Music: Investigation - Core
(Tomorrow's trial... There's only one way to drive off Lana's demons...)
I'm not sure we actually learned anything new from Lana, but it's nice to have our double-stabbing theory confirmed.
Music: Jingle - It Can't End Here
This investigation day was another long one, but it was by far the most enjoyable. Trial day should be fun tomorrow. Assuming we have two segments again, will there be two witnesses? Will we start with Lana or Ema, or go straight after Gant? I'm actually excited to find out!