Part 3: Closed Room, Rigor Mortis, and Evidence, Evidence, Evidence

Part 2: Closed Room, Rigor Mortis, and Evidence, Evidence, Evidence


Welp, the thread has spoken. Tyrell Badd is now the new name of our mute detective.


: “Anyways…..let’s get started…..”
: “Uh, boss? Did you just...change…? And is that a cigarette in your mouth…?”
: “It’s not boss…..It’s Badd. Tyrell Badd.”



We know everything about the crime scene at this point, but let’s investigate the door anyways.

Can we hit the dead body.

I’m not going to deign that with a response.

: “When the dead body was discovered, the door had been locked.”
: “Nice, cut and clean, huh…?”
: “Seems that way, boss-”
: “-Badd….is fine.”
: “...Boss Badd. The witnesses (Fumie and Komiya) claim that the door was locked after they knocked it down. Apparently, when they turned to look, the key was in the lock.”
: “The way I see it…. there are two possibilities.”
: “Oh…?”
: “Either they’re telling the truth….or they’re lying….”

One only tells the truth during the day, and the other only tells the truth at night. Now, which is Ik and which is Uk.

But only one is the USA.

Yes.

: “...”


Let’s take the knife. I’m sure Kouzou won’t object, being dead and all.

: “The [knife] used in the killing was returned from the crime lab, and it’s been in my possession.”
: “Why didn’t you…. tell me about this earlier?”
: <shrugs>


On that note, it’s time to search every nook and cranny for clues. The magnifying glass, in this instance, allows us to investigate the room manually, picking up evidence that Badd or Yasu might not notice immediately.

In other words, it’s basically the ‘examine’ function from Phoenix Wright, condensed into a somewhat grating format.

“Examine Crotch”


I believe the outline needs no explanation, as Kouzou’s body was found lying here. Dead, of course. I’m still kind of baffled that there’s not a drop of blood around the area.

Either strangulation, or Mr. Clean has turned into Hitman 47.

I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Play more Hitman and watch more cleaning supplies commercials.


So instead, let’s investigate the photo over here. At least, it looks like a photo.

: “There’s a [matchbox] under the ashtray.”


: “That’s an….ashtray….? Funny…. looked more like….. one of those cigarillo cases…. I saw the other day….

Anyways, go ahead….and take the damn matchbox….”


Despite looking like a photo, the object turned out to be an ashtray. Fancy that. It’s like asking a bear the difference between a chestnut and a cherry tomato, and expecting a civil conversation to ensue.

You seem to know that from personal experience.

Yeah...since your brain represents the cherry tomato, right?

I hate you.


Although relatively unimportant, there’s something in one of the books here.

: “Look! One of the books has a hole carved out of the pages. Inside, there is a [key]! I wonder what this key is for. I’ll hold on to this.”


Finally, we can snag Kouzou’s photo in the bottom-right corner of the drawer. It’s a drab bit of 8-bit furniture, varnished with a sheened polish. From this, it can be determined that Kouzou has never heard of Raymond & Flanigan’s.


With the room fully pillaged, we are free to move on to the mansion’s living room. Hopefully, Kouzou won’t be too peeved that we robbed his home.

This is reminding me of the last time I played Pathfinder.


Kouzou also needs to take a trip to the Dollar Store. That painting is oh-so incredibly tacky.

The Grinch died to make that couch.

“Then the Grinch came in
And was simmered in two
His gore was designed
To a couch for Sue.”

Jesus Christ.


We can actually take down the painting, but doing so right now is completely pointless. For now, let’s investigate the bottom-right patch of floor underneath the table.


If there’s one thing to be hated about in this game, it’s the pixel hunts. The game gives no indication that there’s evidence in the room, forcing the player to comb the entire place over in order to make progress. It’s utter bullshit, but thankfully, the game only pulls it a few times around the mansion.


: “I bet yours is running out of oil. Want it, boss?”
: “No thanks… I have my own light….”
: “Well then, I’ll hold on to this as a piece of evidence.”


Now that we have all the evidence we need, let’s head back outside. There’s nothing left in this poorly-furnitured excuse of a mansion.


After another pixel-hunt, we find a ring near the bottom-right corner of the mansion’s front door. Worst comes to worst, we can pawn it off to the nearest, unsuspecting sod.

“Note: suspect went to Jared’s”

Yes...Yes. The killer went to Jared’s to get a nice lovely blood-diamond to go with the flesh-rending clothes he changed out of.

Don’t judge people for their lifestyle, man.

I will judge.


: “Oh? I found someone’s [ring] on the doorstep.”
: “Take it….”
:“Well then, I’ll hold on to this as a piece of evidence.”

For the rest of the game, Yasu will utter that line for every piece of evidence we take.


Welp, that’s it for the crime scene. I suppose it’s about time we introduced the Witness Committee to Yasu’s fist.


Welcome to the Police Station. This is going to be our main hub for the rest of the game, as well as the place where we can call witnesses and examine evidence in further detail.

“Call Out” is used to bring in a witness. We’ll be asking Fumie a couple of questions first.

Where is the “Abuse Prisoners” option?

It’s the one I’ll be using on you soon.

I will enjoy it.

And we have fulfilled our disturbing quota for the day. I hope you’re happy.


But before we can haul her ass in, Yasu stops us with a report. Apparently, Hirata decided to take a hike to Kyoto. Gee, I wonder why…


Anyways, I suppose it’s time to make someone cry. After all, Detective Tyrell Badd is only doing his job.


: “...Name…?”
: “[Insert Name Here] Fumie.”


: “Well then, Ms. [Insert Name Here], I’d like you to tell us what you know about Kouzou…”
: “We worked together at the office, but about his private life, I don’t think I can help you…”


Next, let’s ask about her alibi. I’m sure nothing will come of it.

: “Where were you around 9 P. M. on the 17th?”


Is “English conversation school” even a thing? It sounds like a roundabout way of saying “English College-Level course”.

I like how she dyed one single hair in her bangs.

It was a shaving accident.


Let’s see if her alibi holds up. Welcome to The Game of Life. You get three chances to determine whether or not Fumie’s alibi is plausible, and the first two don’t count.

This is a game show now?

Nope. Two more guesses.

Deal or no deal?

Nope. One more guess.

(“Investigate Someone” can be used to determine a suspect’s alibi.)

: “I’ve been able to confirm that Fumie had indeed been present at her English classes on the night of the murder.”


Let’s traumatize her even further by presenting the murder weapon.

Or we can propose to her with the ring.

We don’t need more Femme Fatales than necessary.

: “Take a look at this knife, please.”
: “So Mr. Yamakawa was killed using this… My, how scary…”

If I learned that someone was going to murder me, I’d run away as fast as I could, screaming into the night air.


We can attempt to take her photo and clothes, but doing the latter will only glean a horrified response from Yasu.

I’d rather we do that.

So we’ll take her photo.

: “”Click!” Okay, I have taken [Fumie’s photo]. I’ll hold on to this.”


We can also attempt to hit her. Unfortunately, Yasu’s a pansy and can’t be bothered to hit a woman.


Choosing to “Investigate Thing” in the Police Station allows us to analyze evidence in further detail. With the exception of the photos, every piece of evidence in the game can be examined.

So, in order:

Matchbox
It says, “Pal 117-3149”.

Knife
The weapon was found gripped by the corpse’s right hand. It’s also possible he took a stab at it himself, so to say.

Sigh.

Ring
It’s a cheap-looking ring. I wonder who dropped it…


Since Mr. Hirata is missing, and we’re saving Toshi or Yukiko for later, we’ll wrap things up with Mr. Komiya.


: “Name…?”
: “Komiya. _{I didn’t kill no one.}”
: “Just...Komiya…?”
: “Yes. Is there some sort of issue with my name? _{I didn’t kill no one.}”
: “No...Just expected more...”
: “My Father… He was a very lazy man. _{I didn’t kill no one.}”


Same thing with Komiya. Alibi goes first, then Kouzou comes next.

: “Where were you around 9 P. M. on the 17th?”
: “It wasn’t me! I didn’t kill no one!”
: “...Yasu… Make him talk…”

Since Komiya will respond like this to every question we ask him, we have no alternative…

“Arrest”


It’s time to slap the hell out of an old man.

...Oh.

: “All right, talk!”

POW! BONK!

: “Okay, okay! I’ll talk! The night of the incident, the truth is, I snuck out secretly and… I went out for a drink. And worse, I’d forgotten to lock the front door… I…, I… That’s all! I didn’t do it! It’s the truth! Believe me! I didn’t kill no one!”


Hopefully, Komiya won’t go into a nervous breakdown anymore. Let’s see what he has to say about Kouzou.

: “I’d like you...to tell us-”
: “I’d like you to tell us what you know about Kouzou…”
: “It’s true that lots of people hated that man. But sir, I’m grateful to him. He gave an old man like me a job!”


Komiya also has a confirmed alibi. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing his head on a platter anytime soon.

We can still arrest him, though, right?

No, we can’t. Unless he’s been caught red-handed, we can’t arrest him.


Since he doesn’t have anything to say about evidence, all that’s left is to snap his photo and make him strip.

Iiiiiii...hm…

I’m sure you fantasize about this kind of stuff all the time.

Indeed. It usually involves you, too.

What. What. What? WHAT!?

Take that shirt off.

I...no. That’s it. This conversation is over.


: “Strip….princess….”
: “Hey, Stop that!”
: “We made him take all his clothes off, and did a full search, but didn’t discover anything on him.”

Well, that was a waste of time. Let’s go to a bar and get drunk.

Theorize

Kouzou
Was Kouzou under enough distress as for him to take his own life…? Perhaps this case is a homicide, after all.

Mr. Komiya
If Kouzou were to die, Mr. Komiya would be left without a job. There doesn’t seem to be a motive for him to kill Kouzou.

Fumie
It doesn’t seem like there was a motive for Fumie to kill Kouzou.


For next time, decide on our course of action:
1) Investigate Toshi
2) Investigate Yukiko
3) Look into “Pal 117-3149”