The Poisoned Truth

The Poisoned Truth (Case #54) is the fifty-fourth case of the game.

Case Background
Rosie Gatewood, a famous history novelist, pleaded with the team to meet her at the Pilgrim Museum so she could issue them a lead which would help them in incriminating The Crimson Order. Rosie was hit by a blow dart to the neck as she attempted to reveal a deadly secret about the Crimson Order to the team. Rosie gave a concise lead called "White Acres" before she slumped to the floor. After Rosie died, Jones and the player canvassed the museum declaring Rosie murdered. With the White Acres painting on-hand, Jones dressed like a pilgrim to investigate the scene as it was in 1645, and managed to find the artifacts that caught their interest. The team heard stories about the miracle baby cover-up and with Rosie's dying lead leading to a secret cave of an unsolved murder, the team managed to deduce the White Acres secret linked to Rosie's murder (which both the player and Jones witnessed). After thorough investigation, Ashton Cooper, the descendant of William Cooper, founder of Grimsborough City, was Rosie's killer.

Rosie was about to expose the Crimson Order as insidious manipulators and the secret society didn't want that to happen. They gave Ashton the order to kill Rosie so he could join them. For Ashton, the Crimson Order was proud of the city his family founded, as well as him, so he used "Killer Cards" and his purple lens monocles to follow the execution order, and to do what the Crimson Order wanted, Ashton hand-made a poisonous blowdart (using natural poisons from rare plants) so that he can discreetly kill Rosie in spite of Jones and the player catching wind.

At court, without any remorse, Ashton once again claimed that he committed the murder for the eternal glory of Grimsborough, and determinedly said to Judge Hall that putting him inside prison would change nothing as he could still act as a Crimson brother, which were grounds for Ashton to receive a lifetime jail sentence for the murder of Rosie Gatewood. As Ashton was taken away, he wanted to notify the player that "their days are numbered" on behalf of the Crimson Order, but Jones furiously countered that the Crimson Order did not scare his partner at all and that it was them who should be afraid instead.

At the finale of the case, Officer Ramirez hurriedly came in to the station to inform the team with the shocking news that Tess Goodwin was on the loose.

Victim

 * Rosie Gatewood (killed by a blow dart to the neck)VB54.jpg

Murder Weapon

 * Dart

Killer

 * Ashton Cooper

Killer's Profile

 * The killer knows about botany.
 * The killer collects "KILLER CARDS".
 * The killer practices fencing.
 * The killer wears a blue tie.
 * The killer wears purple glasses.

Chapter 1

 * Investigate Exhibition Room. (Clues: Victim's Body, Faded Document, Surveillance Station, Broken Painting)
 * Autopsy Victim's Body. (18:00:00; Murder Weapon confirmed: Poison Blowdart; Attribute: Killer knows botany)
 * Examine Faded Documents. (Result: Restraining Order)
 * Question Chantelle Limousin about the victim's restraining order. (Prerequisite: Restraining Order unraveled)
 * Examine Surveillance Station. (Result: Damaged Hard Drive)
 * Analyze Damaged Hard Drive. (03:00:00; Attribute: Killer practices fencing)
 * Examine Broken Painting. (Result: Painting)
 * Investigate Pilgrim Hamlet, 1645. (Clues: Torn Tapestry, Cryptex; Prerequisite: Broken Painting Restored)
 * Examine Torn Tapestry. (Result: Crest)
 * Question Ashton Cooper about his family blason. (Prerequisite: Crest restored)
 * Examine Cryptex. (Result: USB Key)
 * Analyze USB Key. (09:00:00)
 * Talk to Jenny Quaid about her inheritance from the victim. (Prerequisite: USB Key analyzed)
 * Examine Erased Map. (Result: Map to Secret Cave; All tasks before must be completed first)
 * Go to Chapter 2. (1 star)

Chapter 2

 * Investigate Secret Cave. (Clues: Skull, Tin Box, Shredded Paper; Available at start of Chapter 2)
 * Examine Skull. (Result: Hair)
 * Analyze Hair. (15:00:00)
 * Talk to Kirk De Haan about his family connection to Harriet Gatewood. (Prerequisite: Hair Analyzed)
 * Examine Tin Box. (Result: Collectible Cards)
 * Analyze Collectible Cards. (12:00:00; Attribute: Killer collects "KILLER CARDS")
 * Talk to Baxter Trask about his trading cards creation. (Prerequisite: Cards analyzed)
 * Examine Shredded Paper. (Result: Chantelle's Geert De Haan Society Card)
 * Question Chantelle Limousin about her admiration for Geert De Haan. (Prerequisite: Card restored)
 * Investigate Barn, 1645. (Clue: Torn Pattern; Prerequisite: Talk to Chantelle first)
 * Examine Torn Pattern. (Result: Crimson Order Symbol)
 * Ask Jenny Quaid about her knowledge about the Crimson Order. (Prerequisite: Crimson Order Symbol restored)
 * Go to Chapter 3. (1 star)

Chapter 3

 * Question Baxter Trask about his Crimson order collectible card. (Available at start of chapter)
 * Investigate Altar. (Clues: Golden Basin, Handprint; Available at start of chapter)
 * Examine Handprint. (Result: Ashton Cooper's Handprint)
 * Ask Ashton Cooper why he went into the secret cave. (Prerequisite: Ashton's Handprint unraveled)
 * Examine Golden Basin. (Result: Death Threat Letter)
 * Question Kirk De Haan about his death threat to the victim. (Prerequisite: Death Threat Letter found)
 * Investigate Showcase. (Clues: Bear Trap, Hamper; Must do the six tasks aforementioned before this task is available)
 * Examine Bear Trap. (Result: Blue Fabric)
 * Analyze Blue Fabric. (12:00:00; Attribute: Killer wears a blue tie)
 * Examine Hamper. (Result: Parchment)
 * Examine Parchment. (Result: Contract; Must find Parchment in Hamper first)
 * Analyze Parchment. (12:00:00; Attribute: Killer wears Purple Glasses)
 * Arrest Killer.
 * Go to Additional Investigation. (No stars)

Additional Investigation

 * Investigate Secret Cave. (Clue: Shredded Paper)
 * Examine Shredded Paper. (Result: Samuel King Card)
 * Talk to Baxter Trask about his new card. (Reward: 18,000 coins)
 * Question Ashton Cooper about the Crimson Order. (Available from start)
 * Examine Painting Canvas. (Result: Painting Dedication)
 * Talk to Jenny Quaid about the Kingsley family. (Prerequisite: Painting examined)
 * Investigate Exhibition Room. (Clue: Clothes Trunk, Prerequisite: Talking to Jenny)
 * Examine Clothes Truck. (Result: Old Letter)
 * Analyze Wax Seal. (09:00:00)
 * Ask Jenny Quaid if she found anything about the Kingsley family. (Rewards: Burger, Artist Suit, Artist Beret)
 * Investigate Next Case. (1 star)

Trivia

 * In the crime scene, "Showcase", at the right you can see a collectible object called "All-Seeing Eye", which is the preeminent and most widely recognized symbol of the Illuminati. This symbol can also be spotted in a crime scene of The Root of All Evil, Case #8 of Pacific Bay.
 * From this case on, clues are no longer displayed in the scene selection vignettes.