Snakes on the Stage

Snakes on the Stage (Case #50) is the fiftieth case of the game.

Case Background
The victim was Roland Vane, the Opera director in charge of the play, "Madama Serpent", who was eaten by a huge snake, known as a giant boa. The killer was Annabel Stewart, an understudy at the Opera, but before Annabel was incriminated as the murderer, Chief King took note about Adam Bentley being caught in the team's investigation the third time upon realizing Inspector Jones and the player talking to Adam for the first time during this investigation, and instructed the team to keep a good eye on Adam at all costs.

Annabel thought Roland gave his wife the lead role for "Madama Serpent" in an act of nepotism, as although Annabel thought she had the role but when Roland moved to Grimsborough and became director of "Madama Serpent", he fired Gerald and gave the role to Beatrice instead in spite of Annabel working so hard day and night. Annabel thought the only solution to Roland's suspected nepotism was to kill him and have a new director for "Madama Serpent". The only way Annabel would kill Roland undetected was to put sleeping pills in his tea, break the cage of the giant boa, and trap both Roland and the giant boa in the dressing room, lock the door from the outside, and flow out of the crime scene, but at the cost of losing her key and one of her jewels. Jones countered that Annabel should've talked to Roland instead of killing him, but Annabel had no patience in Roland, which explained why she made the fatal decision.

In court, Annabel felt that her career had to end because of her killing Roland, but Judge Hall countered that killing an innocent man to build such opera career was not the solution to stop such nepotism, as Annabel snapped that Beatrice was not talented at all.

Annabel was sentenced to 20 years in jail, with parole eligibility in 17 years for the murder of Roland Vane. Jones felt that Annabel's ambition and impatience drove her to murder Roland, and realized that the force was bound to run into people like Annabel in the line of duty.

Following the close of the case, Chief King told Jones and the player to be alert during Election Day as he would not tolerate any crime under any circumstances, since many people were going to support their candidate and protection was the utmost importance. Before leaving to make preparations, the Chief told the team that he would personally act as the Mayor's security during Election Day.

Victim

 * Roland Vane (crushed and eaten whole by a giant snake)Body50.png

Murder Weapon

 * Giant Boa

Killer

 * Annabel Stewart

Killer's Profile

 * The killer is an employee at the Opera.
 * The killer handles snakes.
 * The killer takes sleeping pills.
 * The killer wears a green jewel.
 * The killer wears brown clothes.

Chapter 1

 * Investigate Dressing Room. (Clues: Victim's Body, Snake Skin, Hand Mirror; Murder Weapon confirmed: Giant Boa)
 * Autopsy Victim’s Body. (18:00:00; Attribute: Killer Handles Snakes)
 * Talk to Beatrice about the murder. (Prerequisite: Play Dressing Room as a task; Attribute: Killer is an Opera Employee)
 * Examine Snake Skin. (Result: Snake Tattoo)
 * Analyze Snake Tattoo. (06:00:00)
 * Talk to Harper about her snake. (Prerequisite: Snake Tattoo analyzed)
 * Examine Hand Mirror. (Result: Message; Unlocks: Gentlemen's Club)
 * Investigate Gentlemen’s Club. (Clue: Suitcase)
 * Examine Suitcase. (Result: Last Will)
 * Analyze Last Will. (09:00:00)
 * Ask Adam about his relation to the victim. (Prerequisite: Roland's Will analyzed)
 * Go to Chapter 2. (No stars)

Chapter 2

 * Investigate Opera Entrance. (Clues: Brick, Dressing Room Key; Available at start of chapter)
 * Examine Faded Letter. (Result: Letter)
 * Ask the Phantom about the brick. (Prerequisite: Reveal Letter)
 * Ask Harper about the Phantom. (Prerequisite: Talk to the Phantom)
 * Examine Dressing Room Key. (Result: Fingerprints)
 * Analyze Fingerprints. (12:00:00)
 * Talk to Annabel about the key. (Prerequisite: Fingerprints analyzed)
 * Investigate Vanity Table. (Clues: Safe, Teacup; Prerequisite: Talk to Annabel first)
 * Examine Safe. (Result: Files)
 * Analyze Files. (09:00:00)
 * Talk to Adam about his foster brother. (Prerequisite: Files analyzed)
 * Examine Teacup. (Result: Tea)
 * Analyze Tea. (06:00:00)
 * Ask Beatrice about her husband’s medication. (Prerequisite: Tea analyzed; Attribute: Killer takes Sleeping Pills)
 * Go to Chapter 3. (1 star)

Chapter 3

 * Examine Phantom Photo. (Result: Gerald Riverton; Issued from Ramirez at start of chapter)
 * Talk to Gerald about his Phantom masquerade. (Must unravel Gerald Riverton from Ramirez's Photo first!)
 * Investigate Smoking Tables. (Clue: Torn Paper; Available at start of chapter)
 * Examine Torn Paper. (Result: Poster Drawing)
 * Examine Poster Drawing. (Result: Show Cast)
 * Ask Annabel about the next show. (Prerequisite: Poster Drawing examined)
 * Investigate Entrance Steps. (Must grill Opera Phantom and Annabel first; Clues: Broken Jewel, Broken Camera)
 * Examine Broken Jewel. (Result: Emerald)
 * Examine Emerald. (Result: Brown Substance)
 * Analyze Brown Substance. (12:00:00; Attribute: Killer Wears a Jewel)
 * Examine Broken Camera. (Result: Locked Camera)
 * Examine Locked Camera. (Result: Camera Footage)
 * Analyze Camera Footage. (12:00:00; Attribute: Killer wears Brown Clothes)
 * Arrest Killer.
 * Go to Additional Investigation. (No stars)

Additional Investigation

 * Talk to Adam Bentley.
 * Investigate Gentlemen’s Club. (Clues: Invitation Letter)
 * Examine Invitation Letter. (Result: Red Party Invitation Letter)
 * Question Adam Bentley about the Red Party’s invitation. (Reward: 18,000 Coins)
 * Talk to Harper Stone about the missing snake.
 * Investigate Opera Entrance. (Clues: Sick Snake)
 * Analyze Sick Snake. (06:00:00)
 * Examine Harper’s Snake. (Result: Scepter)
 * Give her snake back to Harper Stone. (Reward: Burger)
 * Check up on Beatrice Vane.
 * Investigate Dressing Room. (Clues: Broken Harpsichord)
 * Examine Broken Harpsichord. (Result: Harpsicord)
 * Give the harpsichord back to Beatrice Vane. (Rewards: Opera Haircut, Opera Suit)
 * Investigate Next Case. (1 star)

Trivia

 * This case is one of the many cases in which Chief Samuel King doesn't make an appearance at the beginning.
 * The title of this case may be an allusion to Snakes on a Plane, a 2006 American action thriller film directed by David R. Ellis.
 * This case and Troubled Waters (Case #43) are the only cases in which the player helps someone in the Additional Investigation by analyzing before examining.
 * This is the only case in the Maple Heights district which does not feature any of the suspects from It All Ends Here (Case #51). However, it does feature the aforementioned case's victim, Adam Bentley.
 * This case, Murder on Campus (Case #32), Spring Break Massacre (Case #38), All the King's Horses (Case #49) and Shark Attack! (Case #57) are the only cases in which the murder weapon is an animal (giant boa, ants, piranha, horse and shark).
 * This case, The Scent of Death and One Wedding and a Funeral are the only cases in Maple Heights which don't have an involvement in the Mayoral campaign.