Horatio Rochester

Horatio Rochester was a suspect in the murder investigations of Commissioner Talmadge Baldwin in Hold Your Tongue (Case #33 of Mysteries of the Past), his daughter, bank director Clarissa Rochester, in Death Comes to Lunch (Case #37 of Mysteries of the Past), and Deputy Mayor Sandra Hwang in The Heart of the Matter (Case #42 of Mysteries of the Past).

Profile
Horatio is a 72-year-old influential businessman. He has short gray hair and a beard. He sports a beige shirt with a white collar under a purple waistcoat with gold buttons and a beige bow-tie, and wears a black coat with gold lining over the top. Additionally, he is seen holding a cigar in his right hand.

In his first appearance, it is known that Horatio is allergic to factory fumes, knows Japanese culture and smokes.

In his second appearance, his eyelids have a lighter shadow around them and his shirt has a different style lacing. It is discovered that he has knowledge of botany, eats golden caviar and uses hair pomade.

In his third appearance, it is revealed that he drink sangria and knows clockworks.

Hold Your Tongue
Horatio became a suspect after Maddie and the player found his barometer in the shipyard. After being informed of the murder, he explained that his ship, the C.S.S. Horatio Rochester, was being built in the shipyard. He admitted to seeing the victim at the shipyard, but didn't know why he was there.

Horatio was spoken to again about his cigar ash on the victim's badge. He said he made an arrangement with the victim to speed up the paperwork for his ship. However, the victim did nothing to assist him. He claimed the C.S.S. Horatio Rochester would be halfway across the Pacific Ocean had Talmadge helped him. He then saw the Commissioner at The Concordian Pause, where he took his badge and threw it away.

Horatio was found innocent after the team incarcerated Reggie Bates for Talmadge's murder. But he later came to the airship to file a complaint about a group of miscreants hanging around his shipyard, where they even used his expensive telegraph machine. When Isaac suggested the miscreants were involved with one of the gangs, Horatio expressed his lack of care towards the topic and requested their assistance. He then gave them some shillings as an incentive.

Death Comes to Lunch
Horatio became a suspect again after the team discovered his signature in the victim's book. He became enraged that a murder in the Rochester family happened, revealing that Clarissa was his daughter. When asked if Clarissa had enemies, he said she didn't have any and then demanded Isaac and the player to find Clarissa's killer immediately.

Horatio was spoken to again about a leaflet from an adoption agency. Horatio admitted that he didn't want Clarissa to adopt an orphan as he refused to leave his fortune to a street urchin. He said he could accept Clarissa never getting married or having a child, but he would be outraged if she let an orphan eat at his table.

Horatio was found innocent again after the team incarcerated Francine for Clarissa's murder. But he was later interrogated about a picture showing him conspiring with Vittorio Capecchi. When confronted, he revealed that he had acquired some land from Vittorio. After Isaac told him that the land had been acquired through bullying and murder, he said that he didn't know anything about that, and that he had paid the farmers compensation after the fraud came to light. He then scoffed that there was nothing the team could reproach him with.

Trivia

 * Horatio is one of the characters to appear as a suspect in three cases.
 * Horatio is one of the characters to physically appear in two districts in Mysteries of the Past.

Case appearances

 * Hold Your Tongue (Case #33 of Mysteries of the Past)
 * Death Comes to Lunch (Case #37 of Mysteries of the Past)
 * The Heart of the Matter (Case #42 of Mysteries of the Past)