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Down to the Wire is a case featured in Criminal Case as the one-hundred seventieth case of the game. It is the fifty-fifth case of the game's World Edition (Season 3) and also the seventh case to take place in North America.
Plot
Carmen, Jonah, and the player went to a peace hockey match between Canada and the United Kingdom to meet with Canadian prime minister Jason Stone. After Jason requested that they talk after the game, Jonah reported that he had collapsed in his sky box. Carmen and the player went there, and collected Jason's strangled body.
During the investigation, Jonah was labeled as a suspect for not paying attention while on the job. Later, Elliot received a transmission saying El Rey killed Jason. Following that, the press got wind of the murder and released the news, causing other countries to start mobilizing their respective armies. The team soon found enough evidence to arrest Hector Montoya for the murder as well as for being El Rey, the leader of SOMBRA.
Hector quickly admitted to being El Rey, reminiscing about how his parents were killed by a fire when he was a child. Given that he believed that they were weak and that he was strong since he survived, SOMBRA's ideology appealed to him greatly. Arsenio Castillo gave him the position of El Rey when he stepped down. The team concluded that Hector strangled Jason with a garrote watch to prevent his discussion with the Bureau. After Carmen said that SOMBRA's reign had ended, Hector revealed that Chief Ripley was helping SOMBRA since its start.
Hector was placed in custody while the team investigated his claim. Ripley said they would have to find the truth out on their own and that she would step down from the Bureau and have Ingrid take her duties. Carmen and the player talked to Hector, who directed them to the sky box for clues. Jonah then offered to help the player search for Jason's stolen files in his apartment.
The photo of "Operation: SOMBRA".
In the sky box, they found a paper labeled "Operation: SOMBRA" which (per Elliot) proved that when Ripley was younger, she had met with a "P. Molina", who turned out to be Arsenio. Upon interrogation, Arsenio said that Ripley had offered to fund SOMBRA; in exchange, SOMBRA would have to threaten the small kingdom of Grenadia on the southern border of Colombia, which had struck oil at the time. With the excuse of saving Grenadia, the US took part in the conflict and invaded the country, taking its oil. After that, the CIA tried to wipe SOMBRA out entirely. However, Arsenio faked his death and transferred SOMBRA's funds and the title of El Rey to Hector.
Not too long after that, Jack reported that he saw Asal Hawaa running to the Hockey Hall of Fame, where Carmen and the player found her USB key. The key contained a video of Ripley telling Director Nahum Meir of Mossad that she was assembling a team of investigators (the Bureau) to stop a resurfaced SOMBRA. However, Nahum told her not to tell anyone in the team about SOMBRA.
Jack and the player talked to Asal about the video, who explained that after Nahum told her to stay away from the Bureau, she did some digging and found the video. She then assumed that the team knew about Ripley's secret and were covering it up, causing her to treat the hunt for El Rey like a game. Asal thanked the Bureau for bringing down El Rey and wished Jack luck with Lars.
The CD which contains Peter Walker's psychiatric records.
Meanwhile, in Jason's apartment, Jonah and the player found a compact disc which mentioned an inmate named Peter Walker, whom Elliot revealed was a psychiatric patient who claimed to be part of "a powerful order hell-bent on world domination" before he was found stabbed to death the next morning. They talked to Ronin Ozawa, who said Peter was an insane SOMBRA recruit. Jonah and the player then figured out that after SOMBRA isolated the United States, Hector would kill President James Hewett to create a power vacuum and seize control.
After those events, Ingrid said Ripley's office was empty, save for a message on her computer wherein Ripley apologized for the accidental empowerment of SOMBRA and thanked her team for bringing down El Rey, officially stepping down as chief. Afterwards, Judge Adaku sentenced Hector to life in prison for the murder and SOMBRA's crimes.
As the team was celebrating SOMBRA's end, Elliot informed the team that President Hewett had been kidnapped.
Summary
Victim
- Jason Stone (choked to death)
Murder Weapon
- Garrote Watch
Killer
- Hector Montoya
Suspects
Quasi-suspect(s)
Killer's Profile
- The killer eats poutine.
- The killer uses eye drops.
- The killer knows lock picking.
- The killer has green eyes.
- The killer has a scar.
Crime Scenes
Steps
Chapter 1
- Investigate Hockey Skybox. (Clues: Hockey Puck, Victim's Body; New Suspect: Hector Montoya; Victim identified: Jason Stone)
- Ask Hector Montoya if he witnessed the murder. (Prerequisite: Hockey Skybox investigated)
- Examine Faded Puck. (Result: Engraved Dedication; New Suspect: Prince Rupert)
- Ask Prince Rupert why he's at the game. (Prerequisite: Engraved Dedication unraveled; New Crime Scene Unlocked: Hockey Hall of Fame)
- Investigate Hockey Hall of Fame. (Prerequisite: Rupert interrogated; Clues: Trash Can, Handkerchief)
- Examine Trash Can. (Result: Jonah's Phone)
- Examine Jonah's Phone. (Result: Messages to Marina; New Suspect: Jonah Karam)
- Talk to Jonah Karam about his text messages. (Prerequisite: Jonah's Phone unlocked)
- Examine Handkerchief. (Result: Blood)
- Analyze Blood. (03:00:00; Attribute: The killer uses eye drops)
- Autopsy Victim's Body. (18:00:00; Attribute: The killer eats poutine)
- Go to Chapter 2. (1 star)
Chapter 2
- Investigate Rooftop Terrace. (Available after unlocking Chapter 2; Clues: Photograph, Victim's Laptop, Briefcase)
- Examine Unidentified Man. (New Suspect: Ronin Ozawa)
- Ask Ronin Ozawa about his meeting with Stone. (Prerequisite: Ronin Ozawa identified in photograph; Profile updated: Ronin uses eye drops and eat poutine)
- Examine Victim's Laptop. (Result: Victim's Emails)
- Analyze Victim's Emails. (06:00:00; New Suspect: Asal Hawaa)
- Ask Asal Hawaa why she met with Stone. (Prerequisite: Victim's Emails analyzed; Profile updated: Asal eats poutine)
- Examine Briefcase. (Result: Security Folder)
- Analyze Security Folder. (12:00:00; Attribute: The killer knows lock picking; New Crime Scene Unlocked: VIP Buffet)
- Investigate VIP Buffet. (Prerequisite: Security Folder analyzed; Clues: Broken Camera, Cigarette Case)
- Examine Broken Camera. (Result: Jonah's Footage)
- Talk to Jonah about the security camera. (Prerequisite: Broken Camera restored; Profile updated: Jonah knows lock picking)
- Examine Tobacco Leaves. (Result: Tobacco Bits)
- Analyze Tobacco Bits. (12:00:00)
- Ask Hector about his cigarette case. (Prerequisite: Tobacco Bits analyzed; Profile updated: Hector knows lock picking, eats poutine, and uses eye drops)
- Go to Chapter 3. (1 star)
Chapter 3
- Investigate Hockey Showcases. (Available after unlocking Chapter 3; Clues: Map, Broken Plaque, Locked Phone)
- Examine Map. (Result: Hair)
- Examine Hair. (Result: Ronin Ozawa's Hair)
- Ask Ronin about his interest in BØB. (Prerequisite: Hair identified under microscope; Profile updated: Ronin knows lock picking)
- Examine Broken Plaque. (Result: Engraved Plaque)
- Ask Rupert about his support of USNay. (Prerequisite: Engraved Plaque restored; Profile updated: Rupert uses eye drops and eats poutine)
- Examine Locked Phone. (Result: Phone)
- Analyze Phone. (09:00:00)
- Talk to Asal about her strike mission. (Prerequisite: Phone analyzed; Profile updated: Asal knows lock picking and uses eye drops)
- Investigate Terrace Garden. (All tasks before must be done first; Clues: Pile of Leaves, Lock Picking Tools)
- Examine Pile of Leaves. (Result: Bloody Watch)
- Analyze Bloody Watch. (15:00:00; Murder Weapon registered: Garrote Watch; Attribute: The killer has green eyes)
- Examine Lock Picking Tools. (Result: White Substance)
- Analyze White Substance. (09:00:00; Attribute: The killer has a scar)
- Take care of the killer now!
- Go to Edge of Darkness (7/8). (No stars)
Edge of Darkness (7/8)
- Question El Rey about Chief Ripley's ties to SOMBRA. (Available after unlocking Edge of Darkness)
- Investigate Rooftop Terrace. (Prerequisite: Hector interrogated; Clue: Broken CD)
- Examine Broken CD. (Result: Restored CD)
- Analyze Restored CD. (06:00:00)
- Ask if Ronin knows about Peter Walker. (Prerequisite: Restored CD analyzed; Reward: 20,000 Coins)
- Investigate Hockey Skybox. (Prerequisite: Hector interrogated; Clue: Stack of Paper)
- Examine Stack of Paper. (Result: Old Photograph)
- Analyze Photograph. (09:00:00)
- Question Arsenio Castillo about Operation SOMBRA. (Prerequisite: Photograph analyzed; Reward: Burger)
- Investigate Hockey Hall of Fame. (Prerequisite: Arsenio interrogated; Clue: Locked Lighter)
- Examine Locked Lighter. (Result: USB Lighter)
- Analyze USB Lighter. (06:00:00)
- Ask Asal what she knows about Chief Ripley. (Prerequisite: USB Lighter analyzed; Reward: Hockey Mask)
- Move on to a new crime! (1 star)
Trivia
- The case's title comes from the expression "down to the wire", which is used to describe a situation whose outcome is not decided until the very last minute.
- This may also be a pun, considering the murder weapon is a watch rigged with a garrote wire.
- This is one of nine cases in World Edition where all suspects have appeared previously.
- This is one of the cases of the game in which a main character is flagged as a suspect for plausible reasons.
- This is one of the few cases wherein the trial takes place during the Additional Investigation instead of the final chapter of the main leg.
- This is one of the cases in which Carmen and Jack interact with each other.
- This is one of the cases in which the killer has to be interrogated once again during the Additional Investigation.
- In the "Rooftop Terrace" crime scene, David, a statue by Michelangelo, can be spotted.