Howard Stacy was a suspect in the murder investigations of three different people across the season before killing animal handler Rémi Roy in Juggling With Death (Case #10 of City of Romance).
Profile
Howard is the 41-year-old CEO of Stacy's, a department store chain in the U.S. He has blue eyes and short, wavy black hair. He wears a black pinstripe suit with a white dress shirt, a brown waistcoat with gray buttons and a red, purple and white striped tie. He sports black-rimmed spectacles and has a red pocket handkerchief in his left breast pocket.
In his first appearance, it is known that Howard drinks Libertine cocktails.
In his second appearance, Howard wears a Chior brooch on his right lapel. He also replaces his tie with another purple, indigo and white striped tie. He also sports a navy blue pocket handkerchief instead of the red one. It is discovered that he eats escargots, listens to Voyou Fou and lives on the left bank.
In his third appearance, he reverts back to his first appearance. It is revealed that he rides a scooter, eats croque-madames and has watched Aurélie.
In his fourth appearance, Howard's tie and handkerchief change to a solid blue. It is noted that he eats swirl lollipops, suffers from hay fever and has watched Jumbo.
| Height | 6'1" |
|---|---|
| Age | 41 |
| Weight | 184 lbs |
| Eyes | blue |
| Blood | A- |
Events of Criminal Case
Murder à la Mode
Howard became a suspect after Carrie and the player found the pocket watch he had gifted to Sébastien. He explained that he had planned to open a Stacy's location in Paris and that he had felt that Sébastien's support would be a boon to his business strategy. However, Sébastien was less than enthusiastic about associating with the Stacy's brand, breaking the pocket watch as a result. Carrie then told Howard about the murder, shocking him. He asked if editor Martine Meunier was involved in the investigation, revealing that she used to work as a coroner in the United States. He then told the team to let him know if he could contribute anything else to their investigation.
Howard was spoken to again about the weird piggy bank he had given to Sébastien. He revealed that Sébastien had almost single-handedly run the Stacy's brand into the ground, taking to social media to drum up resistance against Stacy's. With one post, Stacy's stock dropped in value by fifty one percent, tarnishing his brand's reputation. Calling the attack personal, Howard sent Sébastien the piggy bank, calling him a morally bankrupt swine.
Howard was found to be innocent after the team incarcerated Juliette Segal for Sébastien's murder.
Death by Design
Howard became a suspect again after Hugo and the player found his invitation to the Chior after-party. After being told about Charles' murder, he expressed his condolences to Charles' family and planned to arrange to send Charles' employees some Stacy's gift baskets. Howard revealed that he had been unable to attend the after-party, but stopped by on his way home to congratulate Charles on a wonderful show.
Howard was spoken to again about the water wings he had given to Charles on which he had written "Stacy's can help you stay afloat." Howard admitted that the gift was a horrible coincidence given that Charles had drowned, but claimed that the gift was only a symbol of how Stacy's could help Chior. He felt that he only needed to apply a little more pressure on Charles for him to sign on with Stacy's.
Howard was found to be innocent again after the team incarcerated Simone Lemaitre for Charles' murder.
Beastly Behavior
Howard became a suspect for a third time after a silver bracelet of his was found in the victim's apartment. He explained how he had been renting the apartment 81 Rue Cortot, while his own pied-a-terre was getting fixed and that the bracelet might have been dropped during the move. He explained he didn't know the victim and showed disdain for the victim's past activities.
Howard was spoken to again when a voicemail from him was found. He explained how he had actually met the victim and how he ruined the Stacy's brand. He also told that his store had a reputation to live up to. He continued, telling the detectives that Howard was in discussions with the victim regarding fur for Stacy's premium winter collection. The victim convinced Howard that the fur would be supplied ethically. But Stacy found out that the fur was not kosher, and the victim had obtained it very cruelly. He also berated the victim for his lack of morals.
Howard was found innocent a third time after the team incarcerated Kiki Kloss for Jackson's murder.
Juggling With Death
In the end, it was proven that Howard was Rémi's killer. Admitting to the murder, Howard revealed that Stacy's was on the verge of bankruptcy, leading him to purchase illegal fur from Rémi in order to cut costs. When Rémi decided to stop with the operations due to his "conscience", Howard suspected that Rémi was being dishonest and only wanted more money from the CEO. As Howard could not afford to pay Rémi anymore, the latter threatened that he would report their illegal deal to the police. Fearing to be jailed and lose his legacy, Howard bashed Rémi in the head with a juggling club until he died. Judge Lebrun sentenced him to 37 years in prison.
Trivia
- Howard is one of the non-main characters to physically appear in two districts in City of Romance.
- Howard is one of the characters to appear as a suspect four times.
- Howard is one of the killers who are interrogated once more during the Additional Investigation.
- Stacy's is a parody of the American department store chain Macy's.
- Howard resembles late American actor Christopher Reeve.
Case appearances
- Murder à la Mode (Case #2 of City of Romance)
- Death by Design (Case #5 of City of Romance)
- Beastly Behavior (Case #7 of City of Romance)
- Juggling With Death (Case #10 of City of Romance)
Gallery
