Recap / Criminal Case: Mysteries of the Past - Case 18: The Higher You Rise

...the harder you fall.

On the final night of the World Exhibition and its awarding ceremony, Isaac and the player discuss about the saboteur tampering with the inventions so Stanley Spark's Exo-Suit can win and who could the responsible be. There, it doesn't take long before they're informed about another body being discovered on the World Exhibition grounds, which prompts them to rush to the just finished Exhibition Tower and see the body of inventor Celine Georges, dead after being pushed off the tower's platform.

Tropes:

• Accidental Pun: Isaac says one while confronting Stanley Spark about the apparently romantic rose he sent to her.
  Isaac: And you're certain that's how Miss Georges interpreted it? Unrequited love can easily spark a lovers' quarrel... pardon the pun.
• Apology Gift:
  • Commissioner Baldwin attempts to gift the player cotton candy if you forgive him for snapping at you after being informed that he was a suspect again.
  • Chief Halsted also tried offering Celine a wine for failing to provide security to the World Exhibition and allowing the saboteur to ruin so many inventions, although Celine rejected it. Of course, it's unlikely Halsted actually wanted forgiveness in the first place, considering she was the saboteur after all.
• Ascended Extra: Justin Lawson officially becomes the new judge of Concordia at the end of the case, meaning you'll be seeing him every case from now on.
• Award Show: The case happens at the same time the World Exhibition is handing its big prize to the winner, although it has to be interrupted by the player since they first need to solve the murder.
• Back for the Finale: Commissioner Talmadge Baldwin, Greta Gundwood, Chief Inspector Eleanor Halsted and Stanley Spark all return as suspects in this case, which is the last one set in Century Mile.
• Blame Game: Celine accused Chief Halsted of being the one responsible for all the inventions being sabotaged, as she didn't provide enough protection despite being in charge of the World Exhibition's security. She was right... in a way.
• The Climax: For Century Mile.
• Dangerous Workplace: After witnessing so many inventors die over the course of the district, Dick has started to think this about the World Exhibition.
  Dick: It appears being an inventor at the World Exhibition is hazardous to one's health, <Player's Name>. I'm grateful Charles and I are still alive!
• Death by Irony: After masterminding the sabotage of his rivals' exhibitions and making them malfunction so his own invention could win, Stanley ultimately dies after his Exo-Suit ends up malfunctioning while in midair, making him crash to the ground.
• Dirty Cop: Chief Halsted joins the large list of Concordian officers becoming irredeemably corrupt when she's exposed as the saboteur of the World Exhibition, which she only agreed to do because Stanley was paying her. She's also revealed to have been accepting bribes from Irish gangsters in Sinner's End as far as six months ago, prompting the Flying Squad go there to investigate about these thugs.
• Disney Villain Death: Both Celine and Stanley meet their demise this way, the former being pushed off the tower platform and the latter also plummeting from the tower after his Exo-Suit malfunctions.
• Distressed Dude: Leopold Rochester gets taken hostage by Stanley after you expose him as the true mastermind behind all the sabotages, although he gets released pretty quickly once Stanley makes it to the Exhibition Tower.
• The Dreaded: Mad Dog, a high-ranking Irish thug, appears to be this to Chief Halsted, who is utterly terrified of him and refuses to reveal his identity even while she's in prison due to fearing for her life.
• Driven by Envy: Celine was envious of Greta winning the previous World Exhibition and even tried to make her lose confidence so she would drop out of this one, considering that she just wanted the fame. This, of course, rubbed Greta the wrong way.
• Due to the Dead: Celine is awarded the grand prize posthumously by Leopold and Mayor Castletown after everything is cleared and Stanley is exposed as a criminal.
• Evil All Along: Chief Halsted is revealed to be a murderous and corrupt police officer in this case, killing Celine to stop her from discovering she was the saboteur and accepting bribes from both Stanley Spark and the Irish mobsters in Sinner's End.
• Evil Pays Better: Chief Halsted's apparent reason for betraying the police department and becoming a Dirty Cop.
  Judge Takakura: You went to all that trouble, even sinking to the depths of murder, just for money? Couldn't you have just asked for a raise?
• Figure It Out Yourself: During her arrest, Halsted refuses to reveal why she decided to sabotage the World Exhibition and instead tells you to seek your own answers, although she decides to throw Stanley under the bus during her trial anyway.
• Flawed Prototype: Stanley's Exo-Suit is this, as Charlie discovers it's leaking coolant and can be dangerous to maneuver. Unfortunately, Stanley doesn't heed his warnings and decides to use it anyway, resulting in his death.
• Flight: Stanley's Exo-Suit has this hidden function, which he tries to use to get away after being exposed as the mastermind behind the sabotage. Too bad it was malfunctioning.
• Friendly Rivalry: Greta claims she had this with Celine, saying that, despite being rivals with her in the World Exhibiton, they were still friends outside of it. However, this turns out to be a lie.
• Full-Name Ultimatum: Isaac calls Evie by her full name (Evelyn Holloway) after she wipes off the blood from a coin that was supposed to be evidence, although Evie had already delivered it to Viola for examination.
• He Knows Too Much: Zig-zagged. Halsted murdered Celine because she discovered there was a saboteur in the World Exhibition and was trying to find out who it was, but nothing suggests Celine was aware of Halsted being the saboteur in the first place.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Stanley gets killed by his own invention malfunctioning while he tries to get away and evade justice flying with it.
• Hostage Situation: Stanley momentarily takes Leopold hostage to evade being arrested after he's exposed as the one paying Halsted to sabotage the inventions, although he lets him go quickly once he reaches the Exhibition Tower.
• Implied Death Threat: Mad Dog sent plaque with a banshee calling Chief Halsted "Hals-dead", threatening with killing her if she talked about her business with him.
• Killer Cop: Celine was killed by Eleanor Halsted, the Chief Inspector of the Concordian Police Department.
• The Last Dance: Non-lethal example regarding Judge Takakura, who agrees to wait until Celine's killer and the saboteur are captured to make his retirement official since such a high-profile trial would allow him to leave a mark in the legal world.
• The Man Behind the Man: While Eleanor Halsted is the saboteur that has been messing with the World Exhibition's inventions, Stanley Spark is revealed to be the one behind her actions, as he was paying her so his own Exo-Suit would win the contest.
• Mistaken for Romance: When you find Stanley sent a rose to Celine for their "meeting", Isaac assumes they were involved romantically, although Stanley clarifies he only did it out of courtesy.
• Oh, Crap!: Isaac's reaction after Viola informs you that the fibers you found on Celine's goggles come from a police vest.
  Isaac: You're saying the killer is a police officer?!
• One of Our Own: Chief Wright becomes a suspect in this case after you find his weapon at the Exhibition Tower, which he claims to have forgotten while securing the area.
• Put on a Bus: Due to officially retiring and Lawson acquiring the title of new judge, Takakura goes away at the end of this case.
• Right for the Wrong Reasons: Celine accused Chief Halsted of being the one responsible of the World Exhibition's inventions being sabotaged... because she wasn't doing her security job properly. Seems like it never occurred to Celine that Chief Halsted was the saboteur all this time.
• Save the Villain: Charlie and the player attempt to save Stanley by warning him about his Exo-Suit being defective, but he refuses to listen and decides to escape by flying with it. Whoops.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Judge Takakura attempts to retire mid-case because of this, although Isaac and the player manage to convince him until they arrest Celine's killer.
  Judge Takakura: I've had enough of the crime and madness in this city. I've tried my last case and I'm putting down my gavel... for good!
• Shout-Out:
  • The Exhibition Tower is a parody of the Eiffel Tower.
  • After she finished analyzing a bloody coin, Evie declares, "This coin will make a fine addition to my collection."
• Skip to the End: Eleanor says this during her trial.
  Eleanor: If you are quite through, Takakura, I'd prefer to skip the monologue!
• Sore Loser: Judging by how Halsted rats out Stanley as the one paying her for sabotaging the inventions during her trial, it's clear she's not happy of getting arrested while he's still walking free.
• Survivor Guilt: Chief Wright apparently feels this regarding all of the officers that have died under his command, which is why he wants Stanley's Exo-Suit to win, as the winning invention is mass-produced in a factory and would allow police officers to wear the suit and die less.
• Sweet Tooth: One of the killer's traits is that they eat cotton candy.
• The Show Must Go On: Mayor Castletown defends the fact he's running the award ceremony in the middle of a murder investigation with this.
  Isaac: Mr Rochester, <Player's Name> is conducting an investigation into the murder of one of the competition finalists!
  It's therefore not fitting for this ceremony to proceed until the culprit faces justice.
  Leopold: Murder?! <Player's Name>, I had no idea someone was killed!
  Cornelius: And I didn't give it a second thought. The show must go on!
• We Used to Be Friends: Greta and Celine were best friends until Celine grew to resent Greta for winning the previous World Exhibition and participating in this one too, believing that she was the one who deserved to win.
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Chief Halsted seems mortified at the fact that yet another person died under her watch and how it's her fault since she failed to implant stronger security measures on the Exhibition Tower. Of course, this is all a facade as she's actually the one who murdered Celine.
• You Have No Idea Who You're Dealing With: Both Baldwin and Halsted threaten you with this when you interrogate them, offended at the fact that they're being accused of murder again by someone with a lower rank than them.
  Baldwin: You've suspected me of criminal activity since New Haven, <Player's Name>! And frankly, I'm tired of your baseless accusations!
  If I were you, I'd tread carefully. By now, you should know who you're dealing with!

  Eleanor: You forget your place, <Player's Name>! Mind who you are raising accusations against!