Just enjoying a nice cup of coffee, with hopefully nothing bad awaiting...
After being informed in the previous case that Commissioner Talmadge Baldwin's body had been found at the docks, Maddie and the player rush to the crime scene to collect it. There, they see Baldwin's corpse with his head split open and his tongue cut off.
Tropes:
- Back for the Dead: After being entirely absent since Case 18, Commissioner Baldwin returns as the victim here.
- Bird-Poop Gag: One of the killer's traits is that they have seagull poop on their clothes.
- Call-Back: Adelia Baldwin, Eamon Gilligan, and Giulietta Capecchi reappear as a suspects.
- Call-Forward: One of the killer's traits is that they drink coffee coming from The Kingdom of Mazunda.
- Choosing Neutrality: Reggie claims he's entirely neutral regarding the Mob War between the Irish and the Italians, but this later turns out to be a lie when he's revealed to be affiliated with the Italian gang.
- Continuity Nod: Giulietta becomes a suspect when you find a locket with a photo of her late sister.
- Cool Boat: The C.S.S. Horatio Rochester, pertaining to the eponymous businessman, appears in a crime scene.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Commissioner Baldwin wanted to send his daughter to a reformatory for pregnant women who are forced to give their baby for adoption just because she got pregnant out of wedlock, despite the fact her fiancé was killed and she didn't have any fault about it.
- Falsely Reformed Villain: Commissioner Baldwin accused Eamon of being this, claiming that he couldn't erase his past regarding being an Irish gang member and even threatened him with telling his new employer the truth.
- Family of Choice: Reggie Bates isn't Italian, but he tells you that the Italian gang took him under their wing when his parents died as a child and therefore he considers them his family, which is why he decided to kill for them.
- Food as Bribe: Baldwin attempted to bribe Giulietta with a box of chocolates so she would spill the beans regarding the Italian gang's plans, but it didn't work.
- Gorn: Not only Commissioner Baldwin had his head visibly split open with an ax, but his tongue was also chopped off by his killer, resulting in a considerable amount of blood erupting from his mouth.Maddie: <Player's Name>, I don't know about you, but I won't forget the sight of Commissioner Baldwin's mutilated corpse in a hurry!
- Gratuitous Japanese: Diego briefly speaks Japanese while analyzing a "Speak No Evil" monkey statue you sent to him, which Maddie mistakes for Diego saying lewd things to her in another language.
- He Knows Too Much: Reggie killed Baldwin because he discovered the Italians were planning to rob a police armory for weapons against the Irish, though you manage to recover his notes and learn the plan too.
- Hero Killer: Reggie is this, as he murdered Commissioner Baldwin who, despite his Mean Boss tendencies and harsh demeanor, at the end of the day was still an honest cop who wanted to stop the imminent Mob War from further escalation.
- I Regret Nothing: Reggie says this during his trial, as he doesn't mind going to prison for protecting his Family of Choice.
- Kindness Button: When Mayor Castletown angrily storms the airship to ask why Baldwin's murder hasn't been solved yet, Diego manages to calm him down by complimenting his suit and cravat, giving you some breathing room.
- Lured into a Trap: The killer sent Commissioner Baldwin a note telling him to meet up at the docks, which is where he was killed.
- Maternity Crisis: Adelia has her baby in the middle of the investigation and urges you to take her to the hospital seconds after her water breaks. The baby is safely delivered.
- Monkey Morality Pose: The killer sent a "Speak No Evil" monkey statue to Baldwin with a note telling him to "hold his tongue", and you later learn it's because Baldwin had discovered the Italians' plan about robbing a police armory.
- My Secret Pregnancy: Adelia has been trying to hide her pregnancy since being pregnant out of wedlock is seen as taboo, hence why she's been wearing baggy clothes.
- The Patriarch: This case introduces Horatio Rochester, head of the Rochester family and one of the most successful businessmen in all of Concordia.
- Plot Allergy: The killer is allergic to factory fumes, a trait shared by four of the five suspects.
- Reformed Criminal: Eamon claims that his days of being part of the Irish gang are behind him and now he's working an honest job, something that Commissioner Baldwin found hard to believe.
- Rejected Apology: Seamus sent a rose to Giulietta with a message asking for forgiveness, but according to her, she refuses to accept his apology, claiming that "that Irish thug professed to love her, then murdered her father".
- Revenge: While Giulietta claims that there's no proof she's planning revenge, it's clear that from her dialogue that she isn't above getting it either.Giulietta: My father's been murdered... my mother's out for blood... and the love of my life betrayed me. I'm DONE playing nice!
- Shout-Out:
- Horatio Rochester has a copy of The Great Wave off Kanagawa, and indirectly mentions its artist, Katsushika Hokusai.
- Romeo and Juliet is mentioned.
- Stigmatic Pregnancy Euphemism: Commissioner Baldwin wanted to send his daughter to a reformatory for "fallen" women who became pregnant out of wedlock, as it's considered a taboo.
- Surprisingly Sudden Death: Commissioner Baldwin, who appeared as a semi-regular important character during the first three districts, suddenly meets his end in this case with no previous foreshadowing.
- Title Drop: The killer sent a statue to Commissioner Baldwin along with the message "hold your tongue".
- Tongue Trauma: In addition to having his head split open, the killer also cut off Baldwin's tongue as a symbolism for intruding in the Italian gang's business.
- Truce Zone: Even though he's part of the Italian gang, Reggie claims his cafe is this, and you don't find anything to disprove those claims.Reggie: My cafe is open to everyone. Prince, pauper, Irish, Italian... I don't care who you are and what you done - we're all Concordian at the end of the day!
- Unsuspectingly Soused: Commissioner Baldwin accused Reggie of spiking his daughter's coffee with whiskey and illegally selling alcohol on his cafe, although how much this is true remains unclear.
- Upper-Class Twit: Being the head of the most influential family in Concordia (and whose most members haven't been entirely pleasant towards you), it had to be expected that Horatio Rochester would behave this way.Horatio: Now, I am busy and important man and you have squandered enough of my precious time. Away with you!
- You Are Too Late: The case ends with Evie informing you that the police armory has been attacked and robbed by the Italian gang, meaning that you didn't manage to stop them from executing the plan Commissioner Baldwin was killed for.
