Recap / Criminal Case: Mysteries of the Past - Case 39: Apprehend Me If You're Able

Talk about blood money.

After learning that a counterfeiter named Jade Carnegie has been distributing fake money in Wolf Street, Maddie and the player manage to track down her residency with the intent of shutting down her operations. Unfortunately, an arrest turns into a murder investigation when they find Jade's lifeless body with a bullet wound on the neck.

Tropes:

• Acquainted with Emergency Services
  • When you discover Georgia Ward was near one of the crime scenes, Maddie tells you she's a hustler who has had problems with the police before, and she encountered her many times while being a rookie officer.
  • According to Evie, the victim also had many close encounters with the law while living in Spain, and was even forced to change her identity and run away as a result.
• Alcohol Hic: Diego does this when he appears drunk at the airship.
• Alliterative Name: Hector Harvey.
• Amoral Attorney: Hector Harvey isn't above defending well-known criminals if the pay is good.
  Hector: Counterfeiting? I was not privy to such information. I never pry into a client's affairs... the less I know the better! As long as they're willing to pay!
• The Apprentice: When you interrogate Diego due to a witness claiming they saw the victim coming out of his apartment, Diego explains that Jade was his protégé back in Spain and he taught her everything he knew, though she decided to use that knowledge for illegal activities.
• Bait-and-Switch Comment: When Diego appears drunk in the airship, he tells you he has a confession to make. Maddie assumes is something related to the case... only for Diego to reveal he's the one who spiked the punchbowl at Isaac's birthday party.
• Being Good Sucks: Gail Harper, a currency exchange officer, joined the victim's counterfeiting operating when Jade sweet talked her into it, telling Gail that she deserved to be rich and not only touch money without being able to own it, something Gail agreed on.
• Blackmail: Jade blackmailed Diego with giving her his printing plate to counterfeit money, otherwise she would pin the whole operation on him and get him in trouble.
• Call-Back: Leopold Rochester makes his first appearance in a film roll since his last one in the finale of Century Mile.
• Con Woman: Apart from being a counterfeiter, the victim also conned people out of their live savings by claiming she could triple the amount if they gave them to her, such as what happened to Carlton.
• Continuity Nod: When you find a film roll at Wolf Park, Maddie recalls how you saw a similar one back in Century Mile.
• Counterfeit Cash: The victim's main occupation was producing this.
• Crime After Crime: Jade and Gail were together in the counterfeiting business, but Gail began to panic when Jade started spending the fake cash instead of swapping it for real currency at Gail's exchange center, which would've spelled trouble if authorities tracked down the counterfeit bills to them. Due to this, Gail was forced to kill Jade after she refused to stop using the illegal money.
• Cuteness Proximity: Maddie gets absolutely enchanted when you find Carlton's cat at the crime scene.
• Deceptive Disciple: The victim, who used to be Diego's protégé and apprentice, used the skills she learned from him to become a counterfeiting and forger. Though, to be fair, Diego also used to be a criminal until he reformed and joined the Flying Squad.
• Drowning My Sorrows: After being marked as a suspect, Diego becomes so upset he gets drunk on whiskey and berates you for talking behind his back.
• A Friend in Need: During the Additional Investigation, Evie asks you to investigate Diego and prove he left his life of crime behind, as this case made everyone doubt whether Diego is truly reformed or not.
• Full-Name Ultimatum: Maddie does this when you try to investigate Diego's apartment after you discover the victim and him were acquaintances.
  Maddie: Diego Alejandro Montoya Esteban del Lobo! If you're there, open this door!
• Hustler: Georgia Ward. Maddie even describes her as a street hustler who swindles tourists with card games.
• Hypocrite: When you discover the victim attempted to pay Hector with counterfeit money, Hector angrily claims that, while he doesn't mind defending clients who break the law like her, trying to scam him is a big no-no, and therefore wanted to have his revenge on her.
• Kindhearted Cat Lover: Carlton Franklin is introduced as a suspect when you find his cat at the crime scene, showing that he adores her by giving her a hug while speaking to you.
• Master Forger: As a result of being Diego's apprentice, Jade became an expert in the art of counterfeiting money and even creating fake passports, which she used to flee from Spain after getting in trouble with the Madrid authorities.
• Modesty Towel: When you storm Diego's apartment to investigate what was his relationship with the victim, he appears wearing nothing but a bathrobe.
  Diego: You mustn't see me like this... I'm not decent!
• Multiple Identity IDs: Thanks to her forgery abilities, the victim had a fake passport she used to flee from Spain after she got in trouble with the local authorities.
• Not What It Looks Like: Twice regarding Diego: first, you find a printing plate at his apartment the victim had been using to counterfeit money, which Diego claims he only used it as an experiment and never intended to fabricate fake cash for real. Later during the Additional Investigation, you also find ink bottles at his apartment that Viola deduces are used to forge paintings, but he shows you that he's using them to paint a portrait of Maddie and Charlie together instead of something illegal.
• Omnidisciplinary Lawyer: When Hector presents himself, he offers you his services by claiming that he can manage debts, taxes, or other "unsavory" problems you might have.
• One of Our Own: Diego becomes a suspect in this case after you discover he and the victim were acquaintances and a witness saw Jade leaving his apartment.
• A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: While both of them were criminals in the past, Diego eventually reformed and became a good citizen and member of the Flying Squad while Jade, his apprentice, continued being a forger and counterfeiter.
  Diego: The truth is, Jade was my protégé when I was working in Spain. I taught her everything she knew... although apparently, she'd learned some new tricks.
• Riches to Rags: While he wasn't exactly rich, Carlton was still a retired man with some life savings that the victim stole from him by claiming she could triple them, leading Carlton into bankruptcy.
• Shout-Out:
  • The case's title is a parody of the crime film Catch Me If You Can.
  • In the Diego's Living Room scene, there is a painting of King George III.
  • Hector Harvey is a parody of Harvey Specter, and the entry you find in the victim's journal, "Better Call Specter", is a parody of Better Call Saul.
  • Wolf Street Journal is a parody of The Wall Street Journal.
  • The Merchant of Venice is mentioned.
• Skewed Priorities: At the beginning of the case, Chief Wright has this to say regarding the rampant economical crisis ravaging Wolf Street:
  Chief Wright: Everyone is tightening their belts and cutting costs. I've had three social engagements cancelled this week... this simply cannot do!
• Teacher/Student Romance: In addition to being his pupil in the art of forgery, Jade was also Diego's ex-girlfriend.
• Too Good to Be True: During the Additional Investigation, you find a film roll where Leopold Rochester informs the citizens of Concordia that the Concordia Telephone Company security bonds are now on sale, which will guarantee solid monetary returns with no risk for whoever buys them, saving them from the financial crisis that is affecting Wolf Street and the city. However, both Lady Highmore and Maddie are shown to have their doubts about such a miraculous solution suddenly appearing, although Charlie assures them is completely safe.