Literally.
Amy and the player rush to a motel where Merv Waylon, a gun dealer involved on an oncoming heist, is staying. There, they find Merv's body pinned to the wall with multiple knives.
Tropes:
- Arms Dealer: What the victim was.
- Attack on the Heart: The victim was killed by being stabbed through the heart with a throwing knife.
- Becoming the Mask: Faisal is so deep into his character that he speaks to you with it even after discovering that he's a fraud.Faisal: How dare you accuse me of murder, you peasants! I have diplomatic immunity, you can't arrest me!Amy: Um... We know you're not a Sheikh, but an actor, remember?Faisal: Oh! Yes, that's true... sorry. I've spent so long perfecting my act that it's become second nature.
- Call-Back: Louis De Rico and Sheikh Faisal reappear as suspects, while Eugenia Hestentrope also becomes a suspect for the first time after her last appearance in the previous case.
- Cliffhanger: The case ends with Frank and the player rushing to The Mennagio so they can catch the Caper Crew robbing it red-handed.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Roxie tells you that the victim was grievously tortured before being killed off, as he was burnt, cut, and beaten.
- Con Man: Faisal isn't actually a sheikh from Sultanistan, but an Ivywood actor who pretends to be one so people give money to him.
- Continuity Nod:
- The Mennagio reappears as a crime scene, with the basement being investigated this time.
- While pretending to be a Middle Eastern sheikh, Faisal claims that he comes from Sultanistan, the same country mentioned in All The King's Horses.
- Creepy Basement: While not creepy by normal means, Merv was inflicted with Cold-Blooded Torture inside of the Mennagio's casino.
- Eyepatch of Power: Papa Quansah sports one
◊, and damn right he looks badass. - Fingore: Merv cut off his own finger to please Papa Quansah after he asked for his diamonds back, since Merv had tried to sell him fake guns.Quansah: That man wanted to keep them diamonds so badly that he cut off his own finger! Ha-ha, the things you Americans will do for money, very funny!
- Falsely Reformed Villain: Merv pretended to be reformed so he could offer Eugenia protection for her casino, but she refused since she knew Merv wouldn't change, and we later discover that she was right.
- Fauxreigner: Hannah discovers that Faisal isn't actually a Middle Eastern prince, but a failed Ivywood actor pretending to be one.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Faisal wanted to scam Papa Quansah first with fake Middle Eastern guns, but Merv got hold of his business first, which led to Faisal torturing and killing him for the diamonds Papa paid.Faisal: Look, all I wanted in life was to be an actor! When it didn't work our, I became a con man instead. I was good at being a fake Sheikh! I had a real flair for it! I put in the work, the research...Not like that slimeball Waylon, who had no talent! When I found out he managed to cheat Papa Quansah out of his diamonds, I swore I'd make him pay!
- Implausible Deniability: Despite everything pointing at the fact that Louis is preparing to commit a heist (which includes a shopping list with highly suspicious items like gas masks and explosives), he keeps denying everything, and the lack of proof makes it impossible for you to arrest him.Louis: So what if I want to purchase some gas masks or a jackhammer, <Player's Name>? Maybe I'm working on a friend's house...I don't see how giving my patronage to local shops is the police's business. I think you're just desperate to find something against me. Chief Marquez.
- Lampshade Hanging: Amy remarks how a clue magically appears whenever you inspect a trash can on a crime scene.
- Mock Millionaire: Faisal isn't actually a rich Middle Eastern sheikh, but a failed actor who uses his persona to ask people for money.
- Parental Neglect: Mary-Lou tells you that none of her children's fathers pay any support.
- Pinned to the Wall: How the victim is found, courtesy of the same knives used to kill him.
- Properly Paranoid: During the Additional Investigation, you find a blueprint of the Mennagio casino with the vault and the safest path for robbing it marked, confirming that Eugenia's worries about her casino being a heist target were true.Eugenia: Didn't I tell you before, <Player's Name>? I KNEW my casino was threatened by these thieves! I just knew it!
- Reformed Criminal: Louis claims to be this when you interrogate him about Merv or the oncoming heist, something that Amy finds hard to believe.Louis: Oh, <Player's Name>, my days of crime are long gone. You know I've changed. Everything I do these days is legal and non-violent. Call it a midlife crisis, if you want.
- Replaced with Replica: Merv tried to sell water pistols to Papa Quansah during their business deal, and Papa made him cut off his own finger in exchange of not taking his diamonds back.
- Scary Black Man: Papa Quansah, an African warlord who had a gun business deal with the victim, appears as a suspect.
- Shout-Out:
- The case's title is based on the film of the same name.
- Mary-Lou Waylon resembles Missi Pyle.
- In the Room Entrance scene, there is a chocolate bar whose label resembles Caramello.
- Skewed Priorities: When you inform Mary-Lou about his brother's death, she asks who's going to pay her cable TV bills now.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: You find a turntable in the basement where the victim was tortured, and Yann confirms that the killer listened to country music whilst they were torturing Merv.
- Struggling Single Mother: Mary-Lou, the victim's sister, has four children from three different fathers, with none of them taking care of her or said kids.
- Suspicious Spending: During the Additional Investigation, you discover a shopping list from Louis De Rico which includes gas masks, a jackhammer, explosives, and police radios, something that convinces Chief Marquez he's preparing to commit the heist.
- Torture Is Ineffective: Faisal tortured Merv so he would tell him where Papa Quansah's diamonds were, but Merv refused to say anything and thus was killed.
- Verbal Backspace:Amy: For everything weird, Russell can provide a clear explanation. He's so amazing... I mean professionally, of course!
- We Sell Everything: According to Louis, Merv not only sold arms, but also fur coats, caviar, show tickets, and more.
