Recap / Criminal Case: World Edition - Case 48: The King's Shadow

Dupont: We're in Campanilla, Colombia! The village was named after a beautiful 12th-century bell, or "campana" in Spanish! It is located in the tower behind us!

The Bureau arrives at the small town of Campanilla, Colombia, since they learned in the previous case that SOMBRA was conceived right there. Looking for clues regarding the organization's origin, Jack, Carmen, Dupont, and the player venture into the village, but their investigation gets halted when a loud crash is heard inside of a nearby bell tower, which they soon learn came from said bell being dropped onto none other than their companion Michelle Zuria, killing her instantly.

Tropes:

• Babysitter from Hell: Doña Isabel Amarga, Michelle's old governess, deliberately locked her into a closet for as much as disobeying her, and is implied that she was the one who made Michelle work for SOMBRA in the first place.
  Carmen: I didn't get a maternal vibe from Michelle's old governess... Not sure I'd have her look after Sanjay!
• Back for the Finale: Ignacio Muñoz and George Pryce return as suspects in this case, which is the last one set in South America.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Both Alejandro Pratx and Arsenio Castillo act like well-mannered and polite old men the first time you speak with them, but they're revealed to be members of SOMBRA despite their old age, with Arseino even being the organization's old leader.
• Bittersweet Ending: By the end of the case, Arsenio, Alejandro, and Isabel, three founding members of SOMBRA, are arrested right on their own headquarters, dealing a powerful blow to the organization. However, all of this came at the cost of losing Michelle, not to mention Arsenio gave the leadership of SOMBRA to another agent ten years ago, which means they're still as active as ever.
• Captured on Purpose: During his arrest and trial, Arsenio implies that he killed Michelle and deliberately provided you with clues so you could arrest him, as he already had passed the leadership of SOMBRA to another person and wanted to "retire" while gloating about it.
• Card-Carrying Villain: Alejandro, Arsenio, and Isabel are proud members of SOMBRA and don't care admitting it even when it leads to their arrest.
• The Climax: For South America.
• Continuity Nod:
  • One of the killer's traits is that they read Rayuela de Ficciones, the book published by the victim of Case 44. Arsenio even says he pities the author was killed.
  • When you interrogate him in prison, Arsenio remembers how you either arrested or killed some of his best agents, with photos of Obaasan and Omar Bahir appearing on-screen.
• The Cuckoolander Was Right: In Chapter 2, Dupont tells you he discovered where SOMBRA and El Rey originated from, as he found an old club named "La Sombra del Rey" (The King's Shadow) where a famous musician known as "El Rey del Jazz" (The King of Jazz) performed back when SOMBRA was created. And while at first Carmen is convinced that this is all just a coincidence, soon it's revealed that all what Dupont implied was true.
• Death from Above: Michelle was killed when a giant bell was cut off its rope and dropped onto her, crushing her to death.
• Dirty Old Man: Ignacio, who is 63, had been stalking and sending suggestive messages to Michelle (who is nearly 20 years younger than him) all over South America, which Elliot finds absolutely disgusting.
• Don't Celebrate Just Yet: Despite the fact that you've arrested El Rey, Arsenio promptly reveals he passed the leadership of SOMBRA to another member a decade ago, which means the organization is far from defeated.
  Carmen: We've chased them halfway through the world! We've foiled dozens of their schemes! We've lost two of our agents! And after all this time, it's STILL not over?!
• Dropped a Bridge on Her: Michelle gets suddenly killed in this case with absolutely no previous foreshadowing, which makes it even more heartbreaking.
• Dying Moment of Awesome: Inverted example with Arsenio, who is glad he got arrested for murdering a member of the Bureau after years of building and leading SOMBRA to what it is today.
  Arsenio: But there's no shame in going to jail for killing a Bureau agent. At my age, it's quite a feat!
• Evil Old Folks: Alejandro is 81, Isabel is 94, and Arsenio is 85. They're also proud founding members of SOMBRA, with Arsenio even being the original leader.
• Evil Gloating: During his arrest, trial, and even post-incarceration interrogation, Arsenio takes his sweet time gloating and performing dog-kicks at the Bureau and the player about killing Michelle, having a SOMBRA agent infiltrate the force, and taunting you for believing you had defeated SOMBRA by arresting him.
• Falsely Reformed Villain: When you first speak with him, Alejandro claims his day of serving SOMBRA are over and he's just visiting Campanilla to relieve his past. Then you discover he's still working for the organization and even delivers you a threatening message from El Rey.
• Faux Affably Evil: Arsenio acts like a polite old man even when gloating about all the horrible things SOMBRA has done and how he murdered one of the Bureau's agents in cold blood.
• Fictional Province: The case takes place in the fictional town of Campanilla, located in Colombia.
• Five-Second Foreshadowing: As seen in the page's quote, Dupont tells you about the old bell tower seconds before you hear the bell being dropped and killing Michelle.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: Continuing from previous cases, this one establishes that SOMBRA started as a group of intellectuals meeting at a local pub and discussing ideas about making the world "a better place", but somehow got upgraded into the nefarious criminal organization they're on this day.
  Judge Adaku: <Player's Name>'s proved you and your friends founded SOMBRA several decades ago. At first, you were just discussing ideas...
  But those ideas turned into a nightmare: child trafficking, experiments, corruption, murder!
• Glory Days: During his first interrogation, Arsenio fondly remembers how The King's Shadow used to be full of life back in the 50s when SOMBRA was first founded and he was just a regular jazz musician.
• Go Back to the Source: The Bureau goes to Campanilla, SOMBRA's birthplace, to attack the organization from its roots and weaken it. It works, but at a heavy cost.
• Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: One of the killer's traits is that they smoke. Arsenio, the killer and former leader of SOMBRA, is even seen with a cigar on his sprite.
• Hell Is That Noise: The team is alerted of Michelle's death by the loud crashing sound of the bell crushing her.
• Hero Killer: Arsenio Castillo, also known as El Rey, kills Michelle in this case as a punishment for doing a Heel–Face Turn.
• Humanizing Tears: Ingrid is seen crying when you speak with her during the Additional Investigation, something that surprises Carmen.
• Implied Death Threat: Alejandro delivers you one in the name of El Rey during his second interrogation.
  Alejandro: Here, have a cigar as a price for your naivety, <Player's Name>, and leave Campanilla now! Unless you want to end up like your friend. That's El Rey's message to you.
• The Infiltration: According to Ignacio, the reason why he decided to work for SOMBRA was because he wanted to be closer to Michelle, no matter how dangerous it could be.
• Interface Spoiler: The fact that there's still one whole region left to investigate should be your first clue that Arsenio's arrest won't be the end of SOMBRA.
• Ironic Name / Meaningful Name: The town the case is set in is called Campanilla, which means "little bell" in Spanish, due to its centuries-old bell tower. Of course, the bell that was used to kill Michelle isn't so little.
• Jack the Ripoff: Arsenio killed Michelle by imitating a character's death in the book ''Rayuela de Ficciones".
• Karma Houdini Warranty: After creating SOMBRA and escaping justice for decades, Alejandro, Isabel, and Arsenio are all arrested in this case. Ignacio also gets his comeuppance for harassing Michelle and working for SOMBRA despite his crimes being far tamer than those of the founders.
• Kick the Dog: Arsenio is the master of this, delivering kick after kick during his arrest by taunting you about Michelle's death, Angela's betrayal, and how naïve you are for believing SOMBRA is defeated by his arrest when in fact your problems have just really begun.
• Last Episode, New Character: Played With. While this is Alejandro, Isabel, and Arsenio's first physical appearance, their debuts have had varying degrees of Foreshadowing across the region, as Alejandro was mentioned on a newspaper article back in Argentina, Isabel was mentioned by Michelle in the previous case, and as El Rey, Arsenio has been the focal point of the Bureau's investigation in South America.
• Living Legend: Arsenio Castillo is a legendary Colombian musician known as "The King of Jazz", who for some reason just happens to be back at his hometown at the same time the Bureau is visiting it...
• Manifesto-Making Malcontent. You find El Rey's Manifesto as a clue in this case, which allows you to pinpoint Doña Amarga as a member of SOMBRA when you discover she's the one who wrote it.
• Manly Tears: Elliot is seen crying while analyzing Michelle's phone, as he was probably the closest person to her in the Bureau.
• Mistaken for Gay: Carmen thinks Lars and Jack are having a romantic date when you overhear their dinner and movie plans, though it's implied she was just teasing them.
• Mistaken for Thief: Doña Amarga is introduced when you first find her wallet in the village square, with she assuming you're stealing it.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: Arsenio likes to act like a forgetful and dimwitted old man whenever you talk to him, but he's actually the evil, cunning mastermind behind SOMBRA.
• Passing the Torch: You find a letter written by Arsenio ten years ago addressed to another member of SOMBRA, where he describes how he has passed the title of El Rey to them.
• Resignations Not Accepted: Arsenio performed a late version of this by killing Michelle for betraying SOMBRA and joining the Bureau, claiming that El Rey didn't forget those who betrayed him.
• Revealing Cover Up: The reason why Arsenio AKA El Rey gets caught is because he decides to kill Michelle right in front of the Bureau, though is implied that he was Captured on Purpose.
• Rogue Agent: Despite claiming that he had been following Michelle on orders of the MI6, a quick call from them reveals that George had been forced to retire from the agency years ago, meaning he's been trying to bring down SOMBRA all by himself with no authorization.
• Samus Is a Girl: Subverted. When you find El Rey's Manifesto was written by Isabel, Carmen assumes she's El Rey and had decided to hide behind a male alias to divert suspicion, but this ends up not being the case, though she's still a high-ranking member of SOMBRA.
• Shout-Out:
  • Arsenio Castillo resembles Compay Segundo.
  • Ramon Cortez resembles Ian Malcolm.
  • In the Old Bell Tower scene, there is a statue of a mermaid resembling Ariel, and a flag with a sun logo resembling the symbol of Corona.
  • In the Staircase scene, there is a hammer resembling Mjölnir.
  • At the end of the case it's revealed that the United States is building a wall along the Mexican border.
• Smoky Gentlemen's Club: During this case, you discover that SOMBRA was created by a group of intellectuals that used to meet up on a fancy gentleman's club named "La Sombra del Rey".
• So Proud of You: During her interrogation, Isabel tells you she was proud of Michelle becoming a lawyer due to her goal as a nanny being preparing her to live on a man's world where only strong women can survive.
• Sour Outside, Sad Inside: During the Additional Investigation, you find out Ingrid used to be married to a man named Ramon Cortez, but they divorced after a painful event she'd rather not remember, and thus her actual personality was born.
  Jack: I can't believe Ingrid got her heart broken! Maybe that's why she's so cold and distant now. She never confides in us... Maybe she's too afraid to get hurt again
• Stalker with a Crush: After Elliot analyses Michelle's phone, he discovers Ignacio Muñoz had been following her all around South America, and he admits Michelle was "his temptation".
• Stalker without a Crush: Due to trying to bring down SOMBRA on his own, George was also following Michelle due to her past connections with the organization, hoping to find a lead towards them.
• Surrounded by Smart People: When you interrogate him, Arsenio calls himself a regular jazz musician that was surrounded by the intellectuals that founded SOMBRA back in the day. Later Subverted when you discover he was just as smart as them, as he was their leader El Rey.
• They Died Because of You: After you find out Ignacio was Michelle's Stalker with a Crush and confront him for harassing her, he accuses the whole Bureau of leading Michelle to her death by bringing her to Campanilla.
• Title Drop: In a way. One of the case's locations is a local pub named "La Sombra del Rey", whose English translation is "The King's Shadow".
• There Are No Coincidences:
  • Carmen finds hard to believe that Alejandro and Arsenio just happened to be in town for a stroll during Michelle's death, and she turns out to be right when they're exposed as SOMBRA members.
  • On the other hand, Dupont's theory about SOMBRA originating on a pub named "La Sombra del Rey" and Arsenio being the titular El Rey due to his nickname "El Rey del Jazz" also ends up being completely true after being doubted by Carmen.
• Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Michelle was this during her childhood, according to Isabel.
  Isabel: Por Dios, that child needed discipline! I tried to teach her to be useful, to contribute, and she'd answer back, looking at her nails like a little madam!
  Carmen: Yeah, she kept that habit well into adulthood...
• True Companions: During the Additional Investigation, you find a photo of Carmen, Jack, and Michelle having fun together, which makes them realize they were this in the end despite having a rough start as the beginning due to her past with SOMBRA.
  Carmen: But I'm kinda glad you've found Michelle's notes. It's nice to show she was happy among us.
  Jack: It's hard to believe Michelle was SOMBRA when we first met her! Who'd have thought she'd be our partner one day? And our friend!
• Vagueness Is Coming: After you arrest Arsenio, he claims SOMBRA isn't done yet, as their plans are still unfolding "in the North", with no explanation regarding what he means by this.
• We Will Meet Again: Defied by Arsenio, who claims you won't speak with him again after his final interrogation.
  Arsenio: We won't meet again, <Player's Name>, but it's been a pleasure.
• Wham Episode: Michelle, one of your teammates, is messily killed with absolutely no foreshadowing, and his killer turns out to be none other than El Rey, SOMBRA's original leader. To make matters worse, El Rey reveals during his arrest that SOMBRA isn't finished yet, as he has passed the leadership of the organization to another member a decade ago.
• Wham Line: Two in quick succession regarding El Rey and the fact that his arrest won't mean the end of SOMBRA any time soon.
  Arsenio: You think you've ended SOMBRA because you arrested an old man, <Player's Name>? Your naivety is disappointing. I almost thought you were my equal!

  Dupont: According to some tests Lars made on the paper, El Rey wrote this letter at least a decade ago.
  And in his letter, Castillo hands the title of El Rey to another SOMBRA member!
• You Didn't Ask: After you discover Isabel wrote El Rey's Manifesto (which means she's a founding member of SOMBRA) and Carmen asks why she omitted that detail, she argues that you never asked about it.