Chief Wright: Crimson Banks is home to many Irish and Italian businesses... Which have historically flourished side by side, on the two banks of the river.
The Flying Squad makes its way to Crimson Banks, the commercial heart of Concordia where Italians and Irish coexist in peace, to chase after Franca Capecchi and stop her from instigating a Mob War between both communities to avenge her husband's murder. There, it doesn't take long before Maddie and the player are informed about a murder being reported in a slaughterhouse, where the body of Irish cab driver Thomas Boyd has been found hanging from a hook and with his guts spilled out.
Tropes:
- Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: While inspecting the victim's cab for clues, Maddie momentarily gets distracted by swooning over it and comparing it to her own car.
- Blackmail: The Italians had been blackmailing Betty with aiding them by hiding packages in her butcher shop, and Margherita also used her shop to murder the victim while Betty was forced to turn a blind eye.
- The Bus Came Back: Dermot McMurphy, who was incarcerated for running an illegal fight club in Case 19, returns here as a suspect after serving his sentence.
- Call-Back: Antonio "The Scorpion" Dante returns as suspect after being absent since 22.
- Comically Missing the Point: Betty does this when you ask her about a murder occurring in her butcher shop.Maddie: Betty, you said you worked here in the slaughterhouse. How in heavens did you not notice a dead man hanging from the hooks?Betty: A dead man? We don't sell those here, love, only beef and pork! But I suppose dead meat is dead meat, whatever creature it was before!
- Continuity Nod:
- One of the killer´s traits is that they read Pistols & Petticoats, the magazine mentioned in Case 21.
- Maddie recalls how Antonio brother was mistaken for the Scarlet Slayer and killed as a result.
- When you find a severed finger from an Irishman, Maddie recalls how this isn't the first time the Italians have done this as a form of intimidation.
- Evie getting shot by the Italians is brought up again.
- Distress Call: Evie performs one from a phone boot in Chapter 3 after getting chased by Betty with a butcher knife, who claims was just following Evie around to "help her".
- Drives Like Crazy: The victim was helping Scott Buckley, an Irish immigrant, learn how to drive to become a cab driver just like him, but stopped after the first try because Scott crashed into a lamppost.
- Gangbangers: In addition to Antonio returning, Margherita Morello, the killer, is also part of the Italian gang.
- Good Luck Charm: Butcher Betty has one in the form of a plastic figurine of a pig named Prince Porky.
- Gorn: Just like The Grim Butcher, the victim was killed by being hanged from a hook then cut open like a pig, prompting his guts to spill out, and this time, we see the results. The only upside is that he wasn't also tortured like the victim from The Grim Butcher was.Maddie: Sorry, <Player's Name>... It's just that it's the most gruesome murder we've seen in a while!
- Gutted Like a Fish: How the victim died, although "Gutted Like a Pig" would be a more accurate term.
- He Knows Too Much: A non-lethal example: Antonio cut off the finger of an Irish shopkeeper named Sean Flynn because he discovered Antonio had planted a spying device on the victim's cab.
- If I Can't Have You…: Margherita murdered Thomas after he broke up with her for being part of the Italian gang.
- Intergenerational Friendship: The victim, who was around his late 30s, was friends with fellow Irish Scott Buckley, who is 65, at least until Thomas decided to not give him a job.
- It Has Only Just Begun: At the end of the case, Maddie fearfully says that this murder is just the beginning of the imminent Mob War that is brewing in Crimson Banks and that the entire Squad needs to be prepared for what's about to come.
- Jack the Ripoff: The case's killer murdered Thomas the exact same way the killer from a story in the Pistols & Petticoats magazine did it, which allows Evie to deduce the culprit reads said magazine.
- Just Got Out of Jail: One of the killer's traits is that they have been in prison before. In a more precise example, Dermot, who you arrested back in Case 19 for running an underground fight club, has just been released from prison on accounts of good behavior.
- I Just Want to Be Badass: Throughout the case, Evie tries to investigate on her own and also steals one of Rose's guns to learn how to shot, as she confesses she's been feeling useless against the Italians ever since they injured her in Case 29 and wants to grow stronger.
- Kill on Sight: During her arrest, Margherita says that Franca has declared "open season" on the Irish for the Italian gang to kill, and she decided to give the first step by murdering Thomas over a resentment.
- Merchant City: Crimson Banks is described as this, being the commercial heart of Concordia where merchandise shipments arrive and most of its inhabitants run shops and establishments.
- Misplaced Retribution: During the Additional Investigation, Rose informs you that one of her guns has been stolen and immediately jumps to accuse Diego, claiming that they should've never allowed a criminal to join the Squad. Then you discover it was Evie who stole the gun.
- Murder Ballad: Implied after you rescue Evie from Betty.Betty: What's that you're saying 'bout me? I only chased after you because I thought you needed help! I wanted to offer a sniff of chloral hydrate to calm you down!Evie: You were humming a song about slitting my throat!
- Noodle Incident: Rose briefly recalls how she and her late husband once fought a gang of crocodile hunters before telling you it doesn't matter.
- Not Proven: Despite Sean declaring that it was Antonio who cut off his finger, the lack of solid proof and Sean leaving Crimson Banks without further declaration spared Antonio from being incarcerated.
- Official Couple: As of this case, is clear that Maddie and Charlie are officially going out, with Diego declaring that he feels a little jealous of their relationship and Charlie constantly complimenting Maddie during his analyses.
- Only One Name: Betty only has her first name revealed, being called "Butcher Betty" by everyone.
- Pet the Dog: After Evie confesses she stole Rose's gun to learn how to shot since she feels weak and useless, Rose comforts her and tells Evie that she's useful for the Squad in her own way, such as being very intelligent.
- Prevent the War: The Flying Squad arrives to Crimson Banks for this reason, as Franca Capecchi is planning to start a Mob War to kill as many Irish as possible to avenge her husband's death.
- Protection Racket: Antonio had been charging the victim for "protection" while he drove through the Italian side of Crimson Banks despite the fact that the only Italians who would've wanted to hurt him were gangster such as Antonio himself.
- Saying Too Much: Antonio accidentally reveals he cut off Sean's finger because he saw him putting a spying device on the victim's car.Antonio: He saw me planting a spying device in that Irish cabbie's car, and-Uh, forget I said anything...
- Shout-Out:
- The case's title comes from the song of the same name by Simon & Garfunkel.
- In the Slaughterhouse Meat Hooks scene, there is a broken figurine that, when repaired, resembles Porky Pig. Betty, its owner, even calls it Prince Porky.
- In the Crimson Bridge scene, there is a bust of Julius Caesar.
- Skewed Priorities: When you inform Margherita about Thomas' murder, she wonders who will take her to her beauty appointment now.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Both Margherita about Thomas were in a relationship despite she being Italian and Thomas being Irish, which was seen as taboo. This ended up with Thomas breaking up with Margherita and she murdering him out of spite.
- The Taxi: The victim was in charge of driving one of these across both sides of the river.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Dermot declares that the victim's car used to belong to him, and Dermot lent it to Thomas while he was in prison. However, Thomas refused to give it back to Dermot when he got out, claiming that he was making too much money as a cab driver.
