Recap / Criminal Case: Pacific Bay - Case 40: Temple of Doom

Amy: Archaeology! I love that stuff! Ancient ruins, mummies, adventures!

Chief Marquez sends Amy and the player to stop famous archaeologist Burt Montana, who has been destroying private property and natural landscapes while looking for a lost temple without permit. When they arrive to his archaeological dig, though, they only find Burt's body tied up and with his heart removed sacrifice-style.

Tropes:

• Adventurer Archaeologist: Just like the character he was based off of, Burt Montana was one of these.
• Alliterative Name: Professor Howard Haggard.
• Ancient Astronauts: According to Louis, the aliens helped the Aztecs shape their civilization, which makes him believe the temple is connected to outer space. Later during the Additional Investigation, Hannah and Zuma tell you the exact same thing.
• Ancient Artifact: Burt was looking for the ancient temple because he wanted to find an Aztec statue that supposedly grants the wielder great power.
• Artifact of Doom: According to professor Howard Haggard, the ancient Aztec statue that Burt stole from the temple has the power to destroy the world, hence why he begged Burt to stop looking for it.
  Howard: ARGHHHHH! The statue of the Aztecs! We're doomed! That statue will kill us all, cities will crumble, oceans boil! It will end the world!!
• Attack on the Heart: The victim was killed by having his heart removed.
• Beat Still, My Heart: According to Roxie, the victim had his heart removed while it was still beating.
• Bilingual Bonus: Otto Schmetterling's surname is German for "butterfly", which makes for an Animal Motif as he has a butterfly collection and wears a butterfly brooch.
• Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: When you discover Professor Howard tried to blow up the temple so the Aztec statue would remain forever lost, he asks if "is crazy to try save mankind, to care, and to put chilis in your coffee instead of milk."
• The Collector: Otto Schmetterling, a famous art collector who paid the victim a box full of gold for an ancient Aztec statue, which is why Burt was looking for the temple in the first place.
• Competition Freak: The reason why Burt and his ex-wife Pearl Montana got divorced was because they both wanted to be the best archaeologist in the world, which led to competition and fights between them.
• Continuity Nod: During Louis' trial, Judge Dante claims he still doesn't have jurisdiction to rule on inter-galactic matters.
• Einstein Hair: Doctor Howard has it.◊
• First Contact: The reason why Louis Scripps became Burt's assistant then sacrificed him was because he wanted to contact aliens.
• Hollywood Natives: Zuma Tlatoani, the leader of the Aztec tribe living in Pacific Bay, dresses like an stereotypical native, though he's quite polite and far from savage.
• Imported Alien Phlebotinum: Both the talking statue and the crystal skull you find in the archaeological dig are, according to Hannah and Zuma, made from alien technology
  Amy: Oh no, you're not going to tell us you think aliens made the skull, are you?! Hannah, aliens don't exist!
  Hannah: Then how do you explain the glowing, floating, talking statue?! I'm telling you, there are weird things happening around here!
• Instantly Proven Wrong: When Howard learns about Burt's death, he happily remarks how the Aztec statue will now be safe in the temple just before before Amy shows it to him, leading to Howard freaking out.
• In Vino Veritas: Burt got Zuma drunk on tequila so he would give Burt information leading to the lost temple, so Zuma put a curse on him with a painted skull in retaliation.
• Living Statue: During the investigation, the Aztec statue Burt took from the temple starts talking in Aztec language, leading to everyone in the department freaking out.
• Mad Professor: Doctor Howard Haggard, a crazy astronomy professor who believes the ancient Aztec statue will destroy the world.
• Mistaken for Aliens: Louis Scripps mistook himself for an alien, as he read an ancient description of them that "matched" his physical description. Coupled with the fact that he believed Aztecs could communicate with aliens with sacrifices, it led to him killing Burt so his "alien brothers" would come for him.
• Noodle Incident: Judge Dante recalls how, as a kid, he told his friends he could fly until one of them made him prove it.
• No Such Thing as Space Jesus: Zuma tells you the Aztec people's Gods and aliens are the same, as they're the ones who brought their technology and helped the Aztecs centuries ago.
  Zuma: This skull is a representation of our Gods. It was created with the technology they brought us from the stars, to remember them until the day they come back...
  Amy: From the stars?! Wait, your Gods came from the stars? You're saying they were... aliens?
  Zuma: Aliens, Gods... Their names may vary, but they came to the Aztecs and offered them knowledge. My people will forever be grateful to them.
• Race Against the Clock: When the Aztec statue starts to talk, it tells the Department to solve the murder before sunset or else more people will die.
• Shout-Out:
  • The case's storyline is largely based on Indiana Jones.
    • The victim, Burt Montana, is a parody of Indiana Jones.
    • The title, and the manner in which the victim died (heart removal), refer to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
    • Indiana's trademark hat can be found in many of the scenes.
    • A crystal skull is put together in the Additional Investigation.
  • In the Archaeological Dig scene, there is a hat similar to the one worn by René Belloq.
  • In the Victim's Office scene, there is a picture resembling Henry Jones.
  • The handle of Otto Schmetteling's cane is an Amber with a Mosquito in it.
• Temple of Doom: The case centers around an ancient Aztec temple the victim was trying to find. You stumble upon it during the Additional Investigation, only to discover the victim and the killer had already been inside.
• They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!: Zuma berates Amy for calling him Mister Tlaotani instead of Chief Tlaotani.
• Unusual Euphemism: According to Howard, Burt threatened to take his PhD thesis and shove it up his "lost temple" if he kept bothering him.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Amy is revealed to be afraid of snakes in this case when you examine a reptile tank.
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: When you speak to Louis, the killer, he seems distraught and even cries about Burt's death, recalling all the adventures they had together.