The Curtain Falls

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The Curtain Falls
General information
Season	1
City	Anbrusia
District	Chorus Carnival
Case #	7
Initial release date	June 16th, 2021
Partner(s)	Kessie Owusu (All Chapters) Kauri Maunga (You're Gonna Miss Me 1)
Case chronology
← Preceded by	Succeeded by →
Drug on the Market (in Aeropolis Airport)	False Note

“	Five, four, three, two, drop! The curtain falls as a body drops along with it and a trapeze artist meets her ultimate demise. Gear up for a new series of murders in Chorus Carnival and find who made this woman come crashing down, and have a little fun while you're at it!	„
	—Case Teaser

The Curtain Falls is a case featured in Criminal Case where it appears as the seventh case in Anbrusia. It takes place as the first case in the Chorus Carnival district of Anbrusia.

Plot

Dylan lined up the gun to the intended target, took a deep breath… and fired! A bell chimed from the top of the carnival booth, signaling that they’d won a prize. They jumped with joy and high fived the player as they grabbed a shark plush and knelt down to the pupper beside them, exclaiming that he could keep it. Petting him behind his ear, Dylan looked over at the other members of the PD, all trying their hand at separate booths– Antonio with the High Striker, Qasim, his sons, and Kauri at ring toss, Kessie and Roza at ring toss, and Safiya, Ichika, Carlos, and Mauricio each competing against each other in an intense racing game. However, Jordan had been standing from afar, his arms crossed as he surveyed the others. It was clear he wasn’t in much of a mood to release the stress everyone had been feeling after what happened in Aeropolis Airport, and it was understandable. Regardless, Dylan and the player both walked over to Jordan and urged him to do something other than being on his lonesome, before people were called over to the big top to watch the main show. Without letting him protest, Dylan dragged him along, and within minutes, the tent was full of people, and eventually, the show began. They witnessed a man performing fire tricks, the ringleader leading a tiger through hoops, an animal wrangler, a pair of conjoined twins, a juggler and lastly, it had been the trapeze artist’s time to shine. The woman smiled confidently as the spotlight shone on her, and started her performance off strong. However, she started to flail in the air and her calm composure was lost, though doing her best to regain it. Murmurs erupted in the crowd, and she eventually had no choice but to ask for help dozens of feet in the air, before the bands snapped, releasing her and sending the trapeze artist crashing down, before a sickening crack was heard as her body connected with the cold floor.

Through the many screams and gasps, the team rushed over to the woman in an attempt to help her, but it was clear that she had already been dead, with the way her head was dislocated. Kessie looked up at the contraption that held the woman in the air and saw the unstable cable which caused the woman to fall. She gritted her teeth, looked at the ringleader, asking how this could have happened, and he swore that he made sure all of the equipment was safe and the cables were tightly secured, double checking it all himself. Though the others passed it off as a tragic accident, Kessie was sure that there had been more going on and pleaded to allow her to do an investigation, looking over at Qasim, who sighed and went along with her request, pairing her up with the player. The player and Kessie identified the woman as Sylvia Cruz, though her stage name had been Sylvette. They spoke to the ringleader, Chase Adams, who had been upset that his show was ruined and he had lost the star of his show, gaining side-eyes from the other performers. Furthermore, the pair questioned the fire dancer, Enzo McGinnis, and the man’s spirit was still aflame, exclaiming that he would burn bright and perform another trick in respect of his fallen comrade. He did mention though that he noticed that the pretty lady, so beautifully radiant, was scribbling on a piece of paper, and her emotions were far from vibrant and joyful. Though they did not find said paper, the two did talk to the conjoined twins, Emelie & Emma, and Kessie was surprised to learn that the two had actually been conjoined and it wasn’t staged as so. Nonetheless, the two didn’t have much to provide, despite their upbeat and playful personality, and admitted that Sylvia had been the only one they really liked among the rest of the performers. The animal wrangler, Sylvain Spectacle, had expressed great sorrow for the loss of a star that shone brightest of them all, reciting poems and hoping that her spirit would be at peace.

Sighing, Kessie recounted the events that she learned with the player and shook her head, thinking that maybe everyone else was right and this had been a simple accident. Feeling defeated, she suggested just dropping the case and going back to the station, before Dylan ran over to them along with the barking dog and told them that they’d found something! Dylan claimed that while near the entrance, the dog had found a piece of paper, which he turned over to the investigators, the paper warning Sylvia that today would be her last if she didn’t leave. Kessie and the player quickly made work of tracing the source of the paper, which came from the fortune teller booth ran by a certain Melanie Davis, who Dylan had been shocked to see and said that she was their sister.

They went to find the medium, and upon sight of their sibling, Melanie beamed with joy and ran up to them, squeezing them in a giant hug. She ruffled Dylan’s hair and turned to look towards the player and Kessie, her smile as bright as the sun. It was almost as if the girl was radiating nothing but positive energy, and even the flowers seemed to bloom and glow near her. Kessie herself was mesmerized by Melanie’s aura, but snapped out of it once Melanie brought up the victim. Without even telling her, it seemed like she already knew the rundown of the case. Kessie opened her mouth to speak, but Melanie answered her question before she even asked it, revealing that she had only given Sylvia the reading she asked for, while warning her of the danger she was in. She then went on to ramble randomly over learning that fish can cough, wondering what clouds felt like, someone named Deimos, and if the bottom of the world was a void like Bloxcraft. It was clear that they wouldn’t be able to get a word off without being interrupted and that Melanie was perfectly content in her own world, to which Dylan just sighed and suggested leaving, as they knew from firsthand experience there was no bringing Melanie out of it. However, before they walked away, Melanie snapped back into reality and gave Dylan a hug, wishing them luck and ruffling their hair, and suggesting looking through the performance tent. Dylan then left, blushing furiously from embarrassment.

Now that they were back on track, Kessie and the player searched through the tent, noticing a toolbox hidden in a cranny, having the circus’ mark imprinted on it. They questioned Chase, whose eyes widened and admitted that the toolbox was one that had suddenly gone missing while he was preparing everything before the grand opening. He assumed the mechanic had already taken care of things from there and didn’t think much of it, as this wasn’t the first time it happened. Figuring the killer used the toolbox to mess with Sylvia’s support, Kessie and the player analyzed it closer, finding an Elephant pin and determining that the killer had watched ‘Jumbo’. Going back to the big top, the investigators looked near the stage and found a picture of Sylvia and a woman identified to be Sabrina Starr, who had been putting on a show for little kids and blowing a balloon for one. She finished up to talk to the investigators, expressing her sympathy for those poor children for seeing something horrific, and wanted to make them feel better. Addressing the photo, she admitted that she and Sylvia were friends, Kessie pointing out that she didn’t seem too bothered by her death. Sabrina smiled and threw a ball in the air, catching it and saying that she never mourned death, but instead celebrated life, and she hoped Sylvia would find peace with herself, though didn’t say much more to clarify. Afterwards, the player discovered a crumpled paper, which revealed that Sylvain had made Sylvia cry. Upon being confronted, he sighed and let them know that he and Sylvia were romantically involved once upon a time, but the prince, referring to himself, no longer felt drawn to his princess, and instead wanted to be free of the shackles and be one with the wind. Sylvia didn’t take kindly to this though, explaining her words on the paper.

Finishing up with their current interrogations, Melanie appeared to pop out of quite literally thin air, scaring Kessie. She claimed to have clues to be able to help them, and that she had spoken to Sylvia’s ghost. Confused yet intrigued, the duo entertained her idea, and Melanie sighed, telling them that poor little Sylvia didn’t reveal much as she was still angry with Melanie, though most fresh spirits are. What she did learn though, was that Sylvia had hung around the animal cages near the circus entrance, and supposedly she had dropped her phone near there but noticed too late and she could not have gone back to get it. As it turned out, Melanie’s advice would prove to be helpful as they uncovered the trapeze artist’s phone, Kessie wondering how she was able to do that. Regardless, they also found texts from Sabrina revealing that Sylvia had stolen the spotlight of the show from her and that she would get her fired and when confronted, ended the friendship. Sabrina twirled her hair and sighed at how things had ended, but she was a single mother and the circus was her only way of making ends meet to provide for her daughter, so naturally, she was upset that someone she once considered a friend betrayed her for something she never tried to take away from Sylvia. Furthermore, the investigators discovered that the twins were going to sabotage Sylvia’s performance, but only minimally because she had made a fool of them during their last show and called them freaks, and that Sylvia had discovered a secret of Enzo’s, which he had been insistent on keeping, and even allowed them to be more suspicious of him, since he had no intentions on revealing it. Upon gathering more clues, Kessie and the player were able to arrest Sylvain for Sylvia's murder.

The trapeze artist was aghast by how quick they were to assume a pretty face could commit the sinful act of homicide, expressing his disgust at them. However, his face cracked more each time they pressed further, and he shouted that he had done it in the name of Pacov. Confused, Kessie asked what a Pacov was, and Sylvain seemed offended at the question, switching to an aggressive tone. Apparently, Pacov was what he called his best friend, his rat of two years that filled the lonely void in his heart the way no woman, no matter how graceful and bright she shined, could fill it. While it is true that they were together once, their love would not last. Sylvain, being the fool that he is, believed that their love could triumph over all trials, but Sylvia never seemed to have gotten over the fact that Sylvain preferred the company of his rat over her. According to him, she was simply a selfish human not understanding the nature and importance of beautiful creatures such as his lovely Pacov. The last straw was when Sylvain had left his rat out of his cage to scurry about while they finished preparing for the opening day of the carnival. He had left the room only shortly in search for “a meal fit for a king”, Pacov, and had returned to the sound of Sylvia’s scream. What he had seen felt like his entire world shattered into a million pieces, and he could hear his thumping heart as what awaited him was Pacov’s dead body and Sylvia screaming, hysterical that it appeared out of nowhere. In a fit of rage, he yelled at Sylvia, claiming that she had killed him, which had set off his plan for her murder. He was ready to avenge his fallen friend and honor him one last time by killing Sylvia at her peak– literally, and so he sabotaged her equipment in the name of Pacov. Kessie’s eyes widened and was worried to speak, asking if he really did all of this over a rat, to which he cut her off and screamed the he wasn’t a rat– he was a king, a god. Ready to get him off their hands, Kessie and the player sent Sylvain to trial, facing an already annoyed Judge Malik who faced massive questions from reporters after Christopher’s arrest and pile of paperwork. Cutting straight to the chase, Zahra refused to entertain Sylvain’s fantasies, letting him know that an autopsy of the rat (which was found buried in a small coffin with a crown drawn on it) confirmed it simply died of old age. She then waved him off after he went on about his friend being immortal, and sentenced him to 15 years in prison with psychological treatment for the useless waste of Sylvia's life.

At the end of the trial, Kessie nervously laughed and said she was glad that they dealt with that swiftly, but realized that their work was far from over– they still needed to find Oscar.

--- You’re Gonna Miss Me (1/6) ---

After going back to the station, Kessie paired up with the player to investigate Oscar’s trail, when Melanie skipped into the station, a smile on her face. She called the investigators over and offered her assistance, having learned of their troubles from Dylan. She told them of a woman by the name of Patricia Olsen, a wax artist, who may be able to aid them, as she is also a major historian who has connections in all parts throughout Anbrusia. Considering she wasn’t the kindest person however, they may want to stop by the big top’s backstage and search through her locker for a box of chocolates to soften her up. Melanie then looked at the time and realized she had to go take care of something, and had bid them adieu. Going back to the circus, Kessie and the player found Melanie’s locker, although it seems as if Melanie had forgotten to give them the code to the lock. Regardless, Kessie believed the player could unlock it, and once they did, an envelope with a strange symbol fell out, and with it, the letter inside. While the player took the chocolates, Kessie tried to pick up the letter, but couldn’t help but notice what the letter had to say, her eyes drifting back and forth between the words. She didn’t seem to hear the player the first time, but snapped out of it once they called her name once more. They then heard Melanie’s voice from afar, calling out to them and apologizing for not giving the code, as Kessie suddenly quickly put the letter back into the flimsy envelope. When the girl entered, she laughed when she realized they already got it covered, but eyes widened when she noticed the envelope in Kessie’s hand. Kessie shook her head and promised that she didn’t read it, while Melanie’s eyes filled with nothing but darkness as she swiftly snatched the envelope from Kessie and made her leave. Worried, Kessie called out to her and asked her if she was alright, making Melanie stop in her tracks. She took a deep breath, then smiled, looking back and letting them know she was fine, before she left in a hurry. Before the player could ask Kessie what the letter had said, Kessie simply said that they should go find Patricia, and so they went ahead and did that.

Arriving at her residence, the investigators plastered a smile and knocked on the door once, before a sharp voice told them to go away. Kessie then informed her that they brought chocolate, before they heard footsteps coming closer and the door swung open. Patricia sized the two up and down and asked what they wanted, inviting them in after learning about Oscar. She confirmed that she had seen a lad fitting his description around the district, and word had gone around that someone fitting his description had been shipping drugs from the airport. She then left the room and came back with a folder containing everything she knows, much to the investigators surprise. Kessie asked her how she had access to all this information, Patricia shrugging and smugly saying that it pays to have leverage over people, and she’d be surprised by how much people pay for information. Once back at the station, Carlos helped scan the documents, confirming what Patricia said. It would take him some time, but he believes he could try to narrow down an address among the documents, and he should have an answer for them soon.

Meanwhile, Jordan asked for the player and Kauri’s help, as his son, Wilbur, ran off somewhere after Jordan suggested visiting Christopher in prison. He’s tried calling him by phone, but not even a ring went through, so Jordan assumed his phone must have been turned off. Kauri scratched his chin, thinking it over for a moment, before he nodded and assured Jordan they would find Wilbur. Kauri suggested going back to the circus, finding Wilbur’s scarf near the entrance, a dried red stain on it. Although Kauri was sure it wasn’t blood, a panicking Jordan ran wild with scenarios inside his head, so Kauri helped calm his nerves by analyzing the scarf, confirming it was just jam from something Wilbur most likely was eating. Kauri then figured Wilbur would be in the big top, and upon searching, he had found Wilbur’s bag next to a ring with a strange symbol engraved onto it. Before he could inspect it further, Wilbur then appeared from the corner, a troubled expression on his face. Jordan went up to him and hugged his son tightly, saying he was glad he was okay. An uncomfortable Wilbur then shrugged his dad off and shook his head, and Jordan raised an eyebrow at the silver watch on Wilbur’s wrist, asking where he had acquired such an expensive looking thing. Nervously, the teenager shrugged and put his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, saying he wanted to go see his other father now after all. Sighing, Jordan took a deep breath and nodded, asking the player to come for support.

At the prison, the guard mentioned that Christopher did not want visitors at this moment, but decided to go fetch him once Jordan pressed further. When Christopher reluctantly arrived though, Jordan gasped as he had seen his husband all banged up with bruises and bandages. Wilbur bit his lip as Jordan asked, his voice slightly cracking, what had happened to him. Christopher sighed and apologized, as he didn’t want them to see him like that, but essentially, many of their old “acquaintances” had a lot they wanted to tell him- or rather, do to him, especially one Oliver Butler. Unfortunately, it seemed like some of the guards were on Oscar’s payroll, considering they conveniently had left the room once Oliver and his goons had walked in. Jordan shook his head and let out a rattled breath, commenting on the bandage near his chest, to which Christopher revealed Oliver had tried sticking a shiv in him. Wilbur, unable to hear any more, ran out of the room, Christopher sighing and apologizing for putting everyone in this situation, and advised Jordan to go talk to him, not giving him a choice in the matter as he had left the visiting room to go back to his cell. Everything seemed to have been going wrong, and Jordan just wanted to leave for now and clear his head, thanking the player for being there.

As night fell the coming hours, rain poured through the streets and the thunder roared, as the members of the LEA all gathered around a table and played a card game to pass the time and wait out the storm. Kessie, however, was staring at the clock on the wall, her face hard to read as the clock ticked and ticked and ticked. Wilbur was off in Jordan’s office, staring intensely at the ring found near his bag and twirling it around in his hand, clearly conflicted. Once the clock was a quarter till 10, Kessie got up and put on her raincoat, heading out the door. Kauri called out to her and asked where she was going, but Kessie had already been out of earshot. Shrugging, he let it go and heard something fall from Jordan’s office, deciding to check it out. Seeing as there had only been a fallen figurine on the floor and the window open, he figured that the wind must’ve knocked it over, and closed it before heading back to the table and asking for another round, the others cheering. He then waved the player over, throwing them their own card and smirked, saying he had the game in the bag this time, the rest of the night being filled with smiles and laughter… well, for most people…

Summary

Victim

• Sylvia "Sylvette" Cruz (found dead, after falling to her death while performing)

Murder Weapon

• Fall

Killer

• Sylvain Spectacle

Suspects

Chase Adams

Enzo McGinnis

Emelie & Emma

Sylvain Spectacle

Melanie Davis

Sabrina Starr

Quasi-Suspects

Patricia Olsen

Jordan Blackwood

Wilbur Blackwood

Christopher Blackwood

Killer's Profile

• The killer eats cotton candy.
• The killer owns a little dog.
• The killer has watched 'Jumbo'.
• The killer wears rainbow glitter.
• The killer is under 30.

Crime Scenes

Circus Big Top	Big Top Stage	Circus Big Top Bonus
Circus Entrance	Animal Cages	Circus Entrance Bonus
Performance Tent	Tent-Makeup Tables	Performance Tent Bonus

Navigation

Cases in Anbrusia
Aeropolis Airport	Flying Colors • Beaten Black and Blue • Burning Daylight • Flying the Coop • In the Doghouse • Drug on the Market
Chorus Carnival	The Curtain Falls • False Note • Sharp Wit • Music to My Ears • Two Can Play at That Game • The Night the Clown Cried
Alluring Avenue	Drop Dead Handsome • Between Your Heart and Mine • A Kiss Goodbye • The Apple of My Eyes • Light Up the Night • An Affair to Remember
Cedarwood Cinemas	Flash a Smile • Through Your Looking Glass • Beyond Wildest Dreams • In Black and White • Run a Tight Ship • A Dark Horse
Utopian University	School of Thought • Lessons Learned • Spoilsport • Curve Ball • As the Sun Rises • The Queen Has Fallen
Frosty Forest	Hit the Mountain Trail • Shivering With Fear • Bearly Alive • Forever Frozen in Time • Saw You in the Flesh • Monster of Them All
Innovation Isle	In For a Shock • Blinded with Science • Not Science Fiction • Brain Power • No One Lives Forever • Game Plan
Cassiopeia Canyon	Trained to Kill • My Way or the Highway • In Space and Beyond • Alien Territory • Laser Precision • Murder Sixty One
Crescent Capital	Tip the Balance • Locked and Loaded • Dead Eagle Eye • Riot Act • Venom in Our Veins • A Stab in the Dark
Poshley Place	At Death's Doorstep • The View From the Balcony • Lost in the Stars • A Reign of Terror • The Last Goodbye • To the Stars