Chief Wright: It's been six months since Lawson came into power, and his quest for justice has become nothing short of fanatical! His first act was to abolish the free press. Now we have a single newspaper called "The New Truth," which is little more than a mouthpiece for Lawson and his regime!
Six months have passed since Justin Lawson enacted his position as Mayor of Concordia, and it has been a tyrannical nightmare for his citizens. For this, the Flying Squad has begun to try and work against Lawson's regime while acting like they're supporters in ways that include going on daily patrols ordered by him. It's on one of these patrols that Maddie and the player discover the dead body of Judge Satoshi Takakura, having been beaten to death in the middle of a street.Tropes:
- Air-Vent Passageway: Rose and the player infiltrate the prison where Florence is being held this way.
- Bludgeoned to Death: Judge Takakura was murdered by having his head caved in with a hammer.
- By-the-Book Cop: Inspector Jaubert considers himself to be this, despite the fact he's working as an agent of the State Sec created by Mayor Lawson.
- Call-Back: Oscar Trefusis returns as a suspect after being last seen in Case 6.
- Chekhov's Skill: Charlie's telephonic skills come into play here when he manages to create a private telephone line for the Squad and the resistance against Lawson, reducing the risk of them being found out by the Justice Corps.
- Childhood Friends: Yuri Ishida, a childhood friend of Takakura, appears as a suspect here, though she leaves clear she intended to upgrade their relationship to another level...
- Contrived Coincidence: Apparently, Florence had no idea the garden where she disposed of Takakura's bloody tie belonged to the judge himself.
- Cranky Neighbor: Oscar Trefusis became this for Takakura after he moved next to his house, hating how Takakura played the violin in his property.
- Da Chief: Inspector Jaubert, the head of the Justice Corps, appears here as a suspect.
- Door Slam of Rage: Lawson does this after you fail to deliver him someone in custody for Takakura's murder, giving you a time limit to catch the killer.
- Dreadful Musician: Trefusis accused Takakura of being this with his violin, although it's clear he just hated any kind of noise coming from his house.
- Entitled to Have You: Yuri felt this way towards Takakura, to the point she resented him when he didn't ask her hand in marriage after many years. She even attempts to take Takakura's belongings for herself during the investigation, considering she's entitled to having them.
- The Extremist Was Right:
- Inspector Jaubert did a Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique on Takakura for believing he was against Lawson's regime, but didn't find anything and concluded he was in the wrong. Then, during the Additional Investigation, you discover Takakura was indeed part of La Résistance against Lawson.
- As it turns out, both Archie and Malcolm Rochester were completely right about both Lawson being just like their family and the Squad regretting helping him, as he becomes an even bigger threat than they ever were by virtue of being the tyrannical mayor of Concordia.
- Fake Defector: The Flying Squad has to pretend be in support of Lawson's tyrannical regime, since they can't afford to have the department being closed and losing any chance of ever stopping him.
- Great Escape: During the Additional Investigation, you, Diego, and Rose devise a plan to help Florence Samuels escape from prison, as they oppose Lawson deciding to execute whoever he pleases.
- Grumpy Old Man: Florence accuses Takakura of being this during one of her interrogations.Florence: He was a crotchety old man! Judge Takakura was forever grumbling about something or another...And nothing I did was ever good enough to make him happy!
- Heroic Sacrifice: Non-lethal example. Diego gracefully accepts being fired from the Flying Squad without any struggle, as he knows Lawson will disband the Flying Squad otherwise.
- Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: Inspector Jaubert did this with Takakura by locking him into the tiniest cell he could find and threatening his family if he didn't confess being against Lawson's regime. It didn't work.
- Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: As of this case, it's more than clear Justin Lawson has gone off the deep end in his quest to bring justice to Concordia, using his State Sec to lock up anyone opposing his regime and reinstating the death penalty in Concordia.
- La Résistance: During the Additional Investigation, you discover there is one of these opposing Mayor Lawson and his tyrannical regime. Katherine and Evie, who've been members for some time, recruit the rest of the Squad after they find out Takakura was a member too.
- Mayor Pain: Justin Lawson. He shuts down all newspapers save one, which serves as nothing more than a propaganda piece for him. He ends up sentencing Florence to death despite the death penalty having been abolished for fifty years.
- Off with His Head!: Mayor Lawson sentences Florence to death by beheading as a punishment for killing Takakura, though you manage to rescue her before this happens.
- Old Maid: Yuri resented Takakura because she waited too long for him to ask her for marriage, losing her young years over it.Yuri: I set my heart on him, and I waited. I thought it was only a matter of time before he proposed...But he let me waste my whole life waiting for something that never happened! How will I ever get a man down the aisle at my age?
- Penal Colony: After breaking her out of prison, the Flying Squad ships Florence away to one of these in Australia to serve her sentence.
- The Plan: Diego devises one of these to break Florence out of prison, as the Flying Squad won't let her be executed by Lawson when she could be serving a regular sentence instead.Diego: I don't wish to brag, but I've come up with a foolproof plan for you and Rose to break Miss Samuels out of prison!You see, you're going to wait until the guards on the perimeter change shift at five minutes past the hour...Then you'll scale the fire escape located at the rear of the building and enter through the air vents...Before descending into corridor A, and taking a left, which should take you to right outside Miss Samuels' cell!
- Plausible Deniability: Chief Wright refuses to listen Diego's plan to break Florence out of prison for this reason.Chief Wright: Don't tell me the details! I need plausible deniability if Lawson ever asks me about this, but I trust that you have everything under control.
- Pregnant Badass: Maddie, at least according to her.Charles: Yes, the last thing we need if Lawson coming after the Flying Squad... Especially while my darling wife is in her current condition!Maddie: Nonsense, Charlie! I'm eight months pregnant, not incompetent!
- Propaganda Machine: To no one's surprise, The New Truth, Lawson's one and only newspaper permitted in Concordia, is nothing but a mouthpiece for his regime and the Justice Corps.
- Public Execution: Florence becomes the first citizen of Concordia in 50 years to be sentenced to this due to Lawson reinstating the death penalty. Thankfully, you manage to rescue her and send her to a foreign prison instead.
- Put on a Bus: After Diego and the player character a jail break for Florence to save her from getting executed, Mayor Lawson forces Chief Wright to fire Diego or he'll disband the Flying Squad altogether. Diego obliges and leaves so that the Flying Squad doesn't get shut down.
- Reformed Criminal: Oscar Trefusis claims to have become this after being exposed for his crimes back in New Haven.Oscar: If you're here about my... past misdemeanors... I can assure you that's all behind me! I'm even on good terms with the judge next door!
- Reformed, but Rejected: Chester Holt, one of the suspects, is a formed convict who got sentenced to 10 years in prison by Judge Takakura and now works as a milkman. Unfortunately, The New Truth has a section for exposing citizens with previously criminal pasts, making everyone doubt if he's truly reformed.Chester: It's just that times are 'ard for anyone who ain't got a squeaky clean past! I'm a changed man, but nobody will ever believe it!I 'ad me mug on the front page of the news as soon as I were released! It happens to all us convicts, so we can't 'ide our past!
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Chief Wright and the Flying Squad have this justification for breaking Florence out of prison, opposing Lawson's extremist methods of executing whoever he pleases.
- Secret-Keeper: When you discover there's a resistance against Mayor Lawson's regime, Katherine (who is an original member) tells you both Takakura and Evie were already part of it, but didn't tell anyone for fear of Lawson finding out.
- Shout-Out:
- Inspector Jaubert is a parody of Inspector Javert from Les Misérables.
- In the Courthouse Hall scene, there is a bust of Plato.
- Skewed Priorities: When you inform Trefusis of Takakura's death, he worries whether this will have an impact on the house pricing in the neighborhood.
- State Sec: Apart from the already established Justice Corps, Constable Ramirez tells you the Concordian Police Department has also become nothing but puppets for Mayor Lawson's regime, meaning that the only justice department not controlled by him is the Flying Squad.
- Time Skip: This case takes place six months after Mayor Lawson’s inauguration in the previous case.
- Title Drop: The New Truth is the name of the newspaper that serves as Lawson's Propaganda Machine. And since one of the killer's traits is that they read it, you'll hear a lot about it during the investigation.
- Tyrant Takes the Helm: As mayor of Concordia, Lawson has imposed an oppressive regime that includes forming a militia loyal to him alone, abolishing the free press, arresting people arbitrarily, and executing suspected lawbreakers.
- Wham Line: Justin's last line in Florence Samuels' trial shows just how far off the deep end he's gone.Justin: Instead, this Court hereby sentences you to death by beheading in the town square, tomorrow at noon!
- Yandere: Florence murdered Takakura because she was madly in love with Justin Lawson, and figured her killing a man who spoke out against him would earn her favor with him. Hoo boy, it did not.Florence: I attended one of his speeches several months ago... And he was so handsome, so righteous! I knew right then that it was true love!But then Judge Takakura dared to insult Mayor Lawson behind his back! He said our wonderful leader was a monster who lacked mercy!
