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The Truth Hurts is a case featured in Criminal Case as the twenty-fourth case of The Conspiracy (Season 5) and the two-hundred fifty-fifth case overall. It is the final case to take place in the Old Town district of Grimsborough.
Plot
Gloria and the player rushed to the New Age Fair to confront Steven Crowe, who was there to recruit more members into The Higher Truth before the cult's mass suicide. There however, they found Steven stabbed in the eyes with his own earrings.
Immediately after finding the body, the team called in Gabriel to ensure the cult did not go through with the suicide, along with flagging him as a suspect. Later, Gabriel told the team to interrogate Grayson Rosewater, the cult adjunct and Steven's next-in-line, in the cult headquarters. Soon after, the cult members started rioting in the headquarters, wanting to initiate the mass suicide before Grayson calmed them down. The team eventually found enough evidence to incriminate one of Steven's most loyal disciples, Skylar Sage.
Admitting to the murder, Skylar said that she had confronted Steven regarding where the "donations" to the cult was going to during the fair. When Steven refused to give a concrete answer, she concluded that he was only using the cult to get rich and was probably not going to partake in the mass suicide. Blinded with rage, she had knocked him out with a rock and then stabbed his eyes with his earrings. Judge Powell sentenced her to 25 years in prison.
Post-trial, Gloria and the player went to Steven's room to find out where the cult's money was allocated. There, they found a microchip which (per Cathy) contained the last will and testament of many cult members who pledged their personal assets to DreamLife. After Grayson denied knowledge of the scam, the team searched through the victim's room once more and found a surveillance camera with footage of Grayson telling Rozetta Pierre that DreamLife's satellite project would gain enough funding through the cult.
When the team confronted Grayson again, he admitted to being a DreamLife employee. He said that when he had discovered the existence of a cult that worshiped the satellite, he joined the cult, easily gained Steven's trust, convinced him to ask his members for money, and simply agreed with Steven's mass suicide plan in order to gain funds for DreamLife. The team then arrested Grayson, with him laughing at the team for thinking the dome was hiding a satellite before he was taken away. The team then tracked down Rozetta, who claimed that she fired Grayson after discovering his inhumane plan to get funds for the company. She also insisted that the dome was not hiding a satellite.
Meanwhile, Gabriel and the player was able to get Dr Jennifer Russo, Tony Marconi's psychotherapist who also specialized in the deprogramming of cult members, to dispatch a group of counselors in order to help the cult members return to their normal life. After reconvening, Chief Parker said the team was going to transfer to Maple Heights per the Mayor's orders, since public safety was at risk.
Summary
Victim
- Steven Crowe (stabbed in the eyes with his own earrings)
Murder Weapon
- Earrings
Killer
- Skylar Sage
Suspects
Quasi-suspect(s)
Killer's Profile
- The killer eats donuts.
- The killer meditates.
- The killer listens to Dayglo Satsuma.
- The killer wears a crystal necklace.
- The killer wears purple nail polish.
Crime Scenes
Steps
Chapter 1
- Investigate Fair Grounds. (Clues: Cardboard Box, Victim's Body; New Suspect: Gabriel Herrera; Victim identified: Steven Crowe)
- Speak with Gabriel about the murder of Steven Crowe. (Prerequisite: Fair Grounds investigated; New Crime Scene Unlocked: Cult Headquarters)
- Investigate Cult Headquarters. (Prerequisite: Gabriel interrogated; Clues: Wooden Chunks, Badge)
- Examine Wooden Chunks. (Result: Cult Symbol [Carved Text])
- Examine Carved Text. (Result: Sister Sky; New Suspect: Skylar Sage)
- Tell Skylar Sage about Steven Crowe's death. (Prerequisite: Sister Sky decoded)
- Examine Badge. (New Suspect: Meiko Kato)
- Ask Meiko Kato why she was at the New Age Fair. (Prerequisite: Meiko Kato identified)
- Examine Cardboard Box. (Result: Bloody Bracelet)
- Analyze Bloody Bracelet. (03:00:00; Attribute: The killer meditates)
- Autopsy Victim's Body. (18:00:00; Murder Weapon registered: Earrings; Attribute: The killer eats donuts)
- Go to Chapter 2. (No stars)
Chapter 2
- Interrogate Grayson Rosewater about his whereabouts at the time of the murder. (Available after unlocking Chapter 2; New Crime Scene Unlocked: Victim's Room; Profile updated: Grayson eats donuts)
- Investigate Victim's Room. (Prerequisite: Grayson interrogated; Clues: Broken CD, Locked Tablet)
- Examine Broken CD. (Result: CD for Victim)
- Analyze CD for Victim. (12:00:00; Attribute: The killer listens to Dayglo Satsuma; New Crime Scene Unlocked: Headquarters Access Road)
- Investigate Headquarters Access Road. (Prerequisite: CD for Victim analyzed; Clues: Locked Handbag, Protest Sign)
- Examine Locked Handbag. (Result: Handbag)
- Examine Handbag. (Result: Picture; New Suspect: Elvira Milton)
- Ask Elvira Milton why she was visiting the cult headquarters. (Prerequisite: Picture found; Profile updated: Elvira eats donuts)
- Examine Protest Sign. (Result: Grey Dust)
- Analyze Grey Dust. (12:00:00)
- Interrogate Meiko about her protest sign. (Prerequisite: Grey Dust analyzed; Profile updated: Meiko eats donuts, meditates and listens to Dayglo Satsuma)
- Examine Locked Tablet. (Result: Unlocked Tablet)
- Question Skylar about canceling cult recruiting interviews. (Prerequisite: Locked Tablet unlocked; Profile updated: Skylar eats donuts and meditates)
- Go to Chapter 3. (1 star)
Chapter 3
- Investigate Victim's Desk. (Available after unlocking Chapter 3; Clues: Locked Smartphone, Faded Plane Ticket, Cult Flyer)
- Examine Locked Smartphone. (Result: Unlocked Smartphone)
- Analyze Unlocked Smartphone. (09:00:00)
- Ask Gabriel why he lied to us. (Prerequisite: Unlocked Smartphone analyzed; Profile updated: Gabriel listens to Dayglo Satsuma)
- Examine Faded Plane Ticket. (Result: Grayson's Plane Ticket)
- Question Grayson about his plane ticket to Aruba. (Prerequisite: Grayson's Plane Ticket unraveled; Profiles updated: Grayson meditates and listens to Dayglo Satsuma, Skylar listens to Dayglo Satsuma)
- Examine Cult Flyer. (Result: Black Substance)
- Examine Black Substance. (Result: Black Lipstick)
- Ask Elvira about her threat to the victim. (Prerequisite: Black Lipstick identified under microscope)
- Investigate Higher Truth Booth. (All tasks before must be done first; Clues: Trash Can, Donut Box)
- Examine Trash Can. (Result: Bloody Rock)
- Analyze Bloody Rock. (09:00:00; Attribute: The killer wears a crystal necklace)
- Examine Donut Box. (Result: Purple Flakes)
- Analyze Purple Flakes. (15:00:00; Attribute: The killer wears purple nail polish)
- Take care of the killer now!
- Go to The Moment of Truth (6/6). (No stars)
The Moment of Truth (6/6)
- Talk with Gabriel about helping the cult members. (Available after unlocking The Moment of Truth)
- Investigate Fair Grounds. (Prerequisite: Gabriel interrogated; Clue: Faded Poster)
- Examine Faded Poster. (Result: Poster Information)
- Analyze Poster Information. (06:00:00)
- Ask Jennifer Russo about her cult help hotline. (Prerequisite: Poster Information analyzed; Reward: Dragonfly Brooch)
- Investigate Victim's Room. (Available after unlocking The Moment of Truth; Clue: Broken Microchip)
- Examine Broken Microchip. (Result: Microchip)
- Analyze Microchip. (09:00:00)
- Question Grayson about cult members signing their assets over to DreamLife. (Prerequisite: Microchip analyzed; Reward: Burger)
- Investigate Victim's Desk. (Prerequisite: Grayson interrogated; Clue: Security Camera)
- Examine Security Camera. (Result: Unlocked Security Camera)
- Confront Grayson about his role in the cult money scheme. (Prerequisite: Security Camera unlocked; Reward: 20,000 Coins)
- Confront Rozetta Pierre about her dealings with Grayson. (Prerequisite: Grayson interrogated)
- Move on to a new crime (in Maple Heights)! (1 star)
Trivia
- The case title is a reference to the common saying "the truth hurts", referring to how people may react negatively to learning the truth about a situation.
- This is one of the cases of the game in which a main character is flagged as a suspect for plausible reasons.
- This is one of the cases where more than one suspect is arrested.