Hot Chocolate to Die For

Hot Chocolate to Die For was a virtual representation of one of Arno Dorian's genetic memories, relived by a Helix initiate in 2014 through the Helix Navigator.
==Clues==
===Garden===
*Woman's body – Woman, Valérie Duclos, in her 40s. Extremely well dressed in the old fashion of the monarchy. Face contorted into a horrible expression. No indication of physical violence.
*Flower garden – A maintained garden with various flowers: Foxgloves, Belladonna and others that are fatal when ingested.
*Overturned cup – Porcelain cup with Japanese-style design. Appears to have held hot chocolate.
*Ring – Woman's ring discarded in shrubbery. Upon close inspection, one pearl is revealed to be a removable stopper for a tiny hidden vial. The vial is empty save for a drop of sticky, clear, odorless liquid.
*Statement of Amélie Monvoisin – Amélie Monvoisin (sister of victim): Dressed nicely, but not expensively. Identifies victim as Valérie Duclos. Victim insulted everyone at the party. Claims victim threatened Georges with denunciation to Committee of Public Safety.
===Dining Room===
*Letter to Pierre – A note, apparently to Pierre from his mother, Valérie, left on a table:
*Silver pot – Ornate silver pot on tray with four porcelain cups, each bears a Japanese-style design. One cup full of cold cocoa; others contain dregs.
*Snuffbox – An elegant Japanese snuffbox, inscribed with the name: G. Villiers-Segonzac.
*Statement of Georges Villiers-Segonzac – Georges Villiers-Segonzac (family friend): Elderly, impeccably dressed. Admits having been threatened by victim; claims this was not unusual. Amélie handed him the hot chocolate to take to Valérie. Valérie died shortly after. Took pains to call Lucille a "schemer".
*Statement of Pierre Duclos – Pierre Duclos (victim's son): Young man, carries himself with assurance. Richly dressed. Inherited majority of father's estate. Idea of hot chocolate for his mother was his. Claims he gave Lucille a cup to take to Valérie, but Amélie interrupted and took the cup away, ostensibly because Lucille's presence would only further anger Valérie. Noted that he is now free to marry Lucille.
===Kitchen===
*Kitchen supplies – A large earthenware jug. Remains of a thick cocoa paste. Also, a jar containing finely-mitted cocoa powder along with empty milk jug and urn of sugar.
*Mortar and pestle – A large stoneware pestle and mortar, used for the crushing of herbs from the garden.
*Statement of the maid – Maid: Elderly. Did not care for victim, but remembers victim's husband fondly. Vouches for Georges' character and underscored that the victim often "lorded it over" Pierre and Amélie. Claimed that Amélie hasn't a penny to her name.
===Study===
*Book: Paris Society – "Notable events in Paris Society, vol XI"
:A page is marked detailing the La Voisin poisonings of the previous century. It seems one Catherine Deshayes la Voisin and her daughter, Marguerite Monvoisin were involved.
*Commonplace book – An old book bearing the name La Voisin on the inside cover. A marked passage reads:
:The passage continues with an involved process in which arsenic, belladonna leaves, and lead powder are reduced to form a clear, odorless liquid. There are marginal notes made in several hands in faded ink.
*Crumpled letter – A crumpled letter found on the floor. It appears to be from a legal firm.
*Documents – The safe contains an ancient document that has been thrown loosely on top of many others.
===Terrace===
*Statement of Lucille Tuchet – Lucille Tuchet: Age approx. 38. Claims cordial relations with victim despite victim's concern about age difference between herself and Pierre (victim's son). Victim's husband died asphyxiated some months ago. Victim's husband put Georges in charge of family finances. Claims victim very unhappy about arrangement. Noted that victim was especially angry this evening and had never threatened Georges so directly before.
==Dialogue==
===Garden===
*Amélie Monvoisin (The victim's younger sister): If you must know, I am Amélie Monvoisin. This is... was... my elder sister, Valérie Duclos. I refuse to believe that Georges poisoned her! Even after what she said. Valérie and I were quite close, but I must say, she was simply dreadful the entire evening, drinking too much, insulting everyone. The worst was when she announced she planned to denounce Georges to the Committee of Public Safety!
===Dining Room===
*Georges Villiers-Segonzac (Duclos family friend): Yes, she threatened me, she made baseless threats at every dinner party. But she was getting angrier and angrier, so I repaired to the terrace with my brandy. On my way back down I encountered Amélie. She sent me out to the garden to calm her sister with some hot chocolate. 
*Pierre Duclos (the victim's son): My mother is often difficult, and she was particularly nasty this evening. I suspect it had to do with a letter she received earlier in the day. In any case, she became angrier and angrier until she finally stormed out into the garden. I told Lucille to take her a calming cup of hot chocolate, but Aunt Amélie, fearing Lucille would upset mother even further, took the cup away. Mother's always been unhappy that I inherited most of Father's wealth, and she often accused Lucille of wanting only my money. But that's all over now, isn't it? Lucille and I can marry at last!
===Kitchen===
*Maid (Longtime servant of the household): Never liked her! Never. Even when her husband, rest his soul, was alive. He was a true gentleman, he was. Mister Georges was his friend, used to come by for meals and eat and eat! Pity he'll be getting the chop. But Madame? Spent her day lording it over poor Miss Amélie and yelling at Master Pierre. Who knows what Miss'll do now, not having a penny to her name and not likely to find a husband at her age. 
===Terrace===
*Lucille Tuchet (Love interest of Pierre Duclos): We got along very well. Oh, she was a bit concerned about her son being younger than me, I suppose. But I've known her since before her husband died. Poor man took ill and asphyxiated. Shame. He did manage to put Georges in charge of the family finances. My, that made Valérie furious! Very amusing! Tonight she seemed especially angry. She's never threatened Georges with execution before! Oh, well. Takes all kinds... 
==Conclusion==
Spoiler
The murderer was Amélie Monvoisin, the victim's sister, and next in line to inherit the wealth of the family.
;Case Summary
Valérie Duclos, neé Monvoisin, was poisoned by her younger sister Amélie who wanted to inherit their ancestor's fortune and gain independence. The crime revolved around an old legacy created by Marguerite Monvoisin, whose fortune (likely earned through the use and sale of exotic poisons) is passed down to the eldest surviving female of that line. Valérie, as the eldest, had inherited the fortune, but her husband (whose death also raises questions) wrote a conflicting will. It was this will that put the money out of Valérie's hands, declaring family friend Georges Villiers-Segonzac as executor and her son, Pierre Duclos, as sole trustee. Valérie received a lawyer's assurances that the entire fortune did, in fact, belong to her, but with the qualification that as long as Georges Villiers-Segonzac was "active," she would not enjoy control of it. It is for this reason that Valérie was especially angry on this night, and also for this reason that the notion of denouncing Georges to the Committee of Public Safety, thereby removing him from the equation, came into her head. However, her younger sister, Amélie, without an income of her own and dependent upon her relations, realized that if Valérie died the money would come to her as the next female in line. Using a recipe inherited by Valérie, Amélie concocted a powerful poison which she stored in a poison ring (also inherited). On this particularly evening, the victim threatened to denounce Georges. Amélie saw the incredible opportunity of removing her sister while leaving the hapless Georges as the obvious culprit. She secretly poisoned Valérie's cocoa, then gave the cup to Georges and discarded her ring in the garden.
==Gallery==
HctdfWomansBody.png|The body of Valérie Duclos found in the courtyard.
HctdfFlowerGarden.png|The flower garden in the courtyard.
HctdfOverturnedCup.png|The overturned cup of hot chocolate.
HctdfRing.png|The discarded ring containing a hidden vial.
HctdfSilverPot.png|The ornate silver pot bearing Japanese design.
HctdfSnuffbox.png|The snuffbox inscribed with the name G. Villiers-Segonzac.
==References==
*Assassin's Creed: Unity
Category:Memories of Arno Dorian
Category:Memories relived using the Helix Navigator