The Open Blood

"*Counterfeit money, fake vote and cold-blooded murder! Can you sift through the false motives to find the real voter?*"
– Case Teaser

**The Open Blood** is a case featured in Criminal Case Next Chapter: Agenda of Angst, appearing as the 39th case of the game. It is the third case set in Hale Town.

## Plot

After tracking the imposter to an underground lodge at Hilton Street, Mandy and the player went to the address and found the body of Hedgehog Party member Jodie Mitchell, lodger and imposter, shot in the heart by the handgun.

The five people were labelled as suspects: Dickon Vale (victim's neighbor), Victor Every (prosecutor), Grace Webber (street swindler), Stanly Nashville (president candidate), and Pearl Goodwine (office secretary).

While searching for evidences, Mandy and the player found the list of the Hedgehog Party members that were paid with bills for the candidate president's assassination. Learning that Dust Devil's plan is terrorized people in Hale Town with a human-man sandstorm device, the Dust Devil attacks them in attempt to getting away from crime scene. But the player push his to the fountain and takes Mandy back safety to the police department.

Mid-investigation, Naseem said that Jodie was spotted leaving Stanly's apartment, forcing the team to flag him as a suspect. Later, a drunk Stanly blabbed about a prank he pulled on Jason's daughter's birthday. The team then found out that Dust Devil had been using a ballot box he had made in the past to draw Jodie's attention for assassination attempt of Stanly. The team eventually gathered enough evidence to arrest election office secretary Pearl Goodwine for the murder.

Pearl quickly admitted to the crime after unsuccessfully denying the accusations. She had joined Hedgehog Party members out of greed and in order to vote Sawyer Dawson. When Jodie started paying others with the bills for the candidate president's assassination, Pearl feared of being exposed as a criminal, prompting her to shoot Jodie dead with a handgun. Judge Westley sentenced Pearl to 20 years in jail with 10 years chance of parole. Afterwards, Chief Seymore said that the Election Council of Liberty would examine their bills for elected president (which Dust Devil had placed on the plate) to distinguish the counterfeits vote.

During Devil in the Middle of Storm (3/6), Sandra Vinson asked Mandy and the player to confirm some rumors she had heard in Silver Fox Park about possible solutions to the crisis. There, they found a CD which (per Velia) showed that Leon Kingsford would sell security bonds of his growing and promising Liberty Electronic Company, guaranteeing a win as a future elected president.

Meanwhile, Bryon and the player investigated Stanly's affairs to find evidence that would exonerate him of any criminal activity. After finding an original painting of Mandy and Velia in his living room, they confirmed that Stanly had let Naseem go of studio in favor of his own art. To celebrate this, as well as the end of the financial panic, Chief Seymore invited the team to the Ashborough skeet shooting games.

## Suspects

**Dickon Vale**
Victim's Neighbor
 **Blood** | O-

**Suspect's Profile**

* The suspect smokes.
* The suspect wears glasses.

**Victor Every**
Prosecutor
 **Blood** | O-

**Suspect's Profile**

* The suspect smokes.
* The suspect reads Liberty Gazette.
* The suspect plays poker.
* The suspect wears glasses.

**Grace Webber**
Street Swindler
 **Blood** | O-

**Suspect's Profile**

* The suspect reads Liberty Gazette.
* The suspect wears watch.

**Stanly Nashville**
President Candidate
 **Blood** | AB+

**Suspect's Profile**

* The suspect smokes.
* The suspect reads Liberty Gazette.
* The suspect plays poker.
* The suspect wears watch.

**Pearl Goodwine**
Office Secretary
 **Blood** | A+

**Suspect's Profile**

* The suspect smokes.
* The suspect reads Liberty Gazette.
* The suspect plays poker.
* The suspect wears glasses.
* The suspect wears watch.

## Quasi-suspect(s)

**Sandra Vinson**
Landlady
 **Blood** | A-

## Killer's Profile

* The killer smokes.
* The killer reads *Liberty Gazette*.
* The killer plays poker.
* The killer wears glasses.
* The killer wears watch.