Jean Vicquemare

* Standard
* Disguised

**Jean-Heron Vicquemare**, also known as the **Man with Sunglasses**, is a character in *Disco Elysium*. He is a lieutenant of the Revachol Citizens Militia and heads Precinct 41's Major Crimes Unit with Harrier Du Bois as his partner and satellite-officer.

## Background

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> JEAN VICQUEMARE – "I'm clinically depressed, Harry. Sorry if I wasn't in the mood to butter you up after you told us to fuck off."
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>
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Jean was born in the year '16 or '17. He was diagnosed with clinical depression at the age of twenty-seven, around '44. Originally an equestrian officer, by '49 at the latest, he was partnered with Harry, who insisted on acquiring a Coupris 40 motor carriage to better manage rapid response calls. During the course of their partnership, he was promoted to lieutenant in accordance with Harry's promotions, and the two re-conceptualized Precinct 41's C-Wing as a "task force".

Jean never met Harry's ex-fiancée Dora Ingerlund in person, as they had separated before he met Harry, but knew of her (as well as the impact of their separation on Harry's psyche and his addiction) from Harry's frequent bitter remarks on the topic. At one point, he appeared to believe Harry would recover from his alcoholism, but due to Harry's multiple relapses and desire to "get worse", he lost faith in the possibility and began to resent him.

Several team members, including Guillaume Bevy, were driven away by Harry's behavior, leaving only Jean, Judit Minot, and outside consultants such as Trant Heidelstam. Jean was often forced to take over Harry's responsibilities and lead the C-Wing in his place. Despite his efforts, Harry's behaviour contributed to Precinct 41's bad reputation, one consequence of which was that Jean and the rest of the C-Wing were forced to undergo sensitivity training.

In the early months of '51, at least two years into their partnership, Jean worked alongside Harry on several other cases, mentioned in Harry's notes by his initials "JV". In THE NEXT WORLD MURAL, he and Harry were tasked with the removal of the titular mural from a building in Central Jamrock. Jean objected, and they instead organized a public vote, with seventy-eight percent of the community voting in favour of preserving it.

Several other cases Jean, Harry, and Trant were working on were continuously derailed by a case assigned to Harry on January 29th, '51: THE UNSOLVABLE CASE, concerning repeat offenders Leslie and Burke. Jean appears to have been absent when an inebriated Harry beat Burke severely, ultimately closing the case. He was mentioned alongside Trant as having "more important cases to attend to" at the time.

At the start of the investigation into THE HANGED MAN in March '51, Jean, Trant, and Judit accompanied Harry to Martinaise, but were told to "fuck off", as they were "cramping [his] style." This was apparently compounded with emotional abuse and fits of physical destruction, which caused Jean and Judit to return to Precinct 41, leaving Harry to his three-day bender.

## Involvement

Jean cannot be found in-person until the morning of Day 3; from then on, he consistently appears on the main floor of the Whirling-in-Rags alongside Judit. He dresses up as Guillaume Bevy as a joke, though Harry does not understand it and is unable to recognize Jean because of this. Prior to Day 3, he can be heard when calling into Precinct 41 through the radio in Kim Kitsuragi's Kineema, as well as during a joint Shivers and Esprit de Corps passive check.

* When calling into the station to report Harry's badge and/or gun missing, Jean can be heard over the radio if he has not already arrived in Martinaise.
	+ If Harry has at least 5 points in Esprit de Corps when he disconnects from the call, an additional conversation can be heard, where Jean asks the other officers in the C-Wing to treat Harry's report as a prank call in order to give him a few days to "pull his shit together".
* During a Shivers thought orb near Crime, Romance, and Biographies of Famous People, Harry can witness a conversation between Mack Torson, Chester McLaine, and potentially also Jean (depending on the day) as long as he has at least 4 points in Esprit de Corps.
	+ If this conversation is triggered before Day 3, Jean will ask Mack and Chester if either of them have seen Harry, as Judit visited his apartment and found the Monday mail left unopened.
	+ If it is triggered after Day 3, Mack will instead wonder if Jean has found his "long lost boyfriend", with Chester replying that there is "trouble in paradise".
* Although Harry cannot correctly deduce Jean's identity until after he removes his disguise, hints at their relationship may be learned by talking to him at the Whirling. He also occasionally appears in Esprit de Corps passive checks giving some insight into his actions adjacent to Harry's.
	+ Talking to Jean about any new case developments will heal morale, and a passive Inland Empire check will state that Harry finds it "calming", and feels as if he's done it before.
	+ Jean is likely one of the two figures watching Harry through binoculars after the failed Authority check on the ice with Acele Berger, where he breaks down and starts crying.
* During the encounter with Ruby, Jean and Judit decide to leave for Jamrock, returning several days after the Mercenary Tribunal and waiting in the Fishing Village to confront Harry once he returns from the Sea Fortress.

## Trivia

* If a Physical Instrument check is passed, it comments that Jean looks "like he works out like he's got the devil on his back." Ruby also describes him as looking "buff".

## Behind the Scenes

* In an October 2021 update, Jean's voice actor in *Disco Elysium - The Final Cut*, David Meyrat, rerecorded most of his lines in the final scene of the game, opting for a harsher tone of voice.
* In the COLLAPSING TENEMENT, a casefile which was cut from the game but can still be found in the files, Jean aids Harry in evacuating a building.

## References

MACK TORSON – "What, you mean the one Vic yoinked off..."

CHESTER MCLAINE – "... that hobo in front of the Frittte? Hahaha!"
ESPRIT DE CORPS – Not far from here a 34-year-old man called Jean Vicquemare reluctantly picks his facial hair while a dark-haired woman in an officer's suit waits for an answer. A typical police station morning hums in the background: telephones ringing, the whirr of a roll'o'dex...
MAN WITH SUNGLASSES – "Neither can I, partner. Neither can I..." His grey eyes suddenly flash above the glass frames. They feel sad.
ESPRIT DE CORPS – With an agitated gait Satellite-Officer Jean-Heron Vicquemare paces the jetty, 22 kilometres East -- in Martinaise: "What could he \*possibly\* be doing there for so long," he says.
YOU – "You mentioned a 'task force'?"

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "Yeah -- Major Crimes Unit, under Lieutenants Du Bois and Vicquemare -- ring any bells?"

YOU – "Refresh my memory -- who \*else\* is in this?"

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "Refresh your memory? It's a god damn Major Crimes Unit. There's you, me, Jude, Trant fucking Heidelstam, and Guillaume Bevy..." He stares at you.
JULES PIDIEU – "He's asking who you are."

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "I'm his \*goddamn\* partner!"

JULES PIDIEU – "It's your partner, Satellite-Officer Vicquemare, sir. Over."
YOU – "Weren't you depressed or something?"

MAN WITH SUNGLASSES – "Seven years and going strong!" He nods enthusiastically. "The head doctors are now calling it a medical marvel... no, wait, anomaly was the word they used."
EMPATHY – Judging by the familiarity you feel toward him -- two years minimum? Or maybe a short, but close stint on the task force...
JEAN VICQUEMARE – "For the record, you pressured us into getting it. 'It'll be cool Jean, we'll have wheels, rapid response...' I was fine being an equestrian cop. I hope you're fine driving a \*bicycle\*."
YOU – "Precinct 41... what kind of station is it?"

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "Us? We're the \*Bloody Murder Station\*, haven't you heard? We're the bad guys. No one likes us."

KIM KITSURAGI – "That's not true. Jamrock is too big for one precinct. You're just understaffed. And everyone respects the 41st -- you have Captain Pryce."

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "Thank you, lieutenant. You're being kind. It \*is\* an understaffed station and the district \*is\* too big -- which is why we need to..." He tilts his head northward...

JUDIT MINOT – "... get back to it. We left Torson and McLaine to run the C-Wing. It's not good."

YOU – "And the C-Wing is..."

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "God..." He sighs. "There are four wings, Harry: A, B, C, and D. We're in C. It's made of losers and clock-punchers. You and I \*re-conceptualized\* it as a task force. It was a mistake."

TRANT HEIDELSTAM – "There's also a lot of outside help involved. Not only me." He smiles. "Other losers too."
YOU – "When was this?"

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "God, I don't know..." He thinks. "Six years ago? She was way before my time."
JEAN VICQUEMARE – "I've only seen a picture -- but it's obvious you formed a real spiritual connection with how \*pretty\* she was. One you never recuperated from."
JEAN VICQUEMARE – "I think she taught in the Académie des Arts, east of the river. Way east. Hard to say which came first -- the middle class chick or the drink? Egg and the chicken kinda thing..."
JEAN VICQUEMARE – "So have I. You \*bitterly\* drop \*Dearest Dora\* and \*really tore me a new one\*... twice a week I think? It comes up."
JEAN VICQUEMARE – "I've never doubted you can pull yourself together and work -- in bouts. Bouts don't last." He buttons his jacket. "I can still smell the booze on the wind."
TRANT HEIDELSTAM – "It's tough. One of the toughest addictions to overcome. Comparable \*only\* to heavy synthetic opiates. Even morphine is easier to kick than alcohol -- statistically. The odds are against him. Especially at his age."

JEAN VICQUEMARE – He nods. "He's too old. He's been like this for too long. I've seen him try many times. It's a farce by now."
JEAN VICQUEMARE – "Enough!" The commotion dies down. All eyes turn to Satellite-Officer Vicquemare. "None of this is funny! It's fucking sad, that's what it is. He's a cop. He's one of us, goddamn this..."

JUDIT MINOT – "We must help him." Minot looks down at her neatly polished black shoes. There is a quiet firmness to her voice when she speaks.

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "Yeah? How do you fucking plan to do that, huh?! Get him off the drink?! Go jogging with him in the morning and get him on carrot juice?! He's a lost man!"

JUDIT MINOT – "I just know we can't give up on him when he's at his weakest. He wouldn't..." The crowd in the room has started fidgeting uncomfortably. Someone's trying to slip out unnoticed.

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "Mack, man the door," he gestures Torson to block the doorway, then turns to Minot. "You know what he told me? 'I don't want to get better -- I want to get worse.' Those were his words." He sighs heavily and turns to address the room...

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "This shit does \*not\* leave this room! Not a word of this to the captain or anyone else. We'll give him a couple of days to pull his shit together!"

JULES PIDIEU – "I guess I can hold off the report for a few days." Oldboy lights another cigarette.

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "Good," Vicquemare turns to the others, "Okay everybody, nothing but a prank call here. We all got our laughs, now get back to work!"
YOU – "Yeah, um -- first, who's Guillaume Bevy?"

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "Oh, that's an interesting story, actually!" He's not smiling. "Guillaume Bevy is a police reporter who joined our team. He was really good. Then he left, because he lost faith in your ability to lead the unit."

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "Other people have left too. Good, smart people. People we won't get back. Only me and this \*really patient\* patrol officer are still here. And Trant -- because I'm \*forcing\* him to stay."
JEAN VICQUEMARE – "No, Harry -- FUCK YOU. You already fucked us -- I've already explained this shit to Pryce \*twice\*. To Berdyayeva -- \*four times\*. I'm your partner. I answer for you when you're not there."

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Medium: Success] – When you clocked out, \*I\* became responsible for your cases -- and your special task force.
JEAN VICQUEMARE – "That will never happen, Jude. He's the rudest man on Earth. He is the reason why the rest of us have to take sensitivity training. And I \*hate\* sensitivity training..."
DAMAGED LEDGER – The crew agrees to clean up after themselves. However, your partner -- JV -- is against the removal, citing public support for conservation. This leads to a debate in Precinct 41, which then spreads to the streets of Jamrock. Ending in a rare plebiscite -- organized by you and the rest of Row III.

DAMAGED LEDGER – The nine thousand people subjected to the mural’s message -- all of Lakeside (Central Jamrock) and Villalobos, plus half of the Eminent Domain -- participate in the vote. Although the case begins with what appears to be a lot of rumbling on the streets as to how juvenile and stupid the mural is, given a choice between two options...

YOU – B) KEEP THE MURAL, IT IS RIGHT

DAMAGED LEDGER – A staggering seventy-eight percent of voters choose to keep it. Turns out the opposition were a loud minority. And that love truly is possible in the next world -- for new people. And it is too late for us.
DAMAGED LEDGER – It's plain to see from the files that you, Satellite-Officer JV, and special consultant TH had more important cases to attend to. You uncover cross-reference to several ongoing investigations, each brought to a standstill every time you drive down Main Street. Because there they are! On the corner of Perdition, and what is Leslie doing?
YOU – THE UNSOLVABLE CASE

DAMAGED LEDGER – AKA LESLIE & BURKE, AKA THE PUBLIC INDECENCY DRUNK & THE PROPERTY DAMAGE DRUNK is a \*cursed\* case. It has been passed from unsuspecting officer to unsuspecting officer for ten years. On January 29, THE UNSOLVABLE CASE made its way to you. Why you accepted it is unclear. Every officer and indeed most civilians in Jamrock know it's UNSOLVABLE.
DAMAGED LEDGER – He must have it confused with the \*property\* he likes to damage. But the joke's on him -- you're drunk out of your mind on Potent Pilsner. You slam the hardened plastic board in his face. Then you proceed to beat him unconscious with it.
YOU – "When I came into town was there... anyone with me?"

RUBY, THE INSTIGATOR – "Yeah. You had your death squad with you. What happened to them, anyway?"

YOU – "Who was in this... squad?"

RUBY, THE INSTIGATOR – "Well, it wasn't this scrawny dude." She nods toward the lieutenant. "You had two guys and a lady. The guys looked pretty buff. Lady wasn't bad either."
JEAN VICQUEMARE – "You told us to fuck off. You said we're \*cramping your style\*. You're \*Detective God\*. Fuck everything. All will burn. Detect or die!"
JEAN VICQUEMARE – "You were crying hysterically. You were drunk, breaking things, being emotionally abusive. You said we were going 'into the abyss'."
YOU – "Is this Guillaume Bevy blond, with sunglasses? Like you were..."

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "See -- there!" He wags his finger at you. "He's getting it! I was \*impersonating\* him. Look at me, I'm G-Bevy. It was going to be funny. But then you really did have brain damage -- so not so much anymore."

EMPATHY [Medium: Success] – He sincerely thought it was going to be amusing. For both of you.
ESPRIT DE CORPS [Medium: Success] – Satellite-Officer Jean Vicquemare rushes down the station stairs, angrily hunched over in the falling slush.

ESPRIT DE CORPS – On the bridge, Officers Torson and McLaine are standing guard. The muscular Torson wears jeans and a leather jacket. When Vicquemare passes him, the young man remarks...

MACK TORSON – "Where's your homo, homey?"

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "What?"

CHESTER MCLAINE – "It's not like that. They're what is called \*hetero-sexual life partners\*. They have a battle-tested relationship. A 'bröderbund', if you will."

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "Huh? Yeah." He takes out his gloves and struggles to pull them onto his hands.

MACK TORSON – "Hetero... sexual. Life... partners."

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "Funny apery." Vicquemare finally manages to pull his gloves on. There's a small tear along the inside seam of the left glove. "Male-centric workplace humour. Have you seen him?"

MACK TORSON – "Is there something wrong?"

JEAN VICQUEMARE – "No, nothing. It's just... Judit went to his place and found the Monday mail unopened. I think he's still there. You didn't, like, drink with him over the weekend did you?"
MACK TORSON – "Wonder if Vic's found his long lost boyfriend yet." He looks over at Chester McLaine and breaks into a laugh at his own joke. The rain falls outside.

CHESTER MCLAINE – "Mack, they're \*hetero-sexual life partners\*. It's not like that," his partner smirks. "But yeah. There's trouble in paradise for that duo, Tequila Sunset has..." The sound of the rain grows so loud it drowns out his voice.
MAN WITH SUNGLASSES – "A cover-up -- where the author of the cover-up is the perp? Makes sense."

YOU – "Yeah... hey, why am I telling you these things?"

MAN WITH SUNGLASSES – "I don't know... why are you?" He gives you an odd look.

LOGIC [Medium: Success] – It's like you felt it would be intellectually stimulating -- and would lead somewhere. A custom even? Strange...

INLAND EMPIRE [Challenging: Success] – Who knows why we do the things we do. Somehow bouncing those ideas off the man with sunglasses felt calming. Like you've done it before.
ESPRIT DE CORPS [Formidable: Medium] – Three figures on the spring ice. One, a shortish man, is standing with his shoulders slightly hunched. Another, a young woman, tries her best to ignore the third, a middle-aged man with spectacular sideburns, who's screaming at her with all his might...

ESPRIT DE CORPS – Across the bay, two figures watch the scene unfold through coin-operated binoculars. "My god," one says in a concerned voice. "Let me see," says the other.
ESPRIT DE CORPS [Medium: Success] – Satellite-Officer Vicquemare looks out of the window grimly, then puts his coffee down and turns to Patrol Officer Minot. "We can either take a room here in the Whirling or go home for today."

ESPRIT DE CORPS – "Let's go home, Jean. Nothing's going to happen today," she responds quietly. Jean takes his blond wig off. "Call Heidelstam. He can give us a ride."
ESPRIT DE CORPS [Medium: Success] – Two police officers step out of the Whirling-in-Rags cafeteria. Satellite-Officer Jean Vicquemare inspects giant letters across the plaza mosaic, in dark red government-marked heavy fuel oil.

ESPRIT DE CORPS – Patrol Officer Judit Minot points west. "The fishing village..." She glances at her watch. "We meet in 15 minutes. It's a ten minute walk."
PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Challenging: Success] – You know what? It must be because he's \*buff\*. He looks like he works out like he's got the devil on his back.
RUBY, THE INSTIGATOR – "Well, it wasn't this scrawny dude." She nods toward the lieutenant. "You had two guys and a lady. The guys looked pretty buff. Lady wasn't bad either."

YOU – "What else can you... tell me..."

RUBY, THE INSTIGATOR – "One of the guys seemed chipper, a blond, the other had a brooding something-or-other about him... And the woman... the woman was the only one in uniform. All were carrying."
DAMAGED LEDGER – Bad, bad thoughts go through your head. So what you do is -- you call your partner. JV (only initials available) is up. He comes immediately. He didn't take building safety, but he believes you. He brings five more officers. Together you knock on \*every door\* and explain the situation.