Goon
Hey you!
Yeah! Big and ugly in the trench coat!
I'll get revenge for my defeated friends!
Y'think y'can mess with the Casa Dei Re and get away with it?
Ha! Don't make me laugh!
James
Oh? Is that so?
Brings out Lacerta
Why don't you tell me more about that?
How many of you are out there?
Where's your boss hiding?
I've got so many questions for you, I'm so glad you came here to answer them.
Even if I have to beat the answers out of you…
Goon
(Don't lose courage now!)
(I came this far, I can't just leave…)
Oh yeah? Well, take this!
Gemini!
The Manifesto creates doubles of itself and the goon
Goon choral
Ha! Try finding me now Gumshoe!
Which of me is the real me?
Take a guess!
James
Hm, an ability to create copies…
That could be pretty powerful…
Unfortunately for you, I can just attack them all at once.
Lacerta!
Lacerta shoots a bullet, going through the copies until hitting the real Manifesto
James
Found you.
Now, about those questions of mine…
Goon
I-I'd never betray the boss like that!
James
just answer.
You've lost your Manifesto, so you no longer have a place in that gang of yours.
What else is there for you to lose?
Goon
My life--
As the man answers, from out of the wall, a large snake like creature jumps out, biting off a large section from his head
James
What just happened?!
Don't worry! We'll get you to the hospital!
Please…please…not again…I can't let someone else die because of me…please hold on a little longer…
James looks around him in a panic, and spots a woman passing by
James
You! Miss! Please, call an ambulance!
This man needs medical attention immediately!
Please! I'm begging you! He needs help!
Woman
O-ok sir, I'll call for someone immediately…
James
Tha-thank you…
blackout
(Why…Why does humanity have to be so cruel…)
(What kind of twisted god would entrust such vile creatures with this kind of power?)
(There must be some kind of answer…please god…please don't claim another soul in front of me…)
(I couldn't bare to go through that pain again)
James childhood flashes passed his eyes
Unseen man
You shot her!
…
You're nothing more than a monster…
James
(I was too late…)
Doctor Sunshine
I'm sorry sir, I assure you, there wasn't anything you could've done…
Now onto the matter of my fee…
James
(They're all the same…)
(Nothing redeemable about them…)
(I'll find this mysterious "Casa Dei Re"...)
(I'll drag their leader out of the shadows, and into the light of justice…)
(No one should have to suffer anymore…)
(No one, except for me that is…)
Int James office
Woman
Excuse me sir, I would like to apologise for the intrusion…
But…I saw how you fought to save that man who was threatening you…
And I thought that if anyone could, you would be able to help me…
James
Thank you for your help back there.
You don't need to address me as sir, my name is James, James Spectre, at your service.
How may I be of help?
Woman
Barbara, thank you for listening to me…
I have an issue…
You see…whenever I get a new boyfriend…after a few days, he'll turn up dead…
And the police have been trying to pin the crime on me…
But I swear! It wasn't me!
But they won't believe me!
They're about ready to give me the chair! I can't have that!
Please! You wouldn't send an innocent woman to her death!
James
Miss--Barbara was it?--
I don't care about your race, gender or sexuality
All I care about is the objective truth…
Now, can you look me in the eyes and say that you are innocent.
The woman stares into James' eyes
Barbara
I…Am…Innocent…
The two stare into each other's eyes, before James chuckles to himself
James
I believe you.
Now then, could you please share with me any documents or photos that would be relevant to this case?
Barbara
Thank you, thank you so very much…
I knew I was right to come to you…
Blackout
James
(So, this is the house where all the murders have taken place…)
Hmm…This house is very large…there are plenty of places for someone to hide}
(Seven men, all range from age 21-30.)
There are also plenty of places for a body to be hidden…
(None of them had any kind of medical issues)
That means the killer wanted the bodies to be found…
(None of their deaths were ruled as accidental)
Why would the police overlook this? This was clearly a set up!
(It was clearly murder)
Miss Barbara! Would you please allow me inside?
Barbara
Y-yes! Of course sir- I mean, James
The two enter the large house
James begins going up the stairs while Barbara closes the doors behind them
James
(If it was a set up, then who would have a motive to set up Barbara for their crimes?)
Miss, is this the room where the most recent one happened?
Barbara
Um…yes…that's where my last boyfriend, Jonathan was killed…
James
Brings out Lacerta
Enters the room
James
(Ouch! What was that?)
(It felt as though I got bitten on my back by a horsefly)
(Nevermind that, I have more pressing matters before me…)
Hm…No clear signs of a forced entry…
Barbara! Does anyone besides you have a key for this house?
Barbara
Um…other than myself?
I think my old boyfriend Tom had one, along with the gardener…oh! And the maid too!
Though, none of them have come by since the murders began…
James
Would any of them have reason to frame you?
Anything, anything at all?
Barbara
No! They wouldn't do that…
I'd trust them with my life…
I wish they'd come to comfort me though…
And you! What do you think you're doing, insinuating my friends may be responsible for this!
James
I'm sorry miss, I'm just trying to establish any suspects.
(There's not a single fingerprint anywhere…)
(spotless…whoever this is…they know what they're doing)
Barbara
Ugh, this whole debacle has me light headed…
I'm going to make some tea to calm down…
You keep looking for clues
James
(No footprints outside the house…)
(The most recent victim if I remember correctly was named Jonathan McCain…)
(A college rugby player, set to go pro…)
(Whoever got him must be very strong to overpower him…)
(Even if they caught him by surprise, for him to put up no fight, the death must have been almost instantaneous…)
This blood splatter…
What kind of weapon would cause a human body to react like this?
(It doesn't look natural…)
(No gun could do this without someone hearing something…)
(And besides, if it were a gun, then surely the killer either would've left it here in a panic to leave, or there would be some kind of blood left on the killer that would create a trail…)
(And a knife couldn't spread this much blood, if only I had access to the photos from the police…that'd make my job so much easier…)
(What could it be?)
(What could have caused someone to die like this?)
(Think James, think!)
(There has to be something I'm overlooking…)
Wait…what if…It wasn't a normal murder?
I've been so focussed on the Casa Dei Re that I never stopped to consider if there could be more people with Manifestos!
James leaves the room, and begins going down the hallway towards the stairs
James
(Is it possible Barbara has a Manifesto?)
(If she did, then suddenly everything would fall into place!)
(The unnatural blood splatter!)
(No signs of forced entry, or footsteps!)
(It would all make sense!)
(Barbara just hired me so that she would have a professional opinion that would prove to the cops that there's no evidence she did it!)
(The police don't know about Manifestos, they'd have no way to stop her!)
(How could I allow this to Happen!)
(I should've realised sooner!)
Lacerta!
James brings out Lacerta
James barges into the kitchen
James
BARBARA!
I know what you've done!
And I'll stop you!
Here and now!
James stands, shocked
Barbara
Pl-please…help…me…
Barbara is being held at knifepoint by Tom
Tom
Well, here I was thinking that I'd have to have you call your new boy toy down here!
But the idiot did it himself!
Isn't this just great!
James
Wh-who are you?
Tom
Where are my manners?
My name is Tom, Tom P.
Barbara's one, and only true Love.
Now, or ever.