Hot Water
Cases unlock in order, like levels. This is case 30 of 100.
Hraunvík Spa, on the Reykjanes peninsula, Iceland, 11:05 pm. Gunnar Hallsson, tourism tycoon and owner of the spa, was found drowned in the geothermal lagoon, closed to guests since 10 pm.
The lagoon is 1.2 meters deep and the water is 38 degrees Celsius. Gunnar was a competitive swimmer in his youth. He died between 10:35 pm and 10:55 pm.
A snowstorm has closed the road to Reykjavík. At the spa, apart from the off-duty staff, only three people were awake. One of them is lying.
The spa's relaxation room, volcanic stone walls, windows fogged with steam and snow falling outside.
Suspects
Thórdís HallssonGunnar's wife, 48
Brynja ÓlafsdóttirSpa manager, 34
Kári StefánssonGlacier guide, 29
The real case
The MacNeill and Grant cases: sleeping pills and drowning in the bathtub
United States, 2001 and 2007
This case is a work of fiction. The characters, names, places and events in the game do not portray real people. The account below is a factual summary, based on public sources, of the case that served as inspiration.
In 2007, in Utah, Michele MacNeill was found dead in the bathtub at home days after cosmetic surgery. Her husband, a doctor, had pushed for the surgery and for the post-operative medication. The death was treated as an accident until her daughters pressed for an investigation; he was convicted of murder in 2013.
In 2001, in Arizona, Faylene Grant drowned in the bathtub with a dose of zolpidem in her system, a few days after changing her will; her husband was convicted of manslaughter in 2009.
The game borrows the method: a spouse sedated with sleeping pills and drowned, in a death that passes for an accident. Characters, setting, motive and outcome are fiction.
Sources
Case glossary
Words from this case you might not know.
- Reykjanes
- A volcanic peninsula in southwestern Iceland, known for lava fields and geothermal spas.