Bones of Contention

Bones of Contention was a virtual representation of one of Arno Dorian's genetic memories, relived by a Helix initiate through the Helix Navigator.

Clues

Shore

• Dirty sackcloth bag - Inside the bag are several bones including a human skull with a gold tooth.
• Statement of National Guardsman - National Guardsman: Claims a bartender at a local tavern has a gold tooth. The tavern is nearby: Taverne du chien qui boite.
• Statement of the boatman - Boatman: Found the bag on the shore. Saw gold tooth in it. Claims to know a man with a gold tooth who lives with his daughter at 5 rue de la Verrerie.

Bella's House

• Letter from Jamie - Letter from Jamie to Bella. "... you know the depth of my love for you. My every breath is a sigh for you. I will always be yours, despite all the obstacles..." The return address is: Jamie MacArthur 3 rue Bertin Poirée.
• Statement of Bella - Bella (daughter of missing man): Describes her father as tall with a distinctive gold tooth. Claims he is a strict man with her best interests at heart.
• Statement of Jamie MacArthur - Jamie MacArthur (Scottish tradesman): Claims Bella's father disappeared after leaving to run errands given to him by Bella's grandmother. Claims he was about to ask the father for Bella's hand in marriage.
• Statement of old woman - Old woman: Bella's grandmother. Had sent Bella's father on errands. Doesn't recall all items on the list but the merchant nearby on rue des Lombards was one of them.

Butcher Shop

• Bloody bucket - Overflowing with half-ground organs, probably from an animal.
• Butcher's block - Some meat cleavers and used aprons.
• Large sackcloth bag - Similar to bag found on the shore. Contains pig bones.
• Small bag - Contains a pair of woman's leather shoes, a bolt of cloth and other small items.
• Statement of the butcher - The butcher: Appears groggy. Has large bump on his head. Claims he was knocked out for a long time. Someone came into his shop and knocked him over the head. The man wore a tradesman's coat and a three-corner hat. The man had an accent, possibly a Scottish accent.

Jamie's House

• Crumpled letter - "Leave my daughter alone! Your attentions are unwanted. Bella is meant for a much better match; she will certainly not marry a ridiculous Scotsman! I forbid you from seeing her again.
• Letters from Bella - A series of love letters from Bella to Jamie. "... I love you so, but I am in despair. My father simply will not allow our union ..."

Shop

• List of errands - "Leather shoes, cloth, brush - general store, 12 rue des Lombards" The next entry is a butcher shop, but the address is crossed out. In a different hand is written, "Sausages - butcher shop, 31 Quai de Megisserie"
• Statement of the shopkeeper - Shopkeeper (Martin Lavalle): Claims man with gold tooth came to shop to buy shoes and other items. The man's next stop was a butcher shop. The man asked the shopkeeper where this butcher was located. The man left his list behind.

Tavern

• Statement of barkeep - Barkeep: Still has his gold tooth. Knows of another man with gold tooth in this neighborhood and hates him passionately.

Dialogue

Shore

• National Guardsman (maintains order along the shore): What? A gold tooth? Not many folks with gold teeth. There's a barman right close by, at the Limping Dog Tavern. I'd hate to think he's been killed.
• Boatman (a young man): I found that bag sitting in the mud. Did you see? A gold tooth! I only know one man with a gold tooth. He lives with his daughter on the rue de la Verrerie, number 5.

Bella's House

• Bella (daughter of missing man): What am I to do? I can't sleep, I scarcely eat. My father has disappeared! He's easily recognised - tall, has a gold front tooth. He can be rather strict, but he has my best interests at heart.
• Jamie MacArthur (Scottish tradesman): Bella's father went out to make some purchases three days ago and never returned. The grandmother is always making lists of errands for him.
• Old woman (Mother of missing man): I'm the girl's grandmother, bless her heart. I'm too frail to run errands, so her father would do them. I'd given him a list and sent him out to buy some things. I don't remember everything that was on that list, but I did want some things from the merchant right down the street on rue de Lombards.

Butcher Shop

• Butcher (Groggy, bump on head.): Whoa. I musta been out for awhile. Took a real blow to the head. Fella came in here, I thought he was a customer. Then he jumped me in my own shop. He was wearing a tradesman's coat and a three-corner hat. ... Oh, he had some kinda crazy accent ... Scottish, maybe?

Shop

• Martin Lavalle (Shopkeeper): Oh, yes. The man with the gold tooth. A few days ago he came by, bought shoes and sundries. His next stop was a butcher's shop that he'd never visited before. Asked me where it was. He left his list behind.

Tavern

• Barkeep (Has a prominent gold tooth): What'll it be? ... Gold tooth? Yeah, this front one right here. I'm damn proud of it. Real tooth got knocked out in a bar fight.

Conclusion

Spoiler

The murderer was Jamie MacArthur, a Scottish tradesman and hopeful suitor to the victim's daughter Bella. Case Summary Frustrated by Bella's father's refusal to allow him to marry Bella, Jamie MacArthur concocted a plan to make him disappear. He intercepted one of the grandmother's frequent errand lists and wrote the address of an out-of-the-way butcher's shop on it. He then knocked out the butcher, waited until Bella's father arrived, killed him and ground him up into haggis using the the implements found there at the butcher shop. He disposed of the bones by tossing them into an old butcher's sack and throwing it into the river.

Gallery

• 
  The dirty sackcloth bag containing the bones of Bella's father.
• 
  The bucket containing meat from the butcher.
• 
  The butcher's tools and equipment.
• 
  The large sackcloth bag containing pig bones.
• 
  The small bag containing leather shoes, cloth and other items.

Reference

• Assassin's Creed: Unity