MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the tranquil vineyards, Terry's life was brutally snuffed out by a makeshift shiv, and now it's up to seasoned Detective Winston to unravel the truth from suspects Bella and Jose.

The vineyard was unusually crowded as Winston steadily emerged from his car. Workers swarmed around an old bulldozer — an earsplitting roar clearly disrupting their conversation.

Leading towards the shade of the makeshift structure, Jose — a construction worker at the scene, caught Winston's eye. His brow was furrowed in worry. Laments about his diminishing performance at work were ripe among his co-workers. Noticing a murder of crows flocking in the field, an eerie feeling washed over Winston.

Approaching the blue-collar worker, Winston kicked-off casually, "Got a minute, Jose?"

Drawing a deep breath, Jose turned around to shrug, he seemed a bit frazzled. His friendly banter with his co-workers cut short due to a bulldozer malfunctioning, "It's an early lunch... not like I was doing much today. My boss caught me chattin' instead of workin'."

Chuckling, Jose bobbed towards the group of his co-workers, who were noticeably enjoying their conversation. "We've been going at it round the clock to get that wine store ready. Work's been tough lately, my performance has taken a hit, we gotta vent, right?"

"Yes, of course," Winston agreed, casually adding, "Isn't Terry your boss?"

"Technically, yes," sighed Jose, rubbing his neck nervously. "He owns this whole place," gesturing around the vineyard. "We had a... disagreement this morning. He accused me of stealing from the building site, falsifying work hours. Even threatened to fire me."

As Jose's voice trailed off, Winston observed, "Sounds tough."

"Yes, sir," Jose replied quietly. "The man even suspects me for the murder that happened here last week, during my shift. If Terry fires me... everything comes crashing down. This is the main work I've got right now... I can't afford to lose it."

Winston nodded understandingly and asked him if Terry, who was also present during the murder event, was around the vineyard at this time, to which Jose confirmed.

After reassuring Jose, he'd look into the matter, Winston began walking towards his car. Just as he was leaving, the obnoxious screech of the faulty bulldozer marked the end of an early lunch break.

Winston sipped his black coffee as he stared out of his aging police cruiser, eyeing the sprawling vineyard and thinking about Terry. Reports had come in of a heated exchange between Terry and Bella. A scenario that happened right after Terry caught Bella red-handed with a bottle of rare, expensive wine she hadn't paid for. An intern. Bella, whose name had been brought up more and more frequently in recent times due to her increasing thieving activities. 

She hadn't left the vineyard that day. Bella, who was spotted near the shed just minutes before Terry's body was found there. It was adding up, and something heavy was pressing on Winston's gut. He quietly exited his cruiser and walked over to Bella, who was diligently maintaining the vineyard's tools after work. 

"Ma'am," Winston began. His greeting was met with a simple nod from Bella.

"Bella, correct?"

"Yes, Sir," she replied.

"You were here all day?"

She nodded. "Everyone around here can tell you that," she murmured. 

An old red-and-green painted shed stood in the distance. He knew Bella had the privilege of going in and out without supervision. A luxury that troubled him, especially given her recent knack for stealing. 

"Busy day today?" Winston asked, glancing at Bella's hands.

"Always. I keep these tools as clean and sharp as possible," she replied, holding up a newly sharpened pruner. Her delicate hands belied the hardened steel of the instruments. 

Winston nodded, casting his gaze to one of the metal figurines intricately sculpted by Bella herself. 

"You do this?" he asked, pointing. 

Bella nodded, a small smile flashing across her face. She seemed to relish the precision, the skill required, and the metalwork. It was clear she was good at this. His eyes narrowed slightly as he put the figurine back down.

Her penchant for stealing wasn't just limited to the tools or anything she could lay her hands on. It was whispered around the vineyard that Bella had a keen taste for the wine here. Especially the rare and pricey varieties, which had been disappearing more frequently than before. Terry wasn't a fan though, especially after catching her in the act. Winston had found himself unusually bothered by what was open knowledge. Particularly, Terry's threat to report Bella to management if it continued.

On his way back to his cruiser, Winston remembered a particularly vivid memory from his briefing; Terry shouting at Bella right in front of the shed. The memory sent a chill running down his spine. He wore a stoic face in front of her, nodded in acknowledgment, and walked away. His gut was telling him that she had more to say, and he planned to stick around. Somewhat of a sixth sense, he attributed it to his years on the force.

choices

• Bella
• Jose