MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

An explosion rocking a suburban home leads Detective Winston into a web of deception and intrigue as he investigates the untimely death of Josephine, with prime suspects Dale and Letti under the microscope.

Winston laid out the photographs, collected during the start of his investigation on his office table. The victim, Josephine, was a bright young woman with an infectious grin who had recently started dating someone new. Winston sifted through a basket of witness statements, one of which detailing how Dale had been seen angrily yelling at Josephine after discovering her new relationship.

He mulled over the reports that had come in. Josephine's new lover, the wrathful confrontation with Dale, the police going through Dale's house and coming up with suspicious multiple driver's licenses, Dale's frequent presence at the victim's frequented café, and his predilection to appear wherever Josephine was.

Winston shook his head slightly, trying to dissipish the fog of conclusions starting to form. Stacked in the pile of evidence was a slightly crumpled invitation that was reportedly handed by Josephine herself to Dale, inviting the latter to her house on the day of the murder, when no one else was at home according to her neighbors.

Rubbing his brow, Winston decided to pay Dale a visit.

The first thing that jumped out at him when Dale opened the door to his house was the cropped hair and roughened hands of an electrician at work.

"Dale," Winston greeted. 

"Detective…" The greeting was strained and curt.

Winston decided to ignore it. "Heard you had a little talk with Josephine recently," he started casually. 

Dale tensed up a bit but didn’t deny it. "We had a few words."

Winston made a noncommittal noise. "Seems you frequent the same café Josephine liked," he commented, carefully gauging Dale's reaction.

"Just like a good cup of Joe," Dale replied, his tense posture relaxing slightly. 

Winston noticed Dale hastily shove a few driver's licenses into his wallet. "I also heard you lose your license often," he added.

Dale shrugged sheepishly. "Never fails—always forgetting where I put those damn things."

Winston noticed a particular license. "All different names." 

"It's a private joke," Dale defended hurriedly.

"Speaking of private matters, Josephine seemed to think quite highly of you. She asked you to her place I understand," Winston continued.

"That's true," Dale confirmed. 

Winston’s cop senses burned, but he showed nothing on his face. "You were in town on the day she died, weren't you?"

"Yes," Dale replied, "I wasn't hiding."

"That makes sense," Winston replied. "According to witnesses, they saw you leaving Josephine's house."

Dale glanced at him sharply. "You're the detective. You tell me."  

Winston tipped his hat cordially. "Thank you for your time, Dale."

Winston couldn't shake off the unsettled feeling as he looked at the crime scene photos one more time before heading out. But, despite his feelings, he knew he would have to dig deeper to reveal the truth. Only proof would suffice.

Winston sat in his office poring over the case files once again. The victim was a woman named Josephine. She had recently joined the company where the main suspect, Letti worked. Josephine’s home had been blown to smithereens from an explosion while she was inside alone. Letti, an employee who often worked in Josephine’s home as part of her job was spotted in the area around the time of the explosion.

He rubbed his weary eyes, decision time. He hailed a taxi and headed to the company where Letti worked. The building was abuzz with activity as he walked in. Letti had left for the day, but her manager was more than happy to answer Winston’s questions. 

"Letti? Yeah, she's been with us for a while. Started from scrap and climbed her way up," the manager began. "Her duty to routinely work in Josephine's house due to her job profile indeed proves her dedication. Her engineering degree really gave her an edge, especially with the nitty-gritty of machinery."

"She was looking for a promotion, isn't she?" Winston asked.

"You got that right, for a long time actually. A promotion would've helped her with her bills too. I heard she was struggling," the manager confessed.

"Ah, she was seen near Josephine’s house around the time of the explosion?" Winston carefully watched for any reaction. The manager's surprise seemed genuine.

"That's odd. But, you know Josephine trusted her. Even gave her a key." Winston raised his eyebrow but said nothing, noting his reaction.

The next day, Winston got the chance to meet Letti for an informal conversation. She was smartly dressed and carried a professional air around her.

"I heard Josephine had just joined recently but was already being considered for the promotion," Winston began.

"Yes, she was. I must say I was a bit envious of her quick success," Letti admitted. "Anyway, how can I help, detective?"

"You work with chemicals daily due to the nature of your work at Josephine's house," Winston began. 

"Well, detective, that's true. My role requires me to handle these substances not only at the company but more so when I am working at Josephine's house. Some even have the capacity to create a potent explosive if not handled correctly," she admitted looking cautiously at the detective.

As Winston left the building, he pondered over what he’d learned. Letti’s struggle for a promotion seemed plausible given her financial difficulties and Josephine was a direct threat to her. But would the envy drive her to kill Josephine and blow up her house? Only time would tell. His mind went back to the crime scene: Josephine alone, the explosion, Letti in the vicinity, and at her disposal, the lethal mix of chemicals from her daily work at Josephine's home.

choices

• Dale
• Letti