MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

In the lush yet perilous heart of the rainforest, Frances' life was brutally ended by a shotgun blast, and now, within the deceptive calm, Detective Winston is probing Meredith and Kinsley under the weight of suspicion.

Winston observed the crime scene one more time before departing from the stifling rainforest heat. Frances was found murdered there, her body cold and lifeless. Buster, her faithful Golden Retriever was whining nearby, his normally luminous fur matted and dirty. Winston made a note to have someone pick up the poor dog, and that's when he remembered Jerry, the local birdwatcher, mentioning that he'd seen Meredith near this spot around the time the murder would have occurred.

Meredith... the pet groomer who'd often take walks in these woods for her job. She worked nearby, grooming the pets of the affluent folks who didn't mind living a little closer to nature. Hopefully, she could shed some light on things. 

Once at the grooming shop, Meredith greeted Winston cheerfully. 

"Hey there, detective! How can I help you today?"

"Just got a few questions for you, Meredith." After a few initial inquiries, so as not to raise alarm, Winston changed his approach. "Were you by any chance in the rainforest yesterday?"

Meredith seemed slightly taken aback, but she answered, "Well, yes, I was. I often go there to observe and study animals, it helps me in my work. Why do you ask?"

Winston responded with another question, "Did you notice anything unusual in the rainforest yesterday?"

"No, nothing out of the ordinary." Meredith's answer was too insincere, too fast. Winston decided not to press it for now.

Looking around the shop, Winston noticed a myriad of dog-related awards and trophies that filled the shelves. One, however, stood out--a first place trophy for a shooting competition.

"Fancy shooter, are you?" Winston inquired, pointing at the award. 

"Heh, that's a bit of a surprise, is it not?" Meredith laughed lightly. "Yes, I used to go to the range quite often with my hunting club, won a few prizes too. I still keep my shotgun in my house, and sometimes bring it here to the shop. My neighbors have seen it a few times when I take it out to clean."

Back in the rainforest, Frances' blackmail pressure seemed to be taking a heavy toll on Meredith, as she confessed it to her friend Sarah a while ago. Frances had apparently found out about Meredith's illicit pet trade, and seemed to have been trying to extort money from her in return for her silence.

That certainly meant a lot of trouble for Meredith. Winston mulled over these facts as he left the shop. The rainforest seemed awfully quiet, leaving him alone with his thoughts. It's best to let this news simmer and see what Meredith does next. Either way, Winston knew he had more digging to do. This was far from over. He got into his car, the thoughts churning in his analytical mind. As he drove off, the shadows of the rainforest seemed to whisper secrets, secrets he was determined to unravel. He vowed to return.

Winston stood near the cordon tape at the crime scene. Frances, a law enforcement officer, had been working relentlessly to bring down the local gang. According to her case files, Frances' investigations have been troublesome for many, especially those involved in dirty deals with the gang. Ever since she started investigating the intersections between Kinsley's spiritual group and the gang, she had drawn close to exposing the hidden ties and nefarious deals between them.

“In all my years in the force,” Winston said to his partner, "I've seen some hard characters, but spiritual gurus and gang members tied together?"

His partner shrugged, "What's the world coming to, huh?"

Days later, Winston met Kinsley, a spiritual guru who had been seen leading his spiritual group in the forest the day Frances was killed. Frances, who had been present in the forest on that day, shared her doubts about Kinsley's practices and friends, including those in the gang. She had even observed the pair of them sequestered away in a corner of the forest, a scene that appeared strange given the circumstances.

Winston leveled a steady gaze at Kinsley, "So you were here in the forest with Frances on the day she was murdered?"

Kinsley nodded, a serene smile never leaving his face, "I was guiding my disciples here on the same day."

He went on to add, "In fact, Frances did join me at one point. With just the two of us, we engaged in a brief yet hearty conversation about life, spirituality, and the power of transformation."

"But you don't use any digital communication platforms for your group, correct?" Winston asked. It had given him a headache trying to get in contact with Kinsley or gather more information about him.

"No, Detective, I find it more personal to communicate face-to-face than through screens." Kinsley reclined in his chair.

"And your disciples seem to echo this sentiment." Winston continued, "They said they don't have nor have they seen any of your own social media profiles."

Kinsley merely smiled, "We believe in living in the moment, Detective. Our connection is a spiritual one, untouched by the likes of Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram."

"As such, you only announce your public events on your website, with no social media pages connected to it?" Winston pressed.

"That's the way I prefer it," Kinsley was nonchalant, "Avoids a lot of unnecessary distractions, wouldn't you agree?"

Looking around the peaceful setting, Winston had to reassess his definition of 'distraction'. What wasn't peaceful though, was Kinsley's openly acknowledged links between his spiritual group and the local gang, which added a disturbing edge to his spiritual pursuits.

Winston found it necessary to probe, "I do find it peculiar that a spiritual guru like you would publicly acknowledge your group's ties with the local gang. That's... quite interesting."

Kinsley simply shrugged, "I have always believed in the power of transformation, Detective. Everyone deserves a chance, don't they?"

With that final statement, Kinsley rose from his seat, effectively ending their conversation. The case was beginning to appear murkier than before. Winston knew there were still critical pieces of this puzzle he needed to uncover.