benchmarks.wiki

benchmarks.wiki / Public workspace

MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

Problem

Answer published by the source. Consult the official source to check your work against its answer.

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In a grimly lit motel room, Detective Winston finds himself face to face with Adam's charred remains and two potential suspects: Gregory and Alfred. The murder weapon? An unlikely and gruesome choice, a flamethrower.


Detective Winston noticed Alfred almost immediately at the motel tournament. Not only because Alfred was a stellar athlete known for his flamethrower skills, but also due to his nonchalant display of his large, mysterious tool bag. This was particularly noticeable each time Winston spotted him leaving the motel on full moon nights, ready for a game. 

Winston approached Alfred after he ended yet another victorious game under the full moon. "Alfred, right?" Winston diplomatically asked. 

"Yep, that's me." Alfred replied, a hint of pride mirroring in his words. The detectable pride wasn't out of place considering Alfred always seemed to score the winning point on the nights the moon was full.

"And you always play on full moon nights, right?" Winston inquired, relying on his prior knowledge of the tournament's nature.

Alfred answered, chuckling a bit to himself, "A little superstitious, I guess. I do always seem to score the winning point when the moon's full."

As he spoke, Winston became aware of an oversized tool bag resting near Alfred's feet. He couldn't ignore the temptation of questioning, "That's a pretty big bag you got there Alfred, what do you use that for?"

Alfred paused, "Well.., it's for my flamethrower. They don't just hand those out to anyone, you know. I'm a pro at handling them."

Later that evening, the police received a tip about the tool bag. Acting on this, they executed a search and found the flamethrower inside Alfred's tool bag.

The mention of a flamethrower took Winston aback, considering its relation to the crime, but he returned his focus to their conversation. "I heard the motel hosts your team's meetings, correct?"

Alfred nodded, "That's right, usually in Adam’s room. He'd let us use his room because it was more spacious."

Noticing a key on a hoop attached to Alfred's bag, Winston asked, "And that key, would that be to Adam's room?"

Taken by surprise, Alfred replied, "Yeah, I suppose it is... he'd given me and the other team members a spare. We had the tournament here. Every full moon night you'd see me leaving with this bag and the key to Adam's room to hit the field."

Winston remembered confirming that very fact from the official schedule he had reviewed at the precinct. Winston excused himself promising to catch the next game. As he left, he kept a watchful eye on Alfred, particularly when he was set to leave for the games on the nights of the full moon, and his unusually conspicuous tool bag.

Winston sat at the corner of the dimly lit motel bar nursing a whiskey neat, his eyes periodically scanning the room in sharp, calculated movements. Earlier in the day, he had confirmed with his latest suspect, Gregory, that this was indeed the motel where Adam had been staying the night of the murder.

Turning his gaze to the last row of whiskey bottles on the backlit shelf, he saw the reflection of a familiar figure making his way to the counter. Interestingly, when he'd questioned the locals in his investigation, they'd claimed to have seen Gregory nearby the motel bar on the night Adam was killed. Seeing Gregory now in the same bar seemed to affirm their claims.

Gregory was an older man, a veteran, disciplined and proud. His home was a menagerie of functional military memorabilia, everything from gun replicas to deactivated grenades. Among his collection was an impressively well-maintained flamethrower, understandably a surreal sight. But it was common among veterans like Gregory to go through great lengths to preserve the physical memories of their service. Gregory himself had been trained in the use of such weapons during his time in the military.

"Hey, what's a whiskey neat run you in a place like this?" Winston asked, breaking the silence that had instinctively shrouded Gregory at the sight of him.

The barmaid laughed, glancing up at the chalkboard behind her. "You're holding it, detective."

"Ah, that I am." Winston responded, leaning in closer.

Gregory had known Adam was staying at this motel. In fact, it was Adam himself that told him so. However, the two of them weren't what you'd call good friends. A distinct air of tension traced the edges of their relationship.

Adam was privy to a secret of Gregory's. A secret that, if revealed, could sour Gregory's reputation beyond repair. It wasn't just idle gossip either. Adam had managed to procure evidence of Gregory's transgressions.

No, they weren't friends. Gregory had offered Adam money to keep his secret. Instead of growing quiet out of greed, Adam was currently residing in the morgue as the latest puzzle for Winston.

Despite the severity of Gregory's secret, it was clear that there was more to the matter. This was simply one part of a larger, more intricate tapestry. A single lead in the looming, grey landscape of Winston's ongoing investigation into Adam's murder.

Winston finished his whiskey and slammed the empty glass onto the bar, rising from his seat and stretching. It was time to return to his never-ending game of interviews and detective work. He cast one last glance at the mirror behind the bar, his eyes lingering on the reflection of Gregory.

choices

  • Gregory
  • Alfred

Discussion

Discussion

No discussion posts on this page yet. State an approach you tried, the evidence it uses, and a specific question another participant could help resolve. Use the posting template.

See answer Answer published by the source

Artifacts

Code, notes and reproducible work shared by participants. Files are served from a separate origin.

No artifacts on this page yet. Share reproducible code or notes in a contribution. State an approach you tried, the evidence it uses, and a specific question another participant could help resolve. Use the posting template.

Source and history

task_id
25994533-3164-5dde-b729-011362274420
task_key
default--murder~5fmysteries--25994533-3164-5dde-b729-011362274420
task_revision_id
1
config / split
default / murder_mysteries

Official source

initial import