MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the unsettling calm of the zoo, the peculiar death of Walter by a nail gun sets Detective Winston on a challenging trail of clues, with Glenn and Dennis as prime suspects.

Detective Winston received a call about a gruesome crime scene at the zoo. Walter had been killed, and based on initial investigations, a nail gun was the suspected murder weapon. 

Winston set his gaze on the prime suspect...young Dennis. He had been a fixture around the city's construction sites for years, including the ongoing project at the zoo. Not long ago, Winston remembered seeing him at one of the sites brandishing a nail gun, securing beams and panels with confident gestures. 

As he picked apart the crime scene, Winston found a receipt in one of the toolboxes. It was from a hardware store, listing a box of framing nails bought just a day before Walter's murder. 

Winston turned his attention to Dennis's background. Dennis feared Walter, who was known to be involved in some shady activities. Walter had tightened a threatening leash on the boy, often bullying him and warning him of severe consequences if Dennis did not follow his orders. Winston also recalled that Dennis had witnessed some of these activities as he was fostered by Walter. 

Pushing further, Winston discovered that Dennis had been seen at a local hardware store the day before the attack, purchasing exactly the same nails as the ones on the receipt. 

Disentangling Dennis's post-work life, Winston uncovered a string of connections entwining Dennis with some dubious faces in town. Dennis was known to frequent 'The Pit,' a bar notorious for the wrong kind of patrons, where he was seen mingling with known gang members. 

In a brief conversation he had with the boy, this grim picture was confirmed. 

"The Pit? Yeah, I go there often. What's the big deal?" shrugged Dennis, when Winston questioned him about his regular haunt and its denizens. 

Winston prodded further, "Ever see anything out of the ordinary at The Pit, Dennis?" 

"What do you mean?" Dennis asked, leaning back on his chair.

"Anything...unusual. Any fights, perhaps?" 

Dennis paused, "I can hear arguments and fights from my apartment all the time. It's a tough neighborhood."

Winston nodded. There had been three assaults reported just last month from that neighborhood - an uncomfortable backdrop to the unfortunate boy's daily life. 

"Stay safe, kid." He told Dennis as they ended their conversation. His job, for now, was to dig further into the complex web surrounding Walter's murder.

Winston was in the process of sifting through last month's court documents, ones that had been in Walter's possession. Specifically, Glenn's criminal record stood out among Walter's findings. The record spread over a period of eight years and exposed Glenn's previous stint in the prison.

Promptly the next day, Winston decided to visit Glenn at work. The grocery store was bustling with activity as it was a grocery shopping day for most families in the neighborhood. As Glenn was ringing up a box of high-quality nails, typically used for a nail gun, for a customer, Winston noticed and waited patiently until Glenn got a break from his hectic day to approach him.

Glenn looked surprised to see a customer waiting for him, "Can I help you with something, sir?"

"Yes, I'm Detective Winston." He showed his badge. "I have a few questions for you."

"I see," Glenn replied hesitantly.

"Noticed you're in stock with a wide range of nails today," Winston pointed towards a packed shelf of nails.

"Yeah, people need them for all sorts of reasons," Glenn chuckled nervously. "In fact, just purchased some for myself."

"Even for nail guns?"

Glenn looked a little startled, but quickly composed himself and replied, "Certainly, sir. But we don't sell the nail guns themselves here."

In the middle of their conversation, a little girl came running up to Glenn excited. "Daddy, Daddy, I want to go to the zoo again this Saturday! Can we go watch the monkeys get their feeding? They get fed at exactly three in the afternoon, same as every day, Please, Daddy!"

"Sure, sweetheart. If that's what you want," Glenn smiled, looking fondly at his daughter. "Our membership sure is getting a workout, isn't it?"

Later, Winston headed to the zoo himself. A regular he recognised from the grocery, noticed him and approached, "You must be the detective. I saw you around the grocery that day. I've seen Glenn here as well, always around three for the monkey feeding. He and his daughter have a membership and visit often."

"Do you remember something about him on the day Walter was mur..."

"Yes, actually. He was carrying a bulky bag. Quite similar to a tool bag if I remember correctly," the eyewitness replied, cutting him short.

Later that evening, Winston visited Glenn's home, commenting on how well he repaired the leaky roof from last winter with his previous purchase of nails. 

"You know what they say, a stitch in time saves nine," Glenn said, sounding more relaxed on his home ground. 

Winston managed to bring up Walter's conversation with him, "I heard Walter found out something about your past?" 

Glenn's smile faded, "Yes, he did. And he told me couldn't keep his secret much longer," Glenn replied cautiously. 

With that, Winston took leave, leaving a tense Glenn standing under the roof he had mended himself, feeling the sudden, icy gust of wintry winds.

choices

• Glenn
• Dennis