MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

"When Keira's lifeless body was discovered in an airplane bathroom, and a shotgun was found tucked beneath a seat, Detective Winston stepped forward to interrogate the only suspects: Angela and Roy."

Winston grimaced slightly as he wrestled the file folder open. The crime scene photographs laid out on his desk seemed far-fetched, yet chillingly real. The circumstances were more Hollywood than real life; a body on a plane and a shotgun involved. The wedding party, including Keira and Angela, had travelled together to the destination for the wedding. 

As he took a sip of his lukewarm coffee, he forced down the bitter taste, and turned his attention to the suspect in question; Angela, the Maid of Honor. Apparently, she had been quite the participant in Keira’s wedding party; even had the responsibility for the suitcases.

Keira's life seemed to have ended prematurely, and one piece of information struck Winston immediately. Keira and Angela were reported to have had a fierce argument over Sam, Keira's boyfriend. From what he could gather, Angela had more than platonic feelings towards Sam. She had been spotted several times, gazing at him at the party with longing in her eyes. Furthermore, it seemed Angela knew a secret. Keira was planning to dump Sam after their trip, leaving him heartbroken. This argument about Sam and Angela's secret feelings towards him, seemed like a potential motive.

As Winston flipped through the case files, a detail about Angela's past caught his eye. She was an award-winning sharpshooter. Interesting. She also had a penchant for hunting... regularly. Another sip of coffee followed this revelation.

An initial testimony revealed that there had been no security checks for the suitcases and Angela was responsible for managing them. Was that a coincidence or a calculated move?

Angela left the party late in the night and her departure seemed odd. What made it more unsettling was that shortly after Keira was last seen, Angela was sighted entering her house. Angela and Keira had been at the same party that night.

He swirled the last bit of his coffee in the paper cup. There were still many clues to decode and pieces to connect. Nonetheless, the facts were all laid out in front of him.

He finally exited his office, determined. Personal disagreement, unchecked suitcases, a late-night departure, and a secret crush... Winston knew he needed answers. The puzzle wasn’t complete. As he stepped into his car, he knew his next move - he had to interview Angela.

Winston drummed his fingers on his notepad, waiting for Roy in the gritty staff room of the film set. In the room, a plethora of props scattered about - fake wigs, fake blood, all the tools of the trade for making movie magic look real. Among them, oddly enough, was a shotgun - a prop for one of the upcoming scenes.

He was here to interview Roy, a makeup artist by title, but wearing many hats in reality. Besides artfully painting faces, he handled the props and was even a certified gun handler, quite an unusual combination of skills, Winston thought not for the first time.

Finally, Roy sauntered into the room, looking dishevelled but alert despite the insanely late hour. His eyes, through years of experience, immediately began to scrutinize Winston's face as if preparing to apply foundation and concealer.

Before his eyes could do his work, Winston began. "Mr. Roy, could you explain a bit about your relationship with Ms. Keira?"

Roy's face muscle twitched noticeably at his question. Resisting the urge to highlight this, Winston continued.

"Were you two traveling together for the movie shoot?"

"Yeah," Roy murmured. "She was seated near me during the flight." Winston then chose to ease into a more delicate topic to officially address the rumor. "The passengers reported seeing Keira being intimate with another man on the flight, a man who was not you. It created quite a commotion."

Roy swallowed hard, "I confronted her about it, of course. But she simply dismissed it as casual flirting, nothing more."

"I understand that it's a part of your job to handle the props in the films you work on, including firearms?" Winston asked.

"Yeah," Roy sighed, his eyes wandering far beyond the confines of the room. "There was this scene involving a fired shotgun in the movie we were working on."

A ‘ding’ from Roy’s phone caught his attention. Winston noticed him unholstering his phone to view an incoming message, just like the day when Roy found explicit messages on Keira's phone that confirmed her infidelity. 

Noticing Roy’s quiet discomfort, Winston prodded further, “You were wide awake and idle the night Keira was murdered, weren't you?”

Roy flickered a gaze at Winston but said nothing.

"It must have felt like a dream," Winston muttered, musing on his own thoughts rather than posing a question. "To watch someone intimate with another man while ignoring your confrontations. It can make anyone lose composure. You were awake and not busy, is it because you were thinking about the scene you witnessed in the plane?"

Roy didn't answer, his hardened gaze holding Winston's. Whether it was for the detective to find or the truth to remain hidden, only time would tell as the conversation, like the investigation, carried on.

choices

• Angela
• Roy