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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.


Winston stepped out of his nondescript sedan and glanced up at the neon sign of the motel, a place whose exact location was confirmed to him by Gregory. One of the letters was flickering intermittently, giving the place an eerie ambiance. He took a deep breath and made his way towards the motel bar.

"Gregory?" He asked, ducking his head into the empty bar and spotting a lone figure sitting at the counter, the man who was spotted near this very bar on the night of the murder.

"That's me," came the gruff response.

Murmuring a hello, Winston took a seat beside Gregory, a stern-looking man who held himself with a strict discipline and a military demeanor. Winston couldn't help but notice the various pins and medals pinned to Gregory's jacket- the mark of an avid military memorabilia collector, especially flamethrowers which he had learned to use during his time in the military, just like many other veterans he had met.

"I see you keep up with the military standards, Gregory," Winston observed, subtly glancing at the pins before turning his attention back to Gregory, "Collecting memorabilia from your time, especially those flamethrowers you trained with?"

"Yeah, something like that," Gregory muttered, his gaze still fixed on his untouched drink.

"Can I assume your flamethrower gets a lot of attention in your maintenance routine? They're not easy to keep prim and proper," Winston asked casually.

"Yes, it does, but it's long been decommissioned, just for display," Gregory affirmed.

"Adam mentioned he was staying at this very motel," Winston prompted subtly.

Gregory nodded, "Yeah, he told me."

"Looks like you're familiar with this place," Winston stated, looking around the bar, "Heard you were here last night as well."

"Couldn't sleep, I always feel restless unless I have a task to accomplish. Decided to take a walk," Gregory shrugged, his gaze briefly meeting Winston's before returning to his drink, "What does it matter?"

Winston chose not to answer, instead he moved onto the next question, "You often stay up late, a norm from the military days?"

Gregory grunted in affirmation, "You could say that."

A silence fell over the two, only broken by the distant hum of the flickering motel sign. Winston broke the silence again, "Also, can't help but notice that you prefer being on your own. Must be hard on the social life?"

"Helps me sleep," Gregory muttered, a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice, "What does any of this have to do with anything?"

Winston watched as the veteran steadily stood up, avoiding any further conversation. As he watched Gregory stalk out of the bar, his mind already weaving together the facts. It was time to return to the precinct and put together the pieces of this perplexing puzzle.

After another long day of investigations and paperwork, Winston, a seasoned detective with the local police department, sat at his desk with a cold coffee in his hands. He still had to visit the motel, the crime scene, but before that, he wanted to talk to Alfred.

He arrived at a local gym and found Alfred busy in his weight training session. He had a muscular built and was sweating profusely. The weightlifter greeted Winston, “How can I help you, detective?”

“I need to talk about your friend Adam,” Winston said. “Would you mind taking a break?”

“During the tournament? Nope. I can talk and lift,” Alfred replied, demonstrating his multi-tasking ability. 

“You two were close, right?” Winston began, Alfred nodded in confirmation. "Adam made a comment. He said you confided in him about a scandal that could have knocked you off your pedestal, any idea about it?” Alfred stopped after Winston's question remained on him. He shrugged and resumed his session, “Just a gossip. Adam was known for his love to spread rumors.”

Winston let the topic slide, “He mentioned it was held at the motel where you guys frequently have your team meetings.”

“Yes, the manager gives us a nice discount. Plus, it’s close to where the tournaments happen. In fact, we're holding today's tournament on-site in the motel conference hall," Alfred said, struggling with the weights in his hand.

Winston noticed a suspiciously large tool bag near the training apparatus. It was slightly open and he could see a hint of a flamethrower poking out. Alfred's tool bag.

“And this,” Winston moved a point towards the bag, “mind if I take a look? I need to call it in for processing.”

“Not at all,” Alfred shrugged again, breaking from his training, “It’s the equipment I use for my event. I see that keychain on your belt, same as mine, the key to Adam's motel room. Got it when he entrusted some his valuables to me.”

Winston nodded, quickly making the connection as Alfred was a professional athlete famously known for his flamethrower stunts.

“Adam had the key to your motel room. May I ask why?”

Before Alfred could respond, his phone rang. “My agent,” he said, answering the call and walking away.

“Surely, that’s Alfred you are talking about. The one who is close to signing a multimillion-dollar endorsement deal?” Winston overheard the agent say.

Winston decided to take his leave with more questions than answered. He shook his head and walked away, ready to work on more leads. Today had given him much to ponder, he had more information to unravel the secret that Alfred wanted to keep hidden and Adam couldn’t.

choices

  • Gregory
  • Alfred

Discussion

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Source and history

task_id
34ed96b9-4c34-51d5-aa3e-b853f73d3816
task_key
default--murder~5fmysteries--34ed96b9-4c34-51d5-aa3e-b853f73d3816
task_revision_id
1
config / split
default / murder_mysteries

Official source

initial import