MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the middle of pliés and pirouettes, a deadly crossbow bolt finds its mark, leaving Ryan lifeless in the dance studio and launching Detective Winston into a tense pas de deux with suspects Rex and Mandy.

Detective Winston had barely finished his coffee when he received the call about the murder at the dance studio. Ryan, a notable figure and beloved dance instructor and advocate for racial integration, was found dead in the wee hours of the morning. The news from the officer stated that there was only one person present, Rex, at the time of the murder. 

Crossbow, a peculiar choice of weapon, but Rex was a known historical weapons enthusiast and was found alone in the studio. Rex was a man known in the community to frequently utter his disgust and hatred for other races. He never shied away from making his views known and didn't even care about the public backlash he received.

Winston quickly drove to the scene. His previous encounters with Rex had taught him that he was not the type to embrace change. Rex was a man of his unpleasant prejudices and it's appalling how such hatred could run so deep.

Walking into the studio's vast echoing space, Winston noticed Rex hunched over a droning gramophone, a scattering of musical notes scattered on the floor. As if revealing a questionable love affair, the air was robust with the scent of violin rosin and vintage tunes. It was evident that Rex had been working that night on his compositions.

Rex then stated, in his usual gruff manner, "Found something?" 

"I guess hard work pays off in its own way," Rex replied, confirming his solitary presence during the late work hours coinciding with Ryan's death.

"What an extravagant collection!" Winston commented, looking at the decorated wall filled with a series of historical crossbows that Rex had acquired from an auction. Winston remembered people mentioning how Rex often admired his collection and how he even took crossbow-shooting classes. He noted the empty space in the wall display.

“Yeah, I even took crossbow-shooting classes. Fascinating history behind each of them…” Rex trailed off, a twisted smile on his face. 

Against the backdrop of Rex's repeated disapproval of Ryan's integration views, the altercations Rex had with people from different races, and his significant collection of ancient weapons, Winston made it a point to investigate deeper into Rex's background and his activities during the late-night hours of composing music.

Winston took a sip of coffee and set down the crime scene photos. Laying there was Ryan, a well-known political figure who had been involved in numerous scandals. His reputation was on thin ice, and his sudden death was making waves.

The unexpected detail in this case was the murder weapon, an uncommon choice - a crossbow. Word on the street, and confirmed by Mandy’s friends as they testified at the precinct, was that Mandy, a local tour guide, had an intimate relationship with the departed. Mandy had confided in them, and their testimonies, along with photos of Mandy and Ryan in intimate situations, could back this up. Unconfirmed, but still a lead nonetheless.

Winston had done a little homework on the suspects and had found out that Mandy was not only into medieval war tactics and frequented the local archery range, practicing with the specific type of crossbow the murder was committed with. This alluring detail landed her on the suspect list.

Winston finished his coffee, grabbed his coat, and headed out to meet Mandy. His briefcase also enclosed evidence of her fingerprints taken from the identical crossbow he found in her vast collection during a quick search warrant operation prior.

The sun shone brightly on Mandy as she stood at the entrance to the local museum, her usual station. 

"Hi there, are you Mandy?" Winston asked after her tour group had depart.

"Taking an interest in the local sights, detective?" she replied with a smirk. "Let's just focus on the tour," she tried to redirect, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. 

"Mandy, we need to chat. About Ryan," he narrowed his gaze slightly. "I was hoping we could talk here, if you don't mind."

Mandy's features tensed up a bit; she looked away from Winston and started pointing out a nearby sculpture. "We don't need to bring up the past, let's instead admire the beauty of the Roman Centurion standing tall there," she said, once again trying to steer the conversation.

"No, I'm sorry, it's just that–" 

A sudden wailing siren interrupted their conversation.

"Wait here, please," Winston asked before taking the call. 

When Winston returned after a minute, Mandy had a look of discomfort that strained the corners of her eyes, but she quickly tried to hide it behind a smile. "Talking about the past can be… difficult."

"I've heard you were critically involved in the election campaign." Winston mentioned carefully, causing Mandy to look subtly relieved. 

A hit and a miss. He was on the right track. Picking up the photos taken from Mandy's home, he found what he needed. Mandy had her secrets and he had a job to do. 

Returning to his car, Winston spelled a silent thanks for the fresh pile of leads waiting for him back at the station, still lost in thought about the case.

choices

• Rex
• Mandy