MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In a chilling turn of events, Rose is found lifeless in a car, killed by a vial of acid, leading Detective Winston to the affluent suspects, Daisy and Dexter.

Winston was going over the facts of the case when he decided to visit the suspect, Daisy. Daisy wasn't your typical suspect - she was a singer who always had a passion for her art form, a passion that stood in sharp contrast with her family's dismissive attitude.

“I'm just trying to get ahead in life, you know?" she told Winston as they sat in a small cafe near one of her repeat performance venues - an old building that was frequently harshly criticised for its lack of cleanliness. "They never cared about my music… always thought it was just a phase. I couldn't stand their lack of support.”

Getting rid of her family members from her contacts was, as she put it, a "cleansing experience". It was all very telling of Daisy's meticulous nature - she extended the same cleanliness philosophy to everything in her personal life, hygiene being her top priority; it gave a stark contrast to the venues in which she performed.

After a moment of silence, she casually added, "Sometimes my sarcasm gets the best of me. I can't tell you how many family dinners I've ruined with it. My sarcasm stings so hard, it often leaves them in tears."

Winston thought about Rose, who often parked her car in the same vicinity. "You were scheduled to perform at a place near that parking lot that day… right?" he asked. Daisy affirmed the fact and mentioned having seen Rose's car, acknowledging that she and Rose were the last two people in the vehicle after her show that night.

As part of her performances, Daisy often integrated different kinds of acid into her routines - the same kind, as it turned out, that had been used to murder Rose. A cold chill ran down Winston’s spine as he mentally cross-checked the evidence list.

“Acid isn’t a typical instrument for a singer, Daisy..." Winston quizzed, trying to keep the conversation casual. Daisy just shrugged, "Got to create a spectacle, right? Attract an audience?”

Daisy had always been adamant about not attending any family gatherings - a fact that did not change even after Rose’s death. But she claimed to hold no ill-will towards Rose. As Winston got up from the table to leave, he turned one final time to look at Daisy who was now alone and engrossed in her phone. A suspect or not, one thing was certain, the story was far from over.

As Winston sat in his office, he sifted through the photos of the crime scene. The car where Rose had met her gruesome end was familiar to him - it was the one Dexter had sold her just a few days ago. He recalled the witness statement he had received, stating that Dexter and Rose were seen driving off in the new car together on the day of the sale.

A few days prior, he had stopped by the car dealership for a chat with Dexter. The man was always excitable, energetic - the sort of person you'd expect to be selling cars. But beneath that facade, Winston had glimpsed an undertone of tension. A hint of worry, perhaps? He remembered too the bold campaign posters dotting the walls of the showroom - 'Dexter for Office' they proclaimed, his smiling face lit up by the flash of a professional camera. Maintaining a decent public image was crucial for his campaign.

"Beautiful machine, ain't she?" Dexter had commented, patting the bonnet of the vehicle with an almost reverential air. His eyes had been bright as he spoke, "Takes skill to appreciate such precision and quality."

A brief moment of silence had hung over them before Winston mentioned Rose. Instantly, the twitch in Dexter's smile was noticeable as he forced a chuckle, "She got a good deal on this one. I even had a ride in it with her, that's what earned her trust."

As a detective, one didn't always have the luxury of trusting words at face value. Dexter seemed too polished - too adept at projecting an image. Most importantly, Winston had known about his run for the local office. A scandal was not what he needed. Rose had found out about Dexter's false credentials, and threatened him with exposure.

Winston also remembered the demure set of eyes that stared back at him from an old campus photo during a visit to Dexter's home. Dexter had a degree in Chemistry. Neat rows of labeled chemicals stood proudly on a shelf in his private garage. The detective recognized some of them from his own time in the forensics lab. He had seen the vials labeled 'Acid'. Winston had asked Dexter about the key trace elements for his car sales. Dexter had just brushed it off with a laugh, mentioning they were required for cleaning and various other mundane tasks around the sales lot.

Back at his office, the image of the second set of car keys on Dexter's table resurfaced in his mind. Dexter had explained them as a precaution, an insurance if customers ever lost their keys.

"Coffee?" Winston's assistant knocked on his office door, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"No thanks," the detective replied, scribbling something down in his notebook before shuffling his case files together. "I think I need some fresh air. Let's do a round at the car dealership."

choices

• Dexter
• Daisy