MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

On a night when the roar of go-karts was silenced by a nefarious deed, Detective Winston finds himself investigating the peculiar murder of Gary, slain by a rarely-seen sai with two unlikely suspects: Frederick and Jerome.

Winston furrowed his brow as he flipped through the case file. Jeremiah, the previous go-kart champion, was found dead at the very track he'd dominated for years. Gary, undefeated and the current champion, had been a massive hurdle for those competing, especially for his rival Jerome, who always seemed to take the second place.

An eyebrow-raising detail caught Winston's attention, Gary's keys to his office had been reported missing and unaccounted for.  The reports had indicated that a driving instructor by the name of Jerome was the last person to leave Gary's office the day his keys went missing. Winston had also found it strange that Jerome controlled the go-kart track's schedule.

Besides driving instruction, Jerome also seemed to indulge in a martial art form. An impressive certificate of martial arts mastery hung on the walls of his office.

Winston heard rumors of sustained tension between Gary and Jerome. Apparently, they had a history of contentious races, with Gary's supremacy hindering Jerome's chances at first place. Gary had recently accused Jerome of cheating in the last race, leading to a major dispute.

Unusually, a week before the murder, Jerome was seen purchasing multiple sai—a weapon Winston was familiar with from martial arts movies. Some top-drawer receipts from Jerome's office confirmed these purchases. Additionally, he was spotted practicing with the sai at a local gym, following his regular fight moves workout, fueling the mystery.

Jerome's passion for go-karting was immense, and as the track's driving instructor, he was deeply involved in all activities. This involvement granted him unrestricted access to most track areas, including Gary's office. 

At the track itself, Winston decided to question Jerome. He found Jerome instructing a group of novice drivers.

"Jerome?" asked Winston.

"That's me," replied Jerome, turning around. His gloves showed signs of frequent use. He appeared to be a hands-on instructor.

"You were close with Gary, I take it?" 

"He was a tough competitor, but we knew each other on the track," said Jerome.

"His dominance in every race must have been troublesome for you, especially after he accused you of cheating in the last one. The fact that his keys are missing and you were the last person to leave his office must be another troubling circumstance for you."

Jerome sighed, “It was his word against mine. But yes, it added more tension to our already strained relationship.”

Winston thanked Jerome for his time and decided to dig deeper into this mystery, leaving the sounds of roaring engines and the smell of burning rubber behind.

Detective Winston elegantly stepped out of his car, looking from side to side at the quiet go-kart track. Tire tracks were sketched over the quiet go-kart track. Despite the glaze of the late night, the sight oozed with an unexpected eeriness: the phantom-like go-karts parked neatly, the silent squeal of the rubber tires on the cement track, and the absence of the usual laughter, all seemed abnormal given the facts. It was much later for Frederick, the dock worker, who not only could be spotted at the track frequently, even into the late hours of the previous night, but had been spotted there exceptionally late on the murder day.

Conversational whispers echoed among the locals recently. Frederick, it turned out, had been confronting others about their unsolicited interactions with his beloved go-kart. The sight of his kart, now still and silent unlike its usual roar, coupled with the deafening quietness of the night ran chill down Winston's spine. He couldn't shake off the echoes of a recent dispute Frederick had here, not when his racing schedule strangely aligned perfectly with the murder time. And the off hours, serving less crowds, made it an ideal time for Frederick to get some of his responsibilities done, like inventory management and safety checks.

Winston moved towards a small office adjacent to the track. Opening the door, the room was not much larger than a closet with a couple of cabinets, a coat rack, and a table; provisions neatly stacked. Frederick's racing gear - a jacket, helmet, gloves - all graciously set aside on the coat rack, having a faint hint of diesel fuel. Walls adorned with race schedules and a surprising void on the ledge beside the window where a computer likely sat. As a dock worker, Frederick was naturally involved in inventory management and health and safety checks.

His thoughts drifted to Gary, another regular on the track. Before the silence followed by the sirens, someone had reported seeing Gary fiddling suspiciously with Frederick's kart. The circumstances seemed too cut and dried, further intensified by Frederick's off-hour routine at the track and a suspicious run-in with Gary.

"Ey, I heard the sirens earlier. Something's happened, ain't it?" A voice, bearing a question gripped with anxiety, interrupted Winston's thoughts. Turning, the detective found himself face to face with a night security guard.

"Yes, I'm afraid there's been an incident. You wouldn't have noticed anyone acting strange around Frederick's usual racing time earlier today, would you?"

"I don see clearly from the gate, but yeah, there's always something smack peculiar during that hour, " the guard answered, wiping his brow with a used handkerchief. His statement was an indirect validation of the conspicuous activities during the usual times Frederick would race.

The night, however quiet, was thick with implications, marred by the footprint of a crime at a go-kart track.

choices

• Frederick
• Jerome