MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the quiet chaos of the city zoo, Detective Winston finds himself investigating an unusual murder, where Daniel, a zookeeper, was fatally injected by a syringe, with only two suspects in sight: Amelia, the grieving widow, and Emma, the secretive co-worker.

Winston sat in his chair, sifting through files, his fingertips glossing over the surface of several medical badges. These didn't belong to any doctor, but were registered to a nurse called Emma, interestingly, the sister of the victim, Daniel.

"Always had a knack for playing nurse," said a neighbor when Winston asked about Emma. "From a young age, she was determined to study medicine."

However, her medical history was not as clean as expected. Winston discovered Emma had defended herself in a lawsuit regarding medical misconduct. It appeared her passion for medicine wasn't enough to cleanse her record.

Winston decided to pay a visit to Emma's workplace. Emma seemed to run the show there, in charge of taking care of numerous patients, one of them being her brother, Daniel. She had unlimited access to both patient rooms and supplies, owing to her profession.

After Daniel fell ill, Emma had taken over his day-to-day care. Winston observed the level of meticulousness in her work, seen in the daily schedules she maintained for Daniel, providing an insight into his routine.

A closer inspection of the documents revealed certain falsifications in the medical entries. Emma’s writing gave her away as the one who manipulated these records.

Daniel was scheduled to testify at court, a fact evident through multiple subpoenas discovered at his residence. The case was against his own sister, Emma, in relation to medical malpractice. Winston made a note of the court date; it was unnervingly close. His hunch said that this information was not to be disregarded.

Emma was the one who planned out the trip to the zoo, Winston found. A visit to the zoo was calming therapy for her bed-ridden brother... at least it usually.

Winston could still envision the terrible scene at the zoo where Daniel had been found lifeless, an eerie death brought on by a medical syringe. Nothing in the vicinity suggested the presence of a murderer except for a couple of eyewitnesses who had spotted Emma around the same time as the murder.

His last stop was the hospital, where he bumped into Emma finishing her shift. Daniel had been under her care at this very facility. It was clear to Winston that the system trusted her and she held sway in her workplace. 

Winston had more questions but he left them for another day. The facts had certainly pointed him to interesting possibilities that had to be pursued diligently. It was a murder that he could sense ran deeper than it appeared.

Winston gingerly stepped into the blurry morning light. His first port of call, the infamous Zoo where Daniel's life was abruptly cut short. As he made his way past the monkey enclosure, a bright red hat peeked out from a treetop. Daniel's hat. No doubt he had been here, but what was he doing in the primate area?

Winston took a step back and scanned the area. His gaze fell upon the makeshift wooden bar tucked away by the corner. That's when he noticed Amelia setting up her bar, placing various liquor bottles in their places, stacking the glasses precisely in her own thirsty manner. Amelia, the bartender from the watering hole Daniel frequented, had begun her day at the zoo early that morning. 

Suddenly, the memory of the previous night flashed before Winston's eyes. He remembered seeing Daniel, chatty and jovial as ever at Amelia's bar. This was before the incident, before the silence surrounded by chaos. 

With determined steps, Winston hurried over to Amelia's regular bar in the city. As he walked in, he observed the familiar locale. The cracks in the wall, the faded posters. The painting hanging on the wall of Amelia's home was exactly the same. A violent brawl depicted in the same bar, reflecting Amelia's artistic license in her paintings. A perfect replica of the bar, complete with each minute crack in the wall was stroked with such precision that it sent a shiver down his spine. Amelia, an artist by morning, illustrating the violence that would occur by night.

All of a sudden, a piercing screech emanated from a nearby enclosure. Winston, startled, quickly turned around and realized it was lunchtime at the zoo. Staff were feeding the animals. Among the staff was Amelia, wielding a small syringe, proficiently sedating an agitated monkey. Winston drew a sharp breath, recalling her proficiency with syringes, the odd weapon of choice in Daniel's murder.

Amelia noticed the detective at nearly the same instant and walked over. Her spunky red hair tied back into a ponytail, her bright green eyes challenging him. Amelia wasn't your typical bartender.  
"Brings you quite early today, Winston? Can I get you something to drink?" Amelia smirked, avoiding any informative conversation. 

"Was Daniel here yesterday?" Winston probed, ignoring her question. 

"Sure, he got in around the afternoon." Amelia paused, glancing at the post-midday sun. "Anything else you want to?",
Winston decided to dig a bit more, "What time did you close last night, Amelia? Any company?"

"Late, as always. I'm alone after hours, you know." Amelia shrugged carelessly as she took a small canvas out from behind the bar counter, ready to continue her post-work painting ritual.

Amelia, the artist who moonlighted as a bartender, and a skillful one at that. Winston thought to himself. She defensively guarded her solitary space, applying her painting skills onto canvas after hours, but one whose depictions were less than tranquil.

With his visit done, Winston tipped his hat off to Amelia and moved on for the day, leaving a nervous bartender in her wake.

choices

• Amelia
• Emma