MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In an adrenaline inducing bungee jumping site, Mack's thrill-seeking adventure came to a gruesome end by a nunchaku; now, it's up to Detective Winston to unravel the deadly secrets between Mackenzie and Ana.

Winston sat quietly in an unmarked Ford, parked a block away from Mackenzie's downtown apartment building. He observed Mackenzie through his binoculars, watching closely as they hastily unlocked their front door. It had been a long day at the office for Mackenzie and, like clockwork, they were seen taking their customary break on a public bench, working on their laptop.

Before long, Mackenzie was seen through the partially closed blinds of their apartment, sitting at their desk with their laptop open. They had just returned from a local cyber security meetup, a reality Winston discovered after following Mackenzie to the event later that evening. As Winston watched, they shifted their body and their eyes darted around, Winston duly noted on Mackenzie's apparent concern for online privacy.

"Interesting," Winston thought, while making a mental note to do some research on further cyber security meetups occurring in the vicinity.

The next morning, Winston watched Mackenzie walk out of a martial arts training center. As Mackenzie stopped to say goodbye to their instructor, Winston quickly snapped a photo on his phone. In the picture, Winston could clearly see Mackenzie practicing techniques with the unmistakable form of Mackenzie's sturdy nunchaku resting in the backdrop. This gave Winston a clue that his martial arts training includes nunchaku techniques.

Winston's interest peaked further when he followed Mackenzie to a local shop where they were seen purchasing a new set of nunchaku. Even more intriguing was when they examined a pair of cufflinks on display with a yearning look, cufflinks Winston knew were identical to a pair Mack frequently flaunted around. It appeared Mack had things that Mackenzie also desired.

The investigator decided it was time to pay Mackenzie a visit. He knocked on the apartment door and Mackenzie cautiously invited him in.

Pleasantries were briefly exchanged before Winston's gaze quickly fell on the laptop that was resting by some papers next to an open window.

"You always take this with you to work?" Winston inquired, pointing at the laptop.

"Every day," Mackenzie replied, "I can't leave my work at the office."

"Work goes that well, huh?" Winston probed further. "I hear you were recently ... overlooked for a promotion."

At these words, Mackenzie's expression darkened. "I was the top candidate, you know. It should've been mine. Mack, the new guy, he is nothing compared to me, but he takes it. That promotion, the respect I had. Even those cufflinks I have always wanted, somehow Mack always gets to have them."

Winston nodded, making a mental note of Mackenzie's reaction. They turned the conversation to martial arts and during the chat, Mackenzie unintentionally revealed their prowess with nunchaku.

In a small, hidden compartment in Mackenzie's wardrobe, Winston found the pair of nunchaku that Mackenzie had recently purchased. He swiftly snapped a picture of this evidence before closing the wardrobe.

As the day grew late, Winston thanked Mackenzie for their time and headed out, feeling more certain than ever about the path his investigation was following.

Winston sat in his office, photos of Mack --the bungee jumper found dead-- scattered heartbreakingly across his desk. The lack of clues at the murder site puzzled him, nothing seemed out of place. All he had was an unusual weapon, the nunchaku, not something he’d found at too many crime scenes.

Standing up, he straightened his tie and headed to the shared housing complex of the victim and suspect. Ana Diaz lived here, along with Mack. Ground rules for questioning the suspect were laid out in his mind.

Ana received him with a stoic expression and invited him inside. Her suitcase was unpacked, strewn helter-skelter around the room. She explained she had come back from the bungee jumping site late last night, still in shock about Mack’s murder.

Nunchaku lay on the table. Winston noticed, she explained it as the normal household item of a martial artist. She said she practices martial arts at the same bungee jumping location. 

Asked about their shared occupation, she sighed heavily. “Mack loved it, though," She said, "He was the instigator, insisting everyone take the jump.”

Ana seemed to soften, talking about her faith, her traditions. “Bungee jumping, it's against my beliefs,” she admitted, “but I’d signed up too, expecting some ridicule like always.”

Ridicule. That was a word Winston had already heard before concerning Mack. He asked around, among their friends, everyone said the same, Mack liked to joke, to point fun at beliefs. Especially Ana’s it seemed.

They left together, Ana and Mack, the morning of the murder, people had seen them. Winston asked why, given their strained relationship. Ana shrugged off, her hands trembling. “He wasn’t too bad,” she replied. 

Nobody else was documented at the bungee jumping site that day, only Mack and Ana. It was time to head there. Winston thanked Ana for her time and left, driving straight to the scene. He stared up at the looming diving board, picturing the scene.  

Only two people there that day, Mack and Ana. He looked around, the martial arts practice ground nearby held the last piece. Nunchaku, a common weapon in martial arts practices. He tested one, the weight fitting neatly into his palm while he surveyed the area. This was the scene he needed to piece together.

choices

• Mackenzie
• Ana