MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the dim light of an abandoned factory, Kaylee's lifeless body lay with the cold steel of a pickaxe lodged within, thrusting Detective Winston into a dark game of deception with suspects Penelope and Francis.

Detective Winston sat at the precinct and scrutinized the last seen diary of Kaylee, a murder victim. The diary, full of Kaylee's secrets, revealed her confrontation with Penelope. She had discovered Penelope’s criminal past and had explicitly written that she was going to expose this to the parents of the children for whom Penelope worked as a nanny. 

Through the diary, he also knew about Kaylee’s planned meeting with Penelope at the old, abandoned factory; there were no other events slated for that day.

With a sense of urgency, Detective Winston decided it was time to visit Penelope. As he arrived at her elegant residence, he marked its close proximity to the abandoned factory. Their locations made it plausible for Penelope to have walked from her home at about the time estimated for the murder. A neighbor had even mentioned seeing Penelope leave her house around that time, which made him more suspicious.

"Hello, Penelope," Detective Winston extended a curt greeting to the lady of the house. 

"Hello Detective," she offered a polite smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. 

"As you know, we are here regarding Kaylee's murder,” said Winston in a low voice. 

Penelope’s face turned pale, “Oh yes, such a tragedy… Kaylee was such a sweet girl…”

Winston continued his questioning, “It seems like Kaylee threatened to expose your criminal past, Penelope. According to her diary, she found out and was on the brink of telling the parents of the children under your care. Did you know about that?”

Penelope failed to hide the fear flashing in her eyes. Winston took in the opulent house and her genteel demeanor, recognizing the value she placed on her reputation and job as a nanny. The exposure of her criminal past could result in severe humiliation and she could lose her standing in the community.

Penelope's neighbor, who'd earlier mentioned seeing her leave the house, had also seen her with a pickaxe a few times recently around the same location. Winston found it hard to dismiss the coincidence when considering the murder weapon was an old mining pickaxe that matched the one Penelope was seen with.

Exiting the house, Winston mused about the connections he’d established. He'd confirmed that Penelope was seen leaving her house around the same time as the murder. The weapon matched the pickaxe she'd been seen with. And Kaylee’s diary affirmed her plan to expose Penelope—threats that must have seemed more than idle to a woman who placed such a high value on her reputation and job.

As afternoon slipped into dusk, Winston felt that he had advanced a few steps closer to solving the grim puzzle.

Detective Winston was thumbing through a stack of reports. The murder of Kaylee had him running in a million different directions. A key detail caught his eye - Kaylee loved to bully, specifically Francis's daughter, probably knew the girl was experiencing depression and anxiety, and took pleasure out of making life miserable for the kid. 

Reviewing the testimonies of various key persons, he found one by Jane who met a man named Frank, whose physical and behavioral description matched that of Francis. Winston raised an eyebrow, even more, when he found Mary's account. Though her statement identified the man as 'Freddy', all facts pointed directly to Francis. Winston decided to pay a visit to Francis, Kaylee's husband. 

As the detective rolled up to the family home, out walked a middle-aged man, abruptly ending a phone conversation to greet him. 

"Ah, you must be Freddy," Winston queried casually.

"Oh, no, you got it wrong. My name's Francis," the man corrected with an uneasy grin. 

The conversation shifted towards the troublesome relationship between Kaylee and Francis's daughter. Francis admitted he had recently caught Kaylee in one of her cruel tirades towards his daughter. This revelation seemed to disarm the husband, who agreed to arrange a confrontation with Kaylee.

Careful investigation further revealed that the chosen rendezvous point was an abandoned factory. An eccentric choice, but not entirely unreasonable to Francis, who was knowledgeable about the timings when the factory would be devoid of any workers. An abandoned factory offered privacy, secrecy that could not be achieved in a public space. Francis then revealed that he had persuaded Kaylee to meet him there.

Looking at all the evidence, it's apparent Kaylee trusted her husband unquestioningly. This made Winston wonder whether she ever questioned Francis about the odd meeting place or if Francis's trust overpowered her doubts. 

Before leaving, however, Winston brought up something else that had been bothering him. In his possession were two hotel registries with peculiar entries: one signed as 'Daniel Smith' on August 12th, the other as 'Bill Norman' on August 5th. Events that were extremely out of the ordinary for the residents of the Grand Star Hotel.

"You ever been to the Grand Star Hotel?" Winston asked Francis.

Francis looked puzzled, "No, can't say I have."

"But you signed the registries as 'Daniel Smith' on August 12th and 'Bill Norman' on August 5th. I’ve checked and the physical descriptions match yours perfectly. Do you have anything to say?"

Francis appeared even more confused as the detective got into his car leaving him seemingly bewildered by the line of questioning. However, Winston knew there was much more to investigate. In any case, he now had fresh leads to follow.

choices

• Penelope
• Francis