MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

When Roxanne drops dead at the local skate park, the unlikely cause of death being poison from a rare frog, Detective Winston finds himself mired in questioning two intriguing suspects, Stacey and Hector.

In the dim light of his office, detective Winston thumbed through the flight records of one Hector Barbosa, a flight attendant for an international airline. His recent travel logs had him shuttling multiple times to and from South America, the only place where the frog that produces a toxic poison can be found. In just a few weeks of travels, he managed to visit the region several times. Closing the file, Winston grabbed his coat and made his way to Hector’s residence.

Upon arrival at Hector's home, Winston was greeted with an impressive gallery of artwork. Though it seemed grim and somewhat macabre, a theme Hector had expressed enthusiasm for in conversation, Winston had to admit, Hector had talent. Each painting was meticulously detailed and chillingly realistic, with gruesome scenes of death and despair. Hector escorted him through, speaking of his passion and backgrounds; studying biology, specializing in amphibians, particular those native to South America, before taking a recent turn into the fast-paced life as a flight attendant.

Winston moved through the house, noting the unusual abundance of crimson. 

“New project?” He asked. 

“A passion piece...” Hector responded, pointing out to a fresh canvas that sat in the corner, a pot of fresh crimson red paint on an easel next to it that Winston instantly recognized. He'd seen Hector carrying it home from the art supply store earlier.

The following morning Winston placed another visit, this time to the local skate park. Public records indicated both Hector and Roxanne, the victim, frequent activity in this park, perhaps an emblem of their youth, or simply an outlet to unwind. Even here, halfway across the world, Hector was diligent about signing in, a habit that placed him in the vicinity of the crime scene during the murder.

"Hector Barbosa" was clearly listed on the sign-in sheet on the day of the murder. The times matched the timeframe of Roxanne's murder as recorded by the coroner. With no convincing alibi during the time, this only intensified the the suspicion on Hector. 

Winston shoved the paperwork back in his satchel as he stood up to leave. It was time to head back to the office. After taking a last look at the desolate skate park, Winston set a course back to his office. He had a long night of sifting through evidence and connecting the dots ahead of him.

Detective Winston rubbed his temples, going over the case again. It had started with Roxanne, found dead in a skate park one hectic morning. The cause of death had been unusual...poison from a frog. Now his attention was on Stacey, having been seen at the skate park the same day of the murder.

"I did see her there that day...she always came to the same spot, worked on her designs..." the teenage skater he was interviewing stomped his skate on a piece of wood. "Used to be pro, you know, forefront of the game... Then when Roxanne got big, doing all the flashy moves...people started calling her out..."

It was true, Winston reflected as he thanked the skater for his time, Stacey was known in combative sports as an expert. But her athleticism isn't the reason why she fell into his radar. The local pet store owner had a strange tale.

"Yup, she came in the other day and bought a peculiar pet, one of those exotic poison dart frogs... expensive, bright colors..." The pet shop owner, a tattooed man in his fifties, explained. Winston recalled his previous conversation with Stacey. She had openly talked about her trips to rainforests, being an avid hiker, often running into wildlife. She had even mentioned her interest in studying about poison dart frogs.

The day had grown long. Winston returned to the skate park, standing where Stacey would habitually be. Having talked to a number of witnesses who confirmed Stacey’s presence during the same time Roxanne would be...too coincidental he mused. 

"Roxanne liked this spot too...it became her spot after she started ripping off Stacey's designs. Strange, isn't it?" a skateboarder mulled, watching him curiously, "To die in a place where you've stolen so much?"

With Roxanne's sudden rise to stardom, a career that fed off Stacey's unique designs, he had a sense he was close... if only he could outpaint the whole picture.  

"Roxanne didn't care," a girl clad in ripped jeans and a baggy sweatshirt frowned, the anger seeping through her defiant tone, "Even when Stacey begged her to stop, she didn't care...said she'd made them better."

Winston nodded and finally left the park, blending into the late afternoon crowd. This case was becoming increasingly convoluted. But he had an inkling about where the thread might lead... He would continue to pull.

choices

• Stacey
• Hector