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MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

Problem

Answer published by the source. Consult the official source to check your work against its answer.

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the midst of bustling shoppers, Troy meets his untimely demise by a bear trap, thrusting Detective Winston into a perplexing mall investigation with Alex and Clyde as prime subjects.

Winston stared at the case file on his desk, a half-drunk cup of cold coffee to his side. The victim, Troy, had been found dead in a shopping mall in one of the most unusual circumstances he'd seen: in a bear trap. It was a gruesome scene and one that didn't make much sense.

Confused, Winston made his way to Clyde's auto repair shop. A greasy, dust-covered sign welcoming customers and a few older model cars dotted the yard. The mound of mechanical traps of all kinds added an eerie touch to the scene.

"Clyde," he asked, when a haggard man emerged wiping motor oil off of his hands.

"That's me." came the terse reply.

Winston introduced himself and saw Clyde pause for a moment before shaking his hand. He told him that he wanted to know more about Troy, who according to the information he gathered, was a regular customer at Clyde's.

After a sigh, he nodded, his gaze darkening. "Yeah, Troy was a good customer. Always had car troubles. But he was into me pretty deep... owed me some dough for the work I had done."

Winston then shared a piece of information that Clyde didn't seem privy to - Troy had been at the mall earlier in the day, just before his untimely death.

It was at this point Winston noticed a bear trap amongst the litter of mechanical devices. "You work on those too?" He gestured towards the trap, appearing casual.

Clyde glanced at the trap and nodded. "Sometimes. For pest control and such. People bring them in, they're not workin' right, I fix 'em."

Clyde then went on about how he was on the brink of closing the shop due to his financial struggles. He needed to constantly upgrade his equipment but lacked the necessary funds to do so.

In fact, he too had been at the mall on the same day as Troy. "I was there to buy new equipment for the shop," Clyde added.

It was interesting, Winston thought, given that Clyde's shop was practically a stone's throw away from the location of the murder. He made a mental note to follow-up on that.

As Winston thanked Clyde and turned to leave, he noticed a large sign hanging on the wall with the bold letters stating, "We fix all traps – yes, even bear traps."

Well, he thought to himself, that's a lot of loose ends to tie up. As he walked away, he felt the faint stirrings of a puzzle starting to form. He only hoped he could solve it in time.

Winston, a seasoned police investigator, looked at the shop-till-you-drop nightmare known as a shopping mall - specifically the spot where Troy, a local political leader who proposed specific taxes impacting the horse racing industry, met his untimely demise. The weapon of choice still spun his mind, a bear trap... not something you find in an urban environment. 

He had a long list of suspects, and mall security footage placed next on his interview list, a man named Alex, right there. Alex - a local jockey who runs a business seriously affected by recent economic stress and challenged by the policies and taxes Troy proposed. Alex had been struggling financially for several months, paying out more in expenses than he was earning. Winston had seen intriguing footage of Alex grooming Troy's hair at the gathering that night - an odd sight indeed. 

Winston caught the weary Alex, with visible signs of stress, as he was wrapping up his day at the local race track. A taxing industry was even further burdened by the policies Troy supported. They exchanged nods.

"How are you related to Troy?" Winston asked, to initiate their conversation.

"I wasn't really close to him, but we knew each other from the horse race circles. Disagreements happen, everyone has their views," Alex answered ambiguously. 

Looking to probe further into one of his primary leads, Winston continued, "What was your disagreement about exactly?"

"Taxes... policies. Troy proposed this new set of taxes that hit right into my industry," Alex replied, visibly irked, "You’re aware of the dwindling finances of the horse racing, aren't you? I have been paying out more than I have been earning for several months now."

Next, Winston needed to verify some unusual behavior noted by others, "I’ve heard that you have an unusual hobby. Is it true?”

Alex seemed relieved at the change of subject, "Oh yes, quite an unusual hobby; I collect bear traps." 

"Quite an unusual hobby indeed," Winston echoed, playing it cool. 

"After a tedious day at work, I stopped by the mall to shop for some, on the day of the incident," Alex casually mentioned. 

"I see," Winston said, trying not to betray any emotion, already piecing together the facts from the mall security footage, the increased taxes, and the weird yet timely hobby. He made a note and prepared for his next interview.

choices

  • Alex
  • Clyde

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Source and history

task_id
799361c8-4776-56ae-a17e-9067190f4370
task_key
default--murder~5fmysteries--799361c8-4776-56ae-a17e-9067190f4370
task_revision_id
1
config / split
default / murder_mysteries

Official source

initial import