MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the chilling silence of a hockey rink, Marvin's life was brutally ended with a machete, leaving Detective Winston with two elusive suspects: Justin and Frederick.

Detective Winston made his way through the bustling crowds at the local hockey rink. The place had a distinct, chilling atmosphere today, the murder of Marvin casting a grim shadow over it.

He spotted Justin not too far away, watching the game with a fixed expression. Justin had been noticeably depressed since a particular event - he had once proposed to Marvin's fiancé, expressing his undying love, only to be mercilessly rejected. After this incident, he was never quite the same, living with a constant air of despair and refusal to engage with happiness.

"Justin," Winston called out, making his way over. As soon as Justin heard the detective's approach and caught sight of the man in uniform, his eyes instantly lit up, always eager to gain more information about the crime.

"Detective," Justin greeted, his expression somber, yet subtly eager, "here for the game or here about the recent crime?"

Winston raised a brow. Justin seemed too interested. "Any hockey fan would be here for the game," he replied, "Marvin was going to play, wasn't he?"

Justin's dry eyes took on a spark when the murder was mentioned again. He looked dejected at the mention of Marvin, but nodded, "Yeah, he was. I was here to watch it." He had been with the crowd entering the hockey rink at the time of the murder, ready for the game and totally unprepared for the tragedy that eventually unfolded.

He paused, glancing around the rink, then asked, "Do you know how they got in? The murderer, I mean."

Winston kept his expression unreadable, but he noted Justin's quick change of topic back to the crime. "Through the main entrance," he stated simply, "like anyone else," he added, reaffirming that Justin had entered the same way.

"And the time... when exactly did it happen?" Justin changed the topic right back to the crime again, the flame in his eyes burning brighter at the prospect of new details.

Winston frowned slightly, "During the game," he answered, watching Justin's face carefully. He appeared unphased.

Justin cocked a brow, excitement mixed with intrigue evident in his lit eyes. "I was here during that time," he pointed out, "Watching the game."

Winston nodded, "You were, and as far as anyone knows, you didn't leave until well after," he almost sighed, "Listen Justin, what exactly is it with you and this crime? It seems that you're more interested in it than the hockey game."

Justin shifted, looking anywhere but at him, "Well, it's just...Marvin and his fiancé, you know. I just thought they...weren't right for each other. I had a talk with her once. I asked her not to marry him. But she didn't listen."

A sudden clang of a puck hitting the net caught their attention, but Winston kept his gaze on Justin, watching, and listening. There was a lot more to this case than meets the eye, he knew. However, his interview with Justin had just ended, leaving him with more questions than answers.

The harsh, industrial lighting of the hockey rink painted a grave picture as Detective Winston surveyed the crime scene. The rink's security tapes corroborated Frederick's presence at the scene, even capturing a heated argument between him and Marvin. In this particular argument, Marvin was heard threatening harm to Frederick's defenceless daughter. Frederick, a curator of a local weapons museum, also held a job at the hockey rink, giving him a valid reason for being there.

Setting that evidence aside, Winston trotted towards the museum, a place Frederick frequented due to his love for antique machetes. Frederick had the responsibility of overseeing the unique collection of blades, his dedication emanating as bright as the lights above the collection.

What piqued Winston's interest though was that one of the machetes in Frederick's collection matched the description of the weapon that ended Marvin's life. Such violent usage of a machete aligned with Marvin's previous harmful behavior; aggressive threats and unbidden visits to the girls' locker room only added to the growing list of his offensive conduct. After obtaining the necessary legal papers, Winston re-examined the machetes, concluding the lethal weapon indeed came from Frederick's collection.

Taking a break from the museum, Detective Winston investigated Frederick further by questioning those who knew him. His protective behavior for his daughter was a common topic, supported further by a chilling detail given by a coworker in the hockey rink's locker rooms.

"Marvin once threatened Frederick's girl. Frederick didn't take it lightly, and they've been arguing ever since," the coworker confessed. Despite the locker rooms being an area exclusively accessed by staff with keys, Marvin had been spotted in there more times than anyone could count.

Winston's sharp gasp caught the coworkers attention, "What is it, Detective?"

"Nothing...just...let me know if you notice anything else...odd," replied Winston.

Echoes off the old lockers were the only responses he got.

With a cluttered mind flooded with information, Winston had a lot of thinking to do, miles to go before this case could be put to rest.

choices

• Justin
• Frederick