MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the lavish surroundings of a luxury restaurant, Renee's life was cut brutally short by barbed wire; now, Detective Winston must unravel the tangled suspects, Claire and Isla.

Winston found himself in the bustling metropolis, drawn by a callous crime that had surprised even him. The victim, Renee, was a rising star in the music scene and her death had shocked everyone. At the top of the suspect list was Isla, a devoted groupie of what seemed to be the rival band.

As he stepped onto the stage of what had previously been the sight of the unfortunate event, Winston remembered what led him here. A music gala where Renee’s band had triumphed and Isla’s favorite, struggled. 

Winston recalled how Isla had not taken this well. She was vocal, very vocal about her displeasure. The public declaration of her resentment - just another peculiar thing about the woman. This incident especially struck Winston because in all his discussions with Isla's friends, none of them ever mentioned meeting the band members, providing more peculiarity to Isla's obsession. 

"Meeting Isla for the second time, is it?" the stage manager asked. Winston nodded. Questions about her past had prompted more questions than answers. Publically, Isla was known to be biased against Renee's culture. Subject to discrimination lawsuits filed by those she regularly chose to isolate.

Getting into the intricacies of Isla’s life had been more complicated than catching a spider in a hurricane. She never gave a straight answer about her activities in her free time, a fact that had earned her some scrutiny.

"Constant red flags with this one," Winston mused to himself. Isla had a knack for privacy. She left the room whenever she received a phone call. Never invited her friends to the band's concerts. Always arrived alone.

On the other hand, she was known for learning survival skills from online sources. Owned a private collection of survival tools at her home, where the infamous barbed wire was reportedly found. The same barbed wire, as was later confirmed, used against an intruder some months back. 

As he was leaving, Winston got a call from a local store clerk who claimed to have sold a roll of barbed wire to Isla the day before the horrific event.

“All evidence points to her,” the store clerk had said.

“Nothing is for certain yet,” Winston had firmly replied. He knew the importance to avoid jumping to conclusions, let the evidence guide the investigation. With those thoughts, he tucked away his notepad and decided to keep a closer eye on Isla. The ball game was just starting to get interesting. His aim was to do whatever it took to ensure that this case reached a fair pitch.

As Winston cruised up to the crime scene, he took a moment to appreciate the opulence of the luxury restaurant. A grand piano player in the lobby, exotic flora, and a gourmet menu, it had it all. A lady, Claire as he would come to know, was sitting outside the restaurant in her car. She was shaking, clearly upset, her eyes teary and red.

"I suppose you're Claire," Winston guessed, peering through the passenger side window. 

"Yes," she sniffed. "I work here and in that place..." she pointed feebly towards the towering construction site in the near distance. "Merely a secretary during the day, and a skilled gardener during my time off, never a scratch from the barbed wire that fences my garden." 

"Seems like you've got your hands full," Winston remarked, eyeing the construction site. "That's a lot of barbed wire over there."

"Yes..." she said, "but I'm used to handling barbed wire. We've got some fencing my garden at home too."

"I heard you have keys to all sections of this restaurant," asked Winston.

"Yes, I do," Claire nodded, "the management insists we keep everything secure, and since I work here, they trust me with the keys."

"Why were you at the restaurant today, Claire?" He asked, looking closely at the woman in front of him. 

"I usually work at the restaurant during lunch hours," Claire responded. "Today was no different."

"Strange circumstances today, though..." Winston said. "Did you know Renee was planning to file a report about some huge financial disparities at the restaurant?"

Claire squirmed a bit at his words. "I heard something about it," she mumbled. "But it's only whispers. Renee believed there was a thief... that there was someone embezzling money from the restaurant."

"And she thought that person was you, didn't she?" Winston questioned.

Claire's face turned whiter than it already was. "I...I..." was all she could choke out. 

"She had evidence, Claire," Winston continued, taking the report out of his bag. "She'd traced back all the missing funds to your bank account." He waived it in the air between them. "She was about to expose you, wasn't she?"

"Yes," she whispered, almost inaudibly, confirming her role in the embezzlement.

Winston left Claire in her car, lost in her thoughts. Puzzles to piece together, he thought to himself, getting in his car and heading back to the precinct.

choices

• Claire
• Isla