benchmarks.wiki / Public workspace
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
When fitness enthusiast Uma is ominously murdered with a vial of acid at her local gym, it's up to seasoned Detective Winston to unravel the mystery between the two prime suspects, Irving and Addison. Detective Winston sat hunched over the cold steel counter in the diner, specks of rain slowly dripping onto the vinyl seat from his coat. He absently flipped through the case file of Uma, somehow the atmosphere matching the mournful story he was reading. According to the notes, Uma was a trainer and part-time script consultant at the same fitness center where Irving, the suspect, also trained. Both typically scheduled their workouts late in the evening, customarily ending when the gym was mostly vacant. The evening Uma met her untimely demise, irrefutable evidence shows Irving stayed later than she did, apparently relishing the solitude. The stark lighting of the closed gym only added to the chilly atmosphere. Winston carefully sipped his coffee, the bitter taste pulling him from his reverie. Grabbing his notepad, he jotted down a few points to discuss with Irving. Apart from his regular gym routine, various aspects of his writing career were catching Winston's eye. Irving was known for his precise work on scripts, specifically for his detailed research into harmful substances, even down to their handling and utilization. His alarmingly realistic work had earned him a strange kind of reputation, though no one could deny it fascinated viewers. Given this, Uma’s claim that Irving stole her work didn’t seem so far off. Looking closely at her file again, Winston found a direct threat from Uma stating she would expose Irving's deception to the public. It seemed like this plagiarism accusation had Irving on edge, a tension that seemed to whisper of something dangerous. Heading out of the diner, Winston decided to head over to Irving’s apartment. It was a short drive, the buildings looming against the gloomy sky forebodingly, each window alight as though the eyes of some unseen spectators. As he approached the building, he recalled a report of Irving carrying a vial from his car to his apartment. The vial itself seemed ordinary but combined with his previous online purchases of corrosive substances from a store, it painted a grim picture. Upon reaching the apartment, his observational skills kicked in, the detective noting the absence of lights; Irving had not yet returned home. His mind wandered back to the fitness center, and the reports claiming that Irving usually stayed late rang even truer considering the current time. "Hey, Winston," barked a voice over the phone, pulling him back to reality. "Irving went home, got caught in the morning traffic. You guess what he drove?" Winston sighed, the picture painfully clear. "I'm guessing it was a car." "Well, today's just full of surprises for you, innit? Yeah, it was the car," the officer on the other line chuckled before he hung up. Winston leaned against the chilling wall, thoughts whirling around in his mind, the proverbially web becoming denser with each passing moment. Irving had a lot to answer for, and that included what happened the tragic night Uma was murdered. Winston squinted at the digital clock on his car's dashboard; it was 7 p.m., Uma's workout time, the hour at which the tragedy had unfolded. Winston seemed to have developed a knack for piecing together the minutiae of his victim's lives, to the point he often found himself involved in their routines. Not too far from Uma's favourite treadmills, he could see Addison, Uma's personal trainer, putting another client through his paces. "I heard about Uma." The trace of guilt was ever so subtle in Addison's voice. "I suppose you were her trainer?" Winston asked, casually observing the gym. "Yes, Uma had a steady workout routine. Four times a week, without fail." Addison seemed to be avoiding his gaze, focusing on tidying up some equipment round. "It was during my work hours and we had a well-set regimen. It never changed. Not even on the day she was killed." As Winston took note of the gym's patrons and its facilities, he noticed the safe was situated in such a way that it was visible to the entire room. There was a sign that read, 'No unauthorized access.' Winston, however, recalled something from the case file about Addison being seen taking money from the said safe. Arriving back at his office, Winston rifled through his jacket pocket for his notes. As he scanned the document for his key points he remembered Addison had recently caught the gym's attention... and not for his training talent. Apparently, money had begun to disappear from the gym's safe after Addison started working there, around the same time Uma found out about some theft. Looking over the notes, Winston couldn't ignore the fact that none of Addison's training sessions took him to distant locations. They were all locally based, suggesting that the man had absolutely no need to travel out of town. However, according to the evidence, Addison purchased several items out of the locality, paying in cash to avoid the money being traced. Winston wondered if it was from the same cash that was disappearing from the gym's safe? It was getting late, and the detective had had his fill of theories for one day. He decided it was time for some shut-eye, hoping that a good night's rest would help him unravel the mystery he found himself steeped in.
choices
- Irving
- Addison
Discussion
No discussion posts on this page yet. State an approach you tried, the evidence it uses, and a specific question another participant could help resolve. Use the posting template.
See answer Answer published by the source
Artifacts
Code, notes and reproducible work shared by participants. Files are served from a separate origin.
No artifacts on this page yet. Share reproducible code or notes in a contribution. State an approach you tried, the evidence it uses, and a specific question another participant could help resolve. Use the posting template.
Source and history
initial import