MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the neon glow of a laser tag arena, Jacqueline's life is abruptly ended by snake venom, leaving Detective Winston with two suspects - Abigail and Veronica - and a most unusual murder mystery to solve.

Winston sifted through scraps of evidence, photos, and notes strewn across his desk. Jacqueline, a big fan of a certain singer, Veronica, was his latest case, a priority due to the unusual circumstances surrounding her death - snake venom, of all things, at a laser tag arena concert, no less. A concert that shockingly happened to be on the very day of her murder.

A flier of Veronica's concert caught his eye, purple lasers splashed across the front. It had been widely promoted online - Veronica herself had announced it on her social media accounts. 

Veronica's social media had been a hotbed of activity ever since she had publicly insulted Jacqueline's nationality during a recent performance, causing several heated public altercations both online and at the arena due to this prejudice. It caused quite the stir on the internet.

Remembering the online fuss, Winston did some digging and arranged a meeting with Veronica via her manager. 

"Hello Detective, how can I help you?", Veronica asked. Her songwriter's pen was twirling between her fingers absentmindedly.

"I'm on the Jacqueline case", Winston answered stoically.

A flicker of emotion crossed Veronica's face, "I remember her...We had an argument at a party...about our nationalities." She avoided Winston's gaze.

"Hmm, those racial tensions caused quite a frenzy both at your shows and on social media. Is that correct?" Winston pointedly asked. Veronica’s mouth twisted, but she said nothing.

Winston changed course, "You used to work at a snake farm, isn't that right?"

"Yes,” Veronica replied nervously. “It was indeed, and would you imagine the irony, where I performed a week before Jacqueline's murder. They called later saying some venomous snake was missing."

"Interesting," muttered Winston. "You also penned a research paper about snake venoms, is that right?"

Veronica looked genuinely surprised, "Yes, how did you know?"

"I find it important to know about people I'm investigating. I also know that Jacqueline was a big fan of your music."

With that, he wrapped up the interview, leaving Veronica a little perplexed. Back at the precinct, he sifted through the scattered notes and typed up his report. Nothing was solved yet, but the pieces were moving into their respective slots.

Detective Winston flipped through the dossier. The laser tag arena was usually a place of fun, but now it was marked by tragedy -- Jacqueline's death. Abigail was the last person in the room with Jacqueline. She had been there volunteering for a charity event, with Jacqueline's team participating in the event. The severity of the situation felt at odds with the colorful neon lights illuminating the fluorescent walls and synthetic turf. 

He walked into the arena, noting the silence that hung in the air. He recalled the fact that the owner could hardly give him any insight given that he was preoccupied at his convenience store during the night shift. Winston checked the store's transaction records, Abigail had indeed been here in the laser tag arena, her payment indicated her presence. Abigail had also been involved with the reptile exhibit at the local zoo; he was also informed of a recently attended seminar on venom extraction. That little detail felt oddly chilling in the context of the events. 

Abigail's neighbor, when questioned, told him about his nocturnal TV watching pastime. His enjoyment of late-night soap operas inadvertently gave him a clear view of her door, consistently noting Abigail's comings and goings, her odd hours, and her solitary existence. 

He took a trip down to the zoo. It was awash with excited children and worn-out parents. A small sign heralded the reptile house as of particular interest, with potent venom snakes prolifically cited. A zookeeper mentioned a few offhanded comments Abigail had made about how venom extraction wasn't so difficult, it gave Winston pause. 

As he left, the shocking reality hit him - notably one fact, no one else had entered the laser tag room at the time of the event. Abigail and Jacqueline were the only two in the room. There was still more to be done, more evidence to be collected.

"Where were you when Jacqueline was bitten by a snake, Abigail?" He asked in his careful detective's tone. Abigail laughed nervously, her eyes darted around before landing on him again.

"I've told you, I was in the main lobby." She replied, folding her arms protectively over her chest. "Look, detective, I work at a zoo. The reptiles are my job, not some kind of hobby, okay?" 

They had wrapped up their conversation, and he was left with some threads of information that were yet to be woven into a full picture. It was time to follow the clues, to unravel the tightly woven mystery around the tragic end of Jacqueline.

choices

• Abigail
• Veronica