MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the sweltering heat of the desert, Detective Winston finds himself amid the ashes of the flamethrower murder of Renee, with Paige and Marianne emerging as the prime suspects.

With a sigh of empathy, Detective Winston glanced over at a picture of Renee, the victim in his current case. Renee, the mentor of his current subject of interest in this case named Paige, was loved by many. She had always guided those under her with kindness but it seems even kindness isn’t enough to buy one safety.

Finding more peace in solitude, he decided to pay a visit to the same desert where Renee's charred remains were found. Even conveniently situated close to Paige's workshop, it didn't take long for him to drive there. Intriguingly enough, this visit happened on the same day, when a flamethrower was reported to have been delivered to Paige's workshop, according to the delivery company’s records.

His meetings with Paige always yielded new, interesting details. He noticed the transition of Paige's hair from short during their first encounter, to being long in the recent one. Along with that, he also took note of another change in her appearance on Monday - the color of her contacts. She was seen wearing blue contacts, unlike the green ones she was wearing during the Wednesday meeting.

Paige was a special effects expert, especially adept at managing flamethrowers, probably a reason for the flamethrower request at her special effects workshop. Something Paige had mentioned stood out to him, her desire to demonstrate something in the desert to Renee, her mentor.

Upon returning from the desert to Paige's workshop, the tech area was filled with different props and gadgets, all related to special effects. Among all, the flamethrower that she had requested stood out, it was identical to the one she was spotted with a few days back.

Tired and deep in thought, he took some quiet time to contemplate his findings, particularly about the chilling fact - Paige was the last person to be seen with Renee before she went missing.

As always, Winston's face remained mask-like, revealing nothing as he continued to probe and understand, focusing solely on gathering the facts of the chaotic mosaic before him. He knew there were many pieces yet to be put into place before the picture could begin to make sense.

Winston gazed over the desert horizon, letting his eyes rest on what felt like an infinite sea of sand. It was here where Renee's body was found, thoroughly torched, origins of which was thought to be a flamethrower. 

He headed away from the scene, his mind whirling with questions and concerns, to conduct his next interview. His destination was a well-known cafe at the edge of town.

Marianne, the barista, had a strange calmness about her, despite being awaiting her punishment next week after being found guilty of theft. She didn’t flinch when she saw officer Winston approach - instead, she graciously offered him a cup of Joe. Around her, there was no evidence of anyone else's presence.

“Hello Marianne,” Winston made idle chat, “It must get pretty hot back here in the summers.”

“Surely does, but we’ve got it under control,” Marianne replied, sipping her coffee, “We've all done a thorough fire safety course.”

Winston nodded and decided to change the subject. “I heard you've recently visited the pawn shop and there seems to be a flamethrower missing after your visit”

“Sometimes, yeah, I shop there. Good old stuff comes cheap,” Marianne replied casually, not giving away any signs of panic.

“Any recent purchases?” Winston asked carefully.

“Can't recall,” Marianne quickly replied, her tone betraying nothing.

Winston shifted gears again, “Sounds like you have some travel plans? A solo road trip...”

Marianne shrugged, “I keep hearing about this desert route, figured I might give it a shot.”

“I hope you’ll travel safely. Deserts can be dangerous, y’know,” Winston remarked. "We found a woman's body there terribly torched..." 

Before he could finish, Marianne held up a hand, “Renee, wasn’t it? She testified against me in court if you weren’t aware. Sad news for sure.”

“Indeed,” Winston nodded solemnly, “Indeed it is.” He finished his coffee and stood up to leave. “Good luck with your punishment next week, Marianne. See you around.”

With that, Winston left the coffee shop, ending the first round of this seemingly endless cycle of questions.

choices

• Paige
• Marianne