MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the impeccably polished kitchen where Tessa met her fatal end through a deadly gas, Detective Winston starts his journey of dark secrets, questioning Penelope and Melody, the two prime suspects.

Winston pored over the evidence in Tessa's kitchen. The clues were frustratingly scarce - no fingerprints, no forced entry, and the murder weapon, poisonous gas, a lethal specter leaving no traceable footprints. He put on a pair of gloves and sifted through the crime scene photos, his eyes resting on one of Penelope, Tessa's tarot card reader.

Penelope, decked in an extravagant costume, stood out against the throng of guests at the gala. The disguise concealed much of her face, but it was an ineffective veil for her true intent. Winston wasn't looking for her in person; he was instead hoping to unravel the layers of her past.

He turned his attention to the stream of reports from the other officer. No one remembered conversing with Penelope throughout the evening. Winston rubbed his stubbled chin.

"Got a statement saying Penelope was alone in Tessa's kitchen during her tarot reading session," the officer informed Winston. "And she was seen arriving prior to the murder. And just before the time of the murder, multiple witnesses claim they saw Penelope hurriedly leaving Tessa's kitchen, disappearing from the view. However, no one reported seeing Penelope leave Tessa's place before Tessa's lifeless body was found".

Winston felt a chill in his spine as he imagined the confrontation that could have happened in the intimacy of Tessa's kitchen. The letters, the crucial evidence in Tessa's hands, holding the ink stains of Penelope's past crimes, would likely have hit Penelope like a freight train. And, according to Winston's informants, Tessa had indeed confronted Penelope about these crimes, engendering a strong reaction in Penelope; her fear was palpable, even to those who had reported the confrontation.

"Well now, Penelope. What have you been up to?" Winston murmured to himself as he placed the stack of documents on his desk.

There was something about Tessa's knowledge about Penelope's past, about Tessa's confrontation, about Penelope's fearful reaction. Plenty of smoke, Winston thought, but where's the fire?

Everything linked together so subtly. He sighed, running his hands through his hair. Despite the baffling circumstances of the case, Winston knew one fact: he had a pressing investigation ahead of him. It was going to be a long night.

Winston sat hunched over a map pinned to a wall, hand gripping a steaming cup of coffee. Spread out on a desk below, a sprawl of case files surrounded an opened notebook filled with scrawls and coffee rings. As a former officer himself, he knew that standard police training involved the handling of dangerous substances. The ring of a phone broke his contemplation and as he picked it up, the familiar voice of the dispatcher told him he was needed at the scene of a potential gas leak. The location sounded familiar. He sighed, downed the last of his coffee, and grabbed his coat.

Arriving at the house, he was surprised to see Officer Melody securing the scene. She was a friendly face, someone he'd dealt with on many occasions. Her patrol fell largely within the residential district, and Tessa's home was one of the many stops on her beat.

The moment he stepped out of his car, the pungent smell of gas filled his nostrils. He quickly made his way to Melody. "Gas leak, huh?" Winston asked, looking at the small, attractive home. Melody turned to him, nodding slowly, "Came in as that, yes," she replied, her voice betraying a hint of concern. "It's Tessa's place..."

Melody led him to the kitchen, where the gas leak had occurred. The cold, lifeless body of Tessa lay sprawled on the floor. As part of her duties, Melody filled out the police report, marking down vital details.

During their conversation, Winston found out that Melody had been on active duty on the day of the murder, her name clearly listed on the roster. It wasn't unexpected. Melody put in more hours than most other officers, often going above and beyond her duties.

As Melody was talking, Winston's gaze was drawn to a certificate hung on the wall of her patrol car denoting her authorized clearance to use poisonous gas in the case of an emergency. The police department did keep a small supply for situations that demanded it, and Melody, like all other officers, had been trained in the handling of such dangerous substances.

Winston learned a shocking fact as he delved into the case. Tessa's bakery, which sat right in the middle of Melody's patrol zone, was the only establishment that was hindering the territorial expansion Melody had been working towards. The bakery had been a bone of contention for Melody, who had made several offers to Tessa trying to negotiate some form of compromise. But Tessa, it seems, had flatly refused every single one.

As Winston departed the crime scene, he noted that Melody had taken additional courses on handling hazardous materials. But she had always considered herself to be a vigilant public servant. A protector. And as he looked back at Tessa's house, surrounded by yellow tape, he made a note to dig deeper. To understand how the life of a simple baker could intersect so tragically with that of a devoted police officer, and a gas leak that became deadly.

choices

• Penelope
• Melody