MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

In the hallowed silence of a synagogue, a shocking murder unfolds as Derek is impaled by a harpoon, leaving Detective Winston with two unlikely suspects – Hailey and Angela.

Winston idly flicked his cigarette ash onto the pavement as he studied the crime scene photos spread out on the hood of his car. His stone-set face showed no emotions as he shuffled through the pictures of Derek ladled onto the cold marble splashed with ink and blood.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he picked up a photo of what could only be a harpoon. Blinking slowly in contemplation, Winston accepted this as a clue, however strange, and pocketed the photo.

He pulled out another, a picture of a gang tattoo, and subsequently made his way towards his next suspect.

Arriving at the edge of the harbor, he could smell the salty breeze that carried a strong odor of fish and seaweed. Loosely tethered to the slippery wooden dock with expertly tied knots, the sign of someone familiar with ropes, the fishing vessel stood tall and forbidding, bristling with equipment that included several harpoons. He saw the figure of a woman hauling baskets of fresh catch onto the quayside. Her muscles flexed under the strain, but she moved easily and without breaking a sweat.

"Hailey?" Winston questioned, the name hanging heavy in the air between them.

"That's me," she replied, shooting him a glance, but continuing with her task.

"I see your job keeps you in shape," Winston stated, noting her above-average strength with a subconscious nod.

In response, Hailey shrugged, "It pays, and the work isn't half bad."

Hailey radiated an aura of authority. This was her world, she belonged here and the others respected her. One of her coworkers passed by, tipping his head in acknowledgement towards Hailey, "Evening, sister," he greeted. 

Winston noticed the respect she commanded. He also noticed the way her colleagues avoided looking at her—or rather, the tattoo inked to her arm. 

Before Winston could enquire further, a family passed by them. A group of kids laughing and shoving at each other, a remote jammed into the hands of Hailey as they settled onto a nearby couch.

"Movie night?" Winston asked and received an affirmative nod from her. "Yeah and nobody likes the movies I pick but it's my house so it's my rules."

Intrigued, Winston glanced at the television. His eyebrows raised slightly as he noted the opening scene of a classic crime thriller.

"They don’t usually complain when they don't have the remote though, do they?" he asked, pointing towards the small device.

Hailey smirked, a recognition sparking in her eyes, "Nah. They know better than that."

Amidst all this, Winston noticed a book beneath the coffee table as he turned to leave. Taking a closer look before departing the apartment, he realized it was "The Psychology of Criminal Minds", a book known for its study on famous serial killers. 

Noticing his focus on the book, Hailey nonchalantly yawned, indicating a late-night reading habit and added, "Gets me through the night when I can't sleep. Weird preference for late-night read?" She shrugged as if it were nothing, the faintest spark of defiance reflecting in her steely eyes.

Before Winston could get a word in, a fellow gang member approached Hailey, muttering something about Derek’s latest public speech disrespecting their gang. Her face stiffened. 

"We'll deal with it," Hailey said, her voice tightening, her demeanor shifting. She glanced briefly at Winston, quickly reading his inquisitive expression, and added, "It's not good to let people trash talk your family."

With that, she sent Winston on his way, staying behind to discuss amongst her 'family' the disrespect Derek had shown towards them.

As Winston loaded up into his car, his thoughts traveled to her book and her expertise with rope ties. The knots were made by someone who knew their way around a rope, and her job on the fishing vessel could’ve easily taught her that.

With that, Winston drove off into the evening, the crime scene photos shuffling on the passenger seat.

Winston found himself entering the grand synagogue. A revered place of worship that gathered a tight-knit community. The murder of Derek had sent shockwaves through the community, threatening to disrupt the tranquility of the sacred space.

Standing under the magnificent dome, Winston noticed Angela, Derek's grandmother who was a highly respected member of the community. She was absorbed in polishing a large silver key - clearly bestowed only to trusted insiders of the community. She appeared not to notice Winston's arrival.

As Winston made his presence known, Angela seemed startled but quickly masked her emotions. 

"My apologies for the intrusion, Ma’am. I am here about Derek," Winston delicately approached the subject.

Even though her face remained neutral, the flinch in her eyes revealed her disturbance. "That's quite alright, detective..." she started, her grip tight around the key.

Winston caught sight of her unusually strong hands and robust arms – strange for an elderly woman in her society. Upon asking, he discovered Angela has been an avid fisherwoman since she was a child and had won many titles at local fishing competitions. Her robustness was plausibly from her fishing background.

Despite her attempt to evade pressing questions, Angela seemed uncomfortable and hastily brought the conversation to her past and future challenges in the fishing competitions with Derek. Her anxiety seemed tied to the challenges Derek brought forward and the atmosphere would tense every time Derek's challenge escalated. Derek really got to Angela, making her feel threatened and pushed at her limits in these competitions.

"I remember Derek grinning over that photo; where he caught you secretly betting against him in the last competition," Winston probed. "He told me he intended to expose you at the upcoming one."

Angela's reaction suggested his words hit a nerve, "You see, Detective... Derek, he...knew something. He found proof of my betrayal. He confronted me about it, claimed he would tell everyone if I didn't stop it. I would lose everything."

Winston registered the shock in his eyes. She had unwittingly given him the most crucial lead. Was this betrayal solely related to the fishing competitions or was there something even more sinister?

As Winston prepared to leave, Angela asked, "Do you think this could have escalated beyond our fishing rivalry? Derek confronting me about the bets and all..."

He chose not to comment, giving Angela an assuring smile before leaving. But the words lingered in his mind long after he left the synagogue. The certainty was that Angela's secret was at risk of exposure. Derek knew, confronted her, had proof, and threatened to share it. Angela felt cornered and threatened - enough to resort to desperate measures?

As he stared pensively at the large synagogue receding in his rear-view mirror, Winston pieced together the web of events and motives pointing at Angela. Derek's death in the synagogue, Angela's robust fishing skills, her betrayal, Derek’s confrontations, the high-stakes competition, the key, and her fear—it seemed like the seemingly kind grandmother Angela was not as innocent as he initially thought.