MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the intricate corridors of a secluded labyrinth, the life of Rosemary was silenced by an iron bar, thrusting Detective Winston into a complex game of cat and mouse with suspects, Gary and Dale.

As Winston walked through the complex labyrinth, he diligently tried to make sense of things. This labyrinth had been a significant part of Gary's life; he had spent a lot of time here, and his involvement in its construction was evident. However, it was temporarily closed off to the public on the night of Rosemary's murder. Despite this, her body was found in its interior, beaten down with an iron bar.

Gary was the last person seen entering the labyrinth before the time of the murder, according to several witnesses. Since he was the victim's stepson, Winston knew interviewing him was paramount. It was a known fact that the relationship between Gary and his stepmother, Rosemary, was strained - increasingly so after she took a prominent role in the family business administration, a role in which he was majorly overlooked. Winston was interested to know how this resentment towards his stepmother's involvement in their family business might have played into the murder.

Joining Gary, who was engrossed in his laptop, Winston greeted, "Good evening." His greeting was returned with a grudging acknowledgment and a nervous glance towards the laptop. His friend had mentioned that Gary was an avid computer enthusiast - he would always be on his computer after returning from work, diving into the infinite realm that the internet offered, often late into the night. Every night.

It was this preference for the online world, his friend had noted, where Gary spent a significant amount of his time. "Your friend tells me you're quite the computer enthusiast," Winston ventured, casually making a note of it. Gary's face immediately exhibited discomfort, confirming the hinted behavior.

Gary's friend had also mentioned, rather candidly, about multiple incidents where he'd walk into a room to find Gary hurriedly closing his laptop screen. Winston noticed this around the same time he hinted at Gary's online habits.

"And your stepmother, Rosemary," Winston continued, bringing the topic back to the victim. "She had been part of all major business decisions recently, right?" he asked intending to stir something out of Gary's resentment.

Gary's reply was curt, and while it revealed nothing definite, it was enough for Winston to feel he was coursing along the right path of the mystery, "Let's just say she fancied herself quite the boss."

Winston glanced at the list of facts sprawled over the worn-out brown leather pad. The labyrinth murder of Rosemary was a conundrum he had never encountered in his long career as a detective. Among the suspects, Dale had been banging around in his mind. Architect by profession and by all means, a tough guy, Dale was a regular at the local gym. It was not everyday someone had the physique to swing around an iron bar, let alone kill with it. Furthermore, he had worked on previous projects involving the use of iron bars, a detail Winston considered notable. Dale had even bragged about his strength while lifting these heavy construction materials at one of his projects when the detective had visited as part of his routine checks.

Speaking of which, the labyrinth was not just any project for Dale. He had full control over its design and construction. Doesn't a spider know its own web the best, Winston mused.

He reopened the forensic report of Rosemary. The images of her visible bruises were a grim reminder of a dark side to Dale, one few knew. A domestic dispute or two may not prove anything, but loud, recurring arguments heard by neighbors indicated a line had been crossed again and again.

Winston thumbed through the pages and a couple of crucial facts jumped out, once again. Dale had been fighting for the custody of kids. Also, he was terrified of losing all his fortune in divorce, a fact he shared one night a little too generously over bottles of Budweiser.

Dale also had a few iron bars missing from his current construction site of the labyrinth. The weapon used for Rosemary’s murder, an iron bar, was not lost on Winston. He recalled seeing the iron bars at the site himself, remembering Dale's past projects involving the same type of material. Someone used to his weight at gym handles, lifting an iron bar wouldn’t be much of a task for Dale, a cold shudder ran down Winston’s spine at that thought. 

Winston closed his eyes, trying to fit all the pieces together. The last two pieces were the most troubling. On the day of the crime, Dale was, in fact, seen entering the labyrinth. And the meeting inside the maze was a closed affair, known only to Rosemary and Dale.

Winston rose from his desk and moved to his window, his eyes hypnotically following pedestrians with unbeknownst lives of their own. This labyrinth bore the name ‘Dale’ on each turn, each dead end, each exit and the hidden center. But how would it hold in court? How does a spider catch itself in its own web? If it does, how would one prove it?

Well, that's why they called him Detective Winston. It was about time he sat down with Dale.

choices

• Gary
• Dale