MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

On a night when the roar of go-karts was silenced by a nefarious deed, Detective Winston finds himself investigating the peculiar murder of Gary, slain by a rarely-seen sai with two unlikely suspects: Frederick and Jerome.

Detective Winston flicked through the reports once again. The guy is a dock worker, moved shipping containers around all day. It was a harmless hobby, but it didn't sit right.

"The dock's a rough place, Winston," said Officer Daniels, a baby-faced officer with a knack of not following orders, "You can't be weak and thrive there."

"I bet Frederick's co-workers would tell you about his strength and dexterity. Cargo isn't a walk in the park," Winston said, taking in Daniels' recommendation. Strength and dexterity... it reminded him of something. The weapon, a sai, was found in Frederick's collection.

Winston rubbed his brow lightly and continued turning the pages. Frederick was a devotee of warfare artifacts. From ancient katana to modern assault rifles, Frederick had them all. 

"Frederick goes for racing during his free time," the report read. In fact, suspicious activity at the go-kart track was often reported around Frederick's usual racing time. Winston remembered Frederick's racing schedule: every Thursday at six, without fail.

On the day Gary was killed, Frederick and Gary were both at the go-kart track. Gary, a joker at heart, was seen messing around with Frederick's go-kart, the very same one that Frederick had previously confronted others about.

Winston sighed, leaning back in his chair. Daniels had a defensive glance in his eye.

"But he's just an enthusiast! And skilled, I heard," Daniels defended, almost pleadingly. 

Winston only nodded, his mind already spinning with strategies and weak alibis. 

"He's also a dockworker, known for his strength and dexterity, able to handle heavy cargo safely." He paused. "Isn't a sai a pretty lightweight weapon?"

"Yes sir." Daniels stuttered out, not daring to look Winston in the eye. "Frederick..." he swallowed. "Frederick might have the skill to wield a sai."

Winston continued reviewing the reports and evidence, his mind far from eased, his heart heavy with the task at hand. The dockworker. The go-kart track. The sai. The confrontations over the go-kart. The timelines adding up just so... Suspicions were nothing until proven in the court of law. But still, it was a start. Time to pay Frederick a visit.

Clouds hovered above the go-kart track as Winston surveyed the murder scene. The sight of Gary's lifeless body had been replaced by yellow police tape, but the stain of what had occurred remained imprinted in Winston's mind.

Indisputably, Gary was the current go-kart champion of their small town. A title that endowed him a sense of invincibility and an obstacle for Jerome, the runner up more times than Jerome cared to admit.

Winston pulled the collar of his coat up, glancing around the track at the groups of people, all huddled up and whispering. Among the crowd, his eyes locked onto a man standing alone, pressing binoculars to his eyes. It was a quirk of Jerome's to carry binoculars, even to social gatherings. The man was Jerome, a local driving instructor.

As Winston approached, he saw numerous people trying to engage with Jerome. He seemed to be in his own world, unresponsive to those attempting to speak with him. His attention constantly straying elsewhere, ears tilted towards passing conversations as if eavesdropping. Winston couldn’t help but notice the insular behavior of the man.

"You're Jerome, right?" Winston asked. The man gave him a nod, his gaze fixed on the distant track. Jerome's listless eyes betrayed not apathy but a high passion for go-karting.

Jerome and Gary shared this passion, Winston learned, their go-kart rivalry was quite the spectacle in the local area. Contentious races, frequently ending with Gary taking the championship title very heatedly debated, and it was just a week ago when Gary accused Jerome of cheating.

"In his own world, isn't he?" commented one of the local racers, watching Winston's attempt to engage Jerome. "I've heard them arguing a lot recently. Especially after the last race..." he glanced at the silent Jerome.

Winston noted to visit the local gym, where Jerome had been seen practicing fight moves occasionally. The man was known to have a certificate of martial arts mastery as well. That singled him out, especially considering the nature of the murder weapon, a sai.

Thinking of sai, a cold wave of realization spread through him. He had seen a receipt in Jerome's office for multiple such weapons, and rumor had it that Jerome had been spotted purchasing multiple sais only a week back.

As the evening wind picked up, Winston took one last look at the solitary figure of Jerome. He was engrossed in his own world even in a crowded gathering. Suspicion, it would seem, wore many masks. It was time, Winston decided, to uncover the truth.

choices

• Frederick
• Jerome