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MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

Problem

Answer published by the source. Consult the official source to check your work against its answer.

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the haunting echoes of a cinema hall, Tracy's life was abruptly silenced by the grim stroke of a meat cleaver, leaving Detective Winston grappling with a chilling mystery and two elusive suspects - Nicole and Gloria.

Winston, standing behind the caution tape, looked at the cinema marquee. He allowed the scene to imprint itself in his mind before he would venture inside to inspect the crime scene. A murder at the movies was a rarity. But what was even more unusual was the murder weapon used: a meat cleaver.

Reviewing the details of the case once more, Winston thought about some key players involved. Undeniably traceable was Gloria, a hardcore fan of the rock band 'The Butchers', known by everyone and even herself in interviews, as a groupie. She had also confessed in one such media interaction that she was crazy about taxidermy, a hobby brought to life in her house.

Leaving the crime scene, Winston made his way to Gloria's house in the fading evening sun. Upon entering Gloria's home, he found himself in a museum of morbid curiosity. From the ceiling to the floor, taxidermied animals filled the house with glassy eyes reflecting in the dim light, a testimony to her hobby.

Among her collection, he noticed a recent addition - a rare bird, its exotic colors momentarily catching his gaze. Bob, the local bird dealer, had already confirmed its purchase by Gloria.

Winston inquired about her whereabouts the previous night.

"Well, I was at the movie premiere, of course," Gloria responded. "I, along with Tracy, went to the double event. The Butchers premiered their new music video during the movie. And well, you couldn't expect me to miss that, now could you? I follow every event they put up and not just because I'm a fan. Because I am in love with the lead singer, and yes I'm saying it."

Winston let the information sink in.

"Well... isn't it true that Tracy, the victim, was planning to go public with an affair?" Winston asked.

A momentary flicker passed in Gloria's eyes. "Yes... I know about that," Gloria confessed. "She was dating the lead singer, the poor man. She wanted to reveal everything, destroy everything."

With that, Winston left Gloria's house with more questions buzzing in his head. He got back into his car, piecing together the intricate web of clues this case held. The concert that the Butchers were supposed to play after the movie was now going to be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Deep in thought, Winston flipped through the photographs of the movie theatre crime scene, when his partner handed him an envelope. A DVD from the theatre's CCTV records, witnessing every unscripted moment at the theatre that did double-duty, not just as a place to showcase films, but also as a distinctive setting for unorthodox weddings, just like the one Tracy had intended to have. Eyewitnesses at the scene confirmed Nicole's presence at the theatre during the murder. The records would be viewed later.

His current priority was to interrogate Nicole, the esteemed wedding planner, the woman whose entire reputation and business were built on her success in this field. By an unfortunate coincidence, she had been at the theatre when Tracy was murdered, not just as a cinema enthusiast, but as the individual orchestrating Tracy's movie-themed wedding at the same theatre.

"Nice place you've got here," Winston observed as he ventured into Nicole's office, its grandeur coupled with an array of movie posters illustrating her success in planning film-themed weddings.

"Well, Detective, events won't plan themselves," Nicole said, with a small, tight smile. "Tracy hired me for one of my elaborate movie-themed weddings. She was drawn to the unusual."

Surveying the space, he noticed it was not only amassed with wedding supplies but also held a vast array of kitchen equipment. Nicole had been responsible for preparing the meat at several events as evident from the professional cleavers that took center stage amongst the kitchenware. One of them catching his eye; a meat cleaver.

"On food responsibility as well?" Winston asked.

"Indeed. Delivering comprehensive experiences is the goal. Every specification matters, including the banquet," Nicole imparted. "My past as a culinary student till being a wedding planner helped shape that. I even received professional training in meat preparation."

"Interesting," Winston murmured, quickly connecting two points - Nicole's past culinary training and Tracy's murder weapon, a meat cleaver.

"Rumor has it that you made a considerable blunder at Tracy's wedding," Winston broached. "Word on the street is that Tracy was so embarrassed she was looking to file a malpractice suit against you.”

"A minor miscalculation. No one is perfect, detective. However, Tracy blew it out of proportion," Nicole responded, her face growing somber.

Observing her seemingly unflustered demeanor, Winston mused on her case. He knew a large scale malpractice suit could irreparably harm a professional's reputation. For someone like Nicole whose entire business relied on her successful track record as a wedding planner, it could be a fateful blow. 

Before confronting her head-on, he decided to examine the perspectives of the eyewitnesses and the CCTV footage. His eyes strayed to the cold, gleaming steel of the meat cleaver amidst Nicole's kitchen equipment. This reminded him of Tracy, and he made himself a promise: he would find justice for her.

choices

  • Nicole
  • Gloria

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Source and history

task_id
d07256f6-9e0e-51db-b201-8f4cb8d18564
task_key
default--murder~5fmysteries--d07256f6-9e0e-51db-b201-8f4cb8d18564
task_revision_id
1
config / split
default / murder_mysteries

Official source

initial import