MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the heart of the rainforest, Jesse meets his gruesome end by a lawnmower, leaving Detective Winston embarked on a puzzling quest with suspects - Sam and Steve.

Winston looked over the notes that had been placed on his desk, details about Jesse, a kid he had been killed by a lawnmower in a rainforest during a school trip. Sighing, he prepared himself to go and speak to Sam, a schoolmate of Jesse with a connection to landscaping tools.

Arriving at "Green Leaves Landscaping", Winston was greeted by the bustling noise of various gardening equipment being operated for demonstrations and repairs. He looked around, noting that this place even had lawnmowers, one in particular stood out.

He was introduced to Sam. The young man, not much older than Jesse, who seemed jittery and nervous. No doubt upset about his friend's death. 

"Sam, right?" Winston asked, to which the young man just nodded. 

"Bit of a strange question, but do you know how to operate a lawnmower?" Winston asked.

A slight nod from Sam confirmed it, "Yeah, on top of that I passed my course in operating heavy machinery with distinction last summer. I know my way around from lawnmowers to bulldozers." 

Winston continued with a gentle but probing conversation, leading to Sam mentioning the school field trip to the rainforest that had turned tragic. This sparked another question from Winston. 

"Anyone else in that rainforest, apart from your school group?" The answer was negative.

The conversation took a dramatic turn when Sam admitted to finding some inappropriate texts between Jesse and his girlfriend on her phone, showing them to Winston. 

"And she admitted to it?" Winston pursued, brows furrowed. "Yes, she confessed when confronted." Sam's voice choked up a little.

Taking a mental step back, Winston continued with his questions, "Your father owns this place?" 

Sam's hand gestured around the landscape store run by his father, "Yeah, been helping him around whenever I'm free."

They chatted for a couple more minutes before Winston thanked Sam for his time and left, informing him that they might need to speak again. He reflected on what he'd learned, about Jesse's cheating, Sam’s landscaping connection and distinction-honored ability to operate heavy machinery. The facts were taking shape in a complex web, beginning to form a picture but with still much to be discovered.

Winston adjusted his fedora and walked into Steve's study in the local synagogue, filled with ancient religious texts, some open and spread out in front of Steve. Steve looked like a man deep in thought, his eyes fixated on the book in front of him. 

"Mind if I interrupt, Rabbi Steve?" Winston asked, interrupting the tranquility. 

"Detective Winston," Steve acknowledged without lifting his eyes. His voice reflected his years, a baritone stained with wisdom. 

"I understand you were meant to be at a number of religious events, which this community is known for, but it appears you were missing in action?" Winston probed lightly, trying to placate the simmering tension he could already sense. 

"I've been studying, Detective. These ancient religious texts are complicated and require my full attention, and I couldn't divide it between them and the ritualistic gatherings." Steve finally looked up, his gaze piercing through Winston.

Steve's intense lifestyle of a lot of reading and self-study was no secret to the detective. This was his daily routine.

"I understand." Winston pulled out his notepad, shifting in his seat. "You regularly volunteer for the forest clean-ups, correct?" 

"Every chance I get," Steve responded, his volunteer spirit evident in his voice. The rain forest thundered just beyond the confines of Steve's synagogue, a song of life against the urban creep. A song that often played the backdrop for Steve's volunteer efforts.

"Yes, I recall there was a cleanup event scheduled for the exact time of Jesse's murder," Winston commented, but left the sentence hanging.

A palpable silence filled the room.

Switching topics, Winston began to inquire about their rival businesses, "Seems like things are going pretty well for Jesse and his lawn care business, while yours seems to be losing steam. In fact, it seems like Jesse planned to undercut your business."

Steve's face twitched slightly at the mention of Jesse. "It's a free market, Detective."

"It is," Winston nodded, "Jesse seems to be gaining a lot of new clients recently." Steve's expression remained unfazed "Quite rapidly, actually. And at the same time, you're losing a bunch of yours.”

"Coincidence," Steve shrugged it off.

"Is it? Or do you suspect Jessie was intentionally stealing your client base?" Winston asked, knowing that Jesse undercutting his rival's price wasn't helping Steve a great deal.

"Talk to the forest, Detective," Steve sighed. “I have more pressing matters to attend to,” Steve said finishing the conversation. 

As Winston got up to leave, he asked off-handedly, "Was the synagogue typically open during those religious events?"

"Yes," Steve confirmed. "It was open to all."

"Thank you for your time, Rabbi Steve," Winston offered a curt nod and left Steve to his ancient texts requiring deep concentration, and shadows while the rainforest sang beyond.

choices

• Sam
• Steve