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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 a chilling turn of events, Rose is found lifeless in a car, killed by a vial of acid, leading Detective Winston to the affluent suspects, Daisy and Dexter.

Winston pulled into the parking lot of an electronics store, neat rows of televisions shining through the large storefront window. He fought a sigh as he approached the doors, remembering the usual jumble of gizmos and gadgets that never failed to make him feel outdated. 

Inside, a friendly-looking man with round glasses and a slightly off-kilter smile stood behind a counter, engaged in a quiet conversation with a customer. Seeing Winston, he excused himself and approached with a warm greeting.

"Officer, how can I help you today?" 

"I'm Detective Winston. I hear you've got a batch of new batteries in stock?"

Dexter's smile faltered a bit, "Yes, sir. Came in last week. Anything specific you're looking for?" After an uncertain pause, he added, "Our stock varies from these small pencil batteries to some real heavy ones, you see."

Winston gave a noncommittal answer, observing Dexter surreptitiously. The man had a certain peculiar charm; he seemed more like an impish professor than a sales associate at an electronics store. Following the conversation, Winston found his gaze drawn to a large cardboard box residing in one corner of the store. However, noting the interest, Dexter mentioned his personal collection at home.

"Ah, customers just love looking through that large box of trinkets over there.", he gently scratched his chin and a soft smile played on his lips, "And there's another similar treasure chest in my living room at my place too." Catching his nostalgic glance, it dawned on Winston that Dexter always included items into a similar box in his living room at his home following each customer visit to the store.

By the time Winston decided to leave the store, he felt sure of his next course of action. He headed over to Dexter's home. The house was, truth be told, quite modest but left a comforting impression. The first thing he noticed was a bookshelf overflowing with chemistry textbooks, not the staple for sales associates, he thought ironically, recognizing a few from his own school days.

He found himself staring at a cluttered table which held a photo album. Picking it up, he flipped through. Each photo had a caption underneath, reminiscing good times spent with the individuals pictured. As he took in this personal element, he recalled a town gathering where the lighthearted Rose, having discovered an embarrassing picture of Dexter, couldn't stop laughing directly at him and sharing it with everyone attending the gathering. The picture was now a town legend, circulating far and wide.

As he put the album down, Winston glanced towards the wall clock. The late afternoon sun was shifting into evening. He decided to wrap up the visit. On his way out, Dexter engaged him in some small talk about their shared love for the town's food. It was during their conversation that Winston discovered Dexter had previously studied chemistry in college, majoring in industrial acids. Winston thanked him politely and went on his way.

The detective, Winston, had strong coffee in his hand as he reviewed the case files laid out in front of him. His current assignment was the murder of Rose, who was found dead in her car by means of an acid attack. The type of acid was identical to those found in Daisy's performances. The perpetrator got away, leaving only a vial as evidence.

Rose had frequent parking spots, and her car was often seen in the lot near the locals' favorite music venue. The night she was killed, she was leaving a concert that was being performed by Daisy, a singer scheduled to perform at the same venue near the parking lot that day. Rose also notably had a sizable life insurance policy, to which Daisy was added as a beneficiary just a month before the incident.

Daisy was known for her meticulously neat dressing room. She claimed it came from her aversion to the generally dirty environment the venues offered. Daisy's music album sales had been falling drastically, attested by the revenue charts Winston was scrutinizing. Furthermore, due to the cancellation of many events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Daisy had been unable to collect performance fees.

During the middle of the practice session, Winston visited Daisy, where she was preparing for her next performance. He noticed different types of acids in small containers labeled and neatly arranged on a side table. Upon inquiry, Daisy shared how she often incorporated the acids into her performances for dramatic effects. She jokingly added, "You should see the mess they make sometimes; this place is never clean."

Witnesses from the concert reported seeing Daisy and Rose leaving the venue together after the show. They appeared to be the only ones in the car. Daisy didn't hesitate to confirm, "Oh, yes, Rose and I left the venue together. She was kind enough to offer me a lift, as my own ride bailed out."

As Winston left the venue, his phone buzzed, reminding him of Daisy's recent addition to Rose's sizable life insurance policy just a month ago. As he drove past the venue, he saw that it was right next to the parking lot where Rose frequented. With the vial of similar acid on his mind, the pieces were starting to fall into place for Winston.

Despite making some strides, the detective knew that the journey to justice was far from over. Each new location and piece of information held the potential to be the key to unraveling the mystery behind Rose's death.

choices

  • Dexter
  • Daisy

Discussion

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Source and history

task_id
e7a07033-a47f-5820-891a-272bcda9c653
task_key
default--murder~5fmysteries--e7a07033-a47f-5820-891a-272bcda9c653
task_revision_id
1
config / split
default / murder_mysteries

Official source

initial import