MuSR / Who is the most likely murderer?

question

Who is the most likely murderer?

narrative

In the dim light of an abandoned factory, Kaylee's lifeless body lay with the cold steel of a pickaxe lodged within, thrusting Detective Winston into a dark game of deception with suspects Penelope and Francis.

Winston breathed a sigh of relief as he entered the comfort of his car, escaping the oppressive heat outside. The day had been anything but a usual one and he reviewed the paper on his clipboard yet again. Kaylee, a young woman, was found dead in an abandoned factory of all places and the purported weapon was a pickaxe, an old miner's pickaxe to be exact.

His next interview was scheduled with a nanny named Penelope. Penelope was not your average nanny. Alongside her formal education in early child care, she also had professional training in the same field, acquiring skills that allowed her to excel in handling children. Despite her credible qualifications, Winston found it decidedly strange to connect a nanny with such a gruesome find, not least because Penelope herself had most of her busy day spent with children, not in an old factory.

After a short walk, he approached a modest suburban home quite close to the abandoned factory. The home itself, despite its proximity, seemed worlds apart from the grim discovery location. 

Penelope greeted him at the door, shaking his hand with a warm smile. "Hello, Penelope." Winston greeted, then a thought hit him. A person of her profession is typically responsible for a child's growth and upbringing. Penelope's studied and trained background in childcare had indeed stuck in his mind since their last encounter.

During their conversation, Winston learned that Penelope was seen leaving her house around the estimated time of the murder. Interestingly enough, he even had a witness claiming to see Penelope with an old mining pickaxe earlier that day, a claim solidly backed up as the recovered pickaxe, the very same weapon used in the murder, matched exactly the one described by the witness.

Just as he was thinking about the pickaxe, a piece of evidence from the crime scene flashed across his mind. Winston reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a page from a diary. It was from Kaylee's diary. The entry was clear; Kaylee had a meeting scheduled with Penelope at the so-called abandoned factory.

A unease washed over Winston, making the usually delicious coffee taste sour in his mouth. Kaylee seemed to have known something about Penelope that she didn't want public. She had unearthed something about Penelope's past... maybe even criminal past. The parents didn't know... and Kaylee was planning to tell.

He glanced at Penelope, who was sitting across from him, looking anxious. She must've known that the exposure would cause her serious embarrassment... and at worst, cost her her job. With no other events reported that could have prevented Kaylee from meeting Penelope, it all looped back to the meeting at the factory.

"Well, Penelope, I do have a long walk back to my car." he said, finishing the last of his coffee and standing up. "I've taken enough of your time, thank you for your cooperation." He gave a nod as he reached the door, leaving the nanny to contemplate her day filled with children, and his with unanswered questions.

Detective Winston grimaced, finally setting down the carefully documented police case file of the late Kaylee. The coffee stains on the file folder began to bleed into the corners of the cover. The pangs of guilt for indulging in too much work in the form of an overbrewed cup of joe were not his only concern. An image haunted him; it was from a video footage where Francis had caught Kaylee red-handed, threatening his daughter which he digitally recorded as proof.

Shaking the sudden chill from his spine, Winston looked out of his office window to the abandoned factory where Kaylee had been found. Francis, Kaylee's husband, had years of mining experience and was renowned for his pickaxe expertise. Francis had arranged the meeting point and was seen coaxing her into trusting that the factory would be undisturbed.

The town had all been abuzz with this unthinkable murder. Kaylee's constant torment of Francis' daughter, enough to induce anxiety and depression in the child, was now common knowledge. Even more upsetting was the unusual delicateness Francis had shown in handling this situation, a man known for his work involving grueling physical labor that required a high level of strength and endurance.

Digging into his pocket Winston pulled out the receipt for the pickaxe that he'd found in Francis’ pocket, a peculiar coincidence considering Francis’ mining background and the tool associated with it.

In the corner of his foul-smelling, second-hand leather bound desk was a photograph. A crisp, clear frame showing Francis purchasing the said pickaxe at the local hardware store. It was not surprising that Francis had chosen to arm himself with a tool he was already so familiar with, but to invite his wife into a murderous trap of his creation was another level of distressing reality.

Winston looked up to see Francis standing in the doorway, tall and solemn. "Detective Winston," he said quietly, "We need to talk about Kaylee."

Winston nodded, gesturing for him to take a seat. "I heard about what happened. About the threats she made to your daughter."

Francis looked taken aback, his gaze shifting around the room. "Yes...I caught her threatening our daughter. I don't know why she couldn't see what her actions were doing to our daughter."

Winston nodded but said nothing. He stayed silent, letting Francis explain in his own time, about the factory meeting he'd arranged with Kaylee, his knowledge that the factory would have been empty at that time, the purchased pickaxe and the chilling threats Kaylee had aimed towards his daughter.

As Francis left his office, Winston glanced back at the file, picking up the coffee cup, he pondered the gritty mysteries life tended to serve up.

choices

• Penelope
• Francis